This is a test...

Re-entry is deadly. My email box runneth over. My to-do list is looking very scary. My phone keeps making this noise and won't stop. I am horribly under-coffeed.

Other than that, all is well.

Back home a few minutes ago...no time for a detailed paragraph, so here's the stream-of-consciousness version of the trip:

Arrived in the Smokies mid day on Saturday...condo was gigantic - 3 beds, 2 bath, 4 tvs...Jackson got blackflagged (by me) at the gocart track after spinning his brother out on the last lap to avoid being passed...hiked in the mountains....fell in love with the digital camera...sat on the boys' bed and played Tony Hawk on their TV w/them for an eternity...watched the Coolest Mom Ever (my wife) play w/the boys in the McDonalds Play Center...Gatlinburg is as touristy as ever - think Las Vegas w/o the benefit of gambling dollars...left for home early this morning...glad to be back.

Only time for the short version....

This week, someone gave us the use of a condo in Gatlinburg for a few days. Two hours after we found that out, someone gave us some $$ for food and gas. We're no dummies so we took it as God and headed east last night for a much needed family getaway.

Arrived in Paducah, KY last night about 11:30 PM...got a room at the Drury Inn (free inroom high speed access!) and ran across the parking lot to try and grab Outback baked potatoes before they closed. Too late - already closed, but the host had mercy on me and GAVE me the potatoes!

Today - onward to the Smokies. The pancake houses and putt-putt courses await us...

Okay...not quite sure how to interpret thise one, but you can bet I won't be on the very front row when this thing opens. CNN.com - Lightning strikes Gibson's Christ - Oct. 24, 2003

"INS, clean-up on aisle 4....INS, clean up on aisle 4."
Yahoo! News - Sources: Wal-Mart Knew of Illegal Workers

the epic journey of man

I read through the New Testament in fairly rapid succession recently, and thuroughly enjoyed putting things in context of a larger story. Most of that reading was in the New International Version, which I have read since I was a kid.

Now that I'm trying to do the same in the Old Testament, I've wandered over to Eugene Peterson's "The Message". I've been slow to get on the bandwagon for "The Message", mostly because it lacks the poet ring that most translations have. Also, in his desire to bring the Old Testament Prophets into the contemporary world, they come off a little like trippy Hebraic surfer dudes. There is an area where I love it, however...

The book of Genesis and Exodus, when read in The Message, relates like a NY Times Best Selling Novel. I can sense a little more of the dysfunction between Joseph and his brothers - a little more of the tension between Pharoah and Moses. I'm sure I'll switch back over to another translation when I get to the wisdom and prophet books, but here in the epic journey portion...it's a great read.

We're leaving this afternoon for a much deserved break. Through long, rambling circumstances no doubt ordained by God, we have fallen into free use of a gorgeous condo in the Smokies. A few hours after that came through, and totally unrelated (in the natural), someone gave us som cash that will more than cover the gas and food. It's a long trip - about 12 hours one way - for a Saturday to Tuesday stay, but the convergence of opportunity and provision gives me the energy to go for it. Our boys are thrilled...we'll spend days wandering the woods and nights piled on the couch. As soon as I finish my session with the IHOP interns, we're loading the SS Family Truckster and heading south east. I hope to post some family shots with the new digital camera we just picked up.

Back in the prayer room...I was here for a while early this AM then errands and writing took me elsewhere. It's funny, I'm not usually here in the late afternoon...I'm seeing worship leaders and musicians that I haven't seen in the nearly-three months we've been here! I wonder how many guitar players this place has...

Had a day of errands this afternoon, rushing to get our monthly newsletter printed, buying labels, etc. Also took the plunge and bought a digital camera show we can show you all a little of what goes on around here. You'll see it...and still not believe it. It's more something that resonates within. There are undoubtably a hundred places one earth with the same vibe, but I've never found one.

Kelsey and I went out to dinner a few nights ago with Kirk Bennett & his wife, Dee. Kirk is a long-time KC guy who directs our prophetic teams and travels. He just got back from an amazing trip to South Africa. I was in a vegetative state - everything can be so different here that it is sometimes is tough to adjust. Kirk spoke some things that I was feeling in my heart but couldn't articulate - that's a weird feeling...but very releasing, if that makes sense (or even if it doesn't...).

Who is the greatest artist in the universe? Check out this great article on space photography...and don't forget that all creation calls His name. Wired News: Images of Space Get Second Look

CNN.com - Report: Gibson's 'Passion' finds distributor - Oct. 22, 2003: "Big Hollywood studios, however, tend to shy away from controversial topics, leaving them to the indies."

Hello?!?!?! Shy away from controversial topics?!?!?! Only when absolutes are involved...

I love my wife.

That's what it says. Right on the bumper of the car in the parking lot. I love my wife. Now, understand, I know the owner of the car, and I have no reason to doubt that he does love his wife. I just think it's funny that the text of that ended up on the bumper.

Had a full day today with the leadership team of the missions base, talking strategy, priorities, synergy, and poetry. Well, not poetry, but that rhymed. Speaking of the word 'rhyme', is there a word more difficult to spell? Oh yes...back to the meeting. It was great to be talking and planning about things that mattered. I have been highly frustrated in the necessary time getting up to speed here...no one's fault, but frustrating nevertheless. While I am still circling the track somewhat off the pace of all the leaders, at least I'm not getting lapped every thirty seconds like I was to start with. A few more laps and I think I'll be drafting with the lead pack.

Did I mention the Chiefs won on Monday night?

CNN.com - Niagara Falls survivor: Stunt was 'impulsive' - Oct. 22, 2003: "'I was in the water for about eight seconds. ... I was immediately enveloped by what seemed like tons of water.' "

...uh, buddy, that's because you were enveloped by tons of water.

Mark your territory....Wired News: Wi-Fi Users: Chalk This Way

Help me out! Curiousity is getting the best of me...who reads this thing? Drop me a note at bohlender@cincyvineyard.com and clue me in - name and location at least, if you don't mind! Thanks...

late start...

I slept 'till 7 this morning, knowing that meetings will go on into the evening tonight...it's our staff fasting/prayer day as well, meaning we meet 10 AM - Noon and 4 PM - 6 PM for times of corporate prayer and worship.

