Welcome back. You belong here.
So it happened around 1:30pm on the first day of our move to Colorado. It hit me as our four year old broke down in tears, seat belt on, his little Cars shoes on, wearing his “cool pants”, surrounded by what seemed to be our whole garage in the back of our Volvo Wagon saying, “I want to go home.”
And so I broke down. What little David sees in his head as “home” will never be. What he feels in his mind as the comfort of his room, the sound of his fan as he sleeps and the peace of his family in the kitchen will never be.
We are moving to Colorado. We are not going back home. Everyone misses their house.
It hit me even more as our nine year old who sat next to David also began to cry as I imagined her saying, “I know David, I also want to go home, I’m sorry David.”
We’re all just tired from what little David called, “driving for ten days.” Yes, driving from Long Beach, CA to Denver, CO feels like ten days. And being up since 4am on three hours of sleep doesn’t’ help either.
Things are better now. M&M’s and naps seem to help everyone. It is true we will not be going home any time soon, but what awaits us will soon become home again.
There may be more tears along the way, more arid Arizona mountains and more hours left in the car. But I have a feeling that just like sweets and naps have a way to help things through, Colorado and our new life will too.
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Theme Verse Dec-Feb
Welcome back. You belong here.
We've been "lacking wisdom" just about every day lately. So James 1 has helped us through:
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
We've been "lacking wisdom" just about every day lately. So James 1 has helped us through:
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Thursday, February 21, 2008
On Simplicity
Welcome back. You belong here.
Simplicity deals with, well, I'm actually not sure how to word it because it's not an easy thing to describe.
There's a lady at school, here name is Anne who is simple. She wears older clothes, not fashionable, she would come with her baby in a sling, a hammock like pack.
Anne compresses her trash, she burns it in the back yard, she wears no makeup, she is a very simple person. She is not poor, she is not better than thou telling everyone how her "faith" is better than your faith. In fact, she has me "believing in her religion" just by her actions.
Her daughter and our daughter Isabela are friends, they are both in first grade. She is amazing, the girls are having a sleep over here this weekend.
Anne lives simply, no traps.
Simplicity can easily turn to ascetism, the despise of all material things which is not what Jesus taught. We are to enjoy a good beer, a nice haircut, a great piece of furniture. That's part of God's gifts to us.
For me, a simple life choice I've made is to turn off the data plan and text feature on my phone. The phone I have is complicated and trinketty enough as it is! My compulsion is checking email and being connected all day long. So a few months ago I called AT&T and asked them to turn off my data plan, which cuts down $20 off my bill, another choice towards simplicity. I feel FREE.
The other day, the data plan was back on. So for the last few days I've been compulsively checking email at the stop light, the library, the post office. It's horrible. I called the phone company again and they said the data plan is off on their records, I'm not being charged, it's just a tech error. So it's still on. I hate it, I don't know what to do. I am going to try to turn off the data feature on the phone and see if that works.
Simplify, declutter, degadgetize.
There are so many other aspects of simplicity - fast on blogging, computer time, focusing on creation, not shopping at Wal-Mart for their unjust work practices, etc.
One of the other choices we've made as a family is to go put our children at an elementary school in a "poor part of town". People ask me all the time, why not put them in the fancy, "best schools"? I said, I want to live differently, and make a difference in the lives of our children and others.
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Simplicity deals with, well, I'm actually not sure how to word it because it's not an easy thing to describe.
There's a lady at school, here name is Anne who is simple. She wears older clothes, not fashionable, she would come with her baby in a sling, a hammock like pack.
Anne compresses her trash, she burns it in the back yard, she wears no makeup, she is a very simple person. She is not poor, she is not better than thou telling everyone how her "faith" is better than your faith. In fact, she has me "believing in her religion" just by her actions.
Her daughter and our daughter Isabela are friends, they are both in first grade. She is amazing, the girls are having a sleep over here this weekend.
Anne lives simply, no traps.
Simplicity can easily turn to ascetism, the despise of all material things which is not what Jesus taught. We are to enjoy a good beer, a nice haircut, a great piece of furniture. That's part of God's gifts to us.
For me, a simple life choice I've made is to turn off the data plan and text feature on my phone. The phone I have is complicated and trinketty enough as it is! My compulsion is checking email and being connected all day long. So a few months ago I called AT&T and asked them to turn off my data plan, which cuts down $20 off my bill, another choice towards simplicity. I feel FREE.
