It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Trent in the snow

Trent in the sky

My table on the deck behind my house





My Crazy Winterland Backyard




Snow Angel





My House!












These are just some pictures of our crazy winter weather

Guess What?!? IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!

So, I heard the potential for it this weekend, but WOW! We got about 4 inches of snow today and it was ridiculous. This is going to be mainly photos, especially from snow football today!!!! So amazing
Look! It is snowing where I live!!!!


A picture of the winning team!! Ryan, Eric, And Me!!! We won 6-5! Very Close Game
Well this was me tackling coty while face planting myself in the snow. I also gave myself a dead leg in the process!

I Cut Down My Own Christmas Tree!!!!!!

So I am so stoked! Today I got to go cut my own christmas tree. It is something that I have seen in movies and have always thought would be a cool thing to do. My roommate Trent and I went out into the hills of Wilsonville to this tree farm. Since it was out in the boonies, we looked around to make sure that we weren't going to get shot by some hick, but it was actually quite legit. We set out on our quest for a Douglas Fir Christmas tree. (You may be wondering, why specifically douglas fir? Well we could get and size doug fir for 20 dollars) Here, I am going to throw some pictures in here to help tell the story.
So of course, I thought that it was only appropriate that I would go cut down a christmas tree in a plaid shirt and work boots. Here I am as we began to look for the perfect tree. Oh ya, that is the saw of death! (at least for our tree)
We first began to look at some smaller trees, more like 5 foot or maybe 6 foot... well, when you can get any height tree for the same price, and you have a competitive man with two saws, sometimes you go a little overboard.
We found the perfect tree, just under 9 footer! Though the only way to cut it down was to lay on the ground.
Here is Trent my roommate. He finished the cutting of the tree and then held both the blade and the tree in victory. Then it was time for me to prove my manhood.
Only one caption fits this picture... "Seasons Greetings"!
Finally, the highlander was put into action and the tree was taken to our lovely home. What a beautiful story right?!?! It will be even better if it actually snows this weekend! hope you all enjoy that little picture story

Clouds: Friend or Foe?

Ok, i am not really going to write an entire blog entry about clouds and whether they are good or bad, but to tell you the truth, i kind of like having the change in weather and atmosphere.

So, I starting realizing that first of all... I haven't been taking barely any pictures at all lately. I literally don't think i have gone out on a photo adventure for at least a few months. Non the less, on top of the epiphany, i realized that I never put up pictures up here of myself. Some of you may take that as a good thing, but hey for family, it would probably be nice to see a picture once in a while that includes me. So i decided to go for a little self photoshoot in my backyard today. First of all, i must admit that it would have been humorous for someone looking out their window to watch. Here are a couple pictures.
As you can see, i posted two pictures. The first of course is a little more standard picture of me, you know, just standing there being casual. I think the second picture is a little more representative of me though. There are a few things to take notice of. First, no i didn't lose half of both of my legs, i am just an awesome jumper. Second, yes, something we do here in oregon is jump in the air while throwing leaves up high into the sky. Ok, no one else probably does but I enjoyed it.

So, ya, life is good. As you can see, today is a beautiful sunny day, we still do get those up here though you probably think it is miserable and rainy every day, it isn't. Something really exciting for me and Colossae right now is that we have moved to a new building. We were meeting in the Inflatable Kingdom for quite a few months and now we are in another temporary, but much better building. Our new building that is getting construction finished on it right now (and to clarify for those who have heard nothing about it, we are just having walls put up in an existing building in a business park. In no way are we actually trying to buy a building yet.) So our temporary building is actually about 3 doors down from our future location. We have been setting it up this week and it is going to much better suit our needs for children's ministries stuff. I am really excited to be able to be there, and on top of that we are going to be using our new sound system for the first time which, ask any worship leader, going for a bad sound system to a good one is a huge difference and an exciting thing. We are still trying to develop ways to best serve our communities and bless the city, hopefully we will start getting more things lined up soon. God is definitely doing some cool things and I am just excited to see where he continues to take us. Well i gotta actually go to work now, so I'm going to end this entry, but ya, life is still good.

