week-end highlights

pretty fast paced week-end... seems like I only start slowing down on Sunday afternoons...

meetings:
Sat down with several amazing volunteers on Friday night which serve in our KidsQuest ministry at Westside. 7 people in a church our size is pretty amazing for me to see. This allows people to serve about 1-2x per month. My hopes our that KidsQuest comes alongside our whole effort at Westside to see lives transformed (including families), relationships nurtured (of course within families too), and communities impacted (which also includes the neighborhoods where families live).

weddings:
I came to the end of a journey with a couple I helped prepare for marriage (counseling) by performing their ceremony (though the real journey is just starting). It took place at Chateau Vaudreuil - outside on the grass, with the water behind us - beautiful. Speaking to a mainly non-religious crowd about how humanity's been created in God's image and marriage has been designed in his plans was a very rewarding experience.

family:
my mom's in town for a few days and my kids are loving it - of course I'm really glad to have her with us to. also had a FULL Sunday lunch at my brother-n-law's place - my sister-n-law cooked up a tasty storm.

church:
i always enjoy re-emphasizing the value of community in our gatherings, which I did in a message called BAND OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS within a series called RIPPLE EFFECT. I never get tired of being reminded of the vision for community that the scriptures call us to, especially in Acts 2. my prayer is that Westside continues to grow (and there's glimpses of it often) into an authentic biblical community that loves God and others deeply.

friends:
friends of ours (Dom and Sonia) brought their twins over for a few hours Sunday night - the twins are growing so fast!!

hockey:
westside guys and friends kicked off our pick-up hockey season (Dom and I left the twins and wives to play); I really enjoy this hockey thing - fun, exhilarating, exercise (which i really need), and a little relational too (b/w line changes??); i really enjoy the fact that my neighbors and I get to go together.

monday:
a very calm day with a few things to get done (some work / some home) - ah tomorrow we dig into the week