What's Been Up?

Hey, all...

Been away for a bit, but hopefully back to stay this time. :) Sometimes when you're going through tough times, you just need some space. Not everybody understands that, but it is what it is. Now, with some pastors, very mature believers, and good friends around me, I'm ready to "venture back outside".

I've definitely learned alot over these last 6+ months. Here are some things I've come to understand in my (for lack of a better term) wilderness wanderings:

* SIN STINKS! Yezzir! No question... you play with the bull; you get the horn. Sin has consequences... even forgiven sin.
* PEOPLE CAN BE NOSEY! Now, I'm not talking about friends or those who are really concerned... I'm talking about the people who never called, never checked up on me or my family, never supported our ministry, etc... but now, they want to be "involved" and they "care enough to call." No, they just want information to gossip. :)
* MOSAIC CHURCH IS A PLACE OF GRACE! For this, I'm grateful. The place where I poured my heart into for over 2 years really got it. I've received nothing but grace from the members, even though I'm no longer there. I love you guys with all my heart.
* The Church has no clue of how to handle fallen pastors. Of course, this is generally speaking. I'm sure there are some places out there (I know of a few only) that do a relatively good job with this, but most places suck at it... I'm just being honest. Everyone is so quick to throw stones and castigate the fallen... no matter how much they say they "love" you, if you don't respond their way, they're gonna get you. Period. Well, the truth is, they want to "get" you period. That's what they're after.
* I'm thankful for some godly, wise pastors in my life. Regarless of the "stone throwers", there have been a handful of men who have been walking with me throughout the duration of this situation, and even a while before. Please understand: you cannot give everyone an access pass to walk with you... no matter what their role in your life was before. Here are a few of the criteria I use to tell people "no thanks": 1) if they feel they have a sense of entitlement, and will "force themselves" upon me... NOPE! 2) If judgment is on their lips at all... NOPE! (understand that there is a difference between "challenging" and "being judgmental") 3) If you haven't been clearly in my corner... NOPE! See, when you've fallen and need restoration, it will ONLY come from those who have always had your back! If you have to clear away stuff to uncover people's motives... if it's not crystal clear that they're for you... they're not for you. Period.
* When you fall, some who are your friends won't stay friends. This has probably been the most hurtful for me, because people stop being your friend and often don't even know what happened... they only go by what they've heard. But the truth is, even sin has a context and a story. True friends never turn their back... and even if they think they have grounds to do so, they shouldn't without understanding what happened. Having said that, I also know there are some who simply don't know what to say... so they simply say nothing. I don't understand that, honestly... but I hold no grudges, either way. The amazing thing is that God brings new people into your life during dark times who might've never been there before... and now they are there for the duration. Sweet! :)
* My heart belongs to Jesus. I don't know why, but alot of people think that because you've fallen, you've also turned your back on God. :) That's crazy! Though some, I'm sure, do... I have not. I still love Him with all my heart, and am seeking to obey Him fully. That doesn't mean I have everything figured out, nor are all the puzzle pieces in place (are they ever?), but I'm facing Him - He's in control... not me... not you... not anybody, but Him.
* Life happens! This is the biggest lesson I've learned! As a pastor, it's easy to give people their "biblical medicine" and expect perfect endings. And when those endings don't come, we tell people they need more medicine. The truth is, life happens: people mess up, they blow it... and things get messy. However, there simply is no manual (and, NO, God never intended even the Bible for this purpose) to turn to a particular page that lays out in black and white for each and every situation. Our quest for everything to be cut and dry, black and white, is killing folk! People lash out in anger... children go wayward... marriages blow up and sometimes end... because we're in a sin-ridden world! People need to be LOVED in the midst of their pain... not made to feel like they're 2nd-class believers because they mess up. That's not excusing the sin... that's being there for them in the midst of it. Call sin by what it is... but then help people out of it.
* People are hurting. I know this now more than ever. I'm one of "them" now... a "church skeptic", wondering if church leaders have answers for those of us in pain. When I think of some of the messages I preached, I feel sick to my stomach. I thought I had "answers", but was only stirring up more questions... and leaving the main one usually unanswered: "What do I do with my pain???" I have experienced this now first-hand...
* I may be somewhat of a skeptic now, but I still believe in Christ's Church! Though I haven't been handled (by some) graciously, I still believe that the Church through Jesus Christ... when it's at it's best... is the hope of the world! It can still be the best place on earth to meet the true and living God... but it starts with people: loving them, accepting them, dealing with them patiently in the midst of their pain... and helping them through it.

Well, that was a start... I'll write more later this week, and bring you guys up to speed with where I am these days. Much love...

