tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45844632849507146232012-02-16T10:57:36.895-08:00Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.comBlogger781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-35112640511082509192010-10-15T10:05:00.000-07:002010-10-15T10:11:42.294-07:00

I was just thinking about some of the goals I set for this year back in December of 2009, and here we are in October already. One of the goals I set out to accomplish this year was deeper spiritual growth and maturity. Obviously, this doesn’t just happen. One has to work at it… --------> As Paul says to Timothy, “train yourself to be godly.”So, among a few things I changed or began doing this

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-1998314822539584912010-08-20T08:14:00.000-07:002010-08-20T08:16:52.315-07:00

At The Vine, we’re talking about the new seasons to which God calls/brings us. I honestly believe that God calls us into new seasons often, but our paralyzing fears, subtle complacency and/or sin hinder us from entering into that season.My wife and I are in one of these crucial moments in life right now, and we’re learning as we go. We don’t always have the answer(s), but we’re still pushing

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-88787838567405942022010-01-22T12:20:00.001-08:002010-01-22T12:20:00.617-08:00

I'm testing this entry from my phone. Man, you can blog from virtually anywhere in the world, even if you don't have a computer. What will 2020 look like??

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-87385974017957132172010-01-18T09:52:00.000-08:002010-01-18T10:28:18.599-08:00

Hace una semana, una gran parte de The Vine empezamos el Ayuno de Daniel, y hoy estamos en el día 8 del ayuno. Estoy tan orgulloso de aquellos que decidieron empezar. Los días más difíciles fueron los primeros días ya que el cuerpo se tiene que acostumbrar a un ritmo de alimenticio muy distinto al normal. Ahora, creo que la mayoría están alimentándose mucho mejor sin efectos secundarios--como

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-28642339060177005082009-09-02T09:25:00.000-07:002009-09-02T09:46:07.226-07:00

Been out of the blogosphere for a while, but after reading and meditating this morning, I began perusing some blogs and ran into Perry Noble's blog, and God totally used him in this post to give me a kick in the 'ole be-hind.As one draws nearer to God, there are always other "voices" that one hears (no, I'm not a schizo). Many times, they're from "reliable" people or those that have more

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-2124055704504213832009-06-10T10:35:00.001-07:002009-06-10T10:49:51.754-07:00

I have resisted opening a twitter account for a very long time, especially after someone hacked into a family member's e-mail account. It seems counter-productive to publish everything one is doing. Thus, giving mischievous hackers easier access to one's life and info.However, I finally gave in yesterday and opened my very own twitter account. Man, it can be addicting! Still trying to figure it

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-18144663860238299012009-03-09T16:06:00.000-07:002009-03-09T16:44:21.723-07:00

I ran across this CNN story/survey today and got to thinking: Maybe this is a good thing for followers of Jesus Christ. Talk about an open mission field...Mark Silk, of Trinity College, reports to CNN that "the rise in evangelical Christianity is contributing to the rejection of religion altogether by some Americans." What are some of these contributing factors? I mean, we can't just generalize

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-34626323058403137482009-02-10T16:51:00.000-08:002009-02-10T16:57:30.062-08:00

Today, I bumped into this video, and all I can say is, “Wow!” This was an inspiring, timely message by the General Overseer of the Church of God, Raymond Culpepper. I am so proud to serve under his leadership and am pumped to be serving at the vine.It’s great to know that God works “on-stage” as well as behind-the-scenes, whether we know/see it or not. I am confident that he’s doing his thing,

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-13278793072990803502008-12-10T15:17:00.000-08:002008-12-10T15:44:25.774-08:00

Hope you enjoy this interview, and because it's with my dad, it'll be in Spanish. My apologies to non-Spanish speakers. By the way, 2 minutes into the interview there will be a phone ringing...sorry, my dad never turns that thing off!