The other day, the data plan was back on. So for the last few days I've been compulsively checking email at the stop light, the library, the post office. It's horrible. I called the phone company again and they said the data plan is off on their records, I'm not being charged, it's just a tech error. So it's still on. I hate it, I don't know what to do. I am going to try to turn off the data feature on the phone and see if that works.
Simplify, declutter, degadgetize.
There are so many other aspects of simplicity - fast on blogging, computer time, focusing on creation, not shopping at Wal-Mart for their unjust work practices, etc.
One of the other choices we've made as a family is to go put our children at an elementary school in a "poor part of town". People ask me all the time, why not put them in the fancy, "best schools"? I said, I want to live differently, and make a difference in the lives of our children and others.
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
How to Begin
Welcome back. You belong here.
The tension between starting and ending seems like a swinging bridge
It tilts forward and backwards, not knowing which way to swing
The hope of a new beginning, mixed with the sorrow of broken promises
The anticipation of a great start and the ability to move as one
People that serve and lead and love and learn
Those are people to die for and dream with for the rest of your life
To not put on a thing called church
But to hang out with people in my living room
Worshiping God
Reading the Scriptures
Praying for one another in authentic community
We call it "family council"
And every day talking to people without Jesus
To Robert the mail man
Who has 100's of illegal DVD's and war stories to tell
It's what he does to pass his time
He needs something more
To Gil the real estate guy who came by my house
Big smile, firm handshake
His face all over my neighborhood store
He sat in my living room
Would never set foot in my cool church
We spoke of homes, moving and faith
It felt like the most genuine church I've had in years
To not fight wars of old
But to go to a hilltop and be transformed
By authentic relationships
With a few guys that love one another
Over beers and smokes, sin and grace
Theology and cheesy 80's music
That's what transforms
I've tasted of that sweet wine and had plenty of drink from that wonderful spout
It's transformed me
It's forever changed me
I have been transformed by church maybe once or twice in my life
Church doesn't transform, Jesus does
Jesus, relationship, authenticity
People that live differently than I do
I love Jesus but not the church
But if the church could only change....Can it?
To hang out with people that challenge me to serve the poor
(I don't need to amass more stuff)
To go to Africa, Latin American and serve the poor, the children
Is what transforms
To do beautiful music, to write passionate lyrics
With a close group of friends
To create and dream, to paint and see beauty
To inspire others and push the boundaries
To dream and inspire, to live in the ideal of beauty and truth
To recyle, eat healthy and save the earth
To work for a great tomorrow and a happy ending to our planet
With my wife and children living passionate lives
To create experiences together with them
To live from their air
To breathe into them
To see young people believe
To help them see that God forgives
To help them see the value of discipline and hard work
To hear their dreams to change the world
And actually see them do it
And to come along
That's what transforms
That's what I am here to do
On this earth
Until I see you face to face
It's Jesus in me
The Spirit in me
The Father in me
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
The tension between starting and ending seems like a swinging bridge
It tilts forward and backwards, not knowing which way to swing
The hope of a new beginning, mixed with the sorrow of broken promises
The anticipation of a great start and the ability to move as one
People that serve and lead and love and learn
Those are people to die for and dream with for the rest of your life
To not put on a thing called church
But to hang out with people in my living room
Worshiping God
Reading the Scriptures
Praying for one another in authentic community
We call it "family council"
And every day talking to people without Jesus
To Robert the mail man
Who has 100's of illegal DVD's and war stories to tell
It's what he does to pass his time
He needs something more
To Gil the real estate guy who came by my house
Big smile, firm handshake
His face all over my neighborhood store
He sat in my living room
Would never set foot in my cool church
We spoke of homes, moving and faith
It felt like the most genuine church I've had in years
To not fight wars of old
But to go to a hilltop and be transformed
By authentic relationships
With a few guys that love one another
Over beers and smokes, sin and grace
Theology and cheesy 80's music
That's what transforms
I've tasted of that sweet wine and had plenty of drink from that wonderful spout
It's transformed me
It's forever changed me
I have been transformed by church maybe once or twice in my life
Church doesn't transform, Jesus does
Jesus, relationship, authenticity
People that live differently than I do
I love Jesus but not the church
But if the church could only change....Can it?
