Angel's Blog

Will you mentor me?

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 18:05:23 -0600

From time to time I have people ask me this question: “Will you mentor me?” The answer is always yes. I’ll teach you what I know (which is usually not much) about: public speaking, preaching, becoming a stronger, more committed Christian, being a good dad, planting a church, starting a ministry from scratch etc, etc, etc…..

I find it odd that no one has ever asked me to mentor them in physical fitness training but oh well :-/

Most of the time, these relationships are only meant to last for a short while because in reality, the person asking usually is on the road to do what they are wanting to do and they only need a couple pieces of information to help them get to the next step.

What I have found in this process along the way is curious however. Many of the people who ask me this question want me to chase them down via email or text so I can set up a time to teach them something. They will often tell me “call me so we can set something up.”

That’s not gonna happen.

I pastor a church we planted, I’m finishing up a Master’s degree, I’m a husband, a father and I have several other irons in the fire. I’m not bored or just looking for something to do. The problem we run into is we usually have differing ideas about what a mentoring relationship looks like.

This is how I view that type of relationship: Many years ago, I read a book called “Self-Made in America” (by John McCormack - if you haven’t read that book, read it), that book taught me the power of asking people to mentor you. Since then, over the years I’ve asked various people to mentor me and to help me grow. When they agree, then in each instance, I take it upon myself to make the meetings happen. I will call or email them (or their secretaries) to get me on their calendar and then I will drive (sometimes hours) or fly to meet them (all on my dime) so that I can spend an hour with them because they have something I want. It might be an idea they’ve developed, a skill they possess that I’m trying to refine or they have achieved a step I’m trying to take. Whatever the case, I want something from them, so I pursue them and I make it happen. A couple of weeks ago, I was able to set up a meeting with a very busy pastor I’ve been wanting to meet for about a year now. He just moved to Parker, CO from California and he agreed to meet me over coffee. My truck was out of commission and Diane needed our car so I rented a car and drove three hours round trip for a 45 minute meeting. (I bought the coffee, by the way). It was worth every bit of the finances and time invested. The point is, if you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen, to reach out and get it.

That being said, I also want to encourage you. If God has burned a desire in your heart to do something for Him. Then start SERVING. You’ll never be given a platform to preach on or sing on if you’re not willing to mop some floors, run a vacuum or hold a door open for somebody. When it’s time for you to do what God wants you to do, NO ONE will be able to hold you back, but until that time, stop trying to promote yourself, just be faithful and let God build the firm foundation in you now, so he can add on the weight that you’ll need that foundation to hold up later.

Be faithful, serve and God will do His thing when it’s time. That’s some free mentoring right there. ;-)

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Sunday Night Brain Download

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:04:57 -0700

Dear Mosaic,

I’m sitting here reflecting on this morning and I thought I would put it down on “paper”, so here goes:

This morning was AMAZING! I had a blast at church today.
The worship team was ON POINT! Everyone was on cue and the presence of God was real and obvious. Today’s worship experience was one that I’ll remember for a long time.
Watching three people step forward to be baptized was the highlight of my week. I will never get tired of watching people make a public declaration of faith in Christ.
I LOVE MY JOB!! See # 3.
I had a blast speaking today.
Don’t forget to add some rest into your rhythm this week. None of us can go forever without rest so don’t put it off.
Remember, sometimes you gotta say no.
Looking forward to having dinner with several Mosaic couples tomorrow night.

Well, that’s about it for now. I’m loving this journey and I know God has big things in store for all of us in 2012!

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Bringing Sexy Back 2012

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:01:20 -0700

This year I’m turning 40. I know, I know, I don’t look a day over 50.

Anyway, I’m surprised how reflective this has made me. I think age is just a number but in a way, it’s also a way to keep score. Have I done what I set out to do? Have I done the important stuff? Have I focused my time and energy on the things that really matter?