The heart of the House of Prayer is a little heavier today than normal. Over the weekend we got the news that the wife of a senior IHOP leader has learned that she is in a sudden and swift battle with cancer. As the leadership team said Sunday evening, if God does not touch her, she will not live long. Yesterday afternoon I came into the prayer room to find the worship band and singers singing their pleas to God in a huanting minor key - "for the sake of Your name / heal Mary / bring justice to the earth / heal mary". I immediatly had tears of two different origins - first, for the family going through the struggle, and second, for joy to see this passionate expression of love.

early monday morning thoughts

I've been thinking all weekend about a fellow I met on Friday. Sitting in the coffee shop, preparing for a meeting, I was approached by a well dressed Korean man in his 30's, carrying a 2 year old boy. He introduced himself and, through broken English, asked me a couple of questions about driving outward focused churches. We spoke slowly - his diction was perfect, but the words were hard to come by. He would pause for fifteen or twenty seconds to gather the correct word, but when he uttered it, it was clear.

It turns out this fellow is only here for a few months. He's a worship leader from Korea. He's come to learn our prayer and worship model as well as pick up anything else he can learn. Only when I pressed him for details about 'back home' did he produce a small flyer from his church...and the place is gargantuan! I'm guessing from the photo that the auditorium would seat 3,000 people. On the flyer was a synopsis of his involvement (in Korean, of course, but impressive, none the less!) and a picture of his beautiful wife leading a large dance team. This was not a guy who had nothing to lose by coming here - he obviously was a prominent leader in his own world.

I sat there thinking "I cannot believe this guy came halfway around the world - from a very comfortable setting - to struggle with a language barrier when it would have been a lot easier to stay home and maintain what they had." We get bent out of shape when the preacher uses a word incorrectly or chooses a bad illustration...this fellow, with plenty to say in his own right, sits intently with a pencil and writes down whatever he gleans from understanding every third word or so.

I'm not sure how long my friend will be in the US. One thing I do know...I'm challenged to sharpen my mind and gauge my own hunger. How bad do I want to learn/grow/be challenged? Do I even know what it means to be so hungry that it costs me something to be satisfied?

The neighbor boy has joined Grayson, Jackson, and their friends Truman and Issac for the afternoon and brought an Xbox...allow me to say I believe I finally see the first and only true justification for a large screen tv: Xbox Nascar 2003...

move over kids...gimme that wireless controller....

Elvis has left the building. Elvis impersonator holds up Shoneys

Kudos to The Obscure Store for this link...

This is bound to cause a split in a snake handling church somewhere. By the way, judging by the name the kid's dad gave the snake, this is a very funny guy. CNN.com - Boy finds two-headed snake - Oct. 17, 2003

CrazyBusy this week...writing up a storm, and starting an intern track for evangelism this afternoon. We're going to do some teaching as well as herd the interns into all sorts of fun situations.

I spent an hour with our Childrens' Equipping Center director, Lenny LaGuardia. Len is a riot and is building a monster team here. His conferences are always a big hit.

Saw in my comments section that Adam is getting a motorcycle. My heart cries out with the injustice of it all.

Yahoo! News - TV's Pat O'Brien Eyeing South Dakota Governorship

This settles it. When's the next general election? I'm marching on Bismarck, North Dakota to take the throne.

All started well this morning. Until I backed out of the driveway.

I jumped out of the mighty 740 TurboWagon (now nearing 210k miles, might I add) to shut the garage door...by the time I got back in, the heat guage was on normal. Hmmmm. I thought. That's quick. A half mile later, it was inching towards warm. A block before I got to IHOP, it was in the Nuclear Meltdown Red Zone.

Looking underneath the car, I find it's losing vital fluids....the green stuff that makes the motor not blow up. Looks as if the water pump is now only decorative...not functional. I filled it with water and boogied it over to Mac's Hole in The Wall Auto Repair Dive and handed the key to Mac himself.

Mac is the Goober Pyle of southern KC, MO. Formerly, he was the chief mechanic for a Mitsubishi shop...explaining the twenty or so Mitsu's that litter his real estate in various states of disrepair (perhaps that should bother me....

Anyway, he peeked under the hood and said the words every Volvo owner loves it hear: "That's available aftermarket!". Translated: probably a $40 part vs. a $200 part. Thanks, Mac.

While I manage to stick to my pledge to not become one of those irritating MacEvangelists who constantly remind Windows users that our machine hasn't crashed in a long time, I just can't help passing along this link....Wired News: Cult of Mac

So, you book a band named "Total Chaos", then you cancel, and total chaos breaks out anyway. Some days you can't win.

a rich history and profound reality

I recently finished a read-through of the New Testament and have gone back to the beginning of The Book to do the same. Perhaps it's because I'm a little older, or maybe because God's specifically opening my eyes, but these are not the characers I remember from my days of seeing these stories played out on the flannelgraph. If you have no knowledge of the flannelgraph, it was a method by which Sunday School teachers could take a phenomenal story and portray it to children in two dimensional unrealism.

Specifically, reading Genesis 22 this morning...the story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac. If ever their was a story for Steven Spielberg or George Lucas, this is it. Here's a father who is asked by God to lay his own son on the altar of sacrifice. And unlike the flannelgraph crowd, Abraham didn't know exactly how this was going to turn out.

In Chapter 22, verse 3, Abraham tells his servants "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there....we will worship and then we will come back to you." I distinctly remember my Flannelgraph Guides telling me that this was proof that Abraham knew God would somehow save his son from harm. I say bull puckey. I say Abraham was scared spitless. His face was ashen. His hand was shaking as he held the reins of his camel. In the highest point of stress in his life, he mumbled this to his servants even as he eyed Isaac playing there along the side of the road.

Later, when Abraham built the altar, we imagine Isaac hopping up on it like a boy would sit on a park bench built a few inches too tall for him. I don't buy that either. I think the probably figured out what was coming, at least to the best of a boy's understanding, and may have fought his father tooth and nail. Eventually, Abraham lay him on the altar, though...Isaac bound and gagged, both he and Abraham sobbing in the the most confusion a father and son had ever endured. Both are splattered with the blood of the other, their fingers torn open from a family battle that was leading to the death of one of them and the eternal agony of the other.

Of course, the story turns out that God provides a sacrifice in the thicket...Isaac is freed, and Abraham is spared having to pay the ultimate price, which is not necessarily one's own life, but rather the life of a son. Ask most parents who lose a child - would they have given their life for the life of a child? Most would agree that losing a child is the most painful emotion on the planet.

The point, of course, is that God knew that day how He would face that pain. He knew that while Abraham's son Isaac was powerless and only lay on the altar bound and gagged, that His own son would hang before the world on a crude instrument of Roman oppression - the electric chair of it's day...the cross that was so cruel that the Romans actually outlawed it's use later....and Jesus, with all the angels of Heaven at His disposal, would not allow another sacrifice to take His place. He would hang willingly - a sacrifice by his own volition. God knew He would pay the price that Abraham would not - a son.

