After having lost all interest in Facebook, never having had any draw to MySpace, and now losing interest in Twitter, I’m wondering if it wouldn’t just be better to get back to Blogging again.  Or should I just shut it all down and live my life?

MySpace has always seemed to be targeting a very immature (middle / junior high) audience.  I’m just a slight bit out of that age group, and though I do believe I’m still fairly young at heart, – uh…no.

Facebook had my attention for a while, simply because of the ability to reconnect with lost friends, find folks you hadn’t thought about for years and stay in touch with people.  Okay, so that was the first week.  Then I started noticing all of the “So-and-so just took this quiz and found out what Smurf they are…”.  Really?  Does ANYONE need this type of distraction in their life?

Twitter appealed to me because it was quick, easy, clean and had none of the craziness of Facebook.  I didn’t have to feel bad when I rejected someone’s request for help on their new farm or feel like I let someone down because I didn’t help defend them against the other “families” of Mafioso that were thwarting their efforts.  It let me post short, concise matters that were important to me and share them with others.

I was happily posting my workout stats, run times, exercise levels, etc. but started to think to myself “Does anyone really care if I can run two miles in under 20 minutes?” and the answer was a resounding “Don’t think so…”.  All of this information overload, along with an increase in responsibilities (now serving as the English Ministries Pastor to a Korean church) and a decrease in free time has caused me to stop and look at what I’m doing – in more ways than whether I blog, tweet or update my status.  It’s started drawing me back to “basics” so to speak.

The end result is that this weekend (Lord willing and time allowing) I’ll be returning our DVR / Cable Box combo and signing up for the “Basic Cable” that most folks got away from in the past 10 years.  Having grown up with a set of rabbit ears on the back of my TV, and a remote control which consisted of my dad yelling for me to come downstairs and change the channel, I think I can get used to only having 70 channels of nothing to watch, instead of the current 250 (plus an On-Demand system that offers more movies that you don’t want to watch anytime of the day or night).

This simplification, I pray, will leave me with hours of no TV to watch and nothing better to do than read the bible – or if my devotions are already done, maybe a good Max Lucado best seller (I just bought eight of them on sale at his website – http://www.maxlucado.com – look for the “Store”, then find the “Fall Specials” to buy three get one free!).  Maybe I’ll use my iPhone and listen to some more Podcasts of Charles Stanley.  Maybe I’ll just sit … and talk to Rachel.  Or play with Daisy.  Or go run.  Wow – there are a lot of OPTIONS here!

So let me ask you – can you really look at your life and say that you’re doing the most you can with the time you have?  Is it really worth it for you to sit for three hours a night and watch some mind-numbing crime show with cool technology that only exists in Hollywood, solving murders that never really happened and wading through commercials for yet more things that you really don’t need, but now, for some reason, can’t seem to live without?

Or, is it time to start doing the things you’ve always talked about:  Getting up off the sofa and getting some exercise.  Reading that new book – or even re-reading an old one.  Spending some time – quality time – with your spouse (not trying to squeeze in your 90 minute discussion during the 95 seconds of commercial breaks during this week’s crime drama).  Dare I say – spending time in the Word of God – The one thing that we have that will not only enliven your brain but enrich your soul.

I plan on spending much more time on the things that are important to me…and it starts with showing Comcast the door…

Blessings in Christ,

Tom…

Stay tuned – More to come…

Well, the ride is over and I finally have a few minutes to post a blog about it.  Instead of adding a bunch of pictures, head on over to my good friend Jeff Henshaw’s blog and watch his great three minute video.

I’ll post some additional pictures, though I think the ones that he and his Mom shot are probably better than the ones I took!  They’re linked right below the video…

All-in-all, it was a great day.  We started with 13 bikes at Microsoft building 88, had 21 bikes as we left Tacoma, a group of Five went their own way in Elbe, bringing us to 16 bikes through the gates of Rainier.  We met up with three more friends at our first stop inside the park at Longmire – and they stayed with us up to Paradise.  After lunch, the group began splitting to go different ways, with about 8 bikes making the complete circuit and stopping for lunch in Greenwater.

While we were winding our way down Hwy 410, we noticed several of our riders pulled over by a Park Ranger (I believe – though someone said it may have been a state trooper).  Since there was nothing we could do but aggravate the situation, we rolled past and watched for them in Greenwater.  They apparently went past un-noticed.

After a nice lunch and a short ride to Enumclaw, I parted ways with the remaining riders (excluding Tony!) and headed back through Buckley, South Prairie, then headed back towards Graham to get Tony pointed the right way.

