Great Sunday…

• Feels like I haven’t been up early enough to not be rushing out of my mind and flying down the freeway. Today was the first time I’ve been up on time in a while. Thanks @saraperez.
• Got to the Palladium on time along with most of our volunteer staff and band….no trailer!
• We’re hanging out inside the theater because it’s freakin’ cold outside. Waiting…waiting…waiting…
• The trailer is usually at the theater by 8:30ish. We’ve talked about purposely showing up late with the trailer so that our setup team and volunteers are forced to really pull together and work hard and fast. I wish I had planned this but I can’t really take any credit for what happened next.
• Trailer gets to the Palladium at 9:10 or so. That’s almost 45 minutes after we usually set up. Didn’t matter!!!!
• Our team was sick today! We did new stuff with lights and the stage and they still got set up with plenty of time for the band to warm up, for some worship and prayer time and to go through the lineup several times. Freakin’ awesome.
• Everyone seemed to be really calm setting up in a hurry. I didn’t even seem like we were in a rush. 
• We had some hiccups with video setup. They still got everything done on time. Way to go @txroadshow & @lindasolis.
• Today was @ralfula1’s birthday. He’s oooooold!!!!
• I’ve learned so much from Ralf. I’m super uptight when it comes to setup on Sundays. He teaches me to chill out. He’s patient and smart. Great work with the band Ralf, it’s an honor to work by your side and I’m better for it.
• Band was awesome as usual with the exception of  a little stumble on some words. @mike127 is still the best ever. That guy pumps me up.
• Mike and Megan picked up a pair of Blackberry Curves. They just got on the cool kids list.
• Raised two thirds of our stage up from 18” to three feet! The band was shakin’ in their boots! Can you say “afraid of heights??”
• Started a series called “Addict” today. We have a number of recovering addicts who blew us away with their stories. @kevj got real authentic with his own addictions to pornography. He makes it easier for all of us who struggle in that area to man up and kick that addiction. What’s your addiction? Sex? Alcohol? Porn? Gambling? Attention? Drama? Food?
• We used a lot of video this week and it went great. Good transitions. I always think I need to micromanage the video and lights but I just need to let go. Sorry guys. I wont do that anymore. You guys do great every week.
• Lots of new people at Imagine. Biggest weekend attendance! Woohooo!
• I was on the live tweet this weekend and it was cool. Had a chance to interact with some new twitter followers who are diggin’ twurch.
• Breakdown is fun. We have a ton of people stick around and help. It would take forever to thank them all but they’re awesome.
• So the guys are loading stuff up in the trailer and there are about seven Imagine females huddled up talking…Matt and I know this can’t be going good. Are they complaining about us? Is one of those girls braggin’ on her perfect man…which will just get us in trouble for all the bad husbands we are?? Turned out ok, whew!!
• I love Imagine Fellowship.
• After service, a woman said to me, “This church is great, I loved it!” Welcome to the club. Imagine is a place where people can be themselves. We’ll take you just where you are introduce you to a God that can turn your life upside down, shake loose everything that you’ve been trying to fix for years and put everything back together again.
• Momentum, that’s all I have to say.

Not like me to write long blog posts.  I usually write quick snipets, but lately things have been changing in my heart.  I actually haven’t posted in a while, because I have been spending more and more time talking with God.  Let me explain…

My friend sent me an email about three weeks ago and told me that I had to look at this passage in the Bible.  I looked at the passage and thought it was great, but that was pretty much all I thought.  For some reason though, God kept stirring issues in my heart, and for some odd reason I keep going back to that same passage in the Bible.  As I read it, (I know this sounds weird and crazy to some people) but I felt that He gave me a direct message.  

I had been battling, in my heart, with some issues, and it was the perfect message for me.  It affected me so much, I read the passage for about 4 hours…each time I read the passage the head knowledge turned into a reality.  Every time I would read the passage I would cry because I could feel the freedom in His message.  I didn’t know it in my head…I knew it in my heart.  

There are some open fields near my house, I stayed there most of the day, (if you know me, you know that is not like me at all, I grew up in Vegas and stay away from the woods) and had an honest discussion with God. 

Many people never check out Christ because they are afraid they will be bound by “the rules.”  That they will have to change their entire life if they find Him.  They won’t be able to do certain things.  When, in fact, it is just the opposite, when you come close to God you will find that the rules don’t much matter…He is able to touch your heart in a way that your desires change.  Things you once thought were important move to the wayside…He offers peace to the chaos and an adventure to the bored.

