Here we are in New Zealand.  First, let me share that I am sorry for the longer than normal delay in blogging.  I have been out of phone and e-mail contact most of the last week.  Trying to balance responsibilities here in New Zealand, at home, my family and e-mails to return.   My family seems to like it OK.  I finally broke down and had to buy access in a small Cafe' in Tauranga, New Zealand. 

I am speaking Sunday in three services.  We are 19 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, so for me it is Saturday afternoon.

So much to share, I will share more later.  Mostly I wanted to 'connect' and ask for your prayers.   I spent the better part of yesterday meeting with our team and the leaders from the New Zealand Church.  Such amazing people.  Love the accent.  Love the country. 

One of my grandpas dreams was to visit New Zealand, and so he came with us.  We are sitting together in this little cafe'.  I am going over my message, he is sitting, swinging a bit in his wheel chair to the jazz music here.  He is so cute.  I hope he doesn't tip over...

Danny, Erin, Robbie, Dustin and my son David are all doing well.  I am so proud of what God is doing through their lives and the willing hearts of the church here in New Zealand.  God really has worked in some pretty cool ways.  I will share more later, about the future for Living Hope New Zealand.  I left a long meeting, and walked out to see the signs being replaced from Tauranga Worship Center, to Living Hope Church. 

Better go for now.  I am excited to be able to spend a bit over a week with the team, the staff here and my family.  Good times.  I know the weekend at home will be amazing.  Richard Twiss is such a gifted communicator and I love hearing him.  I hope you won't miss the weekend.  Next weekend I will be back, to share and to see you all. 

I wanted to thank our staff, pastors and leaders at home.  I watched the little recap video and it blessed my life SO MUCH.  I am so proud of them.  Such strength, gifting, courage and risk.  God worked so much.  I have never had such feedback from a weekend that I was gone.  1 message, almost 20 pastors.   Also to the staff and leaders who are leading so well and serving so much,  THANK YOU.   Everytime I call and say how are things, Missy says great.   I wouldn't want to do ministry anywhere else with anyone else for any other reason.  You are all the best.  Believe it.

Living Hope.  I miss you guys.  Pray for me if you can for the message.  I will be sharing the message about the  GRACE CHAIR .  The message is the  END OF RELIGION.  I am nervous, but what else is new.  So amazed that God continues to use my broken and tired life.

Cheers

John

OK, I have never sat in a Government office this long.  We have been in the passport office in Seattle for over 6 hours.  I am on a first name basis with most of the staff.  I almost want to start a Life Group.  If you wait this long, do you possibly get to be on payroll?  I have sat and have waited, and waited.   Did you know that CNN Headline News continues to repeat the same few stories every few minutes?  I have them all memorized.   This has been so much fun, I am wondering about doing it all over again on Tuesday.   Sorry, just joking. 

Really can there be anything good in waiting?  I have been asking myself this all day.  Here is what I think.  Remember, I am tired.  The good thing is in waiting, you come to a place where the 'expectations' begin to fade and you just start being OK with the whateverness of it all.  You begin to stop worrying, and it is weird, you almost become OK with what is and even what isn't.  Such a funny thing.   Besides us, there are just a few other people, doing what we are..still waiting.

Remember the movie TERMINAL?  Tom Hanks gets stuck in an airport and actually stops fighting and starts living within the realm of where he is, with what he has, with who he is with. 

Maybe we ought to stay the night?  Maybe we should pick through the garbage for left-over muffins?  Maybe we can complain?  Maybe we can worry about traffic going home?  Maybe we will never make it home and I will start a church here?  Maybe is a big word.  It is a decisive word. 

OR Maybe we can be content.  I can learn patience (tough for me...).  Maybe I can just think of how blessed I am to have two amazing daughters.  Instead of stress, really today has been an unplanned, unpredictable gift from God.  He always has a way to make me see things I normally don't or wouldn't.

My daughter is sleeping next to me.  Robert is drawing pictures better than Kincade.  Tori and Katie are doing what teenage girls do, they are talking on the phone. 

Who knows, maybe after dinner we will get a hotel?   Good times in Seattle.  For sure moments we won't forget.

Staying flexible.

john

Love Mondays.  Love them.

My girls, Robert, Tori and I drove up to Seattle late last night.  We are just up here for a few hours getting passports that we applied for 11 weeks ago. Fun.  The girls told me they wanted to shop.  Ya. Pray for me...  They haven't been here in years, so we will have a day to just hang out together, enjoy the sun and each other.  Fun so far.

I Love Mondays.  It seems like the one day I get to spend a few hours resting.  I struggle to, but Love to rest, I love to refocus and I love to reflect on all that God has done and is doing.  It is on Monday I get to think the most.  I get to contemplate about what matters, and what doesn't.  I get to clear my head of pressing details.  Today is a good day, because I get to rest and I get to spend the majority of it with these two precious girls God (for some reason beyond me) has blessed me with.  Yes, we are skipping school for those who are wondering.  Next year our school is moving to a four day schedule (side note).

