I am doing something for the next couple of days that I don’t know if i have ever done.  I am taking a personal retreat.  I am really seeking the heart of God on many things.  Dreams, passions, vision…etc.  I am so excited to be using The Storyline Conference as a major piece of it! I was struck by how much money and time I spend on so many different things to make my life easier or better or more efficient, but when was the last time I actually spent money, got away and did a serious inventory and self examination of my life. What kind of man, dad, friend, lover, hero, villain, or saint am I? What are my weaknesses, my blind spots and my greatest temptations?

My desire is to have some time to just think on my life; my past, my present and my future.  I want see God in the storyline of my life but also to make some changes so that the trajectory of the story becomes even better.  When I read about the Storyline Conference my heart skipped.  I have appreciated Donald Miller, his heart, his authenticity, his vulnerability and his love for Jesus.

So I watched this and was sold…

So when was the last time you stopped, carved out time in your life to do some focused self-examination? If you are anything like me, the answer is probably, not for a long time…if ever. The time is now.  At least for me!

Many of you, like me, have grown up seeing this speech by Martin Luther King Jr. I am guessing that the first time I saw this was somewhere in my mid to late elementary years of school.  All I really knew was that I was thankful to this guy because I got a day off of school which turned my 2 day weekend into a 3 day weekend. I have grown up in a white middle class family for most of my life.  Life has been pretty easy and to be honest the civil rights movement was a long time ago!!!

All that changed when four years ago this happened:

When I watch the below speech I now see through a whole different lens.  When I read and hear these words

I have a dream that…Children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I get choked up!  I pray this for my daughter…I pray this for our nation.  I appreciate the peace, love, courage and passion that MLK spoke with almost 50 years ago.  Thank you Martin Luther King for having a dream that reaches through history and personally touches our little family in a predominately white suburb of Portland.

PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME TO WATCH TO THIS SPEECH!

We still have a long way to come as a society!!

Well…I haven’t been existent online for awhile and one of the main reasons is that I have been on a much needed vacation with my wife.  We left our kids with Grandma and took off for Kauai…we love it here!!

Long walks, fun memories, lots of laughs, doing whatever we want to do and whenever…

Well…Sorry I have been M.I.A. this last month!!  Things have been great but things have been busy.  So what has been going on this last month??  Here is a few things that have had my attention and my time!

My Family

I love my family!!  They are amazing!  I have a great wife, great kids and I get to love on them every night.  I have been reminded in this season how much more of an impact I can have as I detach from media and focus on relationally building into my wife and kids.  I have also realized I can be much better at it!

Thirteenth Birthday Party

I now have a teenager in my home!!  Crazy, surreal, yet very real!  She is an amazing daughter and it was great to celebrate the day with her!!

My Church

We have been ramping up for the Fall and just entered a vision series…looking forward to what God is going to do amongst us and through us as we SHIFT: from a church to a movement

Leading Worship

Have had some great opportunities to lead worship outside Grace Chapel and also with the church I love!!  It has been a blast

Ten Year College Reunion

Yeah…pretty crazy that ten years have past.  Man I am getting old.  It was fun to celebrate the memories made at Multnomah University

The Ducks

YES…that is right…I bleed green and yell-o.  Not really, but I love me some UO Ducks football!!!!…and our seats this year are pretty sweet!!

Thriving Musicians Summit

Had a great time at this conference.  Lots of worshipers and worship leaders getting inspired and improving skill

I took this picture almost one year ago today.

It was the day we buried my Grandpa.

I love my Grandpa. He was a man’s man, a follower of Jesus, and he loved to share his talents, skills and life with people.  I could go on and on about the things that my Grandpa taught me.

I miss his rough working man hands and getting a hug from him. I miss getting poked with a toothpick and him telling me it was vaccination of love. I miss the ways I used to run into his workshop to see what thing he was building out of whatever kind of wood you could find. I miss watching him read his Bible in his special chair. I miss watching him love my Grandma so selflessly!!

In all honesty I know I will see him again in the presence of Jesus because Grandpa and I shared the same beliefs in Jesus…

but for today and right now….I just miss my Grandpa!!!!!