To hang out with people that challenge me to serve the poor
(I don't need to amass more stuff)
To go to Africa, Latin American and serve the poor, the children
Is what transforms
To do beautiful music, to write passionate lyrics
With a close group of friends
To create and dream, to paint and see beauty
To inspire others and push the boundaries
To dream and inspire, to live in the ideal of beauty and truth
To recyle, eat healthy and save the earth
To work for a great tomorrow and a happy ending to our planet
With my wife and children living passionate lives
To create experiences together with them
To live from their air
To breathe into them
To see young people believe
To help them see that God forgives
To help them see the value of discipline and hard work
To hear their dreams to change the world
And actually see them do it
And to come along
That's what transforms
That's what I am here to do
On this earth
Until I see you face to face
It's Jesus in me
The Spirit in me
The Father in me
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Why Do I Wait?
Welcome back. You belong here.
Why do I wait for a song to come after these sad moments?
Sometimes, the moment is but that, something you feel and it goes away
The stress of it all, it overwhelms me
I battle between the ok and the it's not ok
When nothing gets done, every room is undone
Every corner seems endless, nothing feels settled
And that moment is nothing special
It's just that, a moment of feeling like you can't keep up with it all
And in fact you can't
But then, you do
I just want to finish something
A room to be complete
A project to be done
I wish I had 10 hands and 2 heads
Maybe I do
It'll get done
Not sure how
Not sure when or who
And tomorrow more gets on the list
More new things
I want the list to go away
I don't want to see it ever again
To trust, to pray, to stress out
All are mixed into one
Wait, here it comes again
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Why do I wait for a song to come after these sad moments?
Sometimes, the moment is but that, something you feel and it goes away
The stress of it all, it overwhelms me
I battle between the ok and the it's not ok
When nothing gets done, every room is undone
Every corner seems endless, nothing feels settled
And that moment is nothing special
It's just that, a moment of feeling like you can't keep up with it all
And in fact you can't
But then, you do
I just want to finish something
A room to be complete
A project to be done
I wish I had 10 hands and 2 heads
Maybe I do
It'll get done
Not sure how
Not sure when or who
And tomorrow more gets on the list
More new things
I want the list to go away
I don't want to see it ever again
To trust, to pray, to stress out
All are mixed into one
Wait, here it comes again
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Letters to the Zanders
Welcome back. You belong here.
How many of us church people have been influenced by Dieter Zander? I have. From New Song Church to Willow Creek, Axis, Young Leader Network, BayMarin Church, ReIMAGINE, leading worship, books, tapes, etc.
Dieter had a heart attack a few weeks ago and is in recovery. Updates at Dieter Zander Update
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
How many of us church people have been influenced by Dieter Zander? I have. From New Song Church to Willow Creek, Axis, Young Leader Network, BayMarin Church, ReIMAGINE, leading worship, books, tapes, etc.
Dieter had a heart attack a few weeks ago and is in recovery. Updates at Dieter Zander Update
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Spiritual Retreat
Welcome back. You belong here.
I'm off with my amazing pastor friends to a spiritual retreat at the Hilltop Renewal Center near Big Bear, CA. It's always crazy trying to get away with moving and all, but it's so good at the same time.
I'm looking forward to praying, resting, talking, playing in the snow. Where I'm going there will be a lot of snow, so this is a good test for me.
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
I Bought a Weapon Today
Welcome back. You belong here.
I thought it would never happen but it happened yesterday. I bought our 4 year old his first pirate sword, patch, flag and telescope combo.
That happened way sooner than I expected and in fact I told myself I would never buy our son a weapon. Funny.
I actually wish I had bought one for myself!
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Pretty Worn Out
Welcome back. You belong here.
Crown molding is not easy, it takes a looooong time. Have you done crown molding? No? Then, you don't understand. Have you done crown molding? Ok, you get it. It takes a loooong time and I'm tired.
I actually enjoy doing it, the angles, the cutting, the nailing, the look is nice. But I'm tired. I'm going to bed.
What is crown molding? See image.
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Thursday, January 10, 2008
It's a Beautiful Day, Yet Real
Welcome back. You belong here.
Today has been a very beautiful day for me. I feel happy inside. What's causing such bliss?