How many of us get to do this?  Really?  I hope you do.  When I do, there is just something about it that helps me get through whatever is in front of me.  Resting, Refocusing and Reflecting.  I think another word for it is worship.  That is why a sabbath rest is so critical to us humans.  In these fleeting, temporal moments, I get to worship God the best.  There is nothing pressing, no services to preach at, no budgets to look at, no schedules to juggle.  Just me, the people who are with me and God who never leaves me.  If you miss these moments, you miss so much.

We are leaving the hotel room now, to hang out, laugh together, eat lunch at some point and maybe even shop a bit at Pikes Street.

Until next time,

John

So yesterday, our family went to Portland to shop, and hang out.  Fun day.  I am so blessed to be part of a family that is so aware of each other.  Normal, in every way imaginable, yet always there for each other.  Always watching out for each other. 

Michelle and I were at Macaroni Grill (good place to eat) and the girls had been shopping for over two hours (they are good girls, but they have learned how to shop...well)

I decided to minimize the loss to my wallet and walked across the street to Pioneer Place to find them.  As I did, I was on the phone (big surprise), trying to find Katie or Hannah. 

I walked in and (I promise, you have to visualize this) with great passion walked into the center pillar in the entrance to Pioneer Place.  I walked into that pillar with authority and resolve.  I literally fell over, almost knocked myself out.  ...I stayed on the phone.

It gets better.  You see, I have been given this gift from God that I trip, or fall alot.  Saturday night, in a rush to get out for the service, I tripped and fell out of my office. I got up, Tabi  saw the whole thing.

Back to the story.  After I collected myself, I hear a couple people laughing in back of me.  Hoping that they weren't laughing at me, but expecting they were, I turn around.  They say, "we saw that... " To which I replied, "don't tell anyone"  They say, "we won't...until Sunday PASTOR JOHN..."  I said, "You have got to be kidding me."

There is always someone watching.  ALWAYS.

Good week, spend time in the sun (wear sun screen for real).  Maybe take your family to Pioneer place.  Watch out for the pillars, they will win.  No matter what, enjoy the week.  Make time for your kids.  Make time for your faith.  Make time for your dog, and sell your cat (joking..kind of).

John

PS
Great weekend.  I have a story I will share later about a guy I met in Portland, randomly named George.  Can't wait for Mother's Day.  See you this weekend.

Ever have those moments that for hours or even a day afterward you keep remembering it?  Yesterday we hosted and I taught a workshop about communication.  It was a good time with our pastors and with some friends who are senior pastors around our area. 

The best part of the day is when Luis Palau came to talk with me about the Festival in Portland 2008.  I asked him to share with the pastors, he told them my hair was long.  At the end of our little time together he asked what he could do to reach this generation better.  I jokingly told him to grow out his hair.  We all laughed and had lunch together.  He brought his son Kevin and their director of National church relations, Alan Hotchkiss.    We were able to sit down for an hour, and share our hearts for lost people, for the city of Portland.  I love that their organization is so intent on church unity.  I asked Luis to speak at Living Hope, to which he agreed.  We are working out details.  I would ask you to pray for him, his organization and family as they continue to preach Jesus to so many countries around the world.   

I count yesterday as one of those "still can't believe it" days.  I came to Christ a little over 18 years ago, and remember hoping to someday meet Luis.  Can I just say, Luis is one of my heroes.  Really.  At 72 years old, he is still asking questions about how to reach our culture.  He travels thousands of miles every year to take the gospel to so many.  He has done so much for God's Kingdom.  He could easily say it is time to retire.  I've done my part.  A hero is someone who does what is right, no matter what the cost is and no matter who is looking.  Luis was so humble.  Aren't heroes that way?  Not all about themselves.  A hero dies in order to really live.  They understand their life isn't their own.   A hero is someone who is genuine and who genuinely cares.  I shared with him about my (our story) about the cancer I dealt with, and he asked questions, how was I, how is my family.  He then prayed for me and I was stunned (in a very good way).  So, I got to meet someone yesterday that has affected my life.  I was honored and humbled that he (and his son and Alan) would ask us questions about reaching people.  It was time well spent. 

A hero is someone who listens to and follows God's dream for their life.  I can only imagine the day when Luis steps from this life into eternity.  I can only imagine the hundreds of thousands of people who have surrendered their one and only life to the God that put breath in their bodies.   

I just hope all of us can give up our agendas and our dreams to experience all that God has for us.  There is so much more than we can imagine, if we will believe God and risk everything to follow Him.

Paul was another hero.  His last words...

"As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God.  The time of my death is near.  I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.   And now the prize awaits me - the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that great day of his return.  And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return."  1 Timothy 4:7-8P

Paul died empty.  He gave all he had.  God used him and we are better because of it.  Heroes always leave us better, don't they, really?

HEROES SHOW UP BEFORE THEY CHECK OUT!   In your life, who is a hero?  Have you thanked them?  Have you thanked God for them?  Do it.  I got to, and it was worth it.   Then, in your life, who would call you their hero?  You are.  Believe it.

JOIN ME THIS WEEKEND AT THE PORTLAND CONVENTION CENTER FOR BAPTISM THIS SUNDAY.  We will only have it there.  Come early.  I will see you there.  Service is at 11:00 AM.  We will reimburse anyone for parking.  Bring someone this weekend.  New series begins.  POTENTIAL ME.  Can't wait.

Humbled.

John