Brian McLaren in the Washington Post...

Here is an interesting article on one of the profs I had at Mars Hill Graduate School. His name is Brian McLaren and I loved his classes. I even went out one night after class and had a pint with him and discussed ministry and theology. He was named one of the countries top 100 most influencial people in Time magazine. I find it so interesting how people either completely love this guy and his teaching or they truly hate him and think he is crazy! I think that is what I love about him. He is very smart and creative and stimulating that he really makes you think! He was also one of the most humble and teachalbe teachers I ever encountered. Anyways, thought this was an interesting article on him.

Click here to read it... McLaren Article

WARNING! EXTREME CUTIE PIE FACTOR!

WHISTLER BC 2006

GLADY'S FIRST ROAD TRIP!

GLADY AND JEN WENT RIVER RAFTING!

WE HIKED TO A BEAUTIFUL WATERFALL!

Doin' the Puyallup!

JEN AND GLADY TAKING A BREAK FROM THE FAIR!

GLADY HAS HER COWGIRL BOOTS AND HER GIRAFFE SWEATER ON READY TO GO!

Installation...

Well it is almost here. Tomorrow morning I will be officially installed as one of the new pastors at Calvary Chapel Seattle. What exactly is the "installation process" you might ask? Well it is much like vows and/or promises that occur in a wedding only with regards to ministry and calling. In a sense it is me declaring and confirming my call to love, serve, and pastor those who would call Calvary there home - specifically in the areas of youth/young adults and counseling/congregational care. Basically tomorrow Jen, Glady, and I get to go to our new church together and then starting this next week it's go time! Please continue to pray for us as we step into this new community!

Here are the promises/vows I will be responding to tomorrow at Calvary...

Installation Promises & Vows...

+ I affirm that God has prepared me for and called me to be pastor of Calvary Chapel.

+ I promise to pray for the church and to seek God’s wisdom in leading this congregation.

+ I promise to teach and to do the Word of God, being faithful to the truth in the Scriptures.

+ I promise to uphold God’s concern for the lost and the impoverished.

+ I commit myself to work with and to serve the appointed leadership of this church, and to faithfully shepherd the members of this congregation.

+ I vow to be open to the leading of God’s Spirit and to foster an environment in which the Spirit is free to work.


Have a great Sunday everyone! I love you all!

Oh, and stay tuned for some more "Glady Pic's!"

If you haven't heard...

So a while back I was acking you all for some prayer for direction and decisions. Well direction has come and the decision has been made. The short and the long of it is that I am leaving the church position that I have been at for almost 7 years [Fairview Church] and moving to a new church. Those of you who know me know that I have been doing youth ministry for almost 13 years now and that I still love working with students. And on top of that I got a MA in counseling and have felt for a long time that I needed to use my gifts in this area more effectively. Well with that and the fact that I now have not only a home to pay for, but an incredible wife and beautiful daughter to provide for as well, this new church will allow me to do everything I have dreamed of!

I will be an associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Seattle overseeing the youth ministry - which we will be starting basically from scratch, AND I'll be doing all the counseling (premarital, marriage, divorce, family, addictions, etc.). As you know this was a very difficult decision, but I do believe it is the right one and that it is a clear calling from God!

So last Sunday was my last Sunday at Fairview. I did my Sunday school class, led worship, and preached to the congregation, and afterwards they had a party for me. To say it was a long day would be an understatement, but it was worth it and it was a total blessing! This Wednesday will be my last time with my students and we are going to be having a party! I'm gonna miss them a lot! But kind of like when you grow up and move out of your parents home you do so because it's time not because you hate your parents. This is the feeling I have with Fairview. It's a family I dearly love, but it's time. And the beauty is that I can always come back to visit and always am welcome!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we have lots of transitions to do, moving, back to school, meeting new people, and getting connected into a new church community! And pray for the ministries that I've been a part of at Fairview that the people God wants to lead them would come and take it to the next level!

And lastly, pray for me as I work to turn our basement room "the dancefloor" into our brand new family room! Talk about a learning experience!

Love to you all!

rich

New Glady Pictures...

This is so cool...

You have got to watch this music video it is very cool! The song isn't half bad either! Enjoy!

OKGO

2006 Fastest Growing Churches in America

Kind of interesting to see...

You can also see the last couple of years to compare. This years number one fastest growning church had a gain of over 12, ooo people in one year! And just the gain of the top 10 churches adds up to over 150,000 new people! Now that is a lot of people!

Click hear to view the list...

2006FGCinA

Too much time...

As I have been in the midst of major decisions about life, family, career, and all someone else has time to create this! Either I am way to busy or this person has way too much time on there hands. See for yourself. Picture/remember Space Invaders...

HUMANINVADERS

Oh, and by the way...

Some big news in the Sclafani family is soon to be released! Thanks for all your prayers! I can't wait to share it with you all!

Peace in Jesus,

Rich

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

Have you ever been in that place where you feel a bit overwhelmed by all the choices you have to make. Not so much one decision with lots of options to choose from, but more so multiple tough important decisions to make all of which seem to have the sense that they will be "life changing" in a way. Family, career, finances, direction spiritually, relational, and the likes. They can pile up and weigh you down. That has been me for the last couple of months especially in the last two weeks.

So with this little blog note, I am asking for prayer. That in all the decisions, I would experience the peace that comes from doing whatever it is God is calling me to do. That not only would I hear from God, but that I would follow, and that God would speak words of unity to both Jen and I as we seek his will.

It is crazy, when faces will all of these decisions, but at the same time it is so exciting to think what God might have in store for us in the future!

Thanks for your support!

lovage,

rich

Lovin' the underdogs...

So the Italian National Team was never expected to win the World Cup, and guess what? They most certainly did! Well done boys! And no one ever expected Rocky Balboa to win the boxing championships that he did, but he most certainly did! Well done Rocky! But the question remains... can Rocky still do it? Can another story of the underdog still entice people! If you didn't know there is one last fight for Rocky. I wonder if it will work?

Click here to see the trailer

ROCKY

I'm lovin' the underdogs especially when they are Italian!

George Bush Sings U2...

This had to take a long time to make. It's brilliant!

Click here to view...

BUSHSINGSU2

BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GLADY!

After having been in our lives now for close to four weeks Glady has only gotten more beautiful! See for your self!

I CAN'T WAIT...

Ok, so I know the blog has been a bit silent lately. If only my house was this way, say during the hours between 8pm and 4am! :) And to add to this the hot, hot, heat, and the lack of sleep, my car has had "issues!"

But I think that there is something that can get me through all this...

I super hero of sorts...

Who is this person you ask...

His name is...

