At Home Date-Night

Katie and I have decided to stay at home, make some coffee and play cards. The thing is, cards are the ONE THING in the world that make me angry. Not that they're sinful or anything. It's just for some reason they make my temper rise up. In fact, once when Katie and I were playing cards while we were dating, I lost and threw the cards across the room. Yeah, anyway, if anybody's out there reading this right now, send up some prayers for me to display the fruits of the Spirit, especially self-control.

UPDATE: All went well. I won some and lost some, but mostly we had a good time (and nothing got thrown).

Finally, Summer B-Ball (maybe)

So, the court I play on doesn't look quite as fancy as the one from the old Nintendo game "Double Dribble," but it is a nice new court in the park. I've been trying to show up when other players might, but no one's really been showing up. Tonight there was finally enough to play some decent 5-on-5. The only problem, rain's in the forecast. Sun, will you PLEASE consistently come out to play, too!

Discovery: I Can Fly!

Okay, so I can't fly. I can't even jump very high. But through the use of trick photography, it sure looks like I can, huh?

Katie and I went to Discovery Park in Magnolia. The park has acres upon acres of woods and meadows that sit next to bluffs and a beach on the Puget Sound. After practicing our jumping and flying, we when for a hike around the Loop Trail...almost 3 miles long! Phew! This may lead to more exercise...

Where Does My Help Come From?

Yesterday I was talking with a new, good friend of mine, Chris Marlow. We like to talk about church, and specifically church planting. Both of us are church planters who seemingly have had more failure than success, at least in our own hopes and dreams. But really, we continually ask the question of how to see fruit, that is, how the freak are we going to make more disciples?!

My answer yesterday, while we talked at Caffe Vita, was that we simply needed to keep talking about Jesus, telling and showing everyone how Christ brings hope in a world of despair. That was my answer...before I read some scriptures this morning.

It's not that I was wrong. I was only half right though. Paul tells the Thessalonians, "...our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction" (1 Thess. 1:5). As well, I was reading about people's response to Jesus' ministry in Mark: "The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law" (Mark 1:22).

A bike is a bike, but is only a bike unless powered. Then it becomes a moving vehicle. A word is a word, but is only a word unless powered. Then it becomes a moving of the soul.

Words are just words unless spoken with the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew this. Paul knew this. Mark Driscoll knows this. Each one's fruit is different as God grows it, but each preaches with deep conviction and a powerful authority of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, help us to preach and live in truth, grace, conviction and the power of Your Holy Spirit. Bring us fruit in accordance with Your will, which desires that no one should parish but that all might be saved.

Unexpected (Crucial) Partners in Ministry

This morning I had breakfast with Willy. Willy is in her 80s but has a youthful liveliness to her eyes. Two years ago I had spoken at the chapel where she lives in retirement living. She had put myself and an unbelieving friend of mine on her prayer list. Everyday she earnestly prays for us both.

A year ago she looked at her prayer list and thought, "Maybe I should take Jason's friend off my list. I haven't heard anything, and maybe I should pray for other things." The very next day she heard through my Mom that I had the chance to share the Gospel with my friend during a very unique, impromptu opportunity. Again, for the last year she has spent countless hours in prayer on behalf of my friend and myself, and has even added my wife and soon-to-be-born baby.

It was a great breakfast with Willy, catching up on all that God has been doing to answer her prayers. And it is a great thought, knowing God has provided me with some vital warriors in the fight. Though they be fighting in secret, they wage war on the front lines.

Day Off: A Bit of Culture

With the weather as it is (overcast and rainy), Katie and I decided to take in some art. We went down to the Frye Art Museum. Not only is the art at the Frye world-class, but it's also free. That's right, free admission, free parking, free everything...except the temporary tattoos of the art available in the gift shop.

Tricked into Jogging?

I've tried numerous times to start a jogging for exercise. But I just can't seem to get into it. I need a bouncy orange ball to chase in order to trick my mind into running. Small, repetative incentives on a court seems to work. Could the new Nike+iPod work for me? I don't think so.

Complex Aromas

Ahhh! We have a smell in our house! You know those one's I speak of. It smells like a dead horse, but we can't figure out where it's coming from. We've checked every possible suspect...the cats' litter, the fridge, etc. Nothing. I'm afraid it's a dead rodent in the walls or something.

If this is what sin smells like to God, then no wonder He hates it.

Good Fellowship

Chris Marlow, his wife, Necole, and their two cute daughters, Bailey and Kenzie, visited Church on the Hill yesterday. The Marlows were previously planting a church in Raleigh, NC, and have now come to Seattle to search for the same possiblity in this churchless city. A friend of theirs, Tre, also came with them to church.