So Abraham called that place "the Lord will provide." And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided." Genesis 22:14

Ramping Up

While Sunday's impromptu message was a surprise, I think it was ultimately very good for outreach here at IHOP. I also spoke to the Internship class last night along similar lines. Starting this Friday, I'm teaching an 8 Week Internship Track. We'll mix study and teaching with practical servant projects...I'm expecting it to be a lot of fun.

There's also a big buzz around here regarding our One Thing Conference - check out www.onethingglobal.com for more info. We're expecting 20,000+ for New Years Eve. Join us!

Here's an update on the aforementioned sad, sick sheep sailing ship. No one wants ship full of sheep / Headed for Saudi Arabia, fears of illness made vessel a floating pariah

Tell me again why you think people aren't interested in spiritual things? Dig this: Internet Trailers Ignite Gibson's 'Passion'

// post event report //

D'oh - had the details wrong on that one. I wasn't supposed to do a ten minute blurb. I was the schedule speaker! I found out five minutes after that last blog.

The Sunday night service is not a twenty minute 'talk'...I taught for about fifty minutes on servanthood and an outward focus - then challenged them to go clean toliets! We took out three groups (could have taken 3x as much but only had 3 kits) and had amazing results. We hit nine places and were only turned down one time. Several groups prayed with cashiers at convenience stores for needs they had. Regrouped at the coffee shop for fun stories afterwords.

I gotta start paying closer attention when people ask me to speak...

// the inside scoop //

I'm sitting on the aisle in row four @ IHOP, holding six seats for Kels and I, Rusty & Jen and Rusty's parents. The meeting starts in an hour or so but seats go fast.

It's our all-group gathering tonight - all the house congregations and the rest of the 'HOP community. The HOPper will be full tonight - 800 or so. I'm scheduled to give a ten minute blurb on outreach in general and servanthood in particular. The Unknown is that I'm going to challenge their ready, fire, aim committment by asking for fifteen volunteers to go clean public restrooms immediately after the service. :-) Let's put our toilet brush where out mouth is. Uh. I gotta rethink that part.

Sunday morning thoughts...

My Sunday mornings are not what they used to be. Not that what they used to be was wrong - but boy, were they different.

Since joining the IHOP staff, the idea of congregational worship has shifted for me a lot. If the essence of church is worship and teaching, I get more church than I ever have in my life. The worship goes on day and night. I spend hours in that context every day. We hear excellent teaching several times a week. Of course, there's more to church than that - there's the fellowship and missional aspect, which we find in a house congregation.

I distinctly remember meeting my first normal house churcher. It was in Kenwood, Ohio at Starbucks, where Adam Mosley and I grabbed coffee with Kevin Rains (www.kevinrains.com). Kevin leads Vineyard Central, an association of house churches based in luxurious Norwood, Ohio. Until then, every person I'd met doing church in their home was ticked at someone. Mad at a pastor, hurt by a church - house churching wasn't a cognative choice but rather a knee jerk reaction. Kevin wasn't like that. He was real, he was intentional, and he made sense.

We love our congregation - it's a furious blend of singles and families. We join one another for a meal and some prayer and worship on Wednesday nights. It is good.

I also love our Sunday mornings. This morning, I enjoyed a killer chai over the Sunday paper while listening to the boys on the trampoline and the breeze through the autumn leaves. It sounded better than any synthesizer-backed choir singing about the glory of the Lord being revealed in creation. I had it live, in surround sound.

I believe I prophesied this one a few months back...
Yahoo! News - Bubble Bursts for E-Books

FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) - At the height of the Internet boom, e-books were hailed as the shining new tomorrow for publishers and paper books were heading for the scrap heap.

A Saturday Morning Update

Zion (2) has new favorite phrase: "I smell sumpin!" In a house of three little boys, he's rarely wrong.

Grayson (6) has bravely lost another lower front tooth. Once he had it wiggling, it didn't stand much of a chance.

Jackson (10) has learned that, if the toaster will not stay down, it is not a good idea to use masking tape to hold the lever down, especially if one is going to forget it and go out on the trampoline. The smoke is now clearing.

It is a good day to be a dad.

Why you shouldn't bring a big cat to a Pentecostal church:

Woman's Big Hair Leads to Tiger Attack: "

'As Roy was leading Montecore out to stage front on a lease, the cat became fascinated and distracted by woman with a big hairdo in the front row.' "

Thought of the day from The Big Project...

Small Groups are The New Sunday School and are most likely soon to be The Latest Sacred Cow. I am thinking things that some folks are not going to like about all this.....

It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, my hometown, out there on the edge of the prairie....

True love... lasts forever: "Sure enough, what stood apart from the pinkish tinge of watermelon flesh, was the light-colored outline of a heart - a sign Avis said was from her husband, who died 10 years ago this November.

'I think he was telling us he still loves us, that's what I think,' Avis said of the discovery."

Just in case you were wondering...

If you sit in the IHOP coffee shop long enough, answering email and looking very intent, someone will come along and buy you a cup of coffee? Thanks, Ben! You da man!

Napster is back and legal...but doesn't work on a Mac. Not cool...

a day of planning...

After some time in the prayer room this morning, Kelsey and I are going into a planning session to outline some next steps for the Mondo Sized Halloween Parties we're throwing in IHOP'rs front yards on the 31st. We've also got to produce an overall outreach brochure for the Missions Base that I will present on Sunday evening. It's days like this that I'm glad I married smart. :)

Zion is growing like a weed and seems to manage a new phrase about every day. Yesterday's gem - repeated a hundred times, of course - was "I smell sumpin!" In a houseful of boys, that's entirely likely. Also, thanks to his big brothers, he enjoys declaring "Smackdown time!" before diving into a wrestling match that he's destined to lose.

As of the time stamped along with this posting, chapter five is in the can! Well, I'm sure I'll open the can in editing, but the bulk of the work is done. I am one-third finished....

Back in the House of Prayer...

We've been joined by 26 Japanese who have spent a week here at IHOP. The came for a weekend (from Japan?!?!) six months ago and returned for a week this time. They are part of a very traditional 75 year old Bible School is Osaka that has recently been touched deeply by the Holy Spirit. Part of what they're doing here is investigating how to change their school format from what they've used in the past to what we've developed here at IHOP. We will be sending teams to Japan every few weeks during the school year to lead sections of the school. They will be also sending leaders our way for further training.

