the journey continues

gettin busy wit it

2008-08-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

At home I can really waste time. I just don't even know what to do with myself sometimes.

I have here exhibit A.
This is a picture of me sitting in my favorite reading chair at home. Notice however, that I am not reading, but rather taking pictures of myself with my computer.

Lame.

Right now I am sitting at my favorite cafe in Cincinnati. The Rohs Street Cafe. This is the place where I come to do anything that requires any sort of focus. Here it doesn't matter what is going on around me or what music is playing, I can get things accomplished.

So here is Exhibit B.

While drinking two cups of coffee I managed to have some great reading time, researching various things like flight info for travels to Kenya, and firing of quite a few emails that have been hanging over my head.

I even had a couple great conversations while I was here today.

I love this place.

too good to be true.

2008-06-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

This past week ended the long hard journey of trying to get rid of all things that are excessive in my life. A couple of years ago I was a single guy working in a good paying job. What did I need to complete the image I was trying to create for myself? A high performance sports car. To make matters worse I decided to lease this thing for four years to cut my payments down. In the first six months of having this vehicle I decided I needed to get rid of so much in my life. Especially material things. In this time I also met my wife and we decided to pursue full time ministry as a job.

After so many failed attempts to rid our lives of the curse and financial drain otherwise known as the GTO, things came to a close last week as the 400 horsepower with dual exhaust purred down the driveway onto a car carrying trailer. I was then able to cancel the insurance and be done with the last bit of debt that we had.

Even after this thing drove out of my life, it seemed too good to be true. I have been dealing with fears that it would come back to us somehow. After receiving a positive message on the phone late last night from the new owner in Cleveland, I know it is gone for good. Thanks be to God.

Here is the best wisdom I can give. Never lease a car.

reconnecting

2008-05-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

There are so many people in life that we just lose contact with along the way. It really stinks sometimes. Phone conversations and emails only last so long sometimes.

Today I had a chance to reconnect with one of those long lost friends from college. His name is Mark. He has since moved to Florida to pursue a lot of further education. Mark happened to be coming through Cincy today. One thing led to another and we got to meet up over in Hyde Park. We talked for a couple hours catching up on what we have missed out on in each other's lives, good and bad, and some future direction. It was great. I just loved hearing about all the ups and downs that have shaped Mark's life since I last saw him.

I didn't feel the need to give any advice or anything. Just LISTEN. That can be hard to do sometimes. We always feel compelled to give answers or solve everyone's problem. I have come to grips with the fact that I am not going to solve any one's issues.

I love meeting up for coffee for anything, but meeting up with Mark was especially good.

another great gathering

2008-05-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Yet another great gathering of random people just looking to enjoy one another's company. Maybe even find some good eats.

I challenge everyone to open their home up once in a while and welcome people. Good stuff will happen.

It must be Spring

2008-05-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Why you ask. Because love is in the air. This is the season of weddings and nature coming to life. This is my favorite time of year with the exception of allergies.

I was fortunate enough to play a part in my old college roommate's scheme to purpose to his true love.

it's always good when she says yes.

while going to the bathroom...

2008-05-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

This morning started the same way most other mornings do. I got up and started with a little breakfast and coffee. These days I have to start my day with some sort of food source and some leaded fuel(aka coffee). The physiology of my digestive system worked beautifully and I found myself on the toilet.

As I was sitting there, I noticed the new recycled toilet paper that we had just purchased in an attempt to do our part for the creation that we have been entrusted to take care of. I noticed the side of the package that had conveniently labeled on it the quick stats that justify buying this product.

It said right there on the package that by manufacturing 100% recycled products, Marcal(that's the manufacturer) saves the following Earth's resources every day.

6,000 trees

2 Million Gallons of Water

22,000 Pounds of Air pollution

140,000 Gallons of Oil

30,000 Cubic Feet of Landfill Space

That's pretty freaking awesome. We should all be wiping with recycled paper. It may not be as comfortable as the quadruple ply Charmin that some of us are used to buying. But I can guarantee that you will clog the toilet much less with this thin recycled tp.

For other earth friendly products visit
http://greenhome.huddler.com/

Happy wiping.

Another year older

2008-05-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

What did I get for my birthday this year. Well aside from the infinate wisdom I gain each year, this year I got to spend some time with my wife and best friends. I also got a job that pays some money. I am happy to announce my acceptance of a position as a Barista at Starbucks. Horray.

In a weeks time I will look as cool as this guy.

new prized possesion

2008-05-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to my new friend.

This week has been full of espresso thanks to the genius of our new aeropress. This contraption might not look like much but you have the ability to pull some great shots with it. Add some steamed milk and a little flavor of some sort and you can have yourself a mighty fine latte.

Now that's my idea of a good time.

When we have visitors over we can offer an americano or a latte and let them compare to Starbucks.

This place is making me fat.

2008-04-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Staying at Carrie's Aunt and Uncles his comes fully complete with a stocked refrigerator and pantry. Carrie is fighting with Luke right now to get him to eat one bite of something healthy. It's pretty hilarious. As for myself I'm trying my hardest to get myself to eat something healthy. I have never seen so many frozen pizzas, chips, combos, cakes and many other sugary substances that I love. The only repercussions of me sitting around this house all day and eating these yummy treats is that I feel terrible.

Adventures in Babysitting

2008-04-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

My hat goes off to all the good parents out there. This week my wife and I are watching a six year old and a sixteen year old while there parents are away. It took very little time to realize that this is no simple task. After playing Nintendo Wii and baseball all afternoon and evening, I was one tired pupp. It's kinda weird that the six year old is standing over my shoulder right now watching me type this.

"You would think he would want some privacy or something."- Adam Sandler in Big Daddy.

what's next?

2008-04-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

I'm getting frustrated with the job market here in cincy. In case any of you have any suggestions. I am looking for something part time. Something dealing with people. I would love to do something that involves things I'm interested in. One possibility would be something dealing with Java.

Oh facial hair.

2008-04-15T10:42:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things about getting older is growing hair on my face. Of all the places to get hair, I would much rather be cultivating it on my face than anywhere else. I get great enjoyment from doing different things with it. Maybe I should do something really crazy.

Since I'm not working or trying to impress anyone right now I have the ability to get a little adventurous with my face. Any suggestions?

Roxanna

2008-04-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

I truly experienced God in Honduras in many ways. Maybe the most new or profound way was through the children. One little girl in particular.

This is Roxanna.

As all of us guys were hanging out in this area called the Invasion this little girl found me and just wanted held as much as possible. She wouldn't leave even when I felt awkward by not being able to speak to her. But she didn't care she just wanted to be in my presence. I have never experienced someone just wanting to be with me and nothing more. She expected nothing in return, not even words.

Through the rest of the week I was able to meet the rest of her family and communicate and pray with them through the use of a translator. One of the most touching things about Roxanna was the second day we were there she sought me out specifically and ran with arms wide open and a smile on her beautiful face and hugged me. Amazing. It was such a great feeling that I was unworthy of.

In the tenth chapter of Mark's Gospel Jesus says, " Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Band of Bros.

2008-04-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

This past week in Honduras was awesome. Everything I expected and more. One of the things that was really drawing up a need to go on the adventure was the fact that it was a guys only trip. Not that I wanted to be away from my wife of course. I just felt like I needed to reconnect with my masculinity. I knew this experience would be awesome for that very purpose.

All of us guys need good men to surround us. Without it we have some real struggles of fighting the battle on our own. As we served the poor of Honduras we learned how to work as a team and rely on others gifts and talents to be more effective. I love those men.

things I would love to be out of my life...

2008-03-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

Upon arriving back in Ohio my full time job has been trying to figure out what is going on with our house that we still own and some other things. This is a photo of our lovely dwelling in West Chester.

The frontal view.

And from the rear. Sitting nicely on hole #17, a long par 5, in Beckett Ridge. I loved going out and whacking some balls.

The inside would have looked a lot more homier if I had painted or at least put something on the wall.

Hopefully we will be able to close on this baby in the near future and get away from a mortgage hanging over our heads.

This has been a huge thorn in my side since coming back. I'm pretty sure this car is somehow cursed. There have been so many negative experiences surrounding this vehicle since I got it. This past week it somehow filled with a bunch of water and had to have the carpet removed to dry out. Ahhh I hate leases.

This is one of the dumber things I have done in my life. I guess it could be worse.

I hope to be done with these things and move toward a simpler life.

My new favorite place

2008-03-27T17:11:00.002-07:00

I recieved a special gift card to a homebrewing supply store in Cincinnati for Christmas. On Tuesday I was finally able to use it. This store doesn't look like much but they have all the necessities to brew your own beer, make your own wine, and even cheeses. Amazing. It just doesn't get any better than that. I can't think of many more rewarding thing than making your own adult beverages.

Easter Rules

2008-03-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

I love Easter. What a great holiday. Christ died to give us a new life. Sweetest Day or President's Day can't compare to that. This year was an especially great year. Carrie and I are back for a good long time now. I loved getting to reconnect with so many friends and family this weekend. Good food is always a plus too.

Friday I got to watch the Passion of the Christ with my father in law. It is always a good and hard experience to watch.

What would the world look like if we were willing to lay our lives down for strangers or even friends. That would be a cool place.

Today we took part in an amazing service at our church.

Then we were met with a sight similar to this as we pulled out onto Glenway Avenue

I was reminded of these verses from Matthew's Gospel
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

I'm one lucky boy!

2008-03-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

We have been back in Cincy for a little over a week now. People have been constantly asking, "How does it feel to be back?" My honest response is that I don't know. It still feels quite surreal. Things have been anything but boring upon getting back. We have wrestled with our cars, house, and jobs you know...all that real world stuff.

The greatest thing about being back is reconnecting with all the great people in our lives here. We have a great family who seems to continually love us more and more, even until it hurts. Our friends never fail to amaze us by how much they love us and add so much richness to our lives. It's all really too much sometimes. I feel like I don't know what to say or do sometimes when things are so awesome.

