Why do I want an easy life?

Necole and I had a great conversation last night. We were discussing God, life, leadership & mission...This morning I was mediating on our conversation and asking God certain questions. Last night, we wanted to know why life has seemed so hard the past 3-4 years. We've taken risks for the Kingdom of God in hopes of fulfilling our God given dream. We've lost jobs, buried family members, closed a church, Necole was hospitalized for months and Mackenzie was in the NICU, we have not had health insurance for over 3 years, yada yada yada. But here is the lessos; we are still sooooo blessed it's amazing...Beyond amazing! It's so easy to see all the things that are or did go wrong. But, I refuse to do that, I refuse to think that being in God's will or being blessed by God means that life should be simple, stable and calm. Paul, was in the middle of God's will when his ship wrecked, John was in God's will when he was imprisoned. I truly desire to live my life in a way that will please God; and sometimes we can't understand why things "don't work out," or go the way that we hoped or planned. But, we can go forward with God, learn, live, pray have fun and the most important thing we can do is to be missional no matter what happens in life. So my prayer today in not for God to make my life easy, or stable...Yes, that is hard, and that sucks...But, my life is lived day to day, and each day I should die a thousand deaths to myself, so I can live a thousand lives for Christ!

The calm before the storm

I had a great time hanging out with Wahba yesterday...He is in town for Wes & Diana's wedding which is tomorrow. We were able to catch up on life, talk about Sacred, and we had some fun discussing future ministry opportunities for the both of us. Plus, he was craving some cool ole southern sweet tea. Anyhow, today is the "calm before the storm" sorta speak, tomorrow I will be the MC at Wes & Diana's wedding...The wedding is more like a day long celebration which will be filled with prayer, poetry, worship, and music. Should be fun...It kinda starts tonight with Wes's bachelor party. Next week we have some real estate closings and we will be moving into our new home (I think), these builders are always behind, we were suppose to close on the 21st of this month, but that changed! Also, our other closing was delayed, so life has been a little stressful in the Marlow household...But, enough complaining...I need to finish Velvet Elvis, and pack up the rest of our house and run some errands. I can't wait till Jan 9th...Although I enjoy the holidays, I'm starting to desire my "typical" rhythm right about now. Hope all is well and have a great new years celebration.

Thoughts on Bono

I was going to blog about the latest Bono controversial, but I just saw Ken's post and he does a great job of describing my feelings on this topic. I'm also disappointed that Relevant Mag even allowed this article to be issued,for someone like Bono (love or hate him) I think it's important to get the "proper" info out on the air waves or in print media, not some "Christian musicians" devastating viewpoint. This leads to a few other thought provoking questions:

1. What does the future of journalism look like? Are the ethics of journalism changing because of blogs, podcasts etc?

2. Why is it that we try to find ways to "hate on" Christians who step outside the box. Even if Bono did say what he was accused off, does that mean that we need to freak out and think he some universalist and no longer a believer, maybe be made a mistake...It's not like was interviewed by a reporter and he made those statement, he was in the middle of a concert...Anyhow, now I'm ranting...Go check out Ken's thoughts and enjoy.

Trying to find my focus

Well, my planning has so far come up short, I did spend roughly 10-15 hours trying to develop my business plan...And I do have some "goals" to focus on this year, but I can't find the "flow" that I need to develop a real solid plan...It seems like land mines are all around my visions and dreams...These land mines have various words written on them in my mind, such as lack of faith, resources, community and time. So, I'm trying to push through and focus, so I can hear from God, and get direction...CLEAR direction. When I'm planning I'm using two key aspects to help me think and process the plans:

1. What would a home run look like to me? (From 2 weeks to a breakthrough) Another words, what will make this next year great?

2. This is more important then 1. No matter what I do, how do I add God to it, or better yet the Kingdom of God...? When I'm in business, How can I allow the Kingdom of God to take priority over things such as my net income? When I'm with my family, how can I allow the kingdom of God to breakthrough and take over my family, when I'm with friends, churched and unchurched, how can the Kingdom of God become part of the friendship...No matter what I "desire" to do, I want the Kingdom of God to the highest priority. So, back to the grind, I shall try and focus and see if I can get a breakthrough!

