Q Crashing

So I think this Easter was the most unique and amazing Easter experience I have been a part of.  Let me preface by saying this is not an attack on the conventional methods of Easter outreach, in fact I think they are very effective as evident by the 1,000's of people who came to know Christ throughout this country during Easter gatherings.  I just experienced a paradigm shift that had a massive effect on me.  So here is how my Easter played out. The family woke up and our youngest daughter was super snotty.  The green snot.  The kind that you don't take into to confined spaces with other kids because it spreads like wildfire.  So Audge took December to church at UFC and I stayed home with Journey.  It felt odd to be staying home.  I think it was the first Sunday morning in my life that I didn't attend church.  So what me and Journey did was crank up some worship music and we danced.  I think it may have been the most appropriate...

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...

So this is where I work now.  But to be honest calling it work just seems weird.  It is the mission field God has placed me in.  That feels better.  If any of you have ever been on a mission trip you realize how you forget the worldly things around you and just focus on serving and somewhere in the process you get changed.  The unhindered serving somehow allows God to move in your life in new ways, fresh ways, and humbling ways.  You walk away from the experience different.  I feel like that is what the Eugene Mission is doing to me.  When I found out I had gotten the job here I came out with guns a blazin and ideas flying everywhere.  For those of you that know me, typical Q fashion.  But as I slowed down and led my life meld with the men around me and let their stories become part of mine I started to become a different character.  God began dealing with things in my heart.  Not new things, but old, like pride, being judgm...

So last night me and a couple of my friends went to the Frank Turner concert here in Eugene.  I first saw Frank when he opened for Flogging Molly in Atlanta.  So I thought I would do a review of the show and how God breaks my heart of things.  If you haven't listened to Frank Turner, he has an amazing voice and is modern day folk with rock undertones.  Many of his lyrics, especially from his first album, were full of passion and challenges of living life for a purpose.  I'm a sucker for good lyrics that are inspirational.  When his latest album came out it became evident that he struggled in the whole idea of God and faith.  He wrote a song called Glory Hallelujah that tries to make the point that "there never was no God."  It was a little disheartening when he began to sing this song and people raised their hands and rejoiced in the song.  Before he sang it he stated that some people they may hate it and disagree with e...

One day a couple of weeks ago I got home and the weather was pretty nice so I decided to do something with my oldest daughter.  I love her so much.  She has the most amazing personality and a huge heart.  Whenever we get the opportunity I like to take her out on what we call Daddy Deci dates.  This day we decided to go down to the park for a little bit and then get some frozen yogurt on the way back home.  You should know that whenever I take my daughter to any playground she absolutely must play with every single thing at the playground at least once.  Her favorite stopping points at the playground close to the house are the slides, the swings, and the sandbox.  On the slides, I get to catch her.  On the swings, I get to push her.  But in the sandbox, I get to dream with her.  I love it. I have a hope that me and my family will do ministry together for a long time, but as I watch my daughter build, design, and play I see the dreamer...

I am the director of ministry and social services at the Eugene Mission.  This is an amazing job where I am expected to help men and women experience the love and restoration that God has for them.  Of course there is nothing I am doing, but as I allow God to use me, He is changing people around this place all the time.  But maybe one of the people He is changing the most...is me.  Many of the men on our Discipleship Program hold positions of service.  Some work the kitchen, some sort paper for recycling and some supervise programs for the hundreds of guest who come through our doors for temporary services(shower, food, or bed).  Many of these men and women have been here for years. One of the guys at the mission found out this last Friday that he has terminal cancer.  Today he came by my office.  I felt helpless.  He told me they said he only had 3 to 4 months to live, but that they could possibly prolong it with radiation treatment. ...

Matthew 18:1-4 says this, "At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?   And Calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them and said, Truly, I say unto you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Many of you have met my oldest daughter December.  I want to explore her journey with God and her pursuit of the Kingdom.  The purity in which she talks of Jesus, retells Bible stories, and prays has much to teach me about God.  She is an amazing gift that God is using to shape me everyday.  Periodically I will have post about her view on things.  Enjoy. One of the things she said to my wife recently was, "Did you know God has superpowers?  He can see the whole world in his hands." So true.  Our God holds it and sees it all.  No...