D PLUM

Just Wanna Say...

... that I'm doing okay. ;-) Thanks to all who've been in touch, sent messages, posted on my Facebook wall... your encouragement means alot.

I'm moving forward... not even thinking about ministry right now. I took a 10-day sabbatical and headed South... spent some time in Hotlanta, as well as in Alabama with my buddy The Movie Pastor.

[SIDEBAR: if you live anywhere near Decatur, AL, you MUST ATTEND a Crosspoint service where he pastors... that church ROCKS, baby!!]

Now, I'm just trying to face forward, and trust God for next steps. He knew I'd be here, so it seems best to let Him direct the way. ;-)

Much love to my peeps... I'll send advance notice when I'm about to begin blogging again!

Holla!

Stay Tuned...

Hey, folks...

I know I haven't blogged in awhile... and, even when I have, lately it's been sporadic at best. But I'm coming back... sooner than later! Mega transitions, shifts in focus (for the good), and some much needed time off has kept me away... but I look forward to returning. ;-)

Keep D-Plum in your prayers... God is good. :)

DP

Tuesday Thoughts...

* I really love our gatherings at Mosaic DC... our people are cool, alot of Univ. of MD students... but also non-students, as well. I love how God is growing our community, bringing along people of different racial/ethnic/spiritual backgrounds than what we launched with (TOTALLY awesome)!

* Doing WAY too much these days... my own fault. Things will be changing soon, over the next couple of months... leaders are stepping up and stepping out... and that's a sweet thing.

* Giving a lot of thought to the WHO, WHEN, and WHERE for our next church plant... gonna be interesting to see what God has planned for us!

* I have a handful of REALLY STRATEGIC meetings this week, starting this morning... could use your prayers! ''* Loving this series on James! I can see why some guys like to teach VERSE BY VERSE through Bible books... you really want people to get every nook and cranny of that book! For us, though, there's SO MUCH we need to cover... verse by verse "exposition" (at least, through whole books) would keep us from getting to all that we need to. However, I do want to do more book studies... to date, this is the second one we've done (did Ruth last year). Any suggestions for our next one? :-)

* Wondering if the Cowboys have any "tricks" up their sleeve for this weekend's draft...

* Just got the DVD's from Fellowship's C3 Conference back in February... can't wait to see them!

* Just heard this guy on ESPN comparing Manny Ramirez to Ted Williams! As much as I like Manny... ummmm... NOT! :-)

* QUESTION (for individuals and churches): If you moved out of your neighborhood, 1) would you be missed? 2) What would you be remembered for?

Tuesday Thoughts...

* Went out with Keda Sunday after our Gathering, and had a fund-raising trip today to the Eastern Shore (Maryland)... so, I'm just getting a chance to blog about the weekend!
* The Praise & Prayer Gathering was off the chain Sunday nite! We definitely went a little long, but it was evident that God "was in the place!"
* Had a full band Sunday... great to have people you can count on!

* Worship set:

- Your Grace is Enough
- O Praise Him
- Everlasting God
- From the Inside Out
- Friend of God
- Saving Grace

* We opened up the "altar" for people to come and pray during the song From the Inside Out... something we normally don't do... but it was powerful!! It was a time of confession and repentance, intercession, supplication... just a time of pouring out our hearts to God. We definitely need to have corporate prayer times included more often in our gatherings!
* We incorporated more musicians Sunday nite...Brandy, Megan, and Claudia, you guys were tremendous!
* Kudos to our band: Jose (the BEAST on drums), Daniel (Mr. Keys), Robert (The Fiddler under our roof), Brandy/Megan (WOMEN bassists... yeah, baby!!)... and Jason (GuitarMan). You guys blended really well... THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!!! ;-)
* Can't thank Rick Elder enough for filling in for me Sunday... I gave him only 20 minutes, and then made him rush! :) But he did a good job, and Mosaic will look forward to him speaking again! Thanks, buddy!
* More new faces in the crowd... YAY, GOD!! It's always great to see new attenders bringing their friends!
* Pray for decent weather to be able to do some breakfast bar outreaches this week!

Perry on Piper

One of my favorite bloggers... on how he feels about one of the greatest authors and theologians of today.

Perry vs. Piper...

Steel-cage match of the century!!!! Click HERE to see!

p.s. Aw, don't lose your toupee or wig; it's not what you think... ;-)

Coming Up This Weekend...

