Baby steps toward serving

Today we did something a little different in our Sunday morning worship service. Since it was an idea I had pitched, I was a little nervous.

We need just about everybody to serve in some way on Sunday mornings as we go to 2 services soon. Instead of just hitting them with a big sign up, we eased them into it today and threw in some vision.

Our pastor gave a short talk and then we had the congregation make a baby step - but a step none the less - toward serving. We had five "stations" set up around the church, one for each of the five major serving areas on Sunday morning. At each station a carefully selected passionate leader spoke to people who came to that station about why the work of that area is vital to the health and life of the church. We didn't have people visit all FIVE areas as that would be information overload. We just asked them to visit two areas. In asking them to visit only two areas, we were causing them to do a little work, to engage in the process, to make a mini-decision on the path to determining where that can serve in the fall.

The scary part was in wondering whether people would actually choose an area to visit or whether they would just stand around or even leave the service early.

Drum roll please........

Most people visited the stations! Of course, the real success of today will be measured by how many people really do commit in coming weeks to serve. Today, though, seemed like a step in the right direction.

A few pix...

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY


CONNECTIONS - greeting, intro to Mosaic, etc


ENVIRONMENTS - Cafe, community meal, interior atmosphere


YOUTH


WORSHIP/PRODUCTION/PRAYER


We also had two stations set up for those only speaking Spanish and for deaf persons in order to share with them where they can serve at Mosaic.

I gotta make more time to post

Man, things are busy. Things are ramping up quickly with my job at Mosaic Church. Loving it, but lots to do!

Tomorrow we head briefly to Texas to take Em's friends back from their two week visit with us. We'll just stay Friday night and return to Little Rock Saturday since we have a big day at church on Sunday.

Once we get back to only five of us in the house, maybe I'll get back in the rhythm of blogging. See you Monday.

Ever Been Burned Out or Beaten Up at Church?

My friend, Anne Jackson, is writing a book called "Mad Church Disease".

Mad Church Disease is a book which will discuss the epidemic of ministry burnout in today's contemporary church. Currently, surveys are being conducted at MadChurchDisease.com for those who are on church staff, those who are family of church staff, and those who are volunteers.

By analyzing these surveys, as well as conducting interviews with pastors, families, and volunteers world-wide, Anne hopes to bring this touchy subject to light using real-life stories of not only tragedy, but redemption and healing for those who have been affected by this disease.

Anne is a gifted writer with a huge future. Please help my friend, Anne, and the countless others who will read her book by clicking on the following graphic and taking the quick survey!

Wow- what a week

Debbie has training this week for her new teaching job, so I'm working from home and watching our kids Tuesday through Friday. Not only that... we have two of Em's friends from Texas staying here with us this week and next. Craziness... so no time to post anything thoughtful.

Maybe in a day or two....

Leadership Development Class

Our pastor is hosting a summer leadership development class for key leaders in our church. It's really great. Not only is it refining leadership skills in our leaders and potential leaders, but it is also clarifying our vision and values for these leaders and thereby creating more carriers of the vision -- more carriers of this multi-ethnic church virus.

Transmission of vision is never perfect, but it seems that when these 30 leaders dialogue weekly and face-to-face with the primary vision holder, the transmission has to be pretty good. It also helps that we aren't just discussing the theoretical but are digging each week into a real issue facing the church.

Among other things, today we talked about whether each leader in the group is a:
designer
designer/developer
developer
developer/manager
manager

Which one are you? Are the other roles covered on the teams you are a part of?

At work!

This is an exciting day! Since we have been in Little Rock, I have been doing a few things at Mosaic, but mostly I have been fund-raising. Now with fund-raising at over $2000 per month and my video production business becoming more lucrative, I am able to focus less on fund-raising and dive into projects at Mosaic. I went to my first "staff meeting" today and left that meeting with a huge task that will have big impact in the logistics of going to two worship services here in September. I'm also (edit as of Wednesday) going to be co-leading Mosaic's LifeGroup ministry which kicks back up in Sept as well. Busy... but I love it!

I love being to the point where I can make an impact here. Glory to God for his provision not only in monthly gifts to our ministry but also in my expanding video production work. Thanks to those of you who faithfully give monthly to support our ministry financially. Thanks also for those of you who pray for us! We need it!

