Q Crashing

This is an odd Christmas.  It is the first Christmas in my life where I will not be spending Christmas Eve over at my grandparents house.  Furthermore, it is the first Christmas without my granddad who went to be with Jesus earlier this year.  I got to see some family last week which was great.  My brother and sister in law came to Eugene then we all went up to Seattle to spend some time with my dad and his wife and her daughters.  Again, it was great.  But there is something hard about it every time they come out here to Oregon or I find myself back in Alabama.  It's like you kind of forget how amazing those times with family are and then when they take place it makes it even harder to go back to the reality of them being thousands of miles away.  I loved getting to hug my dad and talking with my brother about things that didn't even matter.  I admire both of these men so much.  It's hard not to have them around.  A day doesn't see...

For some reason I always had this idea that when I turned 30 years of age I would some how magically mature and start the quintessential ministry of my life.  This belief came from the fact that Jesus starts his ministry at 30.  I understand this is failed logic, but it always made me think at thirty I would be doing some of my most amazing ministry,  The natural draw for me was to imagine myself pastoring a large church or leading a huge ministry.  As of yet, that hasn't come to pass.  Consequently, the last two days have been some of the most amazing and fulfilling days of ministry I have had the opportunity to be a part of. Yesterday I took a group of guys from the mission out for coffee.  We just hung out and talked about life and shared where we were struggling with each other.  It was an amazing time of communion with guys who don't have homes at the time, but are in every other way so much like me.  Today an ...

Last night I went to a great college worship service at the University of Oregon.  Campus is beautiful by the way.  The guy speaking was teaching through the book of Jonah and last night covered teh last chapter.  I have always loved this story in the Bible, but for the most part have focused on the whole fish episode.  Last night it was all about Jonah's plant.  Jonah is pouting at the edge of the city and God causes a plant to grow up that provides shade and protection for Jonah.  While Jonah is sleeping God does away with the plant.  At this Jonah is irrate and for the thrid time in the chaper ask God just to kill him.  He can't believe God would take away the one thing that was comforting him.  It was his shade and protection and God had to go and ruin it.  It was a total crime against humanity. But then God questions.  See Jonah had just got finished being mad because God showed mercy to a city of people who Jonah did not lik...

One month away from having spent our first year here in Eugene, Oregon.  Wow.  God has done amazing things in us and through us.  To be honest, there was some expectation of things happening really quick, but as always God is writing our story.  At this point our team is working with homeless people throughout Eugene and we see many of them coming to know who Jesus is and beginning to follow him in their lives.  This Sunday we will be going to church with a van load of guys who have no homes, but have Christ as their future. The church planting portion of it is coming along as well.  Right now we are talking with a group that is wanting to start meeting downtown, a group that gets together and prays regularly, a church staff who would like to partner with us downtown, the Shift who is always supporting us in anticipation of the gospel being presented in Eugene, and individuals who are seeking a place to make a difference.  This is a very amazi...