too long between posts

wow. just when i was getting proud of myself for being all 21st-century savvy with a blog and all....i go silent....

well to catch up quickly, i found out baby #3 due in december is a girl (yeah -- that's girl #3 -- you know how to pray for me). i mourned the discovery for about 10 days...now i'm celebrating. if she gets under my skin half as much as abbi and emily, oh boy....





i do have a unique arrangement with keri, one that i'm a little sheepish to admit. i've got "exclusive naming rights" on this one. keri really wanted to find out the gender, i really didn't want to, so i came up with a proposal -- she gets to find out and i get to name baby #3. so now i'm throwing every random name i can think of at keri. i'm definitely looking forward to introducing our new daughter to keri at the hospital. i can just see it now: "keri, meet paris."

i've enjoyed teaching at ecclesia houston a couple times in the last four weeks. i was surprised to have been nervous the first time, i guess because i didn't know a whole lot of folks there. spoken so many times the last few years, often to bigger crowds, but.... maybe a healthy anxiety -- keeps me sharp, i guess. regardless, i felt great about 'em both. i'm really excited to teach more, as God has affirmed that gifting in me (and clarified some other areas where i'm weak!). nothing like getting to lean into your strengths, a value i'm embracing more and more!

good segue to mention a gift from above in elizabeth owen as our new part time administrator at ecclesia clear lake! i'm confident she is going to be especially strong where i am weak and therefore allow me to thrive in the use of my gifts and strengths. (thank You, Master!) if you know her or if you're just excited about God using her big time in the formation of ecclesia clear lake, drop her a note at elizabeth@ecclesiaclearlake.org. i'm so grateful and excited!

here she is with her way cool rocket scientist husband, jeremy
(they've got a fun blog)


here elizabeth is helping organize a 400-kid
dodgeball tourney -- see, she can organize and have fun!

also very excited to have a good friend diving into this church plant journey -- nate messarra. i've loved knowing him since he was a sophomore in high school. watched his heart for the Master only grow these last 6-7 years (is he 21 now?!). he's been in scotland for the past year, among other things serving as a part of regarding hope, an emerging missional church in glasgow. i'd be pumped for him to lead and help shape our new church regardless, but i'm even more jazzed as his box to put church in, however big it was before, has been expanded.

here's nate, 3rd from the left, "mentoring"

some high school kids last year

he's a good friend, a passionate lover of Jesus, and a dreamer. three great reasons for me to love him being in the thick of it with me/us. (check out his blog)

right now i'm on a 3-day getaway to focus on preparing to teach this fall. some generous fcc friends (mike & debbie hickey) are allowing me to stay at their suhweeeet lake house on lake mcqueeny (near seguin and new braunfels). wow. it's nicer than my house! it's good to have generous, affluent friends, especially those like the hickeys who love Jesus and see their stuff for what it is. things here have gone well. i've been able to do a ton of reading and praying. only now beginning to do much writing, but i'm very excited about diving into the gospel of luke as a new church. i feel an extra weight as the teaching in this first season of a new church speaks so loudly for who we are and who we want to be. pray for me, as well as for jack wisdom and chris seay who will be teaching with me.

18 days till this little church plant endeavor becomes a reality. i'm soooooo fired up! God only knows what He's got planned to do in and through us....