Maybe age isn’t the scoreboard, but it is the timer and if I live a normal life, I’m about halfway through the dance, maybe more. With this coming up, a few years ago I set myself a few goals to reach before I turned 40.

Finish my Master’s Degree: If all goes according to plan, I’ll graduate 9 days after my 40^th Birthday.
Visit all 50 States: As of today, I still lack 3 – North Dakota, West Virginia and Alaska. I don’t think I’ll accomplish this one by 40 but you never know, I still have 4 months.
Finish a Triathlon Sprint.

This brings me to the reason for this post. About six or seven years ago, I saw an ad in Men’s Health for the Nautica Challenge in Southern California. It’s a mini triathlon or a sprint. It starts with a ½ mile ocean swim, then an 18 mile bike ride and finishes with a 4 mile run. This is one of the goals I set for myself before I turned 40.

What was I thinking?

Anyway, I’ve decided to lower my sights a bit and sign up for the Greeley Triathlon in June. It’s also a sprint, but I won’t have to travel to do this one. It’s a 500 yard swim, 10 mile bike ride and 5k run.

So I have a goal, and I’m training.

I’ve been working out at Phoenix Training Studios in downtown Greeley. A friend owns this gym, the classes are small and the workouts are tough.

I think this is just the incentive I need to Bring Sexy Back in 2012. Sexy has been gone for a LONG time but if I reach my goal, I’ll no doubt lose a few pounds and BRING SEXY BACK!

I’d like to invite you to join me. My friend at Phoenix has given me a bunch of free one week passes to the gym. If you’d like to try it out for a week, just call them and ask for Kris. Tell him Angel sent you and you’ll get your free week.

http://www.phoenixtrainingstudios.com 970-356-1109

Let’s Bring Sexy Back!!

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Jesus and Taco Johns

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:58:11 -0700

There are all kinds of reasons that people don’t make it to church. Some are legitimate and quite honestly, some aren’t. That’s not the point, the point is that Hebrews tells us we need to meet together with other Christians (Hebrews 10:25) so instead of explaining why we can’t, we just need to find ways to make it happen. Case in point: Anna. Anna is a teenager from our Spanish service. She encourages me every time I see her. Here’s why:

Anna works at Taco Johns. Now I have nothing against Taco Johns, as a matter of fact, I eat there regularly (much to my wife’s dismay). But I understand that working at a fast food place isn’t usually fun or exciting. Anna works at Taco Johns every Sunday at 11:00. Our Spanish service runs from 9-10:30. So she shows up to church in her Taco John’s uniform so she can head straight to work after. That, my friends is dedication and an understanding of Hebrews 10:25 that she could teach many of us about.

So what about us? I must admit that in the past, I’ve made excuses when I didn’t feel like doing something I knew I should do or I found reasons to avoid responsibilities. Today, Anna has both encouraged me and challenged me to stay the course and just grind it out. I know when I see her in her uniform at church, I’m encouraged and I think that makes Jesus smile too.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

My first tumblr blog post.

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:27:35 -0600

My first tumblr blog post.

Mosaic Church and The Bikini Bike Wash

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:00:00 -0600

A few weeks ago our associate pastor Ray was contacted by the local Harley-Davidson dealer. They asked if our church would be interested in hosting a bike-blessing booth at their dealership for their big summer bar-b-que kickoff event. It took us about 2 seconds to say yes: we love bikes and bikers and annually host Biker Sunday at Mosaic (This year it’s July 10^th).

As the event moved closer we found out we would be positioned right next to the bikini bike wash…..um, oooo.kay. This can present a unique position for a church. Should we participate in an event that some see as degrading to women or should we politely decline? We decided to move forward.

I heard it said once that light shines the brightest in the darkest places.

We set up our booth and sure enough, we were RIGHT NEXT to the bikini bike wash: complete with about a half-dozen bikini clad women in their late teens and early 20’s washing motorcycles while men stood around taking pictures. Is this any kind of a place for a church to be?

I say YES!!

