Advancing

Monday Morning MoBlog

It's amazing how a drive 5 miles out of town can usher me into a different world.  A world where time slows down.  The Acura becomes a transporter.  Of course, a cup of java adds to to the fun!  Todays delight was a grouping of about 40 horses, many of them colts, beckoning Deea and I to pull over.

Starbucks

On the weekends (Sunday/Monday for me) Deea and I frequent our local coffee establishments.  This proved to be a perfect opportunity to blog remotely (Can you say MoBlog?) from my new Treo 700p!  MoBlogging is my latest hobby.  : )

Blog Fast

Hey, friends.  It's vacation time for the Paul family.  I'll be on a "blog fast" while I'm gone.  God bless.  Here's a pic from the 24th with some new friends from Riverside, CA.  Carlos (right) has a great blog and hosts his own worship leader podcast.  Our brief visit started with lunch and ended with a ride together on "California Screamin'!", a great roller coaster.  Thank you, Whittakers!

"Sandals Church" Pastor Starts Blog

In January of '98 Matt Brown, a GGBTS graduate with a Masters of Divinity, planted Sandals Church in Riverside, CA.  The previous summer he resigned from his YP position in Fountain Valley.  In a June/99 interview with Next Wave Matt envisioned a church of thousands over the next decade, with Xers leading the way in a revival of obedience.  Sound cocky?  With three years to go the 34 year old has a great chance of reaching this ambitious goal.  The church has met in 13 different locations: Pastor Matt's home, a cabana club, a board room, an office building, a church basement, 3 Church sanctuaries, 2 Gymnasiums, a theater, a high school and many times outdoors. 

Heard of JC's Girls, Girls, Girls?  Heather and the team attend Sandals.

Check out Matt's new blog.  His online sermons are available here.

(HT:  CW)

New Friends

Saturday afternoon came with an unexpected email.  I learned that Justin Ross, a fellow blogger, and wife Nicole would be in town Sunday visiting Nicole's grandmother.  We were fortunate to be in town so they could stay with us.  We talked till midnight about the Seahawks, politics, family, jobs, ministry, church search committees(lol), jobs, and more.  Monday morning we had a warm beverage at the Noon Moon together and learned more about each other's families and upbringings.  We introduced the Ross' to Paul Loeffler, our local Youth Dynamics Director who gave us a tour of the facility.  Our time together came to an end at Pastor Doug and Peggy's home for a short visit.  It was cool to finally meet the Ross' in person.  We hope to have more opportunities to hook up soon.  Perhaps at Tall Timber?

Justin is the Youth Director of Whidbey Presbyterian Church in Oak Harbor, WA.  His blog, Let Wonder Replace Worry, is one I enjoy reading regularly.

Great Blogs For Your Weekend

Some posts I found encouraging today:

First, Roger at The House Church Blog writes about the destructive tendency to focus more on church reform than on Christ Himself.

Next, a great podcast called The God Journey visits the same topic (above) before transitioning into a discussion on Learning To Listen to God.

Lastly, my main man Carlos Whittaker (picture) deals with the sin of his wife's uncle, Rick.  Rick recently married David.  Carlos is forced to reconcile feelings of happiness for Rick in finding a partner who is obviously gay.  He wrestles honestly with how best to demonstrate God's love.  I encourage you to read both posts and the comments that follow.  Have a great weekend!   

Back to the Drawing Board

Alright ladies and gentlemen...cast your vote.  Is it banner #1 or#2 ?  I made the change based on constructive criticism from our 15 year old, Cassia, and Pastor Doug.  Both had difficulty distinguishing the chess pieces in the first picture.  I agreed and gave it another shot.  Any suggestions? 

UPDATE (9:00 p.m.):  The banner you see at top is now exhibit #3! 

King in Focus

My beautiful wife, Deea, decided it was time for a banner change.  She thought a "chess motif" might be fitting and I concurred.  We started with some pictures of a chess board.  I decided to attempt an action shot with the appearance of pawns "advancing."  Christopher helped with the lighting.  The girls walked by during the "shoot" and started cracking up.  We must have looked pretty silly.  The King is purposely in focus.  As you can see above, my pawns sacrificed noses and eyes to fit into the limited space.  Hard core soldiers!  Ah...noses and eyes are overrated anyway!

Thanks to everyone who has been visiting over the last few weeks!  Have a great weekend and tell Wallace & Gromit I said, "hi!"