Simply Missional

Written by Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger

It was early in the morning when they came. There were two short knocks at the door and, when it opened, a polite greeting from one of the police officers standing in the stairwell.

Dell Computers has shattered the warehouse myth. Most companies love big warehouses. They feel safe with lots of inventory on large shelves in massive warehouses, always ready for that next order. In their minds, the well-stocked warehouse confirms the belief that they will always be able to meet customer demands and customer expectations.

Dell disagrees with the warehouse approach. In the technology business, the product literally rots in value on the shelves. Because Dell does not want their best resources on the shelves, they only keep two hours of inventory. Which means that if you order a PC on Dell.com, the parts will not arrive to Dell until two hours before your PC is shipped to you.

Dell wants their resources out there, on the street. Not in the warehouse, where the resources merely gather dust and produce no impact. So Dell has designed a very strategic process to move their resources to the street. Sadly, many churches are betting their futures on the warehouse myth.

Most churches build big warehouses and shelve a bunch of Christians (those rows look suspiciously like shelves). They design attractive programs to "retain" people in the sacred warehouse, keep precise records of how much inventory (people) is on the shelves and brag about their warehouses being constantly open. And warehouse managers love to show other warehouse managers their newest warehouses while dreaming together of bigger and better warehouses.

God is calling churches to shatter the warehouse myth, to change their warehouses into strategic distribution centers, where people are distributed as salt and light to the world. Some churches are strategically challenging their people to be out there, and these churches have a simple process that moves people from the warehouse to the street. These churches are simple and missional.

They are simply missional. We are often asked if there is a relationship between our two books, Breaking the Missional Code and Simple Church. Is there a relationship between a church being missional and a church being simple? Read Full Story »

Current Read

Walking with God, John Eldredge

"Shared laughter creates a bond of friendship. When people laugh together, they cease to be young and old, master and pupils, worker and driver. They become a single group of human beings, enjoying their existence."
W. Grant Lee

Current Read

Garden of the Purple Dragon, Carole Wilkinson

Advent starts this Sunday. That's right, the countdown to Christmas is OFFICIALLY on! Just to make sure we're all prepared and have the facts straight, I've posted this video a friend of mine passed on. Enjoy!

Current Read

The Silver Hand, Stephen Lawhead

"Heaven is full of forgiven people. Hell is full of forgiven people. Heaven is full of people God loves, whom Jesus died for. Hell is full of forgiven people God loves, whom Jesus died for. The difference is how we choose to live, which story we choose to live in, which version of reality we trust. Ours or God's."
- Rob Bell

What would happen if all of us discovered our God-given dreams? To live our lives in such a way that everything we did – every choice, every act – was used to fulfill those dreams. If all of us began to live "wide awake," the world would never be the same.

Erwin McManus

Just think about that for a minute. What would it look like if every single God oriented person lived with the reality of God's best dreams for them in mind? If everyone was freed from their fears, insecurities and doubt to reach for His good purposes and plans, plans to prosper them and not to harm them, to give them hope and a future what kind of world would it be?

I've talked about it a lot, living in the sweet spot where you're living and doing exactly what you were created for. I know I'm not there yet. I've had moments, but I'm not consistently there. More often I feel restless and discontented, striving for something "more" without even really knowing what that "more" is. I wish I could somehow capture those quality moments and figure out just what it is that makes them so sweet. What is it that, if I could put my finger on it, I would be able to say with certainty is the dream God has put on my heart, the dream God dreams for me? What gifts and abilities do I possess that I MUST use in order to be feeling fully satisfied and freed to be me?

Somehow I need to capture that because I know that it's as I'm searching that out and living it out more completely that I will be able to help others around me find and live out what it is for them. I think it would be absolutely world changing to have a whole bunch of people living completely as they were intended and created to live, 100% true to their uniquenesses and purposes.

I've been enjoying this song lately - for many reasons - so i thought I'd share. Love the lyrics. Enjoying his voice. Great harmony potential.

Current Read

Paradise War, Stephen Lawhead

Missional church.

