doing life in midtown

laziness

2006-10-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

man some how I feel off the blogging wagon and just got lazy. i know i disappointed several thousand people out there (well maybe my mother?) but I’m back and I’m blogging or trying to blog. so i hope to be posting again – some of the stuff I deal with everyday or that God is dealing with me about in my life everyday.

tim

starbucks

2006-07-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

i'm one of those people who has the privilege of working (office) out of starbucks. it's a fun place to work and helps prevent any afternoon nod off or the afternoon energy slump - and there's always great coffee - caffeine in all kinds of flavors and drinks and ethos bottled water - it's the most amazing place to have meetings. being a church planter it is so amazing to see all my neighbors, friends and people I do not know yet come through and visit for a while. it's almost like visiting with neighbors on the front porch. i heard a story about a pastor one time who literally put his desk on the side walk in a big city to constantly interact with life. to me that's what starbucks has become for me. - a life place.

tim

mississippi

2006-07-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to mississippi this week-end with 7 other amazing people to try and help those who lost so much last year in hurricane katrina. we were going to do some roofing but it looks like we will help a man with a needed deck for his house. it's going to be a good old road trip. it's amazing that these seven people or any people would sacrifice for somebody else. this man named jack mccormick is leading the team and he has been leading teams in mississippi trying to make a difference for about a year now. great guy.

discipline

2006-07-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

Why is living a discipline life so hard? Why does a discipline life seem so scary? And how is it I can be so disciplined to something that in the long run is not helpful? Dictionary.com defines discipline the following way.

dis·ci·pline 1.Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.
2. Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training; self-control.

I’m 42 years old and I think the hardest part of my life is discipline. I think I’m learning a discipline person is not disciplined in one area of life – but a disciplined person practices discipline in what I would call the BIG 4 or me the complete total package person - Physically, Spiritually, Emotionally, Psychologically.

It’s amazing that you can choice not to practice a certain discipline in your life - not eating right - than some kind of health problem comes up and all of sudden it’s seems you either change or else. Or you enter a specific time of focus on a discipline and you realize how un-discipline your life has been. I think spiritual disciplines are the like a 360 miror that God can use to show you where you are in your life.

I continue to learn God is the only one who can give me the power to live a discipline life.

help

2006-06-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

What's the best way to help somebody?

I think the best way to help somebody is to introduce them to Jesus. I believe Jesus can help anyone or do anything. He can change something in a minute. But what happens when the person who needs help does not want help or Jesus? Or when somebody talks about having a relationship with Jesus and there is and all out war in the persons life against any change and as a matter of fact there seems to be no change. Does that mean Jesus is not powerful enough to bring about change in that persons life? Or Jesus only works for "some people hard wired for God" to quote a man I know.

NO!

But yet how can a person still hunger for things that seem to be so unhealthy and say they have a daily relationship with Jesus?

It seems on the human side I can spend to much time trying to figure out why not or how come a person does not change or their situation does not change - or I can continue to trust and obey God. Continue to pray - not the prayer - God give me what I want or need or a person needs but - what are you saying in this situation. Continue to ask God to show me how to love sinful people.

By the way - I'm a sinful person.

Thank you God for loving people. God has come into my life, I have surrendered control and everyday by His power and His word, there is less sin. Not to mention that being in a relationship with Him, His Spirit convicts me of my sin and because of the relationship and Jesus' death on the cross there is confession and forgiveness of sins because He is my Lord and Master. So how long do we keep helping people? I pray everyday God would teach me. And at the end of the day it's not Tim - but Jesus who answers all these questions and Jesus is the only one who will help anybody. Because Jesus does not give people a quick fix. He gives his life.

Tim

who you kissing

2006-06-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

We had an amzing God night at 1027church Sunday. It was a good Sunday. I hope everytime we gather at 1027church God is totally in control and speaks through every minute we are gathered together. On a night like last night once again the main thing was God but right along side was His power through Prayer, Music, Giving, Life Story's and the Bible. And if you have not read Hosea 13:2 in a while - wow it's awesome. The summary of the verse is - what are we kissing? Thanks God for doing something at 1027church in the city.