One of the worst and best things that has happened since coming back here was attending a funeral yesterday of a woman who was killed suddenly in a car accident. It was so painful for the family, but God was there continually comforting them and giving them peace in their time of need. Yesterday was a time when everything else stopped and I realized just how important people are to us in life. The pain I saw in people yesterday never could have been felt if they lost a house or a priceless piece of art. Nothing can be more meaningful to us than relationships. I was thankful for that reminder, while continuing to pray for those family members.

The truth is that I have some amazing people in my life. My time away in Vancouver didn't cost me any of these great relationships, it only gained new ones. I'm thankful for that.

As far as all the other stuff like where I will work or what I'll do... that'll all work out.

I can't wait to see how things shape up in the future.

The Journey Continues

2008-03-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

Well...here we are in good ole Cincinnati. In a days time our lives have changed dramatically again.

Our time in Vancouver was incredibly life transforming and we will hopefully never be the same again.

We will never forget the relationships we made along the way.

I pray that we can remember the sights, feelings, and even smells that we experienced on the journey.

Community is great

Making friends with the natives is really great.

Rain for long periods of time stinks.

And the journey continues...

On to the future.

Sheet Music?

2008-03-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

Last week we had to begin the transition process by moving out of the place we have endured so much life in here over the last ten months. It was a bittersweet day. One of the worst parts about the move is that we no longer have internet easily accessable through the wireless waves. Darn.

What's a guy to do?

It just gives me another reason to go to one of the nearby cafes. Oh well... if I must. So I have been frequenting the coffee shops with the best coffee and free wi-fi. In addition to my work needing attention on the interweb, Carrie and I have recently been given a new book to read.

This has managed to spice up our relationship and we are only into the third chapter. This book is indeed about sex between husband and wife. This is not just about positions or how to have the best night of sweaty passion you've ever had, but rather some other cool insights into your husband or wife that will probably spill over into the bedroom. Every relationship and person is different in multiple ways, so each marriage will benefit from a book like this in different ways.
One of the best things about this book is that the cover isn't so explicit or revealing that you can't read it in public.

Give it a shot. No one else will even know what it's about.

As the host of reading rainbow would say... " But don't take my word for it."

The End of another chapter

2008-03-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

As unbelievable as it seems, the end is finally here. It's really weird actually. I don't quite know how to explain feelings that we have. We have spent the last week saying goodbye to relationships that we have been building here and are focusing on moving into the next season of life. I feel ready to move on; yet nervous, excited, and filled with anticipation for what is next. I wish I could honestly say that I have no fears about the future and what life will look like. I'm sure things won't always or never will be easy. I have faith that with each transition and change in life comes a greater sense of richness and fulfillment. As we close this chapter of life here we Entrust our lives, relationships, and work to God to do with as he pleases.

We had a great closing dinner downtown on Friday night. It was a great time to share stories and a time of prayer and blessing to send us off into what is next. The night was rather intense and at some points hard to swallow, but a great ending to our community here that provided necessary closure to a life transforming experience.

You might be wondering why Carrie and I haven't seemed to blog or email in a while and that is because we have had to move out of our place last week to an interesting house with no phone, Internet, and barely any electricity. In the heart of Vancouver we have somehow gone back to the stone age relying on fire for heat and candles for light. We can't wait to get back.

Rad Modile

2008-02-17T15:38:00.000-08:00

All the James Bond fans out there will be excited to see a new vehicle that has already been shown at auto shows and could be on the market.

Cheezy video yes, but can you imagine driving one of these things.

battle in the wine shop

2008-02-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

That makes me laugh every time. Haha

I was laying in bed last night and my head was just thinking about all sorts of randomness. My short term memory started recalling one night last week when an aquantence and I went out for a video store adventure. You never know what you might encounter on commercial drive. As we were walking past the home made wine store I noticed something wasn't quite "normal". I looked again into the dark store front. The lights were turned off but I could see two figures standing in the middle of the store and it looked like they were in some sort of fighting stance. The next thing I knew these beams of light shot out from their hands. One was green and the other was red. Oh my gosh, these grown men are actually practice fighting with light sabres. You have got to be kidding me. I actually said to the other guy... "only in Vancouver do you see something as silly as this".

So we walked on and didn't think much about what we had just witnessed. We were only thinking about our movie selection for the evening. After picking up the latest and greatest copy of Balls of Fury we were on our way back. This is a great comedy about ping pong and kung fu by the way.

I would say about fifteen minutes had lapsed. We came upon the wine store and sure enough, they were still going at it. Light sabers colliding in the dark store front. Two grown, actually middle aged men were practicing their light saber fighting moves. I'm sure the battle raged on for a while after we left. I hope no one got hurt or pulled a muscle.

Amazing. I hope people aren't writing blogs like this about me some day.

Ten Thousand Villages

2008-02-12T10:25:00.000-08:00

This is easily one of the coolest stores ever. Everything in this place is all fair trade. This means that wherever the item is from they were paid a good price for their handy work. They work with over 100 artisan groups in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to bring you fair trade jewelry, home decor, gifts and tons of other sweet stuff. As one of the world's oldest and largest fair trade organizations, they build long-term relationships with artisans that are based on mutual understanding and respect.

Fair trade enables artisans to earn a fair wage and
provides the opportunity for a better quality of life.

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/
Check out the site to find a store near you and other products, or buy online.

With Valentine's Day soon approaching you could get some great gifts here to give to your significant others or your mommy. What I love about buying things at this place is that money goes directly to the people in other countries. All of the staff that work in the stores are volunteers. It is just a great store with a great mission to impact the world's poor. I would encourage all of us to think about social justice issues when buying gifts for others.

Pictures of African kids is always a good way to market right? It makes me want to buy something anyway.

Any gifts that Carrie and I have bought for any one this year have come from Ten Thousand Villages. We love to buy their coffee, handmade gloves, teas, ornaments, journals, and cookbooks.

It's decided, I'm a Sensate

2008-02-10T20:25:00.000-08:00

This weekend I seem to have come up with another dose of this sickness that keeps going around. I don't know about anyone else but I get pretty cranky when I get sick, especially when I can't breath. My head is so full of snot it is affecting my brain. Despite my cranky attitude my wife chooses to love me by running out and getting me food, drugs, neti pot. All the essentials.

Any way I really cannot stand not being able to use my sense of smell or taste. They are absolutely useless right now. I have been reading this book about discovering your God language and how I really build intimacy with God. I knew right away physical touch was out of there... Or is it? Touch is one of our senses. I knew it, physical touch can be a God language. I have recently discovered that I most often experience God's goodness through my senses. This would affirm the fact that good coffee, wine, cigars, and chili are not just food and beverages, but they are spiritual experiences. Recognizing this about myself has been helpful in understanding why I like the things that I like. I knew right away that my wife is not a sensate because she can actually eat poop. You should see what she makes for breakfast; nasty.

Other Spiritual Temperaments include:

Activist
Ascetic
Caregiver
Contemplative
Enthusiast
Intellectual
Naturalist
Sensate
Traditionalist

Any Idea what you might be?

Time is on our side... yes it is

2008-02-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

I want to have TIME to spend with people. Having time and openness for people is something I feel I need to incorporate in my life when I get back to cincy. I don't want to let myself get so busy I have no time for anyone. Some of the most meaningful people in my life simply just had time for me. For this next season in my life I just want to have openness in my schedule to allow to get together and have lunch or my favorite; coffee or beer or wine or a cigar. Anyway busyness can suck the life out of me and I have nothing left to give to anyone.

TGIF

2008-02-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

Most Fridays I am pretty darn tired from a long week. This Friday was no exception. Actually I was sick on top of my usual tiredness. I called Jacob's Well to let them know that I was feeling pretty crappy and asked if they even needed me to come in. Since a couple of others were out they were pretty short staffed and really needed me to just be there. So I went.

Man I'm glad I did. One of our friends Darren who has been struggling with addiction for a long time just showed up this morning at our meeting and was rather high. He has been in and out of recovery for a long time and just dropped out of a program because he hated it. So by an act of God (literaly) we got him into a new recovery discipleship house that could be a great fit for him. So after some prayer Darren wanted to flush all the heroin and other drugs he had on him down the toilet. We helped him dispose of his vices and got him a shower and then me and Berto drove him a good ways out of the city to this great house where he can get some great help. Amazing. A miracle. Yesterday there was no chance of getting Darren in this place and some how it happened. God can reach anyone. Then back to Vancouver for more fun.

While walking down the street this Chinese woman grabs my arm and whispers the words call 911. Apparently she was having a heart attack or something. We called and I prayed with her. She said that she "knew Jesus" with a peaceful smile. After a few minutes we saw her off in an ambulence entrusting God to do some work there in her life.

After that back at Jacob's Well three guys show up in fancy suits. These are not the typical people we get in there to have conversation and coffee with. These were some big shot entrepreneurs who knew of Jacob's Well through some friends. After talking and hearing stories about what we do the Holy Spirit must have come over them as they had tears in their eyes and the CEO says can we see your costs of operation and basically promised a whole bunch of money. These guys are filthy rich and they saw something that was real in that community. They saw genuine love that they may have never seen.

All this to say that things have been tough lately in our community. People have died, we have had experienced a lot with our friends on the street, and not really seen a whole lot of good. Then today makes things so worth while and is proof that God does provide if we remain faithful. This blog does not do today any justice what so ever. So just take my word for how awesome it was.

The Blessings of Laundry

2008-02-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

I have to be honest and tell you right off that I don't often do the laundry. If that were my responsibility we would be smelling funky most of the time. Carrie is really good about making sure that we have clean undies. Normally to do our laundry we put all of our dirty clothes into big suitcases and drag it down the steps and a couple of blocks to our community house where they have a washer and dryer that we use free of charge. This is a big hastle for everyone. No one likes it when laundry day comes around because we over take the machines and destroy their living room with all of our clothes. There really is just no good way of doing it.