One of their key leaders is now sharing via interpreter about her joy that the hand of God is moving on Japan. She says "Japan is no exception - we have been filled with idolatry and people are losing hope...so we are getting hungry and hungrier. Last year we came with ten students because I was believing that somewhere in the world there must be a place where God is overflowing, and right here, God met us....I believe that God is going to restore the years the enemy has eaten up and wasted. The land of Japan is hungry for the true love of God. God has poured out abundant mercy on us and promised us that more people would be given to us. Now we are looking forward to seeing the glory of God in Japan. He has been gathering those with the heart of God and those who seek His face."

Now another leader is saying "this is the second time I've been to IHOP. February of 2000 I came here. But even two years before, God began to teach me how to pray. I was getting excited about IHOP through the Japanese magazines. Already, right here in Kansas City a prayer ministry was being built! Although I didn't get a full understanding of IHOP. When I met the leaders of the Bible college, I told them they must investigate this place. Then I met Mike Bickle and insisted that we come again to investigate. From the beginning of our visit, God has made me weep and sob - I don't know why. Humanly speaking, I have no reason to shed tears, but finally God showed me the reason why...I realized that those tears were the tears of God - that sadness was the sadness of God and the tears signify that God can no longer bear the dead religiosity and traditional structures that have stopped the work of God in the past. He can no longer tolerate it - we must worship Him in spirit and truth. Please pray for Japanese churches so true worship and adoration to God may be restored in Japan. I believe surely that through this type of ministry in Japan, God will restore true worship to Japan. Please pray for us...we are nameless, faceless and little and short! Yet God will use us!"
I promise you, that's what the interpreter said.

Next up - a group from Tiawan...looks like a bigger group than the Japanese. Daniel, our resident Malaysian with the Burmese wife, is directing them to face the Japanese and pray for one another in repentance for generations of animosity.

As I sit here looking at the 26 stretched out across the front of the room, I feel rediculously provincial. This place is more international than I ever expected.

I am taking a quick break before going back to the prayer room - took on all three boys in an impromptu game of Trampoline WWF Smackdown. I won quite handily once I started pegging them with acorns that fell from the tree hanging over the trampoline. I am still king of the hill.

Today is a good day. In addition to a long time in the prayer room, I have generated better than 1800 words towards the Big Project and a short, 1000 word magazine article for the Vineyard. That's what getting to bed at 9 PM will do for you.

Back in the saddle...

It's good to be back in KC after a few days on the road. We were so tired that we all crashed about 9 PM last night. My internal clock woke up at 4:30 AM, wondering "how long are you going to sleep?" I coaxed another 30 minutes out of it.

I love the early morning hours...the solitude of it, I guess. My routine is to get up at 5 AM and leave the house about 5:45 AM. I like the quiet so much that I have even instituted a no-radio-no-cd policy on the way to the House of Prayer in the mornings.

Back to the prayer room....and hopefully some work on The Mother of All Projects. Chapter Four is now finished.

Would someone explain to me how dense you've have to be to do this - knowing you were about to tick off an entire company of the National Guard? Car Thieves Vandalize, Steal National Guardsmen's Cars

Back in KC....

It's been a big weekend. Since we last talked (er, since I last typed), I taught the full Weekend Intensive at VCC on Friday and Saturday, and then this morning at Cobblestone in Oxford. The Weekend Intensive went wonderfully well. As always, Danielle had the details all under control which allowed me to just get up and tell the stories. Final registration was around 90 folks from 25 different churches, including a few guys who drove from Lees Summit, MO (10 minutes from my home here in KC!).

It was good connecting with the crew at VCC. I miss the staff and still feel responsible for those who reported to me...it's harder to pry into their lives and give them much needed advice like I used to when I was on site all the time, but I still managed to get some of that in! They'll thank me someday. Really they will.

Saturday night we managed to squeeze in some connecting time with friends. Cap and Sharon Karns opened their home to us and about thirty friends from all different streams of our life...the Vineyard, SpiritLifers, and others who we have collected along the journey. 11 pm found us sitting out on their stamped-concrete patio warming our toes around the fire pit with those dear to us. It was so great to see everyone who was able to make it. Illustrator Exraordinaire David Sheldon called at the last minute to say he couldn't make it - something about a goat cheese crisis, if I remember correctly. Perhaps next time.

The drive home today was...fast. The first few hours, everyone slept. I set the cruise on high and listened to Ohio, the new double cd set from Over The Rhine. (the cd set was gifted to me by Donna "411" Hern - her brother did the killer photography work). Karen Berquists' voice is simply haunting. I look forward to driving solo to the airport on Tuesday when I can listen to the entire thing...louder.

Good to be back - starting an extended fast tomorrow. Telling you all this to keep me accountable, I guess. :) Kelsey and I are praying for specific direction regarding ministry here at IHOP...would much rather be working God's plan than forcing ours. Blessings to all of you.

item of note

Macaroni Grill is still wonderfully close to VCC's offices....pasta milano is really good.

Just a quick blog from my other life...

We left KC at 3:30 PM Wednesday and drove to Cincinnati - got in about 2 AM.

I'm at the office in Cincinnati this morning, preparing for our fall Weekend Intensive. Registration is up over the 80 mark, ranging from all over the US. These are always fun.

It's great to reconnect with the VCC staff...I've surely missed them. Took a well-spent hour with Donna Hern this morning to catch up. Donna is a fountain of all things relevant. Forget 411.

New Snakeskin Shoes Offered By Walmart:
ajc.com | News | Man bitten by rattler while shopping at Wal-Mart

late night, well spent...

Last night we gathered friends, old and new, over two large roasters of Kelsey's killer italian beef, a red-meat and hot-pepper ensemble geared to warm the coldest hearts. Rusty & Jen Geverdt and their three children joined Billy & Marybeth Humphrey and their three children and Kelsey and I and our three children along with our friend Josh and my mom. It was a houseful, and a pile of fun. The kids played on the trampoline until the darkness/safety rule kicked in (I probably don't need to explain that one to you) then moved down to the basement to play while the adults sat around the table for hours.

Billy & Marybeth moved here 2 weeks after we did. They're from Atlanta, where Billy youth pastored before coming here. In all practicality, 2 weeks is like 2 minutes here, so we enjoy comparing notes with the Humphreys' and Geverdts' on what we're learning.