Fast Company Magazine | The Top Creative Minds of 2005

Fast Company Magazine | The Top Creative Minds of 2005. Pretty cool list, although I'm a bit surprised by a few of their choices.

Kitty Cat Girl

Kitty Cat Girl
Originally uploaded by sacred.

How cute is she??? Thank God she has her mother's looks!

2006 is coming soon

It's that time of the year again, to think about our goals, dream and ambitions. Yes, it's goal setting time, for better or worse...Every year, I try to take a few days between C-Mas and the New Year to pray and set some goals. My hope is to get a sense of what God wants of me in the upcoming year. It also helps clarify my life and my priorities, things such as time management and how I spend my money. So, the first thing I do is process my spiritual life, I re-evaluate the previous year, and then move forward with a fresh spiritual plan...So, first things first..One of the most important goals in 2006 is to read through the bible this year. I want to make sure I have the discipline and structure to stay focused on God's word and allowing Him to mild and shape me. We are also starting a Tuesday night bible study and prayer meeting...My hope is that we can combine the two (Bible reading & Bible study) As a community we can read through the Bible together. I think this will provide a great sense of community, accountability and spiritual growth. God has given Necole and I a fresh vision, a way forward and I'm really excited about that. So, if you would like to join us, in our adventures with God, I added a link and a banner. I will let everyone know when we are going to start the reading. Peace!

One Year Bible Blog

Christmas Update & Syriana

Hello everyone, we had a great Christmas, I hope you did as well; I just posted some c-mas pics on my flickr page, check'em out. After unwrapping the gifts, eating a HUGE meal, enjoying some champagne we decided to head to North Hills to catch Syriana, wow what a great movie, I hope to post more thoughts on this flick later. Anyhow, off to hang with the kids.

Yankees Suck

This is so sad. I hate the Yankees!

Back to the grind

So, I'm finally back to the "grind" after being sick the past few days...I have a few hours in between appointments, so I'm taking some time to reflect here in my little cube...First, let me say this, if you do not have Wahba's new CD "The Beautiful Effect" you are missing out...This is a really good CD...It's not your typical worship cd, but it's very worshipful. So, check it out. I play it in my cube all the time, folks ask who it is and what kind of music is it, so I get a chance to tell them I know famous people who play cool music and love God. Anyhow. It's hard to believe that c-mas is only a few days away and a new year is upon us, absolutely nuts. I'm looking forward to relaxing these next few days, and gearing up for 2006. Which, I think 2006 is going to be the best year of my life. My prayer today is simple, how can I serve God in 2006...What is God's will for me? How do I make the most of every moment, How can I overcome challenges and obstacles? How do I deal with success & failure? How can I live a missional life...? Over the next 10 days I will be seeking God, asking these very same questions...Hoping to hear from God, hoping to learn, grow and allow God to shape me. I do not want 2006 to be just "another" year on the calendar...I want 2006 to be the best year of my life. What about you, what are you looking forward to in 2006?

Busy

It's been real busy the last few days...Spent most of Saturday & Sunday with clients...The cool part about real estate is all the unique folks you get to meet...Our Saturday clients were from England; our Sunday clients were from Florida, they work for the NY Mets. So, it was a cool, but busy weekend...Today we have our final walk-thru on our town home, we close Wednesday morning and move in Wednesday night. The sucky thing about all this is the fact that I got sick over the weekend...So, I've been laid up in bed (which I HATE). So, please say a prayer for me to get better. Also, we did get another contract on a home...Which is a huge relief. Anyhow, I need to go a blow my nose, take some meds and watch Martha!

Church planting wisdom from the pro's

Below is a great discussion by Wayne Cordeiro...I found two thoughts to be really helpful:

1. "Often, Christians aren't that honest. We can say one thing but not mean it. We marginalize those we don't agree with, and we use religious words to endorse what we want to do."

