tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24804040400977776572024-03-05T09:24:05.727-08:00Across your pathAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-45310119677506585992011-07-15T14:41:00.000-07:002011-07-15T14:41:08.822-07:00Summertime...Well summer made it to Portland eventually...it just took all of June and a little of July. But it is here in so many other ways. It has been exciting for us so far because we have had lots of family come visit and it will continue through the end of July. First Mark's dad and his wife visit in June, it was good to see them. It had been 2 1/2 years since we seen them last. They stayed about 10 days and then headed to Montana to see Mark's brother and family. Then on the July 5th Mark's mom arrived. She is staying till the end of the month, when Mark's brother Eric and his family are here for a few days. It has been a summer of catching up for sure, we haven't seen them for 4 1/2 years. Allison is soooo excited to see her cousin. <br />
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Portico is doing really well. We are moving forward more and more. Seeing God move through our lives and the lives of each person is a great thing. We are seeing God answer our prayers and move us step by step through the process of bringing Him to the lives of people. We had the privilege of joining with Fathers House for a service a couple of weeks ago. We were so encouraged. Hearing from God for individuals and for us as a church was incredible. God spoke life to us. He spoke that we are an "Overcoming Church" and that we will have "favor" everywhere and with everyone we meet and deal with. What a great blessing! <br />
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In May we moved in to the heart of the city. To the Pearl District. It is a beautiful place to live. God swung wide the door for us to get into this apartment. We are so blessed. It is brand new and we have everything we need. We walked everywhere now and public transportation is fantastic. Allison will be starting a new school in September, it will be so nice to not have too far to walk. She is excited to start a new school. We are trusting our lives to God and praying for His best in our lives and the lives of Portico and the people of Portland. <br />
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Psalms 37:3,4,5,&7<br />
• TRUST in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on HIS<br />
faithfulness.<br />
• DELIGHT yourself also in the Lord, and HE SHALL give you the desires of your<br />
heart.<br />
• COMMIT your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring<br />
it to pass.<br />
• REST in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. DO NOT FRET- it only brings<br />
harm.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-85333151432854606752011-06-21T15:03:00.000-07:002011-06-21T15:03:41.056-07:00Across your pathIt has been about 7 months since writing anything here. At this point I am sure that any followers have given up ha! I just have been unhappy with so many things about it. So today while family left for the beach I sat down to work on it a little. I am so intrigued by blogging. I love most the idea of history. Looking back and seeing the story of our lives and the things we forget and have the joy of seeing after many months or years. <br />
So today this blog got an overhaul. I changed the name, the layout, the look and a couple of little things. I changed the name cause I wanted it to be relevant to me as I write. <br />
On my second visit to Portland with Mark and Allison, I sat in the airport looking out the window at the city and I cried very sad tears as I new I was letting go of a life I loved so much in Phoenix. (Not the weather though!) I was praying God, I don't know that I can do this thing you have asked us to do... I don't know that I am the person for the job, there are so many people, so much pain, so much I don't know. I don't think I have enough love to love this city. A very clear voice spoke to me that day and said, "I am not you to love every single person, I am asking you to love the ones I bring across your path." Of course now I am in love with my city, I live here and I am honored too. And I can honestly say that God has given my the capacity to love way beyond what I ever thought possible. So in honor of that moment, I have named our blog Across your path. <br />
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Over the last few months, we have had moments of craziness, miracles, provision, joy, disappointment but if I was to tell every story this would be a long blog. We have moved in the heart of the city. We live in the Pearl District and we love it. We moved in May and it has been a life changing experience for Mark, Allison and I. <br />
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Portico is doing well. God is laying a firm foundation and that cannot be moved. We have learned to let go and let God. We have learned to be patient in the face of every kind of situation. We are moving forward. Momentum is the key for us. <br />
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Please continue to pray for Portland and for the many lives that need a real Jesus.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-18702013463397408592010-11-10T12:26:00.000-08:002010-11-10T13:08:12.347-08:00All that's happening at once!Seems like there is so much to say, yet I don't know how to get it all out! The lastest news from Portico is that we have our newest member born this morning. Congratulations to Derek and Kelli Wert on the birth of Finlee Scott Wert. We love you all. I definitely like growing Portico this way. Ha!<br />Mark, I and Allison are all doing well. We are so blessed by what God has done and entrusted to us. I live grateful everyday. Allison is doing great in school. She is working hard and it is a beautiful thing to watch her reading and writing improve tremendously. She is such a blessing. We are excited right now to have Mark's mom visiting, so Allison is thrilled! <br />Living here in Portland definitely makes driving very different, plus having Fina our dog changes that a little too. When we where living in Phoenix, God blessed us with a really good car. It was perfect for living there, but living here it just hasn't been practical for us. When we take Fina to the park she gets wet & muddy...that doesn't work out to well for the car. So as a result Fina really doesn't get to go anywhere. She stays home and we go out. Over the last while we have been trying to figure out a way to get a vehicle we like and one that works to take Fina places too. So we started looking. We were able to sell our Hyundai and then God provided us with enough money to buy a vehicle outright. We got a black Honda Passport, we love it. God is so good to us.<br />Church is going great, we have visitors weekly. Last week we had a Saturday night service instead of a Sunday morning because the building owner asked for a favor, he needed it for Sunday morning so we asked for permission to leave our equipment up all the time. They approved it. God works in wonderful ways. Saturday night service went great. God is building a great foundation in Portico and I love that. Our team is fantastic. They work so hard. Its truly amazing! <br />Our last series we taught from Acts. As part of one our Thursday night prayer meetings we had prayer for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Wow God really turned up. It was incredible. 