"who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." ( 2 Cor 3:6)
One of the main purposes of the law/letter was to be our tutor to Christ...that through the law we would come to know God & enter into a relationship with Him - a relationship free from rules, laws, and living out of our own self-efforts.
It's sad to say, but all too often I meet with what seems like depressed Christians or uptight ones, not joyful ones...what the heck! Christians should be the most joyful people on the planet, as we have been given the greatest gift in being in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
In my opinion, I think a lot of the frustration, difficulty, and lack of joy that some followers of Christ experience is directly related to mixing the old covenant and the new covenant. It has come from trying to live for Jesus, instead of enjoying a relationship with Jesus...'thou shalt not' kind of living (man-initiated), instead of 'thou will' kind of living (God-initiated) - Ex. 20 & Heb. 8. It's freedom to be united with the living God & experience His life being lived through our life.
When I read the Word, I never sense from Paul, John, or any other New Covenant writers that the Christian life was this great struggle and burden to live, rather I see them laying hold of what Jesus said, "my yoke is easy & my burden is light."
I don't believe that anyone can join in with the apostle John and say that His commandments are not burdensome (1 Jn 5:3) unless one experiences living by grace and not by the law...living by the law as a believer will kill us, but living by grace in a relationship with God will give us life.
Jesus' goal for our lives was life & life abundantly...I believe a day is coming soon in the body of Christ where believers will live confidently in their relationship with God as a saint not a sinner, as righteous not unrighteous, as a son not an orphan, as a friend not a slave, and as a lover not a worker.
I was only planning on writing a quote I just read, but forget the quote you just got a rant from me.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Life
This picture is of Holly giving a home-school lesson to the kids about trees, specially why we can't just push them over...the kids love this stuff and learning about nature and how it works.
This picture just brings me so much joy! I love the simplicity of life that kids have, not to mention the raw excitement about the waves coming at them!
This picture just brings me so much joy! I love the simplicity of life that kids have, not to mention the raw excitement about the waves coming at them!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Family Pictures
These are a few shots my little sister took of us in Big Bear...so thankful to be a husband & a father of these munckins!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
God was in our midst...
The last week of the UCSB school year was a week of radical encounters by God...it felt like the grand finale fireworks in the spiritual realm to conclude an amazing year in IV. God showed up this week powerfully blessing peoples socks off both in the church and out of the church...I randomly came across this the other day, its a blog post from a missionary couple that stopped by our house that week on their way to San Diego:
We just had a radical divine appointment in Santa Barbara on the way down the coast as we were coming back home from a ministry trip further north. To see it come to pass, however, we had to be willing to be very flexible.
A friend who happened to be staying in Santa Barbara called us late at night right near 11:00pm while we were driving home through that area and asked us to come visit her and some friends in Isla Vista at the last moment. We felt God’s hand was upon this even though it was late and we were tired and culturally it was very akward to show up at someone's home so late and unplanned like this. We went over and ended up actually spending the night and miraculously wound up in an all-day outpouring of the Spirit the next day.
This group of mostly college students near UCSB were all interested in hearing about Lonnie Frisbee and how God worked through him back in the Jesus People Revival and Vineyard Outpouring. Having had the blessing to travel and experience firsthand God’s work through Lonnie, we were stoked to share some stories. We also had a short video to play. Right in the middle of watching this video, God sovereignly started moving on people in power which sparked a Holy Ghost outpouring where we began praying for people and powerful manifestations began to take place. Other students and friends kept showing up and coming in to this spontaneous prayer meeting as God kept pouring out His Spirit all day long; this unplanned meeting which started in the morning continued on until around three in the afternoon with lots of powerful moves, fillings, and empowerings of many lives.
I finally realized we hadn’t eaten, drank, or consumed anything or taken a break the whole day—this is the kind of fasting that is worthwhile though—when God is in the midst of it versus that other forced dead kind which Jesus criticized the Pharisees for doing out of dead ritual.
It was an awesome time and just when I thought I’d keel over from all the focus and intensity of praying for others all day long without any sustenance, I was offered some sardines to remind us of our Euro mission trips and a few laughs.
I was just thinking it would be good to take a break and get a surf in before it was too late when one of the many surfers there offered to take us out for a surf break too.
