Sorry everyone.  I haven’t abandoned my blog!  I just haven’t been able to post anything in the last several months.  This is largely because someone STOLE MY LAPTOP!!!!  So now I’m reduced to borrowing my roommates computer at opportune times and using my iPhone.  I hope to get a new computer soon, but the finances are just not available to me right now.

Quick update:  I’m living in Portland now.  I moved back there in September.  There’s a really long back story to all of this, but the short version is that God closed doors in Texas and opened doors in the Pacific NW.  So I’m back in PDX.  I’ll be finishing school at Western Seminary next year.  If you’ve ever want to come visit Portland, ring me up and I’d love to show you the city!

–Paul

I went to Wal-mart today to pickup the new Jay-Z album, The Blueprint Three.  I was stunned to find out that Wal-mart only carries “clean” versions of all CDs in their store.  I found this very interesting and shared this with a few friends.  I got the following response back from one guy–

JP: They also sell handguns, liquor, Playboy’s and countless other things that could be considered more objectionable then adult music lyrics.  Censorship in general is wack.

==================

Censorship FAIL.

There’s an App for that!

I just discovered an awesome new application for my iPhone last night.  It’s called “AlarmTunes”.  It allows me to set my alarm the night before and select some songs from my personal iTunes library as my alarm sound for the next morning.  You used to need an alarm clock with a  connection for your iPod to enjoy this option.  Now all you need to do is to download the $0.99 application and you’re ready to roll!

So my question to you: If you could wake up each morning to just one song, what song would that be?  This morning I woke up to The Postal Service, instructing me on their plans of “Sleeping In”.  What’s your morning theme song????

Tonight, I decided that I would start a little series of mini-blogs concerning things I love.  I won’t overwhelm you with blogs about this.  I just thought it would be fun.

I love showers that have ridiculous water pressure that almost turns your skin red.  Of course the shower head must be higher than my own head.  I also love big fluffy towels to dry off with.

I hate bath tubs that try to be showers.

“For the little things in life that make it livin’”

Isaiah 59

9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not overtake us;
we hope for light, and behold, darkness,
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind;
we grope like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
among those in full vigor we are like dead men.
11 We all growl like bears;
we moan and moan like doves;
we hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13 transgressing, and denying the Lord,
and turning back from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
14 Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
and uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

I haven’t really been writing very much of late, and I almost passed over my blog again today.  But for all of you who subscribe through your Google Reader and those regulars who actually read and respond to some of my post, I decided that I would throw something out there for you to think about and respond.

First, I just want to throw a little side note for everyone out there.  I want you to know that often what I post up here are new ideas or things that I’ve been mulling around in my head.  I wouldn’t want anyone to assume that what I post is what I believe to be absolutely true or biblically mandated.  I started this blog as an outlet to post some ramblings and share some great resources/music.  So please always take what I say with a grain of salt, and feel free to react and respond in whatever way you see fit.  Moving right along…

I write this blog in response to a dream that I had last night.  I remember being in a room discussing the church and ministry with several fellows.  I don’t remember much of the discussion, with the exception of the following line:  “We don’t really understand community.  Community is a very Eastern concept.  We think we have the answer, but I’m afraid we’ve missed what it really means to live in community.”  I don’t remember who said this in my dream, but I kind of resonate with these words.

Yesterday, Leadership Network released an article containing a list of the “Top Kingdom Ideas”, and I must say I was disappointed in the list.  These were supposed to be the Top 10 kingdom ideas over the last decade.  I must say if these are the best ideas that reflect the kingdom, then we’ve got a really average view of the kingdom.  Surely we can come up with better new and innovative ideas than these.

One of the ideas that I want to question is the idea of community and small groups.  The last entry on the list was, “Deeper penetration and shifts in small group models (life groups, cells, etc.) into a broad variety of churches.”  Tell me something.  Hasn’t the idea of small groups, home groups, cell groups-whatever you want to call them-been around for a while now?  And yet we still are groaning about the lack of authentic community in the church.  Everyone seems to think that small groups are the answer to the problem.  But what if they not the answer.  What if the answer is something different?  What if it is something we have not thought up yet?  I titled this blog Death to Small Groups not because I think every church needs to shut down their small groups ministries.  But to really catch your attention to suggest that we might need to start at least entertaining this idea:  We may be wasting all our creative efforts on starting something that has not and may not lead us towards community in the end.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Do you agree or disagree?

What do you think about when someone says the word, community?

What’s been your best experience in a small group?

What’s the biblical definition of community?  Or better yet, can you even find the word community in the Bible?

Mike Foster published a two part article for Conversant Life on why he doesn’t believe in Christian accountability.  You can read Part One & Part Two here.  What do you think about Mike’s thoughts?  Agree?  Disagree?

As much as I am disappointed that I did not get the job in Seattle, I am very excited to stay here in Dallas for the foreseeable future.  I’m stoked to remain a part of the community that God gifted to me.  I’m very excited about the passion and zeal that many of these folks possess for authentic, gospel community.  I’m excited to get back up to Dallas to get settled in for the next year.  But what I am most excited about is the smaller opportunities that God has opened for me.  This last year was a great year for me, what I call a healthy year.  However, I’m not ready to settle for what I’ve experienced up to this point.  I want more.  I want to go deeper.  I want authentic.  I don’t want to settle.  Seth Godin recently commented about settling on his blog:

Along the way, we settle.

We settle for something not quite right, or an outfit that isn’t our best look, or a job that doesn’t quite maximize our talents. We settle for relationships that don’t give us joy, or a website that’s, “good enough.”

The only way to get mediocre is one step at a time.

You don’t have to settle. It’s a choice you get to make every day.

I don’t want to settle for another year of the same stuff.  (as great as it was)  I want to see something greater, and more beautiful than what I’ve experience last year.

I can feel there’s something brewing.  I know God has me here for reason.  I can feel it just around the edge.  And I know two things that desperately need…

1) More of the Gospel

2) More people who won’t settle

Let me know if you want to join me.

Well as it turns out, I didn’t get the job in Seattle.  I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t disappointed.  But I’m stoked to be staying in Dallas!  I’ve told many people this before, I’ve never been happier than I’ve been here in Dallas.  Both options (staying and going) were two great options!  So I’m happy to be staying here.

But that means I’ve got still more work to do!  I’ve got to find a better job than the one I’m at right now, and I’ve got to find a place to live!  Keep praying that God would provide opportunities for me as I refocus on what’s next for me here in Big D.

Oh my soul, oh my Jesus
Judas sold you for 30, I’d have done it for less
Oh my soul, oh my Saviour
Peter denied you 3 times, I have denied you more

As the nails when in, I was standing right there
As you breathed your last, I shook my head and I cried

Oh my God what have we done
We have destroyed your son
Oh my God what have we done
We have destroyed your son

And the blood ran down, I was standing right there
And the water poured, I shook my head and I cried

Oh my God what have we done
We have destroyed your son
Oh my God what have we done
We have destroyed your son