Tim

world cup soccer

2006-06-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

wow - still trying to understand what happened with the USA soccer team in the world cup. i'm not a huge soccer fan, as a matter of fact it just been in the last six years - soccer, you might say it has grown on me as my 12 year old son started playing six years ago. asa is passionate about the game - so hoping i'm a good dad we have spent some time watching the fifa world cup.

we watch some college football together, pro football, basketball, once in a while catch a braves game but watching the soccer has been fun. but getting back to the usa team not advancing to the next round. i do not know enough about soccer to even try to be a leather couch coach - but it is so strange that there is so much blame flying around. the coach, the players, but maybe we are just not that good? the team looks great to me.

so we are pulling for italy - my wives family is italian.

summer league baseball

2006-06-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

There might be nothing better than summer league baseball. I know, if anybody is reading these blogs and you are not big on sports – I just lost you. But there is something about going out to the ball filed in the summer and watching a child play the great American past time. The games usually last two hours and it seems to me they slow you down for two hours. Those two hours not only allow you to watch your child play and compete but to listen and talk to other adults – people.
I spend a lot of time in Starbucks and other coffee houses – but it seems to me that most people in coffee houses today are so isolated, either on their computers or on the cell phone with a person who is across town in another coffee house. Could it be we are losing the capacity to interact with other people? The ability to look somebody in the eye and ask how are you doing and really care about what they say or even really listen. Especially those people who do look like us or maybe even do not think like us.
I’m learning it takes time to get to know people – I also have to work on listening to them and not trying to finish their statements or zoning out on the conversation because I do not agree with them. (This is where I tie these thoughts back into the baseball theme by saying) and strike out at building relationships. Or get called out. Seriously it is so good to sit down and have conversations with people ad not drift further out into the sea of isolation. But be a human being and listen and talk to other people because they matter to God.

home made pasta

2006-06-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

There is something so amazing about people coming around a BIG table to eat a meal. A meal that is not rushed and seems to invite the most amazing conversation. Not to mention when the main dish is home made pasta (cranked out of the pasta machine) – made by Italians. Now you can gather around other food. But homemade pasta, hand rolled meatballs, Italian sausage, fresh salad, and canoli’s. And other amazing food. When my mother-in-law and wife roll this out as well as other great meals and everyone comes to the BIG table sometimes 8-10 people and even others eating in the table in the next room. It seems like time stops – like everyone is enjoying listening to and having an amazing conversation. Last night we had the privilege of hearing a friend share what our Father God is doing in Africa. It was amazing and so challenging and convicting. It was also a little over whelming to wonder about my personal life and to reflect how much control I allow God to have in my life or what I would call my stuff.

We had the art of slowing down to listen to human beings and their stories (life) – to listen to and hear God, to see God alive in the lives of those gathered at the table, the art of food, artists at the table and all a mere shadow or reflection of our Father God the master artist creator and inventor of Home made Pasta.

late night at the waffle house

2006-06-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had the opportunity to spend some valuable time w/ 3 amazing church planters and an amazing guy who coaches and leads church planters. Tonight it seemed God called us to the waffle house for some good waffles and talk about the main thing - not stuff, our personal agendas, not what is right or wrong about the world but talking about people who need Jesus to be the Lord of their lives. And right there in the crazzy off the chain waffle house - it is amazing how even when it is late the waffle house is still hopping. We prayed specifically for God to use His bride the church to save people - people we are sewing the gospel into and people we prayed for by name and even rejoiced in those he has saved through one of the church plants whuch is in San Diego. What an amazing night - asking God not to allow us as church planters - kingdom people to throw gutter balls. God Rocked tonight in the waffle house - and this was in Greensboro, NC. I cannot wait to get back to my city Atlanta - tomorrow Tuesday and hear what God did at Starbucks Monday through art w/ the singers in the round and Scott Erickson an amazing painter. "How Great is Our God."

