Pastor Chris Lyons

On Friday morning I woke up to a text that my friend Pastor Chris has went to be with Jesus in heaven. Over the weekend I’ve had so many important memories stroll through my mind and I wanted to share them with you. 

In 2004 I applied for a Junior High Pastor role at a church in Henderson, NV (Las Vegas). When I was looking at the church website I read about one of the pastors on staff, his name was Chris Lyons. He was about 70 years old at the time and had been married for almost 50 years. I can still see the picture of Chris and Connie in my mind. I kept thinking to myself: “I would love to work with that guy.” 

A couple months later I was hired and working with Chris Lyons. My cubicle was right next to his and I was so nervous. He was a pillar of faith, a man of God, loved his wife, and knew how to care for people. I would end up working closely with Chris for eight years. Chris was like a father/grandfather to me. He was a pastor to me. Chris was a mentor and a friend all wrapped into one.

Chris taught me how to tie a tie. Every time I tie my tie I think about Chris. He would make sure my collar looked good in the back on Christmas Eve and that my tie was the correct length. He was so encouraging. 

Chris taught me how to preach, though he never gave me a “preaching class.” Chris helped me work on sermons, sermon series, and my delivery. He would always say: “If you can’t say it in 30 mins then get off stage.” I still think that in my mind. 

When we moved into the Freeway Campus at South Hills I still officed very close to Chris. Instead of having cubicles next door we were office neighbors. Every morning I would spend from 8:30-9:00am in his office. It wasn’t an appointment but an invitation. I would talk to him about: preaching, leading, marriage, parenting, writing sermons, sermon series, reaching students, seminary, conflict management, working with elders, pastor transition, and more. Those conversations with Chris are still one of the highlights in ministry. 

Chris showed up; all the time! He would come to church every time we were leaving for a camp. I remember one morning he showed up as we were getting ready to head to Hume Lake. So many of our students and parents loved seeing Chris. He would walk from group of students to group of students taking their picture and talking to them. The whole time he was spreading pastoral pixie dust (the love of Christ) on everyone. 

There was a young lady in Charity’s small group who told us the reason that she landed at our church. Since I was the high school pastor I was ready to hear about how it was because of me, but it wasn’t. It was because of Pastor Chris’ Sunday preaching. She loved hearing him preach and wanted a grandfather figure in her life. The dude was well into his 70’s and was the best, still is the best, preacher I’ve ever sat under. 

Chris would invite anyone and everyone to his home. I can’t tell you how many meals I ate with him and Connie. He was also so welcoming and loving. He would host our Young Adults ministry at his home and just be there to serve. Chris taught me about serving others. 

I could continue to write more memories, and most likely will. But for now I will remember all the great times with Chris. 

6 questions with Bret Johnson

Bret Johnson is a Christ follower, husband, father, entrepreneur and pastor. Bret grew up in sunny Southern California and currently lives in Henderson, NV. Bret is marries to Sallie Johnson and they have three wonderful adult children. Bret leads The Hastening, preaches, teaches and encourages young leaders. Bret has a deep desire to see people who are far from God draw near to the Lord.

Bret and I met late in 2004 when I was applying for a role at South Hills Church Community in Henderson, NV. Bret took a risk on hiring me and invested in my life for about five years while we were on staff together (my mom still talks about what a great communicator Bret is). Bret has the gift of hospitality and loves to welcome people into his home. When I first moved to Vegas, Bret invited my mom and fiancé over for Christmas dinner. Bret also has a passion for missions; he and I went to Mexico to scout out a location where we could introduce students to their first missions experience.

1.  You’ve just started a new ministry called “The Hastening.” Tell us about this ministry.

 The term “hastening” comes from Peter’s second letter in the New Testament. Here’s what he said:

“ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.   Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!  But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:10-12

I formed The Hastening as a ministry this year to do several important things:   encourage renewal, revival and prayer in the body of Christ; equip the church (especially in Las Vegas) to understand and have a passion for Jesus' fame among all nations (which is the ultimate goal of all of history); network with Pastors and ministries in the Las Vegas Valley and encourage unity among churches and ministries.   John PIper has said, "You're either a zealous goer or a zealous sender (in relation to Christian missions) or you're nothing."  The Hastening is really meant to help Christ-followers understand their important role in finishing the great commission.

