Well the house is pretty much finished being painted... here are some some pics. I am very pleased with how it came out. As they were finishing up the job i was thinking... "I wonder if the people who built this house over 80 years ago would by happy with what we've done to it. Even with as much work as we've done to it we have tried to keep it true to original form... Anyways, just something cool about living in something that has been shared by many a person.

Here is some shots...
Front of house...

Front porch...

Right side of house... (kinda)
Right side of house... up close...


Left side of house
Left side of house from the back...

back of house... straight shot...

Back of house... side view

Hope the Ramseys like it when they get back in town... :)

peace,

-J

Tanner Update

He is now 9 weeks and 2 days old. He is growing. His ears are standing higher. He is a stud. He also has a white spot on his fur on his right side (left side of picture) that he recieved while walking into the freshly painted cement on the side of our house ;)

Diana and I like him alot. You can tell he misses chasing the kids around the back yard.

peace,

-Jason

A lot happens in a day

Still have to do windows and trim but here is what things look like so far...

front of house...

close-up of front porch...

right side of house...

close-up of right side of house...


left side of house
back of house...

more later,

-J

our house is being painted over the next few days...

a lot of work has gone into this house over the last 6 months... We have torn off siding, replaced siding, replaced trim, replaced some roofing... and now the painting (which we have someone else doing. We thought about getting our friend Nate to do it but we also didn't want to inject business into our relationship... so we decided not to.

I will be posting over the next few days as things progress...


front of house...
back of house... The newer stain at the top is the reddish color...

left side of house...
right side of house (and some of the front)...

more to come tomorrow. They are moving really quickly.

peace,

-J

a healthy blend...

So I was reading a friends blog here and he was talking about how right it felt to have someone else leading worship with him in a given "corporate worship environment". It just got me thinking about how amazing it is to have so much leadership in this area within our church. As a worship leader I have long felt this "uneasiness" regarding worship leading when it comes to one person in the spotlight. That uneasiness is not because I feel it is bad or wrong (leadership is necessary) just because it seems it should be more community oriented. I believe it is impossible for me (or any one person) to have the life experience, relational ability, or giftedness to lead each person in our community more specifically than anyone else in any given moment. We all can lead differently and probably have our own consistent ways of going about it. I am willing to bet communities benefit from a fresh perspective on things. It's also good to help keep pride from jumping up if there is more than one person leading on a consistent basis.

I couldn't imagine our "corporate worship" without any of the folks that are around right now. Each person brings so much to what we do and their hearts for seeing our Church connect with God in those moments are beautiful.

just some thoughts... any others?

-J

Young Tanner....

Well we are now the proud parents of a little baby German Shepherd who we have named - Tanner. We got him last Friday and he is 8 weeks old. He is growing like crazy and it seems like he is getting bigger every day (prolly cause he is.)

For those of you who don't know, I have wanted a German Shepherd since I was a kid (my dad used to raise them when I was younger) and the timing has never been good. My Lab that I had since high school (which my mom wouldn't let me take when I moved out ;) died last year in May an we just bought a house a couple months ago so the timing seemed right (this is true due to a small statement my wife made when we first got married - "we can get a dog when we get a house with a yard" ;)

I have definitely been the one driving the idea of getting one but I think she is falling for him pretty fast. After being around him for 5 seconds you could see why...

So here are some shots of the little stud.

After his first swim in Lake Johnson...

Exhibit 2 of previous mentioned caption...

After a long day... snuggling with Diana (he is moving in on me already)

I am sure there will be many updates here on this subject matter. For the majority of you who bring no concern for this subject... my apologies.

But seriously... He is a stud...

peace and love,

-J

A small hike we took...

While away on our anniversary Diana took me on a tiny hike in her hometown.

Actually ended up at about 6.2 miles of hiking but totally worth it...

Another shot of the view from the top...

For now... good evening.

-J

4 Years!!!!

So today is our 4 year anniversary. Seems like time has flown by. We have so many memories... a few tears, some smiles, and way more laughs. I feel we are living an adventure far greater than I could have written out 4 years ago. Thanks to all of you who have played a role. You probably know who you are (if you don't I hope you'll know someday.)

More appropriately... thanks also to the beautiful girl who has shown me unconditional love, given me hope, and believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. You are a true picture of God's grace in my life. You are the reason I am a helpless romantic and why I hate being away from home. My heart still warms up and feels funny when you walk in a room. I want to love more because of you. Thanks for loving God with all you have... thanks for living what some would call a crazy life... I pray we continue to find love beyond our wildest dreams.

I love you Diana. It is an honor to love you and live life together with you.

-J

Studying Eph 4

I am blown away by the idea and beauty of what the Church could be. If we could somehow realize our giftings and calling as a body and live them out the way it seems to be painted... oh, how the world would be.

I am grateful and encouraged by the hope God seems to have in humanity... may we continue to move towards what were created for...

Lord be with us... Lord lead us...

It's 9:50pm on a wednesday night...

I am at the Raleigh Times... in a corner... drinking a beer by myself... working on my brother's wedding ceremony... and life is good.

Smithwick's Ale was introduced to me by my good friend Tyler. For that I thank him.

ps - I am really stinkin' proud of my little brother.

love and peace,

-Jason

The Miami Dolphins

Have signed QB Trent Green... we all know what this means. It's Super Bowl times for the Miami Dolphins. I know, I know.. many of you are thinking.. what about Tom Brady and and Randy Moss... Well, What about Trent Green to Ted Ginn and Chris Chambers... CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

In all seriousness the Dolphins have tried really hard to get a good QB since Marino left in 1999... here is the summation (thanks to Pro Football Talk for the organization)

In 2000, they dealt a seventh-round pick for Jim Druckenmiller.

In 2001, they sacrificed a 2002 sixth-rounder and a conditional seventh-rounder in 2003, and received in return Cade McNown and a 2002 seventh-rounder.

In 2002, they gave up a 2003 seventh-rounder for Sage Rosenfels.

In 2004, they sent a 2005 second-rounder to the Eagles for A.J. Feeley.

In 2005, they shipped Feeley and a 2006 sixth-rounder to San Diego for Cleo Lemon.

In 2006, they sent a 2006 second-rounder to Minnesota for Daunte Culpepper.

