Shopping right now down in Houston with my wife and daughter. I am taking a coffe break at starbucks. I love getting time away to think and read - this type of time recharges me and gives me energy.
Tomorrow we begin a new Starting Point group at 11 am -looking forward to building connection with some new friends.

Before the Super Bowl -an inspiring dad story

With the Superbowl coming up an old email story has been circulating widely.
Snopes (a great webiste resource for truth in the email world) has the full and complete story... very inspiring... even if you are a Pittsburg fan, it's hard not to pull for Kurt Warner.
Take a moment and read this.

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/warner.asp

After Lisa Carlson's Memorial

The service for Lisa was amazing. I wish I had known her better. Lisa touched so many lives. Family and co-workers spoke of the stories they remember and influence she had wherever she was. I am thankful for her demonstration of living life to the full.
Moses writes in Psalm 90
10 Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away.
... 12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. ...
14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. 15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. 16 Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. 17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!

Life is short and my prayer is that I will live everyday to the full... following Christ closely and obedient to all he wants me to do.

Now I can blog from my phone-pretty cool!

Speaking at a Memorial for Lisa Carlson

Today I am preparing for and helping lead a memorial service for Lisa Carlson. We have become friends with this family through mutual friends and Lisa's daugther Caitlin graduated with Cory and Coby from John Cooper.

Lisa had brain surgery in June '08 and battled complications until January '09 before she passed from this life on Jan. 17, 2009. > more on Lisa
The experience of letting go of a loved one is all too familiar for Diann and I, since her father died in November of 2007 and my dad died in October 2008.

My remarks today will focus on the challenge life brings in "seeing to believe" or "believing in order to see."

Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians from the New Testament, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ...We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, ...So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." -2 Cor. 4:18, 5:7, 9

What a privilege to speak to all the people who loved and respected Lisa. Lord may all who attend today hear and understand Your message today through her life.
Check back in for more on this story...

Feelin' good and losing a few pounds

The new year brings some exciting days... even with economy questions and a new presidents and all the changes... I am hopeful. God rules and does not slumber or sleep.

I started a new focus on exercise and watching what I eat... I would love to lose about 10 pounds... that would be a really good weight for me. So for the first three days ... I have gone to the YMCA... and with Diann's help really tracked by food.
I am down a couple of pounds and feeling really encouraged.
Hope you are having a good start to 2009.