how to build a god

this was sent to me by my good friend kelly beth, amazing

Cam Huxford from the Mars Hill Downtown Seattle campus created this beautiful video to tell of his idolotry. It's amazing to see how each of the Mars Hill campuses are growing in maturity, in skill, and in the gospel. I'm thankful to be a part of this movement.

how to build a god

switchfoot rocked my face off

some sweet friends of ours, the konieczka's, bought us tickets to tonight's switchfoot show at the pageant. first let me say that the pageant is my absolute favorite place to see a show in st. louis. it is big enough for good sound but small enough to still be intimate.

second let me say switchfoot, oh switchfoot! they put on one of the best shows i have seen in a very long time. it was meshed from beginning to end with ridiculously awesome, but simple lights, old and new songs, and an energy and passion that i have almost never seen. i knew we were in for a treat when i got my hands on their new album months ago. it was filled with passion and raw energy that i had not heard since the beautiful letdown. and tonight hello hurricane did not disappoint.

the best thing about tonight was the hope and conviction that lead sing jon foreman sang and most importantly spoke with. the Gospel was present and real in his words. he talked of hope, redemption, salvation, and grace. tonight i saw what it meant to be a Gospel-centered rocker. i say that somewhat in jest but there were moments that i was overcome with overwhelming thankfulness for Jesus' mercy.

it was a great gift and an amazing show. i am so thankful to see the Gospel being played out in the lives of others doing different things than i am. i am and will continue to be a huge switchfoot fan. i pray God uses their music to plant the song of the Gospel in the dying world's ears. (photo courtesy of Todd Owyoung)

i'm taking a break

from what? i have come to the conclusion that the social media platforms (facebook and twitter) that i use are simply not good for me at this point. i have composed a list of reasons.

1. I spend more time on twitter and facebook than in the word and it prayer
2. I dont explore other options of communication and dialogue with people
3. I am too dependent, it is first thing i look at in the morning
4. They have moved from enhancements to self sustaining idols
5. I have not been posting anything original, I have become an observer
6. I spend more time thinking about people in these realms instead of praying for where God has put us and the people around us

i am going to coincide this break with the lenten season but i may extend it.

i am praying that God uses this as a time to further my understanding of the Gospel.

eric samuel timm on christmas

merry christmas

here is a copy of my version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little
Christmas", enjoy http://bit.ly/8Rn8d9

city living: the taco stand

God has smiled and placed kim and i right in the middle of a vibrant and growing food culture in st. louis. we live less than a mile from so many great places. as one could assume working in a great local coffee shop food often leads to conversations about restaurants. my co-worker and friend told me about La Vallesana. it is an amazing little taqueria located at the corner of california and cherokee in benton park west. fresh, authentic, takes me back to being in mexico. here is what river front times had to say:

If you grade on a cost-benefit curve, La Vallesana might be the best restaurant in St. Louis. For less than $5 you can have three tacos al pastor: smoky pork, grilled pineapple, onion and cilantro on corn tortillas. Give each a squeeze of fresh lime and a slather of fiery red or green salsa, and you have the perfect meal. Can't live by tacos al pastor alone? (What's wrong with you?) Try a taco made with meltingly tender barbacoa or earthy beef tongue. Burritos are very good, especially with spicy chorizo. For a messy, overfilled delight, torta sandwiches deliver the goods and then some.

you should really try it some time, but you have to take me :)

keep yourself out of it

this quote from oswald chambers struck to the core of my depraved heart:

quit praying about yourself and spend your life
for the sake of others as the bond servant of Jesus

this has to come from a man who understood and practiced 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." i realize this may be a bit of a rehash of the devotional oswald himself wrote but this quote forced me to reevaluate my fervor for the Gospel. do i really preach, live, and teach the Gospel for the benefit of others or solely to cover my own hide?

city living: genesis

as kim and i start this venture of planting a church in st louis i hope to try and chronicle as much as i can. so as you can tell by the title of this post this shall be called "city living". catchy, i know.

today we have lived in soulard for a week and two days, with much time spent running to and fro to litchfield to wrap things up. we did the proverbial wrap up this past sunday with and amazing day spent honoring Jesus with our family and friends. as i reflect on what happened sunday i am thankful and amazed. it was an amazing day and i am thankful to everyone who was involved and so pleased with how Christ honoring it was. litchfield will be a special place for us to remember and know that we are always welcome to come back. the ordiantion service and events was amazing with my father, grandfathers, uncles, mentors, and best friends there. again thank you to all who made it a day about Jesus.

so far not too much exciting has happened here in the city. i swore never to return to walmart after we left litchfield and found myself there the day we moved in, oh well. the next day kim and i explored and found some places in soulard that i think we can go to instead of the house that sam built, though i have the feeling that the places we found were a little more like sam had imagined in the begining.

kim is adjusting to her new setting at work and commuting once a week back to litchfield. she has an amazing view of clayton, mo from her new office window. she is already in love with the market and enjoys shopping at vincent's market literally right down the street.

we are praying everyday that the Gospel would go forth in the way we live our lives and that we would take hold of the opportunities that Jesus gives us to share the Gospel and share about what is going on with August Gate. momentum is building and we are so excited about what God is doing and is going to do for the Kingdom in st. louis.

are you kidding me?!?!

saw this little blurb on foxnews.com:

Johnny Depp Doesn’t Watch His Movies

Johnny Depp is one of the finest and highest-paid actors in Hollywood, but the "Public Enemies" star doesn’t even watch the films that he spends so many months making.

"If the movie does well out there in the world, that's great, but I can't pretend to know anything about it," Depp recently told Tarts. "Once my job is done, they wrap me on set and I've done my character I walk away. I mean 9 times out of 10 I don't even see the movie."

c'mon johnny, i know you are weird and all, but seriously?