In 2006, they sent a sixth-rounder to Detroit, which upgraded to a fifth-rounder, for Joey Harrington.

Now, in 2007, the Fins have sent a fifth-rounder, which could move to a fourth-rounder, for Trent Green.

We should have just kept Jay Feidler.... Can you imagine what Feidler and Wes Welker could have done together?!?!?!?!

for now... that is all.

-Jason

A small need...

So most of you, as my friends, know I am going to Kenya in August for a couple weeks. I am going with a friend of mine by the name of Corey Paxton (he is also moving here to be apart of our church community when he graduates from Fuller - now). I am stoked about the trip as I have been wanting to go to Africa for the last 3 years.

The purpose of our trip is really multi-faceted:

--- see the situation of extreme poverty firsthand so we can raise awareness for the real needs of people (over 4 million AIDS orphans in Kenya alone/20 million in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2020)

--- connect with two grass-roots orphan care sanctuaries in Nairobi, Kenya that are caring for the holistic needs of orphans from AIDS (www.africahopecenter.org and www.theshepherdshome.org)

--- learn how to achieve solid/stable western partnership and development work with established and experienced Christian development organization
(www.discovertheworld.org)

--- form genuine relationship with Joseph Wamititu for future partnership based on prayer, trust, and real relationship (director and pastor of Africa Hope Center, doing PHD at Fuller on how the church in Kenya can care for orphans of Aids)

---- go on a safari where we wrestle lions and alligators and race cheetahs (this part is a joke but I am excited about spending two weeks with Corey in Africa and serving together there - He is an amazing guy and I am stoked he and his family are moving here to be apart of our church family - prolly will be some good connecting time on the other side of the globe)

____________________

Here is the need:

We are trying to raise $10,500 to help Joseph (see above) buy property outside Nairobi to develop an orphan care sanctuary for kids who have lost both their parents with AIDS.

We (Corey) have already raised $8500 so we need just $2,000 more. Honestly - that is 10 families/people at $200 a hit. Or 20 people at $100 a hit. (I am good at math!!!! :) - Not a lot of money for most of us.
____________________

If you are interested in helping, please let me know ASAP. We are just crazy enough to believe if we are willing to take big steps of faith God would do amazing things... We would love for you to be able to share in this with us!!!

Peace and Love,

-J

Is it because I winned?

My name is Jason... and I have a problem.

Why do i like to play John Madden 05 on my Play Station so much. I am in my 14th season and I haven't lost a game in 10 seasons (except for one preseason game 4 seasons ago when my 3rd string QB threw an interception with a minute left and I was down by 2). I have averaged close to 47 points/game for the last 10 seasons and my defense has always been in the top 5 only allowing an average of 10 points/game.

So.. why do I enjoy playing so much??? I mean - I give it my all. I work hard every play. I want to win. I love scoring points. I love knowing I did something right.

Maybe it's cause I have a "job" where I may never know fully if what I am doing is "good" or "working". I don't think I would like to be in a top 5 Pastors list. I don't want to score more points than Vintage 21 or Hope Community Church, or Mars Hill.

But - I love to play.. and win at John Madden. I love to do my job and accomplish. I love to see results.

Why???

Prolly a deeper reason than I care to really know... but maybe not... possibly more to come.

Maybe I am just a nerd...

sincerely,

-Jason

Jogging this morning..

On my iPod... Amazing... Please enjoy...

I want to trip inside your head
Spend the day there…
To hear the things you haven’t said
And see what you might see

I want to hear you when you call
Do you feel anything at all?
I want to see your thoughts take shape
And walk right out

Freedom has a scent
Like the top of a new born baby’s head

The songs are in your eyes
I see them when you smile
I’ve had enough I’m not giving up
On a miracle drug

Verse 2
Of science and the human heart
There is no limit
There is no failure here sweetheart
Just when you quit…

I am you and you are mine
Love makes nonsense of space
And time… will disappear
Love and logic keep us clear
Reason is on our side, love…

The songs are in your eyes
I see them when you smile
I’ve had enough of romantic love
I’d give it up, yeah, I’d give it up
For a miracle, a miracle drug, a miracle drug

Bridge
God I need your help tonight

Beneath the noise
Below the din
I hear a voice
It’s whispering
In science and in medicine
“I was a stranger
You took me in”

The songs are in your eyes
I see them when you smile
I’ve had enough of romantic love
I’d give it up, yeah, I’d give it up
For a miracle, miracle drug

Miracle, miracle drug

-U2

peace,

-Jason

I read this quote today...

Says, Rodney Stark, who is largely considered to be the prevailing expert on the church during the beginning of "Christendom" (Edict of Milan - when Constantine made Christianity the official state religion - AD 313)

"Far too long, historians have accepted the claim that the conversion of the Emperor Constantine (ca. 285 - 337) caused the triumph of Christianity. To the contrary, he destroyed its most attractive and dynamic aspects, turning a high intensity, grassroots movement into an arrogant institution controlled by an elite who often managed to be both brutal and lax."

Interesting thought... (Thanks Rodney)

I feel it... I know in many ways it's true. I know in some ways our "institutions" get in the way of "movement". I pray we encourage, empower, and unleash the world around us to live the gospel.

I also bet the guy was just doing what he thought was best. Whether it was best for him or best for the Church I dont know but who knows what I would have done. I have trouble ordering at a drive through.

anyways.. just an interesting thought that could have an impact on how we view our faith.

peace,

-J

pause

A beautiful day...
Given freely.
Recieved truly as a gift.
Thank you.

Shalom.

Fun Weekend is a comin'...

Tonight Diana and I are driving to Asheboro at go camping and tomorrow we are going to spend the day at the zoo. I am soooo looking forward to it. I can't wait for fire tonight... the cool morning air tomorrow morning... and the monkeys in the afternoon... YES!!!

peace,

-J

ps
in other non related weekend news... props to Traci Rowe who graduates Sunday with her Masters from every one's favorite local university... NCSU

I have linked to her blog which she has not yet written in an attempt to get her to write... in her own timing of course... I only do this b/c she is borderline genius, well thought, loves God, and has much to say for which we should listen...

pss
Congrats to Julie and Genevieve who are also graduating from Meredith this weekend

pss
what have I started... congrats to everyone else who is doing something exciting this weekend

Any thoughts form someone smarter than me?

