I was asked by several questions by people on Sunday about video-sermon we showed. The questions revolved around getting a copy of the sermon, the name of the book , etc.
So I thought I would use my first blog in a while to answer some of those and of course to shamelessly plug my Life Group.
The sermon we showed from Francis Chan will be available on our site very soon. Or you can go to the "One Prayer" site and check it out there. Hey, if a techy-challenged dude like me can find it on there , you can too.
The book he has out is called "Crazy Love". It is a GREAT read. So good!
I start this Wednesday taking my Life Group through it. So excited. I have read the book once and will read it again as our group walks through it. I am looking forward to getting other people's insights to the truths and challenges in the book. There is a DVD based study that coincides with each chapter. So if you want to join, let me know. Or if you can't join but want to read the book and have a follow along guide, there are some great resources available at 'crazylovebook.com'. I also heard that on one of the 'book selling sites' you can read the first chapter for free.
Anyway, I can't wait to go through this study. And would love to hear your comments. I had a guy tell me last night " So ya , I stopped and and bought the book for my son and started to read it and could NOT put it down. Two hours later, I still couldn't put it down!" So cool. Yup it'll do that to you.
Pumped!
Grant
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Advance
So it's been a little over a week since the Element Church Men's Advance ended, so I thought I would post some reflections about the weekend.
First of all, Thanks go out to Bob, Ryan and Jay for all the planning and organization for the event. I thought we went into the weekend very prepared and most of the event went off without a hitch. The food was awesome and there was plenty of it. Sleep---well that's another story.
Thanks to all of you who attended. I have heard a lot of great stories. Hope you enjoyed yourselves and will join us again next time. We are tentatively looking at late summer/early fall for the next advance. Also, thanks goes out to Calvary Chapel for letting us use their facilities. They stepped up bigtime to get things ready for us.
And thanks to Bob Norris for joining us as our guest speaker. You did great. I loved your concept of "Glorifying God And Enjoying Him Forever". Do I do that? Hopefully most of what I do in my day to day living glorifies God. But do I enjoy Him? Do I enjoy the journey? Have I lost my laughter? I was challenged by that.
Also, kudos go out to Bobby G. Way to go man. Loved your thoughts/talk on Saturday morning. You did great man!. So cool to watch from the sidelines as one of your friends.
I was blessed to be able to wrap things up by sharing on Sunday morning. The basic premise of my talk--"Shepherd Your Flock". Whatever 'flock' God has given you--lead and protect it with all you have. Be a "warrior-shepherd". My final challenge--"Make It Stick". Whatever God showed you this weekend--Make It Stick. How many times have you and I had a 'mountain top experience' and then gone back to normal everyday life and routine and totally forgotten what God showed us on the 'mountain top'? I know I have.
Again, thanks to all that went with us. I enjoyed getting to know more of you and watching you all connect with each other. It was cool to see new friendships formed. One final thought--we might want to put someone else in charge of the bonfire next time!
Advancing, Grant
First of all, Thanks go out to Bob, Ryan and Jay for all the planning and organization for the event. I thought we went into the weekend very prepared and most of the event went off without a hitch. The food was awesome and there was plenty of it. Sleep---well that's another story.
Thanks to all of you who attended. I have heard a lot of great stories. Hope you enjoyed yourselves and will join us again next time. We are tentatively looking at late summer/early fall for the next advance. Also, thanks goes out to Calvary Chapel for letting us use their facilities. They stepped up bigtime to get things ready for us.
And thanks to Bob Norris for joining us as our guest speaker. You did great. I loved your concept of "Glorifying God And Enjoying Him Forever". Do I do that? Hopefully most of what I do in my day to day living glorifies God. But do I enjoy Him? Do I enjoy the journey? Have I lost my laughter? I was challenged by that.
Also, kudos go out to Bobby G. Way to go man. Loved your thoughts/talk on Saturday morning. You did great man!. So cool to watch from the sidelines as one of your friends.
I was blessed to be able to wrap things up by sharing on Sunday morning. The basic premise of my talk--"Shepherd Your Flock". Whatever 'flock' God has given you--lead and protect it with all you have. Be a "warrior-shepherd". My final challenge--"Make It Stick". Whatever God showed you this weekend--Make It Stick. How many times have you and I had a 'mountain top experience' and then gone back to normal everyday life and routine and totally forgotten what God showed us on the 'mountain top'? I know I have.
Again, thanks to all that went with us. I enjoyed getting to know more of you and watching you all connect with each other. It was cool to see new friendships formed. One final thought--we might want to put someone else in charge of the bonfire next time!
Advancing, Grant
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Wrecked Afresh
So this morning I read Pastor Jeff's blog . Then I read Pastor Curtis' blog. (Both of them titled the same as this one) Then I picked up Wild Goose Chase to read chapter five -The Cage Of Guilt- to prepare for my Life Group tonight and I got 'wrecked afresh'. Man was my world rocked.
Now you need to understand I had already read the book before. We read it together as a staff back in August. But this time through was different.