Since we have had a battle of bed bugs on our hands we have had to take all of our garments and wash them in really hot water. This means more laundry to do. Carrie asked me last night if I would take the laundry and just get it done so we wouldn't have to worry about these bugs any more. I recognized this as a prime opportunity to help my wife so she doesn't feel so stressed out. So today I made a trip to the laundry mat just downstairs and down the street. We usually avoid this due to the added cost of using the machines.

For me the laundry mat was actually quite an enjoyable experience that I wish we would have utilized earlier. One thing that made it even better was the fact that I had a double americano from the cafe next door and it was amazing. I had a couple great pieces of reading material to dive into while I was waiting. The problem was that I couldn't concentrate on my reading. The mezmerizing sound of the washers and dryers was captivating. I escaped the natural world into whatever was going on in my mind. And I was also caught up in the interesting people coming in and out of the laundry mat.

That place was sweet. It was a great place to talk to some neighbors. Maybe I'll start hanging out there more often.

what is a missionary?

2008-02-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA:

A missionary is a member of a religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith; someone who proselytizes. The word "mission" is derived from the Latin missionem (nom. missio), meaning "act of sending" or mitto, mittere, literally meaning "to send" or "to dispatch," the equivalent of the Greek-derived word "apostle" from apostolos, meaning "messenger". In Christian cultures the term is most commonly used for Christian missions, but it applies equally to any proselytizing creed or ideology. Buddhism launched 'the first large-scale missionary effort in the history of the world's religions'.[1]

This afternoon I seemed to have a series of interesting conversations mainly with folk that we Christians label "unbelievers". This of course is the huge number of people who do not profess to be a Christian for whatever reason. Any way, this one guy who I have known pretty much the entire time I have been here in Vancouver who claims to be an atheist asks me over coffee today, "so are you a missionary?" I respond with, "what is your definition of a missionary?" My friend tells me that a missionary is pretty much like the definition used above by wikipedia only he used more forceful language. I have thought about this issue a ton before, but today was different. I wasn't hurt by this or anything, but I truly desire to change the face of Christ to the world into a picture of true love and not a targeting assassin ready to strike at any moment.

Well folks, I have to be honest and say that if this is the true meaning of missionary then I am the most pathetic missionary that walked the earth. This is not my first priority here in Vancouver or anywhere that I go. I do desire and long for everyone to know the love of Jesus in their lives. However; my mission is to love my neighbor as myself and truly have an understanding of what that means. No one wants to be converted or be a target. If mere conversion is our goal we aren't putting Christ on display. To me conversion is a process of transformation. I am still being converted each day.

If I havn't lost too many supporters read on:

I am going to Honduras in April to share the good news of Jesus in my life and probably do a lot of gross things that you can only do on a guys trip. It's gonna be sweet. It's gonna take a lotta prayer and some moola. I would love to talk more with you about it.

some things I will miss

2008-01-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

Things are quickly winding down to the end of our time here in Canada. For the most part it has been good to us. I can do without the bed bugs and getting sick all the time. But there certainly are some things I will miss about this place. I will definitely miss the amazing coffee shops to choose from. I will miss the great views seen everywhere in British Columbia. I will miss the great hiking trails and wildlife that you can reach in a matter of minutes from where we live.

I will miss the Ferry Rides to surrounding islands. It feels like you are on a cruise ship or something.

I will really miss all the eccentric styles of dress walking around this city. You never know what you might see walking down our street here.

The sky train is a great way to get around. I can be to the other side of the city in a couple of minutes. They need one of these in every city. It is too great. You really don't need as many cars with these buzzing around.

I will miss the never ending variety of cultures, foods, and languages that I can experience in a given day. Sometimes I truly forget that I am in North America with so many different cultures all around us.
Gelato is something I wish we could get back home. It is so good.

Other than that all my wants and desires can be fulfilled in the great town of Cincinnati.

you have got to see these

2008-01-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you all have heard of the amazing planet earth dvd's, but I will testify to their awesomeness. One you start you cannot stop watching these things. Not only are these documentaries beautifully done, they give great insight into what is going on around the world. You should really watch for yourselves. Buy the series and have people over for planet earth parties. That sounds like some kind of crazy cult or something so make sure you give a description of the event.

local heroes

2008-01-21T14:04:00.000-08:00

This is maybe the coolest old lady I have ever met.

The Downtown Eastside

just to give a little context for the neighborhood.

The downtown eastside is known as the poorest postal code in Canada. It is estimated that there are 5,000 injection drug users in this neighbourhood. Some studies purport that 38% of these users have the AIDS virus, 67% have HIV, and that 92% have Hepatitis C. In addition to the intense social problems that follow serious addiction there is also an extremely high number of persons suffering from mental illness in the DTES. 18% of all those diagnosed with mental illness in the province of British Columbia live in the downtown eastside. Many of them also use street drugs. The predominant drugs of choice are heroin and crack-cocaine. Jacob’s Well is located right in the heart of this neighbourhood.

History

In 1976, at the age of 60, a woman by the name of Pauline Fell began walking the streets in the downtown eastside of Vancouver. Although she was a new Christian she asked God what He wanted her to do with her life, and felt His prompting to befriend people in the neighbourhood. For the next 25 years, almost every day, she faithfully walked the streets and alleys, visited the bars, prisons, local hospitals and hotels where her many friends could be found. She is known to many as “sister” or “mom” and virtually everyone in the downtown eastside respects this elderly woman. She has shown deep and profound love for the people who live here.

In November 2000, while in prayer, Pauline felt God urging her to give her inheritance away before she died. She pondered this and believing that God wasn’t speaking to her about money, she asked what her inheritance was. Immediately she saw in her mind’s eye faces flashing before her, hundreds of faces of the people that she had become friends with over the past 25 years. She realized that the many friendships she had built were a rich inheritance, and that it would be squandered if she didn’t pass them on before the end of her life. Her love for God and for the people of the downtown eastside compelled her to seek out other Christ followers who would simply be willing to be friends with her friends, in the hopes of imparting the love of Christ. Jacob’s Well was directly birthed out her diligence to obey what the Lord had spoken to her heart.

In June 2001 Pauline and a few friends opened the doors of the storefront at 239 Main Street. No one had any clear idea as to what would happen at Jacob’s Well but they had a lot of faith that God would help them sort it out. On opening day Joyce Heron came to see what was happening as she’d heard a bit about Pauline. Having met Pauline, Joyce asked her if she could hang out and walk the streets with her sometime. Pauline agreed and over the next few weeks the two women did Pauline’s usual walk and Joyce was able to meet many of Pauline’s friends. It wasn’t long until Pauline sat Joyce down over a cup of tea in the Carnegie Community Centre and told Joyce that she thought God had sent her to run Jacob’s Well. Joyce agreed and although there wasn’t much to run in those early days she had a lot of vision and passion for what it could grow into. Friendships were formed, a community began to take place, and our life together has evolved into a family of friends learning to know one another and God. Pauline has since turned 91! She continues to live and walk the streets of vancouver throughout the week to love, encourage, challenge and pray for those she meets. She is delighted to see that so many people are honestly building friendships with the ones she so deeply loves.

This is truly someone with some prophetic imagination. Some of my favorite memories while in Vancouver have been listening to Pauline talk about her loved ones in the neighborhood and what great people they are. She often communicates her vision of a revival that will happen right there and how glorious it will be. We need more people like Pauline thinking big and envisioning what will happen in the future to give those around her hope and excitement about working toward something better.

retreat time

2008-01-20T22:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we were supposed to go somewhere to reflect on what God is doing with our lives. I chose to get out to the Vancouver Aquarium. Since being home and going to the Newport Aquarium with Ryan and Allison I have been chomping at the bit to get over to see this. I must say it was awesome. Packed, but awesome. Apparently it was some sort of special weekend where diving companies were doing special things there, but that didn't ruin my fun. I saw things that my eyes have never seen before. It sort of reminded me of my childhood sea world memories.

I loved the dolphin shows and the whale shows. The otters were cool too. They even had a huge sloth hangin out in a tree. But I think some of my favorite things to just stop and watch are the different jellyfish. Those things are so neat to look at.

All in all, I think that I think about my life enough. It was much needed to just go and do something fun. I had a great time by myself, just observing crazy creations of God.

good food makes me happy

2008-01-18T08:48:00.000-08:00

For our community breakfast yesterday we took a field trip to a little place called bons. No where else can nine people eat a huge breakfast with enough left over to feed a village and get away for twenty eight dollars. It might not be good for you but it sure does taste good and has a great ambiance. Some would disagree. Bons is not for everyone, but I like it. So that was breakfast for lunch I got another pleasant surprise.

Deric had heard about this new mexican restaurant that had just opened. Mexican food in Vancouver is pretty scarce. And if you do find some it is probably nasty. So we went and it was wonderful. I even tried something I have never even heard of before. It was called a pupusa. You really can't go wrong with cheese, beans, and pork covered in cornmeal.

It tasted amazing. I know that we men are fairly easy to please. I'm glad it's that way. My whole day is changed by some great food or some coffee or a back massage. I love being a simple minded human being.

Sign me up.

2008-01-16T17:14:00.000-08:00

Here in Vancouver we are finishing up the imagination section of our study here. What the heck is that? Well to put it simply we are trying to tap into the visions God puts on our hearts for our future. Thinking big is something I don't feel like I do a good enough job of all the time. One of our selected readings comes from the famous redneck theologian, Shane Claiborne.

Reading this just might put crazy thoughts in your head that could ruin your comfortable life. This is just a great read and who knows, it might just stir some imagination up inside. To me this book is a great example of someone who just doesn't settle for the norm. Shane has some great stories of love, passion, grace, and all sorts of things that I haven't really begun to scratch the surface of on my journey to become more like a disciple of Christ. It gives me some ideas of things to work toward. If you do decide to pick it up at some point just don't get overwhelmed. This book is easy to get frustrated with because he does some pretty crazy stuff, but just take what you can from it. Pray for God's leading in what you should really take note of and what you shouldn't concern yourselves with. Otherwise just enjoy. He has a fun and humorous writing style.