My current vehicle gets ~12 mpg. It's a 1999 Ford Explorer. I live in the city and do not need 4 wheel drive vehicle that drinks the petroleum out of the earth as I would devour a Peanut Butter Fudge shake from Cook Out.

I am planning on selling it for ~$6,000. I am considering buying a road bike and just using that for a while. Most everything I do is within 5 miles of where I live and my wife has a car.

I am thinking of getting another vehicle but cannont decide what route to go. I thought maybe Hybrid. I know the arguements about they dont pay for themselves but this is a "use less gas" decision as much as a financial one. I also am very interested in a 2002 VW diesel that gets around 40 mpg. The Honda Hybrid I am looking at and this VW are both around $11,000. That is quite a bit of money - but would really cut down on the gas consumption - I spend around $200 - $230/month in gas currently. The money I save in gas would be close to what I would be paying monthly on the extra $6,000 in car payments.

The other option is to buy an old beater for ~$5,000 that gets decent gas mileage. But I am very interested in diesel and that will be hard to find for that price. Also long term diesel cars are convertable to run on "veggie oil" which is something my brother is currently doing.

Of course a car is a luxury item... no need to remind me of that... so is $12,000 car... all things of coarse are relative.. i could just get a beat up ride but this i snot just a money decision.. it's a "what is best for the earth" given my living requirements...

any thoughts from the well informed?

-J

This morning

I went to the gym and lifted weights with Alan Wilser (who just got back from the Nicaragua.) We were joking around with one of the women at the front desk for sometime while he was joining the gym and everything seemed normal... Ya know, people laughing... telling jokes, etc. Then for some reason Alan mentioned that I was his Pastor and that apparently was the funniest of all the jokes to this young lady. "Now you guys are really the funny guys!" she shouted... I wasn't sure how to take this and honestly am still kind of iffy about the whole thing. :)

So then that got me thinking about how I (followers of Chirst) should be percieved within the community I live in (downtown raleigh.) I guess there is no "right way" to be perceived but I was thinking after I left about a quote I read in, I believe, Blue Like Jazz where someone made the statement... "How come every time I meet a Christian Pastor, I feel like I have met a CEO and every time I meet a Buddhist I feel like I have met a holy man...?"

Don't get me wrong... I know we should connect with the world around us as Jesus did and sometimes appearing "holy" could be reason to keep a distance... but I wonder... Maybe there is nothing wrong with being a bit "what ever it is" that allows someone to feel they have encountered a "holy man". Not for the sake of being something that you're not but at least being what you are. For a while I felt like it was only acceptable to be a "professional" or a "hand shaker and a winker" if you wanted to "lead something"... but maybe there is something to embracing peace that could be a bit more attractive than having everything together...

that was a rant... I am trying to keep the posts short... hard to get all of this out in a short post... I am just saying - I dont want to be the norm. I dont want to be a professional Christian that shakes hands and kisses babys. I want to be a revolutionary the way that Jesus was... I find myself wondering how he would be perceived. I gotta believe people followed him around for reasons other than nice clothes, nice cars, or a great smile...

(please don't post a comment saying something like "Just be yourself.."

thanks for listening... feel free to say/write anything else...

peace...

-J

Happy Birthday!!!

To my best friend in the whole wide world!!!!

26 years ago today, my bride was born. Praise our God!!!

You are the most tangible view of grace I have in my life. There aren't enough words. My heart is yours.

I adore you.

forever,

-Jason

Day of breath...

So Wednesday... I got up early, packed up my surfboard and headed to the beach for the day. I left around 5:45am and got there a couple hours after that. With the exception of a brief conversation with Diana, my dad, and one quick phone message to a dear friend - I didn't speak one word out loud til after 3pm. I was desperately in need of some solitude but the silence... it was the silence in and of itself was so amazing. Just listening to the wind, the waves, the sea gulls, and feeling the voice of God. You really hear things in a different way when you are just still.

I don't think I realized just how bad I needed that time. I know in my heart it's good to get away but for some reason I don't make enough time for it. If nothing else, it's good just to realize the world doesn't need you as much as you think (pretend/feel) it does. I came home that night and everything was fine. I had better conversations with my wife. I felt like I was actually breathing.

I am starting to realize that there is something inside of me that makes me "on the go" alot... It's not because I am always doing good things as I feel I am probably more inefficient than I would like to admit. This probably has to do with going to fast to slow down and think through what I'm actually doing... So... Friends of mine... you have my permission to ask me when was my last day to "just breathe"... Hold me accountable... my life, my wife, our friendship, our church, and if I pray the world - would be better for it.

Peace,

-J

I was challenged by this today...

Concerned to enter that radiant life we each must ask, "Am I a disciple, or only a Christian by current standards?" Examination of our ultimate desires and intentions, reflected in the specific responses and choices that make up our lives, can show whether there are things we hold more important than being like him. If there are, then we are not yet His disciples? Being unwilling to follow him, our claim of trusting Him must ring hollow. We could never credibly claim to trust a doctor, teacher, or auto mechanic whose directions we would not follow...

pg. 11 The Great Omission - by Dallas Willard

I dont know that following Jesus will ever be as easy and as specific as changing my oil every 3,000 miles. I don't pretend to make that statement. One thing I am certain of is... I dont always love my enemy. I dont live a life that fully entails me loving my neighbor as much as myself. I am pretty good at treating my friends well and I am prolly not the worst husband in the world... but honestly, that stuff isn't that hard.

I am caught asking myself... how much do i really want to be like Jesus. What am I am really willing to live for. Because honestly, it is easy to be a nice Christian. It's easy in our country to not rock the boat, be clean, say the right things, and retire. But I am certain there is more to our faith than just following the status quo. I somehow get a feeling that becoming like Jesus would never be close to the status quo and I fully believe that is our call. Even as a church planter... I find myself stumbling on greater realizations... I have no desire as a pastor or as an apostle to run an organization... I want to see people living in the abundance that Jesus talks about. An abundant life... a life leading to wholeness and the shalom of God.

This idea seems so "ingrained" into the new testament... Maybe we will find it as a church.

