We're here

Got up at 3am...left at 4am
600 miles
9 hours
2 stops
3 kids
Good times
I had forgot what traffic was.
Now I remember!

OUCH!!!

Smashed my head on the corner of the door of the car today...good times! Shaving around the wound was not fun.
We had a little family Christmas this morning...it was awesome.
Dollar store gifts for the kids and Alyssa made these sweet towels with hoods on them for when they get out of the bath. Zeke's has a Z on it. He thinks it's a cape.
Gettin' ready to leave for Riverside. We're gonna take off Monday morning at about 3am...good times...drive while kids are sleeping.
I'm leading worship tomorrow at the Stirring. Nate called me tonight and feels like puke so there is a possibility that I'll have to speak tomorrow. That would be interesting!
Let's pray for Nate.
Last blog till Riverside.
Pray there is no snow on the grapevine...chains are not my friend!

Pray for Mark

Go here to hear all the details.
A friend was in a terrible motorcycle accident and needs prayer.
Please join us. Thanks.

20's-40's

That's the temperature range for this week.
I love it.
Cold is my favorite time of year.
We keep it 65 at our house.
Our sheets turn into thin strips of ice...Awesome.
We leave for Riverside in a few days.
I just know it's gonna be 87 on Christmas...unbelievable.
I'm soakin' it up while I can.
Bring on more snow!

Staff Christmas Party

We leave in about an hour.
Last year this party was one of the first things I did in Redding.
Moved into our place...bought some toilet paper...went to a party.
I got to meet the team that makes up the Stirring leadership.
I remember leaving the party so excited about this new adventure.
I had no idea how amazing this year would be.
It was about this time last year when I was I-chatting with my wife back in Riverside and she showed me a positive pregnancy test...what a crazy year!

Erase the Dark

It's that time of year again.
This morning we had our first dreaming session for Erase the Dark this year.
It's our music, art, and film festival that we are having in March this year.
We're raising money again for Cypress Elementary School.
We have some amazing ideas.
Can't wait till we get the line-up of artists.
I'm pumped!

This will change your life

My wife is amazing

She just sent all our old vhs tapes in to get converted to DVD's. Now I have about 7 DVD's of old Ember shows and hilarious stuff that happened on the road. It's my Christmas present. It came early. Oh well.
So funny seein' Alyssa, the Spoken boys, Fume, the sailor, Sean G., Q, and Schultzy 8 years ago. So many great memories.
One question: Who was the chubby guy that sang for the band with the out of control beard, baggy pants that always wore a bandana?
I've gotta get the guys copies of this. Classic footage. Terrible quality but that adds to the epic-ness of it all.
I need to write some more songs.

Started a new book tonight

The Drama of Scripture by Craig G., Bartholomew and Michael W., Goheen
Good stuff so far.
There were 358 women in my house tonight for a Christmas card / craft thingy...I escaped.
Great Sabbath today.
Slept
Played with my kids
Got pulled over for speeding right in front of Zeke's school and got let off! Is it physically possible to go 35 mph on Churn Creek?
Took Zeke out for a video shoot for a Christmas film
Helped Alyssa get the house ready
Went to Sean's to avoid the estrogen party. Thanks for dinner dude!
Read
Blog
Bed

The joys of a lawn

When we moved to Redding a year ago I knew we were moving into a town home with no yard so I gave my mower to a guy that cut yards in my neighborhood. I think I might of given him my weed eater too because I couldn't find it today. Now that I have a yard again I need to cut the grass. I borrowed one from my neighbor today but I'm in the market for a cheap reel mower like the one pictured above or an electric mower. Anyone got one sitting around or know somebody? I could use a weed eater too. I got my eyes on Craigslist.

You're welcome

Fighting...

to not get sick. All day I've felt a little off. Stomach churning.
Everyone in the world is sick right now and I don't want it.
I especially don't want my wife and kids to get it.
That's all. I'm goin' to bed.

What am I going to do?

I already have my eye on a couple boys in her class at the Stirring that have been gettin' a little too close.
Sofia's the cutest kid ever!
At least she's the most uncoordinated kid on the planet...maybe that will keep the boys away...you can only hope.

What would you include?

I'm putting together the outline for covering the Bible in 13 weeks.
What do you include?
What do you leave out?
Creation...Deuteronomy 23:13...Sinai...Ezekiel 23:19-21
Jesus...Pentecost...Ehud (the left handed judge that stabbed the really fat king and lost his sword in his belly and his attendants thought he just had really bad gas)...
Seriously...so much good stuff...how do you narrow it down?
Thoughts?

Looking ahead

I'm gonna put a ton of time coming into the end of the year developing a curriculum for a narrative theology group I want to start in January. Genesis to Revelation. The narrative of the Bible. Creation...The Fall...Israel...Jesus...the Church...
Love it.
Can't wait.
Any interest?

New series

We're starting a series called Simple at the Stirring.
I spoke yesterday to kick it off.
Matthew 13...the weeds...Worry and Wealth...God has a better way.
I really desire a simple, focused, single-minded life.
I want the life that is truly life!
Go check out the podcast. It should be up in a day or two.
I'd love to hear thoughts.
Had a great Sabbath today.
Slept in...time with fam...worked out...amazing food...time with friends...Heroes...amazing!