4 people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and two with the evidence of speaking in tongues. It was a night filled with joy and peace and power. Momentum is something that is built... Portico is gaining momentum all the time. We are moving slow and steady and God is blessing it. What more could we ask for. <br />Please continue to pray for us. We are praying for more people to join our team right now. Please be praying for growth but also for workers for this harvest field. We love you and thank you for your commitment to praying for us. We are moving forward. "I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus.. no turning back, no turning back. Though none go with me, still I will follow, though none go with me, still I will follow, though none go with me, still I will follow, I won't turn back, I won't turn back!." WE ARE PORTICO!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-11646915265000725292010-10-01T14:34:00.001-07:002010-10-01T14:34:37.725-07:00We did it!Friends and Family,<br /><br /><br />We are awaiting the fall colors here in Oregon. Autumn is my favorite time of the year. Sweaters,football, farmers market, leaves falling, and the harvest. <br /><br />A few years ago I sat in pre-field orientation before I went on the mission field to Ireland. The Africa director of missions for the Assemblies of God preached a message on the harvest. Ever since then I’ve been fascinated with the harvest.<br /><br />This year more than any other year, the harvest takes on a deeper meaning for me. It’s obvious the coralation between planting a church and harvesting. The closer to the launch of came the more I would think and pray, “win the lost, harvest the fields.” <br /><br />On September 19th we officially launched Portico Church. It was a beautiful day. Our two goals were to honor God and to win the lost. Both were accomplished. We had seventy-six people in attendance which included about thirty from our launch team; twenty visiting pastors, and family; and about twenty-five unchurched guests. Our guests heard the Gospel and were given an opportunity to ask Christ into their hearts. It is amazing to think that some of those people heard the Gospel for the very first time. And for many of those in attendance it was the first time they had ever experienced the presence of God. <br /><br />I am so grateful that we are a part of planting a church. There isn’t too many things that I’d say are a greater honor than doing what were doing. I feel like one of the most privileged people in the world. <br /><br />After service we went to a local Portland restaurant to have our Launch Reception. We celebrated together the opening of a new church in an area of Portland that is largely unreached. The Oregon Ministry Network, our parent church pastors, and some Portland pastors were there to show their support and friendship. We are honored to work with such people. <br /><br />I am also honored to work with you. Hopefully you believe me when I say that your support and prayer for us and Portico Church has made this process easier. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You truly have a share in the eternal purposes of this church plant. <br /><br />This is the last newsletter that we will send. Some of you have already fulfilled your commitment to support us and others are finished this month. We will continue to update you on Portico Church. If you would like to have us email you our blog every month please contact me at: mark@porticochurch.info and let me know.<br /><br />May God bless you and your family. May you see the riches of the reward for your faithfulness in sowing into the kingdom of God. We love you and are thankful for you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-53075627273093763222010-09-17T13:35:00.000-07:002010-09-17T13:45:03.982-07:00Remembering PromisesWhen we decided to plant here in Portland... this is what God spoke to Mark on one of the first trips we made "I am about to Breathe on Portland." I was sitting here praying this morning.. and I was reminded of that promise... but God is not just breathing on Portland but on this world, He is saving souls and changing lives. We are so incredibly honored to be a part of that. That is just one of the many things He has promised. I am so excited to see what great things are going to happen. The Bible says that His Word does not return void, but it accomplishes everything that it was sent out to do. Great things are coming!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-40116731127026182932010-09-13T14:41:00.000-07:002010-09-13T15:54:01.896-07:00We are Launching this weekend...Wow what started out as a blog to record the journey to the Launch of a church, comes to a head this weekend. WE ARE LAUNCHING PORTICO CHURCH THIS SUNDAY!!!!!! To say I can't believe it is the understatement. We are sooo excited and busy ha! But it is all worth it! We have had about four services now at our building, and all have gone incredibly well. Our focus on the Word has been from the book of Ephesians... this has been great and challenging. I am just so excited to see what God is going to do. We have hurdled many things and grown in so many areas. All in what seems like a really short time. We will be here in Oregon a year on Oct 25th. Crazy! Pray for us this weekend as we Launch, it is our hearts desire to see the people of Portland have relationship with God. For God to touch this city, so it will never be the same again. Putting God in the picture changes everything.<br /><br />Allison is doing great, she went back to school about a week ago and she loves it. I am so proud of her. She challenges things head on, it is so good. <br /><br />Please pray for Portland and for its people, God is breathing life here... it began a long time ago and we get to be a great part of it. Pray for people to be drawn to us and to Portico so we can give them the hope that is within us. <br /><br />Please continue to pray for us for strength and wisdom to fulfill the purposes of God as we serve people. And financially... Mark lost his job a few weeks ago and I can't get one. I am starting to clean houses again and just did one today. Please pray for more clients for me so we can bring in some more income. <br /><br />Thank you we appreciate you. Love and blessingsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-76730207202821470072010-08-18T23:45:00.000-07:002010-08-18T23:55:38.791-07:00Update...Tonight we went to the hospital and the verdict is that both Mark and Allison have strep throat. I wasn't surprised but relieved that it wasn't anything worse. Both are know on antibiotics for 7 days. Please continue to pray for speedy recovery. Our God is our strength and I know He has everything in hand. What a relief to know we have a God who takes care of even the smallest things. I love Him so. <br />Just yesterday a song that I haven't heard in years came back to me... its a kids song and it says "My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do. My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do... the mountains are His, the valleys are His, the stars are His handy work too... My God is so big so strong and so mighty there's Nothing my God cannot do. For you and me, you see its true!" How true this really is. Our God is an awesome God, how grateful I am to serve Him and see His hand at work in our lives. All thanks be to Him! Thank you for praying.