This Old House

As some of you may know, my wife and I recently bought a house and are now facing a tremendous amount of repair and rebuilding. Not all of it is unexpected, but alot of it is.

This is going to be an exciting time for us. My wife and I are being drawn to depend on the Lord in ways that we haven't ever needed to before. Ok, to be honest, it's mostly me. I'm the one who is stressing out!

Perhaps as a sort of therapy, but hopefully as a forum for proclaiming God's greatness and provision, I have started a blog about the whole process. It's called "This Old House." I invite you to stop by, take a look at the pics, offer advice, and read my engaging and charming narrative as I spell out the gory (and glorious) details.

Thanks again to all of you who have been praying for me (and helping!) as I continue to tear away layer upon layer of this house, revealing more and more destruction.

Actually, this house is a perfect object lesson of how God pulls us apart to reveal our sin, and how He graciously begins to rebuild us.

Hey... that sounds like a great blog topic...

functional isolation

For a couple of weeks now I've been making a big deal about launching Growth Groups in college ministry this Fall. I know some of you are thinking through how this will fit into your already busy schedule and the various activities you're involved in. With a full schedule of classes, involvement in academic and on-campus clubs, a job to pay for school and some attempt at "having a life" besides, where on earth do Growth Groups fit in?

First of all we have to reckon with the Starbuck's Factor. We don’t want Grace College ministry to feel more like a crowd than a community. It’s too easy to come together on Sundays and then head off our separate ways. We need to connect with each other. We need a context where we can build friendships that are authentic and genuine. Even Starbucks, as they recruit employees advocate, "Create Community. Make a difference in someone’s day." Their employment opportunity cards proclaim, "When you work at Starbucks, you can make a difference in someone’s day by creating an environment where neighbors and friends can get together and reconnect while enjoying a great coffee experience." As we reach out to the college-age community here on the Central Coast, shouldn't we make a difference in people's weeks and days by creating environments where classmates and friends can get together and reconnect while enjoying an experience of the Living God through His living and active Word?

We also have to consider the iPod Factor. For Father's day last year I got a new 20-gig iPod. I love it! I listen to my favorite music. I listen to my favorite preachers and sermons. I listen to my favorite podcasts and interviews. You might even find me donning those characteristic white earphones while Matthias watches his favorite Veggies Tales (again!). Here's the thing. Lisa has teased me that she didn't realize my Father's Day gift was going to cut me off from her and those I father. Technology is great and opens up all kinds of doors for us. But it also isolates us from real human contact. For those in our college-age community, who spend hours text-messaging, writing papers on computers, surfing the net, listening to your iPods, instant messaging and the rest, it's essential that you prioritize and fight for time to get real with real people. The point is that our culture's priorities pull us apart from each other, but to live as God has created us ("Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone..." Gen. 2:18) we must pull ourselves together. It’s not a time issue; it's a priority issue.

Finally we have to factor in Borders and the Bible. (Sorry, that's the best I could come up with!) We all look for books about how we should do things. Phillip will be reading lots of home improvement books now that he and Jacquelyn have purchased their first house (Congrats!). I need a book on how to kill the gopher that's attacking my lawn (why do I keep picturing Bill Murray running around my front yard?). If we're going to know the best way to connect and to be a church, we have to look at the Bible. Check this out--did you know that God Himself exists in an eternal, life-giving, self-sufficient small group with Himself? It consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (John 17). God built the nation of Israel around a system of small groups (nation, tribe, clan, family, household). Jesus designed His ministry around small groups. He provided safe settings to discuss tough issues (Matt 9:10), he modeled truth to his disciples and they discussed what they saw him do and heard him teach (John 13:12) and He invited questions to explore issues (Matt 17:19). We also see the early church built on a foundation of large and small group settings (e.g., Acts 2:42-47, 5:42). Often, we see the large group and small group settings working in a complementary way in Scripture. That’s why we base our small groups on the sermon of the large group. We all hear the same thing, study the same thing and discuss the same thing.

As Donald Trump says, "that's the real deal." Too many of us, despite living around so many people, live our lives in functional isolation. If we are going to be a healthy community that effectively reaches the college-age community here on the Central Coast, we must have a context to build friendships that connect us like we see in Scripture. That's the goal of Growth Groups. That's the rationale of Growth Groups. Sign-ups begin next Sunday in the courtyard. Take the risk. Carve out the time. Jump in and connect through Growth Groups this Fall!

What is this?

