Where in the Java - Episode 3

Join Seth and Erik for another episode of "Where in the Java?" This week Erik is on vacation so Shane is filling in. Remember, if you guess the correct cafe, then you get a StarBucks card!

Wake Up Fisher's Landing!

Coming later this fall, a new video blog series for you. Wake Up Fisher's Landing!

The Sheep

Yes, it's our pre-service video, live on the blog. Now you can come and watch Seth's sheep-tipping adventure whenever you'd like as well as share it with your friends!

Where In the Java - Episode 2

Thank you to those of you who commented on the last "Where in the Java..." blog. Congrats to the "finders" of the last mystery coffee shop. For those of you who may have missed it, we were at the Albina Press in Portland. This week we're actually in Fisher's Landing, check it out!

One Bad Hair Day.

Oops. Call it a mid-life crisis, or a failed attempt to make it on a "Just for Men" commercial. What happened you ask? Well last night I got the inspiration, if you want to call it that, to have my wife lighten my hair a few shades (key phrase there...a few). So last night my wife went to work, putting on this layer of bleach to my hair. Now to my wifes credit about five minutes into this process she recommended that I probably rinse it off, yet destined to be the next Val Kilmer I chose to press on. 30 minutes later amidst the strange looks of my wife, I finally rinsed this stuff off, to reveal a head full of almost white hair. In a word...horrific...so much so, my wife and I hopped in the car around midnight and sped off to the nearest Albertsons for hair coloring. Now to give you a glimpse into how light my hair got, it's important to note that the picture you see above is after the hair coloring. I share this with you for a couple of reasons, one to hopefully give you a laugh in your day, two to share with you what I learned. And what I learned is this, is that bleach is some pretty powerful stuff, and if left on your hair too long it can drain the color and life right out of it. I know, pretty deep. thought...huh? But really, I think there is something to be gained from the reality of bleach. See everyday many of us sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity, allow bleach into our lives... something that literally drains the color and vibrancy, and life out of us...maybe it's a job, maybe it's a neglected relationship, maybe it's an addiction or routine in life. Simply put, all of us can think of something that's a bleach in our life. And yet while we can't avoid encountering bleaches each day, we can choose how long we allow those bleaches to linger in our lives . I have to be honest, recently I haven't done a very good job rinsing off when I've gotten home from the bleach of life, especially the bleach of worry. In fact, I'd have to say that worry is probably the bleach I struggle with most. Too often I get home and rather than rinsing off from the day by taking time to rest in Him and rest in His blessings (My wife, friends, family, etc.), I allow the bleach to linger. I worry about about things that are beyond my control, I worry about others, I worry about our mortgage and bills, I worry about what people will think about my orange/ blonde hair. That said, here's what I'm learning, while none of us can avoid the bleach of life, we can make a choice to rinse it off when it begins to drain rather than enhance our lives. Perhaps that's why when Jesus encountered a Samaritan woman by a well, bleached out of the joy and fulfillment she was created for He in so many words called her to rinse, by stopping long enough to rest in the "living water" of Him. How about you? How are you doing when it comes to the bleach of life, and are you about due for a rinse?

Where in the Java are Seth and Erik?

Check out our new vlog series! We are now encouraging (OK bribing) you to comment. If you know where our featured coffee shop is, let us know! Watch our vlog for more information.

"Best Life Group of 2007" Award Winners.

Once again we want to congratulate all of the Life Groups who participated in the 2007 Seth & Holli Life Group Road Tour. I can't tell you enough how encouraging it was to see so many people choosing to do life together within a Life group at Fishers Landing. I also want to appreciate the Life group of Brent & Bonnie P. / Mike & Christy P. one more time, as they walked away with the title "Best Life Group of 2007" last Sunday!

The blooper reel none of you have been waiting for...

No, really. You haven't been waiting for this, because up until now, the vlogs have been bloopers! Only recently have we been semi-scripting the material that you have come to know and love in our astounding video-blogs.

The Wind Storm of 07

Now, we all know by now what Pastor Seth's luck with various campus functions is. The BBQ, the Tailgate Party, campus picnics, and now, breakfast. For the first half of the video, we will be sharing with you some of the dramatic stories of those who survived the windstorm of '07 that hit the Wy'East Campus. Halfway through the blog we decided to switch gears and discuss the theology of the intimate hug with Gordon Avery as your host.

Diceros Bicornis Trophy - Interviews with the staff

Have you ever wondered what our staff thinks about this wonderful trophy? Find out with cameo appearances by our very own Gene Joner, host of the Living Real Raido Program, our financial team, Hyper Static Union's Sean Lewis, and our worship leader Dustin.



This video is about 10 minutes long.

Live Love.

“Let love be your highest goal.” 1 Cor. 14:1
To understand what this means for us, we need to understand what it meant for God. I shared last Sunday in my message that the moment I really knew Holli (my wife) was the one was on our first date. Decked out in my very best, the truck freshly washed, and a little Lionel Ritchie playing on the radio…I was feeling good. A feeling that lasted for about 2.5 seconds, which was about the time it took for me to put it in reverse only to be stopped by a loud crashing sound. Looking into Holli’s face it took me even less time to realize what I had hit…Holli’s Brand-New Chevrolet Cavalier. Now Holli at this point had every right to curse and scream, to jump out of the truck and tell me she never wanted to see me again. Instead, Holli chose to to “make love her highest goal,” by showing grace, by showing mercy, by showing love when I was at my worst. In fact isn’t that when love is measured the most, it’s not when others are at their best but when others are at their worst. When God wanted to reveal the fullness of His love for us He could’ve waited for when we were at our best, His word to us could’ve been “When we finally got our acts together then Christ Jesus died for us.” Instead God chose to reveal the measure of His love for us while we were at our worst, or as the Bible puts it “while we were still sinners Christ Jesus died for us.” A single act that would change the course of your destiny and mine. I wonder how many of our relationships, marriages, friendships would change course, if in the coming days we really committed to let love be our highest goal? If when people were at their worst we responded by reflecting the best of God’s giftings…love. What type of lasting impact might we make in the life of the discontent waiter, neighbor, friend if we responded with generosity and encouragement? How would our marriage be different if we put as much energy in expressing love as the first word in our conversations as we do in making sure to get the last word in? What would our relationship with our kids be like if they heard those words “I love you” not simply when their at their best but especially when their at their worst?

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