Tomorrow afternoon we'll be heading east towards Cincinnati for the fall Servant Evangelism Weekend Intensive at VCC. We'll hang with friends a day or so, then I'll teach Friday and Saturday at the Vineyard and Sunday AM at Cobblestone Community in Oxford, Ohio. The boys are excited to go see their friends. It will be interesting to see how their memory of a place compares with reality. Sometimes going home is harder than staying away.

Reason #421 that Vladimir was not elected class clown:

CNN.com - Icy reception for Putin's climate joke - Sep. 29, 2003: "MOSCOW (Reuters) -- An unscripted gag about global warming won Russian President Vladimir Putin an icy reception on Monday at a U.N. environment conference, where Arctic nations warned the frozen north faces disaster from climate change.


'In Russia, you often hear, either as a joke or seriously, that Russia is a northern country and it would not be scary for it to be two or three degrees warmer,' Putin said in an unexpected interjection at the conference. "

Home again...

Yesterday I drove to Macomb, Illinois to meet with the good folks from the Macomb Vineyard about being an outward focused church. I brought Josh Cone along for conversation and to share driving duties. Jackson rode along for comic relief. Somewhere northeast of Kingdom City, Missouri, Jackson announced "I have never seen so much corn in all my life!"

The Macomb Vineyard is situated wonderfully on a corner near Western Illinois University. I spoke to their leaders on Saturday night and to the entire church on Sunday morning. Following a Subway feast, we made our way across the intersection to a small pond where the WIU fraternities were holding their annual cardboard boat race. We gave out 3 coolers of bottled water in no time flat, then returned to the Vineyard for some ice cream before heading back towards Kansas City.

On the road home we had a bit of a strange encounter...we stopped at a convenience store to grab something to drink. Josh and I were standing on the sidwalk waiting for Jackson to get out of the truck, when someone walked by us carry what appeared to Josh and I to be a package wrapped in oily rags...and out of the package was something that looked like dynomite! Then, the guy got to the door of the convenience store, lit the fuse and walked in!

Josh and I took one glance at each other and beat feet for the truck without saying a word. Jackson (who hadn't had time to get out) kept saying "what's going on!" as we ripped out of the parking lot, fully expecting the whole place to blow sky high any moment. We waited a while and nothing happened, so it's hard telling what the heck was going on, but whatever it was...it was weird! We went elsewhere for our drinks...

"Ring-bearer in Aisle 4"

It is only a matter of time until Duct Tape gets AMA and FDA approval.


Yahoo! News - Man Uses Duct Tape for Bear Attack Wounds

Yahoo! News - Church Group's 'Kindness' Spurs Bomb Scare
: "'We take full responsibility for this,' said Tara Bulger, youth director for the First Presbyterian Church of Athens. "

Bless you, Tara. I kind of figured we might get pegged for this one somehow. I'll make a note to clarify some things at next weekend's SE Weekend Intensive....

PREPRERELEASE: A Snippet from Chapter One of my yet untitled work / not that anyone's really screaming for it

Since the mid 1600’s, people have flocked to Pamplona, Spain, during the second week of July for what some have called “the most exciting participatory event in the world”. The excitement begins each morning at 8 AM. A mardi-gras style crowd packs the street from one side to the other, waiting for the big event. Bulls, weighing in at 1,000 to 1,500 lbs and destined for the fight of their lives , are released into the streets and chased towards the bull ring. The only thing standing between these bovine behemoths' and and their goal is a drunken mob waiting for the thrill of a lifetime. When the bulls are released, the crowd leads them through the streets on foot in a harrowing half-mile run, often narrowly escaping the bulls’ sharp horns. Some people don’t escape at all.

Runners at the front of the pack deal with getting jostled by the crowd behind them. Runners at the back of the pack deal with the reality of the equivalent of 6,000 Quarter pounders, still breathing, and bent on avenging every hamburger the runners have ever eaten. Since the Spaniards' began keeping track in 1924, 13 runners have been killed and more than 200 injured by the bulls. A great number more have been hurt in the citywide drinking that goes on that week that serves to dull the senses in preparation for the danger, yet ultimately makes the runners less likely to succeed.

As believers living in this world, we’re not so much gladiators in the arena of culture, battling with a human nemesis, as we are runners a half-step ahead of the bulls. In the grand scheme of things, the difference between those running at the front of the pack and those being gored in the back is not all that vast. Given a different starting position or a poorly placed step, any one of us might have found ourselves with El Diablo breathing down our neck.
At Pamplona, a runner’s success is not measured by cutting across the path of other runners, causing them to fall. That is considered not only poor sportsmanship, but inhumane. Success would be defined leading the charge to safety. On a good day’s run, no one gets nailed to the wall. That sounds a lot like what we’re called to...to run a race, and lead as many to follow us as we can. A good day for the Kingdom of God is not unlike a good run at Pampolona - everyone lives to run again.

Please report all joy to the Bishop immediately.


No Clapping, Dancing at Mass, Vatican to Warn

After being in and out of e-contact for a while (the roadrunner at the house is now potentially dead...don't get me started), I did a quick check of a couple of blogs that I read regularly. I think Doug Hill is probably too funny for his own good. www.doughnutdesign.com

Look! Quick! Integrity! Check out this story of a coach who voluntarily moved his team out of the ranks of the undefeated when he realized that one of his players had been ineligible. Good for him and good for high school football.


Coach forfeits game, no longer undefeated

I advise moving the cheese to the very top shelf of the fridge immediately.

CNN.com - Snakehead fish found in Wisconsin - Sep. 24, 2003: "JANESVILLE, Wisconsin (AP) -- A carnivorous alien fish known for its voracious appetite and ability to wriggle short distances on land has been found in southern Wisconsin's Rock River."

an unexpected guest....

On Sunday evening, I posted from the prayer room about waiting on God. Later that night the perception shifted from waiting on Him to something more powerful than I've ever encountered. Staff member Kevin Matthews got up to speak for a few moments and immediately the room grew very still (in a day-and-night context, someone is always coming or going!).

Kevin shared how he'd been gripped by how little we knew about the true fear of the Lord...that God hid Himself purposely because, historically, His full presence and our flesh appear to be pretty incompatable. One thing that really stood out was Kevin pointing out how, for all our rhetoric about desiring the power and form of first century Christianity, that we probably didn't really want all that came with that (two words: Annanias and Saphira...).

What followed could only be described as a holy moment. 'Moment' seems to minimize the impact of it, because it rang in the depths of my soul. It was an encounter that I can only compare to wearing a lead X-ray apron. It was as if a heavy blanket across my shoulders - heavier than any blanket could be, really - but the weight seemed equal across my entire body. I was moved to my core with a small portion of what it means to be in His presence - not the ambient presence that we seem to enjoy any time we worship or view creation - but the sort of presence that makes you want to tie a rope around your waist and ask your friends to stay outside, listening for your footsteps, so they can drag your body out if necessary.