NACHO LIBRE!

I LITTLE LAUGHTER GOES A LONG WAY IN MY BOOK!

My First Father's Day...

As I got up this morning at 4:50am this morning to change my baby girls diaper I was hit once again with the reality that I am officially a Father! In my sleep state of diaper cleaning I was overwhelmed with the wonderful honor and responsibility that this role brings to my life.

This was combined with the fact that my Glady doesn't really like getting her diaper changed so without question she was bawling! I was reminded that sometimes parents have to do things to/for there kids that the kids don't understand let alone enjoy - but they are doing it none-the-less for the good of the child.

What great memories I have of my family, my father, and even my father in law of how to care well for there kids. I have been so blessed with great father's and father figures! And on top of that I have been blessed with a relationship with the Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. The God of the universe sees me as His child and like me will do anything for there kids best interest.

SO THANKS TO MY FATHERS!! ALL OF YOU BIOLOGICAL, IN LAW, FATHER FIGURES, AND MOST OF ALL HEAVENLY! YOU HAVE MODELED FATHERHOOD SO WELL! I LOOK FORWARD TO LIVING OUT THESE EXAMPLES TO MY LITTLE GIRL!

So back to my diaper story!

After the new diaper was on and Glady was swaddled back up. She just couldn't stop looking at me. Starring intently at me with her beautiful little eyes.

And then she smiled!

That was all I needed!

I love you Glady girl! Thanks for making me the proudest Father in the world!

- Glady's Daddy

Glady's Beautiful Eyes...

Well it has come to my attention that in all of these pictures of Glady you all have yet to see one of her best features...HER EYES! So here is a picture for you to gaze at! Enjoy!

Glady's First Starbucks Visit...

Us at the Village Starbucks with Auntie Kristin, cousin Grace, & little cousin Charlotte [seen in the picture]. I think this was the first of what will be many visits in the future!

MORE PICS OF GLADY!

CAN YOU TELL JEN AND I ARE IN LOVE WITH THIS GIRL?

IT'S A GIRL!!!

ALLOW ME THE HONOR OF INTRODUCING TO YOU FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME...

THE NEWEST SCLAFANI!

GLADYS ELAINE SCLAFANI

BORN: 6.7.2006 at 4:48am 6lbs 15oz and 19inches long!

THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS!!! GOD IS GOOD AND HAS BLESSED US ALL! MORE PICTURES TO COME!

GLADYS ELAINE SCLAFANI!

Approaching The Hood....Fatherhood!

Well all, if you didn't know my wife is due with our first child in 5 days! And we are very excited to say the least! I am emailing you all to ask you to pray for us, for Jen and for our little bambino/a that will soon be here. It is a simply prayer that I am praying for our baby and I'd love it if you'd join me in praying for us. It comes from Numbers 6:24-26.

Here is how I pray it as I lay my hands on my wifes belly...

"May the Lord bless you and keep you;
may the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
may the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace."

As we move into a new chapter of life we find ourselves very thankful for the incredible friends and family that we have. You are all so wonderful! I will keep you posted as baby Sclafani enters our world! Until then thanks for your prayers!

peace,

big papa

Free Switchfoot Song...

Hey all of you who love Switchfoot. Get a free download of a new song by clicking the link below! It's called "Daylight To Break"

CLICK HERE TO GET IT... SWITCHFOOTSONG

Bono Article...

Here is an interesting article on Bono. Having to do with the him being the only person to be nominated for a grammy, golden globe, an oscar and the noble peace prize. It talks about his powerful influence as a leader through his music, his character, and his passion!

Check it out...

BONO

EVOLUTION OF DANCE...

YOU HAVE GOT TO SEE THIS! IT IS HILARIOUS...

EVOLUTIONOFDANCE

Colbert's White House Correspondents' Dinner Speech

I don't know if any of you saw this, I am still unsure what I think about it. I find myself stuck in the tension of laughter and sadness. It is pretty powerful to see if you got some time to watch. This is a link to Adam Cleavelands blog called Pomomusings. It has Colbert's speech and then if you want you can watch George W Bush's reactions to it.

Follow this link to see both clips... COLBERTsSPEECH+BUSHREACTIONS

How is this for a blend of text.soul.and.culture...

Hank from King of The Hill goes looking for a new church...

What does this say about the church today?

Check it out KINGOFTHEHILL

SNL's FUN WITH REAL AUDIO...

I got this link from Dwight Friesen who has a great blog and is a professor at Mars Hill Graduate School. It is a great picture of how our world/culture, and the text/word of God come into play. And on top of that it is funny which is always good for the soul if you ask me.

Click here to enjoy FUNWITHREALAUDIO

Look up in the sky...

It's a bird. No, it's plane. No. You guessed it. It's Superman!

Watch the trailer to the new Superman movie.

SUPERMANRETURNS

Emergent thougths...

Hello all,

If you are at all interested in the "emergent" talks/conversations that are going on all over the place you might appreciate this blog on the topic. It is by Pastor Richard Dalstrom of Bethany Community Church in Seattle. He is a good man with wise words to contemplate.

Click here to read his blog RAINCITYPASTOR

BEN & JERRY'S FREE CONE DAY!

Today's the day! Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day. From 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. you can go by any Ben & Jerry's store to get a free scoop of your favorite flavor. If you call my office this afternoon and no one answers, now you know why...

Enjoy the sun and your ice-cream!

The Bible Experience...

thanks to ysmarko for this...

wow. i’d heard about “the bible experience” — it’s a dramatic reading of the entire bible, with original music, read by an all african-american cast, including denzel washington, blair underwood and many others (releasing this fall). but i just went to the website, and watched the ‘behind the scenes’ video, and just found myself brought to tears. this is going to be so beautiful. really, you must watch this. i will count the days until i can listen to the whole thing — god’s story, our story, so gorgeously rendered.

Super-Soakers are Out...This is In!

As a pastor to jr. and sr. high students for the last twelve years every summer you plan on having some fun with water. Be it water fights, water balloons, swimming parties, super-soaker battles, or all of the above. But I think I have found something that could take this to a whole new level. Check it out...

THE FOAM FACTORY

HILARIOUS CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENT...

New church building/ministry expansion? Check this out...

CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENT!

FOR FUN...

So I have been a bit silent for a while now. Sorry about that. I have been preparing for a baby to enter the world and my home. And I was on a little vacation visiting some great brothers of mine in Corvallis OR. Namely, Bernd Strom and family, Carlo Furlan and family, and Brent O'Neill and family...I mean new girlfriend! I got to spend time with my godson Isaac who could be the coolest, cutest kid on the planet. That is till my child is born!!!

