Randomness

I saw a church whose permanent sign had the church's name and the line underneath said...
"Fundamental-Independent-Old Fashioned-KJV"
must be an interesting place...


Found a website... If you want to find out where free wi-fi is available in your city, go to this site.


Like I said........ random today

Home repairs and risotto

We've been very blessed to have several days without the kids to focus on our last home repairs in prep for selling our house. Our old carpet and water heater are now in the dump and the last big building materials are now in the house. We also got the trickiest part of the house (high above the stairs) painted plus misc other things. Thanks Mom and Dad for keeping the kids for us!

On Friday night I tried making risotto. I had seen the recipe on food network... looked good. It's an italian rice dish. Arborio rice, chicken stock, butter, onion, cheese. it turned out pretty good along with some chicken fried in a little EVOO and garlic. (I love saying EVOO... that's what they say on the Food Network :) I might make risotto again but it wasn't THAT amazing... of course that may have been the cook's fault.

twitter is TOO much

I love online community, but www.twitter.com is TMI... not as in too personal, but TMI as in information overload... and boring!

But hey, I joined anyway. So... if I devote my life to posting mini-posts on twitter you can know what I'm doing at any moment of the day.

follow allentexas at http://twitter.com

The Tipping Point

I'm finally getting around to reading "The Tipping Point". I should have read it the moment it came out. Fascinating! Now, I just need to figure out how to best apply it.

If you want to make a serious impact in the world or if you just like learning more about how the human mind works, this book is for you.

New verse whatever

For anyone who is still following this... here is this obvious rest of the story. I stopped at about 2:6... will pick it up again hopefully when my life calms down. (or maybe that would HELP my life calm down) .... anyway.

Add the next verse, Ephesians 2:9.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT:
1) Write out Eph 2:9 on your 3x5 card with verses 1-8 or add a second 3x5 card if needed.
2) Read through verse 2:9 several times and try to get where you can say it once today without looking.
3) Say verses 2:1-8 with our new verse, 2:9, a few times today trying not to look (but it's ok if you do look today). This helps reinforce our prior verses as we work on our new verse.

Add the next verse, Ephesians 2:10.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT:
1) Write out Eph 2:10 on your 3x5 card with verses 1-9 or add a second 3x5 card if needed.
2) Read through verse 2:10 several times and try to get where you can say it once today without looking.
3) Say verses 2:1-9 with our new verse, 2:10, a few times today trying not to look (but it's ok if you do look today). This helps reinforce our prior verses as we work on our new verse.

What is it with my kids and mannequins?

My kids are always fascinated with mannequins.





If you notice Alex behind... he's probably more fascinated than he should be.

New Verse Thursday

For those memorizing Eph 2:1-10, this is New Verse Thursday.

Today we'll add the next verse, Ephesians 2:8.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT:
1) Write out Eph 2:8 on your 3x5 card with verses 1-7 or add a second 3x5 card if needed.
2) Read through verse 2:8 several times and try to get where you can say it once today without looking.
3) Say verses 2:1-7 with our new verse, 2:8, a few times today trying not to look (but it's ok if you do look today). This helps reinforce our prior verses as we work on our new verse.


1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

Memorizing

Several of us are memorizing in Ephesians 2.


TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT:
No new verse today. We'll add Eph 2:8 on "New Verse Thursday".
For today, just work on reciting Eph 2:7 a few times without looking. Make sure to say 2:1-6 together with 2:7 a few times today so that you keep reinforcing 2:1-6 while learning 2:7.

New Verse Monday... on Tuesday

For those memorizing Eph 2:1-10, this is New Verse Monday... on Tuesday.

Today we'll add the next verse, Ephesians 2:7.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT:
1) Write out Eph 2:7 on your 3x5 card with verses 1-6 or add a second 3x5 card if needed.
2) Read through verse 2:7 several times and try to get where you can say it once today without looking.
3) Say verses 2:1-6 with our new verse, 2:7, a few times today trying not to look (but it's ok if you do look today). This helps reinforce our prior verses as we work on our new verse.


1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Together with all the saints

I've been familiar with this passage for along time and I at one time even wrote a song about it. But, I had missed the importance of one key phrase.

Eph 3:17-19
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

I guess I had thought "together with all the saints" meant "together as the global body of Christ, with all its races and ethnicities in congregations all over the world." That's fine for all over the world, but what about the people of different ethnicities just down the street?

I've come to believe that we can "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" better when we are actually sitting in a room "together with all the saints".

Wal-Mart is the place for moving boxes

Just got back from Wal-Mart. It's a pain to have to go there after midnight, but man you can get good boxes quickly as they are stocking the shelves. I just loaded up on the cereal aisle. General Mills boxes are kind of weak... they have a hole on the top and bottom. Kellogg's, on the other hand, now those are some boxes. Can you tell I'm getting excited about this move?