For all of our songs petitioning Him to come, I'm quite sure we have no clue what that would mean. I think the lead apron effect is only a millionth of it, and it's on the very kind extreme of the spectrum.

thoughts from the prayer room

...a reoccurring theme of waiting on God seems to be surfacing tonight. Every song, every line from a prophetic singer, each seem to point to a time of waiting. It's funny - those times when Kels and I have taken a big dive or ran off and done something 'over the top' because we felt God wanted us to, we've often had people tell us "I can't believe you did that!". Right now, I know the easiest thing to do is 'something'. The toughest thing - and often purest test of our faith - is to do nothing, in anticipation of Him doing something. To recall an old bumper sticker - don't just do something; stand there.

In about an hour, Rusty Geverdt, Josh Cone and I will be heading to Kemper Arena to help serve the prayer ministry for the big Promise Keepers event - 14,000 expected.

I'm cranking away on the Mother of all Writing Projects....at the 25% mark now, and actually have rough chapter titles. No book title yet. I want to wait and see what it turns out be be about before I lock myself into something. :) I hope no one from Relevant Books is reading my blog....

The Coyote must have caught the Road Runner somewhere because internet access is down at the house. I called tech support last night and after 30 minutes they verified that I do, in fact, have a problem. I talked to Kels a few minutes ago and she assured me the Fixer Guy was there doing his stuff...hopefully they'll be up and running again soon. Last night we kept finding ourselves saying "check if..." and walking to the computer only to stare at a blank browser window. We did learn some things though...like the fact that they still make phone books, although they're pretty cumbersome. They also predict the weather on TV, but only if you're watching at specific times. I hope they get the Road Runner out of the Coyote's grasp soon...

Monkeys hold out for better trade - CNN: "Brosnan said she doubted the behavior was learned, saying most animals 'cannot learn things which they do not naturally do in the wild.' "

So tell me again about that bear riding a bicycle at the circus?

I just got this from my nutball friend Steve Kooy:

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.

I blevie it.

Baaaaaaad News Department

CNN.com - Death call for Gulf sheep ship - Sep. 17, 2003: "Saudi authorities refused to accept the sheep because some of the animals were suffering from a low-grade infection known as scabby mouth disease. The percent of the shipment infected is disputed by Australia, which has since sought to find an alternative port for the sheep -- even offering the 50,000 sheep free to anyone in the region willing to take them. "

Just imagine. No one wants 50,000 scabby mouthed sheep. Go figure.

I saw this one coming a mile away. RISE UP, OH COFFEE DRINKERS! THROW OFF THE HANDS OF OPPRESSION!

CNN.com - Espresso tax rejected by voters - Sep. 17, 2003: "'It's not a luxury item as far as the culture here,' Babcock said Tuesday. 'It's a cold, wet, damp environment. Coffee's big, and everyone loves their lattes.' "

I've been reading "The Final Battle" by Rick Joyner - it's a story form of a series of prophetic encounters that he had some years back that comes off something like Lord of the Rings. In one scene he is transported to heaven for a face to face encounter with Jesus. The encounter leaves him glowing - Christ's radiance has had such an effect on him that his clothes shine brightly. Then, Wisdom gives him a very plain cloak to wear over the glowing clothes. He's confused, wondering why he'd want to cover this up...he says that the cloak makes him look more like a homeless person than a child of the king. Wisdom answers:

"The Lord is closer to the homeless than to kings. You only have true strength to the degree that you walk in the grace of God, and He gives His grace to the humble. No weapen can penetrate this mantle, because nothing can overpower His grace. As long as you wear this mantle you are safe from this kind of attack."

Only in the Kingdom of Heaven do the mighty warriors look like the poor of the earth.

Go here to see what eggheads are arguing about and willing to put money on. It's a site that allows people to wager on(for charity) and debate long term predictions about society, technology, etc. Interesting stuff.

Appeals court blocks California recall - Sep. 15, 2003: "'Historically, the courts have upheld the rights of voters, and I expect that the court will do so again in this case,' Schwarzenegger said. "

Contending for what's yours...

Last night was phenomenal at the House of Prayer. Several evening a week the worship/prayer component is relocated to another facility to allow for a time of teaching. Normally Mike Bickle teaches Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, but yesterday he handed off to Kevin Matthews, who directs the healing ministry here. The prayer room, with about 800 seats, is lined on three sides by smaller rooms with teams of people who pray for the sick. People literally drive across country to bring their sick family members. For the skeptics who are lurking - just to reassure you - there is no charge.

Kevin taught about the dynamic tension between hearing a promise from God and actually seeing it - and how many people fall by the wayside in between. I was stirred to continue to contend for a number of things that I know God has for us. Kelsey and I remarked how much his message rang in our hearts like so many of the ones we had delivered at SpiritLife. Like John the Baptist, one day that which we see in our heart will be held on our hands.

CNN.com - Rich-poor divide derails WTO talks - Sep. 15, 2003: "'Some countries will now need to decide whether they want to make a point, or whether they want to make progress,' U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said. His comments appeared directed at a group of mostly poor nations -- often known as the Group of 20-plus -- that emerged as the major opposition to the U.S. and European positions. The group represents most of the world's population and includes China, India, Indonesia and Brazil.

So, tell me again why there is the world-wide perception of an ugly American? Just because we try and tell a group that "represents most of the world's population" the terms they're going to accept, and then we stomp and snort when they don't?

I don't have particularly strong feelings on the whole WTO thing - the crazy actions of past WTO protesters has been enough for me to turn a blind eye to the whole thing for a while - but the more I read the more it seems like we're trying to export Americanism rather than prosperity. It could be we don't know the difference.

Whoever the RIAA public relations person is, they need to be called into the office for a serious sit-down talk about who it singles out to prosecute....12 year old girl sued by RIAA for downloading music. You can't tell me they couldn't find another guilty party who wouldn't have elicited such a backlash.

Much to Kelsey's chagrin...

I have declared it Johnny Cash Weekend here at the Bohlender house. Right now I'm sitting on the futon looking out the dining room window, listening to "I Walk the Line" as I stare out the dining room window at the neighbor's immaculately maintained lawn (selectively overlooking my own lawn, which, conveniently, was quite dead when we moved in...). Next up: "A Boy Named Sue." You just do not get this sort of culture anywhere but in the middle of country music. I have laughed all week as Johnny's history has been claimed by everything from heavy metal to jazz stars. Sorry, but when the stocking cap wearing artist with an endorsement from a skateboard company insists that Johnny Cash was one of his primary influences as a child, I want to yell "Pu-leeeeeeeeeez!".