This is day one! The future is huge.

Please pray for these things:
MOSAIC
- For many volunteers to step up and serve to make Sunday mornings awesome
- For LifeGroups at Mosaic to become exactly what God has in mind
- For continued and strengthened unity (a church with so many different kinds of cultures and backgrounds is hard to keep together without the work and grace of God)
ARNN FAMILY
- Debbie is looking for a teaching job. Had great interview today! Please pray that she gets just the right job for her purpose and passion.
(UPDATE AS OF TUESDAY: SHE GOT THE JOB! I KNEW SHE COULD DO IT! SHE'LL DO GREAT. THANKS FOR PRAYING)

- That my leadership in my family doesn't suffer now that I'm diving into work at church. For self-accountability's sake, these are the biggest things I'm working on for the family: 1) Helping us internalize the family values we decided upon a while back 2) Having a monthly "Family LifeGroup" where we talk about how things are going personally and in our family and pray for each other 3) Helping the kids make a couple of short films about the parables of the "Lost Coin" and the "Lost Sheep"

Random Summerness

Lazy morning for the kids... (Em wants you to know she is NOT sucking her thumb! She is eating a grape!)




We're keeping my parents' dog, Barnaby, while they are away...


More pix here...

A Blog I Like: Copyblogger

Just wanted to highlight one blog I like to read:

It's called Copyblogger (a play on the word "copywriter"). I always find it thought-provoking and helpful. Not just in the strict sense of writing copy, but also in terms of marketing, influencing people, etc.

As an example, I thought this post was very interesting. I usually think getting something to someone as fast as possible is the most helpful, most conscientious thing to do. But maybe that's not the best thing in all cases. I can think of two or three cases in life right now where delaying a bit may be the best choice.

Anyway... Copyblogger... check it out.

Vision

I was reminded of this quote this week. I think it has huge implications.

"Vision isn't to be the best whatever. Vision is for everybody."

-- Benjamin Zander

Who's running the place?

I heard someone say last week something that I thought was very insightful.

Designers see grand visions and get the ball rolling. Developers then come in to implement the vision. As long as the designers hold tight to their values and work closely with the developers, things go great. Once developed, pieces can be handed to managers to run day to day.

The problem comes if the managers are allowed to start running the place. In a quest for efficiency and cost savings, managers (if allowed) can unknowingly squeeze out the very things that made the place special, the things that could have made the original grand vision happen.

You wouldn't think this would happen. But it happens!

DVD Studio Pro

WARNING: TECH GEEK POST

I'm happy that this week I've finally jumped in to learn DVD Studio Pro for authoring DVDs of videos. Previously, I had used iDVD to create DVDs if the menu and "look" didn't matter. If the menu operation or "look" of the DVD menu DID matter, I'd get a friend to take that piece of the job.

DVD Studio Pro didn't turn out to be hard to learn. Just a few things in the user interface that weren't completely intuitive to me. Once I got through those, it was no problem. Powerful program!

Broken and poured

I briefly referenced this in a post before, but here's some more thought...

For those who are familiar with the "Lord's Supper", Eucharist, communion...

What does the "do this" in "do this in remembrance of me" mean?

a) Eat a cracker and drink some juice to remember what Jesus did

b) Be broken and be poured out for others

Sure, (a) is a powerful moment for the church body in remembrance together. But, what about (b)? Maybe we should take Jesus to say "do this" -- be broken for others as I am (symbolized by the bread); be poured out for others as I am (symbolized by the cup).

The next time a silver bowl of tiny manufactured bread-lets or a rugged hunk of real baked bread comes by in church, take it along with the cup of juice or wine. Bite down on the bread. Taste the wine. Worship Jesus for the incredible God that he is in giving his body and blood for you.

But lets take it a step further. Think about it beyond remembering what Jesus did with HIS body and blood. It can be a model for what WE are supposed to do... to be broken and poured out for others.

What good gifts (EU-CHARIS) are you giving your community or neighbor or friend or kids today?

[adapted from: Rob Bell via Scott Hodge]

Life is amazing

It's amazing that this:


becomes this:



in no time!

More pix of our flowers here.

Google Map Street View and Photosynth

I think this is amazing...

This is even more amazing...

If you're intrigued with global connectedness and photography, you've GOT to check these out.