Anyways, as always happens when spending time with these people we end up laughing a lot! I mean fall down laughter...side splitting laughter. So here is a site that we had way to much fun with that now you too can enjoy!

It's called monk-email

And if you would like to see one in action click here [mix! monk email] to see the one I sent to the students I work with at The Mix!

Enjoy

"The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian McLaren

Some of you may know Brian McLaren from some of his other books including A New Kind of Christian Trilogy or A Generous Orthodoxy. I just finished an advanced copy of Brian's newest book, The Secret Message of Jesus - Uncovering The Truth That Could Change Everything, and I believe it will be considered his best so far. Not because he's sharing something so incredibly new, but because he has done so in such a way that invites such wonderful dialoge and engagement for all who read it. He brilliantly shows how Jesus Christ "came to start a political, social, religious, artistic, economic, intellectual, and spiritual revolution that would give birth to a new world" (p.4). He not only shows/explains/discusses this "secret message of Jesus," he generously invites all to participate in the implications it brings to our world, our relationships, the church, our jobs, and beyond.


The book is laid out like so...

Part 1: Excavation: Digging Beneath The Surface To Uncover Jesus's Message

In this section McLaren introduces the readers to the political and socio-economic message embedded within Jesus' teachings.

Part 2: Engagement: Grappling With The Meaning Of Jesus's Message

In this section, the reality of the "the Kingdom being here and now" or "the present kingdom" and it's powerful and never-before-experienced implications are explained and developed.

Part 3: Imagination: Exploring How Jesus's Secret Message Could Change Everything

In this section, Brian spends most of his time challenging different views about heaven and hell, and discusses a kingdom manifesto and kingdom ethics. He also explains how in so many ways we have "missed" the message and shares a wonderful list of people who have influenced his way of thinking. He even has a discussion about Kingdom prayer.


There is no question that some will find this book controversial, but more so I believe will be invited, encouraged, and motivated. And for those who have not enjoyed McLaren's books in the past I think this book may change some of your feelings. I definitely recommend you getting The Secret Message of Jesus and reading it. You will not be disappointed.

At The Drive In Church...

A photo essay by Time Magazine...

Take a gander...

Click here DRIVEINCHURCH

Hybrids, and even newer accessories...

So in the not so far future I will be needing to find another form of trasportation other than my red sled [or 87 subaru Gl with 200,000 miles on it] and as a wise consumer I have been looking into the many options you can now get. Hybrids and environmentally friendly vehicles are of great interest to me, but now a company has come out with an option that is limitless in its potential. They have started a new add campaign and this is the first one. I figure that working with teens and having a child on the way in June, that this feature would be priceless!

You tell me... Click here to see for yourself TRUNKMONKEY1

The iPod Culture...

Talk about culture... now even our new Pope has an iPod!

Read all about it here... POPE'SIPOD

President Bush's iPod...

Have you ever wondered what the President of the United States listens to on his iPod? Well now you can know the answer.

Click here to watch and learn... BUSHSIPOD

What an adventure...

Imagine if you will, what it would be like to go back to high school and be a student for a month at your current age. This blog is amazing. It is a 33 year old youth pastor who got clearance to do an experiment/study on being a hs student everyday for a month. Anyways, you can read it and watch it. It is very interesting. Thought you might like it...

Click here to go to the blog TWOWEEKSBACK

The ONE campaign...

Help make poverty history...

See the new ONEspot video and sign up today!

ONEspotVideo

Ash Wednesday...

The Day of Ashes

Today millions of our sisters and brothers in Christ join together in an 1,100+ year-old tradition of commonly referred to as 'ash wednesday'. The ashes - which are from the burned palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday service - are placed on the forehead in the shape of a cross to mark the beginning of the season of Lent.

Below are one and one-half stanzas of

T. S. Eliot's poem: "Ash Wednesday"

As I am forgotten

And would be forgotten, so I would forget

Thus devoted, concentrated in purpose. And God said

Prophesy to the wind, to the wind only for only

The wind will listen. And the bones sang chirping

With the burden of the grasshopper, saying
Lady of silences

Calm and distressed

Torn and most whole

Rose of memory

Rose of forgetfulness

Exhausted and life-giving

Worried reposeful

The single Rose

Is now the Garden

Where all loves end

Terminate torment

Of love unsatisfied

The greater torment

Of love satisfied

End of the endless

Journey to no end

Conclusion of all that

Is inconclusible

Speech without word and

Word of no speech

Grace to the Mother

For the Garden

Where all love ends.

Thanks to a fellow blogger, thinker, teacher, leader, artist, counselor, learner, disciple, and friend Dwight Friesen who shared this with my through his blog last year. "May the dust of you rabbi be on you" as you move into the season of Lent [taken from some thoughts by Rob Bell]

tenebrae

tenebrae

The office of Tenebrae is an adaptation of a service that was used in the early church. It is a meditation on the shadows that gradually grew darker and finally enveloped Christ in darkness as he journeyed towards the Cross. The service is therefore in a restrained and solemn mood. Readings from scripture are interspersed with music and periods of silence. This is a service I'm working on for our Lent/Easter season. Each of the eight movements through the shadows of anguish, humiliation, separation and death will be played out through scripture readings, music, dramatic action and silence. We are marrying together the richness of our choral music with the alt*worship tradition - taking ancient ideas and re-engaging with them by putting them into contemporary clothes. New Testament readings, and other possibilities like - Isaac Newton and Gesualdo will sit side by side with Taize, Brian Eno, barbed wire and candles, fairy lights and red paint and who knows what else ...

One candle after another will be put out as the sight of the darkness closing in on Jesus. In retracing the steps of Jesus towards the Cross we will meditate on his obedience to God. We also think of our own life of sacrifice for Christ and those for whom he died. “If any person will come after me, let him deny himself and take up the cross and follow me. Whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel’s will save it.”

Tenebrae - A Service of Shadows

If you have any ideas for this let me know!

Fall Down Laughter...

Well, after a wonderful weekend retreat at Lakeside Bible Camp as the speaker, and being able to take a break from my normal work routine this has been an extended weekend. And as I love vacations and retreats, it is always that return home/work where you are reminded of the realities of the things left behind. Clients to meet with, walls to paint, cribs to put together, worship sets to plan, youth group nights to organize, etc. Sometimes that overwhelming feeling is easily dealt with by the use/experience of laughter. So free of change and thanks to one of my wonderful student/leaders Mary here is something for your heart and soul to laugh about!

Make sure your speakers are up! Click here FUN SONG

Enjoy!