Okay... so today, we're hitting the College Park metro station again... passing out the free breakfast bars... looking forward to that! In fact, if it's after 9am Eastern time, we're already done! :) I used to dread going out, because... inevitably... lots of people will say "no", and I hate rejection. But, it's not about me, but about 1) showing people God's love in a very tangible way... as well as 2) creating opportunities for people to hear a potentially life-changing message! And there are many who take the bars... and some will make their way to Mosaic. And that's exciting!!

On Sunday morning, I'll be speaking at Life Church, pastored by my good friend and former professor, Steve Layne. If you're in the Upper Marlboro area, and you're free at 11am, come on thru! ;-)

Sunday night at The Gathering @ Mosaic DC, we'll be continuing our message series EXTREME, with a message entitled Extreme Kindness: Portrait of a Grace Case. CAN'T WAIT!!!!! Spring Break will be over... I'll be there... Jesus will be there... will you be there?? :-)

Sunday Nite Speak!

* Tonight was strange.
* First of all, we had TOO MUCH going on. My bad. Shoulda streamlined this week.
* Secondly, our worship wasn't where it normally is. That was my bad, too. We had a guest worship leader, but I should've communicated with him more about our environment/flavor.
* I'll be back leading next week. :-)
* Great baptism service, though! Justin's testimony was on point... and dude invited a rack of people!
* I think the message was clear and to the point: here's what baptism is, and here's why we do it. Who gets to get in the water... and why!!!
* In fact, it was SO clear, that I think someone got offended and left in the middle of the message! That was a FIRST for me... pretty sweet, I must say! :-)
* I really don't know what the couple left... but it was pretty much in the middle of me talking about what baptism is not... who doesn't get to get in the water!
* But, I also have to say, that even though I was clear... I think I was pretty graceful. Didn't "beat up" on Catholics... or even Presbyterians, lol! (JUST kidding, my Covenant friends!)
* We have another baptism in two weeks... that is just going to be OFF THE CHAIN!!!
* Can't wait to preach again next week... I love speaking to our people!
* I spoke this past Saturday morning at a Singles' Breakfast at The New Macedonia Baptist Church in DC... where Patrick Walker is the Senior Pastor. Rick (that's what his friends call him) is one of the best visionary leaders I've ever met... LOVE that guy! He entrusted me with his leaders, a couple of years ago, to come in for about a year and do some small group consulting (one of my passions) and we got their Small Groups Ministry off the ground... great to see them still flourishing!
* This coming Sunday morning, I speak at Central Union Baptist Church in DC... can't wait for that! Pastor James Lee and I went to Bible college together... he's a tremendous teacher and an awesome man of God. We're gonna have a great time together!
* The one thing I love about having evening services is that it gives me the opportunity to minister elsewhere at times... can't do it too often, because Mosaic is still my top priority... but it's good to be able to share with others, as well.
* Keda and I saw Taken last night... GREAT MOVIE, a must-see! ;-)
* We also ate at Carrabbas... omg(osh)! That food was off the chain!! Had never gone there before, but I'll definitely be visiting there again!
* Well, our Connection Groups are doing great... we've got almost 75% participation! That is SWEET! In a college town, it's hard (no matter what my friend Nelson Searcy says, lol) to get 100%, because the students are so busy on campus... and many have their own campus ministry groups they meet with. But seeing that the nat'l average for small group participation is somewhere around 30%, I ain't complaining! ;-)
* I had a great time this week down in Tampa/St. Petersburg with Nelson and the Sr. Pastors Coaching Network that he leads... good stuff, learning a lot... we'll be seeing the fruit from this for years to come, I'm sure!
* Nelson is a TREMENDOUS leader... if you're a pastor or church planter, and are not familiar with his ministry, you'll do yourself and your church a HUGE favor by checking him out here.
* Forgot to mention tonight: my main man Chris Li is leaving for CHINA this Tuesday!! He'll be studying there for 6-12 months... and we're gonna miss him BIGTIME! (not quite as much as his fiancee', I'm sure) Chris has been very active with the Media Ministry, and is a budding leader. PLEASE PRAY FOR SAFE TRAVELS FOR HIM... and that God will protect him and grow him while he's there. If you're a Mosaic-ite, drop Chris some love on his Facebook wall, y'all! :-)
* Mosaic... I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! Thanks for giving me the awesome opportunity to serve you!!!!

Sunday Nite Speak!