In 1995 Australian theologian Charles Ringma offered this description:

"The missional church vision is not a programmatic response to the crisis of relevance, purpose and identity that the church in the Western World is facing, but a recapturing of biblical views of the Church all too frequently abandoned, ignored, or obscured through long periods of church history. It is a renewed theological vision of the church in mission, which redefines the nature, the mission and the organization of the local church around Jesus' proclamation of the good news of the Kingdom. Missional Churches seek to respond to God's invitation to join Him in His mission in and for the world, as a sign, a servant and a foretaste of His Kingdom."

Current Read

Deja Dead, Kathy Reichs

I picked it up because of Reichs. She's the author behind the TV show "Bones" which I've been enjoying recently. I have to either read it in small doses or finish it quick though I haven't decided yet which one is the solution. It's got me so wrapped up in the plot that it's freakin' me out a little bit...

Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.

Chinese Proverb

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.
-Dr. Seuss

Current Read

Furious Longing of God, Brennan Manning

The Gospel can be summed up by saying that
it is the tremendous, tender, compassionate,
gentle, extraordinary, explosive,
revolutionary revelation of Christ's love.

Catherine de Hueck Doherty in The Gospel Without Compromise

"In our society, we tend to swear unyielding allegiance to a rigid position, confusing that action with finding an authentic connection to a life-giving Spirit. We miss the gospel of Christ; the good news that, although the holy and all-powerful God knows we are dust, He still stoops to breathe into us the breath of life - to bring to our wounds the balm of acceptance and love."

Rich Mullins.

It's that time of year

People seem to be getting the idea that we have something to offer to the world around us. We seem to be getting that not everyone has what we have, whether it be time, money, relationship or skills, but that if we share what we have, the world WILL be better for all of us. I hope, too, that we're starting to get that starting close to home makes sense. This morning I caught wind of a volunteer organization called iParticipate. It's been endorsed by all sorts of celebrities and, yes, it does have Canadian volunteer opportunities. So, if you want to volunteer, to give back, but aren't really sure where or how, here's another way to get connected with some great opportunities.

Making the World a Better Placek

I wonder how often we actually live that way. If only people would treat us better, if only "they" would make the first move, if only they would be less selfish and think about others, then the world would be a better place. If only. What if it's up to us to break the cycle? Would the world, then, be a better place? Just thinking...

Current Read

Think Orange, Reggie Joiner

It's supposed to be one of the top books regarding children's ministry right now. It's certainly the most talked about. People are finally getting on board with the idea that churches and families are more effective when they work together, that Sunday morning children's ministry are not sufficient to provide the whole of a child's spiritual formation but are rather a tool and a supplement to that which the family already provides and that working together we are stronger and better equipped than working apart.

Tee hee.

A bunch of Calgary fans were flaunting this pic after their 5-3 victory over the Nucks last Friday night which, I might add, was also the night that both the Oilers and the Eskimos won their games.

A friend of mine shared this video with me the other day while we were sitting in the theatre waiting for our movie to start. I know. Handy dandy new fangled iphone technology. Anyway, it's a good listen - might just have to go get my hands on the album - and a fun video.

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."

Martin Luther King

"It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision." ~Helen Keller

Thanks, Dayna, for sharing.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Be conscious of our treasures. Be thankful. Be alive.

Happy Thanksgiving.

"Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness."

Mother Teresa

Current Read

People of Sparks, Jeanne DuPrau

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

It feels like it has been absolutely forever since I "actually" posted here. I feel like life has been a bunch of bits and pieces lately. What better than to write a post that reflects that?!

* I've fallen in love with my newly acquired swifer. If you don't have one, I recommend you get one. They clean crazy good!

*I miss my flip flops already. I don't like that I've turned the heat on in my house. I'm not a fan of the snow that fell today even if it did melt. I feel like our seasons have been all messed up this year. Spring. Summer (short). Fall. Summer (in September. short). Fall (short again). Winter. One week I'm wearing t-shirts and the next week I'm wearing big vests and jackets. One of the ladies at church today was laughing that she had sweaters and shorts in the same load of laundry from the same week. True story. 35 degrees to 3 degrees in the same week. Why!?