2. Doing ministry in Las Vegas is radically different from pretty much everywhere. What do you find most exciting about this call?

Las Vegas IS the mission field.  It's in the United States but it is a mission station for sure.  5% of the 2.1 million people who live in Las Vegas are evangelical Christians.  There are as many Mormons in Las Vegas as evangelicals. Many metro areas in the US have up to 40% of the population who are evangelicals-- places like Dallas, Atlanta, Memphis, etc.  There's a ton of opportunities to reach people.  People are not "cultural Christians" here.  They are lost or found....plain and simple.  People have come here from EVERYWHERE also.  A person reached for Christ here can have an impact in many parts of the world.

3. You’re an entrepreneur and a church planter. What do you think is the toughest part about church planting?

Far and away the toughest part of church planting is having it supported well.  The typical church plant contains a passionate Pastor and his wife and a lot of promises of support by people and churches- and honestly, just promises.    We were fortunate in coming to Las Vegas.  The Christian & MIssionary Alliance got behind us and committed $250,000 to us.  In addition, our home church paid the salary of our #2 guy for two whole years.  Another church in our sending city took a quarterly congregational offering for two years!  Each offering averaged $10,000!  That wasn't our home church!  What did they get for that financial commitment?  A church that grew to over 1,000 people in eight years.  And the most dynamic student ministry in the city in just a few years.

4. You’re a dad to three amazing adult children, what are some things you and Sallie did early in their lives to help your kids become the people they are today?

One of the things that attracted me to Sallie was that she was from a Christian family.  Not just her folks but her grandparents on both sides, aunts & uncles, truly committed people.  That was in sharp contrast to my family who I love dearly but it's just the truth.  I had a sense that when we had kids her influence and her family would really be a blessing to our kids and they would benefit from that legacy.  In addition, I think we created a healthy home-- not a perfect home-- just a healthy home.  Sallie and I worked hard both in church and at our jobs but one of us was almost always with the kids OR the grandparents watched them.  So our kids got lots of attention and care.  Kids will generally thrive if you give them a healthy environment.

5. There are many men who don’t have a life outside their work and family. What is one hobby you enjoy doing and that fills you up?

Sallie and I love to travel.  We take several short trips a year and try to see and do some different things.  We are not rich but we are smart travelers.  We were also blessed by some friends who gave us a timeshare to use so that gets us to some different places.  Our kids now live in three different states and we have family in Portland.  So, just keeping up with family means traveling some.

6. If you could give your 20 year old self one piece of advice what would it be?

That's easy.  Find a good counselor!  Deal with your junk, your family history and your sinfulness.  Find someone you trust and can be honest with.  My generation did not do soul work very well.  Millennials today are more open to this than we were (thank God!).  I have come to the conclusion that almost all of us would benefit from going to a counselor as often as we go to a medical doctor!

A pastors thought's on Las Vegas

November 2004 I put San Diego in my rear view mirror and headed for Las Vegas. I was an engaged young man who would be married in six weeks to the love of my life. We bought our first home in Vegas. God gave us two children while we served in Las Vegas. I was ordained into ministry at South Hills Church Community and cut my teeth as a young pastor. After eight years of ministry God called us back to California but my heart stayed with so many people who touched my life.

October 1, 2017 I woke up to see what I never expected. My wife said: "Did you hear there was a shooting in Vegas?" I grabbed my phone and already had text messages. One message said: "Drew Bodillo’s sister, Karessa has been shot at Vegas event. Per Ric Royce. I’ll keep you updated."

I was shocked...

