Gathering... in a picture...

My buddy, Nick Carnes, posted a picture from the Gathering.


This says in a picture what I was trying to say HERE. (Thanks Nick.)

A picture really does say a 1000 words.

Jim

This year's Gathering loot

Here's a photo of this year's Gathering loot.

One of the great things about the Gathering is that they always load us up on free resources and books. (We (Doug Fields and Nick Carnes) scammed Andy Brazelton out of a free copy of PDYM for the whole crew. In fact, we spent a considerable amount of time and will spend it over the next couple of months working a 2nd edition of PDYM. I'm planning to help out.)

The notable resource this year is the new copy of the LIVE Bible from Group. It looks really sharp and may become the new Bible that we give to students when they are baptized.

I'm looking forward to digging into the loot a little more.


Jim

Waiting in Vegas...

Right now, I'm sitting on the floor in the Vegas airport with my back against the wall and my iPod is charging. I'm hoping that I'll have enough charge to make it through a movie and whatever songs I need to get me back to Chicago tonight...

While my iPod battery is almost empty (and my iPhone's too). My heart is full.

The last couple of days have been incredible. I love the Gathering. Definitely the best part is catching up with old friends (and by the way, if this is short it's because I've got to catch my flight). But what an incredible time of talking about houses, ministries, students, programs, purposes, plans... but most importantly... talking about life. And talking about life with guys that I'm doing life with in one form or another (sometimes Twitter... sometimes blogs... sometimes emails... sometimes texts... and sometimes face to face). But it was great to walk into a room full of people that I care about and care about me... and to know that they don't care about me for any reason relating to ministry. They just want to know how things are in my life.

Not that there aren't others in my life that are that way. There are. (And you know who you are...) But it's great to have so many of them together in one room at one place. The room where we met had 6 tables. I could sit down at everyone of them and know that I'm sitting with friends.

I'm leaving finding myself feeling very encouraged... and ready for another phase of ministry and life. And that's what the Gathering is all about. I have lots of ideas in my moleskine... but my heart is full.

Thanks Doug, Neely and others who helped to fill it up... (and I won't mention names because I will forget someone).

Jim

Gathering... TOMORROW!!!

I've been looking forward to this for the last 4 or 5 months.

Tomorrow morning at 7:15 am, I jump a jet to California for a couple of days for "The Gathering." It's a little mini-conference at Saddleback. I always love this event because the week is filled with incredible, challenging and inspiring conversations with some old friends. It always fills me up and spawns some new ideas.

I can't wait.

My only regret is that I got almost nothing done today that I needed to get done. So, I'll have to get some done tomorrow and in the midst of some free time as I have it. Thankfully I have Thursday night's small group lesson... everything else can "technically wait" until Friday or Saturday (when I'll be back in town).

So chances are good that tonight that there might be a couple of random posts... but the posts the rest of the week will be from Saddleback and "The Gathering." So, watch for those... plus, I always love the "loot."

Jim