*I've always had a twin bed...until now. When I moved into my new house - yes, I have a new house. I bought a house!!! - I was surprised with a new bed. A queen sized bed. With a pillow top mattress. Then I bought a duvet to go with it. I love it. It makes me happy. Only problem is that it seems like now I have a whole new reason to hate mornings...as if I needed any more.

*The new Indigo and Starbucks by my house opened up. I don't know whether I should be excited or afraid of this new prospect. When I moved out of my last neighbourhood, the one thing I was sad about not having anymore was the Starbucks and Chapters that I used to work at. Then I found out about this one going in. Two of my favorite things nice and close.

So I was there the other day. I noticed something I hadn't noticed before. It caught me so off guard that I had to take a picture of it.

Check out the sign:



















Perhaps it's just me being all linear and stuff but I see a pattern. If you're looking for any books, gifts or kids it seems that Indigo is the place!

*Question: when CFL season and NHL season overlap, which game do you watch!?

*I'm learning that I value steadiness. My jobs - both the pool and the church - have been somewhat "flexible" since I started. This fall, however, has seemed different. More harried. More random. More "shift" work. Last school year, I taught school boards at the pool. What that meant is lessons Monday to Friday, 9ish until noon-ish and, some weeks, 1 until 3. Perhaps I'd pick up a couple guard shifts a week. Essentially, though, I had a schedule of sorts for the pool. Generally, it worked, then, that I could have a reasonably set schedule at the church too. Even if I was working a ton of hours during the week, at least I had some schedule...some rhythm...some routine.

This year, however, I'm not teaching school boards on a regular basis. It means no guaranteed hours and even less guaranteed shedule. I'm thankful that work is still coming - I'm learning to trust God in a whole new way to provide for what I need - and that everyone at the church has been gracious about me needing a little extra flexibility to make things work right now but I'm beat. It's funny. I'm working the same number of hours as I was before but I'm finding this much harder to keep up.

It's teaching me something about myself. Even though I need variety in my life, something I knew before, I also need stability.

So now the question is how to find the stability I need in the current season of life I'm living in. For the record, I don't want to quit either job. That's not the answer. Thanks for the advice.

*My car was broken into again. It's a crappy, old, rusty Sunfire. There was nothing visible in it. I'd parked along the building, under a streetlight between the hours of 8pm and 10:30pm. Why on earth would my car, then be a target?! Ever feel like you do everything right and still can't get anywhere? That's a little how I've been feeling...in a lot of areas of life, to be honest. It doesn't seem to matter how hard I work, how much I do right, it's still not enough.

And it's when I really start thinking like this, that I'm somehow reminded that it's true.

It doesn't matter. It's not all about me.

There's trust. There's faith. There's more. It doesn't all make sense. Sometimes it REALLY doesn't make sense. REALLY. I recognize, however, that I am not in control. Someone far more able is.

*The learning curve continues. In my new house, I have a gas stove. Whoever might say gas and electric cook the same is CRAZY. I'm really enjoying the way the stove top heats. I am, however, having a bit of trouble with the oven. I haven't burned anything but I have slightly overcooked a few things. Baking has been tricky. If someone can tell me the difference between cooking times, I'd appreciate it. Until then, it's all trial and error. Lots and lots of practice.

What else? What else? What else? I'm sure there's more but that's all I've got for now. Hopefully I'll be back soon.

Current Read

Forgotten God, Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, Francis Chan

We may as well face it; the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone...[We] have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost.

A. W. Tozer

The Christian's life in all its aspects - intellectual and ethical, devotional and relational, upsurging in worship and outgoing in witness - is supernatural; only the Spirit can initiate and sustain it. So apart from him, not only will there be no lively believers and no lively congregations, there will be no believers and no congregations at all.