PS. I still have not found a wife, so be patient =)

I Have A Dream!

So, I have somewhat come to the conclusion that I hate dreaming; no I don't mean dream which is defined by having vision or goals of future desires. I am talking about flat out, when you go to sleep at night, the actual dreams you have. I look back to the bible times and see how God spoke to people in dreams and wonder how amazing that was. Then, i look up and ask God, "Why are my dreams so weird and so meaningless... or at least to my own belief." I am the type person who more often than not, has disheartening dreams. Dreams which don't uplift me but just leave me feeling weird or sad. For instance having loved ones get really sick or die, or just crazy dreams of me about to die, and now that I work at a restaurant i have stupid recurring dreams of me forgetting to take care of my tables and them getting really mad. But honestly, I am at the point where I would rather have no dreams at all if God weren't speaking to me through them.

Ok, sorry for the random rant on dreams, but sometimes you have to just let things out. Maybe I have been thinking about it a little more since the new series we are starting at Colossae is on Hearing God's Voice. Chuck is taking us through this series trying to help us understand what it means to discern God's voice and how we can earnestly seek God in all things. My question is, "Where is my burning bush?!?!" Ok, i guess it isn't necessary and now that I think about it and look back even 10 months ago, I had to seek God's voice and try to decide where the Lord was leading me in life. One of the amazing things is, I have found that sometimes You hear God more clearly after you have decided on something. For instance, when I was deciding if I should move to Portland or to Seattle or stay in San Diego, I definitely got a lot of different opinions from different people and even saw the benefits of all of them through my time in prayer and in the bible. I started feeling that I could both best serve the Lord if I moved to portland and have the most room to grow. Yet, making that decision, I never had some beam of light peering from the clouds and the audible voice of God proclaim "Gregory, thou must venture to Portland for it is thine destiny" (yes, i like to imagine God speaking in old english). But I just felt that this would be an opportunity for me to be both outside of my comfort zone and also, truly let God work on some different areas in my life. It was after I made my move, after being here for a while that I truly felt I could hear God's voice revealing His joy in having me hear and understanding that I had made the right decision. So I am definitely excited for us to take a deeper look at understanding God's voice, especially since, if we call Christianity a relationship not a religion, then we best learn how to relate to God.

Picture Break!!!!

So I don't care who you are, if a cute baby picture doesn't make you happy, then i don't know what will! Matthew (my nephew of course) is the cutest kid ever.

Well, I guess I should mention a little bit of how life is going. It is definitely good and I am enjoying having life! Some days I definitely question that matter of why I must work at a restaurant but I continue to come back to the fact that God is using me there and that no other doors have been opened, so there is definitely reason for it. I am enjoying being up in Portland and definitely enjoy my home. I'd be lying if I said that I had an abundance of hugs... I do have somewhat of a hug deficiency, but what can you expect after leaving everyone you are close to behind. (Don't worry, i'm not getting all emotional on you, just stating something I miss). Right now I am just preparing for my first thanksgiving away from family. That will be a change for sure.

California Love

"let me tell ya a little story bout the wild wild west...."

Figured i should quote an excellent Hip Hop song from my generation =). Well I just got back on saturday night from my trip to beautiful Carlsbad, Ca. I got to fly down there for almost a week to spend time with my family and see my amazing nephew! This trip was great and a perfect time to step outside of real life to just have some fun. I'm not going to lie, when I visit Cali, i really have the easy life. The monday I arrived, it was actually raining some and of course, since I am now an Oregonian, I was blamed for bringing said moisture. Though i must say, California could REALLY use some more of it! The rest of the week was in the 80's, while back home in portland we are hitting about a 60 degree high. So, unfortunately i was forced to go back to wearing shorts and people lovingly pointed out the fact that "Greg, you are really white... i mean seriously, go outside for a while." Ok, maybe that is a little more dramatic than what people really say but they definitely aren't shy in bringing up this fact.

