Investing...

Work and Home
UPS has gone really well lately, and I'm really starting to see God open some cool doors, just with the people i work with. Today I got my 1 lb bag of coffee for the week from Starbucks (breakfast blend), and i'm bringing it to Larry at UPS. He's a good guy, probably early 40's, married with a 14-year-old step-daughter. I know it sounds weird, but i'm kind of excited to give him this coffee. Got it ground and everything :-)
Starbucks has gone well. I don't have the entire system for every beverage memorized yet, but i can make most of it without direction. The frappuccino's are what I still have to work on, but we're getting there. I'm starting to get names down for the regular customers, or if not that remembering what they do and such, and i love most of them. There are two ladies(who look butch, but i'm sure they're straight) that come in and are REALLY demanding, and always want these two specific chairs, and kind of get in a huff if they're not available, but hey, who hasn't gotten in a huff over a chair??? ok...maybe not many people...especially over the age of 8.

Today while leaving work some of the bikers that hang out every day on our patio in the morning informed me of some not-so-nice news. Texas just passed a law regarding mopeds(my means of transport), requiring them ALL to have registration, tags, plating, and that the driver have a level M(Motorcycle) license, which requires an endorsement here. Just the class to get endorsed is $190.
Whatever happened to the devil-may-care-and-cowboy's rule texas?
Anyways. This means I will most likely be investing in a car soon. Which costs money that i REALLY don't want to spend on a vehicle at the moment. So please pray that all this is worked out and I find something great at low-cost. It is totally a god-thing that i found out this way instead of getting pulled over and getting a beastly ticket.

Word and Church
Well, Freedom Church has a venue! The local Y, which i must say, looks nothing like a YMCA. We're all really excited; we start team services October 3rd, and others are invited to join starting October 17th. And yes, we're a saturday night church. Sunday is amazing when taken completely off. And as anyone that's ever taken ownership at their church can testify, sunday's rarely feel like a day off when church happens that day.
I feel like this whole past week, God's really just been showing me to listen to him, and that none of us have to be searching out opportunity to make the body grow: He puts people in our paths. That being effective does require us to have our eyes open to it though! :-)
So today, one week after starting at Starbucks, I've already really built some relationships there, and had great convo's with some of the customers. Randall is probably late 40's/early 50's and moved here 5 years ago from Las Vegas. He still tithes to his church in Vegas because he hasn't found a home church here. Guess what church he's going to come check out?
Yep. Freedom Church.
I tried starting a convo today with one of the bikers that comes in, and felt completely stonewalled. But it was weird, because i felt compelled to keep talking to him and pretend like he wasn't being awkward. So i did. And we all know i love being awkward, so i kep talking a one-sided conversation to his completely expressionless face for a solid 3 more minutes, still with no response.
When I got off work at 9.50am, He got up from the buddy-club on the patio and just started talking to me as i was putting my things away in the Ped. We stood their and talked for a half hour.
Sometimes when God tells us to act or to speak, and we do it, a little hesitantly, but we do it, and we don't see visible response, it's easy to feel like nothing happened, and the whole thing was completely pointless. It's easy to walk away and not realize that as He works in people, the result isn't always immediately on display. But I believe that as we remain listening to God, willing, and open to people, things will happen. Be willing to invest in people that you don't know. It's been a big challenge to me this week and I think this whole month to let God get me to be a little bit spiritual, and ok with it. That my time with him, and the time he talks to me isn't boxed into my devo time. Hope some of you have felt challenged by this.
P.S. I did not ask Randall if he was saved. Nor did I ask any of the bikers if they were hells angels, and if they really knew what hell was. Nor did I try to convict my boss for living with her boyfriend. God works in people. Be normal people! hahahaha, oh....but really.

RELATIVELY FAITH...and broken glass

I'll open this up light, because it's not going to finish that way at all. If you hate those beating around the bush comments, you can b-line across the bush to the Word and Church section of this post.

Apartment/Work
Living w/Dawn has been amazing, she's such a blessing to me. It's rained every day straight beginning with last friday, and I'm hoping , ending with today; and that sweetie has driven me to work almost every day I've been scheduled. I'm proud to announce that I have not actually spent a single dime since....last....wednesday(?). Sadly, that's because I don't have many dimes til I get paid(tomorrow, hear angelic chorus of angels, "haaaalelujah, hallelujah, ha-a-llelujah").
Yesterday at work i broke the glass part of a frame that was supposed to be shipped. Yep. I did that.
one hour before closing.
on my second week in.
I broke something expensive.
oh. did I mention this frame is about half as tall as me??
So I was spazzing inside, really hoping that I didn't get fired when I got to work at 7.45 thismorning. As a result, I didn't actually fall asleep until about 2am this morning.
It was still raining when I woke up, even though the forcast was clear, so i couldn't moped. Nope. I biked to work. In the Rain. and then my tire got caught in this mud-hay mixture covering the road and I completely biffed about a mile away from work, in uniform. Got there at 8pm.
My right leg is slightly swollen. good times.
On the upside, I did not get fired! And my boss positive-ly called it a "learning experience."
I think I might be a slow learner, but I'm catching on....