Isn't it funny that we can easly disconnect, or cut off folks with whom we disagree with. I know I've done that before, and it's wrong and not Godly!

2. "We stay in close relationship with each of them, but like a baby, we cut the umbilical cord to allow them to breathe on their own, but the relationship is not cut. It actually gets stronger."

I was discussing the issue of church planting with a friend, and I also read a book by Ralph Moore...Ralph states that once a church plant is six months old, they are let go, so they can learn and grow on their own. A mother church must allow the new church to breath and grow and learn. It's vital to the leadership development of the young church. Anyhow, this is some great wisdom from some great leaders...

daveferguson.org: "Wayne Cordeiro's On Creating A Culture That Attracts Leaders

Wayne,

When a church is looking to reproduce sites and reproduce through church planting - what are the top 3-5 'must do' for creating a future culture that will attract high caliber leaders for site pastors and church planters?

Thanks!

Dave

Wayne_cordeiro

Aloha Dave!

Great hearing from you. You are one of the top emerging leaders in the 21st Century Church! Thank you for using your leadership skills for the King! Great and relevant question. Top 'musts' when creating a future culture that will attract a high caliber of leader will be:

1. THE CURRENT LEADERS MUST BE OF HIGH CALIBER.

Like attracts like. But one of the more important factors is not just the competency factor, but the 'authenticity' factor. That is, the leaders need to be real, and human. I know that sounds dumb, but true leaders can see through any veneer pretty quickly and they are not attracted to competency alone. Authentic character plays a huge part. Are the current leaders 'people-persons?' Is there fruit in their marriages? Are they just drivers using people to achieve their goals?

2. THE SECOND IS LIKE UNTO THE FIRST... THE CURRENT LEADERS MUST TRULY BE 'DREAM RELEASERS.'

They need to be committed in releasing the dreams of young leaders. Not all emerging leaders will end up in your church, and not all will end up what they thought they’d be in the beginning. Sometimes what was to be the training of a lead pastor will find him to be a marketplace minister after a few years. We have to be committed to seeing them fulfilled in their calling even though it may not include our plans for them.

3. BUILD A CULTURE THAT IS COMMITTED TO BIBLICAL HONESTY.

Often, Christians aren't that honest. We can say one thing but not mean it. We marginalize those we don't agree with, and we use religious words to endorse what we want to do. I find that young leaders of high caliber appreciate a gracious honesty in all we do, and one that is biblical in action as well as in spirit. Most young leaders are attracted to that kind of atmosphere.

4. A CULTURE THAT IS COMMITTED TO WINNING THE LOST, NOT JUST EXPANDING THEIR BORDERS.

On another note, we have seven sites now that go live except for the message, which comes by video. The first year, we have them download nearly 100% video. The second is 60% video, and 40% the lead pastor teaches. The Next year, they do 60% of the teaching live. After the third year, we cut them off as their own self-standing church. They can still use video up to 40% but we encourage them to do less. We make a transition with two sites next month after three years. One is 500 and the other is 1900. We stay in close relationship with each of them, but like a baby, we cut the umbilical cord to allow them to breathe on their own, but the relationship is not cut. It actually gets stronger.

God bless you Dave. It is a joy serving the Master with you!

Great stuff! If you want to see how it works I will be doing an online coaching seminar for Easum-Bandy from January 23-26."

Dave Ferguson

New Blogger Alert

My buddy Chad is now blogging. Check him out, he also does some design work, so if you need some love let him know.

Friends.Conversations.Music.

We had a great time hanging out with Ryan & Holly Sharp...We headed down to Glenwood South to get some grub at The Rockford, then we got some joe at Helios. After some good conversation, we headed to Wes's place (which is so cool, yes I'm jealous) and did a mini-house show. Holly's art was great and Ryan music was very inspiring and convicting. I had a ton of thoughts in regards to last night, it was a house show, but felt much like a spiritual community gathering to discuss various topics and ask questions that are so prominent. Maybe some day I can dig deeper and unpack the plethora of thoughts I had...I can say this, last night felt right, or real, or authentic...Very cool...Now, off to the cafe to read, relax and see my little girls!

