CUBS ROCK!!!!!!!

TESTING PICS!

I'm screwing around with my new feature that allows me to post pictures on my site... So here's one w/ Ted, Kathryn and myself screwing around a few minutes ago. (It's Friday afternoon, so we're all in a crazy mood...)

PIZZA SCENTED BUBBLE BATH???

And I thought that the Bubble Gum one was bad...

Check it out here.

ANNOYED STARBUCKS EMPLOYEE

So I'm standing in line getting a refill on my coffee and the woman in front of me is talking on her cell phone at about 100 mph and pauses to order her drink. The employee "rings" her drink up and says, "That will be $3.42" and the woman says "thank you" and walks away without paying. Suddenly we all look at each other funny and the girl behind the counter says, or actually shouts out to this woman, "MAMM, YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR DRINK. IT'S NOT FREE DAY." I laughed. The woman annoyingly walks back over, doesn't even blink and pays. As she's paying, the Starbucks girl looks at me and flutters her right eyelid as though she is saying to me, "People are crazy!" I flutter back in agreement.

CRAP!
CRAP!
CRAP!
CRAP!
CRAP!

GO CUBS!
GO CUBS!
GO CUBS!
GO CUBS!
GO CUBS!

HOUSE GUEST

This cute little guy paid us a visit last night.

GREAT QUOTE...

When you have a culture of disciplined people, you don't need hierarchy. When you have disciplined thought, you don't need bureaucracy. When you have disciplined action, you don't need excessive controls. When you combine a culture of discipline with a culture of entrepreneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great performance.

- Jim Collins, Good to Great

NEWSWEEK

Finally got an issue of Newsweek in the mail today that I'm actually interested in reading...

Check this out.

VICKI'S JOURNEY

Today (Sunday) was a great day... The highlight for me was a conversation I had after one of our services with a woman who was telling me about her friend (we'll call her Vicki) who she invited to church a couple of months ago and has been coming every week since then. That's cool - but the fact that she has been "attending" is not the best part.

The BEST part is the "background" information - "Vicki" was raised Muslim and has become very curious about this whole "Christianity" thing. In fact, before she attended The Orchard (the church I'm on staff at), she was semi turned off at the little bit she knew about "Christian" churches.

Well, the past few weeks, Vicki has been taking several steps forward in her spiritual journey. A few weeks ago, during our worship time, her friend who invited her, looked over at her and there stood Vicki - with all kinds of doubts and fears about this "God" thing, and a tear streaming down the side of her face. God was touching this seeker's heart.

Today, her friend told me that she has begun "bowing her head" during the worship time. To someone who has been in the church for a long time, that might not seem like a big deal, but IT IS! This Muslim woman's heart is cracking open. The walls are beginning to weaken.

Vicki has also been getting involved in the life of the church - getting to know people, asking questions, etc... We're not sure if she has taken the plunge and bowed her knee to Christ yet, but she is seeking and every week drawing closer and discovering Christ in a safe environment where questions and doubts are welcomed and people are accepting her just the way she is.

Vicki is on her way to experiencing something that will change her life forever.

There is nothing that stokes my fire more than this. I can't even think about this person (and others like her) who are on the verge of "selling out" to Christ, without getting a little choked up with such joy. It's truly amazing.

What a journey for all of us...