So probably the most amazing part of my trip was the time that I got to spend with my nephew and just seeing how much he has grown and how much he is progressing. I was seriously awe struck as this little boy who the last time i saw him, struggle to lay on his belly was now close to walking. Matthew brings so much joy to so many people, it is truly awesome.I figured this would be a good time to incorporate a picture of my nephew. Yes, we are definitely wearing matching Chargers outfits!!!! What better than Matthew all "Charged" up! Something you will notice about this picture, besides the fact that it he is the cutest kid in the world, is how he is pointing directly at the camera. His new thing these days is to point everywhere and have you take him there. This technique rarely works when adults use it but is very effective for this young man. It is pretty much amazing! He is becoming a little boy, no longer a baby.

The rest of the trip was great! It included a full thanksgiving dinner (since I won't be able to make it down for thanksgiving this year). And boy, i will tell you, that was a feast to remember. I don't know if it is the fact that I sometimes have to live off Top Ramon or just that the food was that excellent, but we had a great time. This trip also had a bunch of visits with friends that I haven't seen in a while. It was so nice to be able to have fellowship with these people that have so blessed my life. Overall, this was a great trip and a true blessing for me.

You have to admit, there is something nice about returning home after a trip. Sleeping in your comfortable bed, having everything you need (especially when it comes to musical instruments). Don't forget, going outside and being reminded of the need for a coat. I think right now I am just overjoyed with life. I have so many blessings and have just been able to do so much. There is probably more to say, but I feel i should wait until another time.

The Trees Are On Fire

Ok, here is just one picture of the amazing fall! Seriously you walk amidst the trees and some of them are so brilliant that your eyes see fire. It is so beautiful. We have had some of the most amazing weather the last 2 weeks which has been great. I am preparing for the storm. A week from today I am flying down to San Diego (Carlsbad) for a week, which is going to be amazing. I am going to get to see family and specifically be there for my nephew Matthew's first birthday!!! I can't believe how big he is getting and how old he is already! I have a good feeling that after that week i have a feeling that it will begin the rainy season, but I am ready!

So God is so faithful! We don't have an official date yet but it is almost positive now that we will be moving into a new building Colossae that will much better suite our needs! Also, God has just been showing me so much and refining me. I am really learning what it means to be a follower of Christ, not just mentally but through actually living it out. It is hard, definitely harder than "sunday school" ever held. To be faithful to the extent that Christ demands in the bible takes a lifetime of faithfulness. I am continually learning how to seek after God and follow Him. Allowing God to lead me. Giving up the drivers seat is much harder than it would seem. The church I grew up in loved to use the phrase "Giving God The Steering Wheel Of Your Life" as a term for committing your life to Christ. This is a great analogy, but as I look at it in more depth, I think the majority of us do something more like this, "God, I am giving you the right to ride shotgun in my car, I will let you give me directions when I get lost." I know much of my life sort of was found in that idea, trying to drive myself and never fully giving the whole essence of who I am to Christ. Now I am just trying to completely live that out. All I can say is God is moving me, and I love it.

Please pray for God to begin to give vision to us in Colossae on how we can best impact our city of Tigard and the surrounding cities. We feel God longs to have us out there making a greater impact. Also pray that God continues to bless me with faith.

Brisk Walks Yield Hope

So my last post discussed the introduction of the new season fall, but the weeks or two to follow would truly begin to show the colors of fall! Nights have been cooling all the way into the 30's and days have been hitting a high at about 65. It has been so nice, such a beautiful change in weather. We have been mixing in a combination of rain and sun. Last thursday during work, i glanced outside to see the first hail storm of the season! Such a crazy concept, especially while California is once again on fire. Lord knows I wish I could send down some of our rain to calm the wretched flames.

The Cold Draws Me Outside

These cool nights have motivated me to get out and walk in the brisk moonlit nights. I have done multiple couple mile walks at night and I love them. I put my ipod on and either listen to random music or spend some time with worship music just surveying God's amazing creation and let the cold air bring life to my warm skin. There is something mystical about breathing out deep misty breathes under the starry night. I think what I like so much about these times is that I am all alone, the music playing in my ears and just walking along seems to slow life down for a moment, allowing me to draw near to God, to step back for a moment from all the problems of life which surround me and surrender myself to God's glory.

