Destrehan Plantation

This morning Stephany and I visited Destrehan Plantation just outside New Orleans and here are some pictures from our visit.

     

We are back in NOLA!

This afternoon we arrived in New Orleans to celebrate this weekend with Calvary New Orleans at their 10 year anniversary outreach and services!  We checked into our hotel and met up with some of the people from the church for dinner before their midweek Bible study.  We ate at ACME Oyster House which is one of my favorite places to go while in town.  Pastor Kevin has been teaching on the gifts of the Spirit on Thursday’s and tonight he was teaching on the gift of teaching!  It was a great study and great to see people from the church again.

However, after service Stephany and I along with a friend were able to go and see one of Stephany’s favorite Jazz musicians Kermit Ruffins.  Every Thursday night he plays at Vaughn’s in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans.  We got there around 9:30 and stayed until midnight and Kermit was still going strong.  The music was great and there was also red beans & rice that you could help yourself to, they were excellent!

Tomorrow we are going to the Destrehan plantation in the morning before meeting up with a couple that are flying into town for the weekend as well!

Sickening Revisited

I am absolutely sick over the way that the ASU football team has been performing.  With embarrassing loses to UNLV (I still can’t believe that happened) to getting exposed by Georgia to not even wanting to watch the game against Cal because their lack of concentration (turnovers & penalties) and effort. 

I am afraid we are in for a long season – especially since we go to USC this weekend; and we don’t even know who will start at quarterback.  It looks as if right now, our only hope of making the season somewhat successful is to beat U of A (that is the most important game to win every year anyway).

Walking (actually flying) to New Orleans

It is only a couple of hours until Stephany and I leave for New Orleans!!!  We are going to be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Calvary Chapel New Orleans this weekend.  They are having a neighborhood block party at the church with live music, food, games and jumpy castles for the kids.  I will try and update the blog throughout our trip.

Study of Habakkuk

Tonight at our home Bible study we began a new book study.  We are going to take 3 weeks and go through the minor prophet of Habakkuk.  I am excited about teaching this book for the first time – this is part of my series entitled “Books I Have Never Taught Before”!  If you are interested in checking out our community group just leave me a comment and I will give you the info.

The end of Ezra

Tonight our home Bible study just finished studying through the book of Ezra.  This was my first time teaching through the book and it has become one of my favorites. 

The book begins by following a man named Zerubbabel and Jeshua the high priest as they leave Babylon for the destroyed and broken city of Jerusalem, where they would restore and rebuild the temple; followed by Ezra (some years later) the scribe who was a man who loved the Lord and was passionate about teaching the Word of God. 

Ezra understood that God’s hand was upon him to go and accomplish the work of leading people to a deeper walk with God.  And through his ministry, revival and reform broke out amongst the exiles who had returned. 

If you haven’t read through this great book of the Old Testament – let me encourage you to do so.  They way that God used these men recorded in the book (as well as Nehemiah, for that matter) and the pagan kings who financed the project is truly amazing.  I have been greatly blessed by the practical ways in which Ezra lived and what he was passionate about, as well as his intense concern for the spiritual state of the people of Israel!  Check it out!

Sickening

My sister, Stephany, Micah and I went to the ASU vs. UNLV football game on Saturday night.  It was my wife’s first ASU game and unfortunately they lost in overtime.  ASU dropped out of the AP poll rankings and fell to #24 in the USA Today poll. 

I don’t want to say that my wife cursed the game by attending (totally kidding) or that ASU overlooked their opponent (probably more realistic) on their way to play Georgia next weekend, but I left the game feeling sick over their awful performance.  Now they have to beat Georgia to put themselves back into the top 25 and restore some kind of respect from the national media – who has already crowned USC Pac-10 champs. 

   

Mars Hill Church Seattle

This morning we had the opportunity to visit Mars Hill Church.  I have been very blessed by the teaching and ministry of Pastor Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill.  Their desire to reach people in culture with the transforming message of Jesus while planting churches throughout the US and internationally through the Acts 29 church planting network is exciting. 

Pastor Mark, fresh off his trip to Australia was finishing up his sermon series on prayer entitled “Pray Like Jesus”.  And this week he was teaching the first part of the high priestly prayer of Jesus found in John 17.  It was a great message and I was encouraged to not look at suffering or difficulties in life as obstacles but as opportunities to see God move in our midst.  It was a much needed encouragement from the Lord!

Our time in Seattle has been very refreshing for both Stephany and I, even though we have been going non-stop.  We also hit Seattle at the right time of year and it hasn’t rained one day (even though I was hoping we would get a little rain).  Stephany and I definitely want to come back and we haven’t even left yet.  If you get the chance to come to the Pacific Northwest, enjoy the city of Seattle and while in town check out Mars Hill Church…you will be blessed!

Safeco Field (Yankees vs. Mariners)

Tonight we went to Safeco Field to watch the Mariners play the hated New York Yankees (though there was a large crowd of Yankee supporters).  The Yankees won the game 7-4, which was the only game they won in this three game set.  Our friends who came with us on the trip are big Yankee fans and picked the right game to come to.  Safeco Field is a great ballpark and though it does have a roof, we haven’t had any rain so far.  In fact, there has been 6 straight days of sunshine in Seattle!

         

Pike Place Market

This morning we went to the famous Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.  In the market you will find everything from fresh flowers, vegetables & fruit, fresh seafood of all kinds, various arts and craft vendors and even some guys that like throwing fish.  It is here that the original Starbucks is located and a little french bakery called La Panier that is out of this world.