Sick Sick & Sick of Being Sick

I'm sick, which sucks. Hate being sick. Thank God for Golf, vodcast, podcast and books.

Gordon Conwell Rocks!

If you are looking for an in-depth theological study look no further. The good folks at Gordon Conwell have created this.

I must say that I'm highly impressed. They even offer you a certificate of completion. What is the charge? NOTHING, that is right it's free.

I love how the church is becoming more open-source. Free graphics, messages, bible studies etc. That is a good thing for the Kingdom of God.

HT: emergesque.

Hostage in school standoff dies

This story is to sad.. Freaking unbelievable.

I can vividly recall an erie phone from my buddy Rawd when I was a youth pastor in Dallas. He told me I needed to head to the office quick, one of our youths cousin was killed in the columbine incident. So sad, later that night, this couple was all over the national news. Crazy!

An innocent young girl is dead because some reckless dude. Sad, Sad, Sad!

Halo The Movie-Looks Good

Kids Rule Parents Drool

Spent the weekend in Dallas, doing our monthly work that we do up there. Fun, I guess. Good to see the family and play some poker.

I was reflecting on parenthood these past few days. Now that Bailey is in first grade, we have more restrictions on our schedule. Necole and I are free spirits, so it's been an adjustment. Bailey has close to an hour of homework per night.

Of course, school is never enough, parents have to try and keep up with other parents, so their little one "don't fall behind." How lame is that? Of course we are looking at outside school activities; like cheer-leading, soccer(gag), tennis, and gymnastics. Plus, every freaking Saturday is another b-day party to attend. So far we have gotten 4 invites in six weeks, enough already! It kinda sucks, I want my kids to be involved, I know that their is value in these activities. But sometimes I wonder how healthy it is for the whole family structure? Maybe mom's and dad's should spend more time together, that way they can still be married when their kids grow up, go to college, get married and have their own little ones.

Kids rule the roost, I love it, and I hate it. Parents can easily lose their soul to work and kids activities. As for me, I refuse to be one of those parents who live their life for their kids. If you know me, you know I love my girls more then anything, I would literally kill someone if I had to in order to protect them. I'm pretty much a pacifist...But, you got draw the line somewhere.

In the meantime, if you don't have kids, go make a baby :)

Notre Dame Is Killing Me

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Notre Dame is killing me. Hanging in Dallas for work this weekend, and I just got home and fired up the tv in hopes that ND would be spanking Mich St butt.

Well, I guess not...They are spanking our butt. Last week I thought Michigan was THAT good. This week, I'm starting to think that ND (defense) is THAT bad.


Man we need a freaking miracle. C'mon touchdown Jesus!

BTW-If I lose in fantasy football tomorrow, I'm going to quit.

Alcohol use and the believer

There has been an on-going debate within the Southern Baptist circles in regards to alcohol consumption by it's clergy.

I personally call this extra biblical teachings. Don't dance, don't smoke, don't drink etc. Of course, very few times do you hear these denoms talk about over-eating, or what the bible would describe at gluttony.

I think it's sad that we pick & choose which issues are more important. I mean, at the end of the day, I think it's wrong for any believer to be addicted to anything. Like money, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, FOOD, etc.

If we will not allow planters to pioneer a church if they drink, maybe we should not allow them to plant if they lack the discipline to eat a proper diet. Of course I would be in trouble. But for real, how many times have you seen a fat pastor tell his congregation that drinking and smoking is wrong, yet the buttons from his shirt is about to pop out. I call this hypocrisy!

Also, it seems to me that Jesus did not mind drinking some wine. And for those who say it was non-alcoholic wine, well they should study history. Although to be fare, the alcohol content was not quite what it is today.

The Pathway: Home: Alcohol use and the believer: Theology on-tap

HT: Steve McCoy

Tim Keller

DJ Chuang posted some great (dangerous) thoughts on his blog:

Why I like Keller more than Piper.

Tim Keller is by far one of spirtual hero's. I love this dude, he is wise, smart, and urban. He loves church planting and he walks with incredible humility. Which is something I need to learn :)

Go enjoy DJ's thoughts. As for me, I'm going back to study systematic theology and it's not even for a degree. It's because a friend unknowingly spoke wise words that left me convicted. So I'm spending an hour a day studying theology. NT Wright trilogy is next:)

Look & See

My favorite brown truck came to visit me today :)

Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community: Books: Ed Stetzer,David Putman

The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture: Books: N.T. Wright

Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology: Books: Eugene H. Peterson

Reflections on Gospel

This morning I'm hanging at Genuine Joe Coffeehouse in N. Austin. At one time this cofeeshop was literally a house. It has a 70's retro vibe; yah-know, couches, beads, and the old round kitchen tables with the square-ish brown leather chairs. I love their tagline.

" A place for boots, suits, hippies and techies."

Wow, so creative, they understand their mission and what they are called to do.

