Happy New Year to all, yeah it is only NYE right now but this is my New Years post.
Church was awesome this morning, I was out in the hallway as people were coming in and it hit me that there were more people in that hallway than what were at Journey Church a year ago. How cool is that!? (to steal a popular phrase) Get a glimpse into the first year of Journey Church by checking out Auld Lang Syne (Live Big Mix)
This has been a tremendous year, not void of its challenges and can we say stress but I think we are all stronger for it. Being a parent, being married, three job changes, insurance companies, finances, laptop cords, chicken pox, and children who continue to grow up no matter what we try to do to stop them. I am glad to see 2006 come to an end and a new year just over the horizon. A fresh start, a new start. Time to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise. Spend less time online and the computer and more time in the word. Thanks for the challenge Scherm! A year from now I want/will be smaller/weigh less, stronger, in less debt, closer to my wife and kids, and closer to my Savior. 2007 will be the year that I Live Big!
So yesterday I meet with a friend for lunch who I had worked with/for a couple of months ago. When I was interviewing for the job he was interested in my ministry background and to be honest it was almost like we already knew it other. We had a couple of short conversations during the 3 months I worked at the same company but never got a chance to sit down and really talk.
So yesterday we finally got to sit down for a burrito (actually a bowl and tacos) and talk about life and church and etc. B asked about Journey and I gave him an over view and then asked him about his small group. It turns out that B and I have a number of crossed paths… he is a part of a small group network/community that I have followed the blogs of some of the people involved, the ironic thing is that his small group community has been dealing with a lot of loss this past year some of which I have followed through some blogs I read and some of it that was within my own social community. The more we talked the more we discovered how our lives are connected by so many one degrees of separation that it was just unreal.
There have been a couple of times in my life like this where after getting a 10,000 ft view you see all the tracks that crossed over. It is amazing to me how interconnected our lives really are. It makes me wonder what greater purpose this will serve.
I would love to go into more details so you can fully grasp the depth of this but out of respect for others privacy you will have to ask me about it in person.
I really haven’t spoken much, if any, on here about the church we are a part of (other than tech stuff)… Journey Church launched on January 15, 2006 with a core group of about 40 adults (with kids there were 50-60 total, yes we really help boost that number). Last year we had our first public service on Christmas Eve and saw around 225 people, this year for Christmas Eve we had two services (its been almost 3.5 years since I was at a church that did 2 services on Sunday – wow do you get tired! especially when we wake up an hour before the alarm!!) and we had a total attendance of 530 between the two services (with an overlap of about 90, we had more than 200 new faces come in). Did you catch that???? A group of 40-60 people to over 500 in one year, many of us even now keep saying, “How does this happen?” all knowing that they answer to that is a very loud, “God!”.
Now some people may get all bent out of shape about numbers and how you shouldn’t drive yourself by numbers, and they are right, but what we are about is changing lives, neighbors, communities and ultimately that will be summarized by numbers. Within those 530 on Sunday, at least 7 of them made commitments, which means that in almost 12 months of Journey’s short history over 70 people have made committments to Jesus Christ and some 25 have been baptized. How can you not just be amazed by what God is doing, especially when you are in the midst of it.
How does this happen? – It’s a God thing!
First, I would like to say thank you to The Donald for assuring us that standards don’t mean anything anymore.
Second, I don’t want to make light of someone’s misfortune but it is really ironic to see some one standing on a corner with a “will work for food or wages” sign while standing in front of a hugh “Now Hiring” sign for a local grocery store.
Third, can anyone explain to me how you can call tech support (company not being named) and request for your case to be requeued to an East Coast tech so it can be worked on first thing the next morning, to have it be assigned by a West Coast tech who is now on vacation. Then you call back to get someone from the East Coast assigned and give them the specific number to call you at (mobile phone) and are told they will call within an hour. Then after almost 90 minutes you discover that they called your office number. Oh yeah, and all of this is documented in the case notes, including what was asked for and how they did the opposite. Nice! Not to mention the local engineer for the unmentioned company is sitting here the whole time just shaking his head at how all of our time is being wasted. So much for pro-actively trying to get stuff setup so we can be productive.