House Show Tomorrow @ 8PM

Ryan & Holly Sharp are coming to hang in Raleigh tomorrow night...They will be performing tomorrow night at Wes Beiler place. Yes, before you ask, let me just say this...BYOB!!! Anyhow, if you want to check out Ryan music click here. Pertnant info below, EVERYONE is invited!!!

Show is @ 1205 Duplin Rd,
Raleigh NC 27607
We will start around 8PM (ish)

Wisdom from Gandi

Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well."

Mahatma Gandhi

"Be the change you want to see in this world."

Mahatma Gandi

"Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress."

Mahatma Gandi

Up way too late

Well, it's 2AM and I'm blogging, this can't be good. Anyhow, I'm going to be taking a blog hiatus for a season, this may last one week or who knows, maybe forever...So for those who stay "tuned" into my life...We shall connect in another way. Peace!

JewishEncyclopedia.com

For you folks who like to study the Jewish culture I found this today: JewishEncyclopedia.com Enjoy!

wahba :: progressive :: emergent :: worship

Wahba's new album is finally out...You can go here to listen and purchase the CD...I really enjoyed "flame," so check it out and support the revolution. Also, not sure if Whaba's up to this or not, but maybe we can do an NC CD release party when he is here in December? We all know his real HOME is in Raleigh! If you are game leave a comment.

Looking for a church...Maybe!

This morning we headed to Life Point Church in North Raleigh. Ryan was leading worship, I must say it was really cool to hear him, he is truly anointed. We met up with Ken & Brenda, Amanda, and Stacy, so it was good to be around folks we love and care for. As for the church, it was pretty cool, they meet in a theater with close to 500 attendees...The message & vibe was very Willow Creekish, nothing wrong with that, it's just not necessarily my cup of tea. I wonder why so many churches feel the same...It's like copycats...I love individuality in church life...It seems most churches I attend feel the same...You can also tell that many pastor's are getting their content from the same "key" leaders. Don't get me wrong, I "stole/borrowed" a lot of stuff from great leaders, but I still think we as speakers and communicators have to be aware of creating space that will reflect our local ethos, calling and culture. Speaking of leadership, I've learned a lot about leadership these past few weeks...Some good, some bad. Hopefully I will blog my thoughts on this issues soon. Now, back to some football :)

Ten Signs You Might Be Emergent

This is so great, make sure you don't skip #5. :)

Monday Morning Insight Weblog: Ten Signs You Might Be Emergent: "Michael Wittmer (author of Heaven Is a Place on Earth) gives the following 10 signs you might be Emergent.

10. If you have never read Left Behind, never said The Prayer of Jabez, and never led the 40 Days of Purpose
9. If you think you saw a megachurch on VH1's I Love the 80s

8. If you wouldn't be surprised to find Gandhi in heaven, but would be floored to find Jerry Fallwell
7. If in a debate with Jack Van Impe you'd likely argue that the bear is America and the AntiChrist is Pat Robertson
6. If your preacher just cussed and it seemed appropriate
5. If you honored your pastor with a box of fine cigars and beers on the house
4. If your cool hair resembles a midwestern Ryan Seacrest and if you have no hair and still look cool, you just might be a leader of Emergent
3. If you use the word 'groove' as a verb and don't sound like a dork
2. If you purchase church supplies from a Buddhist bookstore
1. If your favorite Carson is Johnny"

Via www.mmiblog.com

Girls & the phone...