What an amazing day – despite the spat of rain at the onset, the ride was warm, pleasant and incredibly fun.  We fell a little short of our goal of raising $500 for Team World Vision, but we broke the $300 mark – and I’m extremely grateful to ride with such caring and generous friends.

I pray that God blesses each of you that came – and those that couldn’t.  I look forward to organizing this again next year!

Stay tuned – more to come…

Well, it’s less than a week away, and I’m totally excited about our upcoming ride around Rainier!  This ride should prove to be a GREAT day enjoying some of the best roads, best scenery and coolest folks on the planet!  (Okay, so that may be a LITTLE bit of a stretch, but not much!)

As a reminder, we’ll be leaving McDonalds at SR512 and South Tacoma Way on Saturday, August 22nd at 9:30 AM.  Please be there at least 15 minutes prior to allow time to hang out and get the riders briefing.  The itinerary is fully listed in the post below this one, so check it out.

Also – if you haven’t had the opportunity, please consider making a donation to Team World Vision in honor of this wonderful ride.  I don’t check to see who does and who doesn’t, but what a wonderful opportunity to give back just a little of the blessing that you have.

I look forward to seeing all of you there – and even some of my friends from both Microsoft and World Vision!

Be blessed, ride safe, show up early with a full tank! :-)

Stay tuned – more to come…

Below is a mail that I sent out to some of our riders in the community – but you get the added bonus of some quick shots of the scenery you’ll be seeing on this ride.  These are just quick shots that I grabbed today during my pre-ride of the route…

Greetings Bikers and Friends!

August 22^nd is fast approaching and I’m looking forward to this ride!  I just pre-rode our route and am pleased to tell you that the roads are in great shape!  All of the construction on Route 123 that we’ve had in past years is gone and has been replaced with nice, smooth (well, MOSTLY smooth) asphalt and most importantly, Stevens Canyon Road opened yesterday!

The itinerary is set and is as follows:

Gather at McDonalds (South Tacoma Way at I-5) at 9:00 AM

Rider’s briefing at 9:15 AM

Kickstands up at 9:30 AM!

                We should be in Enumclaw around 3:00 or so (biker time)

We have stops planned at:

Elbe - 15 minute stretch

Longmire (inside the park) – 30 minute facilities

Paradise – 30 minute sightsee / facilities

Greenwater – 30 minute Gas / stretch

Enumclaw – Lunch / Disperse

You’ll need to be aware of the following:

At 9:30, we’re leaving.  It’s expected that everyone will arrive with a full tank of gas.  There is a station right across from the McDonalds – please top off your tank before you join the group.

There is an entrance fee to Mt Rainier of $5 per person (not per bike – two-up riders pay $10).  I would like to collect that at McDonalds and pay for all at once to speed up the process.  Please try to bring a five or ten as appropriate – I’m not promising to carry change! J

This ride will be at the pace of the LEAST competent rider for safety reasons.  This is NOT a speed-run.  Please be considerate of those that are riding with us!

Though there is NOT a requirement for you to make a donation, the purpose of this ride it twofold:

1. Have a GREAT time riding some of the most beautiful places God ever created

2. Raise a few bucks for Team World Vision

If you are able, and are so inclined, please visit the donation site and give what you can / would like.  I will NOT be collecting funds on the day of the ride – the only way to contribute to this ride is via the website:  http://www.firstgiving.com/tomtracey

If you have any questions, need directions, get lost, or whatever – call or text me at (253) 370-4601 or via e-mail at tom@tomtracey.com

More information (including some pictures!) are available on my blog at http://tomtracey.spaces.live.com

I look forward to seeing all of you there!

                Tom…

PS – Please pass this to any riders groups you know of and post on any appropriate website.  (hey Microsofties – someone please forward to the MSFT Riders group!)

Stay tuned – more to come…

Hey Bikers and friends,

For the last few years, I’ve cobbled together a handful or so of friends, and made an annual run around Mt. Rainier. This year, I’ve decided to make it a bit more official and try to do something good at the same time.

I’d like to announce the First Annual Charity Ride around Rainier! On August 22^nd we’ll be meeting to take a nice, leisurely ride around Mt. Rainier. The ride is open to any and all types of motorcycles, scooters or anything on two or more wheels with a motor! (Yes, cars are welcome – but they will be asked to ride in the rear of the pack!) J

The tentative agenda has us meeting in Lakewood, following Highway 7 (Mountain Highway) through Elbe and into the Nisqually entrance of Mt. Rainier. From there, we’ll ride to Paradise. We’ll stay there for a while and let folks rest up a bit for the next leg of the run.