We scored some fun, sunny, 2 to 3’ clean and peaky, zipper-like waves right straight out at Campus Point. I queried how often it broke this time of year like this since I can’t ever remember seeing these kinds of waves like this in this area of Santa Barbara in the summer since the Channel Islands block most summer swells. The answer was never, "it never breaks this time of year."
Another blessing, and a quite refreshing one on that day, of the willingness to be flexible and let the winds of the Spirit lead the way. We would have missed that outpouring God wanted to bring and the fun out of season unique surf session if we had just done the culturally acceptable and easier thing on our weary bodies and had just headed home rather than showing up at someone's house we didn't know near midnight to end up sleeping on the floor after sleeping in others' homes for the past few weeks already. There was unplanned blessing awaiting we knew not of but we had to pay attention to the leading of the Spirit to tap into it.
Jesus words about letting the winds of the Spirit lead the way are not just some far off idea for another Bible study but something to be applied to our lives as we learn to do what Jesus told the early disciples to do: "Follow Me."
"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3:8
For the full post click here: http://reflectionsftroad.blogspot.com/2010/06/blessed-are-flexible.html
We just had a radical divine appointment in Santa Barbara on the way down the coast as we were coming back home from a ministry trip further north. To see it come to pass, however, we had to be willing to be very flexible.
A friend who happened to be staying in Santa Barbara called us late at night right near 11:00pm while we were driving home through that area and asked us to come visit her and some friends in Isla Vista at the last moment. We felt God’s hand was upon this even though it was late and we were tired and culturally it was very akward to show up at someone's home so late and unplanned like this. We went over and ended up actually spending the night and miraculously wound up in an all-day outpouring of the Spirit the next day.
This group of mostly college students near UCSB were all interested in hearing about Lonnie Frisbee and how God worked through him back in the Jesus People Revival and Vineyard Outpouring. Having had the blessing to travel and experience firsthand God’s work through Lonnie, we were stoked to share some stories. We also had a short video to play. Right in the middle of watching this video, God sovereignly started moving on people in power which sparked a Holy Ghost outpouring where we began praying for people and powerful manifestations began to take place. Other students and friends kept showing up and coming in to this spontaneous prayer meeting as God kept pouring out His Spirit all day long; this unplanned meeting which started in the morning continued on until around three in the afternoon with lots of powerful moves, fillings, and empowerings of many lives.
I finally realized we hadn’t eaten, drank, or consumed anything or taken a break the whole day—this is the kind of fasting that is worthwhile though—when God is in the midst of it versus that other forced dead kind which Jesus criticized the Pharisees for doing out of dead ritual.
It was an awesome time and just when I thought I’d keel over from all the focus and intensity of praying for others all day long without any sustenance, I was offered some sardines to remind us of our Euro mission trips and a few laughs.
I was just thinking it would be good to take a break and get a surf in before it was too late when one of the many surfers there offered to take us out for a surf break too.
We scored some fun, sunny, 2 to 3’ clean and peaky, zipper-like waves right straight out at Campus Point. I queried how often it broke this time of year like this since I can’t ever remember seeing these kinds of waves like this in this area of Santa Barbara in the summer since the Channel Islands block most summer swells. The answer was never, "it never breaks this time of year."
Another blessing, and a quite refreshing one on that day, of the willingness to be flexible and let the winds of the Spirit lead the way. We would have missed that outpouring God wanted to bring and the fun out of season unique surf session if we had just done the culturally acceptable and easier thing on our weary bodies and had just headed home rather than showing up at someone's house we didn't know near midnight to end up sleeping on the floor after sleeping in others' homes for the past few weeks already. There was unplanned blessing awaiting we knew not of but we had to pay attention to the leading of the Spirit to tap into it.
Jesus words about letting the winds of the Spirit lead the way are not just some far off idea for another Bible study but something to be applied to our lives as we learn to do what Jesus told the early disciples to do: "Follow Me."
"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3:8
For the full post click here: http://reflectionsftroad.blogspot.com/2010/06/blessed-are-flexible.html
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Big Bear
This last weekend we had our annual Big Bear trip as an extended family - parents, sisters, their husbands, older sister's kids, and a cousin.
It was such a blast...super fun, refreshing, and a great time of being together! We were so thankful for being able to spend a little time with my family in the mountains, the weather was epic too.
I am amazed at the work of redemption that God has done in our family, it's evidence of the His power to change and transform lives by faith in Christ...glory to you God!