I jumped on Facebook to make sure our friends were ok. I read stories of people who had been at the concert and their account. There initial comments of hearing gun fire and seeing what they've seen rocked me. I started texting friends making sure they were ok. I barely read my Bible but more prayed and scrolled and texted that morning.

As I've talked with friends and pastors who are still in Vegas I am still in shock at what occurred. I can't imagine what the scene must have been like. My intention here is not to discuss that scene but to share about the Vegas I know, the Vegas that is gathering around the community to love their neighbor. The Vegas that is seeking God during a tough time. The Vegas that is strong, caring and loves everyone!

If you look on Instagram or Facebook you will see that Vegas is united. People are praying together, people are giving, kids are writing thank you cards to first responders, churches are opening their doors, college students are buying blankets for people, lines are wrapped around buildings to give blood and Vegas is united.

I know there are dozens of ways you can help during this tough time. As you think about Vegas will you do one of the three things:
1) Give blood to help out
2) Donate to someone's "GoFund Me" account (this link directly helps Vegas)
3) Pray for Vegas

This weekend I'm praying that Vegas churches will be packed this weekend. I'm praying for believers to be ready to share their faith. I'm praying for families to find hope in a confusing time. I'm praying for pastors to be strong in this difficult time. I'm praying for the Holy Spirit to use what one man intended for evil to turn into good for the Kingdom of God. Will you join me in that prayer?

HALF-SLEEVE TREE TATTOO

For the last five(ish) years I've been wanting to get a tattoo on my left arm. When I say "a tattoo" I mean a half-sleeve.  I am not one to simply rush into a tattoo. I know its something on my body forever and it matters. I have tried to find an artist near me but each time I think about calling I just think: "I want Jonny to do the tat."

Jonny Five is my buddy in Vegas who has done basically all my ink in the last decade. I've spent many hours with Jonny and more importantly I trust him. He's a fantastic artist. He's well respected. He knows what he's doing.

So all that said, let me explain the tattoo to you and the reason behind it. When I was in seminary I had a pastor I respect very much pray over me. During that time he prophesied and prayed that I would be a tree for my generation.
He prayed I would be a father to the fatherless and a leader for leaders.
He prayed that God would use me to fight for the fatherless.
He also prayed that I would put down the gloves I've used to fight in the past and that I would fight for the Gospel to move ahead.
It was a moving time.

About six months after that I began thinking of getting a tattoo to remind me of that time. Each time I looked at trees I couldn't find the right one. After thinking about it for almost four years Charity and I were talking and it all clicked. I don't remember how the conversation went, but it was finally clear that I needed to get a pine tree (or some kind of mountain tree). It would remind me of my roots and the time in seminary.

The tattoo also makes me think of Psalm 1 where it says this:

Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

I love the dimension in the tattoo and the variety of trees. The main tree is dark black and then the trees vary from there. If you're familiar with Redwood trees you might know that they don't have deep roots but they have connected roots. The tree relies on its root connection to other trees in strong winds. This tattoo also reminds me of the need to stay connected with others. The Christian life is not meant to be experienced alone!

There are the four reasons this tattoo is so meaningful to me. Thank you Jonny for a great piece! If you're ever in Vegas go hang out with Jonny and get the tattoo you've been thinking about for years.

Vegas Theme Verse

As I am preparing for sabbatical there are a whole bunch of thoughts and emotions that are stirring in me and today I wanted to share what I have called my "Vegas Theme Verse".  Many of you know that I grew up in a small mountain community and haven't really been much of a city kid for my entire life; there is actually a weird struggle in me that would prefer to be in the mountains but feels called to the city to share Christ.

After being in Vegas for a year or two I called one of my mentors to chat about what God has been teaching me.  See I love to read the Bible from cover to cover every year.  One year I was reading and this verse just stuck out to me:

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.  Deuteronomy 8:2 (NIV)

After I shared the verse with him he said something I will never forget: "You know you are dry when the Old Testament speaks so much to you."  He was right I was dry.

Now I know you may be thinking something like: "But you are a pastor, don't you have it all figured out?"