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-74024704204121699142008-12-08T14:00:00.000-08:002008-12-08T14:35:37.952-08:00

We kicked off our December month long series of Advent yesterday with Hope as the first of four traditional elements of Advent. It hit home even better than I had anticipated. Used a lot of scripture and once again confirmed that one definitely cannot underestimate the power of God's far-reaching word.Also, it felt really Christmassy yesterday...I guess the beautiful decorations (done by my wife)

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-25964074616245336182008-11-26T09:29:00.000-08:002008-11-26T10:21:28.118-08:00

Last night at the vine, we had a Thanksgiving meal with the regulars as well as several new people. We had a great time of community, and it proved to be a major relationship-building occasion. After dinner, we played several games of Mafia, and it totally opened up most of our new people. It was great. We finished up at 11:30pm...a little too long, maybe. Everybody was in high spirits as we

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-33094151369759670582008-11-25T11:25:00.000-08:002008-11-25T11:30:31.849-08:00

As the holiday season is pretty much here, beginning with Thanksgiving, there is one element throughout that we can’t do without: Food! Not sure what others will be eating here in CA, but in my family and circle throughout this season, we will be eating Turkey (Thanksgiving, of course), stuffing, arroz con gandules (rice-PR style), habichuelas (beans, PR-style), tamales, pasteles (PR-style

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-53466831352053603182008-11-24T16:08:00.000-08:002008-11-24T16:15:50.380-08:00

While on my way to Mexico to get married, I didn't get all the results to the US' presidential election until I arrived at my in-laws' house. Polls had Obama up decidedly over McCain...and they were right this time. At the end of the day, I heard the news...Obama was the president-elect. Talk about history being made!By the way, I received some type of forward (email) about several past

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-16244063588425534502008-11-24T15:44:00.000-08:002008-11-24T15:48:10.123-08:00

So much has happened in the past few months, accounting for the relatively long hiatus from the blogosphere. Was involved in several regional church events during the summer months, a fall festival at the vine and also my wedding a few weeks ago...that’s right, my wedding! The lovely Janeth Beltrones is now my beautiful bride, and we have been learning so much from each other in the last 2 weeks.

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-54214607907603646262008-06-02T16:54:00.000-07:002008-11-15T00:52:28.966-08:00

As I was browsing through a few blogs, I ran into this picture of some kind of demonstration. I wonder how effective this is for evangelism, or could it be that it's a statement of Biblical holiness? I wonder if Jesus (living in the 21st century) would do something like this today...or would he call those people out like he did the Pharisees??? Hmmm....

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-2816739755749061822008-06-02T10:57:00.000-07:002008-06-02T11:17:38.776-07:00

Very cool Sunday! Attendance was up again, and the message seemed to hit home nicely. Although I realize that numbers aren't everything, they sure are a boost and an encouragement. Today, I noticed the heartfelt needs so much more than other times. The need can be so great among the church that it's pretty overwhelming. I'm going to have to take things in stride and do as much as I can. I'm

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-9666337655510256072008-05-31T11:31:00.000-07:002008-05-31T11:37:32.912-07:00

After the Celtics defeated the Pistons last night, the stage was officially set for a rematch of a classic battle between the Lakers and Celtics in the finals. Even though I'm not a big time basketball fan, it's nice to see this matchup. Of course, it helps that my LA team is in the finals. Can't wait to see this series unfold.......Go Lakers!!

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-45549501700163454272008-05-25T23:00:00.000-07:002008-05-25T23:31:02.267-07:00

Super busy weekend, but it was all good...Friday - Drove 2 hours to the Santa Barbara area to speak to a youth/young adult group. They were camping out for the weekend at a campsite right off the Pacific. It was sweet! The weather wasn't typical for this time of year in SoCal, but it was cool to crowd around the campfire. I had a blast at their camp, meeting cool people and sharing from the

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-59454337639213473162008-05-15T16:02:00.000-07:002008-05-15T16:51:11.993-07:00

The first weekend of May a group of us pastors headed to Tucson, AZ to visit New Life Church to observe and become students of the work being done there. We got a behind-the-scenes look at the church as well as being able to hear from some of the church leaders and the pastor's, Sam Santana, story of transitioning a traditional church to something more contemporary. Additionally, it was nice to

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-75223474124585867142008-04-25T11:42:00.000-07:002008-11-15T00:52:29.436-08:00

As I was driving home last night from meeting with the church (by the way, it's about 80 miles...one way), I ran out of gas and was forced to fuel up in the desert--right around Morongo. For the cheap 87 grade, I paid $3.97!! I couldn't believe I was doing it, but I needed the gas to get home. I only fueled up with what I needed...something like $10 or less, but it felt like a total rip-off.

