Q Crashing

So this last week at the Eugene Mission we hit our highest number of guest ever.  466 people stayed on the campus.  This was partly due to weather, the economy, and the transient population beginning to move.  I though I would share some of the lessons God is teaching me from this job. 1.  Patience is key. One of the guys I've been working with most finds himself falling off the wagon again.  My first inclination is to wipe the dust off my feet and move on, but the sincere brokenness of his heart moves me to continue serving.  This is nothing great on my part.  Jesus did this for me.  Especially when I was broken. 2.  People are people. One of the guys I met at the mission now has his own place.  He  also comes over to the house and eats and plays games.  He is part of the Beautiful Mess and is a partner in prayer.  Never  discount someone's value.  Just because their current circumstances ...

This week at the Beautiful Mess we did some deep cleaning.  Ethan made a good insight that we have to get our house in order so that is what we are doing.  We are spending time getting the basement all tricked out.  It's going to be fun.  Ultimately we want to make it an awesome place for Hosea Youth Services to use.  We have decided on our first service project.  April 22nd we will get together to clean up around the Whitaker area.  What better way to begin to let people know we care than to clean up the area around them.  Pray for us as we will be cleaning up areas that are known for needle use.  We are getting materials from the HIV alliance in town that will allow us to properly dispose of them.  We will also be serving a free meal that night and will be inviting people to come back to the basement and eat with us.  Free food and hang out time. If you want to get involved we want you involved.  Our mission is  "T...

Halftime Speech by Q Are you drowning? Why don't you help yourself? Are you too busy traveling through your own personal  hell? Quit flailing about at your desk job while the tide still continues to rise. Your always trying to hobnob just to find someone to save your life. Why not take your life in your own hands? Throw the stapler against the wall. King Midas sits waiting in the grandstands hoping to see you fall. When did you first sit down on the sidelines? Why do you refuse to get up? This job was a stepping stone in your life now it is in every sip and sup. You are consuming mediocrity, finding scraps under the table. What you once held as your destiny  has become a mere fable.

So a few years back I read the book The Barbarian Way.  It was a great book and it begins (awesomely) with a quote from the movie Rocky III.  Here it is. But then the worst thing happened that could happen to any fighter, you got civilized. -----Mick to Rocky I reread that quote last week and it just keeps eating me up inside.  Many times I think we feel like we can only serve God within the context of what makes "sense".  We ask questions like,  "How do I serve God while accomplishing my goals in life?" "How can God use me while I get my degrees squared away?" "How can I use all these fun toys I've got to glorify God?" "What if I put aside a hour each week to just serve Jesus in some way?" To be honest, I'm not sure these are bad questions.  But they do seem like civilized questions and ones that guys in the early church probably weren't asking.  Maybe a question from Jesus really sums all t...

So here we are.  14 months into this journey with Jesus in Eugene Oregon and we are looking at a church plant (of sorts) starting up.  (So I know your asking "Why the of sorts?")  Because we are going to be more a missional outpost than church in the beginning.  We believe that if we can go in to the most unreached area of Eugene and show Jesus's love radically and relentlessly then he will be glorified.  Through that then a church just might be birthed.  If so we will continue to love, teach, serve, and worship with the people journeying with Jesus. The rundown is as follows.  We are meeting on Sunday evenings from 5 to 7 for the next few months with just the ministry team that is committing to The Beautiful Mess.  We will pray and begin to dream together about how we can be on mission this summer in and around the Whitaker Neighborhood and west downtown.  We will also take care of logistic needs, such as website, artwork for fliers, a...