I mispell things!
it really “floats my boat” to think that all those soccer fans are singing “by GOD” when they sing ole`. also i would like to add that ryan hall is the real deal.
SIDE NOTE – i’m not sure if i know anybody in austin, texas or if anyone from there reads this blog but i will be in austin sunday through wednesday for the q conference. if anyone fits those categories i would gladly grab coffee with them.
yesterday i tweeted that i was at the hope center painting with a wonderful group of threads (aka people from tapestry). a friend from nobts tweeted back that tapestry sounds like a really cool group. it makes me proud to be associated with them. i was proud before my friend pointed out how cool all the threads are but it’s nice to know that other people recognize it too. anyhow we finished another room at the hope center and a 6th room is now just in need of touch up work. woohoo!
SIDE NOTE – tuesday we did our “film & theology” thing. as a part of it we had screens on the side of the movie screen that displayed the tweets of the people there. it was kind of cool and more people have expressed interest in doing it the next time we do a “film & theology” thing. i liked it so much that i am going to try it a tapestry gathering some time in the near future. as a part of the prep for the night i posted on a couple of blogs. one of those blogs belongs to john volez. through a timelines that i don’t know john was contacted a reporter for time, interviewed, and then asked for other people who had contacted him. that’s how i ended up being contacted and interviewed last night. apparently the article will be on time.com sometime in the near future. i find this all pretty weird but funny also.
at tapestry on sundays we have a journaling station set up in the back of the room for people to write down their thoughts, prayers, etc. concerning what has happened. last week i was pretty excited to find the above printed in the journal. i wasn’t excited because i was the one speaking on the evening, rather i was excited because it was another reminder that people are getting what we are doing as a group.
the photo above is the entry that i am talking about.
i have several things that i want to post about but i’m pretty tired at the moment. therefore, i’ll put a few blurbs up and see if they turn into anything longer.
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i had a close encounter with one of our backyard deer this afternoon.
i was by our squirrel feeder loading it with more corn when out of the corner of my eye i saw a shape moving toward me fast. i turned around to see a deer about 10′ away from me running at full tilt in my direction. immediately i realized that what i was encountering was one of the rare wisconsin rabid killer deer. they’re vicious and there is only one way to rescue yourself from them. i screamed “AHHHHHHHH!” and lifted my hands up to shield by face from the impact. this had the desired response and scared the deer into changing directions, right into a tree. the killer deer slammed into the large sapling and flipped onto its back. graceful creatures my butt.
anyhow the rabid but now scared deer finally got back on its feet and dizzily ran about 30 feet off to get its head straight. it was a bit of an odd experience for both of us.
SIDE NOTE – tapestry is team #4360 in this year’s town wide trivia contest. stevens point is the home of the world’s largest trivia contest. it starts friday and last 24 hours a day until sunday at 11:59:59 pm. it should be cool. we do not stand a chance of winning but we do hope to learn what to do in future years. our goal is to be in the top 2,000 teams.
not much to say today (but when has that ever kept me from saying something?). therefore, i’m posting a few random things from today.
my run for the day
i’m pretty excited because i am now two weeks away from going to q 2009. it is going to be great.
last night while pam and i were reading in bed (our nightly prep for sleeping) she rolled over and said “thanks for leading the most meaningful easter day i have ever been a part of.” so basically i couldn’t sleep very well after that.
as a pastor that’s the kind of thing you want to hear from someone but it is on an entirely different level when you spouse says it from out of the blue (a.k.a . not just when she can tell your down and thinks you need to hear something positive). one of the best compliments i have ever received.
especially since i didn’t really do anything. other people did all the real work. all i did was point people in a few directions. the really cool thing was that the painting at the hope center was mostly done by regular old threads (my new favorite name for thus of us involved in tapestry). the cooking and serving of the easter meal at the hope center was done by other threads. the tapestry service that night was lead but eric and brent with me coming in third for a very quick sermon which i can promise you was probably not the most amazing sermon ever- the music was much better. now yes i know that pointing people in the right direction is a part of leading but it’s really easy when you are surround with people like the people of tapestry.
the part that i was personally most proud of was getting people up to dance during tapestry while no parking on the dance floor was playing. yes there was a point to this. i talked out of the lost chapter (luke 15) in which JESUS tells three stories of things that were lost and found (a coin, a sheep, and a son). all i pointed out was that these stories are actually more about the appropriate response to resurrection than they are about anything else. JESUS tells these stories in response to some pharisees questioning him about partying with “sinners” (luke 15:2). JESUS’s answer to them is to tell three stories about people finding things and partying as a result. JESUS was teaching us that when HE defeats death with life (a.k.a. resurrection) one of the appropriate responses is to celebrate. so tapestry cut loose and the goal is to continue to do so all week.
actually all of holy week has been that way. other people have been doing all the cool stuff. i’m usually just buying brushes, paint, and candles. the painting was that way all week long and tenebrae was definitely that way. anyhow, as a proud husband i want to thank everyone at tapestry who helped to make this such a significant easter for pam and i (and hopefully for others too). i can’t wait to see how it gets better and and better over the years through believers like you guys.
SIDE NOTE – i think i just lied a little bit. the part of easter sunday that i am most proud of is that “no parking on the dance floor” is now stuck in pam and the boys’ heads. they were singing it all night long. 🙂 beep, beep … beep, beep … beep, beep!
SIDE SIDE NOTE- i am excited about the fact that tapestry is getting to the point that we can push things further and further. i learned this lesson from ferris bueller. the further you push some things the more fun and effecrtive they become (that is until someone gets hurt and then it’s no longer fun and games – or at least that is what a t-shirt told me). the dancing and music was fun last night and i think they got the message across but everyone got into it better each time i add something to the scene. i pulled out horns for everyone, then peeps, them bubbles, and finally streamers started flying. pretty much everyone was smiling and dancing by the time the streamers were flying. that stuff was easy. what i wish had been available was a disco ball, dance lights, and glow sticks! that’s the type of stuff that will come about for free as more and more people buy into what we are doing as a group. yes, money can buy that stuff but money really is only a poor substitute for time, creativity, and group involvement. as we get better as a group at connecting resources we will be able to push things further and further and thereby make them even more effective … and fun.