So I started blogging a month ago and to my surprise 5% of the readership of the blog comes from Russia.  Somehow this has made me want to go to Russia.  Maybe it's because I love traveling or maybe it's because I want to get over my aversion of Russian authors.  The dislike for Russian literature can be traced back to Senior English, when Mrs. Blanks made us read Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.  I almost gave up reading all together.  But more realistically, I believe it is because there are real people over in Russia whom God loves and wants to be in relationship with.  I really want to meet those people and tell them of the great love that is available through Jesus.  I get so excited when I hear about missions.  There are so many different culutures and people and God is wanting to show himself to all of them and we are his conduit for the message.  If you haven't been on a mission trip to another culture please go.  Russia i...

So I wrote on hope once, but it is becoming so obvious it is what people are in desperate need of.  Working at the Eugene Mission I see men and women everyday who are struggling to hang on to hope.  But even as I type that I believe that many of us are struggling with hope.  Romans 15:13 says that God is the source of hope yet many of the things we hope for are not God centered.  And so when they don't happen we begin to give up hope.  God has created us for more than worldly aspirations.  Do not let your hope swim in such shallow waters as money and fame.  God has made us to be free men and women changing the world for his Glory.  We can affect homelessness and hunger.  We can preach the Gospel around the world.  We can adopt orphans and care for widows.  Why?  Not because we are special, but because we have hope in the God who loves us and empowers us to make a difference.  We are free men and women on a long journey....

So I've heard some people lately talking about how moving out to Eugene is the cool thing to do now.  I really don't like the language.  Let me say right off the bat, this is not easy and please don't move here just because you think it is cool. Secondly, please pray for this area as an option if God is dealing with your heart about being on the mission field.  We need more people taking the Gospel to the city of Eugene.  God is at work here and we are excited to be a part of it, but we do need more people in the battlefield with us. If you take a look at 2 Timothy chapter 2 I think we can see why coming out here or following Christ is not the "cool" or easy or fun thing to do.  It is fulfilling and brings glory to God and obedient.  Check this scripture out.   Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unle...

This week I had a sobering realization.  One of the guys who has been staying at the mission decided to take his life.  He threw himself in front of a train.  This incident reminded me of one of my brothers childhood friends who did the same.  I sat at my desk after I heard the news and asked myself what I could have done different.  He was one of 300 men using our facilities.  Ultimately I feel like God was just challenging me to show more hope to the guys.  When someone gets to that point it is because they have lost all hope. I think we all should be showing hope to the world around us by living out the hope we have in Christ.  God talks about hope throughout the Bible.  Here are a few examples: "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you." Psalm 39:7 "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."   Psalm 43:5 ...

If I'm honest, I've always struggled with insecurities.  I always feel this pressure to preform at a certain level because in my mind everyone is watching and waiting.  Even being her in Eugene I feel like everyone is waiting to see what takes place.  This has caused me to many times focus my life around how I can best utilize my skills, abilities, and gifts to make things happen.  Many time to "make things happen" for God's glory.  Even as I type that it feels ridiculous in light of what God has been teaching me.  In the last couple of months, God has been showing me my real part to play in all of this is simple.  It is to believe.  Not believe with some head knowledge, but to believe with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  God is moving in this world and he is bringing glory to himself and spreading His love to His people.  We get to be a part of this when we believe him and trust him.  The Bible reiterates this throughout. ...

So one of the things that has happened since I moved out to Oregon is that I've began writing again and in a different way.  Many people who know me remember the fact that I have written poetry for much of my life.  I always enjoy the complexity of putting emotion on paper.  The time spent as a pastor at Lifepoint was a time when I wrote less.  Partly because I was so busy and partly because I just got away from it.  When we moved out here I started talking with one of my coworkers and he shared how he was part of a group that wrote short stories.  I wanted to make some friends and I was interested in challenging myself as well.  I've loved it.  I'm not great at it, but I have loved writing short stories.  At this point I've wrote three and am working on two more right now.  I am also working on a graphic novel.  It is a great creative exercise and so much fun.  On top of that, I get to meet amazing people who write amazing sto...

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...