Here are a few pictures from the weekend:
It was such a blast...super fun, refreshing, and a great time of being together! We were so thankful for being able to spend a little time with my family in the mountains, the weather was epic too.
I am amazed at the work of redemption that God has done in our family, it's evidence of the His power to change and transform lives by faith in Christ...glory to you God!
Here are a few pictures from the weekend:
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Love Wins!
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13
This last Sunday I read off about 10 verses concerning love...reminding the fellowship that without it we have nothing, rather we have become a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Love trumps all things, which is why God chose to describe Himself as Love. (1 Jn 4:8)
A few verses on love:
"God so loved the world that He gave Jesus..." (Jn 3:16)
"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Rom 13:10)
"The fruit of the Spirit is love...(Gal 5:22)
"The goal of our instruction is love..." (1 Tim 1:5)
"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 Jn 3:16)
The love of God used in these verses is not the same love that we use when we say "I love In & Out" (which hopefully everyone does, but we will save that for another blog post). The love of God, living in us by the Spirit of God, is a self-sacrificial love, it's a love that considers others as more important than self, and does what is best for others, regardless of whether or not they deserve it.
It's the kind of love demonstrated by Jesus in going and dying on the cross so that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of all their sins & eternal life! This is a radical, sacrificial, and selfless love.
I like this picture, it is such a good description of the love we are called to have for one another...according to the Word, our love for God is in direct proportion to our love for one another.
"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 Jn 4:19-21)
This last Sunday I read off about 10 verses concerning love...reminding the fellowship that without it we have nothing, rather we have become a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Love trumps all things, which is why God chose to describe Himself as Love. (1 Jn 4:8)
A few verses on love:
"God so loved the world that He gave Jesus..." (Jn 3:16)
"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Rom 13:10)
"The fruit of the Spirit is love...(Gal 5:22)
"The goal of our instruction is love..." (1 Tim 1:5)
"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 Jn 3:16)
The love of God used in these verses is not the same love that we use when we say "I love In & Out" (which hopefully everyone does, but we will save that for another blog post). The love of God, living in us by the Spirit of God, is a self-sacrificial love, it's a love that considers others as more important than self, and does what is best for others, regardless of whether or not they deserve it.
It's the kind of love demonstrated by Jesus in going and dying on the cross so that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of all their sins & eternal life! This is a radical, sacrificial, and selfless love.
I like this picture, it is such a good description of the love we are called to have for one another...according to the Word, our love for God is in direct proportion to our love for one another.
"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 Jn 4:19-21)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
My sheep hear My voice...
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;" - Jesus
The birthright of the church is to hear the voice of God...we as followers of Jesus and children of God get to live our life from hearing what He is saying and responding to what He is doing = what an incredible privilege!
Here are two key questions for those who are following the Shepherd:
1. What is Jesus saying to you (as you read the Bible, play sports, go for a walk, spend time with your friends and spouse, eat with your kids, help a friend move...)
2. What are going to do in response to what you heard?
Like a good father or friend clear communication is important and God is an excellent communicator...I know for me theses two questions are vital to living an intimate life with Him and being satisfied by responding to the voice of my Shepherd & Friend.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Is This Really Church by Francis Chan
This video is well-worth watching...you can skip the first 20 minutes as Francis is talking about a few things going on in their church.
Over the course of the last 5 years God has ruined me for what is means to be the church...which is why I am always saying we don't go to church, we are the church. I am so challenged by what I read in the Word, especially the words of Christ and what was happening immediately after He ascended in the book of Acts.
Take up your cross, deny self, and follow me - Jesus
From the beginning one of IVC's key scripture verse has been Acts 2:42 which says the early church devoted themselves to four things: teaching, life together, the common meal, and prayer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq3DfUPAQiY&feature=related
Over the course of the last 5 years God has ruined me for what is means to be the church...which is why I am always saying we don't go to church, we are the church. I am so challenged by what I read in the Word, especially the words of Christ and what was happening immediately after He ascended in the book of Acts.
Take up your cross, deny self, and follow me - Jesus
From the beginning one of IVC's key scripture verse has been Acts 2:42 which says the early church devoted themselves to four things: teaching, life together, the common meal, and prayer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq3DfUPAQiY&feature=related
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Musing About Church...