From Paradise, we’ll follow the Steven’s Canyon Road out of the park and continue to Highway 410. We’ll stop again in Greenwater for lunch and then follow 410 back through Enumclaw. Our friends from the Northern parts can split off there and head back up towards Black Diamond, Hwy 18 and points North. The rest of us can either stay on 410 or as I plan, peel off at Buckley towards South Prairie and Orting.

What’s different this year? Nothing – about the ride. But what I did do is to setup a fund raising page for this year’s charity – Team World Vision.

Now – in full disclosure, yes – I work for World Vision. But this is not a World Vision ride. It is not sponsored, sanctioned or in any way supported by World Vision. Next year I’ll likely pick a different charity to support. There are plenty of charities that need our support, so I picked one that I believe in and support.

There is no mandatory donation – it’s a give what you can, if you can, when you can event. If you don’t want to give, don’t. But PLEASE don’t let that keep you from one of the best rides this state has to offer (in my opinion). The primary goal of this event is to get together and have a great ride. If we can do that, and help a charity like World Vision at the same time, I say we’ve done a pretty good thing.

SAVE THE DATE!

August 22, 2009
Departing from Lakewood Washington
Destination: Around Mt. Rainier
Contact: Tom Tracey (tom@tomtracey.com or 253-370-4601)
Donations of any amount accepted at: http://www.firstgiving.com/tomtracey 
Please note: I will NOT be accepting donations on the day of the ride. The only way to donate is through the website above.

Please drop me a line and let me know if you are coming and how many will be with you. I’d like to be able to make arrangements with the Park Service if we have a large enough group.

Please help spread the word! Post this mail on any rider list / board you may visit regularly where people may be interested in this type of ride.

Thanks – and Ride Safe!

Tom…

No, I’m not asking if you’re a bird – I’m asking if you tweet!

Though I had found Twitter (http://www.twitter.com) a number of months back (more than a year ago if I recall correctly) I never really saw a lot of need for it.  I still don’t see a “lot” of need for it, but it does seem like an interesting technology that may be useful.

I’m going to start trying to tweet (post a status on Twitter) and since I’ve found a new application called “TweetDeck” (http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/) I may actually try to stay up with it for a while.

Twitter lets you post a quick status of what you’re doing, what you’re thinking, where you’re headed, etc – and allows folks to follow you.  It’s sort of like a grown-up version of Facebook – allow you to follow friends without all of the “If you were a dog, what breed would you be” silliness.

I’ll start posting a short verse or reference from my daily reading when something strikes me as significantly appropriate to anyone who may be following me.  If you’re on Twitter, look me up.  You can find me either at http://twitter.com/tom_tracey Start following me and let’s see where we wind up.

Stay tuned – more to come…

For the last few weeks, I’ve been watching people at work drop like flies.  We’ve seen so many folks out for cold / flu symptoms that it’s literally been a bit alarming.  I’ve been taking “Airborne” at least daily for the last few weeks and really felt like it was helping…

Perhaps it was – but it didn’t totally prevent what I feared… I woke up on Saturday feeling like I’d been run over by a bus.  What started as a headache, quickly spread to a seriously heavy-duty head cold.  What was a seriously heavy-duty head cold, is now settling in to one of the nastiest looking throats I’d seen in quite some time.  It looks like something from a Sci-Fi special features extra reel.  The sore throat is also spreading south (maybe it’s gravity…perhaps hanging inverted for a few days?) into a good chest cold / bronchitis / pneumonia, but it’s not quite there yet.

I still think that Airborne has helped – I don’t believe I’ll be out for a week like a lot of folks at the office have been, but I definitely don’t think it’s a good idea to head in tomorrow.

At least I made it through the holidays, huh?

Stay tuned – more to come…

Well, 2008 is over and we have, once again, the chance to “start fresh”.  Every year people take time to think about what has happened in the last year and try to decide how to change what the new year is bringing.  This can be any number of things.  Some of the most popular are:

1. Quit smoking
2. Quit drinking
3. Lose weight
4. Save money
5. Change jobs

All of these things are good – for the body.  But what about changing the things that are good for the soul?  A list of these items might look like this:

1. Go to church regularly
2. Go to mid-week services regularly
3. Read the bible daily
4. Increase my prayer life
5. Decrease my sin life

This year, I’m not making any resolutions, promises, goals, or any other targets for the year.  Instead, I’m agreeing to rely more on Christ and the Holy Spirit’s direction in my life.  I’m not spending too much time looking back, but am following the advice of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12-14 - “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

My challenge for you is this:  Don’t worry so much about what last happened year (Philippians 3:13) or get caught up in planning what you’ll do this year (Matthew 6:33-34) but simply yield yourself to the leading of the Holy Spirit (James 4:7) and turn back from the things in your life that separate you from God (2 Corinthians 6:17).  God has a plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11) – let this be the year it comes to fruition.