One of the coolest things we have done in the last month is get busy writing down drafts of the vision God has put on all of our hearts for our future and the future of our community. So here it is ladies and gents. My vision statement.

I see my family embracing a community living
environment and being a place of refuge, giving, and
hospitality in the city of Cincinnati.

My vision is that together we will use our gifts,
talents, and resources to bring diverse groups of
people together
to create unity and relationships that break through
racism and hatred. I have vision of community that
comes together to create an environment that allows
people to get to know one another despite what color
they are or how much money they make.

I believe that God wants to use my relational gifts in
a place where I am meeting new faces and continually
serving close relationships.

I am committed to seeking God's heart for my future and
what it means to love my neighbor.

This is what I see in the future for my life and the world. This is exciting because I don't have any idea how these things are going to really happen, but it will somehow and I'm excited to see how I will be a part of this change and transformation in the world.

Who ever said this Jesus calls us to lead a boring life. I think we should take another look at the bible and read the life that he calls us to. It is anything but boring.

little stuff

2008-01-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

As my eyes opened this morning I could see through the blinds that the sun was out in all its glory. This might not sound like a big deal, but to me who has not seen the sun really since being back in Vancouver it was amazing. I knew this was going to be a good morning. Without even eating a quick meal to get me going I quickly got out and about to roam around and just meander around the city. I confess that in all the excitement I just had to get a double americano to accompany me on my journey.

It was delicious. The smell, the taste, and the price. For only a dollar eighty five you can have the finest espresso available. This was also amazing. From here I decided to go to an area called Trout Lake. As I walked I began to appreciate the smell of the air, the sun on my face, and the activity going on around me. Some people were running, others were walking dogs, and so on. It was just amazing to notice so many wonderful things this morning. My senses were completely stimulated and loving it.

The best part of my journey this morning was when I rounded the back of Trout Lake. I turned and faced north and it was the most amazing picture ever. The lake surrounded by trees, houses, the city, and way in the distance was a never ending wall of snow capped mountains. On all of this was the amazing sunlight that I have been longing
for.

This is not the same view but the same direction.

This morning was just a great time to notice and appreciate the small things. People even seemed very pleasant this morning. I actually got a hello or maybe even how are you doing out of passers by. These are truly the precious moments of our days that I hope to hold on to and remember. I love little stuff throughout my days. Big things that happen in life are great, but they may not happen to often. I think that the small stuff happens all the time around us and we aren't looking.

gadget society

2008-01-13T16:39:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to me. I love getting nice gifts for me and Carrie and I am the one that benefits. Oh did I say that out loud? Well any way this Christmas my mom got us an ipod. The newly redesigned nano specifically and it is sweet. I am not the most technically savy person on the planet, but I enjoy cool stuff like this once in a great while. The first thing I did with this little beauty was accidentaly put the language setting to Chinese. Woops. Fear not, I eventually got it switched after hours of messing with it.

So the first thing I did when we arrived back in Canada was hop on my computer and download all the music I could fit on this four gig capacity. I did it wrong the first time, so I had to wipe everything off and redo all the settings, but I prevailed over the machine and got a whoping thousand songs on there. What was the first thing I put on there you might ask? You guessed it. Journey's greatest hits. Steve Perry and the band never sounded so good.

I'm still not sure how I feel about walking down the street or riding the bus with these headphones in my brain cutting off the world around me. I am paranoid that I'm going to get knocked over the head or something. But thus far I have enjoyed sitting somewhere like a coffee shop by myself.

Now I have finally acheived coolness.

Depressing Holidays

2008-01-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

The Great Pacific Northwest is no easy place to live in the winter months unless you are a vampire. The sun comes out rarely and it rains and it's cold. Not fun. It was nice to be back in Cincinnati although it was colder than it is here, the sun was out and you could get some vitamin D in your skin and feel like a normal human. Coming back to Vancouver has been rough when it comes to the weather. I have really felt a major affect from the gloom.

Our community joined forces with the Jacob's Well community this morning for some good old fashioned worship like we usually do every Thursday. However, today brought with it some extra needs to be praying for. We just found out that a friend of ours named John had overdosed this week and died. I knew John from Community Kitchen and seeing him out on the street. He slept often in front of the Jacob's Well doorway. John was recently in rehab treatment, but quit and happened to overdose. We know his mother as well and pray for comfort for her. She is a great story of recovery and healing and is a pleasure to have around on some Tuesday nights. Then yesterday a woman got ran over by a truck out front of our place and is in pretty serious condition. I can't imagine how terrible I would feel if I ran someone over with a truck. These are just a couple things that have happened thus far this week.

I have noticed that the whole month of December was really tough and people seemed more depressed and angry. I am sure that the holidays brought with it some added saddness for those who have no one or anything good in their lives. Being outside in this weather is pretty miserable. We are so lucky to have a place of comfort and rest. A little sunshine would be nice. I think that might bring some smiles and comfort. I think it would remind people of something better that will come. We are promised resurrection and redemption. Yeah.

for the future...

2008-01-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

This year is going to be sweet. I'm sure of it. It started off with the coolest party ever. If you weren't there you really missed out. Great food, Awesome people, good laughs, and Ryan smacking himself in the face with my shoe accidentally.

I'm really not one for New Year's resolutions. The way I see it why only have goals for yourself once a year. I find myslef continuously having some sort of goal for myself. Whether it be drinking at least three espresso drinks in a day or totally redirecting the course of my life to follow Jesus, I seem to always have something I'm pursuing.

I want to finish this Vancouver experience up and take from it all that God desires me to leave here with. I want to know what it means to really be in Community with others. I want to know and gain more direction about what it means to really love people. I want to discover what it means to really listen to my God, wife, and to others. I want to be a catalyst of change here and in Cincinnati. Those are just a few of the bigger things going on in my head at the moment.

Spending less on nonsense is something that I desire for my life. Our journey in Vancouver has been a great lesson in spending less and being more disciplined. I feel like I should commit to not spending any money on new clothes this year and just buying second hand or accepting donations of clothes from people.

I want to perfect the art of beer making, wine making, and all that there is to know about coffee. These things make me happy. Not only becuase they taste good and I love the smells and aromas that come from these beverages. I also love the fact that these things bring people together to just enjoy life. I like stuff like that.

Gardening and living a more self sustaining life also intrigues me and I want to continue exploring ways to incorporate that into my life, rather than living a life of convenience and business. I want to be more balanced with my time.

I want to be more creative and notice more beauty that surrounds me all the time.

I will stop rambling for now.

back to the Pacific Northwest

2008-01-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

Today we got to fly back across country to Vancouver. We feel like zombies as we had anticipated. I must say that our flight from Atlanta to Vancouver was especially awesome today. I got to do some of my favorite things while flying over America, the land of the free and the home of excess and overabundance. I got to do some napping. I got to watch some movies on those sweet little screens they have in the head rests of the seat in front of you. I watched all of Hot Rod, some of Transformers, and about two minutes of the Bourne Ultimatum. It was great. They even served drinks and snacks more than once. I got to enjoy coffee and cookies while watching some great entertainment. That's what I'm talking about. I also got a little reading in while listening to classical music on the headset. Wow. We weren't even in first class. I'm pretty sure we were in the last class.
Being home for two whole weeks was great. We had been anticipating the holidays for six months, which was our last trip home.

Some of the highlights of our time back "home".

Staying up late and watching movies with my mother in law.
Driving my GTO that I would love to get rid of.
Vineyard Westside dinner and services.
Making new friends.
A little nintendo wii action.
Most awesome New Year's Party ever.
Hanging with the Detzels and checkin out our future home.
Newport Aquarium and seeing the Lord's creativity.
Talking about our experiences with friends and family.
Getting to do a little work on the future coffee shop.
Drinking a lot of coffee.
Price Hill Chili.
Chipotle.

All in all our time was wonderful. Maybe a little too busy. We can't wait to see where these relationships go in the future.

Homebrewing

2007-12-21T11:32:00.000-08:00

I get a great deal of satisfaction when I make something. I'm not really a crafty person since it always takes more time and planning. One thing I intentionally took time to learn to do recently was make home made beer. I was surprised how good it turned out and how community is built in the process.

There's not that much to it. These are the basic ingredients.

There isn't much precision to homebrewing. Just measuring temperatures at certain points. You get some great aromas during this process. After boiling everything and checking some temps we add the yeast to the mixture and then on to fermentation for about two weeks all together.

After fermentation you add a sugar solution to your beer and bottle it. From a 23 litre container you get about 50 pints of home made beer. It works out to be about 50 cents per bottle after cost of equipment.

This gets you instant popularity amongst many of your friends.

I can't take the anticipation any more

2007-12-20T13:16:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to come home I could almost barf. I have had a lot to anticipate and wait for this advent season. Good food, friends, family, stories, and best of all eggnog. It's gonna be awesome.

Discovering who I am

2007-12-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

Man, I love learning more about myself.
One of the things that is inteded about our experiences is that we discover more of ourselves and what God wants for us.

Recently I took a test called Stregths Finder 2.0. This is a test designed to uncover your strengths and what makes you stand out from others. It also gives an action plan of how to use these strengths throughout your life. It is great. I dicovered that my five top strengths are:

Adaptability- this means that I am a go with the flow sort of person and that I discover the future one day at a time.

Empathy- which means that I have the ability to sense feelings of others by imaging myself in their place.

Maximizer- says that I seek to transform something strong into something superb.

Developer- this means that I recognize and cultivate the potential in others and that I derive satisfaction from small improvements.

Positivity- (I especially like this one) this says that I have an enthusiasm that is contagious.

I am pretty pleased with these strengths and hope to be in a position to use them to their fullest potential now and in the future.