J. I. Packer

Current Read

City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau

"We don't have to know the future in order to be prepared for it. Organizations and communities that learn to work together, that know how to learn together, that trust one another, and that become more expansive and inclusive, develop the capacity to deal with the unknown. They create a capacity for working and thinking together that enables them to respond quickly and intelligently to whatever the future presents."

Margaret Wheatley
The Servant-Leader interview, 2001

Current Read

The Witch of Portabello, Paulo Coelho

A friend of mine posted this the other day and I thought I'd steal it...so I did.

Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose - not the one you began with perhaps, but one you'll be glad to remember.

-- Anne Sullivan

Day camp 2009 video

We had a team from MCC, a church in Ohio, come join us for day camp this past July. They were awesome! One of the guys made up this video to share with their church and sent it to me as well.

MCC Canada Missions Trip Recap Video from Miamisburg Christian Church on Vimeo.

I miss them.

Crazy that you can miss a group of people that you've only spent a week with. Granted, it was an intense week of full days but it was still only a week. They have become friends, family even. I was reminded again of the power of the community of God's people and the shared bond we have as brothers and sisters in Christ. It doesn't matter that we are from different countries or have entirely different backgrounds. When followers of Jesus get together, there is a shared experience, a starting point, that builds a firm foundation to our relationships. Not to mention that we had a common goal, a common purpose, that we were working towards. It takes an army of passionate people to pull together a camp like that and I figure that 5 days, 8 am to 5 pm, laughing, crying, running, playing and herding children all day is bound to force you to work together.

It was a privilege to work together. It is right. It is good. It is what the church is about.

I am thankful for friends in Ohio. I hope they come back next year!

Current Read

Son of a Witch, Gregory McGuire

Truths

Every once in a while I get a forward that I think is just funny. Usually they come from my cousin. Anyway, this is one of those lists that you read and nod to the whole way through while at the same time wondering who actually had the time to write them down but wishing it was you 'cause it's actually kind of funny in an ironically obvious sort of way. phew. I enjoyed it.

Truths...


there is a great need for "sarcasm" font ..

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what was going on when I first saw it.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a multiple choice test is absolutely petrifying.

My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent some jackass from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories

Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem...

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

-It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

How true!

Prince Charming

Many laughs were shared by all of us at the pool at this guy's expense...or perhaps it was at my expense...






And there you have it, folks. From frog to, well, to my prince charming.

Bottomless Coffee

Another Song that Speaks

Jeremy Riddle - The Now And Not Yet

Okay, this isn't an album review. It's more of a "music that speaks to me" sort of post. It just so happens that this whole album, start to finish, has had that effect on me lately.

Two songs in particular have been standing out. The first is called Prayers for the Church. Its seems very apt in my current context lately, as I've been praying big prayers for my church.

Prayers For The Church

Where she is weak Strengthen arms now, steady feet That she would care for, she would seek Welcoming Your lost and wounded sheep Coming home to You

Where she is stained
Bring Your healing, bring Your rain
Wash away now her disgrace
'Till she shines in white, she radiates
She now mirrors You

(We're praying)
No more compromises, no more moral crises
Tonight may she move and act as You
No more small divisions
No more lack of wisdom
Tonight may she move and act as You

Where she is right give her courage for the fight
Full of salt now, full of light
Standing firm where truth and love collide
She remains in You

Now she's shining
Her light is blinding as she sings Your name
Now she's beauty
Up from the ashes, Your love is on her face

Where she is strong, keep her moving, pressing on
Bringing justice, righting wrongs
Demonstrating now Your Kingdom come
She's in step with You

The second is more personal but just as much resonating with me as a prayer.

To Be Like You

Holy You are
Perfect and pure You are
Everything right You are
Yes, You are

Broken am I
Full of discord am I
Hungry for change am I
Oh, am I

Oh, to be like You
Oh, to reflect the God I know
The love You've shown
This is my longing
This is my deepest, strongest plea
Lord, change me

Would You change me?
Would You change me?