Afterwards we came back to the house and grilled some cheap hot dogs. As the picture shows, Chris could hardly wait to bite into the delicious grub!

Please keep the Marlows in prayer as they settle in and discern God's direction for ministry. No doubt they will be great partners of ours during their time in Seattle.

Jim and Jan

Jim and Jan Crouse hungout Saturday night and stayed for church Sunday morning. Jim is my Western Region Superintendent...this basically means he's a stud. After some Mediterranean food, we shopped at Value Village and then introduced the Crouses to Ticket to Ride, my favorite board game.

Thank God for good mentors like Jim who know how to just hang out.

What I'm listening to...

A buddy-slash-business-partner of mine, Jason Powers, is a graphic designer for Tooth and Nail Records here in Seattle. Knowing my tastes as a huge Coldplay fan, he often introduces me to good music from his record label.

He tipped me off to the CD of a new band named Fair, who's debut CD doesn't even come out until June 6th. But you can preview it on their site...and they sound amazing. I think this is going to be a good one to pick up.

Short and Sweet

I'm realizing that blogs often -- very often -- need to be quick and to the point. This is for two reasons: 1) People don't have time to read long blogs, and 2) I don't have time to write long blogs everytime.

This is all new to me, so sorry for the novels I've been leaving.

DANGER: Without Knowing It, You May Suffer From Abuse of This Readily Available Substance

You may be one of millions in Western culture heavily addicted to a substance that is being made available at an ever-increasing speed. This addiction often times goes unnoticed by not only you, but also by everyone around you. If you were hooked on alcohol or drugs, everyone might recognize it. If porn's your problem, you may be the only one to know. But with an addiction to INFORMATION, you and everyone else may see you partaking without anyone, including yourself, ever knowing there is even a problem!

That's right, "information" is the latest craze. Not only is it sold on every street corner (newspaper racks, magazine stands), but our social, economic, political and even spiritual frameworks are now intrinsically tied to the exchange of information. Even more scary is the fact that as the demand increases, the supply also exponentially grows. John L. King, dean of Michigan's School of Information, estimates that electronic information doubles every 60 minutes! This means, for example, every bit of information you could find on the internet would double in the next hour.

Somehow we feel the need to keep up with all this information being created and processed. We've been bred to behave like this. Ever watch CNN and notice how many different messages are being thrown at your senses simultaneously? The screen has two or three headlines scrolling and flashing. The time, date, weather, logos etc. are stamped in the corners. All the while the reporter is squawking in your ears. The same is true of your favorite websites. There are headlines, advertisements, calendars, logos littering every pixel of your browser.

The goofiest part of the matter is that we are addicted to this stuff. We have been sucked right into it! Why do news corporations keep firing information our way? Cause we can't get enough. We crave it. We have to have it. I know I certainly do, or I think I certainly do. My web browser is full of tools to help me keep on top of every bit of information I feel is necessary to my survival. My bookmarks, favorites menu, RSS reader -- these are the electronic equivalent of a bong, constantly serving up my drug of choice: Information.

And mainstream information is only the beginning. Personal information passed between friends, family and co-workers also becomes addictive. I have to check up on my friends' blogs because God forbid if I don't read the poem they just wrote telling me how they've been feeling over the last hour (thanks for checking on me...right now I'm feeling like I could use some coffee). I'm always looking at my e-mail cause I can't wait another five minutes to see if anyone forwarded me a junker full of old blonde jokes. If there's not one there when I check, then I'll just have to check after another five minutes. Actually, I had better make it four minutes.

Do you have an addiction to information? You might if you answer yes to any of the following questions:

1. If your computer checks your e-mail automatically, is it more frequent then every 10 minutes?
2. How many separate news websites to you check during the same sitting?
3. Do you go crazy if you don't read the newspaper before you leave for work?
4. If you are having dinner with your family and your cell phone rings, do you answer it?
5. Do you listen to talk radio at work, when driving, and while preparing dinner?
6. If you are busy reading your RSS feeds and your spouse asks you a question, are you angry or snippy towards him/her for interrupting?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you may be a glutton of information. This is really nothing new. In Solomon's book of Ecclesiastes, he tells us nothing under the sun is new. While we may think this problem is isolated to the current Information Age, it isn't. It has only expanded to new forms and continues to do so. What these new forms are cloaking is the ancient art of gossiping. Gossiping is simply the feeling that we must have information. It used to be more relegated to those we were in direct contact with, but now we have allowed gossip to be required when scavenging for information about the latest celebrity pregnancy or teen pop idol's breast enhancements. Who cares?! It's not going to change the world directly around me. It's not going to threaten my survival. I'm not going to lose all I have by opting to disregard one phone call during a coffee break with some friends.