Turkey Tip

Wait! Before you cook the turkey tomorrow! If you always wish the white meat were more moist, consider cooking your turkey upside-down so that the dark meat juices run down through the breast meat. Yum!

OR...

Maybe you are more the tofu-based tofurky type... NOT ME!!

Heading for Atlanta

I'm heading for Atlanta tomorrow morning through Tuesday night to shoot a video. Should be fun, but we've got a really tight schedule for shoots all over the Atlanta metro area. I won't have a computer with me so I'll talk to you again on Wednesday.

Memorizing - Am I the only one behind?????

Several of us are memorizing in Ephesians 2.

I'm still behind... Let's keep reviewing through verse six. I want to catch up and I intend too!!!

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT:
No new verse today. We'll add Eph 2:7 in a week on "New Verse Monday" since "New Verse Thursday" will be on Thanksgiving Day.
For today, just work on reciting Eph 2:6 a few times without looking. Make sure to say 2:1-5 together with 2:6 a few times today so that you keep reinforcing 2:1-5 while learning 2:6.

Wow... IM'ing with Los over the Pacific Ocean

I was just IM'ing with Los while he is over the Pacific Ocean on a Korean Air flight traveling to pick up his newly adopted son. Our internet connectness these days always amazes me.

Pray for Los and Heather.

Be praying for Los and family

Please be praying for my blog friend, Los, and his family. They leave tomorrow morning for Korea to pick up and bring home their adopted baby son.

It was cool... they had a prayer time at their home in California tonight. I joined in from Texas and IM'd in some prayers for them. I love the internet.

New Verse Thursday

For those memorizing Eph 2:1-10 with me, this is New Verse Thursday.

Today we'll add the next verse, Ephesians 2:6.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT:
1) Write out Eph 2:6 on your 3x5 card with verses 1-5.
2) Read through verse 2:6 several times and try to get where you can say it once today without looking.
3) Say verses 2:1-5 with our new verse, 2:6, a few times today trying not to look (but it's ok if you do look today). This helps reinforce our prior verses as we work on our new verse.

Ephesians 2
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

Our Big Announcement!

For many years, God has been growing our hearts for worshiping and growing spiritually in the company of diverse people. We are very excited to begin to live out this desire of doing local church with all people. After several months of searching, praying, listening, and thinking, we have been "officially" invited and have accepted the invitation to join the staff of Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, an intentionally multiethnic church in Little Rock.

First, Mosaic is about reconciling people to God through Jesus Christ. But, secondarily, they are about being a local church body that is ethnically and economically diverse. In heaven, people from every nation will be worshiping together. Through working with Mosaic, we'll be helping to make that a reality "on earth as it is in heaven".

One difference from this and most other church jobs is that we'll be raising our own support like a missionary would. This is the normal mode of operation for staff who are joining Mosaic. Mosaic is a relatively new church, but it has grown quickly. Because of this growth, there is a need for more staff and leadership. Since Mosaic reaches a diverse population of new Christ-followers and not-yet-Christ-followers, the financial resources just are not there to support the things that need to be done. Mosaic isn't satisfied to simply exist as a small multiethnic body. It has the vision to do excellent ministry with people from all walks of life and all economic backgrounds and to propel forward the movement of multiethnic churches. Because our family is seeking support from our connections outside of Mosaic Church, we'll be able to work as a part of this ministry without being a drain on the finances of that local body. The multiethnic church movement is in its infancy and, like any new mission, requires support from the outside to sustain and grow.

We'll be building a team of people to support us financially as we work under Mosaic's leadership. We are excited about this support-raising aspect. We see these supporters as partners and co-laborers with us in this ministry which we believe is dear to the heart of God.

In the next few days we'll be setting up a family website and blog. We'll be sharing our heart for multiethnic ministry, our progress toward moving to Little Rock, and about our impact once we get there. Our site will also be the hub for our support-raising and for pastoring/informing our support team.

We hope to find financial backing relatively quickly, so that our work at Mosaic can begin by Feb 1, 2007 in time to help prepare for the church's 5 year anniversary.

Please pray with us about these requests as we begin this journey...
1. That our house will sell quickly and for a great price
2. That our support team will be raised up swiftly
3. That God will order our steps...so that we are not overwhelmed with all that has to happen in the next few months
4. That God will continue to provide for our family financially as we wait for our move to Little Rock.

Thanks for reading and praying!
Allen

Alex's 6th Birthday

I usually take my kids out for a one-on-one birthday lunch with dad on their birthdays. Since we were traveling on Alex's birthday on Thursday, we went to birthday dinner instead.

First, we went to CiCi's.


Alex listening to something with his new spy gadget...


Who wouldn't like seeing the whites in the bottom of Alex's eyes? Move that teleprompter lower!! (ok... that's an inside joke)


Then we went to Northpoint Mall to let him spend his birthday money from his aunt at a cool toy store (well... after he climbed on the sculpture)

Half way there

See this great post on using graphics to convey your point.