Our home away from home

2007-12-18T14:59:00.000-08:00

The time is quickly approaching to go home to Cincinnati for a couple of weeks and we couldn't be more excited to reconnect with friends and family and get some more vision for what is going in our lives when we go home for good. We miss home a lot, but while we are here God has blessed us with a great community of people that have filled in as family while we are away. We have spent so much time together and done a lot of life together it is hard to imagine that in a couple of months we won't see them on a daily basis and discuss hard questions life has for us.

Last night we had our usual Monday night meal where we all gather and enjoy dinner together and just hang out or play games or whatever. Last night we tried to make it a little more special in light of the Christmas season.

We sang a few carols led by Deric's redneck twin brother...

We decorated and ate too many cookies and played a few games that I didn't have the attention span for. The only thing this party didn't have was some spiked egg nog. But there are more Christmas Parties yet to be experienced this season.

It was great. It's amazing how God weaves people into our lives. I was reminded how others are put in our lives while we are away to love and care for us as family would. It's not always easy or enjoyable, but it is worthwhile and necessary.

He looked amazingly terrible with those teeth. I love his goofiness.

As you wish.

2007-12-13T16:12:00.000-08:00

I just watched Princess Bride and was reminded of how precious our wives are. I know this sounds like a no brainer, but it's easy to forget about that sometimes. We should be willing to lay our lives down for our wife. I was thankful for the simple truth this evening that my wife is a person to be cherished and fought for.

Boy am I lucky to have her.

This is actually me and Carrie horseback riding on our one year wedding anniversary.

that is love and passion

2007-12-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

I want to be more passionate and dedicated in life. Not like this guy but you know what I mean.

Hospitality

2007-12-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

This is what my good friend Wikipedia says:

Hospitality refers to the relationship process between a guest and a host, and it also refers to the act or practice of being hospitable, that is, the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, with liberality and goodwill.
Hospitality is also known as the act of providing kindness and comfort to whomever may be in need.

Haha. Just a joke. Nobody take that seriously. I LOVE GAY PEOPLE!

This is one huge thing I feel that has been laid on my heart to explore during my experiences in Vancouver. How do we show hospitality to those who are different than I am? What could it look like to be hospitable to strangers and friends? We should give others the best we can. If we are going to give food to someone, give the best or at least something you yourself would eat.

This will change the world.

I feel challenged to: be creative, employ the gifts available in our community, be inviting, put Christ on display to the world (in a non condeming way), be relevant with out abandoning truth, and enjoy life.

bullies

2007-12-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

Today started as an early morning down to Bellingham. I had to pick up Deric and Amber this morning. Any time I have to cross the border it can be a little nerve racking to say the least. Although I have a visa to get back into Canada they question me like I am some sort of criminal.

One of the worst visits to the border was with my buddy Ryan. The man fired questions at us and was over the top with his rudeness. He even crumpled our papers up and threw them back at us, and then told us to go inside for further questions. All in all we escaped with little emotional damage and we even got all of our firearms and explosives across the border. Yippie Horray!

Luckily this morning they didn't ask me a thing. They just handed me my passport right back and they even said "have a nice day". That is monumental for the Canadian Border Patrol to say to an American. It just doesn't happen. In order to get the job, they must have a burning hatred for all Americans. Or maybe that is just the way it is for all Canadian citizens. I have met one woman here who said that she loves Americans. That was cool.

We Americans need to throw out some crazy insane love to these Canadians to break down the streotypes all the Canucks have up here.

How would Jesus love the Border Patrol?

International Human Rights Day

2007-12-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately this is the reality of so many people in the world. Even here in Canada people in our community are dying of Aids at the same rate they are dying in Africa. People are not getting the help they need to treat the virus. Although many people are sending relief to African countries and other parts of the world, the people there are being oppressed and probably not seeing any of those funds. The first step to action is getting educated.

www.ijm.org

can be a good place to start.

am I a racist?

2007-12-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I just happend to watch the old family favorite...Remembering the Titans. What a great movie. It's funny, cus I have actually had racism on my heart a lot lately. I'm not sure if it's because Vancouver is one of the most diverse cities or what. I have begun to really search myself and ask myself the question, how many people do I really KNOW that are different than me? Probably not too many. Since being in Vancouver I have found some difficulty in getting to know people who are from different parts of the globe. Cultural differences and accents and other things require more effort to really break through and get to know a person that is totally different than me and my midwestern way of thinking.

A few clips to illustrate differences and what it could look like to over come those things.

I never thought of myself as subconciously racist, but maybe I am. I spend most of my time with people who are as similar to myslef as I can find.

A few lines from some recent bedtime reading...

"Tolerance allows us to survive; love allows us to thrive."

"Stereotypes exist because we are not willing to form friendships with others who differ from us"

"If we aren't willing to diversify in order to connect to God's heart, then we should be willing to diversify ourselves to show God's heart to those in our lives who do not yet follow Christ."

"When we choose to reach out and love everyone around us, we will experience a glimpse of heaven on earth."

Imagination

2007-12-06T22:31:00.001-08:00

Well my friends we have entered into the imagination posture of our learning here. We are now starting the life compass process. This is something that takes our whole past and all sorts of stuff and hopefully we will get a better idea for what God wants for our future. We get to do all this in the midst of community and it is wonderful...sort of. Actually it can be pretty painful and difficult. At least those of us who might have led a life that is not exactly "normal" or somewhat painful this can be a difficult process.

I have never been so uncomfortable in my life. I'm sure that is sort of the nature of this experience. But man it hurts most of the time. People ask us if we are "happy" or enjoying life to the fullest. I can honestly say that we are enjoying life as best we can, but growth does not come without pain. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

Let's face it...life as I knew it is gone. I have no close friends. I have no cars to go where ever I want. I have no house or place to call my own. I don't have that spending money to be crazy with. I don't even have decent appliances or utensils to cook with. I have lost my identity no matter how positive or negative it was.

Not to mention the ones we are building relationship with here. Most of them are extremely poor, drug addicted, mentally ill, dying from disease. It makes my crap seem more insignificant. It puts things into perspective. I really don't need that other stuff, no matter how much I think I do. Most of the people in the world are extremely poor. The kingdom of God crashed into my comfortable life and messed it all up.

Yeah things are good..

really good.

Just what is life going to look like for me and Carrie?

I'm going to try my best to think big.

I can't wait to see all my loved ones.

Priceless

2007-12-05T12:22:00.001-08:00

So I came home the other day and found this.

Only in Vancouver is this the norm. Amazing.

Crafty Weekend

2007-12-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

I thought this might be a sight I might see like once while being here. It's December first and the snow greeted me as I woke this morning.

A great thing for any winter day is some good soup and bread (to be shared with neighbors). I am smelling some fruit of my labor as sweet aromas come from the amazing soup simmering in the kitchen. It is beautiful. This weekend is being known as the homemade craft weekend. You can make all the wonderful things in your life right at home with the right ingredients.

This weekend we are making some of my favorite things in life: Beer (about 50 bottles worth, cost $25), Scarves, apple butter, cards, amazing food, and some other stuff. More info to come. Tis the season to give until it hurts.

the worst i've ever seen.

2007-11-29T21:26:00.001-08:00

I get great enjoyment from watching good movies. I love relaxing and going into the world of Braveheart or Nacho Libre. This however, was one of the worst movies that has ever been produced. It was rediculous. I'm sure others with a tv actually knew from the previews that is was going to be terrible. I just saw two of my favorite cheap movie actors and thought it was a shoe in. No such luck.

It was far to crude for even me. The worst homosexual jokes ever.

I turned it off halfway through. There was no getting better.

All the copies were out at blockbuster when I was there. Don't fall victim to this stinker.

Shopping suggestions anyone???

2007-11-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

Ho Ho Ho

The shopping season has come around again. I'm sure the stores have already logged some successful shopping days after the Thanksgiving holiday. Yippie HOrAy! I was tooling around on the interweb and found some nerdy statistics on shopping over the last decade. This year American Adults are expecting to spend an average of $859 on Christmas gifts. That is great. People are so giving. That number is actually down from $907 last year. If people actually have that much to spend on Christmas gifts without putting in on the old Visa or Mastercard that would be wonderful to be so generous.

This year Carrie and I are looking to put what little money we do have towards gifts that can actually make a difference in someone's life. I don't really need anything this year (not that I needed anything in years past) maybe some cat butt magnets would do nicely. I guess I could use some underwear since all of mine has been attacked by killer moths apparently judging from all the holes they have recently gotten in them. What gifts we are buying; we are trying to spend our money where it goes to something more than some shirt bought at JC Penny.

Investments in Fair Trade items and world vision make a difference in lives around the world. I was wondering if there are anyother suggestions out there on good gift ideas? Let's end some poverty while we are enjoying a nice Christmas with our loved ones.

relationship

2007-11-27T15:06:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. I am no thealogian. I probably didn't even spell it right. Anyway; one thing I am convinced that the world really needs is relationship with others. We were not meant to do life by ourselves. Today I was at the pottery studio and my good friend Roger came in. We were already full to capacity, but we told Roger he could hang out and have some coffee. I could instantly see that Roger was not his normal self. He was wasted, but it still wasn't his normal drunken state. I asked Roger if he wanted to talk about anything. He said sure. I knew he was going through an extra difficult time and to top things off his girlfriend that he had just broken things off with works at the studio as well. Roger expressed to me that in so many words his life wasn't worth anything and he wanted to end it all and not deal with any more pain.

I am so thankful that God does not leave us alone with situations like this. Over the next hour or so the holy spirit did some serious work and was able to speak words to Roger in the midst of drunkenness. Roger was buying into so many lies. It simply wasn't Roger I was talking to. God was able to speak encouragement and a sense of worth into Roger as he cried like a child in my arms. Although I didn't really know what to do, it was so amazing. I am so thankful to have been apart of that Kingdom breakthrough.