* I'd been recovering from pneumonia since Thursday, so I was unable to either speak or lead worship tonight...
* ..but I got by with a little help from my friends! Pastor Vic Simpson of Emmanuel Church in Huntingtown, MD filled in for me tonight, and did an AWESOME JOB (once again) with the message! Vic's no stranger to Mosaic... he's been out a few times now, and is always very encouraging and leaves a big impact!
* Also, my friend Matt Morgan, who pastors Reston Community Church, came out and led the worship... dude is LIKE THAT!! I'd only heard Matt once before, at the Whiteboard Sessions, and I knew I had to have him out. Glad he was able to lead for us tonight! He brought along his worship leader and a bass player, too... great worship tonight!
* Then, finally... my good friend William Brew, quite arguably the BADDEST DRUMMER AROUND THESE PARTS... well, at least, he's got MY vote! Brew and I think alot alike when it comes to ministry (he turned me on to Delirious, too), and I'm glad he was finally able to make it out to Mosaic. Brew serves as the Worship Pastor (how many drummers can do that??) at Zion Church.
* So, Vic closed out our INFLUENCE series with a message entitled, One Adventure Leads to Another... and he was ON it! God definitely spoke to me thru Vic, about letting go of my comfort zone... and trusting Him to provide. "There's no such thing as a 'comfort zone' when you're on an adventure with God!"
* Great experience tonight... thanks to all my Mosaic peeps, for stepping up to the plate today - what a crazy weekend! It's good to know that I can count on things getting done, even when things are outside the norm... even when it calls for sacrifice... love you guys!
* Feel like I'm turning the corner with the pneumonia thingy... gonna rest all day tomorrow, and then I should be alot better!
* Can't wait to fly out to Tampa on Wednesday, to meet with my Pastors Coaching Network led by Nelson Searcy! This has been a tremendous learning environment for me... I'd encourage any church planter or pastor to look into this network!
* Received a really encouraging email from this guy... his wisdom utterly astounds me at times. One only need listen to him for a few minutes to know with certainty that he spends alot of time with God. He reminds me somewhat (as far as wisdom) of THIS DUDE, who I had the privilege of having lunch with almost 10 years ago in Atlanta.
* Dr. Blackaby offered to mentor me every week as long as he could, but I couldn't fit it in my schedule. WHAT THE HECK WAS I THINKING BACK THEN???? As one author says, that one would fall under the theological category of "Don't be stupid!" (I still can't believe I turned down that offer...")
* I absolutely hate the transition between football and baseball seasons...
* Looking for ways to bless our community this month... we have absolutely dropped the ball in this area, but we're gonna make up for that!!
* Looking forward to our next couple of series... you'll be hearing in a couple of days about the next one!
* My good friend, Dave Anderson, was just in town this past week... and we weren't able to hook up. That sucks (you did try, though, D...sorry I couldn't make it happen). I really love that guy... we met at Elevation Church almost 2 years ago, and just bonded. Don't you love when that happens???
* We've got two baptisms coming up within three weeks... THAT is what I'm talking about! I'm SO AMPED about that, I don't know what to do! Can't wait!
* It will be 80 degrees in Tampa this week... and, yes, I will call Keda and rub it in. :-)
* Our youngest son, Seth, reminds me of Calvin from Calvin and Hobbs... he's not really mischievous, but he's full of energy and smiles and laughs all the time!!
* Is it okay to eat gummy worms when you have pneumonia?? :-)
*Well, off to bed... nothing but reading and studying tomorrow... YEAH, BABY!

Doctor, Doctor... Give Me the News!!

Okay... so Thursday afternoon, I was studying and started developing chills, and knew something was wrong. Thought it was a sinus infection... then, later, started to feel a tad nauseous so I thought the flu bug had finally caught up with me; but I felt better later and figured it wasn't the flu... then yesterday morning, I woke up to severely sore sides (ribs) and back... you guessed it: PNEUMONIA!!!! Yikes!!!!

The doctor told me to cease all activities... no preaching, no singing... nothing strenuous at all.

So, I'm chilling and reading. Doctor's orders! :-)

Sunday Nite Speak!