Love You are
Spirit and truth You are
Everything right/good You are
Yes, You are

Humbled am I
Contrite of spirit am I
Open to You am I
Oh, am I

Those are just two. The rest of the album is just as good though.

Perfect packing music.

High Seas Expedition

While it's fun to look back at what's been, and our Crocodile Dock daycamp was fun, and while I still have wrap up stuff to do, it's also exciting to look forward. In July 2010, Journey Kids are going to go on a High Seas Expedition in Cranston. It's going to be swell...get it? Swell? Seas? Oh boy...

Okay, enough of my shenanigans. Here's a video preview.

Power of Cold

I don't like the cold. I know, I know. This isn't a revolutionary discovery for anyone. If you know me, you know this. That said, today I was reminded of the power of cold...of ice, really. I had a killer headache. I mean head throbbing, near vomit inducing, dizzy spell, eyeball aching kind of headache. I admit it, my first instinct was that by this point maybe painkillers would be a good idea. Second instinct, that followed shortly after the first, was my first aid training. When in doubt, use ice. Seriously, within half an hour, the headache was nearly gone and I was back to work, chatting with people at the pool, and plugging away. I decided that ice really is the new miracle cure.

So now we know. If it hurts, use ice.

I wonder if ice cream works the same way. I could get a lot of mileage out of that one...

Current Read

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire

My advice, for what it's worth, is to not read this around the same time that you're planning on taking a road trip that happens to coincide with one of the worst wind/rain/electrical storms of the year. Does funny things to the mind...

Croc Dock

We're 2 days into day camp and I'm loving it. I've got a lot to say and will *hopefully* use this space to process it later on. It's been so much fun! Great kids. Fantastic people to do it with. Fun songs. Good games. Field trips. Oh man!!

Day 1 - God is with us. Fear not!! Science Center for the afternoon

Day 2 - God is powerful. Fear not! Then it was off to the zoo!

Cool story. We had one little boy who had to leave at lunch time to go and have some allergy testing done. He's wearing his camp t-shirt and so the nurse asks him what it's all about. He tells her, in detail, about what he's been learning at camp. Songs about Jesus. How God is always with us. Some of the God sightings we talked about. His mom says he's a little bit ADD with things like that but was shocked at how much he remembered, in detail, and how excited he is about it. Just cool.

For me, it's been another one of those moments where I just feel like I've hit the sweet spot. A bit like the tours but in a different way. I love the kids. I love the energy. I love working with the people I'm working with. I love the role I get to play. I love leading the songs and doing the silly dances...and not worrying what anyone thinks because that's not the point. And I feel like I'm doing a descent job at it. All that said, it's humbling too. I watch things go on around me and I know it's not all me. I recognize the fantastic job the team is doing and all the work that each one of them is doing. I see the different skills each one brings and I know that they are bringing things to the table that I never could. I know that there is much more going on than I ever could have orchestrated and that someone much bigger than me is in charge. It's good. It's just good.

God is with us. Fear not!

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER

By Maya Angelou

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
That a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean living,'
I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain...
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

What I'm Up to...

Hosted By Journey Church
July 20-25, 2009
in the community of Cranston
Elementary (9-4:30) and Preschool Programming (9-12)

Spots are still available if you're in Calgary and have kids that would like to join us. Check here for more information.

Guess who's coming to the big screen...

They are!! Can't wait until 2010!!

This is what you do when you've worked too many 12-15 hour days and your brain's turning to mush...

RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Have Fun!

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
Moment of Surrender (U2)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Live to Find (Mobile)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Supposed to Be (Jack Johnson)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Meet in the Middle (Diamond Rio)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
God Made Me (Chantal Kreviazuk)

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Be Thou My Vision (Leigh Nash)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Neon (John Mayer)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Never Do Anything (Barenaked Ladies)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
The Tourist (Radiohead)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Mirrorball (Elbow)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Say It Ain't So (Weezer)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
It's in Our Hands (Bjork)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Even When (Jeremy Camp)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Make a Mistake With Me (Brad Paisley)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
New Law (Derek Webb)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Don't Think I Won't (Mark Wills)

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Everlasting (Brian Doerksen)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Peace (Third Day)

Thai Manna

My friend, Michelle, has got this amazing gift for cooking up some of the best Thai curry, well, outside of Thailand. She's started her own company creating kits of the stuff so that people like me can make it at home. I've tried it at home. They're awesome.