I read this an article the other day about Christians gathering together...I felt like someone had tapped into my mind and started writing out some of my thoughts:
Psalm 133:1-3 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever.
Is This What It's Supposed to Look Like?
There was a commanded blessing that flowed over every word, prayer, chord and melody as we gathered. The unity in the spirit was astounding and created an atmosphere that was charged with expectation and supernatural ease! Like the "oil running down Aaron's beard" or the "dew of Hermon," this substance saturated the walls and the hearts of everyone in attendance. Involved with this kind of ministry, you leave feeling refreshed and inspired instead of feeling burned out and weary.
Surprisingly enough, this honest "family friendly" atmosphere sustained a rare accessibility in such large meetings for everyone present to tap into the flow and breakthrough of what God was imparting. As people began to encounter Jesus and His glory each night, the typical "minister-audience" walls that become such a hindrance to the corporate encounter came crashing down! We all were entering in together!
So, I am beginning to ask a few questions now. Maybe this is what the New Testament Church really should look like in our day? Please hear my heart as I am in no way implying that we suddenly and instantaneously found the answer to cure all the problems and issues of the Western Church. But I am beginning to wonder if it is all supposed to look less like a well-oiled machine and more like organic family. Less like cookie-cutter, predictable business and more like a celebration of spontaneous flow-fostering creativity. Maybe more like hands-on mentoring and less like individual performance. After all, isn't the new wine in the cluster? I strongly believe God is stirring this unity-move deep in the hearts of fathers and mothers and sons and daughters in our day. Church is really beginning to be fun, family and unpredictable again!
Complete article: http://www.openheaven.com/forums/printer_friendly_posts.asp?TID=33004
Psalm 133:1-3 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever.
Is This What It's Supposed to Look Like?
There was a commanded blessing that flowed over every word, prayer, chord and melody as we gathered. The unity in the spirit was astounding and created an atmosphere that was charged with expectation and supernatural ease! Like the "oil running down Aaron's beard" or the "dew of Hermon," this substance saturated the walls and the hearts of everyone in attendance. Involved with this kind of ministry, you leave feeling refreshed and inspired instead of feeling burned out and weary.
Surprisingly enough, this honest "family friendly" atmosphere sustained a rare accessibility in such large meetings for everyone present to tap into the flow and breakthrough of what God was imparting. As people began to encounter Jesus and His glory each night, the typical "minister-audience" walls that become such a hindrance to the corporate encounter came crashing down! We all were entering in together!
So, I am beginning to ask a few questions now. Maybe this is what the New Testament Church really should look like in our day? Please hear my heart as I am in no way implying that we suddenly and instantaneously found the answer to cure all the problems and issues of the Western Church. But I am beginning to wonder if it is all supposed to look less like a well-oiled machine and more like organic family. Less like cookie-cutter, predictable business and more like a celebration of spontaneous flow-fostering creativity. Maybe more like hands-on mentoring and less like individual performance. After all, isn't the new wine in the cluster? I strongly believe God is stirring this unity-move deep in the hearts of fathers and mothers and sons and daughters in our day. Church is really beginning to be fun, family and unpredictable again!
Complete article: http://www.openheaven.com/forums/printer_friendly_posts.asp?TID=33004
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Kids Being Kids
Took these pictures of Hope and Jeremiah the other day...I am never short for a laugh living life with these children.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Family Time - Wednesday Nights
This last Wednesday was our first family time of the summer...it was awesome! We had a great time outside playing different games, hanging out, and eating together. After dinner we went in our home and worshiped with music for a while, shared testimonies of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, and then I shared a short word out of John 4 about Jesus saying that His food was to do the will of the Father and how our real satisfaction as believers, like Jesus, still comes from co-laboring with God on the earth to do His will.
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work." (John 4:34)
These pictures are from the end of the night when we broke into small groups, shared what God has been speaking to us about, and then prayed for one another.
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work." (John 4:34)
These pictures are from the end of the night when we broke into small groups, shared what God has been speaking to us about, and then prayed for one another.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The day has come...
Beginning tomorrow morning and all through next week, tons of people will be around our house buying used furniture that our friend Mitchell has collected this last week from the streets of IV...even though this is the 5th year of him doing this, I am still amazed at all the stuff that is collected and how much money some of it costs. I guess when most of these students don't pay for their furniture they don't really value it that much...kind of how I view salvation: to the extent that you understand what it cost God to redeem you back to Himself through the cross of Christ is the extent that you will value your salvation.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Morning Route
For about the last 4 years every Thursday morning before almost all IV resistant wake up I am off to grab the Santa Barbara Independent downtown and bring it back to IV to deliver it...when I got the job I was stoked that the guy who hired me offered me the Isla Vista route, thank you Jesus!