I know that no one likes to read a long blog posts (espeacially this person - really no one does, he just mentions it a lot - not afraid to say what others are) so I will digress. I am moving through some tensions in my life as a person, as a husband, as a roommate, as a disciple of Jesus, and as a pastor. Thanks for your support and love. Maybe you too can wrestle in this tension a bit. Feel free to leave some thoughts...

shalom aleichem,

-Jason

Opposing the Traffic Benefit Weekend

If you are in my contact list you may see this in email form also.

Myself and some friends (www.voicetogether.org - myself and some good friends - www.visiodei.org - my church community - also good friends) have been working really hard to pull together an awareness weekend for "Human Trafficking".

The weekend is here and I wanted to let all of you know about what's going on. You can check out the website at www.opposingthetraffic.org - We put this site together to hold all the details for the weekends festivities. In short, we have:

• a benefit show at The Pour House Friday night - doors at 8pm (we need to cover a hefty bar tab - please bring your friends) - The Bands are Incredible - lots of fun - good rocknroll
• A sleep out at the Capitol lawn Saturday night (we have a permit)
  
• Our Church is giving the morning to Kimberly Smith of Make Way Partners to speak of all that is going on around the world related to human trafficking - this will blow your mind
  

but go the website and read through it - it will take you 5 - 10 minutes

I would like to personally (or not so personally) invite all of you to the benefit show Friday at the least. It wil be a blast... would love to see some of you I havent seen in a while. You can get info there on the rest of the weekend. Saturday will be a blast also and Sunday you would hear things that you will not believe.

Anyways... no matter where you fall in the realm of spiritual things, I am sure you would agree that sex slavery and human trafficking is far beyond something we should just let go unnoticed. I am not only asking that you try and make it if you are free, I am asking you to consider changing your plans if you have them for such a cause. (dont mean that to sound rude... hopefully you know me well enough to catch that - just being to the point) If you can't, I understand ;)

Here's how you can help

• come to the benefit show
• bring other people
• email/blog/myspace/facebook/contact your friends and tell the about the weekend - www.opposingthetraffic.org
• join the Voice Together mailing list - www.voicetogether.org - for future updates on things we are doing (www.myspace.com.voicetogether)

Signing off - but - come into town this weekend... come to the show... hear about what's going on. If we could save one woman or one child from this terror, it would be worth all the effort.

I know we can make a difference.

Peace and Love

-Jason

In the midst of sports depravity...

The NFL Draft is in 5 days... YES!!!! We will watch at my house... you are invited.

also, on a positive note that will make all of us smile... the Red Sox swept the Yankees...

and for Ashdown, The Wings are still moving forward...

holding on for the Fall,

-J

A new read... a continuing journey...

So I started reading this book by a guy named Alan Hirsch entitled (that means - named) The Forgotten Ways. (Corrie, thanks for the recomendation.) I was actually looking for some insights on discipleship in our culture but it appears the book is more about approaching how God's church could look or must look in todays culture to be at its best or to be what it was created to be. (Which to an extent I am certain will tap into discipleship.) It's premise is looking at places in history and in the present at where The Church has been thriving and beautiful and trying to "point to " varibles that lead to this thriving. It's not as formulaic as it sounds. It's really just saying the only absolutes we have in looking at these things are our own personal observations and experiences, so why ignore them.

I am in the first chapter I am already challenged. He says this "In the study of the history of missions, one can even be formulaic about asserting that all great missionary movements begin at the fringes of the church, among the poor and the marginalized, and seldom if ever at the center. It is vital that in pursuing missional modes of church, we get out of the stiffling equilibrium of the center or our movements and our denominations, move to the fringes, and engage in real mission there."

While I am a church planter and possibly a Pastor (not by title but by giftedness or calling) I am constantly reminded of how my concern, desire, or passion is not to build a big church where people gather together on Sunday and thats it. Not a place where we have a center, place ourselves there, and expect people to come to us. I want to be apart of a community of people on mission to share the love, hope, peace, and resurrection power of the gospel of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray I am willing to risk everything including my job, my income, and even my life should it be necessary to be apart of such community.

Hirsch mentions the current decline of the church in the west and also in Australia where he is from. According to statistics it is not due to a lack of "spiritual seeking" or even "Jesus openess" (both my terms - sorry to poorly paraphrase) as an increasing percentage of people report a "yes" to God and to Jesus but that same increase is also saying "no" to the church. My prayer is that our church and the Church as a whole can find a place to meet people where we do not expect them to first be willing to walk in through the doors of a building that could represent oppression and/or judgement o reven worse to them.

I am becoming more and more aware of the gospel being for everyone and not just those willing and/or able to come sing songs with us on Sunday morning. If this is the case then it is our calling as the church to be on constant mission to bring this hope that we celebrate to all of the world and namely our neighbors.

My prayer for Visio Dei is not to become the church where "cool people" go, the place with the great teacher, or the place with the cool vibe (Lord knows we don't have to worry about it being the place with great music.) My prayer is that we will be an authentic Jesus community living on the fringes of culture taking a radical message of Hope to the world around us. I fully believe that is the only Church worth giving our life to and I fully believe that is the gospel that Jesus allowed himself to endure the cross for.

Just some thoughts from the first chapter... a new book... a continuing journey... may we follow Jesus more and more closely...

Love and Peace,

-J

A new read... a continuing journey...

So I started reading this book by a guy named Alan Hirsch entitled (that means - named) The Forgotten Ways. (Corrie, thanks for the recomendation.) I was actually looking for some insights on discipleship in our culture but it appears the book is more about approaching how God's church could look or must look in todays culture to be at its best or to be what it was created to be. (Which to an extent I am certain will tap into discipleship.) It's premise is looking at places in history and in the present at where The Church has been thriving and beautiful and trying to "point to " varibles that lead to this thriving. It's not as formulaic as it sounds. It's really just saying the only absolutes we have in looking at these things are our own personal observations and experiences, so why ignore them.

I am in the first chapter I am already challenged. He says this "In the study of the history of missions, one can even be formulaic about asserting that all great missionary movements begin at the fringes of the church, among the poor and the marginalized, and seldom if ever at the center. It is vital that in pursuing missional modes of church, we get out of the stiffling equilibrium of the center or our movements and our denominations, move to the fringes, and engage in real mission there."