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-71565928070300952922010-08-16T11:23:00.000-07:002010-08-16T11:35:17.781-07:00First Service this coming Sunday.Hey all... this coming Sunday is our first official service. This service will be just for our team so we have practice in setting up and tearing down and timing etc. We are really excited. Time has gone so fast and I can hardly even take it! <br />In the craziness of this time our family is definitely needing some prayer. We are the "never sick" family. Last week i had a pinched nerve in my back that laid me up for three days then, yesterday Allison came in to me at 1am with a temp and now a little vomiting. So yesterday my day was filled with getting her better.. now Mark woke this morning with a temp too.. I have had it. This is such an important time for us, so i am asking if you would pray for us, please. As these next couple are coming fast, healing and continued health are so important. Thank you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-8497962759318837602010-08-07T10:42:00.000-07:002010-08-07T10:47:05.728-07:00Whats new...The idea behind the “Launch” of a church is to create enough momentum going forward that it propels you fast and far. As we gear up for the launch of Portico Church this past month was a momentum builder for us.<br /><br />On Saturday July 11th, we conducted our last Launch Team Service. The next day we went to Cannon Beach to spend the day together. When we arrived we held a vow renewal service for one of the couples in our church. They renewed their vows after ten years of marriage. Then, we baptized three of our launch team. One of them had given his life to the Lord just three months ago. <br /><br />The next Saturday I officiated my first wedding. Another young couple that is connected to our church asked me to marry them. It was a great honor to stand with them and preside over their ceremony. <br /><br />The next piece of news is the best of all. Our launch team has been working hard at building relationships with their co-workers, neighbors and new friends. Through those relationships we have almost fifty un-churched people committed to attend the launch service on September 19th. Our goal is to have seventy-five un-churched people visit on that Sunday.<br /><br />Next, we are faced with the challenge of raising $24,000 dollars to help us pay for our facilities over this next year. Many churches have already committed to partner with us financially to ensure a strong start for Portico Church. Please pray that we reach that goal and beyond. Also, continue to pray that we can gather mature Christians and that we can secure commitments from the un-churched to attend the launch.<br /><br />I truly am grateful for you. If you ever have a prayer request, please email us: prayer@porticochurch.info. We have a group of people who love to pray.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-71189422378558423932010-07-06T09:29:00.000-07:002010-07-06T09:36:58.032-07:00Time is going so fast.It has been a busy month for us as a family. Allison turned six on the sixth; Tracy and I celebrated our eight year anniversary on the eighth; Tracy celebrated her birthday on the seventeenth and of course there was father’s day in there as well. Yes, we even had time to help another couple from Arizona get settled in here, have a Launch Team service and Launch Team training, and to conduct a survey of our community. <br /><br />I am encouraged as our Launch Team continues to grow. We have twenty-five adults and five kids committed to Portico Church. Through relationships that the team have with co-workers we have another twenty-five people who have said they will attend the Launch of the church. Also, on the eleventh of July we will have our first Baptism of our young church.<br /><br />On June 12th we went door-to-door in Northeast Portland and conducted a survey and gave away gardening tools. Fiskars donated 800 pieces of gardening tools for us to hand out to our community (they love gardening). We also asked a few questions about the felt needs of the community. It was a very eyeopening experience for the team. Many people were standoffish with the survey and a few people were even angry at us for bringing “religion” to their door, but the vast majority of people were blown away that a church would give them a free gift, no strings attached. We checked our website over the next few days, there were almost two hundred more hits.<br /><br />Our Sunday services start in six weeks. We’ve been slowed down in the process of receiving our matching funds. As it stands, we may not receive them in time to get our sound equipment by our first Sunday service. I’m thinking the same thing, that is a problem. Please keep that in prayer. We’d also ask you to continue to pray that God breaks up the fallow ground of NE Portland so that we can plant in good soil. Pray that we raise enough money to pay for our lease for the first year. Also, pray that God continues to bring people to Portico Church. Please continue to pray for us also for strength & wisdom & finances. Thank you. <br /><br />As always, thank you for all of your support. Keep in mind that our public launch is September 19th. If you were able to attend we’d be greatly honored.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-90468032418937214732010-06-25T09:56:00.000-07:002010-06-25T10:27:47.892-07:00only a few more weeks...I want to start out by saying THANK YOU to everyone for your love and your prayer that we feel and know is going out for us. <br /><br />This is the "Theme" for my life right now. Ps 91. God reminded me of it just yesterday. I love it. I am trying to apply it all. To store it in my heart. <br /><br />Psalm 91<br /><br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High<br /> will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]<br /><br /> 2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,<br /> my God, in whom I trust."<br /><br /> 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare<br /> and from the deadly pestilence.<br /><br /> 4 He will cover you with his feathers,<br /> and under his wings you will find refuge;<br /> his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.<br /><br /> 5 You will not fear the terror of night,<br /> nor the arrow that flies by day,<br /><br /> 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,<br /> nor the plague that destroys at midday.<br /><br /> 7 A thousand may fall at your side,<br /> ten thousand at your right hand,<br /> but it will not come near you.<br /><br /> 8 You will only observe with your eyes<br /> and see the punishment of the wicked.<br /><br /> 9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—<br /> even the LORD, who is my refuge-<br /><br /> 10 then no harm will befall you,<br /> no disaster will come near your tent.