Last time reading through I got very little out of this chapter. Maybe I power-read through it to get ready for staff meeting. Maybe my attitude was bad. Maybe I was distracted. Who knows. Interestingly enough, the whole story of Peter's denial of Jesus and his subsequent guilt and shame then later getting "reinstated" by Jesus is one of my favorite stories in all of the Bible. Maybe that was why. Maybe I thought " I already know this story. I'll just skim through it. I mean really, what more can I learn from this story. What more can I learn from this chapter." Uh.........WRONG!
This morning I was "wrecked afresh". SO many challenges from God, so many convictions, so many things to be grateful for, so many blessings--all at the same time. BAM! Wrecked.
One particular line just jumped off the pages straight into my heart---"It's like Jesus is saying to us 'You give Me all your sin. I'll give you all My righteousness. And we'll call it even'. Wow!
Wrecked,
Grant
Now you need to understand I had already read the book before. We read it together as a staff back in August. But this time through was different.
Last time reading through I got very little out of this chapter. Maybe I power-read through it to get ready for staff meeting. Maybe my attitude was bad. Maybe I was distracted. Who knows. Interestingly enough, the whole story of Peter's denial of Jesus and his subsequent guilt and shame then later getting "reinstated" by Jesus is one of my favorite stories in all of the Bible. Maybe that was why. Maybe I thought " I already know this story. I'll just skim through it. I mean really, what more can I learn from this story. What more can I learn from this chapter." Uh.........WRONG!
This morning I was "wrecked afresh". SO many challenges from God, so many convictions, so many things to be grateful for, so many blessings--all at the same time. BAM! Wrecked.
One particular line just jumped off the pages straight into my heart---"It's like Jesus is saying to us 'You give Me all your sin. I'll give you all My righteousness. And we'll call it even'. Wow!
Wrecked,
Grant
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Home
Last night at about 5:30 my mother-in-law, Janice, went home to be with the LORD. Like Ben and I were discussing last night, I can only imagine what that will be like.
Terri Lynn told me that the smile and the look of total peace--"the glow"-- on Jan's face was indescribable.
Yes, there are tears, and more to come. But knowing, not just wondering, where Jan is having "church" this Sunday is AWESOME! I can only imagine.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers and words. I really does mean a lot.
Grant
Terri Lynn told me that the smile and the look of total peace--"the glow"-- on Jan's face was indescribable.
Yes, there are tears, and more to come. But knowing, not just wondering, where Jan is having "church" this Sunday is AWESOME! I can only imagine.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers and words. I really does mean a lot.
Grant
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
PRAY
Please pray for my wife, Terri Lynn, and her family--specifically her Mom--Janice. Yesterday, Terri and her sister ,Jill, took an 'emergency' flight to Alabama. Jan is not doing well. It is not looking good. They landed last night in Atlanta at midnight and went straight to the Birmingham hospital from there. So I don't have any more info past that.
SO much more I could write at this point. My mind is racing. But I'll just ask all of you to pray.
Thanks, Grant
SO much more I could write at this point. My mind is racing. But I'll just ask all of you to pray.
Thanks, Grant
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Twenty Five Years Of Retail
Back in the fall of 1983 I started as a box-boy --carrying out groceries- at Big Horn IGA in Lovell, Wyoming. Yes, Pastor Jeff, they actually had grocery stores WAY back then. Hard to imagine, I know.
So for twenty-five years I have gone through the holiday seasons in the middle of the grocery store/retail world. The the biggest of those holidays--at least in the land of Frito-Lay--is yet to come-- The Super Bowl. It was always my biggest sales week. We called it a "push week". It was nuts and awesome all at the same time.
So this year-this "season"- has been kind of surreal for me. Honestly, at times I didn't know what to do, how to feel. So anyway, this year, on Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve day, and New Years Eve, I once again found myself in a grocery store. But this time it was VERY different. I was shopping not working. And guess who I ran into every time---the Frito-Lay man. Ironic?
And my wife and two boys have endured a lot with me through those years. Many holiday "eves" spent without me, because I was out working. This last New Years Eve was this first in my boys' memories that Dad was actually home--not out selling chips.
Now let me say this --I am NOT complaining at all. Those 25 years were priceless. It was a very good living. I learned a ton. Yes, I worked hard. But I loved it. That many years working with the public, your bound to learn a few things--especially about people. A lot of character traits forged through those years.
So now I find myself on the Element team. And, guess what, most of the same principles apply. I've learned a ton over the last five months, and SO much yet to learn. Bring it on! I am VERY blessed to be here, doing this. I am humbled. I am pumped. Greater thing are yet to come--greater things are yet to be done!
Work hard, play hard, sleep hard! And then do it all over again.
Grant
So for twenty-five years I have gone through the holiday seasons in the middle of the grocery store/retail world. The the biggest of those holidays--at least in the land of Frito-Lay--is yet to come-- The Super Bowl. It was always my biggest sales week. We called it a "push week". It was nuts and awesome all at the same time.
So this year-this "season"- has been kind of surreal for me. Honestly, at times I didn't know what to do, how to feel. So anyway, this year, on Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve day, and New Years Eve, I once again found myself in a grocery store. But this time it was VERY different. I was shopping not working. And guess who I ran into every time---the Frito-Lay man. Ironic?