The kitchen smells of the universal hang-out food (manwhich). In forty minutes or so, we'll be flooded with Cincy VCC / IHOP refugees with bags of chips and other goodies in hand, coming to hang out for the afternoon. We'll swap stories of what we're learning and what we'd do for a pint of Graeters.

Grayson has captured a worm from a sidewalk puddle this morning and is quite entertained with his new pet. A few minutes ago he came in to the house to announce that he'd already given it swimming and dancing lessons. I am not quite sure how the worm feels about it.

Kelsey started her Eschatology class last night and came home with her head swimming. I was looking at her notes and the accomanying glossarary - fascinating stuff. I'm looking forward to the mental spill-over from what she's learning.

I really would have figured Adam for a heavyweight. \Mosley wins super welterweight belts

CNN.com - Wood prices soar as Hurricane Isabel nears - Sep. 13, 2003: "Some lumber companies are paying double what they were for plywood earlier this summer, but the reason is supply and demand, not gouging."

Well of COURSE they're not price gouging...that would be...uh, oportunistic."

Got needs? :)

Our basement is play-central for the boys as well as doing double duty as the home school area. It's bare concrete walls and floor make for a less-than-wonderful feel, but the kids enjoy it. What we really needed was some carpet remnants....

Through the FOTB email grapevine were heard of someone who is replacing their carpet and wants to get rid of the old stuff. We went and looked at it today and it's GREAT - much of it looks brand new (it's only 5 years old). They boys will be playing/learning in style next week when we go get it.

And for those who were wondering - I have made a final decision and will not seek election as the governor of California should Gray Davis' recall take place. I would have been interested in the job, but now they tell me I have to live in California. I find that tremendously narrow minded.

Had lunch today with David Emmert, the pleasant Outreach pastor at Pleasant Valley Church in Liberty, MO. David and I met earlier this year at one of VCC's Servant Evangelism Weekend Intensives. David was gracious enough to take me to an excellent KC BBQ place...once we finally found it. Note to self: Yahoo Maps are not always good for finding specific places. If you're in Utah and want to find Nebraska, then they will do. If you're in Salt Lake City and want to find Omaha, they might work. If you're at a specific address and want to find another specific address...well. Go to Walmart and buy an atlas. Anyway, thanks for the sandwhich, David!

I believe there is noone who can make me laugh as hard as Garrison Keillor. I just discovered that all the archives from The Prairie Home Companion are online at www.prairiehome.org . His characerizations of small town, upper midwestern life leave me wiping tears from my eyes. I'm sitting here listening to him rant about Irene Bunson's tomatoes and the Lutheran Pastor trying in vain to counsel a couple before they get married. What a hoot, although I'm sure it's more appealing to a former resident of a town of 800 people....

AAAAAK! I'm sitting in the FOSM building listening to Stuart before I start and he's makin' WAY more sense than I'm going to in a little bit....too late to reschedule myself to follow a dud, I guess.

Oops. I think their Satellite Tech was in my shop class in high school....CNN.com - Satellite topples to floor in mishap - Sep. 11, 2003

Here ye, Here ye - Jackson just got his first customer...Jamie from Boston has agreed to purchase a copy of Jackson's poems for a paltry $5 to help the poor boy in his quest for an iBook. Read all about it on Jackson's blog...thoughts of a thinking ten year old

Words on a page...

With so much communication being electronic, I think we've forgotten the power of the handwritten letter. This morning, Jackson got a letter in the mail from a little buddy back in Cincinnati. It was all of twelve lines long, but it was covered with stickers and included a laminated paper apple with Jackson's name on it that had hung in their 4th grade classroom last year. There is not an email in the world that could have meant as much to him.

I'm teaching the new staffers this afternoon - my first time teaching in the IHOP context, and they've got me following brainiac Stuart Greaves, teacher extraordinaire who sounds even smarter than he is with that slight dutch accent. I'm toast.

CNN.com - German police nab motorist playing flute - Sep. 10, 2003 If he were a trumpet player, he would have been guilty of tooting his own horn....

Work is getting done....

After a late night writing session and hitting it pretty hard again this morning, I have turned a psychological corner...two, actually. First, I hit the 10,000 word mark. There's something about being into five digits that makes this doable. Anyone who can generate 10,000 can do 50,000. It's now possible in my mind. Second, I seem to have more direction on where I'm going than I even did last night. I had some specific interview comments that I wanted to get on paper (or on screen, in this case) and I was afraid they would end up writing the book rather than framing some thoughts that I would launch from. The foundation is now written and I'm ready to go....

The steady stream of people through the House of Prayer is amazing...every weekend the parking lot fills as people drive in from who knows where. Some come to rest, others bring sick family members seeking prayer. All come hungry, to some degree. This is not a bad place to be hungry.

Credit Jesus for politeness, at least. He could have demanded it. Jesus asked for it.

This just in from the Dumb as a Rock Department: Man ships himself home.

Doin' Stuff 24/7

When people hear about IHOP, most of them are struck with the idea that it goes 24/7. Eventually, after you're here for a while, that seems less of an oddity...although lately I've noticed some things that are probably unique to an entity that does not sleep. One was pointed out in a meeting yesterday - the rate of change and decision making is increased by a factor of at least two, sometimes three. In other words, there are leaders in the building, making decisions, charting the course and acting on their decisions every minute of the day. What might take three days to determine in a 9-5 setting will come into being here in a 24 hr cycle. It makes it tough to keep your info current, but it also allows for a higher degree of flexibility for a ship of this size.

God is funny, and He's got great timing....

Without going into details, I was a little discouraged today. It wasn't anything anyone did, more of the longer term effects of a six month period full of adjustments where nothing is static and everything is shifting. Add to that the clear blue sky that always reminds me of 9.11.01 this time of year. All weekend I've been rehashing the whole tragedy. Anyhow, feeling sort of down an hour ago, as I walked to the mailbox, I whispered a prayer..."Lord, I need some encouragement. It would be great if it came in the mail."

I opened the mail box to find a pledge card from some people who have heard only the very basics of what God's called us to do. Not only did they make a monthly pledge to support us (very important - our one-time gifts going into this have been strong, but monthly budget support is still, as they say, in development!), but when they sent their info to have it directly charged to their debit card, they bumped the amount a few bucks to cover the processing fees. An incredibly kind gesture, both on their part and God's.