The Message & U2

Here is a great article/interview with Eugene Peterson on his thoughts on Bono, U2, and what he sees as a prophetic voice to our culture. Those of you who don't know Eugene Peterson, he is the translator of "THE MESSAGE" a contemporary translation of the Bible. He is also a retired pastor of 32 years, and a prof at Regent Seminary in Vancouver BC. He has written a ton of wonderful books one of my favorites being "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction." Anyways this is a great article. Thanks to Ben Gezon for the link.

Click here to read. The Message & U2

Cool story...

Have you been keeping up on the Olympics? Well I found this very cool story about Kelly Clark one of the best female snowboarders in the world. It is pretty cool to see how she is expressing herself in the midst of a media minded, product driven, world-wide audience. You can read the article by clicking here....

KELLY CLARK STORY

Nacho Libre...

Unexplainable...

Just something you...

Have got to see for yourself...

click here: NACHOLIBRE

Even Better...

Seeing is believing.

The previous post about Bono's words at the National Prayer Breakfast version 1.2. If you are not a reader click here to watch and listen to Bono share!

It is awesome!

BONO VID

BONO'S REMARKS TO THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST

If you didn't know Bono got to speak to everyone at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. If you have not read his speech/plea/prayer/vision/challenge/message, you have got to take some time to do so.

Click here to read it... Bono at the National Prayer Breakfast.

Attention Lovers of Death Cab For Cutie...

11 songs, 11 videos, 11 directors, all for your enjoyment...

click hear DCFCdirections

It's Official...

Here it is the year 2006, and I have my own blog, my family with a baby on the way, I even have my own business www.richardsclafani.com but what I realized I was without was my very own myspace account. I will be honest in that I had my reasons for this. The number one being the new statistic that says around 70% of the people that use it are in fact pedifiles. The bottom line is that it like much of the incredibly creative things God has made it can be used in a way that is beautiful and glorifying or it can be used for something very bad.

I have been blessed to have some wonderful people in my life and I don't get to see or hear from them very often, and now I can thanks to myspace.

So let it be known! It is official! I now have my very own myspace account. If you have one, and would like to be one of my friends I'd love that! [And just a note, if you can, tell me how to get and receive myspace/friends to your own account] I'm kind of hurtin' in that department so far. Anyways, enough of that. Click here to check it out! Rich's Myspace

New Website + New Business...

If you didn't know I have started my own private counseling practice. I am registered with the state of Washington as a Mental Health Therapist/Counselor. I just got my official master business license in the mail and all of my insurance. So it is official! I have my own business which means I am my own boss.

With it I hope and pray that I can help people live authentic lives through whatever life throws their way. I'd love your thoughts on my new site [as of two days ago] you can see it by going to www.richardsclafani.com. And if you know anyone that might be in need of some counseling any referrals would be much appreciated.

Thanks for all of your support!

Rich

New Music...

Hey all,

I just thought I would throw down some links to music done by two people and I know and love.

Aaron Spiro this is his myspace page, but it has two new songs on it that are incredible. He is playing a gig this weekend that if you can you have got to go! I've known Aaron since I was in the 5th grade and my life has never been the same!

and

Andrew Platter this is a podcast of an interview he recently did and you can hear some of his new stuff as well. If you want to hear the whole album click here HOME. I have known Andrew and his music since he was about 16 and now he's 26. I am very excited to see where God take him.

Listen and enjoy...

Wax On Wax Hoff...

Remember Knight Rider with KITT and Michael Knight (played by the ever so talented David Hassalhoff)? Well then maybe you need to check out this site...

WAXONWAXHOFF

Chronicles of Narnia...

So last week there was a great skit/video on Saturday Night Live on the Chronicles of Narnia. I was on the floor in pain from all of the laughter. It is a great example of different cultures mixing together - rap, the movie itself, the actions of preparing to go to movie, and humor. Thanks to the great Erin Hanson for the link!

Click here to enjoy...

To dance or not to dance...

It has been some time since my last blog. I have been crazy busy with work, planning Advent and Christmas services, getting my new house in order, and preparing for a baby! Yep! The Sclafani's are having a little bambino! Can you believe it! I wish I had the time to tell everyone in person, but I don't! So if you didn't know...now you do!

So you can see why it has been a bit difficult finding time to blog.

With all that has been going on things have been exciting and tiring. One thing I have found is that dancing is a great form of expression - even when you feel as if you cannot dance. There is something about the physical movement of the body and it's ability to give praise as David danced before the Lord! Well I am not much of a dancer, but sometimes it is out of my control and when I found out about the miracle of this new baby I couldn't stop! My dance wasn't one of great skill or technique, but one of praise, awe, and glory to God!

It felt so good to do! I hope and pray that this holiday season might bring you wonderful times in which you can do nothing but dance for joy!

And with that...

Here is a little something for you to laugh at that has some "impressive" dance moves! Just click the link below and enjoy!

"DANCE CLIP"

Clark Griswald Eat Your Heart Out!

It's that time of year when the house gets decorated with all things Christmas. And in Lynnwood sometimes it can get a little over the top. Now that we live in Seattle we thought we would bring a little Lynnwood to our new hood. Click here to see our home video of our house at Christmas time HOUSE LIGHTS!

Enjoy!

Body Prayer Pt. 1

I have just started reading a book by Doug Pagitt called Body Prayer The Posture of Intimacy with God. It has to do with the idea of connecting with God with your body [physically] and your soul [spiritually/relationally] Last night we at The Mix! tryed the "prayer of willingness." This is when you stand, leanning over at the waist as far as you can without moving your feet, letting your sholders, arms, neck, and head all fall forward and hang very loosely - kind of like a ragdoll. The ideas is that of allowing our body to physically represent are willingness to submet to God. The students were excited to learn something new with prayer. It took a bit to get people focused, but overall I thing this is going to be a great book for exploring new ways to connect with God. Here is the prayer that we prayed together [which is also from the book]...

In the Extraordinary that is you,
I breathe.
I breathe and I bend.
I breathe and I bend and I dream
Of seeing your will clearly,
Of following you easily,
Of hearing
Finales to the world's worries
And beginnings to untold stories
Until those whispers are rumbled,
When they resound as Truth echoed by all cells,
I submit to you.

Bono and U2 ask God some Tough Questions

Here is another article about U2 and their faith. I thought it was interesting. Especially Bono's thoughts on faith lived out with or without social action. It also has Bono's take/explanation about the meaning of the song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Check it out by clicking here u2 article.

Speaking of relevant...

If you have not read the headline interview of Bono in the latest issues of Rollingstone Magazine you have got to. There is a whole section on spirituality, his upbringing, his musical influences, and more. In other words, this interview looks at Bono's culture, his soul, and the influence the Biblical text and Christian Church has had on him. It is quite facinating! You can read it by clicking here
BONO INERVIEW.