Copeland's New CD Is Out: "You Are My Sunshine"

Copeland has been one of my favorite bands for a while so i was super stoked that their new CD came out today. The title makes me think about the soon to be very dark and cloudy months up here and realize that my sunshine will not be coming from the sun for a while. I am excited to go through the season though.


So I guess I should be giving some more of a glimpse into whats going on in my life right now. I am officially transfered to the CPK that is closer to me in Tigard and have worked there for a week now. So far it seems like it will be a good thing for me, i am just having to build relationships again but it is good. No other doors have opened for jobs within the engineering field or any other more technical fields for that matter. I am continuing to be patient and faithful, trusting that God knows what He is doing more than I do. I am definitely learning that you can still have a pretty awesome and joyful life without a lot of money. Sure, i can't go do whatever I want to do whenever I want, but the things you plan for are awesome. It is also nice that I am not the only one in this state of financial simplicity. Sharing in this with others has helped build relationships and I am also noticing that me being faithful with my serving job and trusting God in it has allowed me to have an impact on some people and also impact believers who are learning to trust God in financial hardship. So far, every bill has been paid and I have never gone hungry. God is good!


Today I read Psalms 23, even though it is so famous and known, it was definitely encouraging.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

Even though I walk through
The valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
They comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
In the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me
All the days of my life,
And I will dwell
In the house of the Lord forever!

Goodbye Summer, It's Time For Fall

Well it is now officially FALL, and I must say that I am quite excited for what that is going to look like here. Strangely, in Oregon that have these things they call "Seasons". If you are in California right now and reading this entry, you are probably perplexed by this word and really don't know the meaning. Well to help you out, basically, in other parts of the country and world the weather actually changes during different times of the year. During fall, leaves change colors, it gets colder, get a crispness in the air. I think you will just have to travel to experience it. So far the weather hasn't changed too much. It started getting colder.... then it warmed up again. But I am excited to take a look at a true season that isn't summer. The other night I was eating dinner and the sun was setting, at first i thought to myself "thats decent, whatever". All the sudden it was ASTOUNDING and GLORIOUS, so i rushed upstairs, grabbed my camera and jumped into my car. I drove as quick as possible (following all traffic laws of course) up to a high peak in the hills behind my house to be able to try and catch the last few minutes of light. Here is one picture, i couldn't get it at it's prime but I think you will still get an idea for it.
Mind you, this is someones property...not a shabby view. All of you southern californiaites are probably thinking, wow that is a 20 million dollar plot of land... Thats not how we roll up here =).

Well to catch up on my life lets see: I am officially transferred from the CPK that was 25 miles away from me to on that is about 10 miles away. This closer store should save a bit of money on gas and they actually get a lot more business so I hope to do better financially there. I started searching for engineering jobs again once the other store wasn't paying my bills and continually I am disappointed by the lack of acknowledgment that any of these engineering companies have given me. So far I am still checking up on different opportunities but God doesn't seem to want me in one of those jobs at this point. I am definitely learning to trust in God's provision (though scary at times.)

Ok, well as of last friday, I am officially 24 YEARS OLD!!! For those of you who are thinking that is considered "Mid Twenties"... well you're wrong, it is still early twenties =). We had a party for my birthday and ashley (another girl from our church who has the same birthday as me) that was themed after the TV show The Office.Yes, that is me up front. I was dressed up as Jim Halpert impersonating Dwight. The party was a ton of fun!

Church stuff is still going great. We are going through as series right now defining what it looks like to have Success within the church and as individuals within the body. We are also looking at how we are able to gauge success. It is really exciting. Next week will be 6 months that we have been a church!!! Can you believe that?!?! Life is crazy.

