Who do You Know?

Theme:  It's Not What You Know, it's Who You Know  

Read: Matthew 28:19,20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Reflect:  When we were living in Atlanta, Pastor Andy Stanley would often say "Go and be the person God has called you to be, and as people cross paths with you, eventually there may come a time when the conversations cross paths with talking about God."  I run a local wine room, and anyone who has been in tasting with me knows I can be fairly passionate about what I know about a certain wine. Eventually, if you come often enough, (some do come every day,) I am able to leverage what I know, with who I know!

 

Everyone in our small group started through that wine room!  Now, I have to say some don't attend Eastlake Church where we go, or any other church for that matter, so for some, we are their church! We are currently going through the Right Now Media series "The Grave Robber" and the first installment was about Jesus first miracle of turning water into wine! Talk about spirited discussion, I'm pretty sure Jesus didn't turn water into "Two Buck Chuck", but rather a 100pt wine for the ages! Now here's a thought that might piss off your Baptist friends- If they ran out of wine, let's put it this way; no one was driving home. UBER would be the call, yet Jesus still made more.

 

React: Eventually, as you "go and be," God has created each of us with unique talents and strengths, and He will strategically place people in your path that need faith, hope and love, are you ready?

 

The Reason for the Season

Theme-Jesus IS the Reason for the Season

Read: Luke 19:9-11,  Ephesians 2:8 Today is the day of salvation for I have come to seek and save all who are lost.  For it's by grace you are saved through faith not of yourselves but as a gift from God...

Reflect-Like many of you, I grew up with organized religion with CC&Rs, do's and don'ts, all kind of ways to "earn" points with God? It left me empty and confused, burdened; so I left everything about it.

Fast forward a couple years and I'm at a college party, three gals just fell to the ground; I  had just shared my personal stash of an illegal substance with them. Chaos and confusion caused the party to break as everyone took off, including me, never knowing the fate of those three women.  I was in shock, the reality hit that my dealer was trying to take me out... God was silent in my life.  I was afraid. I was confused. I was alone. So I fell to my knees a few days later and barked at God "If you are who you say you are, and can change this messed up life, then dude, I give it to you."  That was nearly 40 years ago.

When Jesus came into the world, it was messed up, and like today, religion was amuk with a bunch of nonsense and craziness. God said "Hey Jesus, it's your turn baby."

This season isn't about Black Friday, Cyber Monday, credit theft and hacking.  It's about Jesus, and what you do with Him.

React- It's easy to get caught up in all the festivities of the season, but the reality is this whole idea of giving is because God gave us the ultimate gift in his son Jesus.  What are you going to do with him?

Grass Monster

"It's my job to hurt 'em and your job to heal 'em." 

Now before you call CPS, let me explain...

That's what I used to tell my wife when my boys and I--well, actually all the neighborhood kids--would gather to play Grass Monster. We live on a hill and had planted super thick St. Augustine grass. That's the stuff you can bounce a kid off. Well, not really, but it is extremely thick and forgiving. As grass monster, I would be on all fours. When the kids attacked me all at once, I would fling them every which way. And every once in a while someone would get hurt, the kind of hurt only a mom's kiss would heal.
Good times. 
As a father, when real danger is lurking, I am here to protect and serve my family. How much more do you think our Heavenly Father cares for us? 

In Spite Of All Going On Around Us We Have To Stay Strong

So, I had coffee with a new friend yesterday.  He's been going through some stuff that I went through.  He used to be a VP; I was a P.  He couldn't find work for a while; I couldn't find work for while.  He likes to project manage; I was a project manager.  He likes beer. I like wine, Okay, so we have differences, the fact is tht sometimes we go through stuff so we can be a light to others having issues.  The important thing to remember in all this is that God cares, God know, and God is in control. God knows what's going on yesterday, today and tomorrow so my responsibility is to stay strong..

I just got a text from a friend who told me to "stay strong."  so please watch the youtube vid below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTRUvttsTsU

Rocky

Treat!

You've never heard a louder cat, or one that trips you up when you say that word.  Rocky peacefully passed away today in Austin's arms.

He was a good cat, a great cat.  He once saved the boys from certain death when a huge German Shepard ran into the yard sizing up the boys for a meal...Rocky jumped into action, leaped onto the dogs back, sunk his claws deep into it's nose and rode him like Mr Toad's Wild Ride. Okay, so I embellished. It was the timid dog from down the street, the boys lives were never in peril. but the rest is true.  That dog never came back up here to leave presents in the yard for the kids to step in.

I'm going to miss that cat; he was a rescue, and I think he always knew that his whole 14 years. He heaped tons of love on us, was an excellent pillow with built in purr vibrations. Lap cat, cuddle cat smelly cat.

We love you Rocky

There Could Never Be a More Beautiful You

Johnny Diaz has a great song about how unique each of us are.

So I'm sitting here at Starbucks overhearing a conversation between a mom and daughter. The kid is on spring break and says she doesn't think she got into the Sorority because of her nose. Really? Her nose is fine!  She's asking her parents to pay for a nose job. Here's the thing there is only one of her! She is special, everyone is unique! Check out the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNqQUojBg84

Here is Ps 139

3 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

Back from the Cruise

Jerry, one of the cruisers I met while at sea has no idea he only has a few weeks to live.  His daughter brought him along so they could enjoy his company as he enjoys his final life adventure.  I had many conversations with him as we passed back story after story.  He is ready to meet his maker.

If you knew you only had a short time to live how would you spend it?

Another cruiser eating at the table next to us had just announced her candidacy for Congress and was on board for strategic planning.

The Las Vegas Rock and Roll Wine group was there, well, at least 50 of them anyway, partying their way from bar to bar  every night, looking for the next high, hoping that would fill the void in their hearts.  One gal, a former Miss Nevada kept losing her bikini top......hmm.

Your direction determines your destination; where are you headed? How does one be in the world but not of it? How can one change the attitude that determines our altitude from making money to making a difference?

This short video gives a glimpse...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9Yasgzjc0w