Relevant

Hey if you have not experienced Relevant Magazine I highly recommend it, but even better is there website! I have had a subscription to there magazine for two years now and love it. Both the site and magazine have great news, articles, resources for spiritual thought and contemplation. They also have great reviews on movies, music, books, and more. But the newest thing they have added is Relevant TV. It is a great way to learn new music, see the videos, and it it much better than kcms. So far this morning, as I write I heard/saw U2, Reliant K, Postal Service, Coldplay, and David Crowder. And what is really cool is that you can have Relavant TV on while you continue your web surfing! Anyways, that is enough of a plug. I hope you like it. You can go to it by clicking here RELEVANT.

I WANT IT THAT WAY!

The newest boy band it out! Have you seen there new video? Talk about the effects of culture! Turn up the volume on your computer, CLICK HERE, and enjoy!

The Latest From U2...

Many of you know that I love U2. Well did you know that U2 is branching out to do children's music? It is very fun. You got to hear it!

Check it out by clicking HERE.

Hope you like!

Sad and Tragic...

Today I am mourning the unexpected passing of Kyle Lake, author of Understanding God's Will and (re)Understanding Prayer, and pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, TX [where David Crowder and Chris Seay are from]. He died yesterday morning after a tragic electrocution accident while leading a baptism service. Only 33 years old, he is survived by his wife and three young children.

Although I didn't know Kyle personally, I found him to be an amazing pastor, educator, writer, and learner. He was involved in Emergent and many other progressive ministries. I can't imaging all the emotions that his family, friends, and congregation are going through. Please join me in praying for the Lake family and all effected by this tragic loss...

COOL ILLUSION!

YOU GOT TO TRY THIS OUT!

CLICK HERE COOL ILLUSION!

Where is righteousness?

So I have been wrestling with the idea of righteousness and what it means to live in a way that would be described Biblically as righteous. Charles Finney [an old school evangelist] believes that revivals do not come from praying then down from God and he doesn't believe that they are miracles. He says we don't have to convince God to bring revivals that He wants everyone to be saved. He basically says that revival doesn't come until we [the Christians] get on fire for God and start living righteous lives. That when our lives start radically changing for Christ others will start to do the same. In other words, Finney says revivals don't start in the other they start with me. That has been a challenge for me to chew on.

When I think of righteous living I think of pride, cockyness, strong attitudes, no-it-alls, etc. But that is not what Scripture means. Righteous living is humbly coming to God and saying "search me and know me and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting" it is confession, it is wisdom, it is distinguishing good from evil and choosing good. Doesn't Scripture say that God always provides us with a way out of our sinful temptations?

Proverbs 21:3 [niv] says this... "to do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice"

This was and odd scripture to me. But I read it in some other translations and looked at it closer. I love the way this is translated differently...

Proverbs 21:3 [the message] says this... "clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far mroe to God than religious performance."

This has made me think of our culture, of church, and trends that have come about lately and thought how caught up we have been in "experience" and creating atmospheres for people to "feel" things. I think at times they can be manipulative.

Worship can be the same way. I don't think God cares so much about us having this one "Sunday Worship Experience" as he does about our lives being transformed on a daily basis to be more and more like Him. That we become loving neighbors, that we become people of justice, who love mercy, that we become lights to people around us.

What a revival might look like then would be more like a church body as a whole committing to daily confessing, renewal and being filled with the Holy Spirit to live out the image of God to our world. It would be the transformation that starts to occur through Christ in our lives that would take our worship experiences to a whole new level.

"clean living before God" and "justice with our neighbors" sounds a lot like "love God and love your neighbors as yourself" and meaning "far more to God than religious performance" sounds a lot like "this is the greatest of all the commandments"

Know that I am not promoting legalistic living, but living that humbly approaches God regularly through confession - a breathing out of the junk of life, and filling - the breathing in of the Holy Spirit throughout the day.

I want to re-live over and over again the beauty, glory, and awe of living out God's call to me to live a righteous life. I want to know how to do so through His Word, and how to be faithful to that within my culture.

A song that has been on my heart along with these ponderings is...

Knowing You

(words and music by Graham Kendrick)

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres, and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now compared to this.

Chorus:
Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,
There is no greater thing
You’re my all, you’re the best
You’re my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord


Now my heart’s desire is to know you more
To be found in you and known as yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All surpassing gift of righteousness

Chorus: (repeat)

Oh, to know the power of your risen life
And to know you in your sufferings
To become like you in your death, my Lord

So with you to live and never die

Chorus: (repeat)

+ + + + + + +

This has been some of my ponderings of late. Let me know what your think...

May forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love through Christ be with you today.

DJ

What will they think of next?

Check out my DJ.

Reflections on worship...

More thoughts on worship by James Torrance...

"Worship is a narrative and symbolic activity, meant to evoke response."

"The role of symbol in worship is not to convey doctrine or promote ideology, but to provoke an encounter between God and God’s people."

I love the concept of worship as narrative...the telling of or singing of the story of God. I love the idea of an encounter between God and humanity!

Today was the first time I led worship just me and my guitar and one vocalist. I was nervous and lacking some confidence. Some of my insecurities started to come out not having my band/team with me. "What would happen if people really see me, hear me, and find that it/I am lacking?" was the question. Another was "could I do this [leading worship] in such a way that would not be distracting to others?"

I was reminded of these two quotes. Worship is not about me as the leader, musician, singer, etc. it is about telling, re-telling, and remembering the story/narrative of the Gospel. And in doing so we are drawn into a place of response. The "here I am send me" response of Isaiah. God was gracious and by His Holy Spirit I was able to help in the faciliting of re-telling of the story. As a result, we had a wonderful encounter with God!

Tomorrow is Sunday and I have much to praise God for! I pray that you all have the opportunity to respond once again to the narrative of the Gospel as told through a time of intimate/corporate worship!

A NEW LOOK...

I got bored with the look of my blog so I did some changes. I know...the wonderful Bridget had this template for some time, but the reality is that this is the only other one that I really like within the templates blogger offers, and she isn't using it any more. So, here it is. I like it much better.

And with the change comes a re-newed desire to post more regularly. Easier said than done, but that is the hope. So stay tuned! Thanks to you all who have come to read my thoughts. I think I am going to be posting some thought on a book I am reading by Doug Pagitt. It is called "preaching re-imagined"

More to come on worship as well...

Also, I am doing some interesting studies on the spiritual disciplines. This is a link to a blog written by Brian McLaren that I thought was awesome check it out here. It is on "Spiritual Formation in a Postmodern Context." You will have to scroll to the bottom of the blog to get to it. It is worth the read.

