Second Verse Same as the First…..

Man! What a year! I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked whether or not I made a New Year’s Resolution. And the typical response is, “nah…  I don’t do those anymore… they never stick.” But I can’t help but go there. What if I made a resolution? What would it be?

So here it is:

 1. Love people through action. Like my friend said, “Be more generous…. even when it becomes inconvenient.”

2. Pray bold prayers. Think big because God wants to do great things.

3. Notice people. Smile more.

So there it is. There is much behind each of those “resolutions”. God is really stretching me a lot. He’s continues to shape me and direct me on this journey of what it means to be a follower of Jesus with a tangible faith.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

There are good days and there are bad days. Today? Well… Let’s just say I’ve had better. It’s days like today when I know I need to go and sit at my favorite coffee joint and hang out with Jesus and get some work done. I don’t get it. I jokingly told Kim today that Jesus must live at It’s a Grind because He always talks to me here and I always leave refreshed.

 When days like today happen, I’m reminded that I’m here because of Jesus. Definitely not due to my strength. When I do things on my own, nothing other than the monotonous things in life get accomplished. Nothing with eternal value. But when I do things through His strength I have amazing conversations with friends. Conversations about God’s grace. Sovereignty. Sanctification. When I do things through His strength and mercy I impact lives.

 God’s strength is beautiful. Today I need it.

Drive-Thru Rap:Healthy Version

  

In the Name of Love

Since the Missional X Conference it’s been a whirlwind of thoughts and conversations. I left with several thoughts… some of which I am still processing. But I would have to say the “concept” that hit me the hardest may have been the most simple.

What if we loved people for the sake of showing them Christ’s love? What if we loved without an agenda? What if we loved(and I know I sound like Bono here) in the name of Love? What if?

As a church planter, yes, I want people to come to my church. No doubt. But I also have to realize there are some people that will never step foot into my church. So how do I reach them where they are? Is it by giving them a pen with my church’s logo on it? I’m not sure that’s quite it. Maybe it’s what Jim Henderson said- “free attention giveaways”. I think that’s the step we often forget. People just want attention. They want to be heard. Whether they are hurting, celebrating, or just living an apathetic life… they want someone to listen to them. And that’s where the magic happens.

Loving for the sake of the Gospel. Not just to fill a seat in my church. When I start doing this more is when I can expect to see lives changed.

I’m excited about what God has taught me at Missional X. I’m excited to see where this reckless love will take me.

Created? I Think Not!

In church circles we talk so much about “creating community” in our church. But I can’t help but ask, “is community created? or rather… discovered?” I believe it’s discovered. You see, community always exists. We just often have to find it amongst one another.

So, the question is, how do we do that? How is community discovered? Well, I believe the heartbeat of the church is goin to be the heartbeat of the Pastor… or in our case, the Pastoral Staff. If we do not have community amongst ourselves, how can we ever expect our church to have community? If we are not discovering community within our neighborhoods than how can we expect our church to do the same? If we are not making a difference in Tucson then how can…. well… you know where I’m going with this.

I’m so thankful to be a part of a church staff that not only loves each other, but really desires to spend time with one another. It’s fantastic. I couldn’t be a part of a better community.

Fiesta Anyone?

So tonight was a fantastic night. Sterling, Lenny, Julia, and I were able to have our friends Jerika and Scott over for Jerika’s birthday. Julia made the most fantastic dinner and oh was it great! Homemade enchiladas, mexican rice, beans, and salsa! Not to mention the most fabulous cake ever! (We won’t talk about how it crumbled to pieces…..)

 I’m not for sure what my favorite part of tonight was. I don’t know if it was the fantastic food, the sparkling candles that didn’t really sparkle, the accidental mormon jokes by Lenny, or the disco tech music from the neighbors above. It was all great!

 Talk about community though. Man. I’m just so excited about what God is doing and what He’s going to do in Jerika and Scott. I’m so excited about how He’s slowly showing them what it’s like to be a follower of Christ. I’m looking forward to these next couple of months.