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-4004022478952189802008-04-24T12:34:00.000-07:002008-04-25T11:52:00.148-07:00

I wasn't able to go to the Exponential Conference in Orlando, FL this year, but thankfully, some that do go, blog on it and post their notes. Scott Hodge posted some notes on vision based on Andy Stanley's talk over there. Making Vision Stick1. State it simply2. Cast it convincingly3. Repeat it regularly4. Celebrate it consistently5. Embrace it personallyFor a little more exhaustive view of

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-8257338711303035722008-04-24T11:44:00.000-07:002008-04-24T12:30:15.048-07:00

Today will be the last day (other than Sunday) that we will be meeting at the place we call "church" on Thursdays. We'll be meeting in homes starting next week and begin laying some more groundwork with the core group. Eventually, I'd like to begin small groups--as soon as June--and begin being more aggressive in reaching our community. Meeting in homes, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. tends

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-74525080148539803522008-04-22T16:03:00.000-07:002008-04-22T16:56:42.644-07:00

It feels like it's been forever since I've been on the blogosphere. Gotta take an occasional hiatus once in a while to get caught up on other life stuff. Anyway, life has been good lately, despite the curve balls that are thrown once in a while. Life with the church is moving. There's a lot of change and re-positioning coming up, and I believe that people are starting to feel it. Thankfully,

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-14880758754166814762008-03-27T17:22:00.000-07:002008-03-27T17:42:42.040-07:00

How easy it is to get caught up in being busy all the time, and somewhat losing sight of the bare essentials...even when you know it's happening, but you still do it anyway. It certainly takes courage and guts to actually cut out those things that keep you busy and not productive. Being busy all the time is not the best feeling in the world and many times does not accomplish much.John Maxwell

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-38257134050947082842008-03-23T22:07:00.000-07:002008-03-23T22:44:54.442-07:00

Today was an awesome day! We seemed to have worked a lot more like a team today, and it just felt good. We were expecting a lot more new people, but the upside is that two people made decisions for Christ today. Man, I was stoked! The kids got to go on an egg hunt while I was speaking, and we had a grill-out on the same field after the morning gathering. We had a great time talking, laughing,

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-69161449808642904672008-03-12T15:09:00.000-07:002008-03-12T16:15:10.712-07:00

This past weekend, I got to travel to Tucson with 7 others in a rental to a leadership summit held there. Upon entering Phoenix, the highway bottle-necked and everyone braked pretty hard, including the driver of our van. However, the guy behind us did not brake in time and rear-ended us causing our driver to lose control. He was able to avoid the line of cars that had come to a complete halt

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-15268643278612115692008-03-04T14:13:00.000-08:002008-03-04T14:45:53.874-08:00

After watching number 4 for sixteen years, he retires today. It is definitely the end of an era. I initially rooted against him and his Packers because they were quite the opponent to my beloved 49ers, but never could I undermine Favre's ability on and off of the field. He was known as a fierce and unswerving competitor, overcoming obstacles on the field, like hard hits, ever-changing defenses,

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-58922927286996501672008-03-04T11:33:00.000-08:002008-03-04T12:20:21.023-08:00

Last night, I went all the way to Oxnard from the low desert to go speak to teens at the first night of a week-long district COG youth event. I'll be continuing tonight in Simi Valley and am looking forward to minister to the teens and early twenties people. I hardly get out to this area, and it appears as though we really connected last night. So, I'm praying and hoping to connect and

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-20878448204316002902008-03-03T11:11:00.009-08:002008-03-03T12:11:37.607-08:00

We had a good time yesterday, and it felt good being back in SoCal after having been gone almost a week. Some attendees didn't go, but we had a couple of new people show up. Thank God for new people! I felt and saw the need for connectivity yesterday as well. We're needing to take some appropriate steps in that direction soon. Had lunch with the Fitch's afterwards and just relaxed for the