And my wife and two boys have endured a lot with me through those years. Many holiday "eves" spent without me, because I was out working. This last New Years Eve was this first in my boys' memories that Dad was actually home--not out selling chips.
Now let me say this --I am NOT complaining at all. Those 25 years were priceless. It was a very good living. I learned a ton. Yes, I worked hard. But I loved it. That many years working with the public, your bound to learn a few things--especially about people. A lot of character traits forged through those years.
So now I find myself on the Element team. And, guess what, most of the same principles apply. I've learned a ton over the last five months, and SO much yet to learn. Bring it on! I am VERY blessed to be here, doing this. I am humbled. I am pumped. Greater thing are yet to come--greater things are yet to be done!
Work hard, play hard, sleep hard! And then do it all over again.
Grant
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Post Holiday Thoughts
I know, kinda weird to talk about the holidays in the middle of January. But just had a couple of thoughts/stories I wanted to share.
First of all, I just went through my first holiday season in 25 years of not being in the retail world. Much more to share from that in a later blog.
Rockin Eve Eve was AWESOME! I heard a lot of great comments after the program. Probably my favorite comment was from a man as he was leaving- "That was cool.....DIFFERENT....but COOL!" Loved that one. I told him I'd take that any day.
The Christmas Eve donut give-away was also cool. Ryan totally rocked getting it organized. Thanks man. I was blessed to be a part of it. We actually gave away 100 dozen donuts and two dozen cookies. I tell this story with permission of the family that did this. One of our core families didn't quite understand how the "program" was supposed to work. So , earlier that day when they were doing their own shopping they remembered they/we were doing some sort of outreach. So , while in the grocery store they bought a couple dozen cookies and gave them to the workers at the neighboring liquor store. Cool. So anyway, later that night I called them to see if they were going to come deliver their allotment of donuts. Their response " We already did it earlier today." "How?" "Uh, we bought our own and delivered them." "Oh ok. Well that'll work." So I was blessed to be able to deliver their "allotment" to the police station. We all had a good laugh about it later.
Another cool story that I also share, with permission of the participants. On December 23rd I got a call here at the office from one of the shelters here in town. The gal on the other end went on to explain the needs of a family in the city. The father had just lost his job, things were tight, etc. The family was not going to be able to have Christmas Dinner. The gal asked if we could help. I assured her we could. I got the pertinent info and hung up. I then started to send out an email to some Elementers asking for help. I was literally in mid-sentence of the email when I felt God say "Call 'Jane Doe' ". So I did. I closed my laptop. Gave 'Jane' a call. And literally within hours 'Jane' and her family had delivered boxes of food to this family. Awesome!
Another blessing for me was to see ALL of the gifts getting wrapped and stacked here in the office for the Adopt-a-Mom families. Cool. Last year I really didn't get to see that part, so that was fun for me. Thank all of you for giving. And thank all of you who shopped, wrapped, and delivered.
There is more, but those were the stories that I got to see from the inside.
Grant
First of all, I just went through my first holiday season in 25 years of not being in the retail world. Much more to share from that in a later blog.
Rockin Eve Eve was AWESOME! I heard a lot of great comments after the program. Probably my favorite comment was from a man as he was leaving- "That was cool.....DIFFERENT....but COOL!" Loved that one. I told him I'd take that any day.
The Christmas Eve donut give-away was also cool. Ryan totally rocked getting it organized. Thanks man. I was blessed to be a part of it. We actually gave away 100 dozen donuts and two dozen cookies. I tell this story with permission of the family that did this. One of our core families didn't quite understand how the "program" was supposed to work. So , earlier that day when they were doing their own shopping they remembered they/we were doing some sort of outreach. So , while in the grocery store they bought a couple dozen cookies and gave them to the workers at the neighboring liquor store. Cool. So anyway, later that night I called them to see if they were going to come deliver their allotment of donuts. Their response " We already did it earlier today." "How?" "Uh, we bought our own and delivered them." "Oh ok. Well that'll work." So I was blessed to be able to deliver their "allotment" to the police station. We all had a good laugh about it later.
Another cool story that I also share, with permission of the participants. On December 23rd I got a call here at the office from one of the shelters here in town. The gal on the other end went on to explain the needs of a family in the city. The father had just lost his job, things were tight, etc. The family was not going to be able to have Christmas Dinner. The gal asked if we could help. I assured her we could. I got the pertinent info and hung up. I then started to send out an email to some Elementers asking for help. I was literally in mid-sentence of the email when I felt God say "Call 'Jane Doe' ". So I did. I closed my laptop. Gave 'Jane' a call. And literally within hours 'Jane' and her family had delivered boxes of food to this family. Awesome!
Another blessing for me was to see ALL of the gifts getting wrapped and stacked here in the office for the Adopt-a-Mom families. Cool. Last year I really didn't get to see that part, so that was fun for me. Thank all of you for giving. And thank all of you who shopped, wrapped, and delivered.
There is more, but those were the stories that I got to see from the inside.
Grant
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