Stay tuned – more to come…

Well, it’s Christmas Day, the presents are unwrapped, the Ham is in the oven, making the house smell wonderfully like a smokehouse, Rebecca is napping on the couch and Rachel is making her internationally renowned Yams.  All is well.  At least for now.

We’ve kept things simple this year.  Rebecca wasn’t home until yesterday afternoon (after an eventful trip over the pass – but I’ll let HER tell that story).  Jenny is still in a sling (and will be for another month) after what seems to have been very successful shoulder surgery.  The weather has been incredibly nasty here this year, so Rachel wasn’t able to do a lot of running around for the last two weeks.  All-in-all, it’s been a pretty quiet holiday.

Our decorations this year are simply the front window and our stairway.  We’ve been putting the tree in the front window for years and saw no reason to change this year.  We have several houses on our street that go all out for decorations…we’re not one of them.

After all, Christmas is about CHRIST – not lights.

Well, time to check the ham.  I pray that our Lord blesses you as you honor and celebrate His day today.

Stay tuned – More to come…

In 1999 when I was talking with Rachel about moving to the Seattle area from Pittsburgh, one of the selling points about the move was that though it does rain here for the majority of the winter, it doesn’t snow.  Then when she came to visit (later in 1999) she was greeted with 3 inches of snow.  I should have taken that as an omen – but alas…

After we moved out here in 2000, we again made the statement that “it doesn’t snow here much”…Well, after this past week, I may have to revise that statement.

I know that to many of you eight inches of snow is not a major concern, but since we don’t have the equipment here to adequately remove it, we’ve had quite a time out here.  In the last week we’ve had snow and sub-freezing temperatures daily.  I believe that today is the first day that we’ve not had snow in at least a week.  It’s also forecast to go above freezing for the first time in about a week as well.

Though our family has fared well, many others in the area are not so fortunate.  There have been many, many accidents and injuries from the weather.  The boyfriend of a young woman that works for me had an accident yesterday (no injuries, thank God!) and damaged his truck.  I’ve seen a car underneath a tractor trailer (left, below), a bus in a ditch (right, below) and more fender benders than I care to count.

I’d made it in to work safely every day (though I’m on vacation until the 26th now) but many others were stranded at home.  The issue is not the volume of snow, but the lack of equipment, planning and resources to clear and treat the roadways.  Most of the primary roads are in good shape, but the secondary and surface street remain treacherous even now.  The roads melt out and get slushy, then re-freeze and make the roads worse off than they were to start with.

So – as the final (???) storm of 2008 passes, I reflect back to 1999 – and the bliss that came from ignorance…

Blessings to all – and I pray you each have a Wonderfully Blessed Christmas.  May God keep you all safe, warm, happy and well fed throughout the remainder of the year.

Stay tuned – more to come…

Just for a day...to visit! :-)

I will be on the Microsoft Campus on Wednesday, October 8^th for the entire day.  I’d love to be able to say hello to you while I’m there! 

Why I will be there is why I made this post, and is MUCH more important than the fact that I am there...

During the week of Monday, October 6^th through Friday October 10^th, World Vision will be presenting a special “Step into Africa” exhibit.  The details, including a link for volunteering (Sorry - Microsoft employees only), are below.  This is being put on by an internal DAC (Africans at Microsoft) and is part of Microsoft’s annual Giving Campaign for this year!

I really wanted to make sure that everyone I know has the opportunity to check out this amazing exhibit.  I’ll be there on Wednesday spending a vacation day volunteering.

This exhibit is a modified version of the “World Vision Experience: AIDS” exhibit that is and was touring the area.  I went through that exhibit right after I left Microsoft and it shook me to the core of my soul.  I want to personally encourage each of you to take an hour out of your day (Wednesday would be really cool – I’d love to be able to spend a few minutes with you!) at some point during that week.  If you can’t make it on Wednesday, PLEASE find another day to go.  I assure you – this will impact you like you won’t believe.

I hope to see you at some point on Wednesday.  Feel free to give me a call or drop me a mail if you have any questions.  I don’t have all of the answers, but I’ll certainly be able to find them for you.

I hope this mail finds each of you in great health and continuing to do the amazing things that Microsoft is known for!  I look forward to seeing you there!