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-40115969300192836152008-03-01T21:39:00.000-08:002008-03-01T21:47:07.609-08:00

Just got back in town from my trip to Cleveland, and I am so ready for tomorrow. Can't wait to be back with the church family! The trip proved to be very good and productive. I went to the Engage 21 conference but had to skip out the last night because of time I had to invest in a friend. That time was very well spent. I'm continuing tomorrow with the series on Dreams, and I really feel like

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-24034427881087882932008-02-27T16:59:00.000-08:002008-02-27T17:10:18.263-08:00

Finished our first meeting this week, and it felt like we got stuff done. I like the changes we talked about and proposed, but we'll definitely have to follow up nicely to get the results discussed. Maybe I'm an optimist and idealist, but I can see Editorial Evangélica improving and becoming a top contender in its market. So, we finished up by 5pm, and then I headed off to a friend's house

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-7149339815072569642008-02-26T10:31:00.000-08:002008-02-26T10:43:45.599-08:00

I spent almost all day travelling yesterday, from LA to Nashville and then to Cleveland, TN. I'll be in a meeting today and tomorrow discussing ways to improve the educational/discipleship material produced by the Spanish-speaking publishing house for the Church of God, Editorial Evangélica. I'm looking forward to meeting with the others because it shows that they've noticed how a lot of times

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-63686793055145442472008-02-26T10:15:00.000-08:002008-02-26T10:31:08.588-08:00

Last Tuesday, my leadership team for the replant and I met to discuss the basics of the church. I think that at times all the material may have been overwhelming to them, but it turned out to be a good meeting as we got through a general skeleton of what we'll be doing. After a few hours of discussing, dialoguing and dreaming, we decided to continue the discussion Sunday after meeting with the

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-18683062614302825752008-02-19T10:44:00.000-08:002008-02-19T11:57:45.253-08:00

Yesterday, God hooked us up with some gear from a church in the LA area. Unexpectedly, we were given a sound board (mixer) with its corresponding amps, a Kurzweil with an amp and a drumset. Man! As a musician, one knows the cost of this stuff, and it's so humbling to see how God takes care of you. I had not anticipated receiving this stuff at all. In fact, the thought of us needing something

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-71351122380840837732008-02-17T17:42:00.000-08:002008-02-17T17:49:46.321-08:00

What a great worship experience today. Mr. Fitch does a great job with the music and worship, and the message really hit home for many as we finished our Friends series, where we touched a lot on forgiveness. Also looking forward to this Tuesday as I will be meeting with the leadership team to discuss Mark Batterson's book and to dream quite a bit. I am so humbled by God's love and mercy and

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-65794901968100072542008-02-15T12:13:00.001-08:002008-02-15T12:36:22.866-08:00

Am I the only weirdo out there that will read several books at a time?? When I started reading Chazown, I kinda had to drop all my other reads for a while, but I've gone back to my old habit as I'm finishing it up. For leisure, I'm reading The Catcher in the Rye, and next week, my leadership team from church and I will begin reading Mark Batterson's In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. Pretty

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-15217225925083525912008-02-15T11:51:00.000-08:002008-02-15T12:12:45.132-08:00

Okay, so, I'm a little late for a recap of last weekend, but I'm barely getting back into the swing of things after a busy couple of weeks with my "day job." Anyway, last Saturday, my team and I organized our region's leadership summit in Ontario, CA and had a good turnout. Every person working helped make it a great success. I was pretty tired by the end of it but still managed to go to a Toby

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-80470712994964869892008-02-07T13:53:00.000-08:002008-02-07T14:03:02.886-08:00

Had breakfast with the small crew of young pastors again this morning. It's so cool to be able to share and vent with these guys. Plus, some of the ideas bounced around today were beneficial to all of us. Sometimes the Latino ministry mindset can be so complex because of the language issue as well as the cultural dynamics between the different generations of Latinos here. I'm looking to do

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-7415591596379871812008-02-07T12:46:00.000-08:002008-02-07T13:53:15.435-08:00