1. Listening to "You Are Holy" by Nordemann (my wife's cd)
2. My wife loves to worship to this CD during the day which makes me tear up thinking how lucky I am to be married to a woman who worships
3. My wife and I are painting the ceilings together and it's going well (living room done). More today (kitchen, bedroom)
4. Children are happy. Yesterday they were playing "horsey" around the house which means little David (4) is in the front as the horse, poor kid, Isabela (6) is in the middle with a scarf around David's neck, and Canela (8) is in the back grabbing on to Isabela's hood. It's so fun to see them go.
5. Finalizing details on our next steps. Asking God for wisdom.
6. Writing songs, lyrics, writing on the piano, very creative time for me right now.
It's a good day. A day of work and tears, laughter and trusting God for tomorrow. Sometimes I can find God really easy in the dark nights, but I think I need to find God in the Sabbath rest as well, in the "great is thy faithfulness" days as well as in the "Lord, where are you" days. I've had both recently and both are great, in fact I think that although much more challenging, the nearness and kindness of Jesus in the dark nights is much sweeter.
UPDATE: My friend Susie's husband Larry fell off a ladder sometime this week and cracked his skull open and has internal bleeding. He's at UCI Medical center right now and they may have to go in and do surgery. Susie sang with me for 10 years at Bethany and is a dear friend.
God is faithful.
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Today has been a very beautiful day for me. I feel happy inside. What's causing such bliss?
1. Listening to "You Are Holy" by Nordemann (my wife's cd)
2. My wife loves to worship to this CD during the day which makes me tear up thinking how lucky I am to be married to a woman who worships
3. My wife and I are painting the ceilings together and it's going well (living room done). More today (kitchen, bedroom)
4. Children are happy. Yesterday they were playing "horsey" around the house which means little David (4) is in the front as the horse, poor kid, Isabela (6) is in the middle with a scarf around David's neck, and Canela (8) is in the back grabbing on to Isabela's hood. It's so fun to see them go.
5. Finalizing details on our next steps. Asking God for wisdom.
6. Writing songs, lyrics, writing on the piano, very creative time for me right now.
It's a good day. A day of work and tears, laughter and trusting God for tomorrow. Sometimes I can find God really easy in the dark nights, but I think I need to find God in the Sabbath rest as well, in the "great is thy faithfulness" days as well as in the "Lord, where are you" days. I've had both recently and both are great, in fact I think that although much more challenging, the nearness and kindness of Jesus in the dark nights is much sweeter.
UPDATE: My friend Susie's husband Larry fell off a ladder sometime this week and cracked his skull open and has internal bleeding. He's at UCI Medical center right now and they may have to go in and do surgery. Susie sang with me for 10 years at Bethany and is a dear friend.
God is faithful.
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Monday, January 07, 2008
Compulsive Cleaner
Welcome back. You belong here.
Here's what I want for my birthday (April), rings and cleaning gear.
I like to clean, bit compulsive about it. For example, while my wife is cutting carrots, chopping up broccoli or shredding lettuce, again WHILE she's doing this, I'm by her feet, picking up leftovers with my dustpan off the floor. Yeap, pretty compulsive! It's my gift.
The ring is to celebrate our new marriage, our 12th year anniversary. I recently read that every great marriage has a combination of old and new marriages. Both R' and I feel 2007 was the beginning of a new marriage for us, we've made many positive changes in how we do things. I bought her a beautiful modest diamond ring yesterday and this is the ring she will buy me, Titanium, wide (10mm) band, swirls and a small diamond.
Have a great day,
Into the future,
davidT
Sunday, January 06, 2008
How Many Things to Update?
Welcome back. You belong here.
How many things can a person update in one life time?
Myspace.com
Blogger.com
Facebook.com
This is getting ridiculous.
Although I must say I like Facebook | David Trigueros a lot right now. We'll see how long that lasts.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
How many things can a person update in one life time?
Myspace.com
Blogger.com
Facebook.com
This is getting ridiculous.
Although I must say I like Facebook | David Trigueros a lot right now. We'll see how long that lasts.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
How to Respond to Challenges
Welcome back. You belong here.
God shapes me during times of illness. I guess he does that in all of our lives. Think of Job during his on going losses, think of Martha during her brother’s death, of Peter’s mother in law, and the little girl’s parents to whom Jesus said, “she is but only sleeping.” That was tough to hear.