Though Trees May Fall, I'm Still Standing

I feel like for the last 4 or 5 entries, I have started by saying sorry for not writing on here in so long... Well, once again it has been a while. Last time I wrote I had just moved my furniture up here and made this new life a little more "permanent". (This word is in quotations since if I didn't put them in there, my parents may cry). Haha, sorry no one really knows what permanent is anyways. Suffice it to say, I am leading a new life and truly beginning to feel like I am developing a new lifestyle. (of sorts) The one thing that I have not done yet to make me an official oregonian is change my cell phone number to 503 area code.... This may be in the future.

LIFE IS SIMPLER IN MOVIES
I think a lot of us go through our adolescent years overlooking our many blessings and don't seem to face the realities of life, though we know they lie ahead, we don't really fully grasp them. After being up here for coming up on 6 months, i am realizing the challenges of being financially independent. Also what it means to truly trust in the Lord to be my provision. (below is an advanced graphical display of my financial state)haha, that was probably a good waste of 10 minutes on microsoft paint. Well, this graph is more of an exaggeration, but right now I am seeking the Lord and just trusting in His provision because the job I have at CPK isn't paying the bills. I know that if I don't get a new job in another month i will be in some financial trouble so that has been a little unnerving but I would love prayer on the matter that God would open the best opportunities for me that would still allow me ample time to do work for Colossae and make sure that I am focusing on the body.

Parents In Portland
My parents decided to take a trip to seattle, alaska and Portland for their anniversary so i was graced with their presence for about half a week! That was a blessing and a lot of fun! It was cool because I got to show them around my new house and just where I live. I bet it is hard when someone you love so much is in a new place and though you may see them on skype or see pictures, you truly don't have a grasp on where they are at. Well they got a chance to see some of the beautiful sites, parks, meet friends and hook me up ROYALLY. Lets just say that my roommates lucked out on the deal as well. Our bbq is cooking up a storm! The trip was great though and it was just nice to hang out with my parents!

Labor Day Craziness
Ok, so on labor day we had a colossae party at the Bomar's friends' pond of awesomeness! It was pretty amazing. You can't see the ridiculous 20 ft steel structure where Aaron swung from to fly into this lake but that was a ridiculous rope swing that was amazing and cause many aches for the aging men (shoot, i'm even included in said category).
Ok, this picture needs some explaining. That is josh coming out of a water slide. I had the brilliant idea of getting into this small boat with my expensive camera, have eric paddle me about 15 feet in front of this tube to get the perfect photo sequence. Lets just say that immediately following this picture a tidal wave of water came at our little shanty boat and as we both turned quickly, me trying to cover the camera... THE BOAT FLIPS OVER . I knew that we were in pretty shallow water so as we begin to flip i immediately throw a left stiff arm praying to hit ground and erected the camera straight towards the sky. As my body and face entered into the water I realized that my camera was still held in the air like a flag of victory. Drenched, yet victorious i emerged from the water yielding only a very splashed yet functional camera rather than the very likely flooded and dead camera. Needless to say, that was enough scare for me to not be that dumb again.

God's Beauty Is Insurmountable
I am continually amazed at God's beauty and grace. I am learning so much right now and truly just trying to draw near and be a Son of God like He calls me to be. Lately I have been reading more books, trying to just expand my mind and just look at God in new ways. I am just excited about life.

Prayer is CRUCIAL
I would love prayer for a few things:
1) Job opportunities
2) More opportunities to reach my community
3) For Colossae to continue to be a body who seeks after spiritual guidance and yearns to
draw people nearer to the Lord
4) For the Ability to focus on the unseen rather than what's seen.

Scripture Time
Psalm 9:1,2 "I will give thanks to the Lord with mywhole heart; I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High!"