* Good nite, tonight... first official weekend without Chuy and Karla... felt WEIRD! But so happy for those two... they'll do well in VA Beach!
* Thought the worship was okay... as much as love leading, don't know how long I can do double duty... PRAY FOR ME!
* I LOVE my musicians, though! William, glad to have you back bangin' tonight, man! ;-)
* Thought the message was on point... Let the Bible Change Your Life! Funny how the simplest messages can have the biggest impact!
* Many times, God speaks to us from His Word... not just to change us, but to change others though us! D on't hold onto it! Let Him influence people through your life change!
* One of the MD football players was out tonight... love it!!
* Man, we had some glitches tonight! But guess what? We get another shot next week!! (gotta get those transitions clean, though)
* Watched the Super Bowl... what a game!!!!! Looks like the Steelers just pulled it off... wow.
* Right now, I am ROTFL at The Office... that show is hysterical!
* What does Dwight on that show remind you of? Haha!
* I love our church... and not just because I get to pastor it! We've really got a great group of people, who love their church and love seeing it grow. As a pastor, you've gotta love that!
* We had a family leave the church recently (good family, though), because of our emphasis on being outward... specifically, inviting people to church... and I think that's a GREAT THING! Not that they've left, of course; but that they get it. They know beyond the shadow of a doubt what our mission is... it's crystal clear. They don't mesh with it... and feel the need to move on... but it's crystal clear. If your mission isn't clear, you may add people to your ministry, but they won't even know what to be excited about... GET CLARITY!
* Okay, now The Office is grossin' me out... Jack Black and Cloris Leachman...ugh.
* Our Connection Groups start this week... AMPED!!
* Three totally new groups... and one group, Starting Point, is the first group for new believers we've had!
* One of our newest attenders came and asked me why we didn't do Communion today... I thought it was cool that she even noticed!
* Btw, Communion has been pushed to next week. :-)
* Should find out this week whether or not this new elementary school in College Park will let us use their facility on Sunday mornings... PRAY!!!
* Gonna be a busy week this week...
* I speak this coming Saturday at a Worship Music Institute called CanZion... the environment should be off the chizzain!! Before I was called to preach, I thought I would be training worship leaders... so I am absolutely looking forward to this!
* God is absolutely amazing... I love what I do! :-)

Sunday Nite Speak!!

* Great gathering tonight! I love going to Mosaic!
* Led worship again... Karla was sick... good to have Chuy back tonight, though!
* Great to have our Mosaic band! Makes it a whole lot easier to lead worship when I don't have to play!
* We don't have a Service Coordinator, but I'm feeling the need for one... especially when I have to lead worship AND speak!
* Started our INFLUENCE series tonight... went really well! Look forward to some GREAT THINGS! Tonight's message was from here... on, "The Power of Influence." God's wired us to make a difference in this world... we're to embrace our influence, and leverage it wisely.
* Next week's message: "Leading Myself" - this should be GOOD!!!!
* Our metaphor image for the series is a domino... stacked side by side and given a little push, they create a beautiful, ripple effect - that's how our lives should be!
* Had a great video, featuring a group in Asia... building a very large, very creative design, using... instead of just dominoes... soap, cereal boxes, DVD cases, VHS videotapes, bic lighters... it was AWESOME!
* But I made the biggest blunder you can make in a multicultural church!! I made a comment at the beginning of the clip, about how one of our guys, Chris (who's Chinese), could've been our interpreter for the video. Everybody said, "Ooooooooooooohhh!" I was like, "What? Chris really could be our interepreter for this!" They said, "Noooo, Pastor D... the guys in the video are JAPANESE!!!" (talk about egg on your face)
* Students are starting to trickle back in from vacation break...
* Made a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT tonight: our worship leader and our band director are both leaving (they're married). They're moving to Virginia Beach... we hate to see 'em go, but we love them and wish them the best!!! :-)
* Which means, that yours truly will be leading the worship until God sends us a worship leader... hopefully, this will be sooner than later!
* Okay, I'm tired... time to hit the sack!

Sunday Nite Speak!

* We had a really good service tonight... attendance picked up a little... not what it usually is, but better than last week!
* Good number of guests tonight, too!
* Led worship again in Karla's place, for the second week in a row... really enjoyed it! Funny, because I really had thought the music aspect of my ministry was pretty much done. :-)
* I did WAY too much in the service tonight, though... it was like the "Pastor D Show"! Gotta tweak... can't have that happen again.
* I love the fact that Chuy has incorporated a violinist in our band... Robert, you never cease to amaze me... you bring such an incredible richness to our sound. Glad you're part of the team, bro!
* Jeff, good to see you on the board tonight... sound was great!
* Justin, loved the motion graphics!!
* One person indicated they are renewing their commitment to Christ! YAY, GOD!!!
* Here was the line-up for tonight:

Worship Set:

*Majestic (Lincoln Brewster)
*Here is Our King (Crowder)
*Grace Flows Down (Passion Band)

Communion

*Beautiful One (By the Tree)
*He Knows My Name (Tommy Walker)

Video: "What About Resolutions?"

