Hmm

Well, yesterday we got a call from Necole's mother. She informed us that they are moving to Dallas, TX. My first reaction &^&&*^&^%%&%. Ya, not good for sure.

Backstory time:

When we closed Sacred down, Necole and I decided to stay put in Raleigh. We had some other possibilities for ministry and we did not want to just run away, we liked the city and felt we could stay there long term.

Then, Necole's parents told us that they were moving to Oregon. After some thinking and praying, we decided to relocate our family to Seattle. We desired our kids to be around their family. Seattle was a 7 hour drive. And Seattle is such a great city.

So, now that we live in Seattle, and we really love the city, we have to deal with the reality that our entire family is now in Dallas. Necole's mom & step dad & dad and step mom and like 6 brother's and sisters and a bunch of cousins and all.

When we visited Dallas a few months ago, Necole and I almost stayed. We don't really like Dallas, but family is such a huge thing and all, right? I mean, our daughters love being around their family. And we really want them to have a greater sense of family and the natural community that is created with the family atmosphere.

Needless to say, we are highly frustrated, we love Seattle. We have already built great friendships here and the Nussbaums will be here soon (but not soon enough). So, now the question is this, do we want to spend the next 15 years or so away from our family?

Church Was Good

So, yesterday was unique for sure. We headed over to Seattle to attend Quest Church. I'm so glad we did. I heard one of the best messages in a long time. I just resonate with how they attempt to do life and church.

During the message, Necole and I felt the burden of church planting. Their is truly a need to plant churches in Seattle. Somehow, we have to dedicate the rest of our lives trying to accomplish this task. A few thoughts from he message:

• More dogs than kids in Seattle.


• Seattle is the least churched city in America. Something like 7% of Seattlites (sp?) attend a Jesus believing church.


• Their are not enough churches being planted to keep us with the population growth.


• Tons of churches are closing down and not enough are being planted.

Sometimes I pray and I ask God to just let me be happy, to work and make a living and attend church and help in some sort a of way. You know, maybe give some cash, help set-up and all that. I mean, that is missional, it's Godly. But that is not going to happen. When you are called, you just have to accept the burden and responsibility that comes with that calling. I need patience. BTW, did I tell you I hate being patient :)

As always, we did have one major set back. We found out that we cannot move into our apartment till July 8th. We have to move out of our current place on June 12. Therefore, we need a place to crash for 3 weeks.

If you are local, and know anyone who needs some house sitting anywhere from June 1st to July 7th let us know. That could be a win-win if you know what I mean :)

We need to get on the "other-side-of-the-peninsula" or else, we may got NUTS.

Peace & Love

Tags: quest church, musings

You have new Picture Mail!

You have new Picture Mail!
Originally uploaded by Ancientwalk.

Happy b-day to ken nussbaum. One more year till you join the thirty-something club. Sweet...hope you had a great day.

Off to Seattle

Well, we were suppose to head to Pathway's Church this morning. But, the ferry system made that kind of complicated. So, it looks like we will do church at Quest. They have an 11 am service. Which is nice. So, Pathways next week? Hopefully we will be living in Seattle before week's end. But, we did lose the apartment that we thought we had. So, we are back to looking for a new place to live.

Necole starts work on Thursday and then she leaves next week for 5 days of training in Cali. So, I will be doing the full time daddy day care thingy.

Well, time to load the van, and make our way to the rain city.

Peace & Love Tags: Quest Church Seattle

Good Times

Wow, the last few days have been a blur. Lot's of community for sure.

Thursday, I had coffee (who would have thought) with George Song, who is the Worship Cultivator for Quest Church.
George is a good guy with lots of vision and passion for God and the church. Plus, he's a rad worship leader. I'm looking forward to future conversations for sure.



Yesterday, we headed back to Seattle to hang out with the Hudson's. Of course, Jason and I were talking ministry and all so we had to have some coffee. So he took me to CAFFE VITA, man that is some goooood coffee. The Hudson's have been a HUGE blessing in our lives. Thank God for the internet, I googled emerging churches in Seattle and Church on the Hill was like the 1st or 2nd on the all powerful google page. I emailed Jason and we connected. Wow what blessing that was.

After some real estate meetings (blah) we headed up to Mill Creek to hang with the Chandler's. We, or should I say they did some grilling...Yummy burgers and garlic fries, can't beat that. Of course, it had been awhile since we had some coffee (like 6 hours), so we headed to the Spotted Cow Ice Cream and Coffee Company. The cow had some live music playing, and our kids hung out in the little playroom. It feels good to have friends who have kids. That is so nice. Thanks for hanging guys.