I think this is exactly where the church SHOULD be. Too often Christians become insulated from people around them who desperately need Jesus. They, under the guise of “avoiding the appearance of evil” choose to retreat from those who need the light the most. Was the day uncomfortable? Not really, it was actually a lot of fun. We prayed with several bikers and blessed a bunch of bikes. All in all, it was a great day and I hope to do it again next year.

I think you should ask yourself: What is it that God might be wanting me to do? Maybe you’ve overlooked it because you thought: “There’s no way God would want me to do that, to go there or to reach out to that person.”

I say go for it, because if you don’t, who will?

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

What am I doing in Birmingham, Alabama?

Tue, 17 May 2011 15:25:00 -0600

I’m writing this blog post in a Starbucks on Montclair Road in Birmingham, Alabama. I flew in earlier today to meet with a man that could help Mosaic get to the next level in God’s plan for His church. Tomorrow I’ll spend the day with Chris Hodges, pastor of Church of the Highlands because I’m taking part in a pastors mentoring group called Grow Leader. You can read more about Grow Leader by clicking here. Essentially, Chris is offering a mentoring relationship to pastors of churches who wish for their churches to grow. He has a lot of experience as the pastor of a growing church. His church has grown from 34 people to 12,000 in a little over 10 years so he knows a lot about growing a multi-site church. Spending time with him will be invaluable.

So why am I writing this? Well, I received a call about two weeks ago that this opportunity was being presented to me. Flights to Birmingham aren’t cheap on a few days’ notice but thankfully I had enough United Miles to get the ticket for only $ 5.00. The reason I came here is simple: I have a dream. Lately a friend and I have begun going through John Maxwell’s book: “Put your dream to the test.” This has caused me to sit down and really ask myself what I want to see happen in my life, and particularly at Mosaic. I know what I want to see and when I found out that someone in Birmingham, Alabama might be able to help us get there, I jumped at the chance that they could.

My dream is simple: to duplicate what we have done with God’s help at Mosaic through planting 12 Mosaic campuses all around northern Colorado. Even as I type this, it sounds crazy and big and ridiculous. That’s exactly why I believe it’s God’s dream for Mosaic. Because without Him doing something BIG, it’ll never happen. Why more campuses? Because we are seeing lives changed by Jesus at Mosaic and we want to see that happen over and over in communities all over northern Colorado. I love this region and this is what I dream about.

What’s your dream? What are you willing to do to see it come to pass? Are you doing it or are you just daydreaming? So often we blame our inability to achieve our dreams on circumstances, people or situations around us. Enough of that. Decide today that you will take one step toward making your dream a REALITY.

Do it today.

Even if it involves climbing on a tiny plane and flying to Birmingham, Alabama. Anyway, if that’s the case, stop by Starbucks on Montclair, you’ll find me here waiting for tomorrow.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

10,000 Hours and Justin Bieber's New Movie

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:25:00 -0700

This afternoon I went and watched Justin Bieber’s documentary: “Never Say Never.” I must admit, I enjoyed it. The kid is very talented and he goes for it when he performs. He puts on a good show and his story was inspirational: unknown kid in small town gets discovered on Youtube and is now selling out Madison Square Garden. Awesome story.

But that wasn’t what struck me the most.

There’s a scene where he’s sitting in front of a theater playing his guitar before he’s discovered. His mom said he would sit out there and just sing and play for people walking by, FOR HOURS. This scene reminded me of the 10,000 hour rule in Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers. The rule is basically this: if you want to become great at something, practice it for 10,000 hours. Sounds simple on the surface but imagine the power in practicing something, ANYTHING for 10,000 hours.

To put this in perspective, if you work a 40 hour week for a year and take 2 weeks of vacation, you will work 2,000 hours. If you do this for 5 years straight, you’ll hit that 10,000 hours. Now imagine that instead of working a job for all that time you:

Played your guitar
Practiced singing
Practiced public speaking
Worked on math
Shot free-throws
Programmed computers
Perfected your cooking
Studied and practiced whatever it is that you love to do… for 10,000 hours.