Without a relationship with Roger who knows what might have happened. Not that I really did anything. He felt safe enough to come in there and be received with love. We need more places like this that accept people no matter where they come from and what they have done in their lives. The Kingdom came crashing into the world today and repaired some brokenness. I am so fortunate to be apart of the blessed work that God is doing in the place.

glittens and lattes

2007-11-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

Man I love Thanksgiving. Unfortunately I can't be home for the amazing Holiday that brings folks together. I think in many ways our relationships are strengthened by being away. Absence does seem to make the heart grow fonder. We miss you all so much. Carrie talked to her family today as they were all gathered and laughing and getting ready to gorge themselves with some turkey and stuffing. It made both of us sad. However; I can't wait to get together tomorrow with some fellow Americans who have been like family in some ways while we are here in Vancouver. We will be having a full on turkey dinner and I'm sure we will be laughing it up.

I think about the last year and I have so much to be thankful for. Too much to list really. Some of the big things are:

an amazing wife

great friends

a year in Vancouver (although difficult)

provision in overabundance (food, clothes, money)

coffee; lattes; americanos

glittens (not gloves and not quite mittens) and other warm garments

ability to do whatever I feel I'm to do with this life

half of a brain

love

chance to make a difference in the world

I can't wait until the next turkey day already.

Immediate gratifacation

2007-11-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

For the last few months I have scooped up some new hobbies. Both of which I actually took part in today. I just got back from drumming (djembe) lesson. Earlier today I worked in someone's basement remodeling project. I love going down there and spending as much time as I can. My goal in doing this is to provide decent service for dirt cheap and get them ready to rent the basement suite out by January the first. That would be sweet if it actually came together and we met our goal. What I should also mention is that I am not too handy. I grew up with my mom for crying out loud. She never taught me how to fix anything. Maybe a good sandwich or something...hehe. Sorry about that. That was lame.

So anyway. I have been doing this and it gives me great pleasure. I get to do something for someone and I am learning something new and I get immediat gratifacation for my work. I can see tangible results when I am done. I get to give myself a big pat on the back and head home. The work of human hands is a great thing. We have had similar results in our neighborhood garden this year as well. That started out as a real dump and we mangaged to turn it into something better than average. As you can see it is not looking too bad. Wink

Not too shabby hugh. My work looks very similar to these photos. That's why I included them. Sure I occassionally screw up a piece of drywall or something, but in the end I see perfection.

old fart

2007-11-19T22:27:00.000-08:00

Ahh time sure goes by fast. It seems like just yesterday I was watching Rocky four lay the smack down on that huge Russion Robot Drago. Those were the good old days when Rocky was having a pretty good life and his family was in tact, however, this Russian fool killed one of Rocky's best buds. I would be pretty ticked too. Oh and need I mention Rocky was in great shape.

Well for his latest and greatest, life for Rocky seemed anything but good. His wife had died somewhere in between number five and this last one. To top things off his son is always mad at him for his previous success. What is a guy to do. That's right get back in the ring again and show some young chump and the world who is boss.

All in all it was a pretty good movie. A nice ending to the Rocky saga. I was wondering what happened to that guy. I found it to be mildly depressing with the loss of his wife and all, but he managed to pull himself up by his bootstraps and have one more glory day. He went back for a little taste of the glory...to see what it tasted like. I must admit for an old fella he was in decent shape. Kuddos to Sly. This movie is worth watching if you have seen the old movies and are dying to see how it all ends up.

I love reflecting

2007-11-18T16:05:00.000-08:00

As some of you may have known, we have had some pretty intense time within our community and our places of ministry over the last six weeks. This is great, but I need time to step back and see just what is going on in my life. I have felt so stressed over the last coupe of weeks because of all the conflict going on amongst our immediate community and folks in the community where we do ministry. We are not called to an easy life all the time my friends. Rich and plentiful yes, but not always enjoyable.

In the last couple of weeks I have been faced with personal challenges and conflicts that I could run from and never think about them again. I could have told myself that it is not worth it, or it won't matter to try to talk things out with people. However, I feel that it is experiences such as these that define who we really are. It is easy to love those who are nice to us. We can easily be nice to people who are nice to us. Chosing to love and go the extra mile for someone who would like to physically harm you is what can change the world around you. Just a thought.

something to remember

2007-11-12T23:54:00.000-08:00

Today was a Canadian Holiday called Remembrance Day. I don't spend enough time praying for those who are suffering. What would the world look like if we just prayed more?

The big things to Remember and pray for are the places of suffering in the world. People are suffering everywhere. Darfur and places all over Africa come to mind. I can't imagine the horror that is taking place in that part of the world.

The war all over the middle east is something that I find easy to not think about unless you know someone in the midst of the fighting, but we need to continue to pray for that situation and world peace. I was just watching some crazy footage on ABC news and I was shocked at what they were capturing on video.

Jesus says to love our neighbors. Are we really fulfilling that commandment? I don't feel that I am. This day in age we have a hard time claiming ignorance to many issues, especially these big ones. One of the best things to actually do in order to bring about the Kingdom of God is to pray for these situations. Collaborate with God to change the world.

A different reality is possible.

a place of comfort

2007-11-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

Being in an uncomfortable place I often can't help but to look for pieces of home in an unfamiliar city. One of the places I go is Starbucks. I know the regular coffee is terrible but I go for the familiar atmosphere. It is strange how it makes you feel right at home. This particular store is actually down in Seattle. It is one of the first if not the first store ever.

The logo has changed a little bit since they went really big. I don't think everyone would appreciate it. I think it's kinda cool looking though.

This is just one of the things that brings us comfort in addition to the generous donations of skyline chili and other wonderful things that cincy has to offer the world.

People make life worth living

2007-11-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

Carrie and I are so lucky to have such great friends and family back home. I am often reminded how blessed we are. We have such a great life why would anyone want to leave it? Well I don't know. Sometimes we are called to step out and do things that look really rediculous. There is just something that goes on inside you that is so strong it consumes you and you have to make a move. I am thankful for that discontentment that was so strong it made us act and redirect the course of our lives. Otherwise in fifty years we would have been wondering what life might have looked like if we had made a move.

A lot of the time we aren't really having fun here. We know that we are growing individualy and together in ways that we can't even realize here. Growth hurts at times. I just rest assured that this is only temporary and we will be back before you know it. Then who knows what. Sometimes it is hard to go through life like this because our society tells us that this is not wise. There isn't much security in this plan. I like to call it faith, others might think of it as stupidity or immaturity.

We should get away more often

2007-11-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

Well this last weekend was awesome. I felt like I was really in another world. It is amazing how fast you can get away from all the noise of the city and quickly find yourself in a great bed and breakfast where you can eat like a king and your wife can get pampered with a quite affordable massage. We ate, laughed, celebrated, relaxed, hiked among other physical exercise, and even fell down some stairs. Seriously. The retreat was wonderful and well worth the cost.

We all need one of these babies in our homes. The two person soaker tub is to die for.

The best burger I might of ever had. So good. All in all the one year wedding anniversary was perfect.

can you believe it's been a whole year already?

2007-11-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

That's right folks the big one year wedding anniversary is today. We are so excited to get a night away tonight at a bed and breakfast out of the city. We are going to Buntzen Lake and staying in what seems to be a rather nice place of retreat. We are trying our best on a limited budget to make this event special. I must say I got Carrie a rather nice floral arrangement this morning and a fine bottle of wine for the evening.

Who knows we may even conceive our first child. Any good names out there?

We should celebrate more often.

Un Believable

2007-10-31T17:02:00.001-07:00

Today I am feeling better, and a little less congested. That is until I got nauziated while reading this CNN Posting on a church who believes that the war in Iraq is God's wrath on us for condoning homosexuality. It is just amazing that people could believe in such garbage and then go so far as to protest at dead soldiers funerals and memorial services. This is completely unacceptable to preach such messages. You all should read the short article. Here is the link. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/10/31/funeral.protests.ap/index.html

Things like this really makes me wonder what God thinks about something like this. He surely can't be anything but furious that people are painting such a distorted picture of him for all to see. All over the world this is the message that people are hearing and seeing. Our God is certainly not about hating people. I feel like I need to calm down now. How can we change this picture?

sickness sucks

2007-10-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to keep myself in good health no matter how hard I try. Yes I am taking my vitamins as well. What can you do?

Parade of Lost Souls

2007-10-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

That sounds like a good time to me. Well Saturday night the inhabitants of Vancouver came out dressed up for what they call the parade of lost souls. Man is that depressing. It actually wasn't too bad. I was expecting down right devil worshiping or something, but got a rather mild form of a Halloween festival. Quite honestly I found Halloween at Ohio University to be much darker in a spiritual and depressing sort of way.

This strange wizard guy did manage to creep me out though. This party did have its fair share of strange people.

All in all it was a good night and I was not over run with demons. Thank you Jesus.

date with the balcony

2007-10-28T23:54:00.000-07:00

Another great weekend has gone by quickly and I am left wondering and anticipating a new week ahead. Time really goes so fast here it is amazing to me. I am desperately trying my best to enjoy each moment we are here and get whatever God wants me to take away from this place.

I have the greatest father in law ever. A couple weeks ago I received a few of my favorite cigars in the mail from the good ole' boy and it made me grin from ear to ear. They are so tasty. They might make you smell a little bit, but luckily God blessed me with a woman who likes those brown turds. The big man really does take all the details into consideration. What am I talking about?

MMM...so yummy. I can just relax and ponder life's big questions with one of these babies while sitting out on the balcony. It is great. One of the big, really big questions I am constantly thinking about is why am I here? In Vancouver that is. I don't feel like I am doing anything miraculous for the Kingdom of God most of the time. So what the heck. What am I doing besides trying to maintain my sanity most of the time? Not that I'll ever really figure out all the reasons why God would have us come so far away from home without anything but faith. The best I can figure lately is that a big reason for us here is to help in restoring dignity to so many here who have been hurt and shamed for most of their lives. Making people feel valued and hopefully even worthy of love. That is awesome. I am glad to be a part of it.

Best Day Ever!