I took this picture on my route this morning, it always serves as a great reminder of the need to pray for this city and for people to come to Jesus to satisfy their endless thirst.
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."
I took this picture on my route this morning, it always serves as a great reminder of the need to pray for this city and for people to come to Jesus to satisfy their endless thirst.
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Day 10
Today is the 10th day of Mitchell driving through IV picking up everyone's furniture, bikes, and whatever else makes money...the big sale goes down this Saturday & Sunday, all the signs and flyers have our address on them - it should be a wild weekend!
I took these picture this morning a little before 7am on my way out the door.
I took these picture this morning a little before 7am on my way out the door.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Peace Out Momma
Holly left me with the kids today, as Tuesday is my day off from everything...well at least that is the goal. On dads shift things run a little different, like breaking out the dart guns for a 1 1/2 year old & 5 1/2 year old to go at it without goggles. Not always the smartest thing to do, but its better than a bebe gun war without goggles that I got into a few times as a kid.
Baby J loading his gun
Samuel getting ready to blast Jeremiah or me...Hope was eating her lunch
As you can see the boy is working on his aim
Samuel stoked about getting ready to load up and get me
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Momma & the kiddos
I love watching Holly read to the kids, especially the childrens Bible...Hope is obsessed with the story of David & Goliath these days. Today Holly read them the story Samson, along with a few others. It's so sweet how much the kids enjoy being read to and all they are learning at such a young age. Both Samuel and Hope have lots of verses memorized, including whole Psalms...one day I will try to post a video of the kids quoting their verses, it's amazing!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Knowing and Being Led by the Holy Spirit
By Holly:
This last quarter we had an amazing class at our house taught by an older brother in the Lord named Erik Krueger who has really walked with God a long time and has a level of maturity in the faith that is rare to see. We were so blessed to have him teach this class in our home for six weeks with about 20 other people.
The class was about how the Christian life cannot be successfully lived out apart from knowing and being led by the Holy Spirit, for He is our connection on this earth to both the Father and the Son.
A major thing that was taught was about how the Holy Spirit is not a doctrine or a power, but the third person of the Trinity, and is God and is holy. Jesus is our way to the Father, but we are empowered and enabled in our coming and in our living by the Holy Spirit.
He is the One who teaches us and who brings to our remembrance all things. He is speaking to us, telling us what we need to know for today, for right now.
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 14:26
Jesus said that it was actually better for Him to go so that He could send the Holy Spirit to us.
Getting to really know the Holy Spirit and learning how to be led by Him is one of the important keys of the Christian life, because it is in Him we are able to actually be empowered to live like Christ. We can't do it apart from Him.
The Summer
This week is finals, which means next week is the beginning of summer in IV!!! I love summers in IV as we get to downshift into 4th gear, sometimes even 3rd!
Summer is still a very busy time for me as I am spending lots of hours prepping for the coming school year with the DP House, IVSOD, Sunday stuff, etc.
Monday nights, beginning next week, I will be leading a men's group that I am stoked about...we are going to go through the book Forgotten God by Francis Chan. Then on Wednesday nights Holly and I will host "family time", which will look in many ways like our Sunday gathering with a little less structure.
I love the summer in IV, thank you Jesus for seasons of change that living in this city bring us.
"They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers." (Acts 2:42)
This is what Wednesdays & Sundays will be all about this summer:
- teaching (wed nights will be on the Holy Spirit)
- life together (playing, hanging, & being family)
- the common meal (there is something special about sharing meals)
- prayer (for one another & the city)
Over the years I have come to see church more and more not as a place you go to, but a family you belong to...a family united under the Lord Jesus Christ that is on a mission together. I am so thankful to be apart of this family in IV and the mission that is all too clear for those of us that live in the city.
Summer is still a very busy time for me as I am spending lots of hours prepping for the coming school year with the DP House, IVSOD, Sunday stuff, etc.