The truth is no, I wish I had it all figured out but I am on the same journey as millions of other people in the world who are seeking to know Christ more.  As I read this verse there are four things that stick out to me:

GOD LEADS
I know when I face situations that may not be what I desire most that God is leading me.  Moses is asking the Israelites if they remember how God lead them in the desert.  God did not abandon them mid journey (even though He had ever reason to) but saw to it that they would safely enter the Promised Land.

THERE IS A HUMBLING PROCESS
I am not much into being humbled but I can tell you this "I am a different person today because of what God has taught me in the desert."  Just last week I was meeting with my mentor and was telling him that when I go back to So Cal on sabbatical that people are going to know I am a different person.  God wants to humble our hearts which leads us the next step.

WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART
Have you ever sat down and taken some time to examine your heart?  The Bible tells us that our of the overflow of our hearts our mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34-35).  While God has been leading me in the desert, and humbling me, I have had to deal with the junk that is in my heart.  God has been purifying my heart during these last seven years.

KEEP HIS COMMANDS
The last line in here that sticks out to me is will I keep God's commands?  During all of this, all of the times that God is teaching me to trust Him I have to make sure that I will keep His commands.  As much as God is shaping me, humbling and purifying my heart I am committed to trusting in His commands.  I want to seek hard after God to become the man he is making me; that is what I am committed to.

A Major Accomplishment

The other day I was looking at my wall and noticed something super cool.  See when I arrived at South Hills almost seven years ago I made an agreement to work on my ordination as a pastor.  Within four months I had accomplished my licensing with the Christian and Missionary Alliance.  From there it was supposed to be a two year process to get my Ordination completed.  After two (and a half) years of working on my Ordination I finally took the flight to Sacramento to have my final Ordination interview.

The interview could cover over 280 questions and it was all oral.  I sat in a room with five men who most had been pastoring longer than I had been alive.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous sitting in that room with those men but I also had a confidence sitting there with them.  I knew that these men wanted me to succeed; they had been rooting for me the last couple years and now it was time to culminate all my work.

After a two hour interview I was asked to leave the room and allow the men deliberate from our time.  I was called back in about 15 minutes later.  The leader of the interview said some great things about our time together, complimented me on my understanding of Theology and there was a cool sense in the room that day.  There is one line that sticks out to me from that time when Doug (our district supervisior) said this: "Neal it is the recommendation of this board to approve your ordination with no reservation and nothing further to work on."

I'm not sure if you have ever had anyone say that to you but I was told later that basically I nailed it.  My life was in line, I was correct on scripture and that interview affirmed my calling into life-long pastoral ministry.  Now I don't share all of this to brag but to just share my excitement of call on my life from where I started my life to where God has brought me.

(This is Roy Price officiating my Ordination Service)

(A group of our pastors and elders praying for Charity and me)

Top 10 things to do in Vegas

This week I was catching a flight home and found myself talking with those around me about what to do in Vegas.  Since we have lived here for the last six years I decided to come up with this list of my top ten things to do while you are in Vegas.

1. Fountains at Bellagio
This has to be my favorite thing that Charity and I do here in town.  Its free so all you have to do is get down to the strip!  We always park Valet and just tip the guys a few bucks when we pick up our car.  The fountains run regularly every 15 minutes.  They play various songs and I have noticed that over the years they keep adding songs to the list. Cost= Free

2. Jean Philippe Cafe
While you are down on the strip and heading to the fountains, make a stop inside the Bellagio.  Charity and I like to go in there and share a crape.  We usually get one with nutella and raspberries on top.  This is a must while you are in town and in love! Cost= $15

3. The Shark Reef
If you have an hour or so to kill and want to just relax a take a stroll while looking at some super cool fish then stop in at the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay.  We have gone here with friends, family and I loved it when we took our daughter.  The experience is not too long but its a great thing to get away from the slots while you are here.  Cost= $15 per person