Tim

good stuff

2006-06-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a GREAT week-end at 1027church. Honestly we seem to have alot of good week-ends because God just does amazing things. This coming Sunday one of our elder's Malcolm Foss will be teaching, and Scott Erickson will be in town and will be with us Sunday. He is an amazing artist from Seattle. He will be painting at 1027church Sunday - acting just like His Father God who is a creator. Then Scott Erckson will join Jonathan Rich and some friends in a concert music and painting - ART - at 7th Street Starbucks on Peachtree. God is so good.

Tim

crazy saturdays

2006-06-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

It seems the older I get the crazier Saturdays get. It almost seems like Saturday becomes the day you do as much as possible as long as possible. I know this sounds like some winning coming down the blog street – I don’t think so (well maybe – maybe not.) yesterday was Saturday – it started at 5:30 am with the alarm going off – I had an opportunity to volunteer for a couple of hours at a local event (Virginia Highland Summer Festival 5K road race), then about 9 am I helped my wife set up a booth at the Virginia Highland Summer Festival for the Inman Middles School Photo Club to sell some of their prints. The money they make goes back into the photo club and some to the amazing middle school artists. Then I ran a quick errand for my wife – went and picked up my daughter at horse ridding lessons, drove through chick-fil-a and got lunch for Ariah and Asa and myself. Went home for what only seemed like a second and then took my son Asa to baseball practice. Then Asa and I went to try to help a guy, couldn’t connect by phone so went back by the Virginia Highland Summer Festival to pick up Seth and Pam. It was now 4:30 pm and Asa needed to get to a good friends party he was invited which started at 5 pm. Asa got ready to go to the party Pam made some food for Seth, we left the house and went to the party. Then Pam and I had the opportunity to connect with a man who I had tried to help out earlier and after picking him up and taking him to the grocery store and taking him home and praying with him –which was an important part of the day – maybe the main thing – because I’m trying to allow God to move me into the zone where the fullness of life is found in self sacrifice – hard lesson for me to learn. Pam and I then raced to Target for something we needed – picked some house warming goodies for a new church planter Todd Briggs/Epic Village in the city and his family and ran by their neighborhood to shout out at them and give some welcome love to the city. We left there to go back to the birthday Asa was attending to hang out with the birthday boys parents our friends Tanya and Peter. We had some GOOD conversation -Then loaded up came hose watched a little of the mavericks & suns game and went to bed. What a day! I’m pretty sure I do not know what all that means other than – for me I was almost too busy to help out somebody who had a need. I almost missed it. I hope I was a help as a volunteer, as a dad, a husband, but I hope crazy Saturdays are not just a title for crazy any days and because of busyness, I miss out on getting to serve somebody who needs help.

I'm learning how to live in the city - or how to live!

Tim

road trip

2006-06-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

road trip not a big one but a good old road trip. I do some contract work weekly and this week I'm basically on a road trip. left Atlanta Wednesday night for Jonesboro, left Jonesboro this morning Thursday for Macon, then later this afternoon headed for Birmingham, AL and return Sweet Home Midtown Friday afternoon. The cool thing about this road trip is that I'm traveling with a good friend colleague. So we are having some amazing conversations as we travel in the car. Some great planning has also come out of time together and we have just arrived in Macon for training.
Another amazing thing about this road trip is my friend is a committed Christ follower so this morning we got to start the day off at a Starbucks in Jonesboro which was crazy because we ran into a lawyer who works in the city and I meet one day at 14th Street Starbucks. Anyways my friend and I got to spend some time practicing a spiritual discipline dwelling in the word (Bible). To simplify dwelling in the word is just chewing on a specific text over and over again for a period of time. Looking at the text from multiple levels and perspectives for the purpose of missional life transformation and application. So that's what we got going today and it's exciting so on the road again - on a steal horse I ride - because I wanted - oh those are lyrics from the song. but there is no place like home.