Yesterday, Bailey came home from school, she was so "excited," she pulled out a piece of paper from her backpack, which has her friends phone number on it. Of course, they have planned a play date for this Sunday and they wanted to confirm it with their parents...Yes, my 5 year old is planning social events...Anyhow, she called her friend, two hours later and 3-4 extra phone calls I knew I was in trouble. Can you imagine when she is a teenage? :(

Vonage

Last week I ordered Vonage for my office/home phone. I got to say, the experience has not been pleasant. In one week I've had to call them 6 times...Today, I spent two hours on the phone with them...Anyhow, tonight I came home to actually try and hook up the hardware so I could start using the service. I spent 1 hour on the phone with some tech guy (from another country, I think)...He was clueless, he tried to blame my ISP and told me to call them because he could not get the service to work. I could hardly understand him, which really made the whole process so frustrating. Anyhow, I finally got mad and gave up. I decided to try to "figure" it out on my own. Within 5 minutes, I was able to get the phone working; I was so happy, yet so mad. Anyhow, I think this experience has a great lesson. Communication is important; no matter what the circumstances, if their is a lack of communication, then you can bet that a culture of frustration will be created. Anyhow, I really hope this whole ordeal will be worth it...I will update you in a few weeks.

I need a hotspot account

Ok, I need a hotspot account...But, I'm way to cheap to pay $30 per month. I'm also mad that Barnes & Noble is no longer a hotspot provider, how lame is that? Anyhoo...I was wondering if a few folks would like to "go in" and buy a hotspot account...? It would cost like $10 per month if 3 folks wanted access. We could even make some cash buy allowing friends access our account on a per hour basis :) But that is another story! Or, if you have an account already, I would be willing to pay for some accress. Anyone interested let me know! :) :) :)

.. THE COBALT SEASON ..is coming to Raleigh

Ryan & Holly Sharp are coming to hang in Raleigh for a few days...Which, I think is real cool. We are planning on doing house show Friday Dec 9th. Location TBD...So, pick up your handy PDA or whatever you use to keep track of your life's chaos and book that night. Yes, before you ask, let me just say this...BYOB!!! Anyhow, if you want to check out Ryan music click here. Shalom.

Fire Fart - Google Video

Check out this Fire Fart via google video's...So funny!

Thanksgiving blog post

This morning I'm enjoying some quiet time, which is rare in the Marlow household...But, my girls are at their grandparents house...As I reflect on what I'm thankful for, the list can be long...But, I thought I would try and post my top 10 in no particular order.

10. Dreams...I have lots of them, and most of my dreams will help make the world a better place, so I hold on to them. They give me life & hope.
9. Health....I never take health for granted...I've seen to many tragedies...So, I'm thankful that my family is healthy.
8. Moving...I glad that soon we will be moving to our new home.
7. Grace...Everyday, I get this amazing opportunity to walk with God. Grace is special, I want to soak in God's grace every single day of my life.
6. Friends...Life without friends is no life at all. So, to all my friends, all across the world...I hope you are doing well.
5. Life...It's fun, hard, challenging...But I love life...I want to live it to the full.
4. Favor...I want God's favor. I don't deserve it (see # 7) But, I want favor from God, I know I have it to a certain extent, but I want it more.
3. Kids...I don't have room to start discussing my little (or big) girls...They mean the world to me.
2. My wife...If you know Necole, then you know why I say this.
1. God, yes....It's really simple...I love God, I wonder what my life would look like had I not become a follower of Christ. Maybe in heaven, God will give us a glimpse of how our lives would be different if we had not decided to follow God. Kinda like a DVD extra, another ending to the movie, how cool would that be?

So to all my family & friends...I hope you have a terrific day.

Tikkun Olam

Is your city safe?

It's always funny to see how each city ranks in regards to safety.Cary, NC which is a suburb of Raleigh is always amongst the safest...Then, there is Stockton, CA. Which is always amongst the worst. Now, growing up in the 209 (Stockton) I can concur, it dangerous, violent and I'm glad I no longer live there. Anyhow, you can check out the info if you like, click here.

You could be wrong...No WAY!!!

Via Mike.

wahba :: progressive :: emergent :: worship

My buddy wahba is releasing his sophomore project called The Beautiful Effect. You can download some ringtones, listen to MP3's and of course you could buy his cd (soon) on his website.