Just heard about the earthquake in Indonesia...So FREAKING sad. So far the news is claiming 3,000 people have died. God have mercy. I hope those numbers are incorrect. Please say a prayer for them today.

Peace & Love.

TheoHacks

TheoHacks Podcast is back. After a looooooonnnnnnnngggggggg hiatus.

But, us wannabe theologians are happy to get our fix.

Check it out and enjoy.

Another Day In Seattle

Another long day in Seattle. We had an hour and half drive to Seattle, and a two hour drive back home. Bummer.

We also found out that we may not be able to move into some of the apartments that we wanted. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way that apartment communities don't always have the same price once you show up and see the property as they advertise on their website: close to $500 or $600 difference, yikes!

So, we are once again looking for a place to stay, and trying to RE-FIGURE out our plan. At this point, it looks like we will be living in Bothell. But, the apt we want is not open till July 8th. We have to move out June 12. So, we have a few weeks to figure out what to do.

However, we did get a chance to stop University Zoka to enjoy some great beverages.





Necole and I really feel like we keep taking one step forward, and two steps back. So frustrating. I'm VERY grateful that we have friends who have been willing to help along the way.

Peace

What are you doing?

So I just got a call from my buddy Jason who is attending the Origins Conference in LA. Jason and I have had this on-going dialog recently. We've been a bit frustrated with much of our "emerging leanings" and we are trying to process how to see fruit in the Kingdom of God.

Now, much of this frustration stems from failed church plant experience and such. Sometimes I personally felt I was trapped in the never ending conversation about culture, theology, church, and etc., but I was not seeing the fruit that I desired: Like people coming to Jesus, being disciples and allowing God to totally use them for the sake of the Kingdom. I'm currently searching out leaders who are doing things. Things that are causing the church to move forward, and transformation to take place.

This is why I respect folks like Erwin McManus, Rob Bell, Marc Driscoll, Tim Keller, Acts 29 Network, Tim Keel, and lots of others. Because they are seeing fruit, and that is my desire. I want to see fruit, I want to see growth, I want to push the envelope and live a life of faith and risk. I want to believe in a the gospel and the fact that the gospel can bring change and I can see a city like Seattle or Raleigh become more "kingdom-like."

I do not want to JUST sit around in some Theology Pub, talking about what's wrong with the church, or atonement theories, or is hell real, etc. (I'm not minimizing the role of productive conversation or discussing/processing theology) I want to do life with a community of people who are driven to see an in-breaking of God's kingdom. Folks who desire to see those who are not Christ followers re-discover the gospel, its goodness and the forgiveness that they can receive.

Life is too short to just talk all day. Jesus lived a life that was action-oriented. I pray that I can follow his example and set an example for current & future generations.

I heard someone say recently that to be an effective minister you have to find out what questions are being asked in the local area in which you live, do life and minister in.

So for me, what are the folks asking in regards to spirituality, God and church in Seattle? And, how will I effectively answer those questions in a way that will compel non-Jesus followers to look once again into the life of the revolutionary figure and see fruit? Which is the end goal, right?

RED

(RED) is the new product line that Bono & DATA are rolling out along with a bunch of corporate companies. A quick description of Red:

Product RED was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver, Chairman of DATA to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund by teaming up with the world's most iconic brands to produce RED-branded products. A percentage of each RED product sold is given to The Global Fund. The money helps women and children with HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Now, I'm not sure how I feel about Bono lying is the same bed as these businesses. But, I must say, I was impressed with the following product description by Gap:

The Gap (RED) products you've been waiting for are available now! Starting today, Gap is launching products from the (RED) brand with 50% of the profits donated to the Global Fund to help fund programmes in Africa for women and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Gap (RED)'s first product is the iconic Gap T-shirt. The vintage-look shirt is made for both women and men and is priced at £14.50. It is manufactured in Africa from 100% African cotton and comes in red, of course, plus a range of other classic colors. The Gap (RED) T-shirt is available in the UK starting today. An expanded Gap (RED) collection will be launched in the UK and US in fall 2006.

Who knows, maybe this is another stream of cash flow and global awareness for Africa. Or, is it just a cool PR spin for all of these big business? The answer may lie in the middle.

Another shot of Tre & His Pimp Ride

Update: Tre is the party animal!!!

You have new Picture Mail!
Originally uploaded by Ancientwalk.

Another fun day in Seattle...Tre got a new ride...I've nicknamed it "The Hurst." (Hudson, this pic is for you).



PEACE!

coComment

CoComment is a cool web tool. It basically keeps track of all your comments on various blogs.

I tend to comment, and never go back and see if the conversation has continued because I read all my blogs via Bloglines.