tim

addiction

2006-05-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

What does addiction really mean? Is there a healthy addiction? Jonathan Rich – the good fight – has a line in one of his songs, “addicted to anything that’s empty we’re desperate and needy.” I have been thinking a lot about addictions lately. As a human being I think addiction is a part of everyday life in this world. I think if I look in the mirror at myself I see addictions. Addicted to eating too much? Addicted to caffeine or too much chips & salsa. Addicted too much soda and not enough water. Addicted to wasting time or even blaming circumstances or people for the quality of our life. And then there is that word moderation. The word on the street or conventional wisdom says, you just practice healthy or practical moderation with these addictions. But moderation does not help the crack addict or the alcoholic, or how does a person practice moderation with pornography. Why are some addictions expectable and others we try to cover up or mask? Who defines moderation? Life is hard and it seems as I look at myself in the mirror – addictions only make life harder. I need help. My help comes from Jesus Christ. For me He is the one who sets me free from my addictions and or the temptation and exposes the need to be free from addiction. He also gives me direction for moderation. Moderation for me is not allowing something to master me – when something masters me it is an addiction - sin and needs to be exposed. Derek Web singer song writer says, “the greatest thing that could happen to all of us is that are lives be totally exposed on the 5 o’clock news so we would stop trying to hide things.”

I will probably come back to visit this blog topic from time to time.

tim

meet daniel

2006-05-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

Have you ever-meet Daniel? Daniel is one of those guys who everything in the world is positive. Everyday for Daniel is great, and he will ware you out as far as serving others or volunteering or just down right doing the right thing. Daniel is a student at Georgia Tech, I think in his second year. Daniel is the kind of guy you think is what a Christ follower is suppose to look like. Because of the way he lives his life. I got to spend some time w/ Daniel and Ted yesterday at the Braves game it was a lot of fun. Oh by the way – Happy Birthday Melanie, great job on the surprise party Cameron.
But I could not stop thinking about the fact – Daniel lives his life in a way that he looks like Jesus. I’m not saying Daniel is perfect. And I’m positive that Daniel would not be totally crazy about this blog.
I said all this because being around some one like Daniel makes me wonder if somebody were around me for a period of time – what would they have to say? In my life some times it so hard to want to be selfish and or NOT put my self first - instead of living out self sacrifice – practicing that the fullness of life is found in self sacrifice - which is right where Daniel hang out all the time. Not because Daniel is a good guy. The great thing about all this – I do not have to strive to be like Daniel – all I have to do is allow God to have complete control and make me like Jesus. And that’s what Daniel looks like – Jesus.

Midtown needs more people like Daniel or Jessica.

This is LOVE!

2006-05-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

Love - what does it mean, what does it look like, how do we feel love? Tonight God showed us LOVE from the book of his prophet Hosea and the relationship he had with Gomer a prostitute. Great name for Hosea's wife. At 1027church God brought together a group of people pulled together an amazing quilt of music, life stories, art, worship in music, prayer, song and the word of the Lord about what Love looks like for him. Even as the evening started w/ Bob Marley's question is this Love - is Love that I'm feeling? I'm so thankful to be the pastor/church planter at 1027church and see some amazing God stuff happening all week long in Midtown. Not just for 75 minutes on Sunday evening. But celebrating on Sundays the power and freedom of God's word lived out all week in a world that would seduce us to love something other than our husband - Jesus. But God never stops loving us or calling us to live in a zone where just like in Hosea 2:14 God is wooing us - courting us, leading us to the deepest level of intimacy. Not just at weekly worship gatherings but all week long. God is courting us to love him and not play the whore and go after other gods.

Thank you God for teaching us your bride about Love - fill us with your Love.

