Dodgers in 1st!

After two weeks, the Dodgers have surprised everyone including me, by getting off to the best start in baseball. Frank & Darrin eat your heart out!

A City on A Hill

Take this city. A city should be shining on a hill.
Take this city, if it be your will.
What no man own, no man can take.
Take this heart. Take this heart.
Take this heart and make it break.

Taken from U2's Song "Yahweh"

Thursday night Community242 will be looking at what it means to be light and salt as well as what the law looks like in our environment. Join us for a enlightening discussion from the Sermon on the Mount.

Lattes & Mochas to Come...

Today it became official. I was hired by Starbucks to be a Barista...on my way to a shift supervisor. Many have asked why I would do this so I thought I share the top four reasons I am going to work for Starbucks.

1. To be in the community and to be known by the community. Being incarnational means going to where the people are and joining them in their world. Especially with a house church ministry it is important for me to be in the community.
2. To receive needed benefits for my family. Starbucks has a great benefits package that kicks in at 20 hours per week. Most places require full-time employment in order to receive benefits.
3. To supplement our support base. You notice I did not say to replace it! We still need the ongoing gifts and support that we are receiving. At this point we are at about 80% of our needed support...in other words to get back to where we were before we started this journey:)
4. To receive training in running a coffee establishment. It is part of our dream to own/operate a coffee house as a way of being in the community and blessing the people of our extended neighborhood. Starbucks will provide me with valuable resources and training so that when the time comes, I'll be ready!

I hope this answers some of your questions. Feel free to email me with specific questions or you can post your comments to this blog!

Double Blessings

My friend Brian, like me, spent an entire morning trying to get U2 tickets online as well as on the phone. Then we both searched eBay for opportunities to see our favorite band. He was thrilled when I invited him to join me at the concert this week. We had a fantastic time singing, dancing, and just hanging out together.

Brian and I have a lot in common, in addition to being U2 fans. We are both former youth pastors, though he did attend Westmont. He is a great guy, who has an amazing sense of humor. We both love the Lord of the Rings. And we both have a desire to see young people's lives radically changed by Jesus.

Brian called me yesterday (the day after the concert). He thanked me for taking him to the concert and reinterated what a great time he had. Then he told me that another friend had invited he and Allie (his wife) to last night's U2 show as well. He needed a babysitter and we were happy to oblige. They had box seats that include the works for a concert event. Brian was unable to get tickets on his own, but by God's grace he was able to see U2 on back to back nights...truly a Double Blessing!

U2 Rocks the Staples Center

Last night Mimi and I along with some friends enjoyed one of the best concert experiences out there. U2 was in town for the Vertigo Tour. And they did not disappoint. The show rocked for a full two hours including 2 encores. Bono did his bit calling for human rights, especially in Africa and for all of us to use our voices to make a difference. He also paid tribute to the Pope who had given him Rosary Beeds. The final encore concluded with a very worshipful Yahweh followed by the comeback of 40(Psalm 40). The entire arena was singing for awhile after they had departed. Once again U2 showed me why they are the greatest band in the world. They have something to say both politically and spiritually and yet they still have fresh music following almost 30 years of being together. If you have the chance...get tickets! You won't be disappointed.

Baseball Starts Today!

Opening day is one of my favorite holidays! You may not consider such, but to me it is as special at least as much as St. Patricks' Day, Ground Hog Day, and several of the other so-called holidays. What is it that is so special about Opening Day! It signifies a fresh start.

There are 30 teams in Major League Baseball and only one can win. That means that as of right now, only Boston Red Sox fans have anything to brag about. The rest of us (I'm a Dodger fan) can only look to next season, which fortunately begins for me today. All the disappointments of last season, all the off-season trades and acquisitions all are put aside for a new chance at making it happen.

I like the idea that we can start over. The mistakes of the past are erased and everyone begins with a clean slate. It doesn't matter what a team batted last year, or how high a pitcher's ERA was. Everything starts over today. I'm reminded of the Psalmist who wrote, "Your mercies are new every "season"...morning."

What teams will score big this year? Which records will fall? Who will be the next victim of the steroid story? Only time will tell, what stories will emerge this season. I know that for me there is no better time of year. The Dodgers are still in the pennant race...with 162 games to go! Play ball!

Mission: Extreme Home Make-Over

Last Monday 20 of us from the Santa Clarita Valley embarked on a mission to Ensenada, Mexico. We knew that God had brought us together to build a new home for a family, but we had no idea all that he had planned for us. For starters many of us had done this before. And because of that "been there, done that" attitude, we figured we had a good idea of what to expect this time. Well, as usual we were wrong.

For many reasons, I was not very excited about this particular trip. Mostly it had to do with some relational issues that were present among team members that had the potential to blow things up from the very beginning. God had other plans, however, and He resolved those issues very early in the week. This was a huge blessing to Mimi and I personally as it not only averted more conflict, but it allowed us to concentrate our attention on the family and being a team.

God blessed us by the family. They participated with us. They were grateful for us. And most importantly they were grateful for the blessings of God in their life, both before we came as well as after we arrived. I had never seen such grace expressed by a family like I did this time. We were also blessed by the kids who were everywhere all the time. I did have to kick them out of the house a half dozen times or so, when they were in the way, but their love and affection and playfulness was energy to us all.

I'm sure others have their stories to share as well. So if you are in that category please write something for the benefit of the rest of us.

Carmen

Carmen
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Carmen is Antonio's mother and grandmother to their six children. She is 84 and active and spry. She helped with painting and blessed us in many other ways. Her love for God was seen in her tear-filled face.

Working Buds

Working Buds
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Jenna, Mimi, and Krista working hard...until the camera showed up. Thanks to all who gave financially or physically to this great project.

Dedication

Dedication
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

In this photo you can see the family and parts of their old house as well as the new house. Their lives will forever be changed by the difference. The rain they received set records this winter. Every time it rained they had a river running through their house. We are grateful for the opportunity to help change their life as a family.

At Home!

At Home!
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Don't let Antonio's face fool you. He and Alicia were truly grateful for the work and gift that our team brought to them...a new home.