Anyhow, check it out and enjoy!

New Blogger Alert

Jason Hudson who is the Lead Pastor at Church on the Hill has joined the revolution and is now blogging. Looking forward to hearing his thoughts as he tries to embody the Kingdom of God in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Update: Check out this sign that Jason created. Love it, absolutely love it!




I love blogs, I love the fact that I can keep up with friends across the world because they take a few moments to blog.

Also, I had a great time with Dean yesterday. Dean is the Lead Pastor of Pathways Church in Mill Creek.

After chatting about life, culture, God, Church planting and such, we were getting ready to leave and I could not believe that we had a two hour conversation. Wow, Thanks Dean for hanging out.

I love connecting with like minded folks. It cause me to grow and helps me unpack much of the things I'm trying to process. Good times for sure.

Peace

Kyle's Film

I personally did not know Kyle Lake. But, I was shocked when I heard of the horrible news of his death. Now, in honor of Kyle's life, you can check out Kyle's Film.

I also, placed a banner on my blog. You can also get the code from the website if you would like to spread the news.

You have new Picture Mail!

You have new Picture Mail!
Originally uploaded by Ancientwalk.

It's even better in person. A broke man should never enter the Apple store...It causes great sadness.

Being Sick Sucks

Yes, the Marlow family (minis one-me) is sick. Lame, so lame. Our kids were suppose to have a play date today with some friends, they are so bummed. Kenzie is trying to convince Mom that she will not get the baby sick. Of course she then coughs, and runs away, and then she tries to convince us that she was not coughing. Kids are so funny.

Anyhow, off to Seattle to hang with some fine folks, fill out paperwork and waste more money in gas...I can't wait to we move to Seattle or Lynnwood. Peace, and remember to enjoy the journey.

You have new Picture Mail!
Originally uploaded by Ancientwalk.

You have new Picture Mail!

You have new Picture Mail!
Originally uploaded by Ancientwalk.

Played a little halo tonight...Good for the soul. Tim is is ready to hit the slopes...To bad it's almost summer.

What do you think?

HT: WorkHappy.net: killer resources for entrepreneurs:

"It's really scary to quit your job at an average company doing average work just because you know that if you stay, you'll end up just like them.

Which is why it's such a great opportunity.

— Seth Godin

From the Treo

I passed my real estate test...So happy.

Also, Necole scored a job in downtown Bellevue. Lot's of potential for sure. Now, we just have to work out the kinks, like baby-sitting, transportation etc.

Because she gets a nice size discount, it looks like we will be moving to the Lynnwood or Bothell area. (we can't afford the Belltown or Bellevue apts that Necole's company runs) We wanted to be closer to Seattle. But, both of these area's are cool. Unfortunately, Necole's job does not start till June 1st, SO LAME!

So, now we are trying to settle into a home church and figure out my little real estate career. I really do not have the cash-flow that I need to get the business started, but we need the flexibility of real estate so I can run a little daddy day care gig a few days a week.

Sometimes I wish life was easier, but we are moving closer to finding a rhythm.


Peace.

Envy.Lust.Greed

Oh my gosh I have to have one of these bad boys really really really soon. My iBook has been going strong for close to 3 years...I can most likely get another year or so out of it, but I may be tempted to speed up the process.


HT:John.

Hey John, I think we should hook up at the Spotted Cow soon, that place is so cool.

Great Mother's Day

6:45am came early this morning. Bailey & Mackenzie wanted to make mom some breakfast in bed. So, we got up early and mad some pancakes & eggs. Then we headed off to church.

After church, we got together with the whole Nussbaum clan, well not all of them, since Ken & Brenda are some 3000 miles away, which is so not cool. But soon, they will be here in the great Northwest and we can't wait.

But, today we had some BBQ and hung out at Tim & Rachel place. Gerald & Sue came down from Canada and we finally got to meet Carrie. Of course we begged Carrie to put us on her free Starbucks coffee list.

Fun times for sure, the Nussbaum's are a great family. We could not have asked for better weather and girls swam for like 5 hours.

Although, I paid a heavy price, because I missed the last episode of the West Wing. Thank God for Netflix. BTW, why did they cancel that show? Big mistake!

Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu was in Seattle this week and I missed it. DARN IT, how could I miss this? Bishop Tutu has done some amazing stuff in his life, he has stood for justice & peace. Anyhow, I had a chace, and somehow it passed me by.

Conflicted

I'm hanging at the spotted cow cafe in Mill Creek. (Thanks John for heads up) Necole has an interview in Everett at 4:30. So, we are hanging out and trying to get stuff done.

