New Blog

I am now blogging under the name Brant Hansen at http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=branthansen. I actually post things there from time to time and I have witty and interesting things to say. Please check me out. You'll be glad you did!

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This would have been my whole post, but since I'm out on the porch with a port and a cuban and my relaxation level is at a premium, I might actually blog something instead of just refer you to someone who says neat things I'd like to say if I had the energy and time.

Okay, pity-party over. No more excuses...no more whiney posts about why I haven't been blogging. Nobody likes to hear that. Here are a few of things that have happened over the past few months or will happen soon that I haven't been talking about on this blog but normally would have if I had been blogging:

1. Stress Management. I have been learning through the help of a really cool counselor dude how to manage the stress that often gets out of control learning how to be a good father to my three kids. I can deal with the most stressful meetings at work or have someone in my face about something and maintain my cool...but those wonderful kids just send me over the edge sometimes. Along the way, I'm learning tons about making small incremental ways to recenter my life on Jesus and what he cares about. It's a long, slow process...but I'm digging it.

2. I really, really like Sufjan Stevens!

3. As a result (of the stress...not Sufjan), I haven't done much in the way of reading or writing or "doing" lately. Everything has been pretty sporadic. I work, I spend time with the family, I worship on Sunday, and I try to get in on what God is doing along the way. No spectacular revelations or innovative projects - just day-in-day-out stuff. That's mostly why the blog has been pretty quiet - I'm not a good mundane blogger.

4. Last night, I was so tired that I went to bed an hour after the kids and long before Amber. As I was about to settle in I realized I hadn't turned on our humidifier we use for white noise. So I reached over to Amber's side table and turned it on. As I rolled back, I misjudged the distance from Amber's side to my side and rolled completely off the bed, pulling down the lamp on my side, breaking the lightbulb in a million pieces, and gashing my back on the nightstand. Fun!

5. If you haven't already, go out and buy some grassfed beef. I highly recommend Slanker's Texas Grassfed Beef. Their steaks are out of this world, and everything is healthy and free-range.

6. Having the entire Message Bible on my ipod is neato.

7. I really, really, really like the show Dirty Jobs on Discovery. That dude Mike Rowe is hi-larious.

8. My laptop is ill. It had a nasty bout of trojan spywares about a month ago. I cleaned that up, but now it just does some really weird things. I went to Panera Bread last week to do some writing for work and for some reason I couldn't get on wifi. Everyone else was happily surfing around, gleefully and blissfully unaware of my pain. Jerks. I'm too lazy and cheap to take it anywhere to get it fixed, so I mostly just complain about it.

9. We will probably do another Kingdom Workshop in the early part of next year. It will be on healing and "doing what the Father is doing" as a part of kingdom living. So there's that.

So that's good for a few posts, eh?

Budding

Yesterday was sort of a landmark day in the life of our little faith community. Our first bud has formed and will begin meeting together next week. Honestly though, the whole morning was a little anti-climactic - not because it's not exciting what is happening with the two families who are starting the group - but because it just all seemed so "natural".

At least "natural" is the word Mike (who is leading the group) used to describe the event and I think it is a good word. When things are natural, they don't have to be dramatic or serious. They just happen as a normal course of life. I remember in my previous church / ministry life, a "multiplication", a new group, or a new anything was this major earth-shattering event. What really happened was that we'd get our egos rubbed a little because "Hey, there's more of us now. That must mean we're successful!" Or something like that. Anyway, that's one of the reasons I enjoy the imagery of yeast budding to describe how the church reproduces. (Check out this little article from next-wave, especially the not-so-relevant-but-hilarious comment at the bottom).

Anyway, congrats to the Bourques and Eisleys who embark on the next leg of their journey as a part of God's Big Bride. We'll be seeing them all at least once a month at our communion / worship thingy at the beach, but I hope to connect with them more.