2007-10-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

I know those are pretty big words, but for some reason the cosmos aligned today and it felt like the best day ever. Why is that? Well a number of small events led me to feel this way. Let's see... well, right out of bed this morning it was a beautiful day. The air smelled great and the temp was amazing. The sun was out and everything seemed to have an overabundance of life. Then we all had some breakfast together this morning and went for a time of worship. We decided to go for a walk to one of the most amazing local parks in the area. With the fall leaves changing all sorts of colors, the sun, and the mountains in the background it seemed like I was in heaven. Literally, the way life was going on in this park on such a gorgeous day it is the way I envision heaven to some extent.

Then after that Carrie and I came home and she gave me a haircut to make me feel like a new man and not someone who has been living in a cave for about six months. Then some other great things happened that married people do and that was great. Then we watched a great movie. Little Miss sunshine has such great messages and was relaxing for me and Carrie. After that I did a little work in a basement that I have been working on. It is quite nice to see some tangible results for your labor. It really makes you feel like a man. Then a lovely dinner prepared by someone else. It tasted great. Now I am just relaxin.

Today almost felt like a vacation day or something. Maybe that is why it seemed so great. I think we all have been in great need of a wonderful, stress free day. I am so thankful. I love days like these.

Beautiful Diversity

2007-10-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

This morning I awoke to the sight of a clear sunny day outside. Although it has only been about a week since I have seen that sight it feels like forever. The warmth of the sun and smell of the air were amazing. I try the best I can to revel in God's beauty. I am continuously humbled by God's creation.

Anyway, what should I do with a morning such as this. Thats right, go down the street for a little sausage and eggs. The cottage restaurant has been serving for nearly forty years and still going strong here on Commercial Drive. Although the folks in the restaurant may not be the most personable of people on the planet they are intriguing to me. They are all elderly Italian people. Sitting in the midst of that community I feel as though I am in a small Italian village or something. They go on and on in their native tongue to one another. It is really great to experience that culture just sitting in that restaurant having some eggs. So this morning I was able to experience different culture in a different more beautiful way. This morning I didn't feel like an outsider, but rather a part mixed right into everything. I gotta get about my day. Lots to do.

a new season

2007-10-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

We are now in a new season of the year and life. Almost overnight Vancouver found itself in the fall season. With it comes colder weather, changing leaves, and a good bit of rain. I thought I would have no problem with the wet climate, but I may be proven wrong rather soon. I am currently a bit discouraged when I think about spending the majority of the next four months getting soaked every time I walk out the door.

All in all, with the new season brings new challenges as we are on the down hill slope toward coming home. That is so exciting to both Carrie and I. As we were having coffee with a new friend of ours last night I came to a realization again, which was that I need to enjoy each moment as best as possible wherever possible and not let rain keep us from doing things. I don't want to always feel that the grass is always greener on...you know that saying.

Espresso Heaven

2007-10-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Although the great city of Vancouver is lacking many things that I love back home, it does make up for some in espresso. I love coffee as many know and I have all the coffee I can handle here. I am currently in the end cafe sipping on a sensual latte. There is something very seductive about coffee for me. It could be the smells, the taste, or the ambiance. I'm sure it all plays a part, not just the caffeine buzz you might get.

I have a newsletter to crank out. Much love.

Community Kitchen

2007-10-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday nights never fail to produce amazing results. Last night I went to Jacob's Well so incredibly tired. I was dragging all through the night. Then all of a sudden I was engaged in a great conversation with someone I met last week and it was great. The kingdom all of a sudden came crashing in and nothing else mattered. God continuously puts amazing experiences in my day to keep me going.

nature...gooleigh

2007-10-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

I love getting outdoors and practically freezing to death. You never know what you might eat, or what might eat you. As long as you are with good friends that is all that matters. It makes us feel like men.

roller coaster of love

2007-10-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

Since Carrie and I have been here in Vancouver we have surely been through some highs and lows and some coasting along. I am pleased to say that the past week or so has brought with it some great highs. Sickness unfortunately plagued my body with a sore throat for a few days. I received some great prayer and apparently God chose to heal my body. That is always awesome.

We are now in the contending posture. How is God contending for us and how do we contend for others? More good questions to wrestle with. And to kick it all off my best brother in Christ has been out visiting and living life with us. What an almost surreal experience to have him here from home. I love hearing and envisioning what God is doing back home. Can't wait to see everyone in a couple of months and see how things are changing.

Good news...God is always working and fighting for us. Rain here kind of stinks today. I have a feeling I am going to be saying that a lot.

a little confirmation is always nice.

2007-10-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

I love it when God gives me direct answers to direction in life. It doesn't always happen in easy immediate ways, but when it does it makes me excited. So yesterday I was walking and trying to engage God through prayer about direction of one of my places of ministry. I have been feeling a little unsure about one of my places of intentional ministry in the city. There was a lot going into those feelings, but to put it simply I was questioning whether or not my presence was serving a purpose really. This is a place that I physically only spend about two to three hours per week. I have added a lot to my schedule and have gotten really busy since I started there, and ultimately I want to be open to God's leading. So I was talking to God about it. Afterwards I went to this place and it was a struggle. I didn't enjoy it. However, at the end of my time I went for coffee with the lady who runs this place. By the way I am talking about the pottery studio for people to come in off the street and make a wage while learning skills. So we go out for coffee and this lady tells me how important I am there and just how my presence changes the dynamic of the people there. I couldn't believe it. I totally felt that I got confirmation from the big guy. What an answer to prayer. I instantly begin to have vision and excitement for the future of Just Pottery.

kiddies

2007-10-01T23:03:00.000-07:00

Man I wish I were a kid again at times. Life is great and I love doing whatever I want, but sometimes I miss being a kid and not really having to think a whole heck of a lot. Kids are great. One of the thoughts that has been on my mind a lot lately is just how formative kids are. Children are so vulnerable to whatever is going on around them. I am saying all of this in response to all of the brokenness that Carrie and I see on a daily basis here in Vancouver. One of the shocking discoveries we have made in our time here is the correlation of the people on the downtown eastside and the foster care system. First of all the DTES as we sometimes call it is the poorest postal code in Canada. This is a ten block area with a great deal of open drug dealing, drug using, prostitution, mentally ill, and a bunch of others who are just on tough times. Yep thats right this is an area full of suffering. Now back to my point. Studies have shown that a very high number of people who are in the DTES have been through the foster care system. This makes me feel like there are big problems in many children's lives by no fault of their own and they end up suffering for the rest of their lives. I feel that this is one reason why God's heart is with the poor and suffering. The other feeling I have is that as Christians we are not doing a good job of taking care of the orphaned. We need to be reminded of God's heart for the widowed and the orphaned.

looking back on the posture

2007-10-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in FairHaven Washington. It was nice, peaceful, relaxing, quiet, and fun. The staff and everyone joined in the festivities. We had a great time of fellowship and celebration and reflection.

Today was another day of reflection for us. We were discussing the last six weeks of our lives here. The posture was called inviting. The big question was what is God inviting us into? And in turn what are we inviting people into? I clearly don't have any good answers for these questions, but we are trying to make something of it. It was exciting to see what God has shown us over the last month and a half.

One thing that I think is important about our invitation to others is that we need a community of people around us at times to invite people into. It is arrogant for me to expect someone to get a picture of Christlikeness from only me. I know we are image bearers of Christ, but only a piece. This has been a loaded time for us because a lot has happened and we are constantly wrestling with at least one thing.

More cultural Differences

2007-09-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

I was out at the lumber yard this morning. Some of you are probably asking why. I am currently picking up some work on the side helping one of our staff members dry wall his basement. It is good work for my soul, as long as I don't have to measure too much. Exact sciences are not some of my spiritual gifts. Any way, I noticed this morning as I approached one of the clerks I automatically used the word "sir". This made for a very harsh response that puzzled me. I instantly remembered some other encounters with Canadians here that yielded the same result. They are very offended by that term that I use as a sign of respect. It's all really funny to me, but these people get really mad.

This city is really stinking...literaly

2007-09-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here in Vancouver we are all currently suffering due to the strike that is going on. The city workers have been on strike now for at least two months while negotiations are going on. What this really means is that no trash service is happening and garbage is everywhere. It really stinks especially on hot days. I imagine they will get things resolved at some point, but as for now things are piling up all over. Image a major city with over two months of trash filling the streets and alleyways. I hope someone gives in.

The Kingdom is so close I can sometimes taste it.

2007-09-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

This morning Carrie and I went for a jog at a nearby park with a dirt track going around it. It was so beautiful. There was a light breeze, the sun was out, and there were people all around enjoying life. There were people walking their dogs and children playing soccer. Other folks were out walking with no agenda. What is so great about Vancouver is that there are people from all over. I could hear the soccer coach yelling out commands to his team and I could tell he was from some South American country. It was great to see all sorts of people from so many different nations enjoying the Saturday morning.
This made me think of Jesus saying that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. I think that at certain moments or points our world and heaven overlap and we can almost seem to smell something perfect. One other group in the park this morning that I failed to mention was a group of special needs people or handicap enjoying the beautiful day with a little bit of exercise. They were being led through a few stretches and a light jog around. It made me feel like nothing else matters in the world. At that moment all of the darkness had lifted and things seemed to almost taste sweet. I love it when that happens.

Compassion

2007-09-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

This is a tough word. Where does it come from? Are we all compassionate? Since being in this city I have really struggled with what it means to have compassion for someone. To some extent I feel that compassion is something that drives us to act in situations of injustice or suffering. I am trying to sort this out in my head. Especially when I read the gospels in the bible in certain passages the author writes that Jesus had compassion and then he healed whatever the ailment. The bible doesn't always say this before Jesus heals someone. I think of how Jesus reaches out and touches people with leprosy and heals them. That is crazy. I know that I would have a tough time touching someone like that. I feel that having true compassion for the injustice and suffering in the world pushes us into action. Without it we could easily walk on by and forget about someone hurting.