I haven’t felt “compelled” to pray like this in a very long time.  I’ll be doing something, and then feel like I have to stop and pray or I will get away on a walk, by myself, and talk to God about my concerns and pray for others.  

Most of us look at God like we look at our parents.  Or, we look at Christians, especially the ones that are judgmental, and say “I don’t want to be like that.”  Isn’t it sad how Christians were the reason I didn’t want to check out God.  Yet, I wish that people’s perception of God could be wiped away fresh for just a moment. I would trade my life for people to experience what is like to have a relationship with Christ.  It is truly amazing… 

Thanks Kirby.

• I got home late last night and got a phone call from @nanpalmero saying that @mashable tweeted about Imagine Fellowship….So I went to the site, and it was pretty much dead  For those of you that aren’t in to the tech savvy world, Mashable is the world’s largest blog focused exclusively on web 2.0 and social networking news.  Have to thank Pete Cashmore for the tweet!
• ChurchCrunch blogged about Imagine, check it out!
• Welcome to all our new twitter friends from around the globe.   If you are interested in knowing more about how we do this, what we’re about or how you can do this in your church, please leave us a comment so we can help you.

Imagine in Outreach Magazine/Article-25 Ideas Reshaping the American Church

Hit the link above to read the article of Imagine Fellowship in Outreach Magazine.  Imagine was number 16 in the article-”25 Ideas Reshaping the American Church”

I saw my son the other day and started realizing all the things he already has in common with God, and how sometimes we see things differently.

Us: God and kids 

We see obstacles:they see anything they want.

We are impatient: they enjoy the moment.

We hold onto rejection: they love unconditionally. 

We fear things where we have failed: they see past their shortcomings.

When we talk we “dance around the subject:” they call it as they see it.

We plan: they laugh.

Have you ever said to yourself, “I need more patience.” No way! Nobody does. Well…let me speak for myself, I don’t ask for patience often.

We live in the “now” society. Where the infommercial will change your life in one week, the meal is ready in two minutes, and your television is on-demand. There are so many great things about the “now” lifestyle. (Our church uses twitter, talking, encouraging, real time)

However, sometimes we can transfer the “now” type thinking to other areas of our lives that we shouldn’t. Try telling your kid to “behave NOW!” Try telling your spouse “you look sloppy, fix yourself NOW.” You might say, I would never say those things, and I would probably agree with you, but don’t we feel like saying things we do not mean when we are impatient?

What we are saying when we feel that tension is that I want it my way and now! Yet, never thinking or processing that, possibly, there is a better way than our way.

Remember, “things” you can move faster with…people move slowly. 

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! Ephesians 3:20

We tend to know corporations slogans, brand identities, and organizations mission statements.  Yet, I was thinking how many families have a distinct identity?  

I was talking to my sister-in-law a few years ago and I was telling her that she should stop something (cannot remember what it was about), but I do remember her telling me that “the Flores family never quits!”  She said that statement like she believed it!  Thinking about that the other day, I realized she was telling me one of their “family values.”

What is one of your family values?

-We never quit.

-We help one another.

-We are honest about our problems.

-We tell the truth even when it hurts.

I think more families need these kind of statements.  They help define expectations and help shape our actions.

How it is going to happen?

Where is the money going to come from?

How will my marriage will be fixed?

How am I going to get my next sale?

Where will I find my future wife or husband?

How am I going to eat healthier?

How can I help others when I feel like I can’t help myself?

Welcome to faith.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Ever step or sit on a nail?  It hurts! (I have stepped on one) You feel the pain right away and then you react as quick as possible.  

I thought about that and then realized that many of us get into situations with our relationships or finances and we know there is something painful that we need to handle.  However, we often decide not to deal with the pain and we “wish it away” or pretend it does not exist.  

When we let God lead us, He steers us in the direction of the painful situation we do not want to confront.  Often, not always, there is something to learn from the situation and we need to react as quick as possible.

I was talking with a friend the other day and we were talking about how there has been an explosion of information.  Newspapers, blogs, television, websites, twitter, instant message, text messaging, radio, telephones, skype, and many others are only a few clicks away.  I have felt like I have had ADD for a while, I go from one thing to the next, having a hard time finishing things.  Though, as I was talking with my friend, he reminded me that we live in a time that it is hard to focus just because there are so many interruptions.  He concluded that he would be more creative if he slowed down the amount of information entering his brain.  I agreed.

So what do we do?

Make sure to schedule time away from all the chaos…It’s important!  And you will be more of what you were made to be.