Interestingly enough, the coffee shops around my neighborhood have begun to wage war against his addiction. Instead of forming support groups, they are attempting to help cut off supply lines. Many of the coffee shops don't allow you to talk on your cell phone while inside. Additionally, many have cut off access to their wireless internet connection on the weekends to help foster the conversations taking place around the tables. However, they still seem to be willing to enable those of us with caffeine addictions. Hmmmm....

While we each have various things warring for our undivided attention, let us resolve to be addicted only to information which brings us to know Jesus and people more, and only in such a way that we are spurred on to act in love towards them. We must carefully give them our attention when in conversation, but never for the purpose of mere information retrieval. Rather, our exchange of information should be characterized by loyalty, unselfishness, kindness and self-control.

So now that you've just read all this information, send me some love! :-)

Day Off: Mt. Rainier and Reading

Thursdays are my day off. With only one day off, Katie and I have to plan very carefully how we can best use this valuable time. Day trips to Mt. Rainier are always a great choice.

We headed up towards the mountain in our little blue VW Golf ("Nina") with the intention of picnicking at Silver Springs, a campground we stayed at last summer. However, Silver Springs was closed, and we had to find a second option. Everything else seemed to be closed off, too. So we backtracked down the mountain to a little state park called Federation Forest located on the edge of the White River. The park not only consists of trails through the forest, but also has a grassy field on the bank of the river.

There was plenty to do (in the category of "rest"). We ate food, played frisbee, talked and read. I'm continuing to read through Experiencing Prayer by Henry and Norman Blackaby. Chapter three was a breakthrough read for me. The overall theme was to come to God with an attitude of reverence, ready to give an unqualified yes to whatever agenda God may reveal for our lives.

Katie and I talked about this for a while, and I concluded that I have not been doing that with every decision in my life -- as a husband, pastor, and even a father. I've been allowing fear to control me, and so I approach God with only certain things which may be adjusted by Him. Other certain things have been off limits for an assortment of reasons. But as I viewed Jesus' approach to openly accepting the agenda the Father had set for everything in His life, it filled me with a confidence and peace that the Father's agenda is also the best for every area of my life.

Hellooooo Sunshine!

For the third day in a row the weather in Seattle has been perfect. No rain. No clouds. Much sun and warmth. Light breeze. Absolutely PERFECT! (If you're from California, then I'm lying. Don't move here!)

On days like these, there is no way to stay cooped up inside doing work. I've been taking my books to the park, the porch, anywhere I can soak in God's grace through the Seattle sun.

I'm currently reading two books. One is Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, the author of the Tipping Point (a must-read!). Gladwell's basic argument is that we think and analyze too much before making decisions. One of his main illustration was a massive $250k war game conducted by the Pentagon before the first Persian Gulf War. The Blue Team ("America") waged a mock war versus the Red Team, a rogue terrorist dictator in the Middle East. Within a day the Red Team had crippled the Blue Team, though the Blue Team had every conceivable ounce of information available to them. What went wrong (or for the Red Team, what went right)? Instead of allowing war instincts make decisions in the "blink" of an eye, the Blue Team burdened themselves with too much information, too many policies, too many procedures, whereas the Red Team used stripped down, in-the-moment decision making and war strategy. The main point being that our brain computes enough information to make a sound decision immediately, but we usually allow more information and analysis to cloud the decision-making process.

I'm really considering whether this could be a breakthrough approach to how I pastor Church on the Hill. Like most pastors, I spend a lot of time strategizing culture, church models, organizing data to present a pretty vision to the congregation. But really, Jesus' style in His Middle Eastern War was to be like the rouge commander of the Red Team. Would Capitol Hill be more effectively reached by being engaged by a "blink" type of ministry. It seems this would give much more permission to everyone being poured into relationships and seeking training based on real-time missional living.

The second book is Experiencing Prayer by Henry and Norman Blackaby. I've just begun this book, but I can say that I love the approach they are taking. Instead of randomly ripping off a prayer from an obscure passage in the Old Testament (sorry, I just had to take a shot at the Prayer of Jabez), their foundation is a rich examination and emulation of Jesus' prayer life. After one chapter, I'm already finding my heart being called to deeper prayer with the Father.

Soaking up sun, reading, downing Otter Pops...the only thing that could add to this moment is a latte from Espresso Vivace!

Everybody's Blogging

Everybody seems to be blogging these days. I've always wondered why anyone would want to read or write other people's blogs.

But one day I found myself reading a couple blogs. I read the same blogs the next day, and the next day, and now everyday.

So I don't know if I will have anything to add to the internet world, but I may have stuff that other people want to read. If not, then the worst that can happen is that I get my thoughts out in black and white. Actually, I guess even worse would be if I end up boring myself with endless chatter.

Let's hope none of us get bored.