Things are starting to roll. Her website is up, she'll be at the Millarville Market for the rest of the summer and, if you're around a TV tomorrow morning, you can catch her products advertised on Breakfast Television.

If you like Thai food, you HAVE to give it a try. Seriously.

Just thinking about it makes me want curry.

It's just good...

"Laughing With" Lyrics:

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken
No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say "We've got some bad new, sir,"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God

Laughing With by Regina Spektor from the album Far

Current Read

Death by Church: Rescuing Jesus from His Followers, Recapturing God's Hope for His People, Mike Erre

A Song that Speaks...

Hosanna, Brooke Fraser

I see the king of glory
Coming down the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes, the whole earth shakes
I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing, the people sing

Hosanna, hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

I see a generation
Rising up to take the place
With selfless faith, with selfless faith
I see a new revival
Staring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees, we're on our knees

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart for what is yours
Everything I am for your kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity



"Hosanna. God save us." That's what they shouted when Jesus rode in on Palm Sunday. Celebration. Praise. Awe. All that and more. I think it was also a plea. For hundreds of years, for generations, the people of Israel had been hoping for the Messiah who would come a redeem them, restore them and free them. This man, this Jesus, was the one they were putting their hope in and so with everything in them, they shouted "Hosanna. Hosanna in the Highest. We believe in you. We believe you are the One we've been waiting for. We put our hope and our trust and our faith in you. We ask you to do all that was promised. God save us."

Thousands of years later, the cry is the same.

Hungry

I have a...

"Hunger for deeper, wider, and higher community that genuinely and organizationally transforms the communities we belong to and the ones that surround us. I see a hunger for something beyond the individualized, self-absorbed, bloated faith that is the common fare of most churches.

Hunger for the power of the gospel - not only to forgive sin but also to transform what makes us sinful in the first place, bringing freedom, healing, and deliverance.

Hunger for grace - to see all those excluded and hurt by the church brought again int contact with Jesus and His bride and told of their pricelessness.

Hunger for joy - transcending our techno-isolation and consumer orientation, hunger to taste the joy, wonder, and awe of the world and people around us.

Hunger for justice - to see the gospel proclaimed and lived out in word and deed, corporately and individually, structurally and personally, globally and locally.

Hunger for worship - to see the offering of our whole selves as the only fitting response to God's mercy, holiness, love and grace.

Hunger for truth - tired of talking heads proffering countless human opinions, always in conflict, we hunger for a definitive word, a voice with authority, a way of discerning what really matters and why.

Hunger for honesty - disgusted with the scandals of our churches and our hearts, we hunger to find places where we no longer have to hide our true selves from God or from each other."

in Death By Church, Mike Erre, pg 13.

“To have faith is to be willing to live so as to show that God is alive. And that means to live in ways which show that there are more possibilities than the world recognizes.”

Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury

Current Read

Enna Burning, Shannon Hale

Current Read

Dragon Keeper, Carole Wilkinson

They came from behind in a series people thought was over.

They won on the road when neither team had done it.

They are the Stanley Cup Champions of 2009.


That makes me smile.

Time for a little Peace and Quiet...

But I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small child is my soul within me. Psalms 131:2

One handful of peace and quiet is better than two handfuls of hard work and of trying to catch the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:6

Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world. Hans Margolius

...working on it...

Current Read

What the Dickens, Gregory Maguire

Interesting...

...found this in an article this morning...

Eat organic (cheaply)
Buy organically grown: You don’t need certified organic, just organically grown. Some farmers use organic farming practices but have chosen not to become certified organic because of the added red tape and expenses. This means you can often buy organic fruits and veggies from these farmers for around 50 percent less than what the certified farmers charge.

