I wanted to get a quick update out there for those who missed last night's reading at the Bard's and Brews event. My thanks to Primrose and Tumbleweeds (http://www.primroseandtumbleweeds.com/) for the awesome a location, my friends are still raving about your food. I also want to thank Tina at Jacobson's Bookstore (http://www.jacobsensbooks.com/) for your sponsorship and hard work, as well as Tonya Macalino of NIWA, who did a lot of the organizing. Thanks to all of you and also, a special thanks go out to (motorcycle) Brad Cameron for his brilliant work Mastering the Ceremonies and to the other readers for stepping up to the plate and swinging for the fence. You all did a fantastic job. I managed to give one of my best readings to date despite the presence of a microphone and a camera. I was encouraged near the end to look up and see Rick and Jeanine Jackson had made the long trek to Hillsboro to catch the event. I'm blessed to have good friends. The next Bard's and Brews event will be June 28 and every last Friday there after. The short story I read will be available through KDP Select sometime later this week.
I woke up to more great weather today, which seems extra crazy considering that I was getting tweets from my sister in Oklahoma City last night. She spent part of the evening in the bathroom--the most secure place in her home--because the latest Tornadoes were much closer than before. I love Jeanette and her kids. My niece is back up here for college but me nephews, the Brothers Wirth (https://www.facebook.com/TheBrothersWirth) have a band in OKC.
I don't talk much about my church fellowship, but today I'll indulge myself. Wild Branch Ministries is a crazy/fun group of talented and friendly people. We meet in Battle Ground, WA. Details at this link http://www.wildbranchministries.com/. People always ask the same questions like how many members we have and how long we've been around. I know in it's current incarnation WB has been around over a decade because I've been going that long. As for membership? Probably zero. I don't think you can count them. It would be like asking how many members Applebees has. In my ten years I've seen a number of regulars nearly every time but 40 to 60 percent of the attendees are new to me every time. Some I've known since age ten, and some just find us and try us out. Many people watch the live Ustream broadcast, and will attend in person once or twice a year. You could think of it as a house church with a hundred members or a failed mega-church.
Today we had a potluck--the first since I've been coming. The food was awesome. I was blown away. The message was on Ephesians 1 which is the point I'm coming to in this installment. I've been contemplating perspective a lot lately. Christianity is a mysterious thing if you don't have the perspective to understand it. The central truth, that Christ died to defeat sin and restore all things if we accept the gift of forgiveness is baffling if we don't understand that we are loved perfectly, permanently.
If you've seen a child hesitating at the edge of a pool, encouraged by his father to jump into his waiting arms, then you've seen the central challenge of walking in faith. As Mike Galeotti put it today, "So long as a question remains in the child's heart about his ability to trust his father, he can't overcome the potential danger he sees before him." Think about the fun a kid can have on a hot summer day in a pool, provided he takes a plunge. My buddy, Wally, said that someone walking past him nudged him into the deep end when he was a kid and he didn't get in again until he was 17.
Ephesians 1 is full of things we get when we take the plunge as Christians and choose to walk in the more that's offered. I think a lot of people attending church do not have a perspective that allows them to see these as something meant for them. Verse 3, blessed be the Father who blessed us in every blessing through Christ which Christ is entitled to. Verse 5/6 he did this for his own pleasure, he wasn't required to do it. Verse 7 we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses. Verse 8 all wisdom and insight. 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will. 13 were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit. And it gets better from there. I want to change tack a little bit though so follow my train of thought
In the book, "the 4 hour work week" Tim Ferriss asks a series of questions on page 300 (http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/). I want folks to contemplate their answers to these questions in light of the fact that we are loved perfectly.
What are you good at?
What could you be the best at?
What really makes you happy?
What excites you?
What gives you a feeling of accomplishment?
What shared experiences with people brought you joy?
I'm not saying that if we have pain or sorrow in our lives, we aren't living right. I'm not saying that at all. I just want us to measure our current life trajectory against the reality that we are loved perfectly. This is why I don't stress about my upcoming birthday, June 9. I'll be single, 43, no IRA, no health insurance, no big income job, nothing on the best seller list, etc. But I'm loved perfectly, and I have some really exciting plans. This has been a more intense update than usual, but with tornadoes and sunshine, I was in a mood. Thanks.
I woke up to more great weather today, which seems extra crazy considering that I was getting tweets from my sister in Oklahoma City last night. She spent part of the evening in the bathroom--the most secure place in her home--because the latest Tornadoes were much closer than before. I love Jeanette and her kids. My niece is back up here for college but me nephews, the Brothers Wirth (https://www.facebook.com/TheBrothersWirth) have a band in OKC.
I don't talk much about my church fellowship, but today I'll indulge myself. Wild Branch Ministries is a crazy/fun group of talented and friendly people. We meet in Battle Ground, WA. Details at this link http://www.wildbranchministries.com/. People always ask the same questions like how many members we have and how long we've been around. I know in it's current incarnation WB has been around over a decade because I've been going that long. As for membership? Probably zero. I don't think you can count them. It would be like asking how many members Applebees has. In my ten years I've seen a number of regulars nearly every time but 40 to 60 percent of the attendees are new to me every time. Some I've known since age ten, and some just find us and try us out. Many people watch the live Ustream broadcast, and will attend in person once or twice a year. You could think of it as a house church with a hundred members or a failed mega-church.
Today we had a potluck--the first since I've been coming. The food was awesome. I was blown away. The message was on Ephesians 1 which is the point I'm coming to in this installment. I've been contemplating perspective a lot lately. Christianity is a mysterious thing if you don't have the perspective to understand it. The central truth, that Christ died to defeat sin and restore all things if we accept the gift of forgiveness is baffling if we don't understand that we are loved perfectly, permanently.
If you've seen a child hesitating at the edge of a pool, encouraged by his father to jump into his waiting arms, then you've seen the central challenge of walking in faith. As Mike Galeotti put it today, "So long as a question remains in the child's heart about his ability to trust his father, he can't overcome the potential danger he sees before him." Think about the fun a kid can have on a hot summer day in a pool, provided he takes a plunge. My buddy, Wally, said that someone walking past him nudged him into the deep end when he was a kid and he didn't get in again until he was 17.
Ephesians 1 is full of things we get when we take the plunge as Christians and choose to walk in the more that's offered. I think a lot of people attending church do not have a perspective that allows them to see these as something meant for them. Verse 3, blessed be the Father who blessed us in every blessing through Christ which Christ is entitled to. Verse 5/6 he did this for his own pleasure, he wasn't required to do it. Verse 7 we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses. Verse 8 all wisdom and insight. 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will. 13 were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit. And it gets better from there. I want to change tack a little bit though so follow my train of thought
In the book, "the 4 hour work week" Tim Ferriss asks a series of questions on page 300 (http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/). I want folks to contemplate their answers to these questions in light of the fact that we are loved perfectly.
What are you good at?
What could you be the best at?
What really makes you happy?
What excites you?
What gives you a feeling of accomplishment?
What shared experiences with people brought you joy?
I'm not saying that if we have pain or sorrow in our lives, we aren't living right. I'm not saying that at all. I just want us to measure our current life trajectory against the reality that we are loved perfectly. This is why I don't stress about my upcoming birthday, June 9. I'll be single, 43, no IRA, no health insurance, no big income job, nothing on the best seller list, etc. But I'm loved perfectly, and I have some really exciting plans. This has been a more intense update than usual, but with tornadoes and sunshine, I was in a mood. Thanks.
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