“Oh, Angel, I couldn’t ever make time to work on that, I’m too busy.” I know, I know. That’s why there are only a few Justin Biebers, because only a few people are willing to put everything into their craft, into their calling. I say: No more excuses. Just get going on your 10,000 hours.

God's Miraculous Provision

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 22:00:00 -0700

Today we announced at Mosaic Church & Amanecer Cristiano the incredible miracle that God performed this week. This is how it unfolded:

A couple of months ago we were contacted by Rick White of the Agur Foundation out of Denver. The Agur Foundation’s mission statement is: To build up the body of Christ around the world by providing properties for new Christian churches to develop, grow and flourish. With this mission in mind, after a series of conversations with Rick and his team, it was decided that the Agur Foundation would donate a piece of land to Mosaic/Amanecer Cristiano. The land is less than an acre in size but is in a high traffic area in Greeley and is valued at between $401,000 and $461,000. The intent of the donation is that we would either sell or somehow leverage the property to get into our own building.

This past Monday, we closed on the property and it is now ours. I cannot say enough good things about Rick White and the Agur Foundation. They are some of the most kingdom-minded people I’ve ever met and only eternity will fully reveal the far-reaching effects of their generosity.

God has continued to amaze us on this 3 year church planting journey and I can’t wait to see how this chapter will unfold.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Staycation 2010

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:00:00 -0600

Today is day 3 of our Staycation (Stay at home vacation). We planned several vacations for this summer but each time one or two details didn’t work out. Sometimes it was conflicting schedules for me, sometimes for my active kids and sometimes we couldn’t find the deal we wanted. This week we had family come in from South Texas and it worked out that we could take this week off and enjoy a staycation.

On Monday we drove up to Estes Park and spent the afternoon there. Then we went into Rocky Mountain National Park ($20 per car!) and saw the Aluvian fan. The waterfall was incredible! Tuesday we drove to the Royal Gorge. It was amazing. If you’ve never been there, you should go, it’s awesome. Today we just hung around Centerra in Loveland and did some school clothes shopping. A relaxing day. Tomorrow: Elitch Gardens Amusement Park in Denver.

Diane and I have been extremely blessed in the travel department. We recently visited our 46th state and are anxious to get those last four (Alaska, North Dakota, Michigan and West Virginia in case you were wondering.) I love to travel and see new places, experience new things and try new food but I never realized how much fun a staycation could be. It’s been awesome.

That’s kind of how life can be sometimes. We spend so much time looking out past the horizon that we miss what’s right around us. We miss what’s close by. It’s easy to give the majority of our time and attention to climbing the ladder and getting ahead. I have nothing against progress, but don’t move forward at the expense of missing what’s all around you. Time has a way of sneaking past us. Don’t miss what’s around you.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

A Mosaic Milestone and The Worship Team

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:00:00 -0600

Last night we had the worship and media team over for a backyard BBQ. It was a great time with an amazing, self-sacrificing team. We even bought the good hamburgers and non-generic chips (oh yeah baby, it was that wild.)

I love these guys for a couple of reasons:

1. They’re willing to try anything. We’ve tried all kinds of stuff on Sundays. Some have worked well, some not so well. They’re not afraid to try cover tunes, mixing arrangements, whatever it takes to get people connected with God.

2. They work to improve. They practice with their own instruments and are all open to get better. No primadonnas on this team, just a bunch of people who love worship and love God.

3. They don’t just show up at Mosaic to perform or “do their thing”, they are coming to church and are a part of the church, not their own sub-group.

4. The A/V team rarely get to sit with their families during service. Without what they do, no one enjoys the service or the online worship experience. Their sacrifice allows people to connect with God every week both live and online.