Tim

Thanks

2006-05-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

Thank you Wilson Empire for sharing your music with the city tonight at 7th Street Starbucks. There was so much energy in the city tonight as so many people where wandering up and down Peachtree Street going or coming somewhere. I know my two boys enjoyed watching all the spinners on all the great cars cruising Peachtree tonight. Wilson Empire has done several free concerts at Starbucks for 1027church or maybe some Felini’s Pizza. They have a song on their new CD – entitled Jacob’s pride. Great feel to the song and the words are over the top.
The song talks about FREEDOM coming from repentance, and need for a Nation to repent – blindness that keeps us from FREEDOM. Not repenting being Jacob’s Pride – cheating us of truly living. Great job guys! Thanks for doing the concert.

Tim

she's still my baby

2006-05-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

On Friday Pam and I got little bit older together as parents. My first baby – my daughter finished her last year at middle school and will be a freshman at Grady High School next year. We had a brunch after what is called the celebration gathering at Inman Middle School. One of the family’s we invited over just had a baby boy. I held their beautiful six week old son and you know, I thought, it was the other day, my girl was that little. And like the line in the movie – “that thing you do.” shame on me for closing my eyes because my baby growing up way to fast. My daughter has made a commitment to live for Christ to be a Christ follower. She is beautiful on the inside and out, and thank goodness not only looks like her mom but is very intelligent and probably could help out her dad with grammar and stuff on the blog.

I love my baby and I’m very proud of Ariah. High School better watch out - here comes my baby!

my bicycle, friends, art, ipod - random

2006-05-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

You ever have one of those days where it just seems perfect? Not because anything great happened or everything went your way. As a matter of fact I think I lost something today and I hope I find it where I think I left it, but I spent a lot time on my bike today. I do not want you think I’m Lance Armstrong or something- I live in midtown Atlanta and you can get everywhere on a bike. This blog is kind of random but today was a perfect day on the bike. Although I do have to say that ridding a bike in traffic is kind of dangerous when you are listening to the ipod. Which some good friends just gave me a week ago.
All that said tonight at the ten high, I got to spend some time with two amazing artists – Jonathan Rich aka The Good Fight and Jeremy Ezell aka Wilson Empire. These are two artists that have something to say and it’s beautiful. Also some good news I got carded tonight at the ten high at the door - okay maybe they card everyone but it made this 42 year old feel young. So how does all this fit together? I don’t know. But it was a great day on my bike, listening to tunes on the ipod, spending time with godly guys - the elders at 1027church @ willy's in piedmont park, a godly man - Kris McDaniel, some time with a friend at San Fran coffee house, 4 ga tech guys at rocky mountain pizza eating buffalo chicken pizza for dinner, praying with some friends and listening to rock and roll with two artists who are creating just like their Father – God. I like to ride my bicycle!

Maybe today was not so RANDOM – maybe just this blog entry!

God and a good cup of coffee

2006-05-24T04:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it takes a real good cup of coffee to get the day started. Everyone has there own opinion about where you get a good cup of coffee. But for me the stronger the better. It seems as the week runs on a cup of coffee helps out so much. I even like spending time in the coffee shop. I spend a lot of time in coffee shops. After I get some good coffee I like to journal stuff that is happening in my life. For me journaling is a spiritual discipline a road map of what God is doing all around me. The entries become spiritual markers of God's work, power, grace, love in my life, family, midtown the world. God is alot better than a good cup of coffee - but thank God so much - for coffee.

Tim

the city lights rock

2006-05-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

WOW - the sky line in Atlanta is beautiful and colorful at night in Midtown. Tonight Pam (my wife) and I ate dinner at our friends condo in Midtown 13 floors up. As we sat around watching the sun go down and watching the sky line light up it was spectacular. The four of us sat there tonight eating a great meal and then drinking coffee and talking about life. People either love the city or seem to complain about it. It's amazing how if you are not careful life can be all about complaining about something or even someone. Tonight it seemed like life was so good. Being up on the 13th floor looking out over the city - everything seemed like a one of a kind piece of art. I think what made everything so special tonight was - 4 people sharing their lives together - 4 people investing maybe one of the most precious things they have time into each other and time just seemed to slow down and even almost pause. Time might be one of the most valuable things I have and maybe the most something that all of need so much more of. Oh what a night.

Tim