An Open Invitation: Movie For Schella

We are so thankful for all the friends that have come into our life in the Austin area in the last 4 years!

And, it's next to impossible for us to remember everyone that we should or could invite, so I'm extending an all out open invitation to anyone from the Austin area. (or Dallas, Temple, Waco, Houston, Vidor...heck, if you want to come in from West Palm Beach or Birmingham, bring yourself!)

We have some friends at Mission 82:3 who help adoptive families "to assist them in creating unique fundraising plans and events." And, they have done exactly that for us. 

Tickets are on sale NOW for A Movie for Schella. 

This event, hosted by Mission 823 and Jeremy and Ashley Self, features the movie Warrior and includes selections from the Best of Alamo menu. Also, we will host a silent auction with proceeds from the night to benefit the Self Family adoption of Schella. You don't want to miss out on this event! For tickets visit Mission 823's event page. 

Unfocused Leadership

This is a confessional post...more for me than for you. 

I've been unfocused this week. My head has been swimming with multiple thoughts and nothing has quite come out like I wanted.

Emotionally, I've battled a low-grade depression all week. I can look back and attribute much of this to being in Haiti visiting Schella last week and then having to come back home to Austin without her. The first time we had to do that back in February, it wrecked me--for two weeks. This time, it was better, but my mind has been playing tricks on me.

Mentally, I've had several pet projects going in my head. Shifting from orphanage in Haiti to raising money for adoption to officiating weddings to fund adoption to bi-fold doors leading on to the patio of our new house that is being built, and oh yea, a sermon for Sunday.

This has been a weird mix of OCD--hyper focus on one issue or another and no focus because of all those things swimming around.

I've felt like I have been on edge all week...that I could go off and say something that I shouldn't say, that I would regret, that I could screw something or someone up by saying. And, by God's grace, I haven't. Well, sort of. I did send one email that I wish I could have taken back the moment I sent it. Do I sound crazy? Yes. That's the way I feel. I feel crazy.

And, to end this day, I'm going to push "publish" on this blog and try to forget about this unfocused week that I've had. Then, I'm going to take my wife on a date. Speaking of unfocused, Ashley and I were just talking about how date nights have kept our marriage thriving over the last 13 years! Ok. I've been an unfocused leader this week and I'm starting over starting now.

Community Prayer Breakfast

We have a unique opportunity to shine the light of Christ in our community on this coming Thursday for the National Day of Prayer Breakfast. Sign up here. The breakfast will be at the Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek, Lakeway, TX 78734, 8 AM and will last 45 minutes.

This event is for everyone who believes that prayer makes a difference in our community, state, and nation. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD." Psalm 33:12

You do not have to be a member of the Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce to attend (In fact, we WANT you to represent:), and because this is a Chamber event, you must register through their website for the breakfast.

So, please register today as we must make final arrangements by noon tomorrow (Thursday). Click here to register now.

Hope to see you there!

Calling All Prayin' People!

COMMUNITY PRAYER BREAKFAST TO BE HELD ON NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

The National Day of Prayer is right around the corner. On the first Thursday of each year, a day of prayer is set aside to pray for our nation. National and community leaders are encouraged to take some time from the day to spend time praying for the nation, their state, and their communities. This year's National Day of Prayer is scheduled for Thursday, May 3.

On May 3, 2012, 8AM the Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce, in concert with several local churches from the community will host the Inaugural Community Prayer Breakfast at the Lakeway Activity Center.

"This is a great opportunity for our community to rally together and seek the One who holds the kings' heart in His hand" said Pastor Jeremy Self from The Church at Lake Travis.

Ron Kelling Pastor of The Lakeway Church and Pete Mueller of Acts Church of Lakeway affirmed their support of the breakfast by their involvement in the event.

Chamber President Laura Mitchell, IOM, said, "Thanks to individuals and businesses in our community, the Chamber is successful in making a difference where we live, work, and shop. The Community Prayer Breakfast is simply another way the Chamber and local churches can serve the community.”

The morning will include breakfast, the presentation of colors by the Lakeway Police Department, the Lake Travis High School Varsity Men's Choir, prayer for our national, state, and local officials, and the first annual Character in Business award sponsored by Chick-Fil-A of Lake Travis.

For more information, to sponsor the event, or register for $10, please visit LakeTravisChamber.com

Easter 2012

If you're in the Lake Travis area of Austin and don't have a home church, we'd love to have you celebrate Easter with us at The Church at Lake Travis.

And, we hope you'll join us as we begin preparing our hearts, minds and voices to worship the Risen Savior at this weekend's Easter service.  It's as easy as clicking here and turning up the volume to listen to several of the songs that we will worship along with this Sunday. If you want directions, click here.

Don't come alone, bring somebody!

The Draining of a Dream

Dreams don't die all at once. Steven Furtick writes in his book Sun Stand Still,

‎"Time can talk you out of your dreams. . . . 

BUT . . . 

It's never too late for you to embrace an audacious vision for your life." 

 Life can kick you around. Suffering is a fact of life. It sucks. It sucks the life out of you. It drains the dream right out of you. You get my point.

And, that's why it's so important to run to Christ. Daily. Draw daily encouragement from Him. This morning I read Romans 15 that says, "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

  That verse speaks of unity within the body of Christ. And, at the same time it gives a description of God that is powerful...The God of endurance and encouragement! When your dream is getting drained, connect with the source of the dream so the dream can be renewed and refilled. Don't settle for status quo, allowing "time to talk you out of your dreams." Draw close to Jesus and allow Him to speak life and encouragement into your heart about your dreams.

Midnight Reflections on Verge 2012

It's late. I'm tired. And, I can't go to bed without logging some thoughts...I may delete these tomorrow after reading them, and then of course, if you're reading them now, you know I didn't delete them:

• The Verge conference is great. It's greatness lies in the fact that they saturate the entire thing in Christ centered worship, prayer, and movements and models.
• I know Jesus better than I did two days ago. 
• I have a fired up kind of feeling that I get from time to time that makes me want to tell every person that I know who doesn't know Jesus how good He is and how they can follow Him.
• Central Theme for me: I have the Holy Spirit of God living in me. Why wouldn't I tell people about Jesus on a daily basis? Who cares if they don't like me? Is that really my problem? Nope.
• I worry about CRAP that doesn't even matter while 6.4 billion people have never even heard the name of Jesus...THAT is something to worry about!
• I would go to unreached people groups in one second (Not sure about Ashley...She wasn't awake to discuss this while I'm writing). And, as I seek the Lord, I am convinced I am serving Christ in the exact place I am supposed to be. 
• Suffering for Christ should be normal. Instead we have an aversion to suffering. We want comfort. And, yet I wonder if our running to comfort doesn't undermine our sanctification process. We don't trust God because we have no reason to trust him. Our lives are safe and secure in our own circumstances we've worked hard to achieve instead of safe and secure in Christ.
• Jesus said some radical things. Have I anesthetized myself to them to the point when I hear them, I ignore them? 
• I have a lot to learn. That's just a good thing to say again. I have a lot to learn.
• It was great to meet new friends and see old ones. It was great to hang out with Alex, Chad, and Leo. It was great to dream about what God wants to do through The Church at Lake Travis.

This probably doesn't make much sense to you, and yet, I needed to put it in writing. Thanks for reading.