I did not pass the real estate exam...Because, I did not take it. The company did not send me the proper info, therefore, I had to reschedule. I was so MAD, or as poker players say, I was "on tilt."

I need a little shalom right now...I need space to connect with God, and hear His voice. I need to fill the presence of Christ, and allow His peace and love to "chill me out."

I love stress, and I hate stress. I love peace, and I hate peace. I like living in a world of chaos, on the edge and all. But, I sure could use some stability also.

Conflicted, is how I feel...But, it's only a season...And, soon...This season will be over. I can't wait!

Peace & Love...And remember, to enjoy the journey.

More Friends

I hung out with Steve Lewis yesterday at Zoka Coffee in the U District.

I love the U-district, Zoka was great and Steve is a real cool cat. Plus, I think Steve is on to something. He leads a ministry called Purple Door and has a dream called inter::mission. Intermission looks amazing!

Anyhow, it's always great to connect and hang with like-minded folks.

Now, we are off the Seattle, Necole has some job interviews.

Peace...

eBible.com

I just got an invitation to eBible. Looks very promising...I have ONE invitation, so if you want it, let me know and I will pass it along. Yes, I feel powerful :)

Peace!

Moving Forward...Inch By Inch

Time seems to going way to fast. I mean, its May. We left NC at the beginning of April, crazy!

Anyhow, Necole has had trouble getting interviews for a job and all. Well, we finally found out why. She is over-qualified for the jobs she was trying to get, which is so lame. But, she now has an interview this Friday.

Tomorrow, I take my real estate exam. I'm a little nervous, since I have yet to study. My mind has way to much going on to think about Federal Fair Housing, Dual Agency and Washington Real Estate Laws. So, today I'm heading over to Barnes & Noble, to sip some joe and study. Like, really really really really study. Somehow I have to focus?

Lot's of decisions to be made over the next few days. So, I'm praying for direction. What church to attend, what Real Estate office to work for, place & location to live (so many amazing choices in Seattle), job for Necole, etc.

Anyhow, this is what makes life so fun. Living with a sense of faith and having lots of fun along the way.

SWEET!!!!!

Halo 3 Revealed!

Sunday Reflections

So, we made the pilgrimage to Seattle this morning. And we had a great time. After the ferry ride, we headed to the Queen Anne neighborhood and had coffee at El Diablo Coffee Company. After the shot of energy we headed to Quest Church. I will post more about our experience, but I must say it was awesome. Loved the church and can't wait to go back.

After church, we headed to The Original House of Pancakes for a great brunch. After brunch we headed to The Fremont District and hung out at Caffe Ladro, great coffee and cool place.

After another shot of energy (does anyone see a theme here?) we headed to Ballard to catch some rays at the beach. Of course, the clouds quickly rolled in, so we packed our bags and went to Ballard Locks. Long story short, the locks help the ships convert from salt water to fresh water, or vise-versa. Also, in the summer, all the Salmon come through the locks and head up stream to lay eggs and die; or they become lunch for the little bears. The locks were cool, but our day was not over yet.

After the locks, we headed to Pike's Place and grabbed some fresh grub. Stuff like crab, sole, fruit and veggies; of course we had an hour and a half drive so we had to hit one more Cafe.

BTW-Dinner was really good. I can't wait till Ken & Brenda arrive; It will only get better. :)



Peace & Love!

Evangelicool!

My buddy Jason Hudson who is the pastor of Church on the Hill did an interview with The Stranger, which is Seattle's main alternative newspaper. They also have a lot to say about Driscoll's church.

I hung out with Jason today and I was able to get a more in-depth version of his thoughts.(which he also posted on his churches web site) I really think this is a great opportunity for Jason and his church to have more open dialog with the community.

And I find it interesting that urbanites are interested in faith, spirituality & Christ, but they are so disconnected from the church. The question then seems to be this, how do we reconnect them? And, what do we want to reconnect them to?

Anyhow, enjoy the read.

Props to the Phoenix Suns...They did not cave in and forced a game 7. If the Lakers lose tomorrow night, I may have to go on suicide watch :)

Taxes, Did You Say Taxes?

I was having a pretty good day yesterday except for hanging out at Wal Mart, but that is a rant for another day. After the horrible Wal Mart experience, I came back home to get some work done. Now it's another sunny Seattle day, I had a nice cup of coffee. Hmm, coffee, sun & productivity; life is good, right? Nope...John ruined my day. He informed me that I now have to pay taxes when I order books from my dealer.
Darn. Now I have to think through my book budget. Oh my gosh, I'm definitely in crisis mode.