Step Into Africa: Charity Fair and Interactive AIDS Exhibit
** If any of your members are interested in volunteering, we need people to help with the exhibit - Microsoft Matching applies! **
Dates: Monday October 6^th (noon) through Friday October 10^th (noon)
Venue: Microsoft Conference Center, McKinley Room  
Follow an African Child through the award-winning “World Vision Experience: AIDS” exhibit and learn about to local and international initiatives to solve hunger, health, and human rights issues impacting Africans. This fair will provide attendees with opportunities to learn about how they can contribute by donating, volunteering or participating in creative capitalism.

Since we've closed Faith Chapel, things have been going a bit weird.  It feels odd to sit in a church service and not have things to do.  I find myself thinking of the topics that the pastor is trying to present and wondering if I would present it differently.

I know that God is alive and working in my life - and I FULLY and undoubtedly trust Him and am simply waiting for the next season of my life to begin.

Actually, as I think it through, the season is already underway.  This is a season of change - of learning again to be patient and wait on the Lord.

I draw strength these days from Isaiah - "Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength...".  As I wait on God, I know that He is preparing me for the new work which he has in store for me.

Today we visited "Celebration Church" in Puyallup.  This is a new neighborhood church that is right up the road from our house.  It was a nice service and a very cool facility.  The congregation was friendly and reached out to us as we visited.  I don't know much about the church (denominational affiliation, doctrine, etc) but what we experienced was solid, Godly and good for the soul.

I think Jesus for his continued hand on my life - and look forward to serving Him more fully.

In His Spirit,

Tom...

As seasons approach, they bring with them a sense of excitement and expectation.  We look forward to what each season has to offer.  Maybe it's hiking or biking in the summer.  It could be playing in the leaves in the fall.  Some people look forward to skiing or snowshoeing in the wintertime.  But the reality is that we all have seasons that we look forward to.

Seasons are not just calendar event.  We also have seasons in our life.  I had a season where I worked at Microsoft.  I had a season where I did youth ministry.  I had a season of returning to school.  We had the season of the birth of our first child.  I had a season of leading Faith Chapel as pastor.

But as with all seasons, they end and lead to others.  Fall is fast approaching in the Northwest and some of the trees are already changing colors.  That means colder days and rain are soon to come.  I left Microsoft and began working at World Vision.  I'm no longer considered "the new guy" there and that season is well under way!  And the season of Faith Chapel has come to an end.

For the last month or so, I've been feeling the pressure from God to end this season, but I've been hesitant and fought it.  I've prayed for a sign from God that there was still life in the church, and found none.  I've prayed for God to reveal to me - without any doubt - that it was time to end it.  I believe he has done just that.

To say that it's time to close a church after only a year and a half, when you've waited 15 years for God to tell you to start is difficult.  This was not a decision that I made quickly and without counsel and prayer - but I believe it is truly what God had asked.

I know that this season is come to an end - but I also know that God has another season lined up and ready to start!  To say that this process hurts would be an incredible understatement - but to say I don't have some excitement about what is next would be a lie!  I'm fighting the human side of me that wants to slip into depression so deep that I'll never climb out - and leaning on the God side of me that is pulling me through.

None of this has caught God by surprise - and truth be told, it hasn't caught me by surprise either.  God reveals things to us constantly - it's whether or not we choose to see them that is the key.  God spoke the end of this season to me weeks ago - but like Gideon, I needed to keep "putting out the fleece" and ask Him to confirm it.

As I look forward to this new season, I ask for your prayers to help me past the previous season.  Part of me wants to simply start over - now.  But I know that God has ordained something different.  I'm not totally sure what the next step is, but I know that God will reveal it when He - and I - are both ready.

'Til then, I continue to seek after Him and His will.

Stay tuned - more to come...

It doesn't seem possible that it really has been three and a half months since I've posted anything here?  Time sure seems to fly.

Let me start with following up from my last post.  I'm now fully entrenched in my new job at World Vision!  It is definitely the coolest place that I have ever worked.  We share in leading and participating in devotions on a daily basis.  One day a week is celebrated with a full church service which we are actually paid to attend (we're given paid time from our schedules to go!).  The services there have always been interesting, though not always my preferred "style".

Work has been pretty brutal, all tolled.  I've been working an excessive amount of overtime trying to get fully up to speed with my new role.  I've also had some staff transitions which have led to some difficulties, but thanks to God's faithfulness, we now are back to full staffing and things are looking better.  I have some vacation time scheduled for July and plan on reducing my hours when I return.

Now on to the Church!  The Lord had told me that there would be a great "pruning" of our body several months ago and it has definitely been pruned.  This is all for Jesus' glory though!  The body is healthy and has simply been trimmed to allow more growth.

