I can see the constellation of Orion the hunter right above my house. I hear God saying that he pursues me just like the hunter pursues his prey. He will stop at nothing to have me for himself.

Speaking of encounters. Our church is having a worship time at the Torrance Community Cultural Arts Center called Encounters. There will be a song, testimony, and a message. Everything will be centered on encountering God in our day to day lives and not just on Sunday morning. U can find more info here vineyard xtreme

Had a powerful encounter with God last night. We prayed for a student named Shaun/Sean/Shawn who discovered he has cancer. It really made me think about my mortality.

Afterwards we went to the kettle in Manhattan Beach and ran into a waitress who lives a few streets down from where the pastor is moving. Divine appointment. It seems like God is doing that kind of thing every Friday night. Last week I ran into Khayyid in Palos Verdes. He is a guy I met at an inner city community college.

Here is a thought. How do we introduce God to a world who already thinks they know him?

Should we celebrate a holiday that is set aside to give thanks to God for our blessings by stuffing ourselves with food while millions in the 2/3 world do not know where their next meal is coming from? Not trying to make anyone feel guilty but just a question?

I suggested to claude that he should come out on his own independent label kind of like the Non Prophets they do Hip hop but they don't wear camel hair.

Hey vineyard xtreme has a website. It's got a forum and everything. Now I can bug a whole community of people with my crazy ideas over the internet. Technology does have its strong points.

Another Monday morning. Had a fun time at church last night. This time I decided to bring along a friend Claude. He wants to be a prophet for God in the music industry. I gave him a little advice first he had to buy a robe, a rope belt and grow a beard. Second, He would have to be independent because being on a major label is like commiting spiritual suicide in my opinion. I mean if we were really honest What is the music industry really about? $money$ and being a prophet for God is about saying or expressing what God wants to say. two conflicting agendas.

Funny thing happened today. A couple of friends were discussing sex, love and relationships and after I asked the question "What is love?" everybody gave their definition. I felt compelled to read 1 Corinthians 13 and give them Paul's definition of love and afterwards one of the girls explained that she had a dream about a boy named Corinthian. Coincidence or God? You decide.

Caffiene is my enemy. It keeps me up all night. It gives me strange thoughts and bad dreams. They should warn you about caffiene in the Bible. The way they do with too much wine in Proverbs 23:29,30. Woe to those who drink coffee and coke. It will make you hyper at ungodly hours of the night. You will dream and think about things you don't even want to tell a sailor. You will awake in the morning tired and feeling like an old worn out shoe. Beware of caffiene.

I guess I shouldn't be writing this since I go to a church that meets in a coffeeehouse. Ok. Forget what I just said. To each his own. I just need to go to rehab.

Rhythyms. One of the hardest things to do in life is find a rhythym, a balance. Your body and your mind give you signs that tell you when to speed up or slow down. I think it is time to slow down.
This weekend has been xtra exciting. God has done some amazin things. After 3 days locked up in the church praying, people came out feeling like new creatures and God's presence filled the gathering on Sunday. It seemed like a scripture I read about the presence of God being so real and tangible that the priests could not do their priestly duties.

That is what happens when you pray. God shows up. Speaking of extreme prayer there are some folks that are facilitating prayer 24/7 globally. Check out 24-7 prayer

Ok. I am off to pray. They have been going at it for 2 days locked up in the church I grew up in. No food. No sleep. Just God. Now it is time for me to join in the fun. This is how extreme following Christ can be but it beats singing out of a hymnbook and sporting goofy bumper stickers any day.

It's a small world. I went to our church service last night and I ran into a guy named Shane I met at a Campus Crusade for Christ conference. Shane is a real smart guy. Right now he is at Cal Tech researching celestial chaos. We both signed this millenial pledge to give one year of our lives to the Lord in full time ministry. Shane set a date for 2099. Mine was a bit earlier. So there you have it. If you ever see Shane Ross on the street in 2099(assuming medical science will be able to keep us all alive or the second coming doesn't happen by then) remind him of his pledge to God ;) and while you are at it check out his website the chaotician

Today was cool. My Amharic is getting better. Ghidei told me that last Thursday
while I was talking to her about pleasing God and not pleasing man that I actually
spoke to her present situation without noticing. That Thursday morning she had
received some bad news and the Holy Spirit used me to speak good news into her life.

Well I am tired and I have a busy day tomorrow. After work I am going to be at my church
vineyard extreme's Pluggedin(as opposed to unplugged) service. I will be interviewed about
mentoring and sharing that walk with a good friend Pastor Joseph Olson. Holla.

Off on another adventure. Going to the beach to find a quiet place and then going to practice my Amharic with Ghidei a friend from Eritrea.

Well here we go my first blog. I just stayed up half the night watching The Panic Room starring Jodie Foster and Forest Whittaker. Forest Whittaker plays one of three men who break into Jodi's house to steal someone's inheritance and she locks her and her daughter in the panic room. It was ironic that the only place they were safe they were trapped. This is how life is like when we choose to be safe and risk free. It is not a life at all. Sometimes we can lock ourselves in our own little emotional, mental, spiritual, economical, social panic room.

There you have it. My first blog. Now it is time to go to work.