Me and Mark "Z" from Houston
When do you stop changing as an individual
When you're kids are little, if you're away for a week they change
When you're older (like high school or college) it takes a few years to look different.
Then it takes a decade or so...
What happens they is you sort of go over some hill where you're life is no longer getting more interesting...
rather you're getting older
slower
... more set in your ways...
NEVER
I'm not taking that road.
Back up the car... No turn it around, and step on the gas the other way
that's why I'm going back to seminary.
Sharpen the saw baby, we're going wood cutting

I was thinking the other day, "how can I upgrade my image?" you know still turn a head now and then without wearing a fruit basket on my head. Then my wife came home with this new hat. That's right, when you shave your head it's hat time already!

So that's it! Then I thought no, that's not it, we should change the image of our church! I mean move from an image about us to an image that supports why we're hear! Then I thought of it! Yes!

A Tug Boat! Perfect.

A Tug Boat moves or guides other vessels to the right places.
A Church exists to lead and guide people to the right places.

A Tug Boat has a bunch of padding on the front in case you run into stuff!
The CHurch has Jesus Christ as our Jehovah Nissi who goes before us and takes hits for us!

So you see why from now on we will meet in a Tug Boat!

It's going to be great! For one thing, all you have to do to go on a missions trip is "All Aboard!"

Every feel like someone threw an extra leg in the triathlon Like you biked, you swam, you ran and now it's not the finish line... but rather another whole leg that you are running and don't know how to define it?

It's nice knowing the coach, but sometimes when you do, you expect him to go easy on you. I guess he loves you too much to let you get soft, just because you're related

Over 20 churches coming together to "bring application" to our faith. How could we feed, care for, love on, meet practical needs of over 2000 people. It wasn't that hard as we laid aside our differences and focused on our sameness. We loved Jesus, so he could give us love for those he loves.

Let's not wait a year to carry the torch to the next mountain that needs to be taken in Green Bay. What is it? What can we do about things like 600 homeless kids, or so many people in need?

This was a little camp ground in Three forks MT.
The head waters of the Missouri River... There's a sign that says if you got on an inner-tube, it would take you 3 monthes to float to the mouth of the Mississippi, River in NEW ORLEANS.
This makes me think about what it must have been like for Lewis and Clark to use poles to push their barges up the Mississippi, then up the Missouri to this point! The point where I slept on the same ground they splet on when they thought that mighty Missouri River would take them to the Pacific Ocean. Ever have an experience like that? You think what you're doing will take you to a certain place, but you end up in something far smaller than you thought? What then? Well Lewis and Clark got Sacajawea (an indian squaw) to show them the way throuh the mountains. It must have taken a ton of will power to keep going... not to mention the amount of time it took. And I freak out when the internet connection is slow.
anyway... some of the things that God is wanting to do in us take time. They will be worth it.
...and we know that in due season we will reap a harvest IF YOU FAINT NOT... 9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

It's amazing how much junk you can fit in this car! We are on the road in Bismark ND with Deb, myself, and two of our boys. maybe after 25 years of being married we should be past taking vacation in a subaru and camping at a KOA... but we've made choices that have favoured other people. Right now I can think of dozzens of people whose lives are better off because of the time and focus we've shared with others, rather than always focusing on ourselves. This simplicity is the essence of true satisfaction. Not that Idon't wish to function at a higher level at times... I guess it wouldn't be any more eternal than what we are doing now!

26 years with this woman It doesn't seem possible, and it doesn't seem like any man should be allowed that much blessing First of all she doesn't even seem 26 year old... I still see the woman that I fell for nearly 30 years ago, chased for several years of college and am married to today basically because I wouldn't give up I would say not giving up is one of my best qualities... and THIS is the earthy crown on my head. Someday, I'll have a spiritual crown... untill then a beautiful, golden, created by God for me crown, my delight... Debbie.

Thanks for 26 years Deb

When many hands worktogether, the world can see the light.

How do you make friends in a country that your country has made every effort to keep poor. You offer them what they want more than anything else they can think of... food! that's right... even though the sign on the gate of the Fire Department says "No Pase" I was invited in immediately as I displayed a plate of food, namely Flan from the Flan Queen of the Universe Isabelle. (Flan is a wonderful blended concaction of cane sugar, egg whites, and carmel)

Spiritually, people have been supressed from having anything more than the minimal.

Just like with food rations, (that I'm told you can hardly stay alive on) people have been suppresed spiritually. Imagine Cubans finding out that there is actually unlimited amounts of God, unlimited amounts of grace, mercy, Joy, forgiveness, ects.

Just like with the firemen, you become welcome, when you bring food, and the knowledge of how to get more!

Headed to Cuba on May 12-19
speaking / teaching at a pastors conference.

Praying, "My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus" as many decide to help me go on this mission and deliver $800 for the conference.

Click here to get your own player.

You have to pick the right bait...
Until you have the right bait, you're just throwing line!

"Follow me and I will make you Fishers of men"

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:9-13

A few years ago this pastor would have been ignoring a chance to connect with the whole world, as I prepared for something "spiritual"... a Sunday night service.

I'm glad that the day of paying attention to what is going on in the world is no longer thought of as unspiritual.

What Did Jesus say? In Matthew 10 and 15 Jesus says to go to the lost sheep of Israel. We need to know where they are and go to them.

"in the world... but not of it"

If you drive to work on a regular basis, you mostlikely select a normal route. It is the route thats best. You pick it from your experience from the past.

The problem with this, is that you never find out that a new highway has been built that may save you 15 minutes in getting to work... or better yet that you can take an exit from the highway you use and get to go by a new StarBucks that has sprung up three blocks from your work.
Ron Ross

but inspired by teaching I got from Earl Creps
church planter from Berkley, California USA