Thoughts on worship...

So just in case you had not heard I recently became the interim pastor of worship on top of my other responsibilities at my church. This has been an incredible experience. I have always loved worship and have been completely blessed to have been apart of different churchs all with incredible worship leaders. I have also been active in the creating of worship services with these great leaders. But it is a totally different experience when you are the leader of these worship experiences. And the spiritual battles that come with this position is great. Last week was my first time leading in this role and during the second service for some reason the strap on the guitar I was using would not stay on. I know this sounds like nothing big, but when you are standing and moving around and rocking out and your strap falls off it is very hard to hold the guitar in place for long. But that wasn't even it...the second time it fell off while I was fighting to hold up the guitar (at a bit of an angle) I some how cut my thumb. So I am not only trying to hold this guitar but my finger is bleeding as I strum. And if that was not enough...the blood was getting on the strings which was slowly making the guitar go out of tune!!! BATTLE TIME I TELL YOU BATTLE TIME!!

The amazing thing was that I have found no one that noticed! Well except my wife :) But everyone was very encouraging of the worship time! Now that is God through His Holy Spirit at work. You see, I am learning more and more now by experience that worship is not much about my words, instrument playing, tone, etc. but it is all about coming to a place in which I simply give God my full attention heart, mind, strength, and soul. As distracted as I felt, my desire to give God praise never changed, in fact I was fighting for it, not just for me, but also for the congregation. That was all I could do. And the more a reflect on it the more I see how God was honored even in the midst of what was chaos. And isn't that what our life is like? Honoring God in the midst of the chaos and things of life! I think so!

Here is a quote I found on worship I have been meditating on.

"Worship is enacting God’s story to a world that has lost its story."

by James Torrance

I have asked my self "Self...what is it that makes us loose the story of God in our lives?" The answer for me is that I get consumed/distracted by the chaos and forget that God is there in the midst of my story! Worship is a place in which we can come together and collectively re-focus and re-memeber the truth of God. It re-minds me that even when the "straps of life" are falling off and the "bleeding" we go through hurts and stains, we can still go through it and not loose our desire to worship God in the midst of it!

I'd love any thoughts on this...

May you be aware of God's presence in your story today!

The Trip to the Island...

So last week I mentioned Jen and I went to beautiful Whidbey Island with our small group. Here are some pictures from the trip! It was so great, relaxing, and fun. Dean even took us out sailing! Great food, great fellowship, God's creation, what more could you ask for? Well the only thing missing was one family. Adam and Sara Haulter and there beautiful little girl Lola! But other than that...what more do you need! Hope you enjoy the pictures!















The Man in charge... Captain Dean Peterson















Zachary Patrick















Me and my beautiful wife Jen
















Christel Peterson & my wife Jen





















Todd & Jill Patrick and son Zachary















Darryl & Anne Brackett















Bryce & Rachel Schober

The DMB in the place to be!

The Red Sled, The Brown Bomb, and the Italian Stallion


The DMB from afar...


Dave up close and personal...


Me and my beautiful wife Jen...


The Gorge before the show and the sunset...


The Gorge at sunset...
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So after a great Sunday at church Jen and I were off on an other adventure this time to the Gorge in George Washington. This is about a 2 and 1/2 hour drive on 3+ if you are driving in my sweet old red sled [87 Subaru GL 4WD Wagon]. It was a gorgeous day and as we made our way the temperature continued to grow. Eastern Washington is HOT! We arrived at about 5pm set up our tent - which is Jen's parents old tent from like 1910. It is little, brown, beige, and has the old camping/campfire smell - but hey it works! After setting up, we packed our bags and made the walk to the amphitheatre. It takes about 30 minutes with all the crowds, security, and ticket checks, but once you get there you just set down your blanket, stake your spot, and get comfortable. Jen made pesto pasta with grilled veggies and chicken that was smashing. And we splurged and bought an enormous lemonade slurpy for dessert and to keep cool! Around 7pm the North Mississippi Allstars took the stage. They weren't my favorite, but were pretty cool, kind of a mix of styles from rock to funk and a little southern groove too! It was a great warm up to start the night! But we came to here Dave and Dave showed up! This is my 3rd time seeing the Dave Matthews Band and the second time at the Gorge and I must say it again. They know how to JAM!

Here is how the show went down...

Sunday - Aug 21 2005 Gorge Amphitheatre

Pantala Naga Pampa
Rapunzel
Dream Girl
Hello Again
Lover Lay Down
Bartender
Louisiana Bayou
Grey Street
Out Of My Hands
Say Goodbye
Drive In Drive Out
Hunger For The Great Light
Dancing Nancies
Warehouse
Blackbird
Dreaming Tree [tease]
All Along The Watchtower
__________________

#40[Tease]
Crush
What You Are

Some of my favorites of the night were Drive in Drive out, Dream Girl, Hunger for the Great Light, Blackbird, and All Along the Watchtower. It was so beautiful out there. And the crowd was great minus the about 20,000,000 bowls of pot we second hand smoked or maybe that is why everything was so good : )

I BIG THANKS TO KMTT THE MOUNTAIN!!! For hooking us up with these tickets!

Seattle Summer Concert Scene!

So as stated in earlier posts I got the opportunity to go to Coldplay! It was wonderful. My love for the band and there music was lifted to an even higher level. My next concert event will occur on Sunday. We are going to the Gorge for the Dave Matthews Band concert! We won these tickets from a cd release party at Kells Irish Pub put on by KMTT the Mountain our favorite radio station! We can't wait! And then in a week or so BUMBERSHOOT! This is an event we look forward to every year. This year John Butler Trio, Marc Brussard, Maktub, Trey Anastasion, Citizen Pope, Digable Planets, Common, Ani Difranco, Talib Kweli, Hothouse Flowers, Dashboard Confessionals, and more! Oh how I love the summer concert scene in Seattle! Today I am off to Whidbey Island with my couples group to a friends cabin for some fun in the sun! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Fix You!

I LOVE THIS SONG!

"Fix You" by Coldplay

When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

When the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
and ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

High up above or down below
when you too in love to let it go
If you never try you'll never know
Just what your worth

Lights will guide you home
and ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears streaming down your face
I promise you will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face and

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Coldplay Concert!

So Jen and I were blessed to get to go see Coldplay in concert last night! And I have got to say that IT WAS AWESOME! I got some great pictures and some great videos. They ended the show with the song "Fix You" and Chris ended it with some special "Washington Lyrics" that were very cool. Once I figure out how to add videos I will share it with you. But for now here are some pictures for your imagination! Enjoy!