On my left are two hippie chicks, on my right is a Jewish Rabbi, a Muslim just walked out, and a few dudes in suites are having a meeting and talking loud. Outside, some guys are playing the guitar, laughing and enjoying the moment.

It's cool cause I get to see a reflection of Austin and the greater American culture. So many people, backgrounds and faiths all mixed into small geographical area. And somehow the gospel is relevant to all of them, somehow the story of Jesus is greater than their backgrounds, faiths, identities or mistakes.

The challenge is this, how do I communicate the gospel to this culture? My calling as a Christ-follower is to love and serve the city that I live in. It's not really optional, and it has nothing to do with official ministry or church planting.

I'm called by God to reach my neighbor, my community and my city. For me it starts with conversations, it starts by building community and allowing trust to be established.

I think for the most part we have a timid Christian culture in America, we worry about fitting in, we want to be "liked" by those in our community. We spend much of our time at church or Bible studies or playdates with other Christian parents. My prayer this morning is for a broken heart and crushed spirit. I want to be wounded for my city, I want the pains of sin and godlessness to overwhelm me. There comes a time when the story must be told with boldness, clarity and faith. Yes we have to be incarnational, but I wonder how many times we refuse to share the gospel because we make up lame excuses, or we are scared of rejection of being the outcast. I know I do. Somehow, I want to change that.

Mark Driscoll

For some reason Mark Driscoll has captivated the evangelical landscape. Why, well I guess because he is a controversial figure. He is outside the box for sure. Plus he's doing some great stuff for God in a city that is spiritually complicated and hard to reach.

So, I was a bit surprised to read this post from Driscoll's blog. Very authentic and human.

In 1999, I moved to Seattle to attend school. My buddy Ken in Sac-town kept telling me I needed to go to Mars Hill Church. I was pretty distraught with church at the time. I just resigned a position at a mega church in Dallas. I was tired of the corporate church structure, I did not understand my role in the church. I was bored. I did not become a pastor to get a paycheck, I became a pastor to help make the world become a better place, to lead people to the story of Jesus and to help equip them to find their role within that narrative. This is why I will plant another church even though my first one failed.

Now back to the story:

So I went to Mars Hill. It was the first time I had communion with real wine. I loved the make up of the crowd, young and old, hip and nerdy, rich and poor. I loved the vintage feel, no purpose driven concert shows that tried to impress people as if the gospel story cannot stand on it's own two feet.

All I can say is this, I never felt the presence of God like I did on that night. It was rich, deep, reflective and real.

I don't always agree with Driscoll, and every mega church has it's issues. (or should I say every church) But I did appreciate his the honesty that was laid forth.

I'm A Wimp

So tonight I feel like a wimp, why you ask? Because I watched LOST tonight on DVD instead of Monday Night Football. Not good, the addiction is getting stronger.

Lets Try Again

Jasen & Amanda have posted some great Austin pics on their blog from this weekend.

Weekend Roundup Day 2

So Sunday morning we got up, ate breakfast and did the 360 trip again. Austin locals, Chris Larson and Rachel Ray kept telling me I need to get some grub at the famous Salt Lick BBQ. Which is like 40 minutes in the boonies. Man, I got to tell you, it was really good.




After lunch we headed downtown to the infamous 6th St. WOW, so cool. Lot's of stuff going on...I even found a local cigar shop that rolls their own cigars, right in the shop. NICE!

Then we headed to the tattoo shop for some body piercing for my sister-in-law. After that, we headed home for one last game of poker. Fun, Fun, Fun, and yes I also won again :)

Now, I'm blogging, watching a freaking amazing lightening storm outside. This was a great weekend. God is good, and life is good. (Except for ND losing to Michigan, of course Ken blogged it, that dude does not even like football, or at least I thought he didn't like football. Hey Ken, Michigan wins a lot, why blog about them beating ND? Ya, go ahead rub it in, now I just hope they beat Ohio St. and lose to Mich St.)

Ok, I'm signing off, I hope your weekend was as good as mine!

Weekend Roundup Day 1

So Friday night, Jason and Amanda drove over from Houston. They were attending the Sufjan Stevens show. We met them downtown to grab a quick dinner at Wahoo's, which was/is a favorite of theirs from So. Cal.

After the show we met at my place. It was great to catch up and chat, it's been awhile, or should I say-too long.

The next morning, we ate some breakfast and headed downtown via the 360, which is a freeway that cuts through the Hill Country. It's a beautiful drive, and most folks are amazed at the rolling hills and beautiful scenery, usually the response is; "I can't believe this in Texas."

After the drive, we headed to the Soco district to grab some Ruta Maya coffee and lunch at Shady Grove. The burgers were great. Shady Grove is funky fun rugged place. After filling our stomachs we made our way over to BookPeople. Of course, if you hang out with the Ashdown's or Nussbaum's, you know you gotta find the local record store, and we did, next to Bookpeople is Waterloo Records, and next to Waterloo is Amy's Ice Cream. So we hit all three, yummy, yummy!