I think that God is doing a lot with us here

2007-09-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

That's right I feel like God has so many reasons for us to be here. God is shaping our hearts here. I know God is giving us a passion or vision for things to come. I see others lives changing as well. I am so exctited to see what is going to happen in our lives as we continually submit to his will. I have to be honest and say that things here in Vancouver are not very enjoyable all the time. We feel often that we are missing out on what is going on back home in those important relationships. Time is going fast and I feel that we are being equipped for something else to come. I want to display God by the joy that he gives me and not be held back by anything. How great would it be to constantly be joyful.

There is so much to do

2007-09-21T23:25:00.000-07:00

I am just shocked and amazed to think about how much stuff there is to do in the world. I am not complaining or overwhelmed by it all. Well maybe I am to some extent because I could be complaining that we are not doing enough in the world or that we are blind and many of the worlds big issues should not have happened in the first place. On a brighter note. I take comfort in that I never have to really worry about what to do. There is always something. I know this sounds wierd but there is always something to be done or pursued. God says that there will always be the poor. That is a good one to pursue or solve certain issues. So as Christians always know that there is something to do in the world.

another mark on my list of firsts.

2007-09-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Today I ventured into something new on my list of things that I can do okay. On Thursday I led worship for the first time. It was crazy. I really enjoyed it. It was definately difficult because I am not the most musically talented dude on the planet. I felt that if it were going to be the least bit engaging and not distracting it would have to be led by the holy spirit. I feel that it was. I did make many mistakes, but hopefully it wasn't too bad.

I am learning that I am fighting myself in so many ways. Feelings of inadequacy keep me from doing or trying so many things in life. That is a shame. I should not buy into those lies. None of us should. We would never do anything. There are so many biblical examples of people who are not adequate but God uses them anyway. Look at the disciples and how they were not the best of the best to follow a Rabbi. Not even close. Or Moses who felt that he was not good enough to speak to people and God was angered badly. It says in Exodus that God's anger burned. Ouch. I wouldn't want to tick God off like that. Although it is hard, if God is calling us to do something let's not let ourselves get in the way. Easier said than done I know.

good day sunshine...

2007-09-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

I love the weekends when I have no agenda. Not that weekends aren't enjoyable when I have things to do. There is just something so wonderful about having a couple of days to catch up on reading, chores, or just enjoy the time by taking a walk or something. We need to take time to catch our breath in life. Things shouldn't always be about work or some agenda. God also wants us to enjoy life and each other. This is not always easy to do in a world of excessive stimulation and endless things to DO. I recognize I am constantly searching for a balance in life. I think that this will always be a constant struggle.

canadian folks can be frustrating

2007-09-11T23:09:00.000-07:00

Canadians are not all that different. I mean we live right next to each other on the same continent. As I am living life in this country I am finding that there is some sort of strange underlying tension between Canadian people and America. They don't dislike me personally, but you can clearly tell that they feel that they are certainly superior at times. There does seem to be a stereotyping of US citizens. Apparently Canadians feel like American people are wasteful, uneducated, and just stupid. I'll be honest, that is getting really old. I really don't mind what opinion people have about our country, but the jokes are getting old. Canadians just need to lighten up and have some fun in life. Can't we all just get along. I don't see what the big deal is.

invitacion

2007-09-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

We are currently in the inviting posture of our time here in Vancouver.

To recap for everyone. We started with listening. How do we listen to God and what is he saying to us individually and as a community? The second posture was Submerge. What does it mean to submerge into a culture as Jesus did? Big questions and good to think through with others and try to live out.

So inviting. The challenge we are working through in life and discussion is what are we invited into with God and just what are we inviting others into with us? Sounds simple right.

Some of the struggles I have with this question is that I should make Christianity appealing to others. The fact of the matter is that living out our faith is not always fun or attractive. It can be down right hard and anything but enjoyable. What is in it for us? Joy or deeper sense of a purpose in life maybe...

One way I interpret God's invitation to us is that he invites us to share in his Glory. Partly here on earth, but the fullest extent at Christ's returning. I will let you know of any new revelations on this one.

back from the weekend.

2007-09-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hey all. I am now back from Washington. I had the opportunity to visit a youth retreat camp where one of our staff members was the guest speaker. The weekend was a great opportunity to visit the good ole US of A. Although I had to sleep in the seventh grade bunk I had a great time. It was relaxing to get out of the city and share a little bit about my life with some younger generations and older generations. The youth leaders there were really fantastic. Even though America seems to be a place of excessive materialism and waste, I really miss being around Americans at times.
I also got to make a stop in Seattle and see some of the city on our way home. So now I am getting back into the week and what God has for our lives here in Vancouver. What a journey. Rest is something that I am still constantly trying to catch up on. As I go through this journey I am trying to always put into practice what we are learning and reading here in this experience for a life long ministry. May God remove the scales from my eyes so that I may see clearer. The journey is the destination...

Dance on the corner

2007-09-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hey folks. I just got my computer back yesterday and it seems to be working great. Mac just handed me over a new battery with no questions asked. I thought I would have to put up a fight. I really would rather just do things the easy way. It doesn't always happen that way though.
I wanted to tell you all about a friend of mine that I have made since coming here to Vancouver. His name is Dance and he is a first nations homeless man here. He has claimed the corner of commercial drive and kitchener. Not too long ago he was sleeping one morning on his corner and a large semi came up on the sidewalk and ran over Dance's feet. The truck crushed his feet and leaving one foot with a large open wound, which has gotten severely infected since that morning. The truck driver took off without even turning back. Since then Dance has gotten a lot of attention from news and doctors and lawyers and people walking down the street. Some give him money and time or whatever.
How do we respond as christians? Especially Christians that live right next door. The best I can come up with is to first of all see to it that justice is being carried out by making sure things are put right. Beyond justice there are things that need immediate attention and care. For example he is lying on the street and it is hard to go get food or drink. I don't feel responsible to do that twenty four seven because one thing I havn't mentioned about Dance is that he actually does have housing, but chooses to stay on the street. I think we often get too caught up in that stuff and miss needs that we can help with at the time. There are always needs to have met. The greater challenge is making sure things are made right. As Christians we should seek justice in our community and not just medicating our problems. How do we stop things from happening?

guy time

2007-09-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, in recent past a dear friend of ours left the community in Vancouver to embark on another direction in life. That event stirred a lot of different things in me for many reasons I feel. I was really amazed what God did with our four months living and journeying together. I was blown away with how differently we can care for someone when we live in close quarters with them. Any way, what I'm getting at here is that since our friend left our immediate community life here I have felt a large void since I am the only male presence here. I am finding that I am having a hard time with this.
So how does this change things for me exactly? I feel that I need to create more close relationships with other guys. I probably should have done this before now, but I am finding just how imortant it is to have other outlets and influences that are good solid guys. As men we need our guy time to just hang out or drink a good beer. I also find that I must take another look at my relationships with the women in our community. All of a sudden I feel like an outcast amongst all this estrogen. Women are great, but I just feel like there are barriers that as a man I can't cross. This poses an interesting question when living in a community. How much do you share between a married man and single women in a community? This means like emotions and struggles and such. I don't know why it took me being the only guy here to think about these questions, but I guess I always had another guy to bounce things off of.

Tuesday Mornings

2007-09-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

I love waking up a little later on Tuesday mornings. It is great to sleep in a little and see Carrie of to her place of ministry. Then for the next few hours I get to read, play guitar, make lunch, and email. I love it. Then from noon on out I spend my time and energy giving myself to community, friends, and ministry. I go to a pottery studio for people off the streets called Just Potters. This is a place for people to come who cannot get normal employment otherwise. There they can make a wage making pottery pieces to be sold as handmade pottery. They do a great job taking time for each piece and making it look great. Great enough people want to put it in their homes. I get to work along side people making pieces with intensions of making more than a nice dish or something, but meaningful relationships for God to do what he wants with.

Then from there I go straight to the downtown eastside (poorest postal code in Canada) where there is a great deal of hurting, drug use, and people dying of hiv and hepatitis. This is a place of great suffering and despair. I get to go down and give my time at Jacobs Well (www.jacobswell.ca). This is a place wherer the whole goal is to be intentional about creating deep relationships in the lives of those on the downtown eastside. These people may not have anyone who cares for them otherwise. On Tuesday evenings we sit down with our friends and have a meal together around the table; which is sacred in this communtiy. This is because around the table all identity falls away and we all can share life and it's experiences. Our hope is to give people some dignity and community which they lack otherwise.

the noise

2007-09-03T23:55:00.000-07:00

We had a community Monday meal this evening where we all get together and enjoy one another and have great food, conversation, and sometimes games. Usually the food is always great. Tonight was no exception. A big piece of red meat never makes me too angry. It was delicious. I am spending the rest of the night reflecting and reading.

I am finding that I have become more sensitive to noise as a result of living in the city. I do not like hearing every car that goes by and every person that walks down the street talking to someone. I'm not sure how people live in the city for a long period of time. All of this noise and distraction make me want to retreat to the wilderness in search of peace and quiet. People are great, but sometimes I feel that everyone needs to get away and experience the beauty of what God created. The scenery and lanscapes here are so amazing. I could spend weeks out in the woods and mountains here. I absolutely love all of the natural beauty here. It does something inside you to be close to the mountains. It makes you feel so much smaller it humbles you in a way. God is so big and can do anything at any moment.

why a new season...

2007-09-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

As many of you know my wife and I have been living and doing life with others in the great city of Vancouver, British Columbia. Here God is continually challening us with questions on how to live out the gospel in a different culture. We are making the most of our time here seeking out what God would have for us to learn about ourselves, others, and the world around us. It is very uncommon to have a time in life to go through the hard questions about sprituality while living in community with other brothers and sisters of Christ. Community is not always easy, but it does allow us to live together, and by doing so we find ourselves loving in ways we never thought we were capable of. Crazy things happen through community with one another. Not that we are all called to live in a house full of strangers, but God does desire for us to have close community with others, because we can't do it alone. Individually we are only a small piece of the body.