Dont mess with Betsy....

This chick is awesome...

The Wolfman cometh....

The Wolfman....this looks like creepy fun....

Micah's drawing of me

Aung San Suu Kyi....rightful leader of Burma

This is my artistic meditation after reflecting on the my post and link to the documentary on the aftermath of cyclone Nargis. The answer isn't political alone...but democracy is desperately needed in Burma and until the international community stands up to the illegitimate military Junta of Burma...true justice and peace are mere words.

Eyes of the Storm....

Eyes of the Storm...Uncensored news from the heart of Burma is scarcely reported and this documentary is a must watch for everyone who loves the people of Burma. This news piece made me rethink of how I spend my life and how I use my resources.

As a church that took the missional name of Jacob's Well as a description of our life and mission; I see the imagery of a well, as a mobilizing directive. We are people of the living water and as those who have been revived by these eternal springs of restoration, renewal and resurrection; we are compelled to overflow into the parched and dead places of this world. Our internal springs of life, given by the grace of our Mission hearted God; are meant to quench our thirst as they spill out and over the deserts of these fallen lands. He has chosen us to be His living extension of His ongoing work on Earth.

"The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, as the God of Israel I will not forsake them. "I will open rivers on the bare heights and springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water And the dry land fountains of water. -Isaiah 41:17-18

This year at Jacob's Well, we commissioned a second Vision & Values painting to express our commitment to the mission of God among the nations of the world:
As I watched this documentary and was haunted with the sense of "Where are you God" in this horror...the answer is always returned...In YOU....and then the question becomes...."Where am I".

I pray that this year will be one of increased involvement and action in the work of love among the most needy of this God loved world. I pray we all will be able to answer the Lord with a humble and obedient response that reflects His heart in response to the needs of this age.

One of the best fight scenes ever...Matrix Reloaded

Heads of gold...and empty pockets.

Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned. -Jesus (Matt 7:15-20)

This article (Believers Invest in the Gospel of Getting Rich) chaps my hide. A ministry that takes in $100 million annually...really? I was made aware of a recent group of local pastors that have special monthly clergy rates at a local Golf Club that nearly exceed our monthly budget as a church. The issue is growing and the damage to the credibility of the local church is ever expanding. The slick hair, crest strip teeth, the flashy clothes and sports cars and sooped up Motorcycles, not to mention the expenses accounts, helicopter transportation and a host of other gross misuses of hard earned cash is atrocious.

It makes me ashamed to be called a pastor at times.

This "prosperity gospel" feeds upon peoples unmet needs, it promises the moon while it pit-pockets your shorts. It's a delusion that weaves itself into the legitimate hierarchy of needs. It's a bait and switch like the professional street thieves use...they get you looking at one thing while they pull a fast one on you. So they are walking off with your cash and you are left scratching your head.

The prophet Daniel saw a statue that embodied all the fallen kingdoms of this world...and guess what the head of this statues was made out of...yes, you guessed it...gold.

When will we ever learn....we are such suckers.

The evolution of the garden...

"May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield; with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush." -Deut. 33:13-16LeeElla and I spent some of the evening working in the church garden. We were able to connect with 3 neighborhood families as we worked. We shared food, planned watering, reconnected with someone we have not seen for awhile and prepared the harvests for sharing tomorrow. It's a gentle but renewing activity that brings people together.

Jacob's Well Church Community Garden: Before...

Jacob's Well Church Community Garden: Now...

Today's pickin's for Sunday distribution: Squash, Onions, Potatoes, Carrots, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, some kind of cabbage root, hot peppers, strawberries

Colombia River Gorge

The Worst Group of Cannibal Campers Ever...

Our church group camped up at Farragut St. Park in Idaho last weekend. We brought around 75 people and a lot of them were teens and kids. Of course if you know teens, particularly teen boys...the woods means climbing trees, making weapons and adventuring. All of these activities are forbidden by Johnny Camp Law, we found out...a fact that doesn't seem to bother young men and boys. So over the weekend, our campsite was visited by numerous men and women deputized by Smokey The Bear, Treebeard and David Henry Thoreau! Of course when they were greeted by dirty wild boys wielding 5 foot club hammers, spiked staves and spears sharpened to a cutting point...I'm sure they held their tongues about their major complaints for fear of their lives.
Needless to say...our group earned the "Worst Group Ever" epitaph...from a disgruntled grounds keeper who had to clean up someone's crap out of the men's bathroom sink! Which by the way was present when we arrived at the camp...of course there were a couple Jacob's Well campers there before our main group arrived...(you know who you are...)...but I digress. In fact the deputized park ruler...called the pernicious poopers...."Cannibals"...Yes, you read it right...human flesh eating tent dwellers!

