It was surely a trip Benjamin will never forget.  On the last day I was asking him what was his favorite part of the trip.  His reply, “being with you.”  Hoping to make this more of an annual trip and also include other fathers & sons.  Here’s a few shots of our week.

I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Just reading this and realizing how important it is to the Father that we bear fruit.  So what what does fruit look like for our lives?  And I wonder if bearing fruit is as important to us as it is to him?

So go for it.  Help me out – what do you think?

With Christ, great wisdom, faith and hope comes out of great suffering, adversity and struggle. After all that happens in life – God is still God and God is still good.

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Happy 4th Birthday Liza & Grace from Josh Agerton on Vimeo.

Made some good memories for sure.  As we pulled out of the park to come home Liza said, “Camping – be right back.”  We’ll see.  Need a little time and rest between this and our next camping trip!

What are your thoughts about this movement? How does this shape, change, help or hurt our connection and belonging with others? Seriously, just curious about what you think?

Along the way JD Walt – Sr. Editor of the Common Text Project and Dean of the Chapel at Asbury Seminary – is offering us some short teaching video clips that compliment our readings.   This one in particular captured me this morning and wanted to share it with you all.

Today we  are only on day 14 of 40 so come and read with us.  You can pick up a hard copy of the reader at or Cornerstone bookstore or just read daily at asburyreader.com.  Come follow Him with us.

Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,

You have brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see you in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold your glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter your stars shine;

Let me find your light in my darkness,
your life in my death,
your joy in my sorrow,
your grace in my sin,
your riches in my poverty,
your glory in my valley.

Amen

So over the next few days she organized herself – making signs, gathering supplies, and spreading the word, all with a little help from her parents, Trudi and Brett.  Then on Sunday January 31st in the Camden Ridge neighborhood of Auburn, Kirra set up her little card table and put out the signs, balloons and marshmallows.  In the next two hours the glass jar on the table filled up to a total $280.  But this grew even more when a neighbor, moved by the cause, offered to match the funds dollar for dollar…taking it up to $560.  The next week Kirra sent the entire $560 to the UNICEF, going to help aid orphaned children in Haiti.

What an amazing story that shows us what it looks like to love as Christ: a young girl rallying a neighborhood on a cold day to send money to those in need.  This is the wisdom of God that is poured into children that we often overlook and don’t see.  We’re too busy, too sophisticated, or just too self-centered to get it.  But Kirra’s heart got it.  We all have much to learn from her.

Kirra, thank you for teaching me and Cornerstone Church how to see and love the world like Jesus.  You are a champion and a true daughter of the King!

“It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love we put into them that matters.”  Mother Teresa