Video Project

This weekend I did a video project for the company I often work for. This time the project involved my family.

Here are some screen shots:

Lots of great stuff...

... but no time to write about it right now.

Maybe tomorrow.

Does everything have to be put on ice?

I hope my oldest daughter doesn't hear about this...

Seating Arrangements

I love this behind-the-scenes blog from Elevation Church.

I love their intentionality about the small things that make a huge difference.

Today, their executive pastor was talking about how they set up chairs for Sunday morning.

I especially like this line:
"Most non-Christians understand packing a house for things like concerts and movies. These events tend to be crowded when they are worth going to but somehow church is supposed to be boring and you sit wherever you want because there are plenty of seats."

Busy Week

Lots of video editing the last few days. No time to think or post much.

Are you watching "On the Lot"? I'm loving it. Which films were your favorites last night?

I love this MacBook Pro!

Tonight I was converting a batch of about 15 videos totaling about 22 GBytes down to small web versions of about 300 MBytes. I started the batch converting and left the house. I later returned to find that I had forgotten to plug in the power cord, so the computer had gone to sleep.

I woke up the computer and it resumed that huge conversion without a hiccup.

Maybe other laptops work this well these days... but I doubt it!

Do they?

Susannah turns 4

It's a tradition in our house that I always take each kid out for birthday lunch. They get to pick where we go and it's just us.

Susie turned 4 this week. She decided she wanted a baked potato from Jason's Deli.











Susie took this one of me. I love shots from a kid-perspective.

Flowers

The last time we had flowers like this on the dining room table was when I bought them from www.proflowers.com for Deb on our tenth anniversary.

Proflowers is GREAT. But, these flowers weren't bought.



They are growing in our yard.

Love it!

In Texas...

Tonight I had dinner with good friends Kerri and Dan.

Conversation with them is always good.

Biggest nugget of the night...

Coaching is much more powerful than just teaching.


Now I'm back at Kris and Tom's. Dog sitting until they return.

These dogs are crazy... SO jealous. If I pet one... man, the other comes running.

Memorized Scripture as Spoken Art

My wife and I have always loved memorizing scripture. This video is a very cool version of memorized scripture. When you memorize scripture, it grips you and this kind of thing comes out.

Deb, we should still do something dramatic with a memorized passage like we've always talked about.

Now that's more like it...

After all the afternoon thunderstorms last week, I'm liking this...

How to stop complaining - Part 3

The kids and I continue to talk about 'complaining' at the breakfast table, today we looked at 'complaining' as it relates to pride.

Pride is thinking of ourselves higher than we ought.

I think there are two ways we complain related to pride:

1) Sometimes we complain because we have to do things that we think are beneath us.

2) Sometimes we complain because we think we deserve better than what we got.

In his "Character Matrix" Erwin McManus says the first antidote for pride is humility.

Seeing ourselves rightly. Take a second, let pride dissipate, and do that thing we think is beneath us. Or if you're feeling like gosh darn I deserve more or better than this, think of Jesus. He deserved a way better life than to die on a cross.

How to stop complaining - part 2

Talked with the kids some more this morning about complaining.

As I mentioned yesterday, we're looking at 'complaining' through Erwin McManus' "Character Matrix" which says that character problems are rooted in three things: greed, foolishness, and pride.

Today we looked at how 'complaining' is 'foolishness'.

2 thoughts:

1) Complaining (especially about our lack of whatever) is foolish because it indicates that we don't trust God.

2) Complaining is foolish because it's just not good for us. As Christ-followers we live in light, not in the glumness of griping. We know the Prince of Peace. Our Father made everything and loves us immensely. Complaining simply has no place in our lives.

Erwin says that the antidote to counteract foolishness is faithfulness.

Faithfulness means: Just do it. Decide today to live right.

So we must be faithful today to just stop complaining. If we fail today (and we probably will) we get up tomorrow and try again to be faithful to stop complaining.

The bonus in all of this..........
If we stop complaining we'll feel better and we'll be brighter lights to transform a hurting world.

How to stop complaining - Part 1

A week ago today, I started leading the kids through a 20 minute time either reading a Bible story or teaching a Biblical lesson before school.

This week we are working on how to stop complaining. I say we (not just the kids)... we are in this together!

