Neighbor Brunch this Sunday. Join us before or after the service you attend for good food + good conversation.
people are the prize
Kristen + i had 2 wonderful gifts this past weekend,
1. dedicating a new baby Noah, who has been born to BJ + Ema Tudor, a wonderful couple who i had the privilege of doing their wedding 3 years ago. we have been prayerful participants every step of the way, our new church wouldn't exist without their family. when i'm with them, i almost feel like an honorary Romanian (minus the nordstrom account + on point car).
2. celebrating the med school graduation of Debbie,11 years after being present for her high school graduation. she was in Kristen's legendary 'G- Squad' group and we have been prayerful participants to an incredible journey, her brothers and family are some of my favorite people on planet earth. when i'm with them i feel like an honorary African (and i ate the SPICIEST goat at the party to prove it)
life is challenging + busy + it's easy to justify letting relationships take their course and eventually not talking to folks as much anymore. seasons change, geography shifts, we aren't at the same church - job - team - stage of life anymore etc ... but for what it's worth, the extra effort to keep nourishing those relationships along provides some of life's richest blessings.
a few things i have learned to help keep a lot good people in your life
be someone who is easy to pick up where you left off with .. most of us can only walk day to day with 3-5 people, but we can walk year to year with hundreds.
be positive in whatever way you can ... lots of people you used to know will be posting things or making choices you don't agree with, bless whatever you can on social media or in-person, no one wants to be critiqued by one of their 'once-in-a-while' friends.
communicate to people that they matter to you. i have walked an unusual path that resulted in being suddenly separated from lots of folks i love. just because things didn't pan out the way you wanted or circumstances changed things, telling people you care or remembering birthdays or texting a fun memory often helps shrink the divide.
anyway ... i love the people in these pictures a lot. and i feel so blessed by seeing them develop and grow. if you want that too, a little effort goes a long way.
Peace might be one of the most highly desired commodities in the world and yet there’s some grossly overrated counterfeits. While nothing is inherently wrong with some of the things that we pursue to get it, true peace can’t come from the spa, golf course or more time in bed. True peace is found in trusting God with the things that you are carrying and expecting his delivery of grace and strength to keep going amid any variety of circumstances.
Last fall I was reading through the New Testament and as I read through Philippians I didn’t want to move on. I wanted to stay right in that fourth chapter; the practicality of it spoke to my heart. As I prayed for where God would lead me for my morning hour study it was right back to this text. And this week, as the women gathered on zoom we each came with various burdens on our hearts.
Philippians 4:4-7 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Let’s remember that Philippians is written by Paul whose writing from jail. He begins with encouraging the Philippian church to rejoice no matter their circumstances. He also reminds them that whatever it is that is burdening their hearts, that they can’t forget the fact that God brings justice and rights any wrongs in the end. We don’t know the day or hour that he does so; but we can be confident of that moment coming. And then he encourages them to pray, he doesn’t neglect the human battle of anxiety but rather faces it head on. He goes even further to promise that when we come to God with problems up to our ears that the peace of God has the power and ability to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
I was recently at an event near a high-profile person. There were security guards around but there was one person assigned to this specific person. And if anyone came within a few feet of them that they would guard the person’s life. That security guard wasn’t messing around; he knew what he was there to do and he took it extremely seriously. That’s what God’s peace is like if we are willing to do our part in bringing these ‘heavy-weights’ burdening our hearts to him. He guards you. There’s nothing in your life in this moment that he hasn’t allowed. It has to pass through Him first. Now, you can either be mad at him that he allowed it or trust that he has good purpose in mind for it.
One of the things I hate the most is to sleep at our house without Luke. I don’t even watch scary movies but somehow all the ‘bad guys’ and monsters come to mind if I have to fall asleep on my own. A few years back Luke was on a trip for awhile and I knew I had to face this fear of mine to sleep on my own night after night. I’m telling you, I gave that fear to God and for as long as that trip lasted I slept ‘as they say’ like a baby. That wasn’t magical, that was the peace of God guarding my heart and mind. I don’t know what you are facing this week or month but I know that the peace of God is real and we can’t settle for less.
Cup of Leadership
It’s a sad truth ... but this old lyric rings true. people are more likely to bring you flowers to your grave,than soup when you’re sick. that is common, but it isn’t right.
we are better at memorializing than reconciling. more likely to eulogize than empathizing. prone to grab the easy social credit when there is no longer any risk of social stigma.
sadly, we Christians have lots of room to grow ... we so aggressively moralize our rightness that we often have no choice but to signal our virtue by pretending the person that’s ‘sick’ (whether fairly or unfairly, whether circumstance or sin) doesn’t exist anymore. if you would be sad they are gone, probably worth sorting things out this side of heaven.
(reposting, first wrote this 2 years after pondering my friend Darrin Patricks passing)
Saturday Morning Book Review
little break this week … my friend, katy, is an amazing photographer + member of our church. she wrote a few tips to help you get great snaps this summer in all of your upcoming adventures
As a professional photographer, I don’t always want to bring my camera equipment with me to capture my personal life. Gearing up for the summer, I know you’ll want to snap photos of your family out at a sports game, meet up with friends, or perhaps capture a moment to remember. These are 5 things that have helped me abide by the general basics of photography. Here are 5 tips to take better photos on your phone this summer!
Tip #1. Light.
Looking out for the best opportunities to take a photograph starts with knowing the best lighting circumstances. The best lighting is sunrise and sunset because it is the softest for portraits and it has the best colors and shadows for landscapes. Always keep the light in mind and see how it affects your image.
When it’s the middle of the day, look where the sun is. Place the sun behind your subject to create even light and avoid having unwanted shadows. Bonus: no one will be squinting in the photo!
Tip #2. Rule of Thirds.
You’ve probably heard of this one before because it’s the oldest rule in the books. When you are capturing an image, make sure you keep the subject in mind to balance the elements where the lines intersect. The only moment this rule is understood then it can be broken for a vertical photo. You can place your subject in the center of your photo, and it can still be very aesthetic. Keep an eye out for how leading lines draw your eye to the subject when taking a photo. Try your best to take your photo with lines of symmetry.
Tip #3. Action Photography.
Use the burst feature on your phone to take multiple photos at once. If you tap and hold on the capture button it will take 10 photos/second. This will help you capture the moment you really wanted, and you won’t miss capturing it a second too late!
Tip #4. Long Exposure Photography.
Use the live option when taking the image, go to your camera roll and pull up the image you want to edit. Swipe up and see the features “loop” “bounce” and “long exposure”. It creates a really cool image showcasing a long exposure in just seconds. Just make sure you hold your phone still!
Tip #5. Editing.
Select the edit option to make your image sharper. There are so many tools in the edit tab. I recommend using the “auto” option and playing around with the image from there. You can tap and hold on to the image to see the before and after.
Now when you find yourself in photogenic moments, you’ll be able to apply these important steps to level up your phone photography skills!
have a great weekend …
luke + kristen