Plan around your protein: Look for sales on free-range or naturally-raised meats and buy them first, says nutrition educator Amanda Louden of Gold River, California, who writes EatYourRoots.org. You’ll save twice: You will get your protein on sale and be able to better plan (and buy less) to fill out your meals.

Be super-choosy: You don’t need to buy organic when fruits and veggies have a protective layer that you don’t eat (like bananas and watermelon) or when they’re unlikely to have been sprayed heavily with pesticides (like blueberries and kiwi). Check out this chart for guidance:

Do Buy Organic	Don’t Buy Organic
Apples	Asparagus
Celery	Bananas
Grapes	Blueberries
Lettuce	Broccoli
Peaches	Cauliflower
Strawberries	Kiwi
Potatoes	Onions
Tomatoes	Watermelon

Thankful

I'm a big believer that feelings and actions are connected but not in the way that most people assume. I think the general assumption tends to be that ones actions are a reflection of one's feelings. You know how it goes. Boy likes girl so boy pursues girl. What if that's only part of the picture? What if our actions inform our emotions, our feelings, our heart?

Right now I'm not feeling too thankful. It's a season, I guess. It's easier to see the things that are frustrating, discouraging, disappointing and hurtful. Instead of focusing on that, however, today I choose to think about the things that I am thankful for. I am actively focusing on those things and hoping that by choosing that path I will be able to embody a heart of thankfulness.

So here it is. Right now, I'm thankful for...

• Sunshine and warm weather.
  
• A good cup of coffee. It's amazing how a good cup of coffee can make the day brighter.
  
• Green grass.
• The smell of the blossoms on the tree outside my door.
• Chocolate...the darker the better.
  
• Being active.
  
• Not one but two jobs that I enjoy
• Games. Board games. Sports. I like games.
• Good books
• Kids. They're fun...and their love is unconditional.
  
• warm showers after teaching swimming lessons.
• Staying connected via my blackberry. It's a fun new toy.
  
• People that understand, sympathize but don't patronize. They're few and far between but a gift when you find them.
• Flip flops...and no socks. I don't like socks.
  
• BBQ'ing
  

Finals

Yes, we're rolling into the beginning of June and into the Stanley Cup finals. It's that time of year. Also time for ball tournaments, birthdays, sunshine and crazy kids in the pool for swimming lessons but that's all for other posts.

Back to hockey.

I'd wanted to see Pittsburgh and Chicago in the finals but was sadly disappointed by Chicago. Really. They didn't even show up. Sad. So, here it goes...

(4)Pittsburgh v. Detroit (2)

Pittsburgh is young and on fire. They got off easy with Carolina, finishing them off quickly and with little injury. They've had a bit of a break now but, sadly, breaks never seem to bode well at this point in the playoffs. Plus, Detroit is a bit more mature and, well, Detroit. As much as it pains me to do it (I hate Detroit! Yes, I do know I've said that before.) and as much as this article might give me hope, I'm going to pick Detroit for the Stanley Cup Champions in 6 games. Sigh.

Oilers introduce new head coach...

Welcome Pat!! Looking forward to a good season!

Read up on the details here.

Current Read

The Birth House, Ami McKay

Current Read

Wings, Terry Pratchett

Calgary Herald Book Drive 2009

Just in case anyone is wondering, yes, I am a geek. Yes, I do love books. Yes, there will be a Calgary Herald Book drive again this year and, yes, I do have dates.

Check it out at the Crossroads Market on June 12 to 14 and June 19 to 21.

I'm looking forward to it.

Round 3

Well, round 2 went a little bit better. Game 7's. Overtime. Surprises. Hits. That's playoff hockey, folks, and it's set to continue!

Eastern Conference

(4)Pittsburgh v. (6) Carolina

I'll be honest, Carolina seems to have come out of nowhere one me. I didn't expect them to make it past round let alone to the Eastern Conference Final. Still, I'm finding myself a fan of team Crosby, I mean, Pittsburgh. I'm taking Penguins in 7.