5. I also appreciate Zach, our worship pastor. Pastor Perry Noble said it best when he describes what a true worship pastor does: ”If a worship leaders thinks “their job” is to just sing then you don’t have a worship leader…you have an arrogant performer who wants people to worship them rather than leading them to worship Jesus. Worship is WAY more than singing…it’s serving Jesus by doing whatever it takes to make His Name known!” Zach goes above and beyond all the time. That’s why the team he’s leading is so outstanding.

What made the night even more awesome is that 2 years ago we had a backyard BBQ for all of the people who volunteered in the church. It was a fun time with a handful of people. As I recall, we were all able to share one watermelon. :-)

Last night we had more people at our BBQ from just one ministry team than we did from the entire church volunteer team 2 years ago. What a cool moment!

One element I knew was important when we started the church was creating teams. I wasn’t intentional enough about it though but we’re learning. I’m really excited about what God is doing at Mosaic. Later on this summer we’re doing similar BBQ’s for all the teams. Can’t wait.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Is your NEED big enough?

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:00:00 -0600

This morning at Mosaic I spoke about need. Is there enough need in our lives as a church?

On one hand, we’ve come a very long way in a very short amount of time. We have been in existence a little over 2 1/2 years and it’s been an exciting ride.

On the other hand, the summer slump in church attendance and financial giving that many churches experience hit us exceptionally hard this past 2 weeks.

After praying about the churches financial situation I felt like The Lord told me to “take it to the people.” So I called a Mosaic “Family Meeting” and at the end of my message this morning I just laid out where we are financially. You can watch that message in its entirety by clickinghere. Or by visiting Greeleymosaic.com and clicking on media. (Sorry the audio is a little low.) I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I felt like I said and did everything I was supposed to do and just left it at that.

A little while ago I spoke with one of our board members. This evening they did a preliminary count of the giving and she told me that today we picked up the largest offering that we’ve ever collected. This is HUGE for a couple of reasons:

We were literally out of money this week. We were $5 short to cover our rent this month. After realizing we had written a check that was supposed to be voided, we paid our rent and ended up very close to zero in the church bank account.

Our Mosaic missions team is leaving this Wednesday for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Wanblee, South Dakota. 20 people from Mosaic will be doing children’s ministry work and service work on the reservation.

My own personal faith had been challenged. When we came up short on our rent, I asked God: “What are we supposed to do?” I also asked: “Have I missed it somewhere, are you done at Mosaic?” This thought rattled me because I know God isn’t done with Mosaic but when there’s no money, it’s hard to keep moving forward.

I hate focusing on money. We started Mosaic to serve and reach PEOPLE. Unfortunately, in order to get anything done, it takes money. I’m not opposed to talking about money in church but it’s something I’m not ever entirely comfortable with. I think this is because so many people use this as an excuse to avoid church. They say things like: “All churches want is your money.” At the same time, no church can survive very long without discussing finances and this is how God promises to bless His people: when they give, He will bless them.

I’m headed to bed with a burden lifted off my shoulders. In a couple of weeks I’ll be sending out a mid-year financial report to all of the people that have given financially to Mosaic Church this year. In that report will be the final amount given this morning. When you see that number, I can tell you, you will be as amazed as I am.

I feel so encouraged, renewed and excited. Not about the money but about how the people of Mosaic Church banded together and made something happen. This morning at the end of the message, we all stood together at the front of the church and prayed together and I felt the Mosaic Family gel a little more, become a little stronger and a little closer.

Mosaic: I love our church, and all of you guys and I’m so humbled and excited to be on this journey with you.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Sunday Night Brain Download

Sun, 23 May 2010 22:00:00 -0600

Tonight I was thinking about the day and as I thought things through, I thought I would blog about it to process it out. Here goes:

Today the Mosaic worship team rocked! Zach and the team (the Mosaic All-Stars) have been working hard lately and it shows. Their musicianship is at an all-time high and they flowed together.
The entire worship set just worked great and I’m grateful for each of them.
The videos were on point and the sound and video team killed it.
Since I didn’t speak today, I got to sit back and experience the service more than usual and I enjoyed it. We have a stellar team and their hard work makes things happen. Our video and sound guys are pure gold.
Our guest speaker, Jose Gardea is the director of an orphanage in Chihuahua, Chihuahua Mexico. (That’s a lot of Chihuahuas) As he shared what’s going on at the orphanage and the work that God is getting done there, it fired me up. He is building a brand new orphanage (way nicer than Nacho Libres) and it’s almost finished.
His current building is maxed at 38 kids (some have been with him for 10+ years). His new building will hold near 70.
He is still in need of a few items to complete the building this summer. One main item is several large picture windows for the recreation room for the kids.
I’m so proud of Mosaic church for stepping up today.
Thanks to Mosaic, they’re getting their windows. This is both super exciting and humbling at the same time. I can’t believe I’m a part of what God is doing through Mosaic.
I know I say it often, but I don’t say it enough: I love the people of Mosaic Church
Today was one of the best days we’ve ever had at Mosaic.

As exciting as today was at Mosaic, at the same time I received a text during service that a friend of mine, who was involved in a motorcycle accident yesterday had taken a serious turn for the worse.
My friend Joe, who was a part of the early life of Mosaic church passed away today about 5:00 pm.
I’m grateful that I was able to be there and pray with the family as he passed, but at the same time, watching a loved one pass from this life and into the next is one of the hardest things about being a pastor.
That stuff tears me up inside every time but I’m grateful for the hope we have to see Joe again in eternity.
Also grateful for my wife Diane who helps keep me going when days like this hit hard.

Tonight we BBQ’d for my dad’s birthday.
There are few things better than standing in the back yard and grilling with my family and my dog Gracie. (named after UFC pioneer, Royce Gracie)
It was a great night. Had both my brothers and their families over.
Need to do that more often.
My dad and I run two churches side by side but more and more they are blending into one church and I love that.

This week we’re having Chris Camozzi (Ultimate Fighter Contestant) at Mosaic for a viewing party and autograph signing. It’s Wednesday night at 7pm. I’m looking forward to this.
This will attract a lot of young men to our church.
Many will have little or no church background.
That is a good thing.
Most churches are lacking young men between 18-30.
Young men lead young families and without young families churches will die.
You get it?
Pastors, get creative. There are things you can do that you haven’t even thought of yet to introduce young men to your church in non-threatening ways.

Well, that’s about it. Sorry it’s so fractured but that’s kind of what’s rolling around my mind tonight.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Congratulations, you're the fattest boy in camp OR Encourage Someone!

Thu, 13 May 2010 22:00:00 -0600

In the movie Heavyweights Ben Stiller plays a exercise guru that buys a summer camp for fat kids and tries to convert it into a weight loss camp. The movie is hilarious. In one of my favorite scenes his assistant Lars is weighing the boys in. He tells a camper named Sims: Congratulations Mr. Sims, you are the fattest boy in camp. To watch the clip, click here, the scene starts at 1:31.

What gets cut out is the reaction of all the other boys watching the weigh in. They all cheer for Mr. Sims, the fattest boy in camp.

Last night I went to boot camp at my gym Work Out West in Greeley. Like Mr. Sims, I was the fattest boy in camp. Boot camp is like a one-hour visit with Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser. The trainer Kim is a fitness competitor, she is one tough lady. There were about 40 fitness models, I mean participants in the class and I felt like Kevin James in a P90X video.

Anyway, about halfway through I didn’t think I was gonna make it. I’m mentally writing out my will and reviewing my life when I look over and Kim smiles at me and gives me a thumbs up. Now I’m 38 years old and I’ve done a good amount of motivational speaking for others but I was hurtin for certain. Her thumbs up ENCOURAGED ME!! There were about 20 minutes left in the hour class and that small gesture kept me going. It gave me a second wind and sustained me until the end.

Each of us need to be encouraged sometimes. We need to know that others believe in us and that others care and are watching. I could have quit and maybe nobody would have cared but Kims encouragement kept me going.