<br /><br /> 11 For he will command his angels concerning you<br /> to guard you in all your ways;<br /><br /> 12 they will lift you up in their hands,<br /> so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.<br /><br /> 13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;<br /> you will trample the great lion and the serpent.<br /><br /> 14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;<br /> I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.<br /><br /> 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;<br /> I will be with him in trouble,<br /> I will deliver him and honor him.<br /><br /> 16 With long life will I satisfy him<br /> and show him my salvation."</span><br /><br />In the message it says <span style="font-style:italic;">"...His huge outstretched arms protect you—<br /> under them you're perfectly safe;<br /> his arms fend off all harm" </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I love it! And "..."If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,<br /> "I'll get you out of any trouble.<br /> I'll give you the best of care<br /> if you'll only get to know and trust me.<br /> Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;<br /> I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.<br /> I'll give you a long life,<br /> give you a long drink of salvation!" </span><br /><br />God is sooo good to us. He has "EVERYTHING IN HAND!" <br /><br />It is hard to believe that we are going to be launching as Portico Church in such a short amount of time. God is so faithful to us. This last week God blessed us with a wonderful family, that have faithfully followed the call on their lives and are here with us as a part of Portico. Cary, Jeannea, Maddison and Amy all joined us. We are blessed. I am so excited to see all that God has for them. God has already blessed Cary with employment. Within a week of him getting here I might add. Amazing! <br /><br />Mark is working 3 days a week now but this is proving really difficult with all we have to accomplish. I am still trying to find something so I can work and then that would free him a little more. <br /><br />Allison completed Kindergarten on June 17th. She received a wonderful report card. We are so proud of her. She is growing in leaps and bounds. <br /><br />We had our usual Thursday night prayer last night. It was beautiful. I love the presence of God. He is always faithful. Always listening. Always close to us. I love it. He has been answering us on so many levels its incredible. <br /><br />Please continue to pray for His wisdom and the provision for us to fulfill his call.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-17020972923772382782010-06-02T22:12:00.000-07:002010-06-02T22:17:14.685-07:00Our New WebsiteToday is a great day. We are excited to announce that our website is up and running. You can view it at www.porticochurch.info, we also have a facebook page under Portico church.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-86760216179829354662010-05-25T16:15:00.000-07:002010-05-25T16:34:58.379-07:00Turning PointMark spoke at Turning Point this last Sunday. Turning Point is the church that we have been attending here in Portland. Mark did an amazing job of introducing our team, speaking vision, showing what we are all about and commissioning. I was so proud of him. Thank you to Turning Point Church, Bob & Gioia for their support.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-83316616792305832242010-05-17T09:51:00.000-07:002010-05-31T17:08:53.827-07:00Worship is not a part of the Christian Life, IT IS the Christian life!This last weekend we had our launch team service. I had the honor and privilege of teaching this Core Value with Liz. <br /><br />This Core Value states: <span style="font-style:italic;">"I see a church that loves to Worship God: through creative expressions of worship such the arts, serving, giving, corporate worship, we create a culture of worship that provides a tangible and undeniable experience with God." </span><br /><br />John 4:23 states: "Its who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him in their worship. God is sheer being - Spirit. Those who worship Him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration." <br /><br />I love that it is who we are and the way we live that count before God. He looks at the heart. God is calling us all to live worship every day, to effect the world with the what God has placed in us. Not just those on worship teams, but us as a church. To be GENUINE WORSHIPERS. Genuine means not counterfeit, real, free from pretense and hypocrisy, sincere. <br />Liz spoke of the origin of worship the first mention in the WORD and how our giving is also apart of the whole worship picture. Giving everything to Him. And the arts... if we are created in the image of God then we have to be creative. We all have creativity within us.<br /><br />So this was the part of the night I loved the most. We ask the team to create something themselves for God. We had a short acoustic worship set, we laid out paper, pens, scissors, pastels, charcoal, markers, crayons, printed words, colored paper, words we cut out of magazines. Then as God spoke to each one, whether in worship or if something stuck out to them through the teaching, they put it on paper. It was such a beautiful time and a very private time. It was amazing to see the result. Watching each one get up, go, pick up what they needed and bring it to life. Wow. I was just moved beyond words. I would have loved to see and hear them all. But I know it was between the Father and each one. <br />We serve an incredible God, He truly is all we need & all we want. So thank you Jesus for once again being apart of all we did. <br /><br />Today we had our assessment for Church planting with OMN. It was a great time. We are excited to have this last part of the Church planting process over. <br /><br />Will post some photos of the service soon... blessings to all.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-56172741190758637312010-05-10T21:45:00.000-07:002010-05-10T22:54:41.645-07:00New..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghryfYJMmWRFaJdZ55CEPYZIuVwMwkBP-kACY21fJmc6ysSSu1GUVHMlPlUE7flpXluBLEFxeUvrUhIgP_rx4uBTexXLne-MIGbhjaLrZIfWMb-kOimVslbeJR_qpztRXT04dGOaHhVG4/s1600/DSC04977.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghryfYJMmWRFaJdZ55CEPYZIuVwMwkBP-kACY21fJmc6ysSSu1GUVHMlPlUE7flpXluBLEFxeUvrUhIgP_rx4uBTexXLne-MIGbhjaLrZIfWMb-kOimVslbeJR_qpztRXT04dGOaHhVG4/s320/DSC04977.