So that makes Jacob's Well Church: "The Worst Group of Cannibal Campers Ever" at Farragut St. Park!!!
There has to be a T-shirt in there somewhere...

But no worries for next year...because we just told all the staff, we were from LifeCenter.

Turning to wine...

"May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield; with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush. -Deuteronomy 33:12-16

I was told that these grapes that are growing in our Church Community Garden, had a few purple ones popping out. So today, I investigated, and sure enough, there were some that have turned purple. I have never seen any purple grapes on this vine before when it was on the metal fence. But today I plucked a lovely plum colored grape and ate it and it was delicious! I was so excited. I find myself praying for the Lord to bless this piece of ground...which is so Biblical and yet at times, seems strange to do.

But I am compelled to speak the words of the Lord into the roots, dirt, fruit, watered spaces, growing vines and ground yet used. There is so much to come in the days ahead....

Not small in any...

"There is something deeply spiritual about honoring the limitations of our lives and the boundaries of what God has given us to do as leaders. Narcissistic leaders are always looking beyond their sphere of influence with visions of grandiosity far out of proportion to what is actually being given. Living within our limits means living within the finiteness of who we are as individuals and as a community- the limits of time and space, the limits of our physical, emotional, relational and spiritual capacities, the limits of our stage of life... and the limits of the calling God has given. It means doing this and not that. It means doing this much and not more." -Ruth Haley Barton

I find the truth of the passage to be extremely liberating if you can fully comprehend and accept it. Many people wrestle with the sense of being bound by providence in circumstances...but often the very thing one is seeking freedom from...is what will usher us into a deeper experience of true freedom.

I am finding God big in smaller and smaller things these days. The whole "mustard seed" reality is becoming a peace producing truth. I am letting go of more and more pursuits that are governed by a sense of bigger or better. Process is more and more valuable to me.

As a growing painter, the ability to layer paint with a sense of a bigger process is critical. In order to produce a depth to the painting...I often start with a darker paint underneath...this allows for lighter paint to be layered over the top and the combination of light and dark...produces perspective. You need both to produce dimension to the painting....and I am coming to see the same in life.
"Thou art in small things great, not small in any...For Thou art infinite in one and all." -George Herbert

We have these Sunflowers growing in the church garden...I took their picture the other day, because I love yellow in art. To some our garden has little significance...but to me it is pregnant with inspiration. I discover the Lord in the boundaries and opportunities of the rhythms and seasons. I am captured by the process of it all and the large amount of time that is needed to truly enter into the mystery of growth. It's a piece of ground that isn't that pretty to most people...but to me, I love it.

I love that its not what it will be...and not what it was.

It's a organic prophesy to me.

The Fountain...

I love these new fountains that cities are putting up more and more. They are great places to cool off. This shot of Micah enjoying the one in Beaverton Oregon, is classic. Ahhhh summer...

Little people...

I love this art project.

Youth ministry....?

If you have ever been involved in youth ministry or a youth pastor; these two video's will make you laugh. If you have been on the receiving end of youth ministry, you'll relate.
Lifted from Thinklings

Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Kids and Church....

I think I know this kid....

2009 Family Camp....

Here are some pictures from our recent Church Family Camp.

A culinary first...

This is Taena Dailey's very first Cinnamon roll experience at our Family camp. I noticed she ate it all up. She has recently been adopted by our friends, Daniel and Melissa; she it the third daughter adopted from Ethiopia for them. It's a delight to watch these first moments in the lives of orphans or refugees. You can find out more about adopting children at www.kingdomkidsadoption.org

Red & Yellow, Black and White...all are precious in His sight

One of the beautiful things about the church God is continually forming us into at Jacob's Well is the racial diversity. It was amazing to share the outdoors together at our family camp with a mix of different languages, foods and faces. Learning to live out the kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven is a call we seek to follow, especially in the cultural make up of our congregation. The Lord is beautiful in our togetherness.