While I am a church planter and possibly a Pastor (not by title but by giftedness or calling) I am constantly reminded of how my concern, desire, or passion is not to build a big church where people gather together on Sunday and thats it. Not a place where we have a center, place ourselves there, and expect people to come to us. I want to be apart of a community of people on mission to share the love, hope, peace, and resurrection power of the gospel of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray I am willing to risk everything including my job, my income, and even my life should it be necessary to be apart of such community.

Hirsch mentions the current decline of the church in the west and also in Australia where he is from. According to statistics it is not due to a lack of "spiritual seeking" or even "Jesus openess" (both my terms - sorry to poorly paraphrase) as an increasing percentage of people report a "yes" to God and to Jesus but that same increase is also saying "no" to the church. My prayer is that our church and the Church as a whole can find a place to meet people where we do not expect them to first be willing to walk in through the doors of a building that could represent oppression and/or judgement o reven worse to them.

I am becoming more and more aware of the gospel being for everyone and not just those willing and/or able to come sing songs with us on Sunday morning. If this is the case then it is our calling as the church to be on constant mission to bring this hope that we celebrate to all of the world and namely our neighbors.

My prayer for Visio Dei is not to become the church where "cool people" go, the place with the great teacher, or the place with the cool vibe (Lord knows we don't have to worry about it being the place with great music.) My prayer is that we will be an authentic Jesus community living on the fringes of culture taking a radical message of Hope to the world around us. I fully believe that is the only Church worth giving our life to and I fully believe that is the gospel that Jesus allowed himself to endure the cross for.

Just some thoughts from the first chapter... a new book... a continuing journey... may we follow Jesus more and more closely...

Love and Peace,

-J

Life seems more abundant when you have hope...

These were my words last night to my friend as I went to bed at half time of the Ohio State basketball game.

Ohio State was down by 19 and my friend was certain it was over. I questioned why he had such a sense of defeat and encouraged a more positive outlook. At that point somehow a wager was offered against my certainty that there was a slight chance that hope could prevail.

I awoke this morning and found this;

http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20070322_TN@OHST

I was either reminded or gained 3 things from this:

1) Always hope... never give up.
2) A new favorite team to win it all. Go Buckeyes!!!
3) $20

Friend of mine, this was not a story with an attack on you. I love you like a brother. Maybe even a big brother. I really mean that.

This is a story of hope, strength, and a new found passion for Ohio State basketball as well as the NCAA tourney... well, and $20...

Love you all... have a great weekend!

-J

Thoughts???

So I am being challenged in how to play a role/lead our church in the area discipleship. I am convinced for the church to become all it is to become we must be sharing our giftedness, experiences, and journeys with one another. We must be pouring ourselves out for and into each other. I am wondering if anyone out there has any thoughts/books to read on discipleship and/or spiritual transformation.

Of course I am seeking our God's direction in this... This is an honest and humble question for anyone to offer their thoughts.

Love and Peace,

-J

I bought this today...

I bought this cd. The artists name is James Morrison. His CD is entitled Undiscoverd.

It is good. You should listen to him. You can get it at target or on iTunes for $7.99. For now, that is all.


Hope you make it out to Dakota Darling's CD release show tonight at the Brewery. Another one of my favortite Raleigh bands - The Motion - is also playing so try and stick around for them also. The show starts at 9pm with a Cory Branan acoustic set and American Aquarium Dakota Darling prolly goes on at 11pm and The Motion will be after that.

Cheers,

-Jason

Yet another reason why I love my (our) church...

So today I send out the "weekly email" like I do every week, only this week is the week we are supposed to set our clocks forward an hour. Well every year it seems there are quite a few people who show up an hour late to their respected "church gathering" on that sunday morning and I was reminded to remind everyone about this once a year occurance this Sunday. Seemed like a great idea (and probably was - to an extent.)

So in my head I thought - it would be comical and certainly get the message accross to not just put the message in once (or twice) but maybe four or five times. I mean how are gonna people gonna forget now.... and... it's FUNNY!!! (which is really what I was trying to do anyways)

So then I ge tan email in response that goes something like this:
"do you really think it's a good idea to make people think we care so much about setting their clocks just so they don't miss Sunday morning. I mean if we really do believe church is not just about Sunday morning and are trying to break stereo types of what church really is or really isn't then maybe we should be more careful" - I paraphrased to make this person not sound as mean. :)

So here is what I am thinking/feeling... I love that we have worked so hard to create a culture where people do realize this... Church is about so much more than Sunday morning and the thought of allowing people to think that it is just about a place you go a sit for an hour on Sunday morning is a disgrace to the gospel and to what Jesus lived and died for (and rose from the dead for - Praise God....) People care so much about this they are willing to question every decision they make and run it through the filter of "what am I really communicating?"

I understand it can get old saying "the church is a group of people, not a building..." but I got to tell you... we live in a culture that has not seen that. I fully believe that until we are more than a group of people that are known for going to bed early on Saturday so we can get up early on Sunday, we will remain largely irrelevant to to majority of our world.

So anyways... sorry for mis communicating through an unintentional message. Thank you for following and leading in a movement that I believe can help put this world back together again.

It is funny b/c I have a friend who works at a church that is trying to get the leadership and membership to understand the church has to be about more than Sundays... and I am getting an email from someone in our church reminding me... I absolutely love it... Thanks... I love you bro...

feel free to throw out your thoughts....

-J

ps
my disclaimer
I honestly was just trying to remind people. I know people love to come and worship and learn from one another on Sundays so I wanted to help them not over sleep. And I wanted to be funny. I should learn to be more careful in the messages we send... Whether we know it or not we are communicating something...

pss
Let me communicate this clearly... anymore demanding emails and you get a drop kick!

Have a good weekend!!!

Texas - Day 2 (Waco)

I made it to Waco. Got in Friday morning about 1:30am. Checked into my room but couldnt fall asleep until 3am. It was possibly the coffee that was consumed in route from Austin to Waco.

Yesterday was a fun day. The conference/intesives began. www.beepcon.com So much to learn. There are a few people here who are genuises (genius to me probably means a much bigger nerd to you.)