Anyway... I'm helping the kids view complaining through Erwin's "Character Matrix".

Erwin sees character problems as rooted in three things: greed, foolishness, and pride

So the first question to ask is how can complaining be greed?

Common complaints around our house:
"It's too hot" - greed for perfect comfort
"Mom is taking too long" - greed for doing exactly what we want when we want to do it
"Aawww... I don't like that dinner" - greed for the perfect thing in our stomachs

The first antidote for greed? Gratitude. What happens to our complaints when gratitude is applied?

"It's too hot" become "I'm so thankful it's not 110 or 40 below"
"Mom is taking too long with grandma" becomes "I'm thankful that grandma is nearby"
"Aawww... I don't like that dinner" becomes "I'm sure thankful I have any food at all"

Sparkpeople

So Debbie and I are trying to get back to eating right and exercising after a few months of craziness with our move, etc.

Deb found a website called www.sparkpeople.com. It's free and works great. We've both signed up and are on day three entering every food we eat and trying to stay in our correct calories, fat, carbs, etc.

It's funny how you eat less frequently when you know you're gonna have to go through the trouble of logging all that stuff in.

It also lets you keep track of cardio workouts and strength workouts. I'm tracking cardio, but logging every strength exercise is too tedious for me. So, though I'm doing some strength work, I'm not logging it.

Happy Mother's Day

American Idol - Final 3

We missed American Idol on Tuesday night and then missed the results show Wednesday night as we took our son to the emergency room. (He's fine)

So, last night we caught up on both shows.

It was tough to see Lakisha go, but it's the right thing.

We're still on track for my prediction of leaving...

Lakisha
then Blake
then Melinda
and then... winner... Jordin

Forum on race in Little Rock

Last night I attended an outstanding forum on race here in Little Rock.

Here were a few of the nuggets from the conversation:

-- We must be deliberate not to move apart from each other as a society. Think schools, churches, housing options, business deals.

--We are more the same than we are different.

--If we want to make a difference, we can't just have private compassion. We must have public action.

--Soft power is a better change agent than hard power:
::::::hard power is getting people to do what you want
::::::soft power is getting people to want what you want

--TV and movies perpetuate racism in innocent children who might not otherwise discover it

--"1957 is still palpable in Little Rock" - civil rights and Little Rock Nine historian

--Realtors can do a lot to help stop the segregating of neighborhoods, "white flight", etc. Realtors' suggestions to buyers are powerful - they can nudge society to come together instead of drift apart.

--70% of African-American children are born out of wedlock. We have got to step up and start taking care of children who are not our own.

--Lastly, there's the topic of "authentic blackness" and "authentic whiteness" and how it impacts choices and behaviors. This is something I'll have to think a lot more about. Maybe in another post...

Headline we didn't want to see

In the New York Times today, front page above the fold:
50 Years Later, Little Rock Can’t Escape Race

Tonight, I attended an outstanding forum on the issue of race in Little Rock. I'll post some key thoughts tomorrow.

Vision Casting Team?

Steven Furtick's "copy of a copy" post has me thinking. Growth causes us to delegate out many things through creating teams. Maybe we need to have a select group of people, a team if you will, that we coach to cast the vision. I've heard of lots of teams in churches, but what about some sort of "vision casting team"? (This is not to be confused with a 'vision team' assembled to figure out what the vision is!) The more people involved in thinking with the pastor about how to convey the vision to others the more passionate and accurate vision-casters we'll have. And, if the pastor has to teach others how to cast the vision, his own vision will become even clearer.


Other things I think are important in spreading the vision among growing populations:

Small Group leaders teaching the vision to their small groups

Staff and ministry leader performance evaluations infused with discussions about whether they are getting the vision and living the values.

Anxiousness

I may have blogged this before, but this nugget from Erwin McManus keeps coming back to help me over and over:

Anxiousness comes from two things:
1) Minding business that is not yours to mind
2) Not minding business that is yours to mind

"Doing life together" with Jesus

Last week, I saw a word in the following verse from the Bible in Philippians that I'd never paid attention to.

Philippians 3:10
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

The word I had missed is "fellowship".

In human relationships we know that we can have fun with people, hang out, "network", fit in, look cool in the clique without ever going below the surface. But, we also know that deeper, more lasting relationships are formed when we go through the hards times of life together.