The Final Piece To The Puzzle

Well, i took a uhaul of all my furniture from Carlsbad to my new home in Tigard, so I would say it is pretty official that I am serious about my move and this new stage in life. I realized that I didn't take any pictures of my uhaul excursion, so i typed in uhaul into Google Images and...well... this is the image that popped up. I am not going to lie, that would probably ruin your trip. My question is, at the low speed that they were able to go up that hill, how did they manage to flip their entire vehicle? I don't know the end to that story but lets just imagine that they are all fine. My Uhaul was actually a large 24 foot truck, and I truly felt like a trucker. The only bad part about this truck (ok, there were multiple but this one sticks out) was that the horn sounded like it belonged on a Vespa scooter or something, I didn't feel very manly when some kids drove by on the left side, gave me the ubiquitous horn fist pump and alas a girly squeal came from the hood. I guess you could have bigger problems, like 7.15 miles per gallon (Ouch). The trip overall was very smooth. My buddy Jake came on this roadtrip with me which was great because I needed to do it in one day straight to make sure I was back for church on sunday. We left at 7am on Saturday with a cooler full of sandwiches, drinks, oh and the pivotal Red Bull. We only made three stops, each to full up and to use the Bano as my south of the board friends like to call it. 18 hours later we arrived in Tigard, slightly exhausted, and crashed to wake up a few hours later for church.

Through this excursion we were able to fill our house with furniture and finally settle in, feel like we are at home and most importantly, finally have kitchen items so that we could once again EAT! Ok, picture break. Here are a few pictures from around here, been on a flower stint lately.

Overall, i just continue to rejoice in God's goodness. He has never let me down nor failed me. Life is definitely good here and I am still learning what means to daily live out life sold out for the Lord. I am starting to read through this book by this old author named Andrew Murray called "Absolute Surrender". I think we can all agree, understanding the concept of Absolute Surrender is very difficult but if we truly grasped it, allowed God to will it in our lives, the things that would come out of it would be amazing!

God is continuing to grow the church and allowing us to just seek Him and grow together. Our new building has been great and we are just week by week seeking how to best honor the Lord as a body, united in Christ. All very exciting.

I know I haven't been updating my Prayer request box but here are a few things I could use prayer for:
1) Right now work isn't really providing financially, so I am seeking spiritual wisdom on what the Lord wants me to do job wise and figure out how I can best serve the Lord and provide financially
2) Pray for Colossae, that we will continue to follow the Lord's guidance
3) Pray against complacency and being caught up in day to day life rather than focusing on what God has called us to
4) Pray for the people of Tigard, that God would give our church a draw to unbelievers that is not of us but truly from God


Thanks for all who are supporting me, my family and friends are such a blessing to my life and I just want You all to realize how important You are to me and how much of a part of this You all are with me. I love you all!

Ok, so I have been slow at blogging....

Ok so a lot is going on in my life right now and I probably won't do more than touch the surface of it right now but at least you get to look at some pictures. Well from the pictures on my last blog you can see I moved into my new house. It has been great! Though it is costly to be moving into a new place and all, i love it and I love the autonomy it gives me. Both of my roomates are here now and we love the house, though they bottom floor is still void of furniture! Thank goodness I am bringing furniture up in another week! Ok, below is a picture of the Portland Red Bull Flugtag. If you have never seen a commercial or anything it is basically an event where people make flying machines out of cardboard and try to fly them off that big dock as far as they can into the water. I think you can tell from the picture so needless to say it was ridiculously packed! There was a sea of people and this picture doesn't even capture the bridge or the overflow section all down the riverfront!
Ok in this picture you can take a look at a sequence shot of one of the Flying air craft!
So, i have been checking out new areas of portland and one thing I am realizing is that there are so many beautiful parks around portland! You can just go to all these state parks for free and hang out which is amazing. Below are a couple pictures from the rose gardens. I know my dad would love it there, especially since they place is all about flowers!

Ok, in this last picture is a Colossae Church service in our new building "The Inflatable Kingdom". As you look at it you are probably like, what is so inflatable about this place. Well 10 minutes after service was over the entire room was consumed by 4 gigantic bounce houses and inflatable game rooms. The first service there was awesome and though there were minor kinks, which you could expect anytime you move into a new building, the service was great. We had close to 50 people and more kids than we know what to do with =). God has been blessing us and I think we are at a pivotal stage in the church in drawing those who don't know the Lord to church. Overall it has been a great time and I am stoked about it. There is probably so much more that I could say but alas, i must digress. Enjoy this blog