Info from Yesterday
The Workings of Synthesizers - What Tone Ocilators are, what Filters do, how the Amplifier fits into the signal path, the purpose and abilities of Envelope generators, how to use their attack, delay, sustain, and release (you can also assign Envelope generators to the filters if you're interested.) Then we got a bit into LFO's (low frequency modulators) which are really sweet, then onto Low Pass and Hi Pass filters and Filter resonance. We concluded this session ended with us combining different ocilators and creating some of our own sounds. A lot of fun.

Reason (session 1)- Reason is basically a software prgram emulating a lot of rack MIDI gear. A lot of rack MIDI gear is expensive and takes up a lot of room. With reason, you don’t run out of gear or space (unless you overload your CPU.) It allows you to create loops, use samples, and make a lot of cool sounds that would cost a lot of money to make if you didn't have the software capabilitie. This is a cool program.

Building your sound library - This session was listening to 4 really smart* people (*see genius in paragraph 2) talk through how they build their sound library that they use for creating the music. All 4 of these guys had a lot to say. Great ideas... dont want to bore you...

Dinner - had dinner with Jack from David Crowder Band. Very nice guy. Extremely laid back.

Ableton Live - Program similar to reason. I have never used it before but I think I could like it more than Reason. Seems to have a bit more features I would use and it also will run"with" Reason and work inside of it (or vice versa - did I spell that right - i have nevr typed it before)

51 moments in the history of the keyboard - this was way cool. We were basically ran through the history of the keyboard and took a survey view of how the keyboard has developed since the first musical telegraph in 1874 (invented by Elisha Grey - in case you were wondering.)

Ended the night with a survey of microphones but that didnt start til 10pm and I was wiped so I don't have much from that. I sing into microphones... and they work.

Sleep - sleep was good. I like rest. The 3 guys in my room are cool and they dont smell bad so all is well.

Maybe more later.

Shannon, I haven't gotten any thumbs up yet but I feel like today is the day.

Diana, I love you.

Jeff, well, I love you too...

until next time,

-Jason

Texas - Day 1 (Austin)

So I have come to Texas for a few days... I am primarily here for a conference in Waco indulging those of us who have an interest (shamed hobby) in electronic music. www.beepcon.com

I flew into Austin today however because it is a good friend of mines birthday (Happy Birthday again Mr. Marlow - thanks for showing me around your wonderful town - get to Raleigh soon!) and I kinda wanted to surprise him... we have spent the evening kicking around Austin... such a cool vibe in this town.... music everywhere.

For the rest of the weekend I am staying in a hotel room with 4 other guys that I have never met before (except for the forum of this conference - ok that seems weird... we shall see) The only problem is that starts tomorrow night and I kinda forgot to work out sleeping arrangements for tonight... (along with some other things I forgot - more on this later) I think I am about to drive to Waco now and look for a hotel. I am now in a coffee shop in Austin. It's only an hour and a half drive (it is midnight now... oh well)


Some pics...
Dinner at Shady Grove...

Cigars after dinner... hand rolled on site... wow!!! Don't worry Jeff, I bought plenty to bring home...


Night life in Austin... The Famous 6th St.

See above...

Finish the night off with a cup of coffee...

and now for the drive...

catchya tomorrow...

love and peace,

-J

Dinner at the House

So Monday night we had some of our neighbors over for dinner last night. So much fun...

This was the first time in almost 4 years of marriage Diana and I had our neighbors over for dinner (so much for doing what Jesus says - sorry for the bad example) - but we are committed to doing better at this...

Anyways the point of the story is not my "not following Jesus as well as I should." It is my new found "enjoyment of cooking." I asked one of our neighbors what her favorite food was and she told me fried chicken. So if you know me you know I have a tough time not doing something ALL out... I studied online for about an hour to find consistencies in popular "Southern Fired Chicken Recipes", went out and bought a brand new electric skillet, and 100% peanut oil. My goal was simple... for me to create the best fried chicken Jackie had ever eaten - hah (below are pictures from the evening)

For the chicken I used an egg wash batter with a little bit of secret seasonings for the breading and fried it in a 50% Crisco and 50% peanut oil mixture... The results were according to Jackie - heavenly... (Thats because she only had the wings - the legs were a bit under cooked - :) (note - thicker chicken pieces are take a bit longer to cook thoroughly)

Diana added to the meal by grilling some chicken and throwing together some greenbean casserole... I believe Bobbi-Jo was resposible for the amazing brownies we desserted on. (I am certain desserted is not a word - sorry Kim)

Also, Sunday night I cooked for Jeff and Bobbi-Jo (and Diana and I) some Scallops we bought from BJ's... I seared them in some live oil and a bit or garlic salt.... oh dangness.... these were in fact delightful...

Anyways, I just figured I would share my weekend culinery experience with all of you... it was quite nice to take a break from the honey nut cherios and honeycomb diet I have been on for the last 2 weeks... Diana would like to cook more but we've stayed pretty busy since the move (also cereal is a bit more inexpensive - yet another bonus of general mills - outside of their yummy goodness)

ok - so there was my re-entry to the blog world after a brief time of leave... dinner and hang out time with the neighbors was wonderful...

wishing you a wonderful week...

The breading... oh so important...

That is some good looking chicken...

That is a good lookin woman...


Would you say a plethora of food...


Jeff's daughter, Abigail, and Elijah (who is the son of our neighbors Lucky and Stephanie - which also makes Elijah our neighbor also)

Odanis (another son of Luck and Stephanie)

I just thought Abigail looked cute here...

The Hathaways crashed the party at the end of the night for some 24...

peace and love (and happy cooking),

-J

Diana and I are alive...

Just been busy... we moved into our house almost 3 weeks ago... I have eaten dinner their maybe 4 times... thanks for the emails inquiring about our well being... updates will soon follow...

must slow down soon...

Happy Valentines Day... late, of course...

I love you (well, chances are I do if you are reading this I do love you... if i dont really know you then I probably would like you alot as I like most people...)

-Jason

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

My wife got me a birthday present... Even though it's not til Saturday... We have been talking about it for a while. It is the most beautiful instrument I have ever played... I am not kidding... We kinda sold some of my other music gear that I do not use much as well as my other acoustic guitar to get ready for it. It was hard to part with that one as it has been with me all over the world but it was too nice to get played as little as it would have. I believe she went to a good home though... he seems as though he would take great care of her...