What is your model of church?

Ok so now that I am back I have had some time to catch up on some email and blogging. I was sent this quiz kind of like the theo-quiz I had posted earlier called "What's your theological worldview?" This one is for your model of church. And for someone like me who has worked in the church for about 12 years and has pondered the idea of planting a church I found this interesting. If you want to take the quiz yourself click here. QUIZ

Here are my results...

You scored as Sacrament model.

Your model of the church is Sacrament. The church is the effective sign of the revelation that is the person of Jesus Christ. Christians are transformed by Christ and then become a beacon of Christ wherever they go. This model has a remarkable capacity for integrating other models of the church.

Sacrament model 83%
Servant Model 72%
Herald Model 67%
Mystical Communion Model 67%
Institutional Model 33%

I have no idea what the "Herald Model" is but when I find out I will tell. If any of you know what it is let me know! I bet it is a lot like the DAAAVVVVVIIIIDDDDD model of church! :)

HOME SWEET HOME!

So after about 15 hours of flying and lots of really bad airplane food we made it home. We actually gained a night in our return, but we are so beat!

We had the opportunity of staying another night with free room and board, food, and $700 dollar plane vouchers for each of us because our flight from Rome was so full. We signed up for the deal, but unfortunately then didn't need that many seats. Oh well! It would have been really cool to get two $700 tickets and an extra night, but the comfort of our own bed was so night to come home to!

Thanks for all of your prayers for our trip! It was felt and appreciated! We can't wait to get together with you all and to share our stories and pictures!

Talk to you soon!

ROME, ORVIETO, AND CIVITA

So we have really loved Rome! It is an amazingly alive city especially at night! But our greatest adventure while in Rome actually came on our last day!

We decided to leave and go see another hill town. Much like our wine tour of Chianti we went to the town of Orvieto which is also a wine town. All I have to say is that you have to see the pictures, but from Orvieto we went to the small town of Civita.

This place is incredible. It has a population of 14! That's smaller than Eatonville! It is a place where the Etruscans lived in over 2500 years ago!!! You can only get there by walking up this long bridge. Picture the Grand Canyon in the middle of Tuscany. A little mountain with sharp cliffs surrounding it. It has a wall built all around it and the city is inside. We saw pictures of this town from when pictures were first available and it looks the same today! Anyways this was one of the coolest places we got to see! I can't wait to show you the pictures!

Venice Part 2, Brussels Belgium, and Rome!

Ok sorry for the blank blog from below. I ran out of time on the internet and it did not load up all that I wrote. SO yes Erika and others Venice was wonderful! So hear is the quick recap of Venice!

It is the most beautuful place ever! I never thought I could be more motivated to learn how to swim! Just kidding! We saw lots of statues, pigeons, tourists, paintings, gelato, pizza, vivaldi bands, sunsets, and rain! Yes we had rain and it was so refreshing! And it made all the tourists run for cover!!! We loved it! We also saw St Marks Basillica, the pallace of the Doge which is like a Duke, climbed some towers and saw incredible views. We purposely got lost and felt like a local which was really fun. We also saw the place in which they say the apostle Mark was burried and also saw artifacts that they say were from the days of Jesus! This is the very short version, I do not want a repeat of last time! I will share more later!

From Venice we headed off to Brussels Belgium!

This was incredible!

We stayed with my cousin Robin and her soon to be husband Alberto! Brussels is much like the northwest. It is green with lots of trees, hills, mountains, and parks. The people are very kind and the climate is very similar. We also got some rain Seattle style which again was very refreshing.

Basically while we were here we spent much time relaxing and catching up on relationships and sleep! We had frites, Belgian waffles, lots of mussels - to eat not mine, and great Beer! YUM YUM!!! We saw all the sights and we went to Bruge an incredibly beautiful medieval village kind of like Leavenworth but instead Belgian. They even have lots of canals like Venice! WE LOVED THIS PLACE!!! We were also treated to the most authentic Italian cooking by Alberto two of our nights which was very very good! We hated to leave, but Rome was calling!

AND THAT IS WHERE WE ARE NOW!

So far we have seen the Spanish steps which is blocks from our place, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. We also saw Vatican City the home of the Pope and the incredible Vatican museum. And with this we saw St Peters Basillica and the Sistine Chapel. It is a crazy city but we have loved it so far. I got to run, but we will be home very soon!

Ciao for now!

AHHH VENICE!

Pisa, Cinque Terre, Florence, Siena, & Chianti...

Bonjourno & Ciao from Italy!

Oh my we love this country! So from Barcelona we left very early to Pisa alla airplane. We made it and saw the famous Leaning Tower. From there we headed by train to what very well could be the most beautiful place on earth. THE CINQUE TERRE! We stayed in a place called Vernazza. It is right on the Mediteranean Sea. Very small and completely gorgeous! We hiked we relaxed, we people watched, we saw the sights and learned the history. And of course we ate some of the best food of our lives! We even got treated to live music and incredible tango dancing!

From there we went to Florence by train and stayed with Marcella who is awesome - like Bertha Sclafani only she doesn't speak English. We saw DAAAAAVVVVIIIIDDD!!! And lots of other special paintings and sculptures by DaVinci, Michelanglo, and all the other big names!

Then from there we bused to Siena which has been more relaxed and beautiful. Our place has an incredible terrace that looks over the whole city. And our host plays the accordian to us! Today we took a trip to Chianti and sipped wine and saw Tuscany! It is so beautiful!

I am just about out of time on this email card! So gotta go!

Off to Venice tomorrow!

Love you all and will email again soon!

Ciao and Bouna Sera from Italy!

It´s Caliente!

Ok before I get into it let me just say that WE SAW LANCE ARMSTRONG!! He drove right by us on his way to championship number 7! That is the short version and the long version - basically after lots of standing and rain he flew by with the rest of them! It was very cool!

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETLY DIFFERENT!

Well we have been in Barcelona Spain for the last couple of days and it has been crazy hot! But also very relaxing and enjoyable. We have been staying with Carlo´s brother Mario and his wife Sandra. THEY ARE AWESOME! We just got back from a wonderful night of true Barcelona night life! A walk down the Ramblas (the main drag) that is always busy with people. Dinner here doesn´t really happen till around 9:30pm so it gets late. They still have a ciesta during there day! Me likey! We leave tomorrow for Italy. We fly into Pisa of the fame leaning tower and then head off to the Cinque Terra! Oh we can not wait! I would list all the things that we saw while we were here, but you probably wouldn´t know what there were. So basically we saw a lot of spanish art, amazing cathedrals, incredible architechture, hilarious people watching, tasty food, and wicked hot temperatures. Oh and as I said - tons of fun with the Furlan´s of Barcelona! We hope to keep you posted when we are in Italy, but don´t know what the internet action will be like there.

