Africa - Day 1&2 "Getting There"

Ok...so Ryan, Carrie, Ric and I left my house on Thursday at @ Noon and we just arrived in Nairobi tonight (Friday Night) at 10:00 pm.  Wow, that was  a lot of flying.  I feel like I haven't been to sleep for 27 hours...  Probably because I haven't.  It was a decent trip though all things considered.  British Airways is a great way to fly.   The only time we had a problem was when we crossed through the Jet Stream on our flight from Heathrow (London) to Nairobi.  My coffee spilled all over my pants and some of us were a little rattled by the turbulence.  However, on our way, I ended up sitting next to a Pastor from Kenya who filled me in on the state of the church in Kenya.  Got his number and we are going to connect again while we are here.  His name is John and he was a great seatmate on the plane.

We were all pretty tired when we got here, but now that we're here, we are excited about what we get to do tomorrow.  Already, i feel a connection to the Great Commission Fellowship Team here in Nairobi.  We will get to hang out with them more tomorrow.  But it's late, and I am on my way to bed so we can start the day off fresh tomorrow.  I will be adding pics and blogs daily if I can with stories so enjoy and tell me what you by commenting us.

A Pretty Good Read

So I had the chance to catch up on some reading over the holidays as well as take a sabbatical from the facebook and blogging world.  It did me good for sure.  One of the books that I read was a bit of a surprise for me.  It was a really easy read, but gave me hope in the business world that the principles shared in the gospels work better than any other business principles I have learned.   While the principles may not be labeled as the teachings of Jesus...they clearly are rooted in the gospels.  I would recommend this to everyone.  It is a very simple read (you could probably get through it in a day) and it is written in story form.  If you decide to read it, it may simplify your approach to how you do business, interact with people, network, and grow your organization.  Enjoy everyone.

My Awesome Grandma!

This is my Grandma.  She is 90 years old and we just celebrated her birthday.  Now, you have to know a little bit about her to appreciate this.  She's 90, just had her knee replaced and still acts like a 60 year old.  Her mind is sharp, her heart is gold, and her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids love her.  So many memories, such a rich life, so humble, so beautiful, and above all else, she has spent her life putting others ahead of herself.  As a result, she is one of the happiest people I have ever known.  She is living proof of finding your life when you lay it down.  90 years of giving through life have brought pure joy.  I love my grandma.  Did I mention that she was pretty? 

To top it all off, at the end of her party, she gave us all a gift, it was a book that she wrote over the last 3 years with my cousin Nicole.  It was a full length book about her life and the life of our family.  On her 90th birthday, she gave me one of the greatest gifts I will ever get.  What an amazing woman.  No wonder my Grandpa was always so happy.  

The Economy

My wife saw this sign sitting outside a local beverage drive-thru in Cleves.  I have to say, this is one of the best signs I have ever seen to illustrate the state of our economic and spiritual lives.  After I got done laughing, I thought i would throw it out to all of you and get your thoughts.  So Here it is...What do ya think?

Opening Weekend at the Shack

Today we began the next chapter of the VWS story.  We moved into an abandoned church building in hopes that we could begin to make it our own.  In a lot of ways, this building is representative of the things that God is calling us to on the Westside.  

You see, there is a Spirit that lives on the Westside of Cincinnati that holds the people here in apathy, complacency, and mediocrity.  It uses tools like fear, failure, and condemnation to hold people in the status quo and remind them that they will never fully be who God made them to be.  This Spirit is called "Religion" and it is a very old and very strong spirit over here.

Enter Vineyard Westside...  A tribe of messy Jesus lovers who have moved into the territory of Religion to break this spiritual bondage and bring real freedom. 

 

This is not just a church, not just a tribe, not just a movement... but the beginning of a REVOLUTION.  Don't get used to seeing us sitting in these seats because God is turning our hearts outward to invade the city.  

"Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city."

As excited as I am to see this old run down building filled with God's people.  I am even more stoked by the idea that God is calling an army of servants together to REACH the Westside with the message of hope, purpose, and making famous the name of the only one who can break the bonds that hold this city captive... Jesus.

LOVE WINS!!!

Love Being a Dad!

So...my friend Lee came over to take some shots of me and Noah for a project that he was working on.  Noah and I didn't really know too much about that other than we got to put shaving cream on our faces and goof around for a little while.  When I look at this picture though, I realize how much I love being a Dad.  I realize that they are only placed in my care for a season and I want more moments like this with them.  God...thank you for Noah, thank you for shaving cream, and thanks for loving us like this.  You are extravagant.

Saying Goodbye to the Danbarry

Today was a bittersweet day for me.  Three years ago several of us went on an adventure to start a movement on the Westside of Cincinnati Called "Vineyard Westside.  We went public on September 18th, 2005 in the Main Theater of the Danbarry Cinemas on Glencrossing Avenue.  

While our Theater was dirty most of the time, the bathrooms smelled and we never really got the temperature right; God used this little Theater to change lives during our time there.  We may never know the accurate number of people who stumbled and staggered into the Danbarry, but God does.  He allowed us to watch as the wounded and beaten up by life were transformed by God after spending time in our Theater.  

While I am very excited about our move to a new location, I will miss this Theater that we called home over the last 3 years. Thank you God for a great run in the Dirty Danbarry.  May the prayers prayed in those seats be heard even today and may your name be famous on the Westside of Cincinnati and all over the world because of what you have done through us in the most unlikely of places.