so the xanga folks have nudged me to get back to it here.  must admit i found much fun here in my early days as a blogger, but it seems i've headed in a slightly different way so i'm just wondering  how to make this all work.  more later...

the problem with living a web 2.0 age is trying to stay on the front edge.  i just realized its been literally months since i logged into xanga.  i've been blogging, but it like five different spots.  i've put up my own domain here...with a new blog... www.samgamgee.org   and i've been blogging at the outpost site...like in four different places... here or here or here or here.  plus i've been playing with a couple of domains...one for rose for her work www.healthtechbuzz.net plus the domain for emmaus which has been a major pain because they changed owners on the isp and well...there's been a huge learning curve on their end and on mine.  i've also given some bandwith to my pal mr. z at wcrf for his effort with raising awareness to the work of Kingdom outposts in the cleveland metro.  check it out at 1nightonthestreet

so i've got to figure out how to get this down to a single effort i think.  so...when i get time, maybe.  things have been going really well.  much good is happening at the outpost.  i'm learning to find my pace.  i've still got some things to learn. but hey...i graduated as a life long learner...right?

blessings...sam

leave me a comment if you'd like to hear more.

it's been a couple of weeks...almost.  since then i've traveled to the west coast and spent some time with a fellow warrior in the trenches, attended a very cool student leadership conference and hung out at the ocean.  our first stop was with rudy and company @ harambee in pasadena, ca.  rudy and i have known of each other for several years but never really met face to face.  so finally we had a chance just to sit and talk about life and the journey of one who follows Christ.  i traveled with several other adults (including our lead pastor) and three students.  we tackled a small project while there.  the picture to the left is from the pdym student leadership conference which was our destination and purpose at saddleback church in lake forest, ca.  the conversation and conference experience was five stars.  it began on tuesday night with the opening session during which 2' x 2'panels that each group had painted were hung in order on the back drop of the stage.  our panel was R15 and can be seen in the right side of the picture just in from the side and near the bottom.  the panels were a great way to represent the theme of "be."  each of the sessions wrestled with an idea to be...compassionate...silent...the change.  the panels didn't look like much.see in upper right hand.  but when assembled together it formed a perfect artistic backdrop for our weeklong conversation.  the pace of the four days was just enough to leave you tired, but understanding you had been part of something very good.  i was impressed by all in attendance.  the craziness of the youth attending (and the adult leaders).  i was also impressed by the hard working staff.  i'm blessed by their good hearts.  it would be very ease to stand where they do and just do for themselves.  but they did more than that....they gave of their hearts to help others understand the importance of doing ministry with excellence.  to open their campus and ministry to the outside in the midst of all that they are responsible for is just craziness...but such an encouragement to the task we each have to live life with intentionality.

i've read some of these guys and gals...in their books and blogs and heard several at conferences.  but it was the inbetween times when you bumped into them that you could see their passion for serving Jesus with all that they are.  they were real, honest and vulernable.  what you saw up front is what you experienced face to face.  i've really been blessed by the ministry at saddleback.  from pastor ricks purpose driven church and life to doug field's purpose driven youth ministry.  these folks truly understand with real clarity what the Church must be to connect the relevance of the Gospel to today's spiritually hungry generation.  i'm grateful to our leaders at our outpost to encourage this kind of experience for adults and the students. i'm humbled by the opportunity that i'm being called into to walk and give leadership to growing these future leaders at our campus.  if you want to read and see more stop over at the.evolution website.   i've got some more thots on a couple of conversations i had while away...but i'm tired...still trying to get the body clock back on the local time zone.