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469885088215188418" /></a><br />We attended the ARC conference in Baton Rouge and it was a fantastic time. Getting to see friends/family was saweet! But honestly I desperately missed the family that God has given us here. I kept thinking how much I would have loved for them to experience what we did. But yet another confirmation of the calling God has placed on our lives for Portland Or. I came away excited and challenge in my life. Ready to make some definite changes that will bring me further into the plans and purposes of God for our lives. I am excited to say that I have implemented alot of them. Change comes slowly but I am sure that these things will bare fruit sooner rather than later. <br /><br />Allison had a great time swimming with her daddy and hanging out with me. I love her. She is ready for just about anything. I can't believe that she will be six this coming month, I keep asking her if she will stay five for one more year and she just says that she can't, she just "gotta" be six. So looks like I have to deal with it! She is quite the young lady now. I was putting her to bed last night and she asked me.."when do I get to see Jesus?" So I told her that she can pray and that Jesus could come see her maybe in her dreams, but she said no "I want to see Him for real." For a second I was stumped and then I told her that Jesus was coming on a White Horse to get us and take us to be with Him. She wanted to know when that was. And I didn't know wasn't working. She started to cry and said she really wanted to see Him. Wow I love that she wants to see Him. <br /><br />We are looking at buildings right now. One we were really interested in may fall through which we have discovered may be a blessing. We have found another. Please be praying with us for the right location, the best facilities for best price. We want to be in the location that we are meant to be in, in order to fulfill the purposes of God for the lives of the people God is calling us too. That is more important than anything else. <br /><br />Each Thursday night we have prayer as a team. It has been incredible to watch as God has answered prayer after prayer. Our God is an Awesome God. There is no doubt. He has met with us every time. Our group is growing. Please pray for all those that have started coming to prayer that are either not saved or are searching. Our heart is that they find friendship in our group and that through that friendship, discover relationship/friendship with our Jesus. He is bringing a couple at a time. It is good. Please pray for our team in there job situations and in life that they would be strengthen and encouraged that they would be provided for in every way with wisdom as they reach out to there co workers and those around them. We are so proud of them. <br /><br />Last Thursday we had the privilege of having a team from the Oregon Ministry Network. They visited with us, shared with us, loved on us and more than that encourage our entire team. (I will never look at rowing a boat the same again!) It was really great they are so incredibly encouraging. Assistant Superintendent Lee & Cindy McCloud, Pastor Joe and Lila Pearson and Pastor Terry and Janelle Abbott. Thank you to all of them for giving so much to us.<br /><br />This weekend we have our next Launch Team Training. We are teaching on our next Core Value Worship: <br />"I see a church that loves to Worship God: Through creative expressions of worship such as the arts, serving, giving, and corporate worship we create a culture of worship that provides a tangible and undeniable experience with God."<br /> <br />Please pray for Mark and I as we pursue employment. We have both been looking but as of yet have been unsuccessful in our pursuit of employment. I would prefer it to be me that works so that Mark can focus more on the task at hand. Be praying with us for the right opportunities. We love you, we are praying for you too. If you have prayer request of any kind please let us know we would love to pray for you. BlessingsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-58093461751641394342010-04-26T22:37:00.001-07:002010-04-26T22:40:45.316-07:00Baton RougeWe are headed for Baton Rouge in the morning. Really early... 4.15 am we leave the house. I am so excited for this trip. We get to reconnect with friends from Phoenix and be a part of a wonderful conference. How amazing and priviledged we are. I am longing for that. We are taking Allison with too so that will be very exciting for her. I will follow with a trip update once we get home. Blessings.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-60638796744165215652010-04-19T11:00:00.000-07:002010-04-19T11:28:45.634-07:00Whats new for Portico Church.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2uOpZ2aaMkH-mHORtHQnPWtBSP-kZm1oyLerTV6rdxED71aMOANlt9z3CUruR4FpJlvZLyYudFfuEn6_rbT27DxcdGSGOozvCf2Co2presKwLNYjw-qyjpytMf4TU9BDbz8WcoFdyog/s1600/IMG_0503.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2uOpZ2aaMkH-mHORtHQnPWtBSP-kZm1oyLerTV6rdxED71aMOANlt9z3CUruR4FpJlvZLyYudFfuEn6_rbT27DxcdGSGOozvCf2Co2presKwLNYjw-qyjpytMf4TU9BDbz8WcoFdyog/s200/IMG_0503.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461914979566882578" /></a>I am so grateful to my God for all He does for us. Each day brings so much of His love and grace. He keeps us, watches over us, guides us through each moment. It is amazing. <br />Allison is running a bit of a temp today. Would you pray for her? The amazing thing is that she really is never ever ill, so to see her not feeling good is strange. She had a temp last night and we gave her some medicine, this morning she still has a slight temp, but then once she ate she was feeling much better, she is playing games right now. But please pray for her complete healing and continued health. <br />We had our second service this last week. It went fantastically. We are really doing good with worship. I am so proud of our team. It gets better and better all the time. Practice really does make perfect. God is faithful. He always shows up and brings his blessing. Teaching was great, we have continued our teaching on our Core Values. Each person took a gift test. It was so encouraging to see every one identify the gifts that God has placed in them. <br />Sunday morning we had Sunday Morning Breakfast Church again. Steve and Laurie Schindler opened there home and hosted this mornings breakfast. We were done we had an afternoon of Wiffle Ball. Wow it was great to get our as a team and play in the sun. It was an incredible time and a ton of fun. God has blessed us with a great team. <br />Please be praying with us as we decide on place to meet and have services. We have checked out a few different places it will be exciting to have a place. We just need to find the right one, at the right price, right location.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvFYCmG_l4zreknNg4OQc3Xe9Afl0DkLyJcV0bhyqYzb1OsuuLaeX9eYWjk5oP5u6naocTcqNAbVaibjQrk5E2JjQzWWz7nix6VeXZcphdilg09ddx5cXXFdkB6Q2JaW2fvJLMu7T4aI/s1600/IMG_0512.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvFYCmG_l4zreknNg4OQc3Xe9Afl0DkLyJcV0bhyqYzb1OsuuLaeX9eYWjk5oP5u6naocTcqNAbVaibjQrk5E2JjQzWWz7nix6VeXZcphdilg09ddx5cXXFdkB6Q2JaW2fvJLMu7T4aI/s320/IMG_0512.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461916208290191490" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0Z73B68sTVz4pUtKGzlPjOpPUAz8Ri4nQE23FM4EVLZcC2BrR7FW9xDcaJOq3eIK7pFMO5C3xTdgnJIJLoc7D7C3e7l9fwiXSeO_C4yDtHzTphL4S1YQ9Pauz4JvSYazhxFPV4tf-FA/s1600/IMG_0534.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0Z73B68sTVz4pUtKGzlPjOpPUAz8Ri4nQE23FM4EVLZcC2BrR7FW9xDcaJOq3eIK7pFMO5C3xTdgnJIJLoc7D7C3e7l9fwiXSeO_C4yDtHzTphL4S1YQ9Pauz4JvSYazhxFPV4tf-FA/s320/IMG_0534.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461916200290728114" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb59F9Rx98l-UVTHmKmkx10yh_3rFLkpQzEKjTW8xCKw3Pk3GV9bphV5fht3SzOFBFoQfujAY3t7c7CYMJ3rxrA54YACz1qNdVuwQyXcKrVUozDxikEAjOAxAdY91Xkdbz_5Sdz7MQR8s/s1600/IMG_0507.