**Mustard Seed Distributed**

I just want to give my homegirl cdubs a HUGE shout out. (Part of me doesn't even know what that means, but it definitely sounds cool.) Today, she stepped up to some people that think they are giants, and shot her little pebble and hit them square in the eye. It's about time someone stepped up and faced the ones who think they are giants. She exposed the truth. She did it with class, composure, and ethics. Cdubs-you rock.

Life continues to be fast, whether we like it or not. So why don't we slow it down? Too many things to get to, too many places to be at thus and such a time. The more I just sit down and watch life, the more time I realize I have to live. But it seems the older I get, the more time I need to spend alone. Maybe it's just because I thought as a young man that being with people and being the center of attention was what life is all about. WRONG. Thank you God for teaching me to slow down.

Why is it that we get 'off track'? I mean, we know what we need to do. We know how to do it. But we don't. I know that when I read my bible daily and take time to "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalms 46:10), my days go better. My awareness of God's plan is clearly evident in normal daily conversations. My senses are heightened in what I need to do. And then, depression set in. Just kidding, but when you get off track, you need a kick in the pants to get back on. Thank you to Pastor for setting up our breakfast meeting today, asking me the right questions, holding me accountable. It's just exciting to talk about the what if's for communitas if everyone actually lives it. I need my copy of my covenant back so I can live it. Funny how as you get older you have to write things down or they don't happen. So I'm writing it down- Pray daily, read the bible, listen to God. There. Now it has to happen, right?

So today we went as a family to 2nd and Selden in Detroit to serve people in that neighborhood. I met two people that struck my heart. I met others, but these two will stay with me for some time. Victoria and Tracy. Two african american women. The girls, superstar, and I got in our van and took some hot soup and a LOT of our extra coats. Nice coats, but how many does a person need, I mean really. So we got there, and shoeless mike was there along with people from various churches. Food, shelter, fire, clothing. First we walked around the neighborhood inviting people to come and share food and get clothes if they needed them. There were quite a few that came and went. But at the end, Victoria gave me a hug and said "God bless you." The smile on her face, and the bagfull of stuff she took with her was fun to see. Tracy was a bit more reserved, and may even have some type of affliction. But I invited her to eat, but she didn't want anything. As we stood there,...

I would have never believed that this term meant something ten years ago. Maybe twelve years ago. I can only tell you that now I believe. I can't tell you it is real, because I think you have to come to your own realization on that position on your own. I can't TELL you it is real, you have to experience it. There is a plunge this weekend, and I am praying for each person on the plunge. I am saddened that lilsis is not well enough to travel. Is that warfare? I'm not sure. Others are on the trip, and perhaps some that are not even going to be part of communitas, but they are there. Other things have happened with the people on the launch team that are real, and people like muck are really struggling to understand, la puertoriqueña is struggling with anger, sick pete and I are struggling with the here and now and how to not focus on the there and then, jobs, houses, schools. I know God is in control and is the creator of all that is good. I praise Him. mg-you can...

I have come to the great realization that I am going to miss my friends. A lot. No, I mean A LOT. I know I will only be a phone call away, and don't think for a minute that I'm not calling every one of you when I'm bored waiting for a train. But I am going to miss them. I know I am already making new friends, and I am certain that going through the ordeal is going to make our friendships deep. But I have built some pretty deep friendships here, and I will miss my friends. I do look forward to the people I don't even know yet that will become my NYC friends, but have I mentioned that I will miss my friends?

So now you know the name of our church in NYC. COMMUNITAS-NYC. At first, it seemed like quite an odd name, as it probably does to you in reading it for the first time. Especially if you have never read Alan Hirsch's book pictured to the left. Even when I first read the chapter in the book, it kind of made sense to me, but I don't know if I've ever really experienced it. Maybe surface communitas, maybe small level communitas, maybe pseudo communitas. MAYBE. We're only a couple of months into launch team status as the KKFT, but I can tell you that I have experienced more communitas in these two months than I ever have in my life. Sick Pete knows what I'm talking about, because I don't even know that mg or others can truly deep down feel the communitas. I'm not diminishing my life long friendships AT ALL. Our men's group has started to develop into something special. But communitas is defined (this is kind of T$'s take) as 'people that ar...

I never understood camera phones, text messaging, whatever. But I did obtain a new camera phone this week. I know, I said I would NEVER have one. Now I do. Just trying to keep up with those crazy kids these days. I am still learning how to use it, but I hope it will be a nice tool to share things on my blog. Good luck to me.

No, I'm not going to get into this philosophical discussion with any of you, at all. It's just the name of a game. So the launch team came for taco night at casa de kelly last night. I suppose for me, that when God called me/us to do this, I don't recall any thoughts like-who'll be on the team? Will I like them? Will they like me? I'm not much for that kind of stuff anyway. But I can tell you this, there are some pretty dang cool people on our team. When we all do make it to NYC, it is going to be an incredible team of people that I know will advance the kingdom. It is going to be a lot of fun, I can tell you that, because these people are crazy. I mean think about it, these people are taking everything that they know and throwing it out the window. Not just the window that leads to your front yard on a day with no wind. Throwing it out the window in the fast lane on 696 during rush hour madness. How can someone that is willing to do that not be some ...

So I attend our meeting on Sunday. It's been about a month since we all got together. That was nice to be with the team, even if it was for a little while. But when we arrive, bang on the door, who opens it? skallen. She says "come on, kkallen is telling the story." I think they are in, but haven't gotten clear confirmation. Just looking at kkallen makes me cry. Looking at their kids (that are young adults now, not kids anymore!) and remembering how little they used to be, and the fun I had with them in the past. See, the kallen's have had a huge impact on my walk. Nothing specific, no major God shining moments, but being together with them on the drama team for many years, I got to see a married couple living the way Jesus would expect them. Don't get me wrong, they're not perfect, and they will tell you that. I mean you should see them dance-it is frightening. But I've talked with skallen a few times about this whole thing, and our conver...

