Ron's Pizza

There's this pizza shop in town that has been around for over thirty years. A few months ago they were kicked out of their shop, so that it could be bull dozed and a strip mall could go where it once was. So for the last four months Mt. Vernon has had to go without Ron's Pizza while they converted an old gas station into their new shop. They finally opened again this week and the lines have been out the door. We just ordered a pizza tonight, but we're having to wait 2 hrs and 45 minutes for it and it'll be worth every minute.

New Parents Meeting

Mandy and I, along with the kids, went to this meeting the other night that is for parent's of kids with down syndrome under three. This is the second time we have gone, but the first time we had time to stay and interact with the other parents and children. I just loved being there. I loved how everyone was so kind to one another and how people shared their joys and struggles and how we were able to be happy with those who were happy and be sad with those who were sad. I love interacting with other children who have down syndrome, I can't explain it but I am just drawn to them. I felt in some way that I was at church while I was there, just that no one mentioned God.



By the way my new favorite number is 47. If 47 chromosomes gave me Lucy, then that has to be the best number in the world. I want to get XLVII (Roman numerals for 47) tattooed on my right bicep. I want it on my bicep because I want it to symbolize a strength not a weakness. I just need to find a cool desing of it first. I somehow want to incorporate Lucy's name into it, her name means bearer of light, doesn't that just fit her. I would really like to get it done on Miami Ink as a way to promote down syndrome awareness. If anybody out there is a good artist, why don't you draw me up a few sketches and send them my way.



Sorry it's been so long...

Father's Day

So Mandy heard me talking about wanting an old push mower. I think it was one of those things that I like to talk about, but never plan on doing. So she bought me one for Father's Day. And actually it's pretty cool. Not only do I help save the planet, but everybody wanted to talk to me when they saw me cutting the yard with it. The best part is I can stop to talk without turning my mower off and I don't have to worry if it will start again.

Pancake Breakfast

Some from my church are going to New Orleans this summer on a work trip to help with the rebuilding and we are having a pancake breakfast to raise some funds. Now I know a bunch of you out there in blog land have been looking for a good excuse to come back and visit good ole Mt. Vernon. It's Saturday May 26th from 8 to 11 in the morning at Riverside Park. If you want tickets let me know and I'll tell you where to send a check. Even if you don't want to come you can still send a check made out to "West Side Church of the Nazarene" with New Orleans in the subject line (I ain't too proud to beg). And we might possibly have a spot or two open if someone wants to join us. We're going June 30th through July 8th.

water4christmas

Some of you have heard this idea from already, but if not, some of us have had the idea of not buying or receiving gifts for Christmas this year and instead giving the money we would have spent on presents to organizations that provide sustainable clean drinking water where there is currently no clean water. Wells can be built in Africa for 1-15 grand depending on the soil and other such stuff according to one websight I found. The dream is to start a group of us who will encourage as many people as possible to join with us in doing this. If we get 500 people to do this we could raise upwards of $100,000 grand. We plan on spreading the word through a websight, emails, blogs, word of mouth, student groups on various college campuses, the Ellen DeGeneres show, and any other way we can figure out. We figure our overhead costs will only be about a hundred dollars (the cost of a good websight for one year).

I plan on this being a positive campaign, which means everything about this will be about how we can raise money to help people in a very basic need of life and not about attacking the consumerism of Christmas, thought this very well may do that indirectly.

If you want to be a part of the team that organizes this, we will be having our first meeting in the Prince Student Union on the campus of MVNU on Saturday March 10th at 10 AM. Feel free to invite others that you know might want to be a part of this.

The end goal is simply to provide sustainable clean drinking water for as many people as we can. To do this we will most likely work through faith based groups and secular groups (I say that upfront so that there are no misunderstandings later). If you are going to come, try to do a bit of research and brings some organizations info with you to the meeting.

If you have any questions email me at peterkevinson@yahoo.com or call me at 740 392 3197.

Out tentative name for everything is water4christmas.

Welcome to Italy

I can't believe I have another kid! It almost seemed a little bit too easy this time, as Mandy says speak for yourself. I think I really like Italy, though I have grown to like Holland.

feeling loved

Last night Mandy and I went out for dinner to celebrate my birthday and kind of a last date by ourselves before the new baby comes. I choose the Alcove which is a fancy but very reasonably priced restraunt in downtown Mount Vernon. While we were eating another Nazarene Pastor (hint: think of the biggest Nazarene church in town) and his wife came in to eat, I think they were on a date as well. He came over and said "Hi" and we chated for a second, but they sat on the other side of the resturaunt so we didn't think about them until our check arrived. Actually, our check never arrived because, in the words of our waitress, someone else had already picked it up. We left that night, after thanking them first, feeling so loved. They loved us last night and showed it to us in a very real way. I hope people feel that loved because of my actions.