Message: "Real Change", Lk. 5:33-39

* Thought the message went well... had one point:"Real change is when my will changes." Clear, concise... hopefully, compelling! ;-)
* I know some theologues will take issue with that point, and say "But doesn't change happen when your heart changes?" Yes! But as the heart is our "seat of emotions", I'm simply using the term interchangeably. Besides, "real" and "will" kinda rhyme. ;-)
* Change is the only thing in our lives that is constant... but one of the hardest things for us to do personally. And like Extreme Makeover, Home Edition... God doesn't just want to change "the plumbing" or the "roof" of our lives.. He wants to totally renovate us, from the inside out.
* Too many of us settle for "pseudo-transformation": we're not really interested in changing; we just want to "get a little bit better." We don't want "new wine"... we've gotten used to the old, and convince ourselves that it's better (read here).
* Next week... our new message series, INFLUENCE: Making a Difference in Your World... don't miss it!
* NFL Playoffs started this weekend! Even with my Cowboys out, I still love this time of year!
* Going out on a limb here: my Super Bowl teams pick is Giants vs. Steelers... with the Steelers as the 2008 NFL CHAMPIONS!

And we're off!!!

Well, we're at the beginning of 2009... and I'm at 600 total posts, can you believe it?? I just want to thank all of my D PLUM friends and faithful readers... your encouraging comments and prayers keep me going. 2008 was a great year for Mosaic DC... looking forward to even greater things in '09!

I wanted to begin the year highlighting different posts from the past year... and I thought it'd be a good idea, then, to highlight your favorite posts... as indicated by the number of visitors my site picked up on various days. So, your fingers did the walking... now let's do the talking!

The Top 15 Posts of 2008 from D PLUM dot org

1. Life is Short

2. Wisdom Doesn't End Here

3. Living Like There's No Tomorrow

4. Please Hear My Heart

5. Sunday Nite Speak, Oct. 9

6. The Words We Speak

7. Back in the Saddle

8. Don't Freak Over Halloween

9. HIS Word!

10. Sunday Nite Speak, Oct. 26

11. On Seeing...

12. it: How Churches Can Get IT and Keep IT Going

13. Long-Distance Relationships

14. Can Anything Good Come Out of Takoma Park?

And... last but definitly not least...

15. I Hit Bambi!!

The amazing thing is that all of these posts are from within the last 4 months, which is the span of time that we've also seen our greatest growth at Mosaic. Ironic? Don't think so... ;-)

Again, thanks for reading and keeping up with this blog... I look forward to more great posting and making more connections through the blogosphere in 2009!

Sunday Nite Speak!!

* Tonight at Mosaic was a good service... even though the attendance was WOEFULLY low!!!
* Jose, you really helped me out ALOT tonight, man! ;-)
* Our worship directors were out of town today, and so yours truly was respondible for the music. It had been quite awhile since I dd the music for an entire service...felt good! Can't wait to do it again next week!
* Well, we're winding down another year... how was your 2008? :-)
* MEGA-EXCITED about what's in store for us in 2009!!! Got some changes coming up... some good, some not so good... but it's all good, know what I'm sayin? :-)
* Looking forward to January at Mosaic... January thru March will set the pace for our entire year! I'm expecting some HUGE THINGS from God this year! He can do it!!
* Got some good posts coming up this week... stay tuned!!
* Had a great Christmas this week... it was good having some quiet family time!
* DJ, my oldest son, turned 12 this past week... AIYAIYAI!!! Next thing you know, he'll be headed off to college (scary thought!!).
* On to football...
* Can't even believe the Cowboys... had so much hope for them this year. Ahhh, defeats like today remind you of what it really important in life.
* Didn't see the game, but apparently those Eagles played inspired ball... they went BANANAS on my team! And it was fitting, because from the highlights the Cowboys played like a buncha monkeys! Good gracious modacious, we got our hineys kicked!!
* The Chargers were in the same predicament as the Cowboys: win, or sit home thru the playoffs. And they played like a team possessed! 52 points... crazy. Their running back LaDainian Thompson had the quote of the week: "This was a playoff game for us. We couldn't control what Denver did, but we wanted to play with pride." Hmmm... someone should stick that quote up on the front door of the Cowboys locker room. PLAY FOR PRIDE!!
* I just heard football analyst Chris Collinsworth say that the Cowboys are "the disappointment of the NFL this year." Ouch.
* Wonder what the Dallas headlines will read tomorrow or later this week about coaching changes? Hmmm...
* Was a little bummed that I didn't get a call to travel with the UMD football team this coming week for their bowl game in Boise, ID. But then I got to thinking: Idaho... December... cold weather... hey, I'm cool with stayin' home!! :-)
* Okay... off to read some more Sinner, by Ted Dekker... good stuff!

Sunday Nite Speak!