It's the same with Jesus. We can draw on his power, his grace, the good things, the cool things, the fun things, but if we really want to go deep in our relationship with him we must go to the place of sharing with him in his sufferings. Not that he needs our comforting or counseling like a human friend does. But since he is a friend, we can have fellowship with him - that is, we can deepen our relationship with him - by attempting to understand the agony of the cross, by empathizing with his pain, by accepting his sacrifice so that all of that suffering he went through will not be wasted, and by sacrificing ourselves, our will, our desires, our comfort as he did.

Going through the deep stuff with him (his cross and my comparatively minimal trials) can make me closer to him.

Don't live just "on the surface" with people; and don't live just "on the surface" with Jesus.

To the top of Pinnacle Mountain

With Emmaleigh spending the night at Namaw and Papa's Friday night, Alex and I decided to get up early today and head back to Pinnacle Mountain. After some Krispy Kremes we made our way to the mountain and hiked up the West Summit Trail. Alex did great and we made it to the top. The last 10% of the hike was a big boulder field. While we were going up I worried about how Alex would do on way down the boulders, but he did fine.

More pix are here.

This struck me funny...

So I unplugged my laptop and took it with me to the bathroom of the library (where I'm "office-ing" today) to prevent theft. But, where in a bathroom is clean and perfectly dry to sit my precious MacBook? I thought about strapping it into here since it is kind of like my fourth baby. On second thought maybe that's not too clean or dry either.

Hiking at Pinnacle Mountain

Last Saturday Deb and the kids, my dad, my niece, and I went hiking at Pinnacle Mountain here on the outskirts of Little Rock.

Pix here.

American Idol

I like the final four. I thought Phil was pretty good, but having him and Chris go is OK with me.

From here my prediction in order of leaving is:

Lakisha
Melinda
Blake
Winner: Jordin

We'll see!!

The Lot

Can't wait for the new reality show on Fox called The Lot. Steven Spielberg helping choose the best filmmaker.

MAY 22!!!!

Blogging Idol Live

So I'm checking itunes music store to check out all the old Bon Jovi songs seeing what the contestants are going to pick to sing tonight.

Phil - good
Jordin - pretty good on a difficult song
Lakisha - great but she won't go much further
Blake - really surprised me - good
Chris - not good... and the way he moves always makes me nervous... irritating
Melinda - fantastic singer but won't win... not young, cool enough to be Idol

Man... this is getting hard. I only want to lose Chris R and nobody else.

I think Chris and Lakisha might be gone.

If Jordin is gone this week just because of tonight's weaker perforance that's sad.

Things that drive me crazy

Let's just pretend for a second that I haven't attended church in a very long time, but have been thinking about it.

I'm driving home and notice this sign. It looks like this place has things going on at several times. That's good. But what the heck are SS, CH and EV? Do they have SS, CH and EV every day of the week or just certain days? Also, I know there have been a lot of mergers lately, but I hadn't heard that the phone company merged with the church.

WELCOME?

Daniel 3

Reading today in the Bible in Daniel 3...

What an awesome thing it is to read about people like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Just think about it... of all the billions of people who have ever lived on earth, these three guys and their incredible faith made the cut and were included by God Himself when he wrote his Book.

In the story, these three guys had a decision to make. Either they would bow down to other gods or risk being thrown in a fiery furnace. They didn't budge from their convictions. They believed God would rescue them from the fire but even if he did not they were not going to bow to other gods.

What work does God have for me or for you that is as risky and faith-requiring as that?
Do we have enough faith for God to call us to such a work?

Next time you take communion...

Check out this insight...

To Rosie

Fire can melt steel.
Rosie: physics expert

Back out on a video trip tomorrow

This time I'm heading down to Houston to assist a friend with a shoot of a training seminar. Should be fun and not quite as complicated as last weeks shoot. Using two Panasonic HVX200's (that's what the rental house had on short notice). Haven't used that cam before so it should be cool to try it out. I wish we were shooting in HD and using a P2 workflow on that cam, but getting up to speed on all of that is beyond the scope of this project. And besides, I'm not the one editing the final product and the one who is has Final Cut Express which I don't believe handles DVCPRO HD.