Me recuerdo que en mi niñez y toda mi adolescencia, usábamos el material de Editorial para lo que tuviera que ver con discipulado en la iglesia, o lo que se conoce como la Escuela Dominical. Recuerdo todavía algunas canciones que se cantaban con la iglesia, la ofrenda que se daba, los cumpleañeros, y algunas lecciones que eran aburridas…más cuando fui adolescente. Cuando empecé a enseñarle a

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-52049257954157154922008-02-06T10:30:00.002-08:002008-02-06T12:28:14.668-08:00

This past Sunday we met at our new place in Upland...· Our new place is smaller but more functional and very cozy· The group is very excited and on board to do whatever it takes to reach Upland and its surrounding cities· We just opened up a 3-week series called Friends, where we will tackle on certain relational issues that will benefit us both in the not-so-distant future as well as in the long

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-74243666925359830302008-01-30T14:19:00.000-08:002008-01-30T14:26:35.912-08:00

Yesterday morning, several people from the church and I met to clean-up and prep the new place for our first Sunday of worship there. Although we were working, there was so much excitement in the air. There's nothing like being in God's time of change, and I am so grateful that the church is willing to embark on this journey. Man, it's so sweet to see the momentum growing. I almost want to

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-12641887948311229452008-01-30T14:11:00.000-08:002008-01-30T14:19:31.177-08:00

What a weekend!! It was awesome to be part of an experience where a bunch of people were worshipping, going crazy, screaming, jumping, crying, giving their lives to God, etc. It was bigger and better than last year's (not that bigger is always better) event. And now, we're definitely focused on following-up with the teens and early 20's that made decisions to change the direction of their life.

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-32569498486477976772008-01-25T10:37:00.000-08:002008-01-25T10:46:02.986-08:00

Last winter, we re-launched our regional youth convention and called it FYD 2007 (find your destiny). This year, we are continuing with it but tweaking it to be Fulfilling Your Destiny. It's been quite a ride planning and organizing this thing...filled with its share of speed bumps along the way. We're really trusting God to impact teens' lives and help them find and fulfill their purpose in

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-35149769432974448672008-01-21T14:09:00.001-08:002008-01-21T14:58:56.134-08:00

We had a good Sunday yesterday. Had a good turnout, a lot of high energy in the air and got to spend some time with a couple who recently decided to come on board and be part of our core group. It was cool to just hang out and dream a bit about what we're planning on doing in the not-so-distant future. Next Sunday will be our last Sunday at the Ontario location as we prepare to move to our new

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-73971960792872856992008-01-18T10:11:00.000-08:002008-01-18T11:01:12.466-08:00

We had another weekly meeting last night for the formerly known Vida Nueva Upland church. Although we are in a "prenatal" stage as we develop the architecture of this replant, there's excitement among the small group of people to venture out into the unknown. In our Sunday meetings, we've been talking about going over to "the other side," or next level, be it in our relationship with God,

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-77545153784266787502008-01-17T09:50:00.000-08:002008-01-17T10:17:13.460-08:00

Have you ever heard anyone saying something like, "I can't wait until I graduate from high school (or college) because then I'll be happy?" Or..."I can't wait until I get a raise at work 'cause then I'll be better off ." Or..."When I get married (or have kids, grandkids, etc.), then things will be better." But what about today? Why do we have a tendency to look to a better tomorrow when all we

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-18237832343316469272008-01-16T11:22:00.000-08:002008-01-16T11:51:01.225-08:00

For a good while now, I've been close to being a Starbucks addict. I've tasted just about everything they have to offer, except for tea....definitely not a tea person. However, not sure if it's because of the monotony of drinking a certain drink all the time or what, but I'm starting to stray from SBUX and trying other people's coffee. I've tried The Coffee Bean, Seattle's Best Coffee, and

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-18817909083742073262008-01-15T12:11:00.000-08:002008-01-15T12:27:52.129-08:00

While browsing some friends' sites, I came across missionalcog.com, which seems to provide dialogue among COG people about Jesus' mission for us. I think I'll be contributing periodically to the discussions at hand. Check it out when you get a chance.