* Good service tonight! A little taxing... felt like I preached a little harder tonight, not sure why.
* Dip in attendance, but expected that... missing alot of the college students.
* Karla did a GREAT job leading tonight!
* Only had a keyboard, violin, and drums (what a mix, right?), but it sounded good! Man, we've got the funkiest fiddler around! :-)
* Looking forward to spending some time with my fam over the next few days... my batteries need recharging BIG TIME!
* Got an email message about a comment on the blog from this guy... his comment was simply "Hello", and I was about to delete it b/c I thought it was linked to some crazy site or something. But I decided to click on his name, and I saw that he really has a blog... and a powerful testimony! And get this: he's had over 2,000 visits to his site since Nov. 16!!! What's so interesting is that he's a new believer, and is getting TONS of encouragement from people (I'm assuming that out of the 111 comments to his last post, many were encouraging). So, go read his story, and send some encouragement his way.
* By the way... what's your God story? Would love to hear it!! :-)
* My Cowboys are the most schizophrenic team in football, I think... no, I'm convinced... they are! Can't even believe they're still in the playoff hunt. Wow.
* We had our first Mosaic wedding on yesterday! Small ceremony... so proud of this couple! They're growing and just want to do things God's way now. I'm excited as to what God has in their future... pray for Alonso and Kim, as they continue to grow in God's grace and understanding what it means to follow Jesus!
* The boys and I will be having a kung fu movie marathon tomorrow, while Mom's at work. Here are some titles (great stuff!): 5 Deadly Venoms, Crippled Avengers, Shaolin vs. Wu Tang, and Fearless. You know what they say... "Everybody was kung fu fightin'!!" :-)
* So... we're down to the last couple weeks of 2008... have you fulfilled your goals for this year? Didn't get all of mine, but I'm looking forward to those being some of the first I knock out in '09!
* Looking forward to an awesome 2009 ministry year!! Really expecting God to do some BIG THINGS!!!
* Interactive question: what are some of your favorite Christmas memories? Shoot your comments this way! ;-)

Sunday Nite Speak!

* We had a good gathering tonight... not great, but pretty good. But I tell you what: our people work hard, and they put forth their best effort every week. We've definitely got some things to tweak, but I love working with every single one... they're just totally awesome! :-)

* Worship was awesome! I love our band and worship leader!!

* A good number of new faces tonight in the crowd! That's kinda funny... cuz somebody with a huge church is reading this and is probably saying, "D PLUM, I couldn't tell you from Sunday to Sunday who's new and who's not!" But we're not hatin'! The Bible says to "not despise... small beginnings" (read it HERE), and we're thankful for what we have... but we KNOW that the harvest is soon to come!

* Message went okay tonight... a little long, but that happens. ;-) Next week, part 3 of the Just Walk Across the Room series... "When Stories Collide." You don't want to miss next week! Do whatever you've gotta do... but be there! ;-)

* Had a good Connection Group with my guys this morning... we met at IHOP for breakfast. It's great to see that bonds are developing tighter each week, and these guys have huge hearts for God... love you, my brothers!

* Tonight was a little strange... seemed as though I could sense people praying for us during our gathering. And the reality is that there are dozens, probably hundreds, of people praying for our church every week. Tonight I felt your prayers. Thank you. :-)

* It's really amazing that I get to do what I do... church planting is definitely not for the weak at heart; it's tough work. But I love it... and I love our people... and it's good to see the Mosaic community growing. People are excited about what's happening... and we haven't even cracked the tip of the iceburg yet... gotta love it!

* I received an email the other day from a good friend... one of our partners at the church... and he stated that he and his wife are praying for me. He went on to say that he "probably doesn't say it enough," but they really want me [and Mosaic] to succeed. Just gotta say that emails like that mean the world to a pastor... we can never get enough of them. That email came at the end of one of my toughest weeks in ministry... and it meant a lot. Thank you very much, my friend. ;-)

* Gotta send shout outs to my main man Malcolm, the sound guy! Tonight... no, every week... he busts his tail in making sure we've got good sound and that things are set up properly. Thanks, man, for working so hard behind the scenes... you rock, baby!

* You can always tell how valuable a person is when they're absent. My "right hand guy" (he does so many things, it's been hard to give him one title!) Bernard is vacationing with his bride, and - even though we had a good gathering and really didn't let anything fall through the cracks - it was just the little things that he always brings to my attention that we missed tonight. That speaks volumes about consistency and dependability. I appreciate you, man... hurry up back! :-)

* Last two shout-outs: I'd be remissed if I didn't mention MY bride... who also helps keep me together on Sundays, and helps me in so many ways. Thanks, babe! Also, Chuy and Karla... your musicianship never ceases to amaze me. ;-) SO thankful for you guys!