`Raymond’ dad Peter Boyle dies in NYC
As a fan of ELR I was shocked to read this morning that Peter Boyle had passed away. However I was even more shocked to read in his obit article that, “Through his wife, a friend of Yoko Ono, the actor became close friends with John Lennon. “We were both seekers after a truth, looking for a quick way to enlightenment,” Boyle once said of Lennon, who was best man at his wedding.”
How cool/weird is that!
It is sad to hear of his passing but he will thankfully live on in syndication.
Found this on my niece’s myspace site, not sure where she found it but I like it…
So if the US government determines that it is against the law for the words “under God” to be on our money, then, so be it.
And if that same government decides that the “Ten Commandments” are not to be used in or on a government installation, then, so be it.
I say, “so be it,” because I would like to be a law abiding US citizen.
I say, “so be it,” because I would like to think that smarter people than I are in positions to make good decisions.
I would like to think that those people have the American public’s best interests at heart.
BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I’D LIKE?
Since we can’t pray to God, can’t Trust in God and cannot post His Commandments in Government buildings, I don’t believe the Government and its employees should participate in the Easter and Christmas celebrations which honor the God that our government is eliminating from many facets of American life.
I’d like my mail delivered on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving & Easter. After all, it’s just another day.
I’d like the “US Supreme Court to be in session on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving & Easter as well as Sundays.” After all, it’s just another day.
I’d like the Senate and the House of Representatives to not have to worry about getting home for the “Christmas Break.” After all it’s just another day.
I’m thinking that a lot of my taxpayer dollars could be saved, if all government offices & services would work on Christmas, Good Friday & Easter. It shouldn’t cost any overtime since those would be just like any other day of the week to a government that is trying to be “politically correct.”
In fact….
I think that our government should work on Sundays (initially set aside for worshipping God…) because, after all, our government says that it should be just another day….
What do you all think????
If this idea gets to enough people, maybe our elected officials will stop giving in to the “minority opinions” and begin, once again, to represent the “majority” of ALL of the American people.
SO BE IT………..Please Dear Lord,
Give us the help needed to keep you in our country!
‘Amen’ and ‘Amen’
Touche!These are definitely things I never thought about but from now on, I will be sure to question those in government who support these changes.
Church amps died, replacements fried (DOA).
Chicken Pox, eating from a lunch box.
Budget tight, God’s might!
Birthday. Danish, sushi and family – hurray.
New amps, mom’s cramps.
School fall, Hospital hall.
No gas, a blessing to pass.
God’s hand is clear, no more fear.
It has def been a week of challenges, but it hit me as we were finally heading back home tonight. I have kept my commitments this week, I started exercising again and even though the week has been rough at times I can see the hand of God over the whole week, molding me and shaping me. This last two weeks is always my favorite time of the year. I love Thanksgiving, the gratitude holiday – no gifts to exchange, no disappointments, just family/friends, good food and good time together. And then the following week brings my birthday – which this year was simply awesome! And I got some great gifts too – a label printer (so I don’t have to use tape and a sharpie at church), Elf on DVD, and a wok! Now I can make some good/healthy food 
A couple of weeks ago we made the commitment to start tithing, we had before but we had stopped due to our financial mistakes and stupidity. But I was challenged to be faithful and we have been for the last couple of months. This week Janet was going over the budget for the month and it was not looking good at all, to the point where we were trying to figure out what things had to take priority and what was going to be “below the line”. Payday morning Janet asked what we should do considering our tithe and I told her to write it first and we would sit down and go over the rest and figure out what to do. Later that morning I got a call from her, after she wrote the check for church, and everything was fine… she still wasn’t sure how or why it didn’t fit before but it all worked out now. I donno, maybe it was a math error – we all make them, but I believe God can work it out and did. So even though we just took Kyra to Urgent (useless and unkind) Care and then to the ER, I am not going to worry about it. But I did rehang signs for the PC and the powerbook that I am trying to sell. Hopefully they will get some response this time, other wise I will have to resort to eBay.