For those who didn't understand a word of this, check back tomorrow when I'm back down out of the techie clouds.

Reading, Listening, and Memorizing

I found a new resource today. This page has the audio reading of the New International Version of the Bible. I chose the Flash version and it worked great.

Today I was reading in Daniel and so I also listened to the Bible while I was reading it.

I like listening to the spoken word as I read. Listening forces me to slow down and take in the story instead of skimming along and rehearsing familiar landmarks in the text.

Two things struck me today:
Daniel 1 - Daniel decided not to eat the royal food of the enemy king and counted on God to make him look as physically healthy and strong as those who did. In the same way, God can give us favor with people or make us "fit in" even when we decide not to do some of the things the crowd does.

Daniel 2 - "there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries."

I want to get back to memorizing passages of scripture. But, I'm not sure what to work on. Any ideas?

Deck Flowers

Now that we have a little deck, we decided to copy my aunt in Virginia (and now also my parents here in Arkansas) and do flowers in pots on the deck. My mom and aunt actually have a contest going for the best deck flowers this year. I'm sure we'll come in third (my aunt had something like 90 pots last year) but we'll have fun watching ours grow anyway.

Here is just one corner of my aunt's deck last year...


Aunt Peg



Our deck this year...

Feeling awful

I guess it must be Texas allergies or something, but I feel bad. I'm at Love Field in Dallas waiting to fly back to Little Rock. I could have gotten stand by on the 6:50pm flight that was delayed til 8:40pm, but I figured if it got delayed further it might even be later than my scheduled 9:20pm flight. And, besides the delay was a maintanence issue which caused the plane to turn around and return to Houston. Not good... anyway...

Our video shoot today went pretty well. Now the editing begins.

It was fun to stay with Kris K and Tom. Thanks guys for your amazing hospitality. That water bed with down comforter was the comfiest thing ever. Kris, I ended up with your coffee mug from today. I'll bring it back to you next week!

Funny 3-year-old story

For some reason, Susie and I were talking about our family tree today. She can't understand anything yet about who is the mom of whom in our extended family.

When we got down to talking about our immediate family she was apparently trying to reconcile the fact that both Debbie and I are somehow her parents. The way she figures, she was in both of our bellies which she said would make us attached somehow. She asked me how we walked if we were attached.

Heading to Dallas tomorrow

Tomorrow night I fly down to Dallas for a video shoot with the same company I've been working for Thursday and Friday. There are a lot of moving pieces in this shoot and it's my biggest shoot yet equipment-wise. I like a challenge... so it should be cool.

I'll be staying at Hotel Koenigsberg. That should be fun too.

Emailer's Cramp

Wow... I've had a lot of email to do today. I like email because I can say exactly what I want to say.... but man... sitting here forever.

Do you prefer email, phone or F2F? Or these days I guess the list goes on... IM, video chat, text message, have your webkinz talk to my webkinz, etc, etc.

Things that make me happy

Having a dining room table again where we can share a meal..

Things that make me happy

Pralines and Cream on a sugar cone

It has been a cold April

Working in the back yard

I love sitting on my deck in the backyard, working on my laptop...



Looking at this...

Leopard

The newst Mac operating system is gonna be SWEEEET! Even just the iChat stuff is so cool.

Online giving available for our ministry!!

We are very excited to announce that online giving is now available for monthly financial gifts to our ministry at Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas.

Getting this going was actually the first project I initiated at Mosaic before we even moved to Little Rock. The solution not only provides a way for me to receive financial support online but opens up a new world of online giving for the general fund of the church and beyond.

If you haven't seen our video about our work in Little Rock, you can view it here and you can get more background here.

If you would like to support our work financially, it's easy... just start here.

Still getting settled into Litttle Rock

Today we applied for new health insurance, got renter's insurance, opened a bank account, registered at the home owner's association clubhouse/fitness center/pool, and did more unpacking.

This junk is no fun, but it's necessary and at least it feels like we are getting closer to normal life again.

This weekend Debbie and I are going to Dallas. We have a few more things that we left there which wouldn't fit on our moving truck. We'll be picking up some of those, visiting with some good friends, and having some more fund-raising meetings for our ministry work.

LifeGroup

Tonight we visited a LifeGroup at Mosaic. Met some great people who are growing in lots of very different but powerful ways. The common theme among most everyone was this... "Just take the next step in the direction you think God is calling you."

