To Infinity and.... ?

Hoo-boy!

How can I even start to explain what has happened in the last few weeks? How about some bullets?

- The house is under contract. The folks moving in are a blended family. They're a couple with 6 kids! - Yeah 6! A couple of weeks ago they came in to lay claim on space and it looked like a hybrid of the Von Trapps and a row of ducklings filing in. They seemed to be well-behaved and rather cute. The well-behaved part might have something to do with the fact that "Dad" is a K-9 officer with the Martinez, CA PD. Even the law-enforcing beast will live here.

- Joel McMinn from Northgate purchased a storage facility in Newton, NC (just minutes from Hickory). This was in the developing stages WELL before we informed folks of our pin-pointed focus on that part of the US. He and his wife Pat have met with us and are extremely supportive of what we envision. He wants us to manage it part-time and will let us use space rent-free until we can get settled in the area. This is a HUGE God-thing! He even spent a few weeks out there and had a very enjoyable connection with our main support folks (Dennis & Jeannie Cheuvront).

- Shawn West. What can we say? He has been a main staple for us on this end. He has run 2 coffee shops (before the Starbucks blitz) and now roasts coffee. He is our current supplier. We are purchasing a fully automatic espresso machine from him that retails at over $10k. His price is $5.5k (hardly used) with a full year guarantee. We will take it with us and make it our "seed" to plant. He also has coffee shop equipment and furniture stored that we may be able to buy for far less than starting from dead-scratch. I think we are leaning heavily toward getting it. His counsel was for us to find a space first and then determine our need. THAT is integrity!

Those are the highlights for now. Needless, to say, we are getting very excited about this adventure and the discoveries ahead.

Shalom,

Jeff

It Works Both Ways

A few days ago, I let the participants in one of the e-groups I'm in know about our pending move. One of the more prolific pontificators of the group responded. He asked me about lessons learned in the decision-making process and how we have been shaped by the rigor of our own transformation.

I had to think for awhile, not realizing it wasn't because I did not know the answer, but because we are smack in the middle of the process itself.

Thanks to his question, I've been able to put up a rear-view mirror enabling me to look back to consider what I have gained to take ahead with me.

I'm sure there are many more insights for me to gain, but the one that is taking a hold of me now is this.

I'm a leader in the context of a team of other leaders. And I have been granted the privilege and responsibility of developing emerging leaders. I made a discovery that has impacted me as a recipient and a provider. It has to do with an area that has challenged me my whole life. It's a thing called "motivation." I didn't really realize that motivation is fueled by two boosters. One if Affirmation; the other is Opportunity. Motivation has no drive or momentum without them.

A leader of leaders certainly needs discernment in developing other leaders, But he/she also needs to make sacrifices and to be a risk-taker so that foundational roots can grasp and take hold of the nourishing soil called stewardship.

As I continue to lead others, I pray that I will be able to let go so that others may grow. So that the reign of God's Kingdom can spread and Body of Christ on earth can organically infect the world that God so loves.

An IKTHUS on the Line

In regards to putting our house "on the market" (one of the worst in many, many years) a few months ago, a very common question we've been hearing since then is - "Any nibbles?" At first I would say "No, we just keep casting our line hoping it's a good spot." About a month ago I would answer, "The bobber is moving, but we don't know if it's a passing fish or the wind blowing." Most recently, I would reply, "The bobber is actually dipping slightly under the surface." As of last night at around 9 pm I can now say, "We've got one on the line and we're carefully reeling it in - VERY carefully."

IOW - We accepted an offer last night. It looks very promising since all that is left is an appraisal and pest inspection, etc. The price was lower than we had hoped, but God has been surprising us along the way and we're confident that there are a few more ahead.

Very interesting timing. The closing is scheduled for December 21st and we move out on the 26th. So we'll have a very memorable "Christmas 2007." We've already been invited to dinner by some very close friends.

Please continue to pray for our transition. We will have to recruit strong men and efficient packers to help us load a trailer on the day after Christmas. We plan to pull out on the 27th and arrive in NC within 5-6 days.

Thanks for your interest in our lives. We'll keep you updated.

Check out our new website as well - there's fresh roasted coffee there you can purchase to help us and Mission Solano in Fairfield, CA www.javajourney.org

Have a blessed Thanksgiving,

Jeff

Journey in Song

I love many types of music and have a great appreciation of many composers and performers of my generation.

Among them is James Taylor. Many of his tunes utilize a journey theme (did he initiate this for John Denver of vice versa?).

One of his songs has become a recurring "earworm" for me. I love the melody, the words and its relevance.

