**Mustard Seed Distributed**

Ahhhhh. Suburbia. Home to strip malls, parking lots with actual parking spots, Home Depot's, TGI Friday's, Applebees. Costcos. Exits (it is pronounced egg-zits in case you didn't know) with readily available everything for your consumption. We were invited by the soon to be marrieds to dinner at the new casa bel grande. The Disaster was kind enough to have us out to enjoy mexican night in their new home - and the quesadilla maker proved to be a valuable natural resource for the kkft. (PS-the margaritas didn't suck either). The girls enjoyed sliding down the wood staircase on a dog - don't get all bent out of shape - it wasn't a real dog, but a gigantic stuffed dog. There were many times when the disaster pointed out that fact that he did not know where the nearest hospital was in case of an emergency because of some of the girls' antics - all in good fun of course in the wide open space of their new home. I think if it is possible, the girls were ac...

Tonight I had the honor and privilege of dining with three men that I engage with regularly in my life here in the city. It was to be a meeting, and then a dinner to celebrate kallen's 50th. It turned out being a wonderful enjoyable evening. These three men have a strong presence in my life, and I am so very thankful to have them in my life. As I look back at the last few years, there are three different stories here. One is pastor, and as you have read, he has helped me to grow and stretch tremendously over the last few years. Another is cramdon, and his friendship continues to grow in my heart, and I enjoy spending time with him more and more, and enjoy getting to know him on a deeper level as we engage in life with each other, and work to follow Jesus and build His church. But alas, now I have come to the reason for this post. At dinner, we spend a lot of time talking about communitas nyc, and spend a limited time talking about turning 50, bucket lists, and the like. Bu...

Today, as I thoroughly enjoyed my walk to the school, I pondered quite a few things, as I often do on my walk. Sometimes I pray for people like Hammy, Jimmer, sick pete, mg, cdubs, pastor, beary, and the like. But today, I simply reveled in the fact that God loves me. As I watched the snow melting away, I could see the dirt and garbage left behind throughout my walk. I think of how God melts away our dirt and our garbage. How he longs to be in relationship with us, and how he cleanses our sins from existence. As the sun rose, I couldn't help but think of the verse I read this morning in Matthew 5:45 - "...that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." I pondered if Jesus was walking with me, which of the above categories would HE put me in? I'm pretty sure the unrighteous one at times. But yet he still walks with me and leads my steps. He brings the heat ...

Valentine's Day 2011 (pronounced twenty - eleven. Come on people, enough of the two thousand bit. Who said 'One thousand, nine hundred' in the last century - NO ONE.). I am not sure I understand this whole thing going on here. If you look at St. Valentine, he died as a martyr because he wouldn't give in to pagan society. So, tell me how we get to flowers, candy, and hearts? Not really a clear connection for me. A lot of people in history were referred to as "Valentines" if they also martyred themselves for Christianity sake. So I guess I want to be a valentine then, and superstar is the perfect intimate mate for me. Her beaty continues to amaze me each day. Why does God provide me with such a beautiful woman? Not just pretty, but beautiful. If you really want to know, SMOKING HOT. That's how I would describe her. There are moments (PG MOMENT OF THE POST) where I wish the kids were not at home because there are times where I catch a glimpse of...

This week we had an "I miss summer" party at the casa bel grande. And the title continues to haunt me this week as I feel a case of the Mondays regularly in February. At least the sun is coming up earlier and staying up later. Life is hard. There are so many things that get in the way of experiencing joy each day. I listened to a message from Rob Bell this week, and it has helped me to focus in on some joy that I haven't been paying attention to. He was speaking about Ecclesiastes and how 'it is all meaningless'. Sometimes in February that's what life feels like - like it is all meaningless. But Bell spoke of the phrase "eat, drink, and be merry" that pervades the book. So each day, I have enjoyed my food more. Enjoyed my drink more. I have really tried to spend more time enjoying the people that I work with, my neighbors, and my family. I have not been successful this week, for certain. I did not pay enough attention to my superstar thi...

I have to say that my emotions ran strong yesterday as I experienced some ups and downs during the day. Most often, as a person that thinks more than feels, I don't tend to emotionally involve myself in great fashion throughout my days. Not always true, but typically. But as I left school on Friday and made my way to the subway (which is actually an "El" where I catch it, yet everyone still calls it the subway even though it is not sub in any way shape or form unless you mean sub to the sky) I pumped some of my kexp podcast and was completely engaged in the incredible music they play. As I crossed Ocean Parkway, I noticed a man laying on the snow pile at the corner and a woman in a wheelchair leaning over to help him. I took my ear buds out and realized the woman in the wheelchair was trying to help him up. It appeared he had fallen on the ice and dropped his groceries, and he didn't appear to be well. The woman said "I think he is intoxicated." As w...

A busy week. In GR last week, which was incredibly perfect timing as a booster shot of leadership training that filled my leadership tank that was running on LOW LOW LOW LOW> Apple bottom jeans....boots with the fur. But I digress. What a reminder that the relational capacity we own with the people we are entrusted to lead is the most powerful tool we have in our belt. If we don't build relationships with people, there is no opportunity for growth for them, nor for us. This plays out not only in work, but also in life. If I don't have the relational capacity to serve others in my neighborhood, they certainly will not be open to the gift of grace. Any who - While there, I had an opportunity to sit down with AD and ask some questions about my future as an employee. I have been wondering if I should be concerned with that, as many of you know, the positions I thought I was moving to NYC did not all workout as we had thought they might. That being said, I have certainl...