Anybody have any ideas? I pulled over on the side of the road (Highway 166) to... um... say hello to the cows... and found this. Any ideas what it may have belonged to?

"Plenty of Time"

In response to my previous post, I felt it was only right to present the other side of the coin. Yesterday I encouraged college students to seize the day and commit to participation within the local church now - no matter how busy their life is because, unavoidably, their lives will only get more busy. Today I want to talk about those out there who have plenty of time to give to the church.

Brian Wong had some good comments on the subject. Here's part of his comment here:

"...I suppose I'm being slightly naive when I suggest this, but I'm still inclined to believe that I'll be less busy when I'm done with school. Granted I point to my experience as an intern this summer, but for now, that's all I have to go on. I'm at work from 9:00am-5:00pm or 6:00pm. After that, I kick back and relax. I can play on the computer. I eat dinner. I can catch up on e-mail. I play my guitar. I can go visit friends and family. I can spend that time how I wish..."

Fortunately, Brian is on the same page in regards to recognizing the importance of committing yourself to ministry involvement. Yet his comments reminded me of someone I used to know: me. I remembering having the same argument while I was in college: "At least with work, you don't bring it home with you!" That is often true (unless you own your own business), but for those of us with families, our work doesn't begin until we get home.

However, today I want to talk about those who find themselves after college in what I perceive a completely foreign (if not idyllic) situation: they've graduated from college, have a good job, but haven't (for whatever reason) found a spouse. For these people, the Bible is not silent. The simple fact of the matter is that they have more time to devote to whatever their heart chooses. For many that is the pursuit of idle pleasure, but I encourage you to devote your time all the more to ministry.

So really, my exhortation to this group is the same as those time-starved individuals. Devote your energy now to ministry - no matter how busy college is or isn't for you. In the end, investing in kingdom work is the only thing that matters. God's Word says that "He who is faithful with little, will also be faithful with much." Allow God to teach you and work in you as you serve today - and wait to see what He will ask of you in the future.

Something I always say is that you make time for what is important to you. Do not relegate living the gospel and serving the church to a later date - do it now!

"Too busy"

I have been thinking about some conversations that Pastor Steve and I have had with various college students, and why church involvement can be like pulling teeth for many students. The theme of being "too busy" has come up quite a bit, and I decided to chime in today on that whole concept.

After all, if I knew what was good for me, I'd probably say I was too busy to be involved in church, too. I mean, I work from 9:00am - 7:00pm (many times later). We have two little boys, aged 3 and 2, who run us ragged from 6:45am - 7:45pm (and a new baby on the way!).

Once 7:45 or 8:00 rolls around, that's my chance to dive into chores (I'm currently building a bunk-bed for the kids - my wife is sewing curtains and clothes), sneak in a conversation with my wife, do dishes and anything else I can do before bed at 11:00pm.

Weekends are our one chance to engage as a family in activities, as well as work on the "big projects".

This is our routine day in and day out. If I or my wife want a break, one of us needs to leave the kids alone with the other and take our breaks on a rotating basis (or pay for a babysitter). On top of all of this, we are buying a fixer-upper house that is unlivable in its current condition and will require weekends, holidays and vacation days to make safe enough to live in.

Why do I say all this? Is it to complain? Is it to earn "busy-points"? Absolutely not. I can name other couples I know with children who juggle even crazier schedules. I know that my life is nothing special in terms of comparison to others. I only mention it for one reason: we tell the students all the time that if they think they are busy now, wait until after college! I am relaying a glimpse into my own schedule as an example of what it takes to make a family work in our society. This is what you have to look forward to!

Can you see now why Steve and I (and others) are always cautioning and urging you to make church and ministry a priority? If you don't do it now, it will be very difficult to restructure your life later.

After all, if I wasn't involved in the church and plugged into ministry, there is no way I would be able to live the gospel at my work or in my home. My relationships that I have formed in my Growth Groups and working in the college ministry have helped to keep me grounded in my faith and in the community of believers.

If listening to a sermon on Sunday morning and disappearing into my schedule each week was all I did, I would become an ineffectual hearer of the Word, and not a doer of the Word. It would not take long for even the “inconvenience” of getting up on Sunday morning would be removed from my calendar.

Don’t become a statistic! Don’t forsake what you have been taught and fall through the cracks. The church, the Bride of Christ, is worthy of effort and sacrifice!

Ben Soup

"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die."