Jesus reminded me of a rose bush before the trimming began - if you grow roses, you know that each year they must be cut back to nearly nothing to enable them to grow more vibrant and healthy the following year.  I firmly believe that is what happened at Faith Chapel.  God has removed parts of the church so that the remaining "pillars" can be made stronger.

Along with the pruning, God has been drawing us towards a new neighborhood - the Parkland area of Tacoma.  This is an area that truly needs God in a mighty and powerful way.  It reminds me of McKees Rocks in Pittsburgh where I began my journey with Christ.  He has also opened a building for us to begin using on Saturday evenings.  Our first service is scheduled for July 5th at 6:30 PM.

Much has happened in three short (long?) months - but this will have to suffice for now.  I pray God continues to reach out to each and every one of you that stumbles - accidentally or intentionally - on this page.

Stay tuned - more to come...

Many of you know that I have been increasingly frustrated with my secular job.  I've been working at Microsoft for just over three years now, and have been commuting more than 40 miles each way.  On a good day (a REALLY good day) the commute takes about an hour each way.  On an average day, I spend nearly three hours a day commuting to and from the office.

I have had a lot of flexibility in my schedule (I work from home one day a week and go in later and leave early to miss traffic and work from home to make up the time) and it has helped, but the simple fact is that Microsoft, though a very interesting place to work, will never fully embrace my core values.

Microsoft is a company that is built on the worlds standards.  They embrace many different ethnic backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations.  Though the world sees this as being "inclusive", I've found it - as a Christian - to be all but demoralizing.

To daily walk through the halls and see fliers for Swamis, Gurus. New-Age teachings and the like is frustrating.  To work in an environment where every "All-Hands" is accompanied by alcohol (bought and paid for by the company) and alcohol is permitted in personal offices (and is often consumed during the work day) is difficult for a Christian - and a bit harder for a non-drinking Christian.

Not to say that I have a right to complain.  I've never filed a complaint (I've simply dealt with it) and I've not allowed it to get to me...until recently.

Most recently, during a meeting with my current manager (I've had three in the past six months) and one other peer, my manager opened the meeting by pouring himself several fingers of bourbon into a cup (a Microsoft coffee cup just to add some irony) and topping it off with coke (also from the Microsoft kitchen).  He actually had a second drink before the one hour meeting was concluded.

At the time, it didn't really bother me too much...I was used to just dealing with it.  But as I continued to reflect on the actions of that day, I started to see the following:

1. This is an environment that I cannot endorse
2. This places me in situations that I would choose not to be in, had I been given a choice
3. His actions were not only disrespectful of me and my peer (though he did ask if we objected) but showed a lack of respect for the work that was being discussed.

With all of that in mind, I made a decision.  A change was required.

As I continued to pray for a change, God opened a door.  A door to a place that not only supports my Christian values, but is well known, reputable and is, as far as I have found, above reproach.  Not only is the company a great fit, but the position is perfect as well.  The offices are located about 30 minutes from home and are very accessible.

I have applied for, interviewed for and am being offered the position of Help Desk manager at World Vision.  This opportunity was definitely orchestrated by God.  The position I've been offered is not even the position that I originally applied for.  In fact, when I applied for a position, the Help Desk manager's position was not even listed on the web site!  The corporate recruiter offered to have me considered for it, and after a short discussion determined that I was a good candidate.

My new manager seems to be a great woman of God.  From the few comments I've garnered (during the interview process) she is greatly respected and well liked.  In my last interview, she asked how she could pray for me (and of course my answer was "Pray that God opens this door for me!) which shows a true interest in her people - not just a concern for their ability to do their job.

One of the qualifications is that I must be willing to participate in and potentially lead daily devotions with or for my staff.  Are you kidding me??? I get PAID to do my devotions EVERY DAY!?!?  Thank you Jesus for opening this door.

The final details are being worked out (they may already be complete by the time you read this) but as it stands now, my first day at World Vision will be on April 3rd.  Again - God's timing is always perfect (I will try to work for Microsoft through March 31st - which is a scheduled vacation day).  I have a Senior Pastor's retreat in Seattle from March 30th through April 1st.  This will give Rachel and I a day off on April 2nd before I start the new job!

I have never been so excited about any job that God has provided.  This is the first time that I remember pleading with God to open a door.  I am looking forward to March 3rd with anticipation of great things.

Stay tuned - more to come...

A truck driver with a lumberjack?  No?  Well the results are quite interesting, actually...  How do I know?  Well - let me explain why there was no message uploaded for March 2nd...