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb59F9Rx98l-UVTHmKmkx10yh_3rFLkpQzEKjTW8xCKw3Pk3GV9bphV5fht3SzOFBFoQfujAY3t7c7CYMJ3rxrA54YACz1qNdVuwQyXcKrVUozDxikEAjOAxAdY91Xkdbz_5Sdz7MQR8s/s320/IMG_0507.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461916192884385298" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3436iAAgBapMweUttckBUvpuR4SwjPop3yWwj94uFxiNTNTCCHpNNOEKWX7U2p6hUkA1cROGl8qn8DjLvTKBVlmkhZcmPUBXfL6G-KIgBA9ftsRijtjSNa744SjxQQXqQfcX_q21tr0/s1600/IMG_0508.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3436iAAgBapMweUttckBUvpuR4SwjPop3yWwj94uFxiNTNTCCHpNNOEKWX7U2p6hUkA1cROGl8qn8DjLvTKBVlmkhZcmPUBXfL6G-KIgBA9ftsRijtjSNa744SjxQQXqQfcX_q21tr0/s320/IMG_0508.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461916181036453586" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi4Y4hi9d8Fa1OdWZ24eQ7OVfLPigDE-G-G974yCIPMuYag9pih6O2fY2z7syl0zkKCcgaXmxOu41UwG4-0logCXnvObXXm0LMhWy5huzMDgdwsJw29KmK1NkRnm1JWjI6Kf5ALzSY_E/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi4Y4hi9d8Fa1OdWZ24eQ7OVfLPigDE-G-G974yCIPMuYag9pih6O2fY2z7syl0zkKCcgaXmxOu41UwG4-0logCXnvObXXm0LMhWy5huzMDgdwsJw29KmK1NkRnm1JWjI6Kf5ALzSY_E/s320/IMG_0493.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461916166238599282" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-70108953168878118032010-03-24T12:06:00.000-07:002010-03-24T12:33:51.938-07:00Whats new...The last couple of weeks feels like it has been slow going for me, although we ARE getting tons accomplished. We are officially incorporated, we are looking at a couple of possible meeting places, we have opened a bank account, all good things. But because they are not really tangible for me it feels like not a lot is happening. Mark and I have an accessment with the AG at the end of the month. We are looking forward to this as it is one of the last requirements that we have to undergo as we continue this journey. <br /><br />Mark started work today with the Census Bureau and I have applied for work also. We desperately need financial support as we continue & we are praying for a miracle. I believe that God is providing for us one day at a time. Giving us daily bread. We are trusting Him continuously to provide for us in every way. He always has provided for us so I know He will continue to. Please be praying with us as we trust Him. <br /><br />Allison is on Spring Break this week, she is doing so good in school. She loves it. it is so exciting for me to watch her grow and learn. Can't believe she will be six this coming year. Her project at the moment is a book she is writing called "The dog book and the cat book." It is priceless. She has worked so hard on it. Some sentences she has wrote are perfectly written backwards. It makes me laugh every time I read it. <br /><br />Overall we are doing fantastically, we are in the middle of a church 21 day fast, it has been a great commitment on everyone's part. I am so proud of our team. Please continue to pray for them all. They are still finding there feet. <br /><br />We are also hoping to move into the Hollywood District sometime in the summer so we can begin to minister more effectively by living there. Please pray with us as we find a more permanent home there. We are wanting to be the best stewards of all God provides for us. <br /><br />We are praying for you also. Thank you for all you do. If you have any prayer request please ask us. We have prayer as a team every Thursday night and it has been incredible watching as God answers prayer after prayer. We are truly blessed. We love you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-35274432363241342942010-03-05T11:58:00.000-08:002010-03-08T19:53:03.451-08:00Since our last post...An update on our last post. Now Allison has no teeth on top. I am going to tell you, it is the cutest thing ever. She has this incredible lisp now. I keep asking her to say words with s's. Then it makes me laugh. She is awesome! This weekend I asked her if she wanted to paint her nails with me. I asked her to pick colors. For me she picked black and silver... I thought this was funny. She knows me so well. For her she picked pink and pink with sparkles Ha! So we proceeded to paint our nails. Once she had hers done she was thrilled. But then seen the blue and decided she wanted them blue instead. So after the 10th please I caved. I removed all the paint from her fingers and started to paint them blue. I had the first coat of blue on and she looked at me and said "Mama, I think I should have left them pink!" So yes... I removed the paint for the second time and painted them pink again! Patience is a wonderful thing. <br /><br />We are officially a church as of this week. It is so exciting. After many hours of deciding on a name that we all liked and would be timeless, we decided on PORTICO. We came across this name while reading a church planting book. It talked about "the Portico". I was curious, so I did a little research on it. Portico is a porch or a covered entry way. Portico refers to Solomon's Porch which was a large colonnaded entry to the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus taught there on many occasions. It was also the place where the governor would address the people regarding a decree or judgement he had made on a particular case. But, in Acts 4:4 salvation came to the portico; "But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand." A place that was reserved for judgement became a place for salvation. It seems to us that Portland is a place where people are waiting to be judged by the "religious". We want to be a place of salvation, not a place of judgement. <br /><br />So this last Saturday night was our first PORTICO LAUNCH TEAM service. After many hours of practice our worship team led like we had a full house. It was soooo exciting. We are so proud of our team. We have a ton of talent, we are very excited to see what God will do. Mark taught on our first Core Value 'Prayer'. We want to be a church that is founded on prayer. Then, a church that continues in prayer. Prayer is what helps us become more like Jesus. Also, He set the ultimate example for us and ever lives to make intercession for us. We are called to do the same. Our heart is for the hurting, so intercession is one of the ways we can help people who are in a life situation deeper than they can handle. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZiLMnIvuXTltp6KdBM8-1x_rzAOpXAahcsf0fYbt5eeJNwxUbVFhxF1AGwIDJChj5fBuTejPzBcgD5S0huSK-rk73DBsevuY5PhabecnrDQY7IKoZIYWCTUAc581xQoaP54Pwz9dYHA/s1600-h/IMG_0406.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZiLMnIvuXTltp6KdBM8-1x_rzAOpXAahcsf0fYbt5eeJNwxUbVFhxF1AGwIDJChj5fBuTejPzBcgD5S0huSK-rk73DBsevuY5PhabecnrDQY7IKoZIYWCTUAc581xQoaP54Pwz9dYHA/s320/IMG_0406.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446472911789105522" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WbGrocuT2jN6LnkzBqSmGmzLNca8KG3GR4eSCFNS_-eoJnXk5jVshhP_w38PcKlcLCiYWtfrEcD9ytSnqW8j5R2Ki4yHEnjEEpOluJmtTD9iiI1y6CNblxje5_ueccICd6x_F2F9KTs/s1600-h/IMG_0413.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WbGrocuT2jN6LnkzBqSmGmzLNca8KG3GR4eSCFNS_-eoJnXk5jVshhP_w38PcKlcLCiYWtfrEcD9ytSnqW8j5R2Ki4yHEnjEEpOluJmtTD9iiI1y6CNblxje5_ueccICd6x_F2F9KTs/s320/IMG_0413.