Western Conference

(2) Detroit v. (4) Chicago
I don't like Detroit. Never have. I don't know why. I just don't. They've got a good team yet again. That said, Chicago's been full of surprises this year and is looking calm, cool, collected, confident...and like a winning team. Not one to shy from picking the underdog, I'm going with Chicago in 7.

Yup, both series in 7 games. It's going to be a good round, folks! Chicago and Pittsburgh in the finals sounds like fun, too, doesn't it!?

Let them eat cake!

This was sent to me in an email. You know, one of those forward things. I thought it was fun...could be that I'm ready for dessert. Mmm...dessert...

It was fun to think of what desserts I appreciate most and see how close the "psychiatrists" were.

(the pic is one I took at Andrew and Denisa's wedding May 2, 2009)

If all of the eight desserts listed below were sitting in front of you, which would you choose (sorry, you can only pick one)! Pick your dessert, and then look to see what psychiatrists think about you.

REMEMBER - No Cheating. Make your choice before you check the meaning.

Here are your choices:

1. Angel Food Cake

2. Brownies

3. Lemon Meringue Pie

4. Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Icing

5. Strawberry Short Cake

6. Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Icing

7. Ice Cream

8..... Carrot Cake

No, you can't change your mind once you scroll down, so think carefully about what your choice will be.


OK - Now that you've made your choice, this is what the
researchers say about you... SCROLL DOWN---No Cheating


1. ANGEL FOOD CAKE -- Sweet, loving, cuddly. You love all warm and fuzzy items. A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at times.

2. BROWNIES -- You are adventurous, love new ideas, and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragons. When
tempers flare up you whip out your saber. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humor and direction. You tend to be very loyal.

3. LEMON MERINGUE -- Smooth, sexy, & articulate with your hands, you are an excellent caregiver and a good teacher.
But don't try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, you set your own style because you do your
own thing. You shine when it comes to helping others and have many friends.

4. VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING -- Fun-loving, sassy, humorous, not very grounded in life; very indecisive and
lacking motivation. Everyone enjoys being around you, but you are a practical joker. Others should be cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.

5. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE -- Romantic, warm, loving.... You care about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect the same in return. Intuitively keen. You can be very emotional at times but a true20person in every way. You like
to do things for yourself and help others learn about themselves.

6. CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING-- Sexy; always ready to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, ambitious, and passionate. You can appear to have a cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh.

7. ICE CREAM -- You like sports, whether it be baseball, football,basketball, or soccer.. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. You don't
like to give up the remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high maintenance.

8. CARROT CAKE -- You are a very fun loving person, who likes to laugh You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends. You were meant to lead and teach others. A wonderful role model.

I've decided it's like the horoscopes, really. You can pick any one of them and find yourself in them but it's still fun. Any guesses on which one I picked? ;)

Alan Hirsch

Here's a link to the blog of a guy who's doing a lot to help re-educate and re-orient the churches across North America and Australia to living as Kingdom focused, Jesus lead, missional people. Some good stuff and lots of great links to all sorts of resources. Enjoy!

I'm a little crabby with blogger right now. I can't seem to get a picture into the header without it doing wacky and crazy things. Like shrinking it to half the width of the frame...or extending the image and the corresponding description in the header to unreasonable proportions off the screen. Arg.

Why won't it just do what I want it to!? Insert image from file! Is that so hard?

Here's another reason that I know it is really spring...wait for it...ball season! I played my first game tonight (they played last week but I had to work so it doesn't really count). There was no rain and no sno..wait...um...none of that white stuff that starts with "s" (Can't say it. Don't want to jinx it!)...just a lot of wind. It was cold but we played. I wasn't swinging very well yet but played descent in the field - first base tonight, boys - so that made me feel a bit better.

It just felt so good to be outside playing a sport after what's felt like a long, long time indoors over the winter. I love sports. I love outside. I love hanging out with good people. Putting the three together just seems like a good idea.

The team looks good and I'm happy to be playing. I think it's going to be a good season.

See the entire collection here.