After the downtown tour of sorts, we headed back home. The Ashdown's had to leave and head back to H-Town. We had a blast with the J & Amanda, hope to see them soon!

Then

Our family from Dallas came in later that evening. We headed back to downtown for dinner, and then we walked to the congress bridge to see the "Bats." It was a beautiful night. We saw over 1.5 million bats head out into the night to eat mosquitos (go bats) and do whatever bats do at night as we mere mortals sleep.

Man, I love the vibe of downtown Austin. So much energy. Everyone is hanging out on the patios, drinking beer, and having fun. Right up my alley!

We finally made it back home to play a little family poker. Good times for sure. But the fun is just beginning. And yes of course I won the poker game :)

Dog The Bounty Hunter

I love the dog, I think he is an authentic follower of Christ. It's ironic that he was aressted & freed on bail. Hope it works our for him.

Also, Notre Dame got rocked, so pissed. Last week Texas, this week ND, lame.

Austin City Limits Music Festival Live Feed

Austin City Limits Music Festival started today, over 200,000 people will swarm Austin over the next 3 days, nuts!

If you are a chump like me, and you have no tickets; you can still catch the show live. The feed is here.

Enjoy, and hopefully next year I will be able to attend?

We are now off to brave the crowd downtown to hang with J & Amanda and eat some fish tacos at wahoo's Wahoo's.

HMM

Lovely day in Austin, it feels like late spring. (I think fall comes in late Oct)

Cool and crisp in the morning, hot and sunny in the afternoon and just amazing at night. The skies are mesmorizing; So blue, so great. And every morning we get to watch the sun break through the darkness, it's really sweet. I get to sit on the balcony, sip my shade grown organic ruta maya coffee. (which is the best drip coffee I've ever had; but if someone from the Nussbaum's clan, Tre, or the Hudson's want to send me some vivace, zoka, ladro, or zita beans, I have a feeling I would be really happy about that; c-mas is soon and my b-day is March 1st).

Why do I say all this, because life goes fast and I'm always thinking about the future. But this week God is speaking to my spirit, I need to learn to stay in the now, yes the present. Enjoy life. So I'm trying.

Austin City Limits start tomorrow. The weather is suppose to get toasty and humid this weekend, which is not good if you are hanging in a park in the hot sun for 3 days. I wish I could be there, but, I have another treat, the Ashdown's are coming from H-town this weekend. I'm looking forward to hangin out, catching up and enjoying some of the finer things in life.

Now it's off to the balcony, to enjoy the remainder of the day.

Peace & Love from Austin

One Month

We've been is Austin for a month now. It's been what I would call a beautiful struggle. So far the hardest part has been rhythm. We have not been able to afford pre-school for Kenzie. So Necole and I kinda tag team the babysitting thing. We are sad, because Kenzie really needs to be in school. Hopefully, sooner rather then later, we will get her in school?

We love Austin, it's a great city, yet at the same time, I spend most of my time at home. Which is not good, because I hate being at home. So much to explore and do. In the meantime I try to be patient and work the plan that we have.

It takes time to get re-established, to find rhythm and community. To re-acquire all the basic stuff we need, like couches, tables, dishes and of course the XBOX.

At the same time, I've really learned what it means to rely on God, to learn how to pray and seek God, and read the Bible, to hope and trust. Spiritually speaking, the past 5 months have been a breath of fresh air. Healing has taken place, vision has been restored, and passion is alive and well.

If someone asked me to describe the past 5 months, I would say sovereignty. God has been sovereign. And for that I'm grateful, I find hope and I know my story, is precious to God and important to humanity.

So the struggle continues...But it's a good struggle.

RAIDERS SUCK!!!

UPDATE: Not that you needed proof, but just in case:

Stats of the Week: The Oakland Raiders had as many sacks (9) and punts (9) as first downs (9).(ESPN)

Also, just to let Devries know, I will not become a Texans fan. I mean how lame can you get, they passed on R. Bush, crazy. I don't think AL Davis would have done that. Of course, Al Davis did give up on chucky, and chucky took Al and Raiders down in the Superbowl. (Thanks for reminding me-Ashy!)

So this year, in honor of my formal cities in which I lived in and still love. I shall cheer on the Seahawks and the Panthers. So there you have it, I'm no longer a Raider fan.


I grew up in the Bay Area. (kinda) I remember watching the Raiders play the Eagles in the Superbowl in 1980. I also remember the Raiders taking down the Redskins in the Superbowl in 1983. I attended the championship game in 2000 (?) when the Raiders lost to Ray Lewis and the Ravens. Another words, I'm a huge Raider fan.

But the last few years I've been trying to "let go" and move forward. You can only be faithful for so long, and Al Davis is a complete idiot.

As for last night, I could hardly watch. The game was so bad, the Raiders were so bad. Man, these are not good times for Raider nation. Although, I think the HATED Broncos and Chiefs both lost, so that helps, at least for a week.