Hasta la pasta!

The Tour is coming...

Well today the Tour De Fance comes to an end. As I have just gotten up the day feels like a typical Seattle morning. Very overcast and a light mist! Today we are going to see Versailles, the Tour final, the Orsay museum, and actually climbing the Eiffel Tower tonight! A very full day to say the least! I don't have much time today to write, but maybe later tonight! We leave tomorrow for Barcelona Spain! Que bueno!

Bye for now!

Wee or Oui or Si what country are we in again?

Ok so just in case you didn't know... Jen and I do not speak French! In fact the more we try the more we end up throwing Spanish into the mix! What is up with that? I keep saying Si [for yes] instead of Oui! And every thing I am trying to pronounce comes out sounding so WHITE! Fortunately, people have been nice to me. Jen on the other hand has had some very rude treatment! Especially at the post office. We are sending some stuff back to lighten our load [even though we followed Rick Steves packing light] and the time it took us to get all the information took f-0-r-e-v-e-r!

But we still made it to the Arc De Triomphie, climbed it, went to the museum that's inside it, took lots of pictures, and did the massive French shopping zone. Which by the way was way to crazy hectic, but still an experience.

Even the McDonalds here are "FRENCH" with a "McCafe" that served all kinds of French pastries, drinks, etc. outside in umbrella covered seats. And inside the main section was the regular McD's but with a giant video screen load rockin' American music playing and cd listening stations! By the way we didn't go there to eat! Just to get a coke and a water [or should I say Evion] to cool off and try not to spend an arm and a leg!

After spending lots of time walking and enjoying all that is France we went back to Rue Cler [where we are staying] and bought some picnic food. Wine, brie, tomatoes, grapes, pears, and bread. Then we slowly made our way to the Eiffel Tower for a picnic in the park. I must say that from a distance the tower is ok, but up close it is pretty amazing! Did you know that they paint it! It takes 50 tons of paint to do it! It was packed! Like U2 rock star concert packed, so we opted to just relax and watch the lights come on and take pictures! It is quite beautyfull and romantic! All in all it was a great day. Today we are off to who knows what! I'll tell you when we get back!

PS: By the way tomorrow the Tour De France comes to an end and we are going to go cheer on Lance Armstrong! Go USA!

Bonjour from Paris!

We made it to Paris!

Chez jis mour jour de plats co vea sjaw oiw [this is basically what it is like to read a menu or to understand anything here] It is so weird!

Anyways! The Chunnel (super speed train as seen in the first Mission Impossible Movie) was incredible! The smoothest and fastest train I have even experienced. It also gave us some incredible views of both London and Paris! And when we got here we really for the first time felt the language barrier! Nothing was in English and it was crazy!

But we made it to our bus and got to our place by about 8pm. We are staying in a two bedroom apartment that is so gorgeous on the third floor just a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower. In fact we can see it from the living room. It was sparkling last night! Light a giant sparkler!

We are staying with a woman named Pam. She is so kind and generous. We were welcomed by her and it was so nice seeing someone who spoke English!

For locals dinner doesn't really start till about 9pm so we joined some in this little whole in the wall place. It had one long dining room table that everyone sits at. Kind of like a family and the food was great. We got the "plats de jour" which is the plate of the day (which we didn't have any idea what we were getting) but it ended up being this type of stew with fresh pasta, tomatoes, peppers, and veal! And of course incredible fresh bread! Today we are off to the Louvre and the Arc De Triomphie and maybe a little late picnic in the park at the Eiffel Tower! We love you all and will keep you in touch. We have email access through till Monday while we are hear in Paris! So send us one if you get a chance!

Much love to you all,

Rich & Jen

Cheerio from London!

Ehllo Ladies and Gents!

So we made it to London for the beginning of the Sclafani European Adventure and what an adventure it has been! Crazy drivers, lots of fish and chips, and more. Here is a brief picture of all that we did while in London!

Rode on the "Tube" (the London subway)
Went to the...

• British Library
• St. Pauls
• Tower of London
• Tower Bridge
• Parliament
• Big Ben
• Westminster Abbey
• St James
• The London Eye
• Trafalgar Square

And we took the "Big Bus Tour" which is those double decker tour buses that take you everywhere. They have very hilarious and annimated commentators that tell you so much about the city. It was so fun and interesting! It really puts a new perspective on life and our world. We walked around sites that were built in 1064 - THAT IS OLD!

And at the British Library we saw the oldest existing copies of the Bible that was dated AD 350!!! IS THAT NOT CRAZY!! We also saw the first King James Bible from 1611. We also saw incredible works like da Vinci's notebooks, the Magna Carta, some of Shakespear's original writings and more. It was facinating!

So much it is hard to contain! We are off to Paris today! I'll let you know when we get there all about it! Hope all is well!

Fagetaboutit!

Ok so I forgot to do some blogging while in NY. Please forgive me! My trip was incredible. I love New York except for the 94 degrees and 90% humidity. The best thing about NY is time with mi familia di Sclafani. For those of you who didn't know I was out there for my cousin Melissa's wedding. I was one of the two pastors doing the wedding. What a incredible experience to ministry to my family, to share the love of Christ, and God's purposes for marriage with them. I must say east coast marriages are very different then the west coast Seattle weddings I am use to. I think the food for this wedding cost twice as much as my whole wedding budget. Not to mention the fact that there were live pure white doves!

Besides the actual wedding we celebrated the forth of July in New York which was really great and we also spent a few days out on the shore. Which is the next best things to the Hamptons. We were surrounded by multi-million dollar homes, beautiful beaches and board walks, and lots of sunshine.

Jen and I spent lots of time with Grandma Bertha and also got to see my great aunt [who is a nun] Sister Lillian Cornellious Sclafani. They tell the best stories in the world. I even got to see the original papers of my Great Grandparents wedding certificates and my Great Grandpa's papers from when he came here from Sciacca Sicily.

We celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary with an incredible night out on the town including going to a Broadway performance of Fiddler on the Roof which was so awesome!

And the best was being in New York to meet the newest of the Corriston family. Ryan and Amber had a beautiful large baby boy named Toby Patrick Corriston. He is gorgeous and weighs a ton - 9lbs 10oz! OUCH! But they all are doing wonderfully!

Friends, family, weddings, anniversaries, new babies, great stories, big cities, entertaining shows, million dollar homes, and more!

What a trip!

PS: After I figure out how to post pictures I will!