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Sharing from Acts 26 yesterday, Danny brought to light the way God calls each of us to Himself and to His service. The reality of this calling on our lives is that it is a call to die for the sake of others. Jesus tells us this directly in the Gospel of John, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) As Ben pointed out yesterday morning, it’s unlikely he (or we!) will fulfill this call to die by heroically pushing someone out of the way of an oncoming train, thus becoming 'Ben soup.' And yet, what does it mean? What is God's calling on your life? To what vocation (not job or career) is the Lord calling you?

I’m passionate about college students distinguishing the difference between jobs, careers, the competitive edge of the 'right' education, or social status on the one hand and vocation, the death of self and a life laid down for the sake of the Kingdom of God on the other. Most of you are either beginning a new school year or you're headed out of or back to SLO for another year. I challenge you to begin to see your education differently. Avoid the temptation that you are only receiving job training. Put aside the idea this is a hoop you have to jump through to succeed. You're engaged in training for your vocation as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. I can't express what I'm getting at any better than Cornelius Plantinga Jr. when he says in his Engaging God's World:

Let's call a person who accepts Jesus' commission a good citizen of the kingdom of God, and let's call a person who accepts this commission with enthusiasm a prime citizen of the kingdom. A good citizen likes the kingdom of God just fine, but a prime citizen passionately yearns for the kingdom. A prime citizen has been redeemed far down in her spirit, way downtown in her heart, so that she deeply loves God and the things of God. She relishes God's Word. She rejoices in God her savior. She finds the things of faith—repentance, forgiveness, hope in God—seem sweet to her. Her pulse quickens at the prospect of blessedness such as "no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor the human heart conceived" (1 Cor. 2:9). In her best moods she longs not just for happiness, but for joy; not just for joy, but for God; not just for God, but also for the kingdom of God. Because of her enthusiasm for the kingdom, she doesn't merely endorse justice in the world; she hungers and works for it. She doesn't merely reject cruelty; she hates and fights it. She wants God to make things right in the world, and she wants to enroll in God's project as if it were here own. She "strives first for the kingdom" in order to act on her passion.

In short, she is a person with a calling. She has been elected to be a follower of Jesus, which means she has been elected to serve the kingdom of God. A Christian's main vocation is to become a prime citizen of the kingdom of God—and this is true of every Christian, of artists and engineers as well as ministers and evangelists. All are called to mesh their kingdoms with those of other citizens in order to work together inside the kingdom of God.

As the 2005-2006 school year gears up, I challenge you to seek out God's calling on your life. Think. Pray. Check out Plantinga's book (written for college students) as a place to start. We saw yesterday in Acts that God call us individually and specifically. He transforms us from one type of person to another. What is God’s call on your life?

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

- Frederick Buechner

a new blogger emerges

Another Grace College student enters the blogosphere! Jason Evangelista got fired up from talking with Pastor Tim on their mountain bike (that's his grinning mug) ride yesterday. Jason’s getting ready to head out to Spain to study next quarter, so we'll miss him around here. He's promising to keep us up to date with his new blog Firenze so I'm including a link on the right to keep up with him. He wants to post pictures (so do I!), so maybe someone who's savvy about these things can tutor Jason and I about how to do this.

Anyone else connected with Grace College ministry have a blog, website, or an absolute must for students to be able to link to? What are you favorite websites? I'm open to your suggestions!

calling all OOTs!

What's an O.O.T., you may ask? It's a classic Ken Peetism for those of you who are Out of Town right now. I want to give you all a quick preview of what's coming our way as Fall kicks off here in SLO.

First, we're preparing for the launch of College Growth Groups. It's time for us to dig into to deeper community with one another and to connect with the life of Grace as a whole. We've got adult mentors leading groups and regular church-wide groups available. I want to encourage everyone to plug in to The Source through this small group ministry.

Second, have you heard we're going to three services in the Fall? That's right, the week of Sept. 25 Grace College ministry assumes its new time slot at 11:ooam during third service. This will give some you the chance to attend service, serve somewhere and still attend college group!

Speaking of Sept.--Sept. 18 is our 2nd annual Fall Kick Off! Church across the street in Mitchell Park with food, games and activities afterward. Check this out--free food for all our guests that day. That's right, you bring your fraternity or sorority, the track team, or whoever and it's lunch on Grace Church.

Speaking of free food...we're going to host our Pizza in the Park the three Sundays following the Fall Kick Off. Yep, that's right that means free pizza for college students in Mitchell Park following church. We want the chance to get to know people who are new to the area and new to Grace in the college ministry. Pastor Tim will be out there, I'll be out there and we'll just hang out and eat great food--the best lunch deal in downtown SLO!

