Dear Culture,

I drove past a sign the other day in League City that said "Ike is gone, but we're still here."  I think they were trying to promote their business being open, but I thought it sounded pretty true in a lot of ways.  Hurricane Ike was not a surprise to most who live here.  We knew that if we lived here long enough, this would happen.  But it has been a wake up call and a difficult blow to our friends and neigbors here.  But we're still here. 

balance is one of the things i struggle most with.  i find much of my time is spent wishing i was spending more time with my wife or my family.  when i finally get that back into balance, the pendulum swings the other way and i go through stretches that i don't feel as if i am spending enough focused time on building up this community of believers called the watershed.

Building a church that matters . . . I don't know why but this is the phrase that has gotten stuck in my heart ever since I've felt called to start this new church called The Watershed.  I'm not arrogant enough to say that God put it there, but still the phrase won't go away.  And it's not like I think this church will matter where others do not or something like that.  I just know that I will feel this church is a failure if five years down the road, I don't feel like this is a church that matters to God and this community.

i've been thinking a lot lately about the world we live in and how it views Jesus and His followers.  it seems to me that the culture beyond the four walls of the church feels that the church is against everything and everybody.  we're known more for our boycotts and picket signs than anything else.  as dan kimball's book reminds us "they like Jesus, not the church." 

don't get me started about things i dislike about the church, at least the way we practice it in north america.