The value of the pledge was 10x the dollar amount because of the timing in which it arrived. To know He was thinking of us today is incredible. God's good.

Race you to the mailbox.

What a weekend.

We had dinner guests Friday night - talked house of prayer, Rusty's snake adventures and the Vineyard Boy Band 'till late into the night with three other couples - the Geverdts, the Heiberts and the Candlers. Heiberts & Candlers have serious roots here @ IHOP. Dana Heibert and her sister, Deborah Candler (2 of a set of triplets) have been here since day one.

Saturday, we hosted the New Staff Entrance Program pizza bash...a hundred people showed up at our house! It was great - they spilled out into the back yard and into the basement. Kids, pepperoni and grape soda everwhere. A good time was had by all.

Today we gathered with Kirk & Dee Bennet, Marcus & Rachel Meiers, and the Geverdts to eat and talk about their journeys...everyone here has an amazing story. We're going to have our own.

The boys are up late now that they've discovered an online guide to cheats to Tony Hawk ProSkater....hmmm. Might need to go whoop'm.

"Attention, Dispatch...this is Car #54. I think we got him." Police accidentally drive over robber hiding in grass

There is no money in vegetables any more. VeggieTales' Creators File for Chapter 11.

Watch for "Bullwinkle and Pa Grape Open a Stuffmart in Frostbite Falls."

The Wonders of IM

I'm coming to the belief that of the killer-apps of the internet age has to be AOL's Instant Messenger, be it th MSN knock-off or Mac's iChat. I remember a few years ago, fiddling with it and suddenly chatting with a college buddy who was literally on the other side of the earth, in Mongolia. It was a little sobering to think that it was possible. Of course, not everyone's going to chat with their Mongolia-based buddies regularly...but today is an excellent example of what I love about it. I'm here in the prayer room, studying the Psalms, and when my ten year old, Jackson, woke up, he took 3 minutes to ping me and say good morning. I expect the same from six year old Grayson in a few minutes. All the while, I don't need to stop...Instant Messenger has enabled the laptop to function as the ubiquitous appliance.

It's a big weekend for hanging out and meeting people. We're having three couples over for dinner tonight and three families on Sunday afternoon. Saturday afternoon is the biggie - we're hosting the IHOP New Staff meet-and-greet-and-eat event at our place...there are about 80 new staffers, plus add a few kids and nonstaff spouses...and staff...and the previous new staff class. Yikes. That's a lot of folks! If any of you are in the KC area today, have a lawn mower and would like to mow a yard....

I'm sitting here editing some writing...in the sun, on the veranda of the coffee shop...with a strong WiFi connection...thinking that if life got much better than this I would probably just croak from nirvanic overload.

We enjoyed visiting Wes & Carol Hall's house congregation last night - feels like we found a home...a great spirit, warm welcome....baked potato feast didn't hurt either. If only we can get Wes to talk american like the rest of us.

There's one like this in every family...."It's just going to be one of those stories," Nephew Ben Hunt said. "He'll joke around with his glass eye and pop it out."

I got an email from a missionary friend last night who told me that my earlier post about the power going out made him laugh, because in his field of ministry (pardon my crypticism here, but I'm not sure the political climate would be favorable to him), the power going out is a daily activity! Hurry up and send that email while we still have juice! We are so American....

Thoughts on Paul's first letter to the Corinthians...

I've been in the first ten chapters of I Corinthians this morning. Reading it through with a macro-view, rather than our typical approach of ten or fifteen verses, paints an incredible picture of Paul's relationship with this church.

He absolutely pours out grace on them, promoting unity (1:10-17) and assuring them that what God has for them is far beyond their wildest imaginations (2:6-10) - it's obvious that he has great affection for this group...yet his words take an abrupt left turn, telling them, almost offhandedly, "You are still worldy...." (3:3). Then he outlines what consultants would call growth areas like immorality and their tendency to involve one another in legal disputes.

The passage that always cracks me up is 4:18,19: "Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?"

Any parent who's ever said "Don't make me stop this car!" fully understands what Paul is feeling! :) This is all a great picture of leadership in the church...learning to balance the apostolic mandate of being the 'point man' for the faith while not neglecting the pastoral care of the people. Specialists need not apply.

Reading Jackson's blog is starting to become like talking with Larry Harvey. I have to rethink things three or four times before they make sense to me. Follow the link to thoughts of a thinking ten year old.

This place is a hoot. I'm in the prayer room, and a few minutes ago was wandering back and forth, praying for some needs that had been emailed in by some friends. The band is cranking away and so forth...and as I look up I realize that two guys are lifting the keyboard right out of the rack...yanked the cords and left them hanging. The keyboard player just sat there for a moment, and in 2 minutes the same guys returned with a different keyboard. All the while, the band never stopped. :) It reminds me of last Friday when the power went out and the rocking song they were playing suddenly became acoustic! (and played in the dark).

After four years nonstop, none of these worship leaders wants to be the one that tanks the meeting!

early monday morning thoughts....

This weekend was marked by an almost constant rain that started on Friday afternoon and only this morning abated into a fine mist. We spent the weekend indoors...Friday night with guests at our home, then Saturday afternoon over at the Geverdts with other Cincinnatians in exile. :) A good portion of yesterday was devoted to playing with the boys. I learned a few things. 1) Greed takes root early. Once the big boys (10 & 6) grabbed on to the idea of forcing others to pay huge rental fees, the game of Monopoly became very interesting. 2) I can usually whoop them on Dreamcasts' Tony Hawk Pro Skater. For a life-long non-athlete, this things are important.

This morning I'm finishing up the book of Acts and this struck me about Paul's interview with the ruler, Felix. Paul was sharing the truth of who Jesus was, when the following is recorded:

Acts 24:25
Felix was afraid and said "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.

What a telling phrase. When I find it convenient. Everyone's looking for an encounter with God. Perhaps not in so many words, but they're searching. They may think of it as soul-searching, as trying to find their place in the universe, or as trying to connect with some sort of inner source, but in essence, it's a search for meaning, which ultimately becomes a search for God. Not unlike Felix, we're looking, but we want to find it when I find it convenient.

The Creator of the universe holds a timetable to His heart. On it is written the plans He has for all He has created. The only variable is whether or not we choose to partner with Him in those plans. This partnering often means a total disruption of our lives. The later in life we wait to join the partnership, the greater the disruption seems to be. It will never be convenient. It will be the answer to the great search of life. Truth is expensive, but pays a high dividend. Buy in now.