Coffee Talk

I heard recently that SLO has more coffee shops per capita than any other except Seattle. This got me thinking about one of my most favorite things in this world--a great cup of coffee! Those of you who've met with me know that among the first things I order anywhere is first cup of java for the day. I have to admit that no coffee has ever been able to rival the robust flavor of a fresh cup of Jamaica Blue, in Jamaica and made by Jamaicans. It goes down so smooth and has absolutely no after-taste. Even when I brought it home and made my own, it just wasn't as good.

However, SLO is a coffee town. While I don't expect my Jamaican experience to be repeated, I'm always on the lookout for a great cup of coffee. Currently, if someone were to ask me my local favorite I would have to say it's the Nutty Bean at the Nautical Bean. All I can say is thanks Brett for whipping up such great brew! I find myself trying to come up with any excuse I can to make it by for a cup.

I'm curious what other cafe's you like. What coffee do you drink and what you would recommend?

lessons from my son

I shared with the college group a couple of weeks ago that Lisa and I have entered a new stage of parenting with our younger son, Matthias. Watching my sweet little guy who is so quick to laugh and play and explore, as he struggles against our direction and care for him, has forever convinced me that sin is at work in our little ones from the get go! God has been teaching our family a great deal as we enter this phase of life and parenting.

I'm shocked at the way Matthias will fight against, not only what's best, but also what's most enjoyable. He loves music. He spontaneously applauds performers who play at the Farmer's Market downtown (we didn't knowingly teach him to do this). During our last visit to the Farmer's Market I began to direct him toward a performer across the street. The performer was just beyond Matthias' sight and even the sound was a little lost due to the crowd. I knew he would love the music (he tends to dance like a Peanut's character when there's live music), so I took his hand in mine and headed through the crowd. Almost immediately our precious son began to resist. He tried to pull away from me--struggling and grunting. I'm his dad! Doesn't he know that I see things he doesn't? Doesn't he know that I know him better than he knows himself? Doesn't he know that I only want what's best for him? I was directing him to something enjoyable--with his best interests at heart--yet his reaction was to rebel against my leading.

It was one of the moments that have cropped up here and there since I've become a dad. Standing in the middle of Higuera Street, resistant son in hand, engulfed by the crowd, I felt like the Lord spoke into my heart, gently saying, "Steve, this is what sin is. This is what our relationship looks like to Me when you take matters into your own hands. I'm your Father! Don't you know that I see things you don't? Don't you know that I know you better than you know yourself? Don't you know that I only want what's best for you?"

I admit our lives are usually as clear-cut as our children's lives. God doesn't literally and physically take our hands and lead and guide us. We struggle with things like how to parent our children, or how we should use our financial resources. The Lord leads us in the resolution of conflict with family members and co-workers. Jesus points us toward priorities that are more eternally focused and therefore more ultimately satisfying than those we tend to pursue. What I am learning through my son though, is that I underestimate the Lord's leading in my life. I am often as hesitant to trust His goodness and love toward me as Matthias is with Lisa and I. My prayer is that as I instruct my son toward responsiveness toward us, so the Lord will instruct me in responsiveness toward Him.

pornography and the church

In his sermon on Sunday Pastor Tim applied the Gospel to the "young man addicted to pornography." This has got me thinking about our young men (and women!) who may well be silently fighting addiction to pornography among us. Most will feel you are all alone in this struggle and burdened by guilt and shame, will not seek help out of fear. First, I want to tell you that you're not alone. Here are some interesting facts about pornography:

• Porn generates approximately $1 billion annually with growth projections to $5-7 billion over the next 5 years, barring unforeseen change (NRC Report 2002)
• 25 million Americans visit cybersex sites between 1-10 hours per week (MSNBC Survey 2000)
• According to the Justice Department, in 1998 there were 28,000 X-rated websites, generating $925 million in revenue. Now, only three years later, there are 280,000 X- rated websites, generating over $10-20 billion in revenue (The Wall Street Journal 26 Nov. 2001).
• At least 200,000 Internet users are hooked on porn sites, X-rated chat rooms or other sexual materials online (MSNBC/Stanford/Duquesne Study, Associated Press [Online], Feb. 29, 2000).
• According to a U.S. News and World Report article, the porn industry recently took in more than $8 billion in one year. More than all revenues generated by rock and country music, more than America spent on Broadway productions, theater, ballet, jazz and classical music combined.
• The church, for the most part, is unaware and uncomfortable dealing with pornography issues.
• Estimates for the number of X-rated sites on the net range from 20,000 to 7 million (CNET.com, April 28, 1999).
• Every day, up to 30 million people log on to pornographic web-sites (CNET.com, April 28, 1999).
• A recent study (March 2000) shows 1 in 5 adults or 20% (which is nearly 40 million people), have visited a sexually oriented web site.
• The research company Relevant Knowledge found that in 1998, 9.6 million users (about 15 percent Web users) logged on to the 10 most popular cybersex sites during the month of April alone.
• Americans spend an estimated $8-10 billion annually on pornography. This exceeds the combined gross of ABC, CBS, and NBC, which is $6.2 billion.
• Two hundred million copies of Hustler, Penthouse and Playboy are distributed in U.S. homes every year.
• The combined circulation of Playboy and Penthouse exceeds that of Time and Newsweek.
• The average age at which men first see Playboy or a similar magazine is 11.
• A porn film can be made for $20,000-$125,000 and can make up to $2 million in profit from retail sales.
• Laboratory studies have showed that viewing violent pornographic films can increase aggression against women.
• Nearly 900 theaters show X-rated films and more than 15,000 adult bookstores and video stores offer pornographic material, outnumbering McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. by a margin of at least 3 to 1.

I often say that the Gospel transforms every area of our lives and this one is no different. The grace of God is greater than addiction to pornography. The powers at work inside us and in the world are much more sinister than we want to believe. The love of Christ is deeper and broader than we can possibly imagine. Jesus can save us from addiction to pornography.

A couple of resources you may find helpful are www.xxxchurch.com where I found the information listed above. This is a ministry dedicated to helping people with sexual addictions. I also commend Integrity Online for clean Internet and email. Most people will need a resource that will cut them off from explicit content as a part of being freed from pornography. Additionally, you may feel free to contact me at stevel@graceslo.org if you need someone to talk to about your struggles in this area.

The Value of The Source

I've been thinking over the past few weeks about some of the values that we hold dear here in our Grace College ministries. As I've thought and prayed about it, it's forced me to deal with core issues of our identity and unique place here in SLO. Here's some of my musings...

• We value God, the sovereign creator and rule of the world above all else…
• We value above all the life-transforming message of the gospel in every area of life…
• We value the local church as a community formed by God to be a sign, foretaste, instrument and agent of God’s rule in Christ in our given context…
• We value the intergenerational make up of the local church and seek out opportunities to join with the whole body of Christ…
• We value the distinct place in the church for those who are college-age in our community…
• We value genuine and honest relationships with those inside and outside our ministry…

What do you think?

joy in the little things

Yesterday, as my parents and sister were visiting with us, we looked up to see an amazing sight--David, our oldest son, inched his way forward, twice, in an army crawl. At three years old David is still learning the fundamentals of sitting-up and mobility. David was born with a genetic disorder called Cornelia de Lange Syndrome that impacts his life in every area including cognitive delay, gross and fine motor delay, speech delay and a number of other areas most of us take for granted. When David was born three years ago it was the most painful and devastating moment in our lives.

I found myself reflecting on all this a great deal as Pastor Tim preached on Matthew 14:1-13 --Why Do Bad Things Happen to Godly People?--yesterday morning. An eternal perspective truly changes the way we see and live our lives in the face of the sometimes brutal realities of life. What a great reminder that...

• The world is broken. Humankind is in bondage to sin.
• The universe is at war. Spiritual Kingdoms are clashing.
• Our lives are small. God is big, good and sovereign.
• Our earthly lives are short. Eternity is forever.

These are the truths out of which Lisa and I live. David's extraordinary life has redirected our family's eyes to eternity far more than any class I've taken, books we've read, or experiences we've lived through.

As we watched David make these movements last night we had the privilege to witness his progress alongside David's former teacher, Robbin, who has spent hours in the hard labor of teaching him to use his body and interact with his world. This wondrous moment opens my eyes afresh to the often-unknown impact our lives make on others through the repetitive consistency of our daily labors. Thank you Robbin for your influence on our son!

David is the source of so much joy in our lives today. We see the Lord's uncompromising faithfulness in the grace He supplied three years ago, in the love David gives & receives and in all the progress David makes in every little thing.

...a 95% chance

So, my beautiful wife and I went in for an ultrasound. We decided that we would find out the gender, and... well... we did. The ultrasound technician said that she was 95% sure that the gender was going to be what she said it was going to be.