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-40942919176902835342008-01-11T12:24:00.000-08:002008-01-11T12:49:47.198-08:00

Years ago, when his airness, Michael Jordan, was at his peak, he, Scottie Pippen, and a couple of other players met almost every morning to work out and improve their game by doing other stuff together. They called themselves the Breakfast Club. Yesterday morning, I met with three other "younger" pastors to just hang out, eat breakfast, bounce ideas off each other, grow together, etc. It was

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-7730954990031215962008-01-07T13:24:00.000-08:002008-01-07T13:38:42.184-08:00

We had a great worship service yesterday with a better-than-average attendance and the series we're on is just kickin! I had a bit of trouble while playing a couple of videos with my computer at 256mb of ram. So, I think that may have been the last time I'll be using that comp because I had offers from three different people to use their computers from now on!Last Sunday, a friend of mine let

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-5088509620245939512008-01-03T14:08:00.000-08:002008-01-03T14:14:48.870-08:00

Mark Batterson wrote a book called In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day where he talks about lion chasers. Below is the lion chaser's manifesto, which I will be adhering to:Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-71382886415497694872008-01-03T10:50:00.000-08:002008-01-03T11:13:30.007-08:00

With the beginning of this new year, it's definitely a new season for Vida Nueva Upland. The holidays were a nice close to the previous chapter in the life of the surviving church. There are many plans still brewing that will take VN Upland on a neverending journey of health, outreach and ministry, where it will thrive. This is a process, however, and a learning experience that has endless

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-82284154601386734142007-12-20T10:38:00.000-08:002007-12-20T11:27:00.181-08:00

Tonight we'll be having our church Christmas party. Several guests have been invited, which include a few people who are prospective team members. Others are friends, neighbors, etc. We'll be giving away gifts to the children, stuffing our faces with food, and we'll be having a gift exchange among the adults. I still have quite a day ahead of me in preparation for tonight. So, I'm out....

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-90986852101816810292007-12-17T16:34:00.000-08:002007-12-17T16:39:45.318-08:00

I happened to be browsing someone's blog, and I found this post, which is so hilarious I thought I'd post it. I didn't know girls did this too....

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-84832445203851198492007-12-15T13:17:00.001-08:002007-12-15T13:34:21.991-08:00

I've recently been exposed to several people who have had a hard time forgiving someone else after having been deeply hurt by the other. I completely know that it is sooo hard to forgive sometimes, especially after having one's heart taken out, sliced up, beat up, and placed back where it was....of course, one's trust is broken as well. Seeing this from the (outside) gives me a different

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-83181518881472382692007-12-15T12:47:00.000-08:002007-12-15T13:16:58.125-08:00

Well, I ended up seeing it earlier this week, and I can totally see how some may be offended with it. There's definitely an undercurrent of anti-Christian themes. For instance, the following are some of those:· There are many universes and parallel worlds that are connected somehow (will be explained more in the 2 upcoming movies)· In this particular world, each human has their own personal

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-84422566098024350182007-12-07T10:08:00.000-08:002007-12-07T10:45:56.003-08:00

I first heard about this movie through a mass e-mail sent out with something like FW:FW:FW: Boycott movie that promotes atheism!! Urgent!!! To begin, I'm not a big FW fan, although, I must say that some are definitely worth it. Then, whoever wrote that e-mail makes it sound as though the world is gonna end if Christians don't boycott the film. It's as if this movie poses a huge threat to

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-43914172022436051832007-12-05T15:14:00.000-08:002007-12-05T15:37:19.015-08:00

One of the cool things I like about this time of year is Christmas music. I start listening to one of L.A.'s radio stations (kost 103.5) the week before Thanksgiving because they usually start playing all sorts of Christmas music by then. Once in the office, I'll listen live via the net: www.kost1035.com. That's crazy, right? Maybe I'm just a tad bit nostalgic about this time of year. Or is

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-62131483119078702752007-12-04T16:00:00.000-08:002007-12-04T16:29:05.249-08:00

Turns out that I didn't have to wait out the remaining two months to know the results of my interim status at the church. As of this next Sunday, I will no longer be there as an "interim" pastor. So, that means that we're just in time to have things ready for 2008. As much as there's a clearer definition about being a "permanent" pastor, in a sense, we're always there on an interim basis, only