4. Viva Elvis
We have seen about five shows since we moved here and this one was my favorite that we have seen.  Now don't get me wrong; KA, Celine Dion, and Blue Man Group (close second) are amazing but this was my favorite.  Viva Elvis combines dance, music and some sweet acrobatics into a tantalizing show.  Cost= Depends where you sit

5. Mona Mi Gabi
This is the restaurant that is directly under the Eiffel Tower at the Paris.  You can get reservations but don't.  If the weather is nice you want to sit on the patio.  The patio is on the strip and you sit directly across from the Fountains at Bellagio.  The food is great but not too expensive.  This is a great date for a couple that wants to have fun but not break the bank.  Cost= $60 for a couple

6. Indoor Skydiving
Its technically called: "Vegas Indoor Skydiving". This is pretty random on the list but I loved it!  I have been once and would love to go more often.  Its kinda like skydiving but less expensive.  Its a trill, something you will never forget, close to your hotel and not super expensive. Cost= $70 per person

7. Secret Garden at The Mirage
The Secret Garden at the Mirage is a cool exhibit that Charity and I visited about 4 years ago.  They have dolphins, tigers, and many other animals to look at.  The cost was worth the visit but I don't think that it is worth a re-visit that often.  I still want to take my daughters there.  Cost $15 per person

8. Visit Lake Mead
Lake Mead is slowly depleting but it remains one of my favorite attractions in Las Vegas.  While you are there you can hit the Hoover Dam tour, rent a boat, take out Jet Ski's, or catch a meal on a river boat. I personally like to bring a loaf of bread out there and just feed the fish and ducks with my family.  Cost= $5 per car

9. Canal Ride at Venetian
Maybe you don't have the time, or money, to head over to Venice and take ride on a Gondola but you can do that here in Vegas!  Head down to the Venetian and take a ride on the grand canal.  Charity and I have done this one a few times.  You can charter your own Gondola or if funds are tight you can jump in with some others.  The ride is totally worth it no matter what road you take.  Cost= $15 per person or $60 for your own boat

10. Take a ride on the Stratosphere
This one is for the trill seeker.  I only venture down here when some of my friends from back home head into town.  They drag me down and we usually ride the big shot that is on top; its not the only ride though you have many to choose from.  The cost on this will vary so check the website and get ready to pee your pants!

You may not have a local in town that you can talk to about what to do while you are in Vegas so here is my list.  You may find something that needs to be on here; just let me know and maybe I will add it.

Sophie Doing the Laundry

Oh my little Sophie makes me laugh in so many ways.  The other day I was doing the laundry, you read that right, and she jumped in to help.  Thankfully I was smart enough to grab the sick Sony camera and film this little ditty for you to watch!

Family Day @ Bonnie Springs

I realized that I haven't blogged much about my family recently; summer tends to be an intense season of ministry and school (no excuse). On Friday Charity and I decided to take the family out to Bonnie Springs, a little old west town that is about 45 minutes from town, and we had a great time out there!

We arrived around 10am and jumped right into the action. There is a pond with some ducks and some turtles. We spent our quarters and fed the ducks

After feeding the ducks we walked around the petting zoo where we encountered all kinds of gentle animals that Sophie loved touching! Here is the goat that was super nice and let us pet him. We also pet a little pony, a sheep, a deer, a llama, and tried to pet some chickens.

They have all kinds of animals there that we loved looking at!



After we pet the animals Sophie went to ride a pony! She totally had a great time riding "peanut" and looked super cute in her helmet; you gotta love this video!

The day wouldn't be complete without a picture of daddy, that's me, wearing Leah in the Baby Ergo!
















We did great until Sophie and Mommy got arrested and thrown into jail for breaking the law!

Leading Freshman

This last year, well almost year, has been a rad journey in my personal life serving in ministry.  I know that I am the High School Pastor at our church but I still want to serve in an area of ministry in our church and the way I have done that over the last six years is by leading a small group.  The way it has basically happened over the last few years is that I took the "upper class men" to make sure they had some solid discipleship in their lives before leaving for college.

