Preaching at Northside Christian Church!

http://vimeo.com/8425716

Just copy the above url and you can hear my sermon from this past week.

Malachi and the many Faces!

So currently Malachi has been making some really funny faces. This past week we were traveling back from Chicago. The boy looked at me while I sipped on my soda and reached to grab the soda, I kindly pulled away when Malachi began making this face as if he was attempting to “force pull” the cup to himself. He hasn’t done this since but I wonder if deep down inside I’m raising a Jedi Baby!

Testing

Just testing some blog settings by using my new writer that will allow me to type on my blog when I’m offline.

Crazy Love....So it begins

Have you ever wanted more? This is the question Francis Chan presents to us in his book Crazy Love. The next 10 weeks I want to challenge anyone who wants to share their thoughts or want to ask questions as we read through Crazy Love. I have some friends that will be going through this and responding right here, but know its open to you as well.

Chapter 1: Stop Praying

In the Bible Solomon warns us not to rush into God's presence with words.

I recall a time when my friend Evan and I just went to the mountains to enjoy God in his wonderful creation (Ps.19:1-4), it was a time of rejuvenation for me, when's the last time you just enjoyed God's creation?

We would think it would be easy to Love a God so wonderful, powerful, and Holy, but we often allow the relationship with God to fizzle. I know with all the involvement I have in the church as well as Bible College it is very easy to turn God into a day to day thing you just get done, but is that passion? What are things in your life that hinder you passion for God?

I hope you share your thoughts and allow this place to open to discussion with other people that read some of Chan's words as that will assist you in fully understanding the questions of each chapter. May God Bless us in this search for Crazy Love!

Oh, Grow Up!

Now I'm a fan of Midnight releases like no one's business. Sometimes I wonder if the Movie or Game that's going to come out at Midnight is actually worth it. Now the atmosphere and experience amongst people with so much excitement is great yet the next day at 7am it hurts real bad. What ever the case I'm off to another experience this time with Halo 3: ODST, I hope it's worth it!

Thinking of Kai

I recently had a discussion with an old Mentor perhaps my first strong Christian Man in my life. He was the type who in 7th grade awkwardly brought up the discussion of purity even though at the time didn't want to hear any of it, but in hindsight see it as a huge blessing. In Jr. High I recall being challenged by God to truly seek him him in a way that called out the question, "What does it take to be a Man of God?" I haven't been able to figure out why God has put such amazing men of God in my life who have personally challenged me when I needed the challenge the most. These men include: my dad, brother, Rod Ristow, Don Hargis, Nathan Morales, David Rutherford, Cameron Unruh, and Dave Smith. Now there are many more that I'm sure I'm not immediately thinking of but have to this point can't imagine better men to have been challenged by. In talking with my old mentor Rod, who I hadn't talked to in years, he mentioned taking his son through raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis a book that even challenges father's to take their sons through a rite of passage as they are taught what it takes to be a man. I was amused that he shared that since it is easily one of my favorite books and had read it about 3 years ago in trying to continue to answer the question of what God wants from me as a man in marriage and then one day in fatherhood.

I've come to the point where I realize that no Dad is perfect and we all have faults and that at times our kids will pick up some or even can become the greatest critique on our walk with God because there is no hiding from the watchful eyes of a child. I find myself everyday sneaking into Kai's room and praying for this son, I haven't even held yet, that he would passionately seek God in a way that he wouldn't rely on his parents faith. I also pray that the men and women who pour into Kai in his walk with God, who may be teens right now as we speak, would passionately teach him God's truth. I love Kai and sometimes find myself just so excited I literally start jumping up and down. I love my wife and now our son Kai is a product of that Love, I thank God that he has given us this gift. I feel that I am slowly grasping what parents talk about when they say that when you have a child you understand God in a whole new way, since we are his Children. I want to be a Man of God that Kai can look to and never second guess where my heart is, and I pray he'll be that man too!

-Dad “The glory of sons is their fathers.” (Proverbs 17:6)

Baby Kai is almost here!

Do you want to know when our future son Kai is born then send the text message Babykai to 41411 and you'll receive a text with info about our baby any day now, if you join let me know trying to follow who joins!

Music Man with OCC

Now you can't go wrong with a classic brought to a modern era, my friend Nick and I decided to take the famous Rock Island number from Music Man and improve it. Thanks to Charlie Arnold, Gregg Hull, and Chris Ryan for all their hard work. I've also included underneath the original, for your comparison, on the better performance.

Times Square

Well I just spent the evening walking around Times Square, I saw, a really touching moment, as a couple that had to say good bye as they went on two different subways embraced each other before their departure. Then I sang the worship song Hosanna in the Subway, pretty sure people thought I was drunk, because of the bumpy ride I began to stumble, but as we left the subway a German girl re-sang the Hosanna song to our group, we believe she had no idea what she was singing but it did make us laugh so we applauded he efforts! Hosanna-God Saves Us

Ozark's Bathrooms

I don’t know what it is, but what is the deal with nasty bathrooms? People who destroy a bathroom through Graffiti or even let's say make a mess and don't clean up after yourself, drive me insane. But all the places I've been even the self cleaning bathrooms of San Francisco, which by the way I believe is just as nasty after the cleaning as it is before the cleaning, nothing holds up to the Bathroom's at Ozark. I mean the bathrooms at our school are immaculate. They are the type of restrooms that those who will only use their restrooms at home based on cleanliness would even take a second take. Now there are no restrooms with out fault we do have one on campus that has a little graffiti although I find it amazing that even this mark in one stall happens to be an evangelistic joke (found in the Downstairs Men's Chapel Restroom). Then there's the ever odd restroom in the lower missions building that has no doors for the stall's. Now I found this really amusing the first time I discovered this but thought maybe they had to replace them, now two years later, they stay the same! All I know is I enjoy using a restrooms in this College Campus, appreciate the hard work the Janitor's put into their job as well as those students who continue to use these restrooms and make sure to leave them as they found them!

My Wife Amazes and Amuses me!

Here's a video my wife made of us!

The Guys are at it Again!

Well here's another episode of The Guys Who Like To Eat! Oh the stories I have on these guys, wait....they have stories on me too, uh....never mind just enjoy.

Good Ol' SNL

Another great episode from the Guys who like to eat!

Check out the Pregnant Video

Hey for all of those of you who want to keep up with the baby blog go check out the video when Tiff found out!!! www.babysolorio.blogspot.com

Baby on Board!

So the news is out Lito and Tiffany are expecting a child!!! So go check out the new blog dedicated solely to the baby and our adventures in preparing. Also be aware thatr some of the youtube videos on there we can't recall our password so you wont be able to watch them until we return to Joplin on Jan. 5th to unlock them, thanks for all your prayers!!!

www.babysolorio.blogspot.com