 CityEdge church is growing, growing, growing! God is blessing us and I’m so thankful! I’m looking forward to many more dinner dates and fantastic conversations.

 Note: Please pray for CEC. We are in conversation with many people who are, hopefully, willing to help out with CityEdge Church.

Also, The Office season premier is tomorrow night. If you don’t watch it, jump on the train. It’s the second most amazing show. Ever.

Breathe! Breathe! Push! Push!

So I have this thought: The life of a follower of Christ is much like that of a midwife.

 I know what you’re thinking here, but just hear me out.

You see, as a midwife you don’t really do much. I mean seriously, it’s not like you can jump up on the table and do all the work for the mother. No. But what can you do? You can coach her throughout the pregnancy and birthing process. You coach the mother to breathe properly, to push when necessary, any many more things. The life of a believer is much the same.

 As a Jesus follower, I cannot make anyone follow Christ. I can encourage, coach, motivate, and teach along the way. I can show you and talk to you about what it means to follow Him. But I cannot do it for you. Just like a midwife, discipling someone is sometimes messy. But it’s worth it because if you stick around for long enough you get to see some pretty amazing things happen. You get to see a birth of a new soul.

And there is nothing more beautiful than that.

Oh My Gosh…. Look At Her!

Wow! What a fantastic last few days! It’s nice being in Oklahoma and spending so much time with my family and some old friends. God has really blessed me with some amazing people in my life!

I am absolutely looking forward to heading back to Tucson! There is so much work that needs to be done and lots and lots of relationships to build! God is doing amazing things with and through CityEdge. I can’t wait to fill you in on all the details throughout the way!

Pack, Pack, Pack It Up!

I know I should totally be packing, seeing how I’m suppose to be at the airport in less than 5 hours, but I find myself doing the usual internet rounds: Facebook, WordPress, Myspace, email…

 I’ve been thinking a lot about Tucson lately. I’ve been thinking about how much I love it here- the culture, the weather(suprisingly), the people, my new friends, my amazing roommates/colleagues/friends. I love the view of the Catalina Mountains in the morning. I love Walking into the grocery store and hearing at least three different languages while shopping. I love going to It’s A Grind(my local coffee shop) and sitting outside with a great friend and talking about how great our God is. I love being here. But honestly, I love being where God puts me. It’s a comforting place to be.

 I’m so excited about what God is doing here in Tucson. I look at His people here and I’m overwhelmed with love because Christ wants so badly for them to realize how much He loves them.

I’m extremely excited about my visit in Oklahoma. I’m looking forward to spending much needed time with my family and some great friends. But I’m also so excited about coming back home to Tucson and getting to work. CityEdge Church is quickly getting on her feet and God is truly blessing us. I can’t wait to see how God will impact lives through CityEdge Church. There is so much anticipation and excitement running through my veins right now.

 I will praise you as long as I live, lifting my hands to you in prayer. Psalm 63:4

On The Road Again!

So I’m coming home soon. I’m so excited. Really I am. I’m looking forward to spending so much time with my family and friends. I’m looking forward to fishing with my Dad. Watching Lifetime movies with my Mom. Scrapbooking with my sister. Laughing with my neices and nephews. Late-night park visits with Kim. Laughs and more laughs with Kacy and Taylor. Much needed lunch visits with some old friends. And so much more.

 I ask that you pray for my family and I during this time. Please pray that the most is made out of my visit home. Please pray for my best friend, Taylor as she has another heart surgery on the 14th. Please pray that this time will be a time of rejuvenation and I will be excited and ready to come back to work here in Tucson.

 I’m praising God right now for so many things. I pray God for my amazing family members who love me and desire for me to spend this time with my family. Thank you. I’m praising God for the unbelievable things He’s doing here in Tucson through CityEdge Church.

 Thank you all for all your prayers. I will try to keep updated while in Oklahoma.