WOW, this day has been rough

This morning I was driving Bailey to school, as always I had to play Nathan Asher in the Ipod...It's so cool, she knows all the words to one of his songs...Anyhow, I dropped her off at school and I headed to the office, so I was programming my iPod and I was considering what to play...Hmm, Greenday, Amos Lee, Death Cab, Coldplay...Then I saw David Crowder, his old stuff...I decided to listen the DCB, and spend time with God. Which I'm glad I did, because today was a rough one (it's only 3:40PM), I had my first real estate closing...I almost lost the deal at the table...This transaction was suppose to happen over 2 weeks ago...So is was very stressful, from a financial perspective, I really needed this deal...I had no back up plan, we were flat broke...I did not even know if I had enough gas to make it home...So the stress was high...That being said, I did get the deal done...So that is good...I'm trying to relax for a minute..Until I meet my next client this evening...Bill Hybels has a book called "too busy not to pray," and he is so true, we can't allow the busyness of life to steal our shalom, our time with God...I'm not sure I would have made it today without the words of DCB and the presence of God..Sometimes we see prayer as this long drawn out time in which we do our "duty," and it makes us feel better...This morning I learned the importance of prayer, or conversation between me and God while I'm driving 75 MPH on the freeway...Prayer is needed, it's important, it's life giving, it's vital to soul, vital to our emotional state...It's not some rule, or rigid act. It's a real two conversation between me and God, i think I need to have more of those conversations!!!

Crazy Day Ahead

Well, this is going to be one crazy day...We have our first real estate closing today at 12PM (hopefully it does not get delayed), which is good...Because I had to literally dig for change in order to put gas in the car...That is never a fun experience. So, hopefully everything goes right, and we will get a paycheck today...Then I have some Sacred stuff to take care of; and some more clients to service...I'm hoping to be home before 10PM tonight; we shall see. At least I'm not Ken, who has to go to Charlotte on back-to-back days...That is soooooo lame; but I have a feeling it's worth it. Hope everyone has a great day!

Searching for rhythm

This morning I made plans to finish up some loose ends with Sacred, do some reading and thinking and try to recharge my batteries...Well, that is not going to happen, I got two phone calls from out-of-state investors...Now, this is a good thing for sure; but I know I need some time to connect with God...So, I'm currently thinking through rhythm, what does it look like, is their a right or wrong way to go about life, or better yet is their a better way? I have so many things I need to do, and so many things I want to do, but no time to do them all. This is why I think sleep is way overrated, it's a time waster for sure, but hey...God designed us to sleep for a reason right? So, even though I'm anti sleep, I know it's good for me...But, I wish I had more time, more time to work, more time to play, more time to pray and more time for productive rest. So, this gets me back to the question of rhythm and pace...Is their a productive way to cram more into life? My weakness is focus, these past few years I have had so much going on in my mind, I feel like I have not found a productive and healthy pace or balance. I think one of the biggest issues I faced as a pastor was unrest, always worried about how to pay the bills, where to live, how to grow a church, what school to put the kids into...It was never ending questions and few answers seemed to develop; and I had few people to discuss these issues with. I really was never at peace, risk is good, I love risk, life without risk is boring...But, when you take a risk, it seems that at some point the risk has to payoff, or else you have to move forward because the risk is too large and the upside too small. So, this goes back to pace, rhythm & peace. It's needed, you can find peace in the midst of chaos if need be, but you have to grab it...Jesus taught us so well the importance of peace, he would leave the wounded, inflicted, those desperate to touch Him, see him and be around him...But, as always, Jesus was teaching us the importance of rhythm and pace, as he would leave the chaos of life and retreat with close friends, or spend time praying. so, let me finish this post with this question; is your pace in life in-line with the teachings of Jesus? If not, maybe it's time to rethink how and why we do what we do. So, for the next hour, I'm going to stop blogging, turn off my cell phone, close the iBook and read a good book. What are you going to do?

Spirit Fuel

I've added and "evotional" banner under my links...If your looking for some midweek fuel, then check these guys out...really good stuff.