* The Cowboys pulled off a HUMONGOUS win tonight... even though there were some very questionable calls made against them, they overcame some hurdles and pounded out a much-needed win. Up next, Ravens! ;-)

Friday Final Thoughts...

* Glad this week is coming to an end... LONG week.

* Shawn and Seth were sick with a stomach virus yesterday... and I'm SO THANKFUL for Keda, cuz I can't handle "throw up" (that sounds nasty in itself, but it's better than "vomit"). She understands that, too, so she takes charge and sends me out of the room... thank You, Jesus! If you've seen Four Christmases... you remember the two Vince Vaughn scenes with the throw up babies? That's me... for reallio!!

* Learning quickly how messy ministry can be... honeymoon's wearing off! :-)

* The plot thickens... not only do the Cowboys need a big win this next game against the Giants, T.O. is running his mouth again. Not good. Hopefully, the media has blown his frustrations out of proportion, but I dunno. We need his head in these next few games.

* Looking forward to parte dos of Just Walk Across the Room! Excited about seeing our people invest and invite!

* We have a series planned for January... but thinking of moving it a little later, in order to maximize the New Year opportunity to teach on walking in new life. We'll see what God says over this next week or so...

* Had two college students make a decision this week to be baptized after the New Year! That gives us a couple of handfuls of people ready to be "dunked for Jesus!" :-)

* Had a great time speaking at Univ. of MD for the InterVarsity large group meeting this week! I really enjoy speaking into the lives of college students! This meeting (at least, the message portion) was pretty evangelistic... as we shared Why We Celebrate Christmas. And a couple of the students made decisions to follow Christ... YAY, GOD!!

* If you're looking for a speaker to challenge your youth... you should consider bringing in THIS GUY to speak. Shawn is quite possibly the most effective youth speaker in the country. For real.

(just felt lead to do that, Shawn... hope you don't mind)

* Now, if you're looking for someone to speak at your college event, THIS IS THE DUDE OF DUDES!!!! ;-)

* I love Christmastime... all the lights, the cheesy music (I really do like it!), the happy personas... even if they last only until Jan. 1... but most of all, I love the fact that God loved me enough to come here and rescue me from me... and restore me to Him. The GREATEST GIFT OF ALL is available to all: and His name is Jesus.

Sunday Nite Speak!

I'm really tired, so just a few bullets tonight! :-)

* Good service tonight! Band was ON! Jose... glad to see you on the keys! ;-)

* We ate up WAY TOO MUCH time before the message tonight... that was totally my fault (planned for 5 songs PLUS Communion). But it turned out good, because we spent ALOT of time in worship... and sometimes, the soul needs that. ;-)

* I felt rushed tonight, because I got up to late to speak... but Keda said she thought the message was great... and I got some positive feedback from others, as well. Funny how our messages are sometimes perceived... can't settle, tho, cuz I can always get WAY better!

* Regardless, I thought we set the stage for the Just Walk Across the Room series pretty good!

* Attendance was back up tonight... sweet!

* We had 2 people renew their commitment to Christ tonight... YAY, GOD!!!

* UMD Men's soccer team made the Final Four... way to do it, guys!

* Cowboys lost a heartbreaker tonight... only comfort was that the Redskins, Giants, and especially the Falcons lost tonight! So, the 'Boys have moved into the sixth and final playoff spot... for now. Stay tuned! ;-)

Friday Finale!!

Okay... here are some highlights of the past week... or two... and some upcoming things, as well:

1. We had the lowest attendance in over three months this past Sunday... but it still was higher than every Sunday except one in 2007. We still almost tripled our attendance from last November to this one. That's good growth... in fact, that's just good, period. ;-)

2. I have reconnected with over 10 friends from my old teenage-years neighborhood... you've just gotta love Facebook!

3. Spoke awhile to my barber today, after he cut my hair... it was so hard to connect with him spiritually because that dude has a conspiracy theory about everything! But I LOVE knowing that because God loves him, I know he's "savable." I can't do it... but Jesus can. Who has God placed in your path... across your office... living next door to you... that He wants to save?

4. Became FB friends with a few of the guys from the UMD football team this week... love that Facebook!

5. I'll be doing my first wedding in a couple of weeks... pumped about that! These are new believers, who are excited about living for Jesus... their desire to obey God is so refreshing!

6. Just Walk Across the Room starts this Sunday at Mosaic... 5:30pm! YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS SERIES!! I know I say that all the time... but, all the time... IT'S TRUE!! Would love to see you there... bring a friend! :-)