I also got a 2nd job at Starbucks!!! wooohooooo!!!!!!

Word and Church
The Depth. Ok.
I've gotten into a few convo's in the past week with some friends, done some word, and this is what i've got.
So over the past few years, I should admit that I have felt pressure, and often given into, "Cool" christianity. You know that kind where you don't make people uncomfortable with your faith? Where you become so culturally relevant that the only people you're making uncomfortable are those within the church, because they honestly don't know where you stand?
And I'll admit that I've had this thought: It doesn't matter, I'm building relationships with the right people. Maybe this little word or comment with shake the church out of their polo shirts and khaki pants. We try so hard to be able to relate to culture that we stop relating Jesus to our culture, instead we just...match out culture, and listen to some christian bands, or carry a bible around and underline a few things.
But what we're really doing is watering down our faith enough so that the world doesn't notice to much that it's supposed to be fire, and we don't have to worry about the flame spreading.
What I'm not saying: that we should never try to get into the world. Of course we should be on the level with everyone and communicate well for the lost and those being saved to understand. As Paul said, Be a roman to the romans.
What I am saying: If we become so culturally relevant to the world that the church matches it, what counter-culture within the church would the world be attracted to? Our Faith should offend people. But it should offend for the right reasons. Our faith should offend the complacency, self-centeredness, religiosity, pride, and debauchery that is inate to the flesh in us all. Our faith should be a beacon of hope, of change, and of relationship w/Christ to all. To those within and with-out The Way.
Have we become so cool that we're luke warm?

My hope is that we don't become so afraid of being crazy-spiritual that we lose all connection with those things that are spiritual. My hope is that we regain a passionate, wild-fire faith that is revolutionary. I pray that as we follow Christ, we find what true faith looks like, and spread it to the world.

New Roomie, New Bike, New Life

Well, it's not a completely new life, but sometimes it feels that way. This past week I got a job at UPS, and started training, and had an interview at Starbucks. I know, it's actually been almost 2 weeks, but can you forgive me this one time? So, this is going to be a little time-line for you about how life has gone.

Work- Has been amazing! My boss Jeff is great (did you ever know UPS is franchised? I didn't....). At one location I've been working with the morning crew Kathy(50's, half asian...i think) and Kelly(early 40's, total soccer mom). I decided I'm going to call Kathy "Edna" because she looks exactly like the little costume maker in The Incredibles.
I work at two locations, one is just under a mile away, and the other is a whopping 3 miles away. I know, I was going to be hardcore and bicycle to work, but then I got given a moped. Did you read that? A family friend down here just up and gave me a moped! So that's been great, it's blue and silver, and one of these days I'll post a picture of me riding it so you all can see how awesome it makes me look. I also get 100/120 miles to the gallon. I filled up Sunday night with $1.90, and I haven't even used a quarter of the tank. Thankyou Jesus!

Living Arrangements

Dawn(the roomie) arrived here on saturday night, late, and we stayed up for a while unpacking, and then she stayed up longer unpacking even more. This week I decided I like her, she's pretty cool. We went to Ikea, and bought a vacuum off a guy for $15 from Craigslist. We made salad, I got her to like snacking on Kalamatta Olives, and I think she might be plotting to try and make me like Walmart. Ugh. I shouldn't even capitalize that name, they don't deserve it. All in all though, it's been good.

I started a group of paintings I'm going to do for the apartment of what we'll call The Solids. C.S. Lewis is finished, and Mother Teresa has began. Coming are Winston Churchill and Einstein, if you have any idea's, please feel free to contribute. They're all black and white portraits. So, I'm excited for that. And we're planning on painting a tree on one wall, and leaves on the wall under the bar in the kitchen. But that will probably be later.

Word and Church

I've finished 2 Peter and James this week. James 1...
19...Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because our anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral flith and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which CAN save you. 22 DO NOT MERELY LISTEN TO THE WORD, AND SO DECEIVE YOURSELVES. DO WHAT IT SAYS....25Those who look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continue in it- not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it- they will be blessed in what they do.

My prayer is that as the church we find ways to better ourselves and help the bride become pure. I'm not saying that we're perfect, I'm saying that we are blemished. The prayer is that instead of merely realizing that there is something off in the way that we function as a church, in word or in deed, that we find and utilize the remedy. That we encourage eachother not only to deep thoughts, or being different, but that we encourage eachother to restoration, to being revolutionary in the way that we live, and towards living as Christ intended. I pray that when we speak to eachother and to the world we speak with truth, love, and passion.

As a church this week, we're nearing the realization of a few things, which is exciting. There's a new possibility of a building, that I'll share when it's worked out. Bonnie Ruth, Teresa, and I worked on gift baskets this week for area fire and police departments. It's amazing the reaction we've gotten when we dedicate TIME to the community, not just cut a check. It's caring, hands on. And as spiro weird I think this sounds, it's amazing how many doors are opening, relationships unfolding, and just unexplainable favor that we're seeing.

To those of you who have written me letters, or messages on facebook, or tagged me in your notes, Thankyou. I love knowing what's happening, and being included in what's going on within all of you; struggles, thoughts, and dreams. Love ya's!