This last year of ministry (school year 2009-2010) I chose to do something different.  I chose to lead the incoming freshman.  There were a few factors that played into the decision but the main one was to be able to have influence in some young guys lives for the next four years and make sure they had a consistent leader.  Now I have to admit that leading freshman is much different than leading seniors. 

Let me share some of those differences:
* They can't drive
* Cabin time at winter camp is a little more squirely
* They still think they can beat me up
* They are more "raw" (by that I mean they don't think they have to be as cool as older students)
* They are loving; I have the best group of boys in my small group
* They are honest about the pain in their life; they haven't learned how to hide it all that well yet

The list could continue but these are just a few points that stick out to me the most.  For years I knew this moment would come when I would "start over" with a group of young guys and lead them through high school (years we can all admit are some of the toughest years in our life).  I have to admit that I kinda dreaded, or was scared, to go down and lead freshman but after a year of leading freshman I look back and I am so thankful for the guys in my small group and all the memories we made this year. 

Love you guys and praying that your sophomore year of high school will be a time or more growth in your walk with Christ.

$1,000,000

I like to play the "what if" game a lot.  The "what if" game is just something that I think in my mind about what I would do if this happened or how I would respond if that happened.  For a little while I have thought about what I would do if I have a million dollars and here it is:

1st- $100,000 to South Hills Church Community in Henderson, NV
2nd- $165,000 to pay off my condo in Las Vegas, NV
3rd- $150,000 to buy a three or four bedroom house
4th- $50,000 to my mom; she has been so helpful in our lives
5th- $100,000 to the girls college fund ($50,000 each)
6th- $35,000 to buy a sick wakeboard boat
7th- $25,000 to furnish our new home
8th- $25,000 into our bank account for future vacationing (Tahiti, Japan or Australia)
9th- Invest the remaining $350,000 and pray really hard about how to use it to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today; if I got a check for $1,000,000 this is how I would spend it.
How would you spend it?

Conversations From the Tattoo Shop

Its probably no surprise to anyone the title of this post; I get tattoo's and therefore I spend time in the tattoo shop.  If you have never been to a tattoo shop you are missing out!  There are some crazy people in there; and I mean literally crazy (there are also some amazing people with great hearts in there).  Although that is not the focus of this post I had to start it off that way because I think this will become a more common topic I write about.

The main focus of this post is something that has stuck in my mind from my last tattoo sitting.
It was late on a Saturday night and I was sitting in the chair being tattooed.  My artist was working on the top angel tattooed on my arm, more my shoulder, and I was talking with a female who was sitting in the room waiting for my artist, Johnny, to finish the tattoo.  Johnny loves to tell people that I am a pastor and that he tattoo's me; I think its cool he is stoked on it and I love the guy.  Well this lady and I began to talk about church and God and where she is at with Jesus.  She told me she went to church when she was young and was super connected.  She mentioned that she went to the summer camps and winter camps and it sounded like she enjoyed them in her tone of voice but something happened after high school that caused her to leave the church (we never got to what happened).

So while Johnny and I were talking about how to finish up the bottom of my arm I shared I only want to do "half sleeves" because I preach in the big room at church and don't want to turn people off to Jesus and the hope in Christ because I have tattoo's. 
The lady looked at me and said something to the effect of "Its because people will judge you huh?"

That line has stuck in my head the last 4 days and I can't stop thinking about it.  Is the church really just known for being a place that judges people?  It broke my heart to hear that; I grew up in a church that judged me for being a skateboarder and snowboarder.  I was lumped in a category where the majority of the thought is that "those people do drugs" so I just did drugs because I was treated that way.  I wonder if something to a similar effect happened to her and caused her to leave the church; maybe I will see her again and find out.

As for me; I have come to the conclusion that I have no desire to get full sleeves on my arms because I do a good deal of overseas missions and tattoo's are not as acceptable overseas as they are in the States. 

I would love to hear thoughts, if you have any, of how we, the church, can be a place that lacks condemnation and promotes love and grace because if all we are known for is judgment then we are in trouble.