Monday nights, beginning next week, I will be leading a men's group that I am stoked about...we are going to go through the book Forgotten God by Francis Chan. Then on Wednesday nights Holly and I will host "family time", which will look in many ways like our Sunday gathering with a little less structure.
I love the summer in IV, thank you Jesus for seasons of change that living in this city bring us.
"They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers." (Acts 2:42)
This is what Wednesdays & Sundays will be all about this summer:
- teaching (wed nights will be on the Holy Spirit)
- life together (playing, hanging, & being family)
- the common meal (there is something special about sharing meals)
- prayer (for one another & the city)
Over the years I have come to see church more and more not as a place you go to, but a family you belong to...a family united under the Lord Jesus Christ that is on a mission together. I am so thankful to be apart of this family in IV and the mission that is all too clear for those of us that live in the city.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Bedtime
Samuel & Hope right before bed...it's amazing how much energy kids have right before bedtime. Baby J goes to bed closer to 7pm, at the latest 7:30pm.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. —Isaiah 54:13
All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. —Isaiah 54:13
Let the Games Begin...
Well it's that time of the year that our good friend Mitchell Greene comes and collects all the couches, tables, desks, book shelves, and whatever else he can find. His drop spot is in our neighbor's backyard, which is where my shed/office resides...these pictures are from last year. As you can see, it's quite the phenomenon in the amount of stuff he collects and the amount of money he makes selling it...and let's just say he makes enough money to come all the way from Memphis, Tennessee to do this sale. I believe this is the 5th year of Mitchell doing this in IV, using our yard each year as a home base...it's really good we love him so much; however, I should add that Holly really likes this kind of stuff and wishes that she could join him on these truck loads. Praise God for the kids keeping her home bound, since my motto is "When in doubt, toss it out"...personally, I am not a big fan of a lot of stuff.
Jeremiah Helping Mom With Dinner
I walked in yesterday from the day to Jeremiah helping mom with dinner...it was classic, he was so serious and not looking to be disturbed from this project of stirring beans. I love this kid, such a personality!
Monday, June 7, 2010
IVC - extended family time
Yesterday was a send off service for about 1/2 of our students...it's always such a bitter sweet time of the year as we get to send people off as a missionaries back to their home town, and some oversees.
I love the words of Jesus that He prayed to His Father hours before the cross, "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." This is such a great reminder that we are called to live lives as sent-ones, regardless if that is to Isla Vista or to Turkey where two of students are going this summer.
These pictures where taken around midnight as some of the family was still hanging out and worshiping the Lord together in our home...Holly and I are really going to miss these incredible people that the Lord has brought into our life!
Faithful men of God...these guys are amazing!
Our friend Tommy playing some of his own music...Annalisa's face is a good picture of how it sounded.
Apparently what Justin is doing while the guitar is being played makes an epic sound that only you can hear...it looks even more funny in person.
I love the words of Jesus that He prayed to His Father hours before the cross, "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." This is such a great reminder that we are called to live lives as sent-ones, regardless if that is to Isla Vista or to Turkey where two of students are going this summer.
These pictures where taken around midnight as some of the family was still hanging out and worshiping the Lord together in our home...Holly and I are really going to miss these incredible people that the Lord has brought into our life!
Faithful men of God...these guys are amazing!
Our friend Tommy playing some of his own music...Annalisa's face is a good picture of how it sounded.
Apparently what Justin is doing while the guitar is being played makes an epic sound that only you can hear...it looks even more funny in person.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Another Year of JB's
Jesus Burgers just concluded it's 9th year in IV last Saturday...it was another amazing year witnessing God's love being demonstrated in so many tangible ways from a free hamburger, to a cup of water, to the use of a bathroom, to prayer, listening, & sharing about the good news of Jesus.
I can't believe next year will mark the 10th year of serving Jesus Burgers in Isla Vista...it feels like yesterday that we decided to host a massive BBQ in Anisq 'Oyo' Park and invite the city to it.
Thank you Jesus for an amazing year and all the countless lives affected by Your good news being expressed both in word & deed!
"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory..." (Psalm 115:1)
I can't believe next year will mark the 10th year of serving Jesus Burgers in Isla Vista...it feels like yesterday that we decided to host a massive BBQ in Anisq 'Oyo' Park and invite the city to it.
Thank you Jesus for an amazing year and all the countless lives affected by Your good news being expressed both in word & deed!
"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory..." (Psalm 115:1)
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