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-59379428195148804442007-11-27T10:06:00.000-08:002007-11-27T11:59:02.970-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend was well spent this year as I got to spend some needed time with family and also with friends in SF. It was nice to get my mind off of the stressful side of work too. As the year is coming to a close, it's about that time of year when one has to look to the new year and plan things out, make changes, etc. So, we'll be looking at implementing quite a bit of stuff at church,

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-40158818176766080692007-11-20T14:27:00.000-08:002008-11-15T00:52:30.414-08:00

This pic was taken from my room on Monday morning. The bay was in plain view from behind the sliding door in my hotel room and was only about 30 feet from the room. It was a short time spent in the Bay Area (work-related), but it turned out to be a cool time spent with a couple of good friends. Plus, I got to see a lady who ministered to me as a child--Hermana Nona. She actually lived with my

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-43803543362918456532007-11-18T23:44:00.000-08:002007-11-19T00:19:58.848-08:00

This was the second Sunday in a row that a young blood helped out on the drums. It was cool in that it gave the music part of the worship a fuller sound, instead of just the guitar by itself. Also finished up a series today and looking forward to getting things ready for next month. It also appears as though this interim thing is coming to an end. Looks like there's "definition" in sight.

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-61672003024900315292007-11-16T14:47:00.000-08:002007-11-16T15:01:08.451-08:00

Get a Cash AdvanceSo, I'm browsing through other blogs, and I come across some Blog Readability Test, which evaluates at what level one writes or how "readable" one's blog is. So, I tried it, and I got a high score!....got rated at the college level (postgrad), but then I figured that it's probably some internet gimmick to market some product, like a "cash advance," especially because I use a

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-52570878947203586862007-11-14T13:40:00.000-08:002007-11-14T13:44:48.399-08:00

Where else in the country can someone wear shorts and sandals to the office....in the middle of November (other than possibly Florida)?? It's in the late 80's outside dropping down to the late 60's tonight. I absolutely love SoCal! Maybe I should take the rest of the day off and go to the beach....hmmm...that's a thought.

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-65495912093251251912007-11-14T11:15:00.000-08:002007-11-14T13:19:44.005-08:00

As I've been reading Chazown, I've forced myself to follow the guidelines set by its author, Craig G. In addition, since I usually read 2-3 books at the same time, I've had to set the other 2 down until I finish this one because of its demands. Thoroughly enjoying it, though. One of the other books I was reading at the same time was similar, in that it requires the reader to work through it.

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-43482737231997185512007-11-05T17:45:00.000-08:002007-11-05T18:23:59.979-08:00

What a draining weekend! Our minister's meeting turned out to be a success, but it drained all of us who organized it and served there. It's all good, though. It was cool to see and hang out with some of the other pastors in the region. Sunday was somewhat of a blur. I felt kinda waisted due to the weekend's rigor and stress (not that I'm openly admitting to having gotten waisted before...'

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-91808756646289154762007-10-29T11:28:00.000-07:002007-10-29T12:19:15.706-07:00

On Friday and Saturday, we hosted the newly instituted Holy Spirit Conference where 4 regions/states within our organization, Church of God, united to celebrate together. I believe it was the first time in the West that we had gathered to worship together. It was pretty cool to see an intentionality about unity. Since YCE directors are usually the ones behind the scenes (working their tails

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-26959736713113251532007-10-23T14:08:00.000-07:002007-10-23T14:25:13.721-07:00

Yep....exactly what it sounds like!....except that I'm talking in marriage. Did Nate just use the M-word?! Ok, I did but only to talk about this book. There are a ton of books I've recently been exposed to, and this is one of them, which I will be reading very soon. Going all the Way is a book written by Craig Groeschel, which helps people prepare for a godly marriage. You're probably

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-19119590831942525272007-10-20T12:19:00.000-07:002008-11-15T00:52:30.739-08:00