Yup. Still sick. Tired. Sleeping a lot. Not so much feeling too bad, but walking from the couch to the sink is WORK. Maybe tomorrow it will be better. I thank God today for my health. We take so much for granted that He gives us each day. SO MUCH. I need to discipline myself to recognize the little things he gives us each day. Sunshine. Plants. Animals. Warm breezes. Snowfalls. Green grass. The ability to breath and not hear your lungs struggle. Thank you God for all the things that we take for granted each day. Help us to recognize and appreciate them every day we are alive.

So we go up north to mg's cabin this weekend. No power. No noise. Not much of anything. Rode up with mg-enjoyed our conversations up and back. Enjoyed greatly my Big John's steak and onion, although mg thinks it hurts to eat one. Donald and broinlaw came up later. Have to hike back to the cabin, all that. I love it there. So quiet. Peaceful. No noise. Having fun Friday night, then it hits. Like a freight train. 9:00-I gotta lay down. (See, the girls were out of school all week sick. I felt SO bad for their little bodies.) Bad. So I got it. Saturday morning-on the couch-long johns, jeans, two long sleeve shirts, sweatshirt, sleeping bag. With the chills and sweats. Bad. Sleep for five hours. Great weekend away. But I got up that afternoon, and felt a LOT better. So mg brought his buddy's 22 semiautomatic pistol. I never shot one before, but the only thing I can tell you is I felt like a gangstah.

I love my wife. No, I mean I LOVE my wife. I knew she was something special before I ever kissed her on a date. She is the most beautiful woman in the world. Not just her hot body-her heart. Her spirit. Her inner beauty. The love she demonstrates for others-especially our kids, and double especially when they are home for five days in a row sick. I still tell people that I will never forget the moment (On January 3rd, 1993, some time after 7pm) at Four Green Fields when she placed her hand on my leg. EVER. As Rob Bell would say-that is Holy Ground. Something incredible happened there. Others pass that spot by at that barstool and don't even know it. Maybe it was God's love flowing through her beauty and touching me? Anyway. I love the superstar that I married. There are many places that I consider holy ground because of my experiences with her. The apartment in Oak Park. The Blackstone. Casa Lupita. Her Grand Am. Arthur's Village. The Amway Grand Hotel. ...

I haven't blogged about NASCAR as of yet, but that's because it's the off season. I am a certifiable NASCAR addict, junkie, whatever you want to call it. Always hated it growing up. Then I went to a race. Now I can't stop. I don't like most kinds of racing (although bus racing has caught my eye), but give me Cup, Busch-I don't care, I'm still calling it Busch, or Truck series, and I am happy like little school girl. And so, here it comes, and just for those of you that don't know me-here are some quotes I may have heard at NASCAR events: "I like parties." "Yup. Laid down by the generator, now he's dead." "You mean they were putting up a flagpole when they were electrocuted?" "He's a REAL chef?" "Them fire ants hurt like #$%@!" "I'll go check on the camper, you go to the auto store with Darryl." "You didn't bring a shirt with you, did you?" "There's cooki...

It's nice to have Sick Pete as a friend. He emails me to see how I'm doing, check in with me on many fronts, make a joke so that I laugh, and be real with me. Thanks Sick Pete. Then mg emails me and makes me laugh, too. He's going to give me $100 a year from now because I don't smoke any more, and another $100 each year after that. Can you imagine if I live to be 100, that's a lot of cash. It was back to the real world on Monday as school began again. It was really great to see the students smiles and energy. That's a lot more uplifting than reading research and deciding what statistical tests will best match my study. MMMMMMMMM Doctors. So I had another phone interview scheduled for today. For some reason, the ladies call did not get through to my phone, so I called her and we rescheduled it for Monday. It just seemed odd how that all happened. But again, thanks to Sick Pete for reminding me that 'perseverance builds character.' My poor girls ...

So-it's been four days of non-smokingness. No aggression, no angst about not smoking. Little to no instinct to smoke. Nice. Good. It is hard to go through the 'normal' parts of my day without a cigarette being part of it. Not hard, just weird I guess. I'm a non-smoker. "Sir, will that be smoking or NON." 'NON please.' I'm thankful for the Chantix. Really seems to work well for me, although the dreams have been intense. Had lunch today with two principals of middle schools in a nearby district. They helped me by taking the draft survey for me for my dissertation. After that, we all went to lunch. Had the usual ms principal discussions. We talked about career plans, and I just kind of sat back and listened to them. Didn't say much of anything. Then the Frenchman asked me very directly-'so, are you looking for something somewhere else for next year?' PAUSE. "Well, actually I am.....NYC....church plant......" G...

For some reason, the phrase 'Elevate in '08' keeps popping into my head. Not just for my spiritual walk, but for my physical walk, my professional walk, my father walk, my husband walk, my friend walk. Everything needs to be elevated. Step up. Step out. Step in. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to make this new year's resolution, but not just one that will give me 'the same life, just 10 pounds lighter' as Zarbaugh put it. I'm going to elevate this resolution to follow a vision to die for. That's JC. Last night was a lot of fun at mg's house with the Donald, Jacobo, mg (of course, it was his house), bb stopped by just to pacify us, and cdubs. Can't tell you how comical the sound of cdubs falling down the stairs (and I mean ALL OF THEM) was. You see, I have this assumption, and maybe I shouldn't but I do, that we will be in NYC next year for the school year. So each event, holiday, season, whatever, I look at i...