We have a nice trailer full of gear (lots and lots of gear) that we use on Sunday's to setup our church.  The trailer has everything from a shelving unit full of nursery stuff to our sound equipment, amps, microphones, seat cushions, poles and curtains, etc.  Okay - you get the point - the thing is FULL.

Well, we had decided to store the trailer on the side of my house since I have an RV parking area there.  What we didn't take into account is the fact that the trucks that I have always used to push and pull my trailer in and out of there have all been four wheel drive - and the one we're using now is TWO wheel drive.

Well, the trailer went in okay - sort of.  The truck bogged down a little bit while it was pulling the trailer in.  That should have been my first clue that something was amiss.  But the trailer and truck finally found their home along side of my house.  No problem.

The following Sunday (March 2nd) our regular driver was unavailable, so I decided to take the trailer to the school to setup.  When I got in the truck, I realized that when we parked it, we had left it on a slight angle towards the right side of the truck.  Not a problem, I'll correct it while I'm backing down the driveway.

So off I go... As I start down the driveway, I realize that I'm going to need to correct a bit more than what the gate allows room for, so I'll need to pull forward again.  That's where the problems started.

The trailer is full - and I mean full.  It is incredibly heavy and a bit difficult to maneuver under good conditions.  This was FAR from good conditions.  The ground was a little bit soft, and the weight of the trailer was headed down the slight slope away from my house.  The truck on the other hand was right at the crest of the slope - with the front tires on the level ground and the rears just starting over the hump.

As I tried to go forward, the truck started slipping into the soft ground.  It didn't take long to realize that the truck wasn't going forward with the weight of the trailer on it, so again I decided to try and push the trailer back down the hill - at least to some harder ground where I can start pulling forward again...

As the trailer continued it's journey backwards down the hill, it also continued (despite my efforts) to drift to the side of the driveway...which is lined with (or should I say WAS lined with) some skinny evergreen trees.

Okay, so you're tired of reading, and I'm tired of typing.  To make a long story short, the trailer wound up against the trees, totally beached and not budging.  Try what we may, we couldn't get the beast to move.  Others came over to help, but the message was the same.  "She ain't movin' the way she is..."

So - off to the school we go.  We had a bass amp, a guitar amp, one microphone and a bunch of chairs!  What more do you need?

As I got to the church, my attitude was far from perfect.  God, however, showed up.  Conviction of my attitude fell like a ton of bricks so I went to talk to the Father about it.  The prayer time that I had that day was absolutely amazing.

And so was the service...

Though I had a complete set of notes ready to continue our series, I really felt that this entire incident was nothing more than God reminding me that all I need is Him...and all He needs is me - as a willing vessel.  We don't need to worry about the trappings of the "church".  We are His church - and that's all that is needed.  This also meant that we couldn't record the message - which is what this entire post is about.

I know that most of you reading this already recognize the fact that you don't need much - but until you actually get there, in that situation, and experience it first hand, you may not realize just how un-important the "things" of the church truly are.

To close out the story, we had a few folks come by after service and they actually had the trailer freed by the time I got to the house.  They unloaded about half of the equipment from the trailer (which thankfully was mostly on wheels) and the truck was able to pull the lighter load back up the hill, get a better run at it and come back down.

From now on, the trailer sits out front.  Until we can find a paved - or at least level - parking space for it...

Stay tuned - more to come...

I know that I've been hosting my blog as well as some on-line sermons on my "Spaces" page, but I've found a much better site for hosting the sermons.  A friend (thanks Danny!) introduced me to http://www.sermoncloud.com which will allow me to host up to one year's worth (52) messages on-line for FREE.

Anyone that knows me realizes two things:

1. I'm not usually at a loss for words.  I'll fill up the 52 entries quickly!
2. FREE is not good...it's GREAT!

I've registered Faith Chapel there as http://www.sermoncloud.com/faith-chapel-fsc and have uploaded this year's messages already.  I may do some of the previous as time allows, but the third thing that anyone who knows me realizes is I don't have much free time.

The site is really cool - it will allow you to stream online (through their own player) as well as download, podcast, and syndicate via RSS.  All in all, it looks to be a great service.

Give a message or three a listen and let me know what you think.  If enough people "Amen!" a sermon, it get's promoted to the main screen as a featured message.

You will need to register before you can listen, but the service is free and simply needs you to have access to an e-mail account.  Drop some comments here or there or send me a mail and let me know what you think.

Stay tuned - more to come...

I re-read my post from yesterday, and it didn't even touch on the area that I really wanted to address.  I wanted to talk about how prevalent that television (or video entertainment) has become in our society but somehow I never got there.