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446473663869328658" /></a><br />Due to our having church on Saturday night we decided to have Sunday morning breakfast church this week. We had potluck style breakfast, swedish pancakes, bacon, breakfast pizza, eggs, cinnamon rolls... the list is endless, along with fun and just hanging out together. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6swY1xojbn4D4_hsHIAdSeUDiHZRCFNExtEOJxdr1K1NW6eggQmdYcEifP28UMXqfaXI4TRG1OCV70nCd9F-kHT4rbpV0NGdUvPYDo7iC5CUaCP1ZJ1tC0LO-SjvZfMgEz_IbIFOzHU/s1600-h/DSC04787.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6swY1xojbn4D4_hsHIAdSeUDiHZRCFNExtEOJxdr1K1NW6eggQmdYcEifP28UMXqfaXI4TRG1OCV70nCd9F-kHT4rbpV0NGdUvPYDo7iC5CUaCP1ZJ1tC0LO-SjvZfMgEz_IbIFOzHU/s320/DSC04787.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446474270429398306" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6cQNiI-sGQdhdTUa6P446T9PtpCf9qw5_fqYDQaWEPsoQr5NQh4nmsdOzZqWdq4DyJW4N3_kH87TGPGml4BLaUEESVZ0FwkWyh7pQJSJxcPGzXPVqEngP4opNLfRQlpITgtSecyIKHA/s1600-h/DSC04784.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6cQNiI-sGQdhdTUa6P446T9PtpCf9qw5_fqYDQaWEPsoQr5NQh4nmsdOzZqWdq4DyJW4N3_kH87TGPGml4BLaUEESVZ0FwkWyh7pQJSJxcPGzXPVqEngP4opNLfRQlpITgtSecyIKHA/s320/DSC04784.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446474734703952146" /></a><br /><br />Two weeks ago we have the pleasure of being apart of the Assemblies Church Planting Bootcamp in Seattle. Four of us attended, along with the Oregon Ministry Network Pastor/Assistant Superintendent Lee McCloud and his wife Cindy, and Lila Pearson, Assistant to Pastor Lee McCloud. I can't even begin to tell you how much of a benefit plus blessing it was to us all. It was informative and interactive. It helped us tremendously. We were incredibly well taken care of with the bonus of getting to know Lee, Cindy and Lila. A big THANK YOU to them & OMN. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4Lr0dGoW-abzl4_MnaU9trLR43aN0eCZhwx1OUukOgqwEHMqz1R8-tJ6RwsXq7ZWR7SjIcV5UBifqA7RpMqbmIWQ3T7VxlivNx2pxPVK9i5PVVyfOIFfpSGp6NRfd-t6ZWW-9PUZttk/s1600-h/DSC04613.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4Lr0dGoW-abzl4_MnaU9trLR43aN0eCZhwx1OUukOgqwEHMqz1R8-tJ6RwsXq7ZWR7SjIcV5UBifqA7RpMqbmIWQ3T7VxlivNx2pxPVK9i5PVVyfOIFfpSGp6NRfd-t6ZWW-9PUZttk/s320/DSC04613.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446475223412811506" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLNy_LeYtdOV1rF4MuhIp61gzZVmXrMqGpQmi8eEpeVKDO_cHF-5RJeIO0NInV0dk_Zzg4jY9fsfm_zbLFgmdk4gK7tb-1SiAHmY2sR8pnOXGtOySGyUVL2cp5JyG19ZtGUMD97bXQrA/s1600-h/DSC04604.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLNy_LeYtdOV1rF4MuhIp61gzZVmXrMqGpQmi8eEpeVKDO_cHF-5RJeIO0NInV0dk_Zzg4jY9fsfm_zbLFgmdk4gK7tb-1SiAHmY2sR8pnOXGtOySGyUVL2cp5JyG19ZtGUMD97bXQrA/s320/DSC04604.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446475628955050034" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLT0U81BD0bUYFej-m7gQvwQ5cd1hkDcJDVFFtlRAxS2TUINqXnO_qs0OEAsKqCEP0hxZzbtyKyUcJ687x-YijatfMkoWDjwb38kW5kfh6UA1lgTPTnb9FIKsc2xZ49kWlycfF1vnxfnU/s1600-h/DSC04631.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLT0U81BD0bUYFej-m7gQvwQ5cd1hkDcJDVFFtlRAxS2TUINqXnO_qs0OEAsKqCEP0hxZzbtyKyUcJ687x-YijatfMkoWDjwb38kW5kfh6UA1lgTPTnb9FIKsc2xZ49kWlycfF1vnxfnU/s320/DSC04631.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446475921705496578" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-1735930660096091922010-02-16T08:57:00.000-08:002010-02-16T09:55:22.332-08:00Our excited little girl!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBqWq-dI7twmGI3uqLHyId-ombIRndBMg2VKLafILz8IG55FwNHPRgpVw639MiNycNEW4D6ruWLa4wc3CrAz4YCrH8k_0_0VTpnuXZBWOanVNZXHsyjJ9fWBNrDqE6iQ3jZv9gEhE2bA/s1600-h/DSC04192.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBqWq-dI7twmGI3uqLHyId-ombIRndBMg2VKLafILz8IG55FwNHPRgpVw639MiNycNEW4D6ruWLa4wc3CrAz4YCrH8k_0_0VTpnuXZBWOanVNZXHsyjJ9fWBNrDqE6iQ3jZv9gEhE2bA/s320/DSC04192.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438894994217517266" /></a><br />During our church planting process, our little girl has been a gem! I am totally amazed by her, by the grace that is covering her life, all our lives. Moving from Phoenix to Portland (which I must add, was an incredible journey with her. She never made a sound the entire trip!) Meeting new people, new houses, she has had people living with us the beginning of the new year. People in our home constantly. Meetings, worship practices, different church services every two weeks, she started school in January. Yet in the midst of it all she doesn't ever complain. She just goes where ever we go and does whatever we do. <br />As I go through different worship songs, to practice or just listen, she will sing along with me. Its funny that I don't think she is really paying too much attention.... but her spirit is! God has blessed us with a wonderful little girl. <br />So last night, she put the icing on the cake. To explain, when we started to talk about putting together a our worship team, we talked through all the people who wanted to be involved vocally & all those that played an instruments. Allison was there, so she asked if I thought that the kids could have a band too, I said yes that that would be okay. So she sat up a the table & began to write down all the names of the kids that could be in the band. She listed them one after another on a white sheet of copy paper. It made me smile and cry all at the same time. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1S0ZAUNjsFFkpJICT01QK4IDGUHTE5R1RBnGnV4CUuWORYHh5dkeF-E4PhNAmVv9JlPNU021azNT1rEWLPFNqnMlvStuiZctOWeXVUhF7XUR6_iVjmzZMxyRB_RTLv-y-L6L-t0IAm7s/s1600-h/DSC04234.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1S0ZAUNjsFFkpJICT01QK4IDGUHTE5R1RBnGnV4CUuWORYHh5dkeF-E4PhNAmVv9JlPNU021azNT1rEWLPFNqnMlvStuiZctOWeXVUhF7XUR6_iVjmzZMxyRB_RTLv-y-L6L-t0IAm7s/s320/DSC04234.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438898717211081314" /></a><br />Yesterday, we were at Target, they were selling off all there Valentines candy, she found a heart shaped Etch-a-sketch in one of the bins. She asked if she could have it. So I said that we would see how much it was, we bought it. Yesterday evening she came to me with the Etch-a-sketch & a plan, a kids church layout plan. She mapped out where all the classes would be for each age group. Where the main Sanctuary would be, also where the kids band would be. I am amazed! I am overwhelmed at the excitement of my little girl! I am overjoyed at her belief, faith and trust. I love that she has taken hold of the vision for her. Wow God is great! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dRS97O7mSD2BdPV29duOO-lrhU2CdQ_tV4ftGMoE4Kom83WGAM2LXXIQE3C7kYuwdh9jXgo9gMyjC4xkJ3Al6PtEhV2Ns_FnmUUx5lrRKnWLDkCv4ACyEdMaLF-JdGJx-Kf-PF1JKeU/s1600-h/DSC04232.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dRS97O7mSD2BdPV29duOO-lrhU2CdQ_tV4ftGMoE4Kom83WGAM2LXXIQE3C7kYuwdh9jXgo9gMyjC4xkJ3Al6PtEhV2Ns_FnmUUx5lrRKnWLDkCv4ACyEdMaLF-JdGJx-Kf-PF1JKeU/s320/DSC04232.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438899134829743746" /></a><br />It will be fun to watch her bring her vision to life. I believe there is a strong leader in her. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-57465736295483708332010-01-31T16:01:00.000-08:002010-01-31T16:37:51.351-08:00Each day brings something new...We are excited to say that this weekend brought another four of our launch team to Portland. Brooke Shnowske, Alyssa Belanger, Sam and Amanda McLellan left Wausau, Wisconsin & took the long journey here with family and friends. It is so good to have them here. We get more excited as the days go on, watching it all come into place. So many good things are happening, we are moving always forward. In the midst of all the good things, we have also had some not so good. Mark's grampa died last night at the age of 94. He was an incredible man, one we loved very much. Each day brings so many things... good and not so good!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-39237836092327022252010-01-12T12:51:00.000-08:002010-01-12T20:09:59.308-08:00So much has happened!Well Christmas came & went really quickly. Took down the Christmas tree on December 26th to prepare for the New Year. As well as the fact that I was sick of it. Fina our beautiful Chocolate lab knocked off or obliterated our Christmas decorations on a daily basis. So it was better to take the tree down as soon as possible. <br /><br />January has been very busy for us. Allison started school on the 4th of January. She loves it. I am so proud of her. She is growing in leaps & bounds, she's loving it. She has been longing for learning. She is making lots of friends, loves her teacher & overall is doing great. <br /><br />January will also bring the rest of our team to Portland. I am excited beyond words to watch as God pulls together the big picture. All the pieces of the puzzle are being placed together. God can see the outside of the box... He sees the finished picture. We wait patiently as He pulls us all together and begins to piece together His church. It is beautiful & scary all at the same time!! <br />Jeff & Liz Pershing moved here on the January 2nd & are living with us while they are waiting for there house to sell. Please be praying with them for that. Then on the 6th of January, I flew back to Phoenix to help with the drive back to Portland with Aimee Hamilton. We had a fantastic trip. Overall we made great time, especially the 2nd leg of the trip from Sacramento to Portland. We left at 5.15am & made it to Portland about 2pm. Also this last weekend we had Sam & Amanda McLellan come for interviews and apartment searching. Jake & Rachel opened up their home to them, we appreciate that so much. They came in on Wednesday and left Saturday morning. <br /><br />Tomorrow we have two more of our team coming in Brooke Shnowske and Alyssa Belanger. They are coming just for the about 4 days apartment searching. It will be wonderful to have them, so we can get to know them a little better. They will make the permanent move to Portland at the end of January. We are excited. Then on Friday Derek & Kelly Wert make the long journey from Phoenix here too. God is on the move in so many ways in Portland. It is great to be a part of it all. <br /><br />So please be praying for us all and all of our team. There are many changes happening. So much that has to happen. Be praying for employment, finances, favor, sale of houses,a location for us to meet and the wisdom & grace to do it all! Thank you so much for all your love and support.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-24151547475735138492009-12-21T06:53:00.000-08:002009-12-21T06:57:02.281-08:00CommentsSorry once again for some reason the blog would let anyone comment. I had adjusted it but seems that the settings went back to the other settings. It is fixed now I hope. If you are still having problems. Could you email me at mtaseger@comcast.net. Have a wonderful day.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-3995555540173554042009-12-18T00:54:00.000-08:002009-12-18T00:58:19.944-08:00Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to all!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2480404040097777657.post-12128404569381615632009-12-14T19:25:00.000-08:002009-12-18T00:48:15.267-08:00Catching up again..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9zcKQ32DKtIOhJn0lfu7wwn6cCpW_m1KTQX-wxdAWFpHl-yEOqyz-qC9yeZqgsgIFN488klMHDUm56fmRcEehfpSL_1bTZoew5Fy5IGtXjTmITT_Gapu1HFcShQ33JnvOR52oX4pTPo/s1600-h/Christmas09.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9zcKQ32DKtIOhJn0lfu7wwn6cCpW_m1KTQX-wxdAWFpHl-yEOqyz-qC9yeZqgsgIFN488klMHDUm56fmRcEehfpSL_1bTZoew5Fy5IGtXjTmITT_Gapu1HFcShQ33JnvOR52oX4pTPo/s400/Christmas09.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416494381405449554" /></a><br /><br />Well since I last wrote the silly season is upon us and we are busy with that. But in the midst of this Christmas time, so many wonderful things are happening. Since I last wrote the first of our team arrived here in Portland. I can't even begin to tell you how encouraging that is. Jake and Rachel Gora arrived here in Portland with their beautiful baby Isreal. We are overjoyed to have them here with us. Every step is incredibly encouraging. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDG4W9NYN6whgZF5EBIDKEeTIn9fYNFqbpgF9i9wn6i_NVDsZjQoLsV2zjEICWDFSZSUcS9D_mac1-ET-9C8kx91GtUJCsPPHKW8frwVJTf88Pe84FegTDXG82OgstvOqN8okM_71KFE/s1600-h/DSC03711.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDG4W9NYN6whgZF5EBIDKEeTIn9fYNFqbpgF9i9wn6i_NVDsZjQoLsV2zjEICWDFSZSUcS9D_mac1-ET-9C8kx91GtUJCsPPHKW8frwVJTf88Pe84FegTDXG82OgstvOqN8okM_71KFE/s400/DSC03711.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416493156095168450" /></a><br /><br />Last Thursday we came together for the first time for our first prayer meeting as a church... there were 7 of us in total. It was a really good night, for team building but also for storming heaven. The privilege we have to pray for our new city & our team. Tonight was our second night of prayer. <br /><br />Also this week we braved the rain & as a team with a cannister of Hot Chocolate & plates of Christmas cookies we gave a little treat to the homeless of Portland. It was so incredible to me to see how really young homeless there are. I was so moved.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3USAEQy0p4hpbN5JVl7U_N2CGpGVyld9obdy5CSkLNGfexhQevUtMw-VqiLlXI9xFgJqCh7h4CnoNzlS_lqm-hwlcuKX8oBjbDxIXMdhBw7ihRvz5gVUewwy2nEGr_FzCNlC46ngNCZk/s1600-h/15843_1279695064801_1002751930_854936_440168_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3USAEQy0p4hpbN5JVl7U_N2CGpGVyld9obdy5CSkLNGfexhQevUtMw-VqiLlXI9xFgJqCh7h4CnoNzlS_lqm-hwlcuKX8oBjbDxIXMdhBw7ihRvz5gVUewwy2nEGr_FzCNlC46ngNCZk/s400/15843_1279695064801_1002751930_854936_440168_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416491841752400866" /></a><br /><br /><br />The remainder of our team will be here around the end of January. The next to arrive will be Jeff and Liz Pershing. They are leaving Wausau, WI in the two weeks. Then Aimee Hamilton with be here by the 10th of January, I am flying down to Phoenix to drive back with her to here. Please pray for our trip and for good driving weather. <br /><br />Finally, Merry Christmas to you all. I pray it will be a wonderfully blessed and prosperous Christmas. May the New Year bring you answered prayer and the desire of your heart. Thank you for your continued prayer support. We love you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04200338215523108830noreply@blogger.com0