As soon as she used the specific pronoun that revealed to me the sex of our next kid, I began to think of everything else in my life that has a 95% probability of happening...

There is now...

• ...a 95% chance of me owning a shotgun.
• ...a 95% chance of me going bankrupt.
• ...a 95% chance of me and my sons taking monthly retreats.
• ...a 95% chance of me looking at the opposite gender babies in the nursery with suspicion and mistrust.
• ...a 95% chance of me being too strict.
• ...a 95% chance of my child getting way with anything.
• ...a 95% chance of me having tea parties.
• ...a 95% chance of our family having a "no dating until age 35" rule.
• ...a 95% chance of me purchasing surveilance equipment for my house, cars, etc...
• ...a 95% chance of me psychologically damaging my child for life.
• ...a 95% chance of me being challenged in ways I can't yet fathom.
• ...a 95% chance of me being blessed in ways I can't imagine.
• ...a 95% chance of God teaching me to trust Him more fully.
• ...a 95% chance of me learning humility, patience and understanding.

That's right. There's a 95% chance that we're having a girl. As many of you know, I have two wonderful sons, Zak and Eliot. Boys I can handle. Boys I understand. But a girl?!! Now what?!

My wife (and Zak) are ecstatic. Zak wanted a sister, so it looks like God is answering his prayer. Of course, I am excited too, but... I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a tad bit nervous.

I can't wait to see what God's going to do next with my family! She's scheduled to arrive on December 22nd. Zak's birthday is Christmas day, so who knows, we may have two Chrsitmas babies!

All Things Bright and Beautiful

My memory is terrible. I forget twenty minutes after I promise my wife I'll wash the dishes. Even worse, I forget movies and books merely months after I have read or watched them. It's kinda sad that I can't take the expereince with me for long, but it makes life interesting for me, as I get to enjoy great books for the first time over and over again.

A few weeks ago, I relived that experience by re-reading James Herriot's book, All Things Bright and Beautiful. The problem with alot of great books is that I used to be an avid reader and I know I've read them all before the sixth grade. But I found this one in Border's and decided to read it again. And I'm glad I did.

I love this book. I love the setting, the tone, mood... everything. You can't help but relax when you read his narratives about life as a country vet in Yorkshire. You find yourself laughing with him - and sometimes at him, as well as seeing the best and worst of human nature expressed in his clients.

It's a rare book that makes me laugh out loud. In fact, I very rarely laugh out loud at anything. This drives my wife nuts, as she will tell me a hilarious joke and then complain, "You're not laughing!"

"I'm laughing!" I reply, with scarcely more than a grin on my face.

After reading this book, I was encouraged to look for the vignettes in my daily life that define my reality. I've been motivated to stop and look at my surroundings and slow down the pace of my daily grind. It is tremendously important to take the time to enjoy the creation God has given us and simply rest. Hopefully, this summer, a lot of you can take the time to read a few good books.

Let me know what you're reading!

Luau!

Well, I promised to be at the Luau with the whole family, and I sort of kept my word. It turned out to be just me and my two boys (ages 3 1/2 and almost 2). Let's just say that every time I take those two little grublets out to social events, I gain a new respect and admiration for what my wonderful wife does all day. They're a handful!

Anyways, I know we had fun, and it looked like everyone else did too. Cara Badger displayed some truly impressive skills at Limbo, and I unfortunately had to leave as the volleyball game got under full swing. Please comment below and let me know if you had a good time and what happened after I left.

The next major event on the calendar is the Hoedown in the fall, but Pastor Steve and I have talked a little bit about doing another beach day BBQ. I know I'd like to do that, just before everyone heads off to school.

I have really enjoyed getting to know a bunch of the new freshmen this summer. I'm bummed that most of you are leaving. I trust that God has great ministry and growth opportunities for all of you.

Dwelling...

As Phillip mentioned, Eric House found a house out in Orlando last week--praise the Lord! We're starting to get quite a few calls around here from those who have a place and those who are looking. Right now we don't have any formal way to connect you all, but we're working on it. We're gathering a list that we'll make available each week on Sunday AM to those of you who are around. I know others of you are preparing to head to the Central Coast for school from out of town--what should you do? You can contact me through the church office (805.543.2358), or by emailing me stevel@graceslo.org and I can connect you with our list. As I think about Eric out in Florida and the way the Body of Christ came to his aid there, I look forward to our local body coming to the aid of others here!