It's tough to explain but I feel like this new guitar has been mine for a long time... I do feel a strange bond to it already... and I do not feel as though my old guitar is upset about it... almost like she was happy for me... (you could be thinking this is wierd that I am assuming these guitars have feelings... to you I have no comment... you may be right)

We picked it up today from Harry's... great people here... if you like music, guitars, basses, amps, and accessories... then shop here...

I do believe owning something this nice comes with an expectation of using it well and wisely... Kinda the "to whom much is given, much is required" deal... I take that very seriously and pray God would give me a song to sing worth singing... songs that can both lead our community/God's Church in *worship and create things, thoughts, and emotions that only music can... (I also hope I have a lot of fun playing great music with it... filled with times of many dances)

*(I do not believe you have to have an acoustic guitar, a band, or any music at all for that matter for those in God's church to worship... on the other hand that is part of what we do and part my calling in life - sorry for the disclaimer, but it needed to be said)

sorry for the interuption... back to the post
I am thrilled to have this guitar... I am thrilled to have a wife who would want me to have something like this... I am even more thrilled to have a wife, family, and friends to think through with me if this was a good investment of our resources...

Here is a pic of the new addition to the family... (He/She doesn't have a name yet... any suggestions???)



Cheers!!!

-J

and on a side note... Diana and I have a new house...

find the pics here...

beautiful house... downtown... not exactly the safest neighborhood downtown.. ok, could be considered the "worst" in some regards... but only if you count things like "drug dealing" and "crime" as "bad"... Diana and I, on the other hand, are considering it a blessing to live life with people that are not exactly like us... that we would have the opportunity of not just seeing life as clean all the time... we are hoping it would change us... and that in some way we could offer change...

We hope in some ways this can speak to the idea of the gospel being counter-cultural... that we don't "need" to live lives isolating ourselves from those who are different... we are also convinced, for us, it is easier to pretend the world is better than it is by avoiding "broken places"... as a church we talk about the importance keeping ourselves around need and around the broken in an attempt to keep us sensitive to the world around us... we are certain, that without a doubt, this will keep need in front of our eyes like never before...

If I were honest, I selfishly... for the Kingdom's sake (if that makes sense) pray this would allow for others to want to do the same... I believe (in the core of who I am) it is possible for love to win in environments where people only know drugs, or hate, or crime, or prostitution... I believe the gospel calls us to live life free of fear and full of love for everyone on this earth and in every neighborhood...

my mom is nervous... mostly because she is the most loving mother a child could have... and she flat out loves me... she says she doesn't know if one family can make a difference... I told her that is ok b/c there are 2 families making the trip into the house...

yes there is a reason why I am saying we... yes it is more than just Diana and I... yes there is an explanation why these pics are on Jeff's blog too...

more to come...

-J

Still in Michigan.. It is still cold...

The conference so far has been amazing... The teaching/discussion this morning was on how we as God's Church are to be broken and poured out for the world... just as Christ was broken and poured out for us... This was put in context of Paul claiming we find life in our death... "strength" in our weakness... admitting we can be broken... seeking "Humanity over perfection"... even realizing if we are in fact allowing ourselves to be broken... we need to find ways for us to be put back together... so much depth to this conversation and I haven't been able to shake it all day...

Honestly I have taken notes all day and do not feel like writing much so maybe more once I get home... Jasen summed up a bit of tonights session here.

Shannon and I have had a blast... a whole lot of laughs... It's been great catching up with Jasen and Amanda... The time here so far, even though only a day, has been good for my soul... Here's a few pics from today...


Jasen and Amanda


Shannon parking entirely too close to a snow bank...


Shannon refusing to admit he was entirely too close to the snow bank...



me excited for snow and for the free books we got today...

Love you guys... Diana, I miss you babe...

-Jason

I have never been to Michigan before... it is cold...

I am up in Michigan for a conference at Mars Hill. Shannon Smith made the trip up with me and I am excited to hang out with him for a few days. Wish we hung out more back home...

Also here in Michigan is my bud Jasen and his lovely wife Amanda. They came up from Houston for the same conference. So good to see them again... It's only been since Christmas yet seems so much longer...

Last night when we landed we picked up the Ashdown's and Headed over to Mars Hill to catch their 6 o'clock gathering. Afterwards we went over to Red Robin to catch dinner, a beer, and watch a little football...

Hats of to the Colts... a surprising comeback... it just might be their year...

More updates from dates from Michigan coming soon...

The updates will probably begin with something like this... this is my 2nd day in Michigan... and it's still cold...

Much Love,

-J

Benefits...

I took these pictures this morning before I left house... This is one of the benfits of living in the house of one of your best friends... you get to see their kids looking this cute from time to time... Seriously... this is incredible... can't imagine it getting much more adorable than this...

I was gonna make a joke about how cute she was - and then mention how Abigail looked cute too... but I couldn't even do that... too adorable...

Just thought I'd share the picture...

Have a great weekend!

-J

No plans tonight?!?!?!?!

Tonight... Go to Lincoln Theatre and see these guys... They are good for Raleigh, good for the music scene, and good for the ears... They put on a great show... It will be a good time... Rock-n-Roll is good... oh, yes... it is good!!!

Cheers...

-J

For a brief moment...

Allow me to step out of my mode of "we live in a world of excess" to tell you of a new thing that is really cool...

Apple has done it again

News released yesterday... comes out in June...

remind me that I don't need one...

thanks for the support,

-Jason

ps
thanks to all who have helped solve and add to the fun of the Apple Pie Crisis on the previous post... you have led to much ammusement for many as well as seen a snapshot into my life and unfortunately my life... honestly, it's a heck of a lot of fun!!!

This was interesting...

Brandon Guy asks me this morning if I ever got my apple pie that he made for me. Rest of conversation went as follows:

Me: no, when was I supposed to?

Brandon: I gave it to Jeff to give to you... I know it's your favorite and you asked for one a while back...

Me: interesting... he never mentioned it... when was this?

Brandon: just before Christmas... maybe you were out of town so he ate it...

Me: ok, well I will look into it...

Brandon: well, ask him if it was good b/c it was a new homemade reciepe I found...

Me: well... I will ask him...