Angel Tattoo: Almost Done

So in a previous post on the Angel Tattoo I shared why I was getting it and what the reason behind the tattoo was all about.  Since then I've had two more sessions on my arm and one more to go. 
Here's the progress:

(First session we did the outline)

(Second session we did the clouds)

(Third session we did the Angel)

The entire tattoo is done in black, gray and white.  I love how Johnny Five is using the white to really make the tattoo pop out and have some cool definition.  I have one more session and then hopefully we will be done; I'm super excited on this tattoo and how its turned out!

Leah Joy 10 weeks old

So today we had another doc appointment for Leah and I wanted to post a cute picture and give you and update on her stats (how big she is and stuff)

(Our friend Adena took this super sweet picture)

So for Leah's 10 week check up she is:
23.5 inches long= 75%-90%
12 pounds 12 ounces= 75%-90%
and her head is huge; that is basically what our doc said.

What does all this mean?  It means that Leah is healthy, she is growing and she is an amazing little girl (the last one is my perspective).

Sophie Loves Her Hippo

When Charity and I went to Africa back in December 2006 I bought this wood Hippo.  I'm not exactly sure why I bought it; maybe because I like to barter and I thought a wood Hippo this big would be cool maybe because we saw some Hippo's in real life; who knows!

(The Hippo himself)

Well when Sophie was about 12 months old, maybe younger, she fell in love with the Hippo!  When I say fell in love I mean it.  She would ask for the Hippo every morning and wanted to cuddle with it.  The though thing about the Hippo is that he weighs 8.6 pounds and Sophie weighs 21.2 pounds (with her clothes on).

(I wasn't kidding when I said she loves the Hippo)

About 6 months ago I hid the Hippo for a month and Sophie cried for it almost every morning; I finally gave it back.  Maybe a two months ago I placed the Hippo under the bed to give him some rest and keep him away from Sophie.  Well the other morning we were playing on the ground and Sophie found the Hippo.  I don't know what it is but Sophie loves this Hippo!  She loves him so much she cuddles him after she dropped him on her foot in the bathroom.

(Yep, crying and still hugging Hippo)

Not sure why my daughter loves the 8.6 pound wood Hippo from Africa but she does!  Even after we took the pictures of Hippo all she wanted to do was look at him.

A Changed Life- Zoe Dodd

This week Zoe Dodd shared her story in our High School Ministry.  I love hearing her story and how God has totally grabbed her heart.  Zoe has an amazing heart and I see big things happening in her life as she continues to seek Jesus.  I'm also very thankful for Sam being there to answer her questions while we were at Hume Lake last summer!  Thanks for sharing your story Zoe!

A Changed Life- Series Overview

When we do a sermon series in our High School Ministry its not just open the Bible, point to a verse and preach on it. I am constantly asking God what He wants us to teach students and how that translates into life change for them; what can they apply to their lives?
For this series I landed on the Sermon on The Mount. As I was reading over the text (Matthew Chapters 5-7) I just kept thinking "Jesus is calling the people to life change". Jesus tells them what they heard from others and then shares with them the plans He has to change their life through the truth of God. Here's the deal though; its tough! Its tough because when you read The Sermon on The Mount it calls for life change and most of us aren't ready for that!

Here is how we broke the six week series down:
Week 1: Matthew 5:1-12
Week 2: Matthew 5:21-26
Week 3: Matthew 5:33-48
Week 4: Matthew 6:5-15
Week 5: Matthew 6:25-34
Week 6: Matthew 7:7-14

A Changed Life- Tony Fernandez

As we continue our series, this week Tony Fernandez shared his story on how God has changed his life.

A Changed Life- Jacob Dunne

This week Jacob Dunne shared his story at Explode; more evidence of how God is still changing lives!

A Changed Life- Kalina Rock

Last night we started a new series in our High School Ministry called: "A Changed Life".  This week Kalina Rock shares her story on how God has grabbed her heart and changed her life.