Blognouncement: Im Moving!

This is the semi-official announcment that I am moving to Boulder, Colorado. Its only semi-official because the official full length announcement is in my prayer letter that just got sent out. (ask me for a copy if you dont normally get it).

So yeah Im going to move to Boulder and work in the Regional Office (atleast for a year). Im super stoked about this, and scared, and lots of other feelings at different times. Mostly Im just trusting God and walking forward.

Comments? Questions?

1 Cor 1:7

Im not sure how I missed this for so long. Maybe because I dont often read the bible through the "Community" lense. Today I started reading 1 Corinthians and I got to verse 7.

It just jumped off the page at me. it says "...you do not lack any spiritual gift..."

Now in the past I've always read that line as "you the individual" like "you, Jon, do not lack any spiritual gift." Its always been a nice thought but im not sure what to do with it. I certainly dont feel like I have every spiritual gift. Does that mean I dont have enough faith in the bible? If i just believe then I have the gifts?

And if it really is 'you the individual' then I dont really need anyone else. Thats comforting to the American mindset. I can make it as a Christian on my own because I already have everything I need.

The realization I made this morning was - the 'you' is the corinthian church. As a WHOLE. That community of believers. Not necessarily any individual in the church but when all the believers are in community they lack no spiritual gift.

With this view on that passage all of a sudden I desprately need other believers. I cant make it on my own. And in the community of believers there is beauty as everyone is needed and the body really is a body as everyone offers their gift(s).

Thoughs?

Car Title

I dont know if anyone else cares but Im really excited because today I went down to the DMV and got the title of my Car transfered to my name. Previously it was Jointly in my Dad and My names (and the bank's till i paid off the loan).

But now its paid off and I am the sole owner. Now my prayer is that it would last me atleast another 100,000 miles.

Happy Day!!!!!

Happy St. Patricks day

so its a day early but i wont be in the office tomorrow. wether your irish or not have a very green day. (though i guess if you scottish you wear orange or something)

seasons

well it seems like summer is starting in Florida. Spring is about over (there is no winter) so here comes the heat and humidity. I actually had the discussion with my roommate yesterday about whether the non-summer season in Florida should be called Fring or Sprall. Fall and Spring combine to make the non-summer season because when the lowest the temperature will ever get during the day in Florida is 50 something you just cant call it winter.

Colorado

I went to Colorado for a few days last week and visited with my mentor from college who recently moved out there. Here's a few pictures from the trip. I might put up some more later.

Manatees!

Well I can check Manatee's off my list of things to see in my life. Here's a picture I took this weekend when we went manatee watching.









The other exciting event of the weekend was that I went to see Donald Miller speak at a local church. I enjoyed it alot. If you dont know who he is - he's the author of "Blue Like Jazz" and "Searching for God Knows What".

brief blurb

Im in the process of writing a newsletter so im not very inclined to blog much at the moment.

However, I want to say that things turned out amazingly well after my last blog entry.

In other news ive been relearning how to swing dance. Im not all that good but its fun learning it again. maybe this time itll stick.

thats all for now. ill hopefully be sending out a newsletter soon. If your not on my newsletter list and want to be let me know.

Sin is just UGLY

Last night we had a superbowl party. It was really awesome. It wasnt a huge party but there were lots a friends and food so it was good. Fabulous time really.

But today do I remember the party with fond memories? Not so much. No instead what is on my mind and heart the most is how I and my roommates wounded a Sister in Christ that night.

:(

Now I must walk the hard road to reconciliation. I dont really like this road because its not easy but in the end it is the right thing to do.

I dont often post about my ugly side, but here I am being real. Please pray for me and my roommates as we seek to do what we think is right.

(and please dont ask what happened Im not going to share that)

Your Welcome!

Yesterday when I got to work I found a huge banner and a bunch of balloons and goodies at my desk. The payroll team's way of thanking me for working on the E-Timesheet project for them. It sure feels good to be appreciated!!

here's one of the ballons they gave me...

