Coffee with Seth when he was here.

Mark Driscoll's vid from "nightline"

Hey all,

If you didn't get a chance to catch Mark Driscoll's interview on Nightline you should check it out. Here is the link to the youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oyHtsU5z9U

-Me

one decision...

I wonder how many of my fellow bloggers write in the subject line before writing in the actual blog itself???

For me it can go either way. There are times where I am sitting here listening to music and hear God speak through the music then I just start to write... and what you get as an end result can be bad grammar, spelling and random ramblings kinda like this one. :)

Other times, I know exactly what I am going to say even before I start typing and the subject line then becomes in essence the entire basis for the blog.

Well since this is the "random ramblings" type I am not quite sure where this is all going...

thinking....

Listening...

ok, time to start typing...

Have you ever had a desire for something great???

I think everyone has some desire for something great. Some have more desire than others. I think for me I have a desire to be a great pastor one day but I know that if I don't take Risks than I will never know what I will amount to. It all comes down to one decision really. To risk it all...

Let me tell you a story.

When I was a senior in high school, I went to a school dance with Crystal (who later became my wife)... it was homecoming. At that time we were not dating... but I knew that I loved her from a previous time that we had dated earlier in high school. I dreamed of some day marrying her and settling down with her (I know kinda weird for a senior boy in high school). I knew that if I didn't at some point step up to the plate and tell her how I felt about her, or my case show it, that I could maybe lose her to some other guy. Well something inside gave me enough courage to go for it... and I did! I kissed her, it never felt so good, or so right. From that point forward I think we kinda both knew that we were made for each other. Maybe not, but it was a great start to an amazing relationship that believe me, has had some trying times and trials... but none the less, we have made it through and I don't think anything could come between us now.

But what I am getting at here is that some people have choices in there life both big and small. If I hadn't continued that dream and at some point ended up elsewhere, would I still be sitting in this chair. If I had not kissed Crystal that night at Homecoming senior year, would we have still got married?

One decision could have and probably would have changed many things. I risked and it paid off.... I got the love of my life and now I get to spend my entire life with her.

Think about the daily decisions you make, what will the result be.

I love life and it can be so exciting, yes trying at times but in the end it can be so fulfilling if we just make good decisions. I guess that is the point of this blog- to risk, to think, to make good decisions.

What will your story be?

-Tim

the upper room... a new thing

recently God has put on my heart a little bit of clarity on something that I am willingly going to share with you.



Since we started the Gresham Campus of Living Hope Church, (which isn't a campus really; it is actually a house church) aka "the upper room" last summer, we have tried to be something that we are not...



What do I mean???



I am talking about an identity crisis. I am saying that when you walk into Living Hope Church Brush Prairie, you feel like you are walking into a church... cuz you are. So what am I getting at here???



If we carry the name "Living Hope Church" then some things are bound to be similar, mostly just the worship and the message, but we went as far as to use the same white chairs that they have at most of the other campus'. I agree with my wife when she said that "the chairs suck."



So in short, this blog is about chairs... you read it right... about chairs.



I think it is time that we get rid of the white and brown chairs and go with the comfy sofa's and bar table and chairs. Agreed???



If you have a brown, tan, beige, taupe or black sofa and would like to donate it to "the upper room." Please contact me at 503.329.5203.

If you would like to donate $ to the cause then please also call.



We are destined to make our House Church, "the upper room", one that you will not only want to come on a sunday and hang out, but that you will want to come over during the week and share a cup o' joe up there too!



If your new, this is who we are...



We are a family of college-age people who join together to “Love God with everything we’ve got, to Love People with everything He gives us, and to Reach the World in need.” We meet at "the upper room" at 7:00pm on Sunday Nights, to worship and learn from God, and love each other. We hope to see you soon!


Please visit Livinghopechurch.com for any questions, to get connected, or if you just want to talk to someone... and visit our page - http://myspace.com/greshamcampuslhc or email us at greshamcampuslhc@gmail.com


your friend and brother,

Tim Reed

It's gunna be fun!

Thanks to Heather, my sister-in-law, she has (with her blog) inspired my next bible study... which I won't cancel this week... I promise!!! You should make sure and be here if you can. We meet and Aaron and Heather's place on mondays at 7:30pm. It is a way that we can grow closer together, and closer to God...

Come to think of it, that is actually what my next bible study will be all about. It's gunna be fun!

Be there!!! Just do it! (swoosh)

Romans 12:2

It's kinda funny that sometimes the little things you do to change a room makes it so inviting. Crys and I bought some lamps and created symmetry with these lamps... we also created light. And well with the combination of the two, symmetry and light, it made the room much more inviting. And as Crystal said earlier, it's not just a place where we have to go and sleep, it is now a 'living space' and all because of straighting somethings out and adding light.

I don't know why I just told you all that. I guess it just made for a good start to a blog.

Now to "segway" to something that is really on my heart.

Hum, where to start....

A few months ago pastor John talked about a "spiritual agitation." When you feel in your heart that something is not right, and that "something" needs to change. His words have been resonating in my heart for a long time, and I am just now starting to see what God was trying to show me.

This several month process is kinda like my room... I wasn't happy with it, I was agitated that our room didn't look good. And just like my room I guess I just needed to straighten some things out and I needed to shine a little light on the depths of depravity in my own life.

There would be absolutely no time in this blog to write all this stuff down. But let me share with you just something briefly.

There on many great teachers of our day. Billy Graham, Mark Driscoll, our very own John Bishop, John Mark Comer, Phil Baker and well the list goes on and on...

Ever since I felt a calling on my life to become a pastor my #1 goal was to see lost people come to Christ, to see families healed, to see relationships grow, to see people of all ages and types get "on fire" for God... one problem. Myself.

God has recently shined down on this area of my life called "Selfishness." So while I am studying to be this "great teacher" and pastor, I am noticing this small hint of selfishness... like at some point i would like to see my face on a bill board or a poster or something. The problem is with that is that it is not about me, it is about God and His Glory alone.

I kinda feel that this is the reason that God has not been able to use this ministry that we have here in Gresham to it's fullest capacity. So I have decided to change... to start, I am writing this blog. To share my depravity with others and ask for forgiveness is the first step. I am praying that God takes this "selfishness" out of my life and I pray that He will heal me and help me to grow and learn to be a better teacher and pastor.

Romans 12:2 (NIV)
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

what an amazing book...

"I apologize."

I have not done a recent blog in over two weeks... please forgive me. Let me just share with you about a book that both Crystal and I have read... she read it first then like 6 months later I finally got around to reading it...

The book:

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity
by William P. Young

This book has got to be one of the best books that I have ever read... now it is true, I don't read a ton of books, but even if I did, I would still say that this is one of the best books out there today. There is a a reason that there is over 1 million copies sold!

Brief Review:

The book is a story of a man (a Christian) who loses one of his young daughters in a very tragic, horrible, evil situation. I won't give the specifics, but imagine the worst and you're there. He becomes a sad, angry man.
The story is the Trinity inviting him to a meeting at the place (The Shack) which is where the evil took place... I got through the first 5 chapters and that is where it gets intense and you won't want to put it down. Long story short this book is about the "relationship vs. religion" in a very real, and certainly could be true, story. It has so much imagery that really this book could and should be turned into a Hollywood movie. If done right it could save so many lives.

Well that is all I will say about it, you will HAVE to go get it and read it for yourself if you haven't already.

Love you all and hope you all are doing well.

-Tim

P.S. If you think about it, I could really use prayer right now for a number of things. You don't have to know exactly what about, God does... and that is all that matters. :)