Other news...I have much on my mind...Too much, so many questions and so few answers...I'm really glad that we are moving soon, space is vital, I can feel my lack of spiritual focus, currently we are living in a small 2 bedroom apartment; which has been tough, but not all that bad, soon we shall move to our new 3 story townhome, which is a blessing to say the least, I'm looking forward to having some space to think, pray and seek the heart of God.

Xbox.com

XBOX 360 is coming really soon...Do I get this? I wonder, is it worth it? It looks so cool. Anyone else getting this luxury game console?

Rentals - MSN Real Estate

I love the city of Raleigh, it's an up & coming area...Here is a cool article that highlights some of the benefits of living in the Triangle...7 cool cities with cheap rents

Raleigh

Part of the Research Triangle (including Durham and Chapel Hill), Raleigh is as hot as it gets, thanks to a healthy job market, a billion-dollar downtown rehab, top universities and plentiful, inexpensive housing. About two years ago, Tom Augur, a 27-year-old certified public accountant, left Boston for Raleigh's small-city atmosphere. His three-bedroom townhouse cost $150,000. "I would have gotten 50% less in Boston and paid more than twice as much," he says. Young locals eat sushi and listen to blues in Glenwood South, or hit dance parties in the Warehouse District.

Where to rent: Duraleigh Road, Cameron Village, downtown

What you'll pay: $650 a month for a one-bedroom, $750 for a two-bedroom, $750-$950 for a two-bedroom house

What you just missed: a two-bedroom apartment in a Tudor-style house near Cameron Village, $650

Where to be at 11 p.m.: Lincoln Theatre, Martin Street Music Hall

Not-in-NYC bonus: $9,218

Ministry

A very thoughtful blog post on the pain of ministry. It's a little long, but very thoughtful...Lately, I have been so frustrated with the aspect of pastor as CEO, sometime WE pastors are so driven by success (which we will never admit that) that we sometimes forget the reason we got into ministry...Anyhow, I could post a lot more, but I have a meeting with some local folks who may want to start a church here in Raleigh, they want to know what I think about church planting, and is it worth planting a church, being that Sacred did not succeed (that is also a loaded word), my answer to them was YES, plant a church, God knows we need more churches that can raise up leaders and advance the kingdom of God...One key issue, the church plant cannot become and idol...Maybe more on this later? Click below to read the post.

internetmonk.com � With Regrets, All My Love

Speed

If you are a speed freak...you have to check out this video clip.

French filmmaker Claude Lelouch mounted a gyro-stabilized camera to the bumper of a Ferrari 275 GTB and had a friend, a professional Formula 1 racer, drive him at breakneck speed through the heart of Paris.

Via achievable ends

hungry {community}

I hung out with the hungry {community} Sunday night...They have it going on for sure, lot's of energy, the room set up was great, lot's of couches along with chairs and candles, so cool. Jeff is teaching from the book of Genesis, he did a great job and Gore had a full band, which was kickin...I included the graphics for the genesis series for your viewing pleasure...Enjoy!

Writely

I'm posting from a program called called Writely, which in a new Web 2.0 application...It acts like an online Microsoft Word program, the cool thing is multiple folks can collaborate and it's web based, so you can get to your docs via any computer...You can also upload the doc into your blog...Which is way cool, since my spelling is about as good as my 5 year old...Anyhow, enjoy...Off to work.

two and two makes five: Safe and Sound (?) in South Africa

My buddy Steven and His wife Amy has recently left the states to become a missionaries in South Africa...He has poignant thoughts in regards to the daily opposition that he and his wife face...It takes a lot of courage to endure some of the issues that that they are dealing with...It also takes a lot of love and passion for the Kingdom of God and South Africa. Please keep these brave souls in your thought and prayers. Safe and Sound (?) in South Africa

You made it

Well, it looks like you found me, thanks for stopping in and checking out my new blog. This blog represents a transition for me...Which is exciting. I'm looking forward to sharing life with my friends (known & unknown) around the world. Be back soon.