Next conversation

Me: Jeff... did Brandon guy ever give you an apple pie to give to me???

Jeff: well... yeah, but you never mentioned an apple pie..

Me: what???

Jeff: well you never told me you were expecting one.... so I thought I should take care of it...

me: it was a gift to me.. i didn't know he was making it for me...

Jeff: well, i just figured you didnt appreciate it... He said you asked for one...

me: I didnt know I even had it!!!!!! how was I supposed to be appreciative...

Jeff: He said you asked for it... you never told me that...

me: I dont tell you everything I like... why do i need to tell you if someone is getting me something... he told you it was for me!!!!

Jeff: Well... you were out of town for Christmas when we ate it... we served it at our Christmas Eve get together at our house... I didnt want it to go bad...

me: Jeff, seriously... we came home on Christmas day... that is one day after you ate it...

Jeff: well, you didnt mention to me you were getting one so I didnt know you appreciated it... and i didn't want it to go bad... It was a bit undercooked anyways... really good, but a bit undercooked...

me: unbelieveable...

Jeff: (smiling at me)

_______________________________________

Just thought I would share this with you... I am still uncertain at Mr. Ramsey's logic through this whole situation and also wondering why I was never even told I was given an apple pie...

Perhaps someone can shed some light on the subject for me...

Well... have a good weekend... and I encourage anyone given an apple pie to give to someone else... please.. please... make sure they at least are given a piece...

Happy Times...

-Jason

I have stumbled onto something new...

It has occurred to me that apartments downtown are considered more "upscale" and can chage more by having two street names in their title... for example... The Dawson at Morgan (on the corner of Dawson St. and Morgan St.)... very upscale and trendy... on a corner... two names in the title... another is The Glenwood at West... up and coming apartment/condos...

You can say, "well Jason that is only 2..." well to that I say, "I am forgetting one and... and... all the better to get in on the front side of this trend..."

So... my good friend Chris Boyette and I have decided to get in while we can... we have found some older apartmet style dwelling places on the corner of... get ready... Mayo and Morgan... Wow... what a ring to it this has...

You may be wondering... isn't that right next to some kind of prison... and the answer is, well... yes... but we are convinced that nothing can slow down the current market trend for double st. named apartment condos...

Ok folks... you heard it here first... I stay over at "The Mayo at Morgan"... REPLY: "Really... I heard about those... they sound so cool... I would pay alot to live to there..."



If you want on the waiting list now... it is not too early as these will go very quickly...

Ok for now that is all... until next time...

-Jason

post script
I am in no way serious about investing in mayo and morgan currently... this blog post was only an attempt at humor by engaging a slight trend/exsistence in the downtown market and revealing a comical conversation between myself and Mr. Chris Boyette... I am also in no way mocking anyone living in a cool, trendy place like the ones I mentioned above... If the timing were different it is possible I too would live in one of these dwelling places...

It is time...

every year diana and I come to her parents house for Christmas with her family... and every year we prune the apple trees...

in certain cultures before one enters war or his unavoidable fate, he would write a poem, or song, or a story as a statement of acceptence...

and now... it is christmas... i am here... it is that time... i move forward with adandon... it is my fate... i except it... the trees are calling...

______________________________________________

trees... be weary...

trees... be afraid..

for you must know yourself... today is not your brightest day...

my pruners shall come... your extra limbs shall fall...

but the fruit you shall soon bear... will certainly be worth it all...

______________________________________________

enjoy... and happy day to you,

-Jason

So it's late...

I just got home... and my wife is already asleep... She is so beautiful... how am i so blessed... 3 and a half years of marriage already... So incredible...

Thoughts from a worship leader...

So as many of you know I act as, among other things, "worship leader" for our church community here in Raleigh. (mind you i have always thought the word is wierd based on my views of worship - prolly a different post) Well last night my home group and I (Visio Dei consists of a number of homegroups. These groups are where we live life together with a communtiy of people on mission to become who God has made us to be, find authentic community, and to live out the Way of Jesus) cooked dinner for a friend of ours Linette and her children Smith, Joylett, Jaylin, Jodie, Jessica, and Jennifer. We met Linette through another friend of ours that is apart of our church. Afterwards some of the women in our home group took her out shopping for her children while the rest of us stayed back and played with the youngins'. (I had very little to do with any of this happening from a logistical stand point)

Now here's the deal... I started thinking last night that as chruch planter and a pastor I couldn't ask for a more beautiful thing to be happening in that moment. We cooked dinner and were watching the children at our church building and we were also hosting an AA meeting in the "main gaterhing room". Then I started thinking of how we met this family and it had to do with someone else from our church stepping out to meet some folks that may need a bit of encouragement and love... then we got to meet this family... then i started thinking of the amazing stories I have just been hearing about how people in our community are reaching to meet needs of people around them.. and I was honestly a bit overwhelmed... overwhelmed by people who are realizing they have been blessed to be a blessing... and their blessing is overflowing into the lives of those around them... this to me is more important than having a church of 100 people.. 1,000 people... or even 10,000 people... (although 10,000 people living this way would be something to celebrate...)

SO from a worship leader who desires to create environments for people to encounter, experience, celebrate, and worship their God... last night I was led in a way, by our community, like never before to a place of worship... worshipping a God who moves... who opens the hearts of people like us.. to care about things bigger than ourselves... who opens our eyes to a better way of living... a life of love, compassion, and beauty...

God I thankyou for showing us how to live.. i thankyou for allowing us, as a community of people, to point each other towards your Kingdom... May we constantly realize your blessings in our life... may we be a blessing to those around us... May we live lives of worship...

Thanks to all who are apart of this journey... Thanks for leading me and those around you in worship... i couldnt ask for a better place to be in life...

Much love,

-J

Cheers...

So we took this picture for a present for someone as a joke and I thought it was funny...

I could say many things here... could get emotional about how we started a church together but that's not completely true cause so many others are involved... but either way, we were having a beer last night (cause we live in the same house and well we do that sometimes) and were talking a bit about how crazy things have been and how great our community is... even about how yesterday was an incredible time worshipping God together as a community... and I found myself thinking of how blessed I feel...

So anyways... kinda random post... but none the less...here's to good friends, love, life, community, family, and to following our God together...

Much Love,

-J