As I ride to and from work, I continue to be amazed at the number of people that have in-car video systems running.  You can just about watch a movie in the time it takes me to get home some days and I'm concerned about the current mentality of not being able to go anywhere without a TV.

Many houses have a TV playing anytime there is someone home.  I see more and more products that let you watch your favorite shows on your cell phone.  More and more applications and hardware devices are designed to let you watch shows that you've recorded from other rooms in your house as well as other parts of the world.  With a Slingbox device, you can tie into your home DVR and watch your recorded shows, as well as live TV as it plays in your home from anywhere with an Internet connection.

So - these devices are, well, cool.  But the question boils down to "why"?  When I was taking a class called "Critical issues of the 90's" (guess when the class was?) we had a paper to write on critical issues.  The topic I chose was "Just because we can, should we?".  I tried to address whether or not technology should be used in various ways:  Cloning, prolongation of life, etc.  The same has started to pull at my spirit with television.  Why is it that we feel we MUST have television with us everywhere we go?

My concern is not only with the availability of television, but the current content.  Shows like "Family Guy", "The Simpsons" and others do nothing but damage our perceptions of reality.  These shows are insulting at best and downright humiliating.  With these two "cartoons" being some of the most popular shows on TV, why would we bother carrying this stuff around with us?

The spiritual degradation that we experience while watching television has become overwhelming.  The content in the shows has degraded but is nothing compared to the content of some of the commercials.

As I mentioned yesterday, Rachel and I enjoy watching some old "Star Trek Voyager" episodes, which we record and watch at our leisure.  Having a DVR means we can skip past the commercials, but even at four times normal speed where you can't really see all of what's happening, the commercials are enough to make me cringe.

I guess what's really bothering me is just how ingrained we've allowed television to become in our lives, while at the same time we continue to allow God to take a back seat.  As Christians, I ask you to not only question, but re-evaluate your priorities in life.  Let's make certain that we have our personal relationship with God first, our family second...and everything else somewhere further down the line.

Stay tuned - more to come...

How much television have you watched in the last 30 days.  Think about it for a second and try to actually count the hours.

Wow - that many, huh?  Do you realize that you actually have less brain activity when you watch television than when you sleep?  Really - it's true.  There were a number of studies done in the '90s that showed that you actually used more of your brain when you slept than when you watched television.

Now - think of all of the things that are on your to-do list.  You know you have one...don't deny it.  Why aren't they done?  Okay, so there's a number of reasons:

• No money
• No resources
• No TIME

Yet you just realized you spent HOW many hours watching television?  Okay, so that's relaxation.  It's good to come home after a hard day of work and just unwind.  Relax.  Settle down. Unplug for a while...

But let me ask the next question:  How much time have you spent reading your Bible in the last month?  What?  That's all???  Come on now - surely reading your bible is more important than watching Star Trek re-runs, right?

We claim, as Christians, to want a relationship with Jesus Christ, yet we spend more time "unplugging" and watching television than we do "plugging in" to the source of our power - Jesus - through the power of the Word of God.

Now I'm not saying that I'm better than anyone else here.  I certainly spend my fair share - and more - of hours curled up watching Star Trek Voyage, Jericho and a couple of other favorite shows.  But God has been dealing with me to ensure that I keep my priorities right.  Spending time in His word, getting my SELF ready - not just studying for the word on Sunday.  Personal time with Jesus - not just preparatory steps for services.

My times of prayer on the way to and from work have deepened as of late, though in all honesty, today was a struggle.  Perhaps it was the thick fog and the temperature in the low 30s that kept me more attentive to the road than prayer.  Maybe it was a continuation of the spiritual battle that has been raging around me for the last week or more.  Could it even be just - exhaustion?

Yes - to all of the above.  But I redoubling my efforts effective immediately.  I will begin spending more time in God's word.  As Philippians 3:12 says "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." I will press on.

Stay tuned - more to come...

Well, it appears that Microsoft's stock isn't the only thing that fell overnight... We've had what I'm certain the local media will refer to as "Snow-Storm 2008".  We've got about 3-4 inches locally.

Reality (which has nothing to do with the media around here) is that we did get some snow, schools were closed (much to Jen's delight!) and that's about it.  I chose to work from home today not due to the snow, but due to the way people around here drive.  Eek.

Back in the 'burgh, this may not have even hit the news with more than a brief mention.  I'll bet it takes the first five to ten minutes of the nightly new coverage.

Sure is pretty though.  'Course that's easy to say from my house.  It would be a different matter if I were out driving around in the stuff - or worse still, if I had been out on my bike and gotten caught in it!

Stay tuned - more to come...