VIRB

Friends! Many of you guys know that a few of us from the Gathering ventured off to Phoenix, AZ just s short week ago. I think I have concluded that I'll be going to Phoenix every February, if not just to thaw out from these Mid-West winters. This Southern boy is just not used to so much snow! It was wonderful to have a weekend's worth of dinners on sunny patios, wearing shorts and flip-flops. Spring can't get here fast enough.

Food For the Hungry has an annual conference for people who are "Advocates" for the organization, and my friend Jason Hamilton and I were luckily invited to lead them in worship. It was an honor to say the least, and it was really great to meet people from all over the U.S., and some from around the world, who are laboring to build the Kingdom. Honestly, we were humbled by so many who are doing so much good in the world. The conference was wonderful.

Sunday night, Alissa and I were invited with Jason, and our friend Anne, to have dinner at Ben and Annette Homens house. Ben is the president of FH, and a mentor and friend of mine. There is a certain quality that surrounds people who have been all over the world, especially those who have been all over the world in an effort to make wrong things right. Ben has that quality, and I love to be around him because of it. There is a quiet and humble ambition to follow Jesus wherever He goes, and it challenges me to just cash in all of my resources to serve Him. Of course, that makes it sound like the whole night was super intense or something, which could not be further from the truth. By the end of the evening all of the men, along with Anne, and Tess [Bens daughter] were shooting potatoes from a potato gun into the desert under the careful supervision of Ethan Homen, Bens son. Boys will always be boys.

Sadly, Alissa had to fly home on Monday morning, but Jason and I stayed to scout out places in Phoenix who do two things seriously: 1. Food 2. Coffee. We struck it rich in the coffee department. To all who visit the greater Phoenix area, LUX Coffee bar is where it's at! That's all I'm saying.

Tuesday evening we were playing for an area wide bible study called seven:ten. We absolutely fell in love with those guys. I'd follow their leadership anywhere. It's really cool when you go to a place and realize that all along Jesus has been conspiring to work His own glory out of the situation. That is certainly how we felt by the end of the evening. Tyler, Paul, Matthew, and the rest of the seven:ten staff...thank you, and we'll be praying for you guys.

Good bye for now Phoenix...until next February, that is.