The Wall part 2

Apparently the wall separating my cubicle from the rest of the team was more than just an inconvenience to me. When I arrived this morning the wall had been taken down and one of my coworkers had swapped desks with the new guy just so we could have the wall removed again.

YAAAAAY!!!!!

The walls go up.

A year ago we took down the cubicle wall separating my desk from the rest of my team so I could have easier communication with them. It was wonderful and made my cubicle feel so much larger.

Well we just had a new guy join our team. I came in this morning to discover he had replaced the wall. Its a sad day. All that great communication and openness destroyed for the sake of pinning up a piece of paper.

Whew what a weekend!

Weddings and birthday parties, Seeing Old friends and Making New ones, Playing Frisbee and watching movies. I feel like I did almost everything there is to do in Florida. I even tried Fondue for the first time MMMMMmmmmm good!

I think work might be a nice break from my busy weekend!!

A first.

I just saw my first NASA rocket launch. To bad it wasnt a shuttle launch.

One of the benefits of where Campus Crusades HQ is located is that we can see rockets launched from Cape Canaveral from here.

The world is flat?

I dont really have much to say today. So Im just going to do a shameless plug for a book Ive been reading called 'the world is flat' by Thomas Friedman. While not a Christian book it offers a very insiteful look at what is going on in the world today. The focus is global economic/business/technology/politics. And while that sounds super boring I found that it really isnt. Friedman is a journalist so his book reads like a series of newspaper articles. Tons and tons of interviews from all sorts of global leaders. Read it.

Pictures from EJ 05

EJ 05

Experience Jesus 2005. Thats the name of this year's San Diego Christmas Conference. Which is where I am at the moment. Im having a blast hanging out with college students and talking to them about opportunities to come work at Headquarters in Orlando.

The job is a lot harder than I thought but its still a lot of fun. Pray that God calls students from all the different Christmas conferences around the country to work with us in Orlando.

Tucson

So I made the journey to Tucson today. God is quite awesome I must say.

Today I arrived at the airport and got my tickets and went to my plane and right before they start boarding the plane I realize "wait a second this seat is in FIRST CLASS". I definately did NOT buy first class tickets but somehow I got bumped up. Yep that was my first time riding in first class. REAL food on a domestic flight is a first. Haha it was like a little Christmas present from God. I finally had time to work on my Christmas cards on the flight too. bonus!

Then I got to Tucson and saw my parents new house. one word: AWESOME!!!! The pictures that ive been seeing totally do not do it justice. Its actually quite big and bright and airy on the inside. I think it has a very asian feel but everyone else here seems to disagree. oh well.

Tomorrow I start my Christmas shopping. aaaaaaaaahhh.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! (I might post again before Christmas but I make no promises)

*ill*

Being sick is No fun! (you can pray I get better.)

On a more happy note: I only have 2 more work days (Friday and Monday) before I fly to Arizona for Christmas! Yay!

Narnia

Christmas Parties Galore. That sums up my weekend. But I also saw the Narnia movie.

I really like the Narnia movie. What I have always found interesting about that story is that C S Lewis was writing it as an allegory of the gospel. So its appropriate to look for parallels in it to the bible and christianity. And CSLewis was such a deep thinker that all kinds of neat things come out when you think about how the story plays out.

For instance when Lucy first enters Narnia it is this huge mysterious exciting place. She is filled with wonder. It strikes me that it is the same as someone discovering for the first time that there really is a supernatural - God exists in this universe of ours. The world theyve been living in becomes - different. Some how more Grand just by that knowledge.

Others like Edmund discover this same wider universe but they happen upon its sinister side instead of the good.

Either way you must soon discover that a war is going on.

Almost every scene in the movie portray's some piece of the gospel. If you've seen the movie what was your favorite scene was and what do you think its deeper meaning was???