After a long drought of free weekends (Friday night and all day Saturday, that is), this weekend unexpectedly freed up, and I got to go to a jazz night at Echos of Faith in Ontario. Besides it being a relaxing Friday night, I got to hang out with friends and see Justo Almario perform. Justo Almario!! For a musician, who loves jazz, it was truly a religious experience!! j/k...Seriously though, I

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-6310364502670617302007-10-19T12:05:00.000-07:002007-10-19T12:23:19.097-07:00

Not too long ago, I came across the idea of facing and chasing a lion into a pit, based on the story of one of King David's warriors, Benaiah, who did this. The story is very interesting, and the implications of it are pretty profound. Mark Batterson elaborates on this story in his book called In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day (which I have yet to read). Below is his lion chaser's manifesto:

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-70175158739616735442007-10-14T21:22:00.000-07:002007-10-14T23:53:22.847-07:00

Today turned out pretty good...we had one more family visit. There's nothing like new people being part of Sunday's experience. Man, I can't wait until things are defined (as far as me staying as pastor or not). I really want to do some vision casting along with the establishment of systems so as to reach more people for the Lord at a more exponential rate. Plus, the need for a ministerial team

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-77571525178966979202007-10-10T11:12:00.000-07:002008-11-15T00:52:30.961-08:00

So, about 2 months ago, I was supposed to take some time off (4 days, I think), but on the second day, I couldn't resist the temptaion to check my voicemails...Big mistake!! I had forced myself to keep my phone off, and when I turned it on, I had a huge list of people to get back to...mostly work related. So, as a good workaholic (or busy bee), I decided to cut my time off and head back home.

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-85209286435584844122007-10-07T17:45:00.000-07:002007-10-07T18:04:43.070-07:00

Last Sunday's momentum carried over into this one, and we are seeing a slow, but steady, increace in attenders. We may have had a tad more last week, but it's just awesome to see what God is doing. I perceive morale to be higher than when I started, and I'm noticing that trust is being built. Thank God!! I'm really looking forward to teaching next weekend and continue on the series. Also, our

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-79538038716056006752007-10-02T20:56:00.000-07:002007-10-02T21:06:20.029-07:00

Last week, I ordered Chazown by Craig Groeschel and am pretty excited about reading it. I've only heard good reviews about it, including from my boss, David Ramírez. So anywaysss (as Nacho would say), as I got into the office this evening after being gone all weekend and busy with a meeting today, I found Amazon's shipping competence even better than anticipated because the book was sitting on

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-79001999284147225062007-10-02T20:03:00.000-07:002007-10-02T20:35:49.944-07:00

This past Sunday was a good day! As start time (11am) approached, there was absolutely nobody there, which freaked me out a bit....but almost out of no where, people began showing up and streaming in as the experience started. We had way more people than expected, including a new family that committed to coming on a regular basis. Although, they did not make a decision for Christ then, I will

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-75090187868543751732007-09-26T11:16:00.001-07:002007-09-26T12:17:49.996-07:00

It's been almost a month since we started pastoring at the church now, and it's been quite interesting. There's so much to do and so much potential, but there are some things that have been left up in the air that they somewhat diminish any sense of stability among the people as they view their pastor. I'm almost sure questions, like, "how long is this pastor going to be here?" or "Is the old

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-53216895389286147592007-09-19T11:54:00.000-07:002007-09-19T12:02:41.999-07:00

Well, almost 3 weeks ago, I began my time as a pastor(lead, that is)...for the first time. It's so funny how you tend to see things clearer when you're on the outside! It's kinda like all of us sports fans who see what Coach Carroll, Coach Weiss, Dusty Baker, etc. should have done, and there we find ourselves...screaming at the TV because he should've called this play or he should have taken

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4584463284950714623.post-48370551888184062902007-05-10T23:15:00.000-07:002007-05-10T23:19:51.642-07:00

It's so easy to get busy with life, doing stuff, delving into work, paying the bills (or not!), getting a degree, etc. It seems as though the more you do this, the easier it is to get into a routine...to even fall into a rut of unnecessary stuff, hence the title of this blog. All of this stuff seems to be excess baggage as compared to what really matters in life. Yet ironically, for some reason,

Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005790866608159128noreply@blogger.com0