Good times...

Things that make me sad

I see this place on my way to church...

Things that make me happy

All Nighter

Wow... I haven't done this since college. It's 6:17am and I haven't been to bed. Tonight... last night... whatever... Sunday night at 8:30pm until Monday morning 6:00am the pastor and I worked putting the finishing touches on a very important fund raising video for the church... getting just the right photos, timing, music, everything. It's done! The final DVD is burned.

I love having a pastor who is passionate and driven to move things forward and gain ground for the kingdom. I'm being stretched so much already here in Little Rock. It's great!

Nothing to say today...

I feel like I've got nothing to say today... that's always a good time for thanksgiving.

I'm thankful today for:
- Our new home
- Being at Mosaic Church with kinds of different and wonderful people
- My great fam
- Life
- Salvation
- Grace
- The love of Christ
- My laptop

That's the best I can do at the moment... feeling pretty depleted this weekend... need to replenish...

Good talk with Alex tonight

We went to the Good Friday service at Mosaic tonight. We talked a little about the possibility of the Lord's Supper and that always raises some stuff with Alex. A little while into the service I decided to see if Alex wanted to go to the back of the room and talk. He did. So we talked about these things...

How old is God?
How can Jesus be God's son and be God?
How do I know God is real?
If I reach down my throat will I feel the hair of the Holy Spirit's head?

I asked a bunch of questions and told him some things about Jesus' death, his payment for our sin, his resurrection, his prep of our forever place in heaven... on the best 6-year-old level I could manage.

We talked about how God is good and we are not. He lit up, said "yeah", and started singing "God is Good, I know he is, he's good all the time." (Thanks Aunt Meri for ministering to my kid)

He says he's prayed for Jesus to save him... but he sometimes says that Jesus is saving him from crocodiles and from falling into the ocean.

We didn't end up having the Lord's Supper at Mosaic tonight, but I'm glad it made us have this talk. I think Alex is close to embracing what Jesus did for us if he has not done so already in his 6-year-old way.

Please pray for him to increasingly trust in the love, grace, and power of Jesus.

Too bad

I'm really bummed that this great blog is going away due to hateful threats. Check out that last post of hers. It has some of her favorite graphics she's made to illustrate points. Really great stuff. Hope she comes back online sometime soon.

Ouch!

We have an eMac as well as my MacBook Pro. I've been on the glossy-screened MacBook for 2 hours editing video. I'm now checking email on the eMac and MAN, this eMac tube CRT screen is ugly!!

News and Thoughts

--- Today I went up to church to work on a video project they have going (even though I'm not really supposed to work until I raise 75% of my monthly support). I've got to be careful not to run into doing stuff at church to the neglect of finishing my fundraising.

--- Sunday at Mosaic was awesome. The message was about how we've really only waded out ankle deep in the love Christ has for us and in the love that is possible in the body of the church. The love of Christ is an ocean to swim in. A story was shared with great authenticity about two of the staff members who, through hard conversation and spiritual revelation, are mending their relational and racial differences. Powerful.

--- I spent part of today working on a freelance video project for the same company I've been working for.

--- The kids had another good day at school.

--- I saw the following on a blog that I read:

CHARACTER - The INTENTION to do the right thing.

COMPETENCE - Knowing HOW to do the right thing.

INFLUENCE - Their ABILITY to deliver and execute the right thing.

Here's what I commented on that blog:
That's good... as long as the "INTENTION" mentioned is a true and action-oriented intention so strong that it moves us to work hard toward COMPETENCE and INFLUENCE. I think that INTENDING or being WILLING to help (at least in the conventional weaker sense of "willing") doesn't reveal as much character as becoming and being ABLE to help do.

What do you think?

Great Day

The kids did great today on their first day at a new school. Good teachers... made friends... Great day.

School today

Em and Alex are in public school today. Em was a little nervous. Alex was slightly nervous but excited. I think they'll both do great. Em got the teacher we hoped for and Alex's teacher seemed great too.

It's weird, after homeschooling, to have them gone from home for 7 hours a day.

Palm Sunday

Scott Hodge has a great blog. Here is a great post on Palm Sunday.