Link

Read Lucy's post "Great Article" to see something I am very passionate about.

American Idol

Has American Idol gone over the top this season with how they bring people who seem to have real disabilities on to their show just to make fun of them?

Petra Rocks!!!

Mandy got me a two disk Petra greatest hits collection for Christmas. Definitely one of the best presents I’ve gotten in a long time. I’ve been a big Petra fan ever since I saw their Beyond Belief tour when I was a freshman in High School, which was such a great concert. I’m a not the biggest fan of much that came after, but albums such as This Means War, Beyond Belief, Fired Up, and Petra Phonics will always be some of my all time favorites. What’s cool about the CD’s Mandy gave me is that they have songs I don’t know I’ve ever heard before, so I’ve quickly fell in love with Grave Robber and God Gave Rock and Roll to You (I sing it every where I go and everybody’s getting sick of hearing it.)

Then this last week my good friend Dee brought by a record player, so I could listen to her Petra’s Beat the System live album. Lucy and I jammed too it all morning, though I’m not sure she’s a big fan yet.

Did I mention I met Louie Weaver (Petra’s drummer) in an elevator of a hotel I was staying in while I was in Phoenix after my senior year in High School? He didn’t talk much, I think I scared him.

REVOLUTION

I just read Revolution by Barna, totally inspired me. I need feedback, does anyone have any comments on the book. If you haven't read it yet, read it, and then give me so feedback.

Found on the free book shelf at MVNU library

"The Late Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey

Is it wrong to read to just ridicule what you are reading?

Dr. Cubie

So I'm at the MVNU library trying to do some research on Job for some sermons I'm preaching out of the book and I look up and there's Dr. Cubie coming in. He was there to read some NT Wright in preperation for a class he's teaching on Romans. He said he heard a lot about the guy and wanted to hear for himself what he had to say about Romans (New Interpreters Bible Commentary).

So we started talking about my sermon for this Sunday (the last few chapters of Job) and he gave me a heartfelt commentary on the whole book and the chapters I needed. I got more out of that commentary in just a few minutes then the ones I've spent hours reading. I like Dr. Cubie, he's a good guy.

Ouch!

Just got done playing in our first softball games of the men's fall league here in Mt. Vernon. Let's just say it was ugly, real ugly.

Simple, never easy

I've been struck lately with Shane Claiborn'e quote "simple, never easy." To reach out and love someone is almost always simple, but rarely easy. What really gets me about it is I'm always trying to figure out how our church is suppossed to love our neighborhood and how we are to be involved in it, in fact I'm always trying to figure out how I'm personally suppossed to love and be involved in our neighborhood. I always lack creative ways, saying it's very complicated in our context to love our neighbors. That's a bunch of BS and I know it. What we need to do is very simple, but I know it is hard, so I make it complicated so I have an excuse not to do it.

Last night three neighborhood teens stopped by while some of our neighbors were celebrating national roast a marshmellow night over a fire in my backyard. They sat down with us and enjoyed the fire for a few minutes. I asked them if they would be interested in hanging out once a week with me, occasionally sharing a meal, and talking about the Bible, God, and life. They all seemed so interested and they all said they would do it. Loving these kids is so simple, yet I know how hard it is. I pray I can simply love them.

Go Bucks!

Just in case anybody ever has OSU football tickets for a game this season and is not able to go and they can't figure out who to give them to I want to volunteer me and my wife to use them for you. (Hey, it's worth a shot)

being Christian

I’m so committed to having our church be a church where our number #1 outreach strategy and evangelism strategy is living Christian lives. That sounds pretty and all, but I wonder if it is a cop out to avoid the work necessary to invite others to follow Christ with us. I think it is a balance, I think it involves intentionality, and I think it actually involves planning. I struggle to understand it all. Any thoughts?

Capitalism?

I'm having a discussion with a friend about capitalism and I need to know what is wrong or right about capitalism from a Christian perspective. Also, who is a good definition of capitalism that is serious and not sarcastic? Any help would be appreciated.

Saw on a Church sign today

Get R Done For God

Test

This is only a test...