So today, let me encourage you. Don’t give up, you’re almost there. I read a quote yesterday that said: no one was ever declared the winner of a race halfway through. That’s true, you WILL WIN, but just don’t give up.

I bet there are people around you that also need to be encouraged. Would you consider being an encourager today? Paul tells us in the Bible: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thess 5:11)

Has anyone ever encouraged you when you were about to quit? Comment below about it.

Don’t give up, even if you are the fattest boy in camp!

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Love God Love People

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:00:00 -0700

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

Jesus breaks things down for this teacher of the law. The guy is sincerely asking Jesus a question as opposed to just trying to trap Him. Jesus responds with a 2 part answer. love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Man, that by itself is heavy. Do I love God with all of even one of these? All I can say is I’m trying.

2^nd part: Love your neighbor as yourself. Another huge challenge. Do I love people. People can be messy sometimes. They can be tough to love, tough to even like, tough to even be around. But Jesus didn’t say love God and tolerate people. Or Love God and deal with people. He said love God and love people. This is the goal. How am I doing, well, I’m working on it.

How are you doing with this? It’s important because this is the path to true contentment. Peace with God and peace with others.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Been A While

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:00:00 -0700

It’s been a while since I posted. I’ve been busy I guess. We moved our church to a new location and that has been awesome. It was a ton of work, more than I imagined but in the end it came out really cool.

I will post more often in the future.

Facilities

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:00:00 -0600

I believe I have found our next location. We have been looking for months. Building shopping is a drag when you don’t have a lot of money. Come to think of it, a lot of things are a drag when you don’t have a lot of money. Anyway, we found a space in downtown Greeley. It has awesome parking, great space for worship, nursery and kids church. It’s on the 3rd floor of a really cool building that everyone is familiar with because it houses the DMV.

I’m encouraged.

Time to move. We have a couple weeks left in our lease at our current spot and we’re gonna go for it and make a move soon.

Pray for us.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Church Planting, Starbucks and Monster.com

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:00:00 -0600

Today I’m in Columbus, Ohio at a training seminar for Monster.com. I have just been contracted by them to present their material for college funding in high schools. Not long ago I was working at Starbucks and pastoring Mosaic. A few weeks ago my wife and I both felt like God was telling us I should quick Starbucks. I was more than a little nervous about it but we felt it was the right thing to do even though I had no other job to jump to.

So I quit.

Actually I put in my 2 weeks notice. Our sister church, Amanecer Cristiano has started to pay me a small salary for doing the teaching each week. Even with that, quitting Starbucks was a leap for us.

Watch how God works…..

Back in June I saw an ad on Monster.com for public speakers so I made a tape of myself speaking and applied. The call-back date came and went and I heard nothing from them so I blew it off.

Watch how God works…..

Three days before my last day at Starbucks, Monster called me and now I’m in Ohio learning their program. Since we started Mosaic God has been amazing us on this journey.

Be encouraged bi-vocational pastor! God is on your side. Be alert to His voice and cues to adjust your course and stay on the path. Don’t give up, God is with us.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

Mosaic 1st Anniversary

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:00:00 -0600

This weekend we celebrated out 1st anniversary. It was a blast!

In Andy Stanley’s book “Making Vision Stick” he recommends celebrating victories regularly. I agree wholeheartedly and I will make more of a practice of celebrating what’s going right according to plan and what has exceeded our expectations.

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.

College

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:00:00 -0600

This semester I will finish my Kollege, or I mean college degree. I started in 1995 and went full time for 3 years. I then took about 7 years off before starting back to finish. I should have my B.A. in December. Now I’m thinking about continuing on to work on my Masters. I must be crazy but in the end I think it will be worth it. Hopefully I’ll finish that before I turn 40.

I’ll be the first person in my family to graduate from Kollege, definitely not the last.

Adelante Latinos!!

Thanks for reading, talk to you soon.