BTW-If the Lakers lose tonight I'm going to be on tilt. Thank God I don't have cable, so I can't watch the game. :)

Day in Seattle

I feel like a country bumpkin who heads to the city on occasion to get a taste of the "city life," and stock up on the groceries. Needless to say, we headed to Seattle yesterday and we had a blast.

Ok I hate to sound like a poser, but what the heck, I will; because Necole and I really love the city of Seattle. We've been looking for this kind of living for a long time.

Yesterday, we were blessed to hang out with Jason Hudson who is the Lead Pastor of Capitol Hill Church. Now first of all, Jason is a cool cat. We got to talk a lot about church planting, urban living, and all sorts of cool stuff. Plus, Jason took us to the famous Espresso Vivace Roasteria. These dudes make a wicked cup of coffee. I may never go to Starbucks again. Anyhow, it was great to connect with another pastor. I'm looking forward to hanging out some more in the future.

I had another interview with Keller Williams office which is in north Seattle, and after that we headed to the Greenlake area and ate some burgers at a local joint. There are so many cool places to live; Necole and I can't make a choice. And that my friends is a good problem to have.

Since we dug Espresso Vivace Roasteria so much, and Tre wanted to check it out, we headed back for seconds. Now, earlier in the day Jason took us to this amazing city park; Lots of kids running around having a blast. Capital Hill is just outside of downtown Seattle. I love that. We can be in a distinct neighborhood and still feel like it's city living, in other words, it's the best of both worlds.

Now, while in the park I noticed the kind of folks who were there: Distinctly urban, or city. About 25 folks were playing kickball, how funny. Anyhow, Capital Hill is now on our long list of potential neighborhoods that we would love to live in and do life with the folks in the community. And, of course, it would be a great place to plant a church!

Journey Into Sunset

Don Cheadle has a new film called Journey Into Sunset. Not sure when it will be released, but I think its great that this long-running issue (more info below) is getting more publicity...Which hopefully will cause change to take place. A little info below.

In May of last year, Academy Award nominated actor Don Cheadle and his family were invited to Kampala, Uganda to attend a charity screening of the film Hotel Rwanda to raise money for the children-the "night commuters" of Northern Uganda. They are called "night commuters" because every night they must flee their homes seeking refuge in large camps in the cities to keep from being kidnapped, dragged into the bush and ultimately forced to fight against the Ugandan government for the rebel Lords Resistance Army.

Do I Really Need More Books? YES!

I just fueled my addiction and order some books from my dealer.

I've been hearing good stuff about Simply Christian by NT Wright. I'm really looking forward to this read. Wright is one of my favorite authors and I seem to connect with his theological stream.



I also picked up Confessions of a Reformission Rev. by Mark Driscoll. I know Mark will be witty and authentic. I have a feeling I can learn a lot about church planting and ministry from this book. Also, I think every denomination should take a peek at Acts 29 and learn from these cats.



For some reason I've shelved Mclaren's book "The Secret Message of Jesus." Ken sent me Donald Millers new book "To Own a Dragon," which is about growing up without a father. Which I did, and so far the book is good, but hard to read...I will share some of my reflections later. In the meantime I need to make a choice, do I want a Fat Tire, some Bailey Irish Cream or a hot Cup of Joe?

Sunday Reflections

Another nice sunny Seattle day...Feels good. Yesterday, we worshiped at Pathways Church in Mill Creek. We really enjoyed our experience, the folks were friendly and the message was challenging. I LOVE the core values of Pathways; struggle, meaning, redemption, sacrifice & community. I really respect what Pathways Church is doing. They are in the "burbs," and they are really challenging their people to think and act like missional Christ-Followers NOT just Sunday church attenders, which is not an easy task. I'm sure if they changed their approach they could have more folks attending,(although they have a great crowd for such a new church) but their goal seems to be growth through mission & struggle.

After church, we headed over to John & Sherri Chandler's place. Now, these cats do not even know us. John and I shared a few emails in regards to Theohacks; which is a great podcast that you should be listening too. It was great to see our kids play with the Chandler's kids.

Necole and I enjoyed our time with the Chandlers. One of the reasons I love about moving to Seattle was the quality of friendships that I think I can build here, Lot's of sharp folks who are pushing the edge of theology and church. I know being in this kind of environment will cause me to grow and become a better Jesus-follower and pastor.

Although, I do have one frustration, John (being from Colorado and all) is a Denver Broncos fan. That my friend is a hard pill to swallow being a disgruntled Raiders fan. Who knows, maybe I will have the courage to become a Seahawks fan? In the meantime, GO Raiders! Maybe we can win 5 games this year????????????? Although I would not bet on it.

Anyhow, big props to the Chandlers. Thanks for allowing us to hang and taking time on a Sunday to welcome us to the Rain City!