In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Maybe just like a friend of mine
It hit me from behind
Yes I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind

Karen she's a silver sun
You best walk her way and watch it shinin'
Watch her watch the mornin' come
A silver tear appearing now I'm cryin'
Ain't I goin' to Carolina in my mind

There ain't no doubt it no ones mind
That loves the finest thing around
Whisper something soft and kind
And hey babe the sky's on fire, I'm Dyin'
Ain't I goin' to Carolina in my mind

In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Maybe just like a friend of mine
It hit me from behind
Yes I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind

Dark and silent late last night
I think I might have heard the highway calling
Geese in flight and dogs that bite
Signs that might be omens say I going, going
I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind

With a holy host of others standing 'round me
Still I'm on the dark side of the moon
And it looks like it goes on like this forever
You must forgive me
If I'm up and gone to Carolina in my mind

In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Maybe just like a friend of mine
It hit me from behind
Yes I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind

"How Many More Miles?"

Well, literally - about 2,670-some. If you mapquest "Benicia, CA/Hickory, NC.

My late father (one of the pioneers in the road trip history of America after Eisenhower created the interstate system) was among the first to utilize the "about one more hour" diversionary tactic to shut us up for the next 45 minutes.

I believe we are nearing that allegorical threshold as I type this entry - call it an "eleventh" one.

God has given us a bit of hope in the dreadful housing market scenario. There is a family in the next courtlet who have visited the house 3 times. And now Liz (our realtor goddess) just called (I mean when I was typing "Well, literally - about ,,,") and informed us of a family that came through on Saturday who wants to make an offer.

I would be remiss if I did not let the reader know that Teena kept saying. "I'm praying for 2 offers." Every time I heard her, I thought "She's so noble, but equally naive. Okay - I'll pray for that too. Bless your heart."

She just got home and I told her. She did a "Snoopy Dance."

Pardon me - I'm a cock-eyed optimist. I'm cautious about hope since I don't want to put myself so high with it, that I break a few limbs when the "sudden stop" occurs. I do hope that both offers will come to fruition. We'll see.

The biblical encouragement that God does exceedingly beyond all we ask or think has its balance with the two of us. Teena asks, I think.

Shalom,

Jeff

Divine Surgery

I'm still in the recovery room from yesterday's staff meeting.

I felt like God placed me on the table and cut me open without anesthetic - only a strong sedative. I'm looking down at the guts of my soul and watching him remove the appendix, gallbladder, perhaps even the spleen as I'm being painfully transformed.

I walked away wounded and groggy thinking - "perhaps I am the culprit instigating an aggravated tension among this handful of passionate leaders." The newest member of the group comes riding in on a fertile stallion with heightened nobility and blissful ignorance defending the founder. He later asks critical questions that fall on the one he defended - the same types of questions asked again and again without answers by the one who writes these words - yea, factors that lead toward my loss of respect and regard.

The main challenge was - If there can be no trust of the one God has placed in the primary leadership role, then it's time to move one. I listen as I fight off the cynical thoughts in my head wishing to exit my mouth "I'm working on it" or "5 others have done
just that since I've been here. So where's the problem?" But the Words through a man named James restrain me.

So - I'm on antibiotics and pain meds (keeping my metaphoric tone) processing what this means.

Undespairingly perplexed,

Jeff

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
-2 Cor 4:17&18

Dialoging Distinctions

I was fighting off anger at our staff meeting this morning and then became soothed by the penetration of God's Word plunging into my spiritual marrow.

I'm hearing all this hyper-emphasis on structure and how important one hour is on Sunday - thinking simultaneously about Israel's cry for a King followed by God's warning of what such structure entails. I'm thinking about the demand for a "permanent" temple and how all 3 never were. I've got King Saul in my head and God's rejection of him, only to be replaced by the red-headed runt of Jesse's brood of boys (were there any girls?). I envision the disciples replacing Judas with Matthias (sp?) whom we never hear from again. I hear frustrations about keys, gate codes, facilities requests, more policies and I seethe. I realize that structure has a purpose, but I discern where the Pharisees became "blind guides" when they lost sight of why the institution was so important.

So I look up the reference in Hebrews 4 about Sabbath rest being outside the structure of one day preparing to argue the error of our ways. And then I read from Romans 14 and realize that my dissension from the one particular member who's driving all this (who said during the meeting: "The church where I grew up was a big church" - aha! - that's his cultural bend) falls under the banner of "disputable matters."

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.

I looked up the original words from verse one and found them intriguing. "diakrisis dialogismos" is literally "dialoging (or diliberating) disputations"

Now - who's "weak"??? Well, that gives the advantage to the one reading it. It may be a bit of Paul's persistent use of irony where the reader is allowed to be smug. Rarely will one read it and go "hey, that's me" (we only wish).

Well, I certainly won't change the response. So now I know what I'm dealing with. That puts me at ease and I can then hope and pray that the other person will eventually be enlightened as they grow and mature.

Truthing,

Jeff