I don’t like it when my wife is sick, or our children are sick or anyone I love is sick, it scares me. Yet I know this is one of those two or three things in my life that God uses to grow me into His child.
The others are:
1. Illness
2. Things I don't know how to do
3. Unresolved situations
All these things cause anxiety in me, stress and a feeling of overall lack of control. I don’t like to not know how to do something, or feeling unloved or feeling like I’m not good enough. I don’t like having to compensate for this attitude by being more than I am. It leads to burn out and resentment even bitterness which leaves me vulnerable to making stupid decisions.
How I respond:
1. So I pray and I keep working at it, and I trust God and I get nervous and
2. I write about it and I pray again.
3. And I work, and engage life and do what I can to keep going and
4. I take breaks and play music and sing to God.
When life throws me into those moments of weakness, I usually retreat and run, that’s how I cope. But instead, I am learning to be the hero my wife needs me to be, the knight in shining armor, her rescuer and helper.
So today, instead of sleeping all day while she’s not feeling well, I will engage, help her out, and do some work. This is what’s best for me and for her.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
God shapes me during times of illness. I guess he does that in all of our lives. Think of Job during his on going losses, think of Martha during her brother’s death, of Peter’s mother in law, and the little girl’s parents to whom Jesus said, “she is but only sleeping.” That was tough to hear.
I don’t like it when my wife is sick, or our children are sick or anyone I love is sick, it scares me. Yet I know this is one of those two or three things in my life that God uses to grow me into His child.
The others are:
1. Illness
2. Things I don't know how to do
3. Unresolved situations
All these things cause anxiety in me, stress and a feeling of overall lack of control. I don’t like to not know how to do something, or feeling unloved or feeling like I’m not good enough. I don’t like having to compensate for this attitude by being more than I am. It leads to burn out and resentment even bitterness which leaves me vulnerable to making stupid decisions.
How I respond:
1. So I pray and I keep working at it, and I trust God and I get nervous and
2. I write about it and I pray again.
3. And I work, and engage life and do what I can to keep going and
4. I take breaks and play music and sing to God.
When life throws me into those moments of weakness, I usually retreat and run, that’s how I cope. But instead, I am learning to be the hero my wife needs me to be, the knight in shining armor, her rescuer and helper.
So today, instead of sleeping all day while she’s not feeling well, I will engage, help her out, and do some work. This is what’s best for me and for her.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
Saturday, January 05, 2008
A Recession That is Coming
Welcome back. You belong here.
Is there a recession coming?
Mortgage Problem
Unemployment at 5%, highest in last two years
$100/barrel last week
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
Is there a recession coming?
Mortgage Problem
Unemployment at 5%, highest in last two years
$100/barrel last week
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Driscoll, McManus...Comparison
Welcome back. You belong here.
Podcasts I'm enjoying:
1. Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic Church in Los Angeles, CA (listening to his December 2007 Christmas series)
2. Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill in Seattle, WA (listening to his message from the "Creative ChurchConference, May 2007")
Erwin - Passionate, creative, relational, challenges Christians not to be judgmental, preaches acceptance, can come across as wishy-washy, not enough of a fundamentalist, traditionalist.
Driscoll - Quotes Luther, harsh, bold, passionate, fundamentalist, preaches against moralism as a substitute to the Gospel, can come across as ego centric and critical, but in love with Jesus and the Gospel, not religion or moralism.
What I learned from both of them:
1. Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, his message of grace and mercy
2. Christians often get in the way of this simple message
3. Love for those not yet followers of Jesus
Great examples.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
Podcasts I'm enjoying:
1. Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic Church in Los Angeles, CA (listening to his December 2007 Christmas series)
2. Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill in Seattle, WA (listening to his message from the "Creative ChurchConference, May 2007")
Erwin - Passionate, creative, relational, challenges Christians not to be judgmental, preaches acceptance, can come across as wishy-washy, not enough of a fundamentalist, traditionalist.
Driscoll - Quotes Luther, harsh, bold, passionate, fundamentalist, preaches against moralism as a substitute to the Gospel, can come across as ego centric and critical, but in love with Jesus and the Gospel, not religion or moralism.
What I learned from both of them:
1. Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, his message of grace and mercy
2. Christians often get in the way of this simple message
3. Love for those not yet followers of Jesus
Great examples.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
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