Sick Kiddo

Emmaleigh is sick today. She hardly ever gets sick. I hate to see her suffer. I guess she and Deb will stay home from church tomorrow. I think my parents, sister and her kids will be coming to Mosaic tomorrow... so I'll go with them.

Hopefully she'll be OK for starting school on Monday!

Back to work

After days of packing, moving, and unpacking I'm back to the office (a.k.a. the nearest coffee shop) working on video. The nearest coffee shop with free internet that I've found so far is 5 miles from my house. Too far.. but at least there is one... and the coffee is better than my nearest "office" was back in Texas.

New house funnies

I told our three year old to put her dishes away after breakfast. With glass in hand, walking puzzled across the kitchen she asked, "Where's the counter?"

Moving Pictures

Things are going well.... Just unpacking the many boxes.

Here are some pix from the move.

New update on our move

We're in Little Rock. The trip was easy and our stuff is all in our new rental house. Thanks Mosaic guys for helping us unload the truck!!!

Our house sale in Texas funded today... so that's a done deal.

Everything is great! Thanks for you prayers.

More soon... with pix.

Quick update on our move

Finished packing the truck last night. We were planning to drive out to Arkansas today, but we didn't hardly sleep at all last night. We were too wound up and stressed.

So today we were EXHAUSTED. We signed our closing papers on our house today, but decided to stay with our friends Richie and Sarah another night and we'll head out Tuesday at 7:30am after some rest.

PRAYER!!
There's a small delay in the funding of the house from the buyer. Please pray that it's no big deal.
Please pray for our safe travel and that this huge truck isn't TOO much of a beast to drive.
Pray for Debbie... she doesn't like to drive and she'll be driving the minivan Tuesday.

Thanks!

Off for a play day

We're just about done packing inside the house. The bunk beds are even apart and downstairs. Just a few more boxes to pack, some cleaning to do, and a truck to load Saturday and Sunday. So... we're taking a break and heading out for a last play day in Dallas with the kids.

Where to live?

After much research by my wonderful wife looking at schools, areas, prices, etc, we had really two options on where to live in Little Rock.

Option 1 - A nice but affordable rental town home in a fancy mostly white neighborhood just down the street from Fulbright, the 90% white best school in Little Rock. We were shown around the school by a volunteering grandmother. We asked her... "We hear this is the best school in town... what do you think?" She snootily answered, "Why do you think my grandson is here?"

Option 2 - A comfortable, affordable rental house near my parents in Otter Creek with a backyard that backs up to the playground of Otter Creek Elementary. Otter Creek's school test scores are pretty low compared to that of Fulbright. The school and surrounding area are increasingly diverse.

As much as we liked Fulbright from a pure education standpoint, it just wasn't us. It's not that we don't want to give our kids every opportunity to succeed. We just don't think a fancy, uni-racial, educational powerhouse approach is needed to foster the version of success we desire for our kids.

When we told our 8 year old daughter that Fulbright is 90% white, she said quickly and with her own conviction, "That's not good." We don't want to force the work of multi-ethnic ministry on our kids. But, I think they are already catching the dream anyway.

Another meaningful moment on our house-hunting day was at Popeye's Chicken near the fancy Fulbright school area. Thankfully, some have the ministry of reaching and helping the well-dressed businessman who was eating there. Our hearts, though, are to encourage, raise up, and minister to the girl behind the counter who probably drove in a ways to make 6 dollars an hour ringing up chicken orders.

We picked Otter Creek. It's the place we belong. It's not intense diversity culture shock, but enough diversity to stretch us. It seems to us personally that we have to immerse increasingly with all people in both life and school to feel like we are doing what we are called to do with multi-ethnic ministry.

How to download photos from Flickr

Every once in a while, I need to tell someone the best way to download photos from my Flickr account. So here is a little how-to:

First, take a minute to sign up for a free flickr account if you don't have one www.flickr.com. Sign in to your Flickr account.

Navigate to the picture you want:



Click on "ALL SIZES" just above the photo:


Click on what size you want. For printing photos or viewing full screen, I would pick the biggest size. For putting on a blog or website, you can get away with grabbing the smaller versions. Then click download.

Snapshots on your desktop

My friend Steve sent me this cool little app called Photo Desktop to put snapshots on your mac desktop. The shapshots stay even when the desktop background changes.