I hope this poem, written by our Creative Arts Director, Ryan Romeo, will help you enter more fully into this season of anticipation

I had a little trouble starting this letter. At first I began with, “Thanksgiving is over,” but that didn’t seem like a good message to send.

If I was going to come right out and say it without any flowery words, I would say God cares more about what you reflect than how you feel. God created you as a masterpiece to reflect the diverse wonder of His beauty and the majestic goodness of His character.

In the last two months we have averaged over 800 people attending our Sunday morning services, and almost 350 people attending our Wednesday night Fam Nights. This week about 400 people attended a job fair on our campus, and around 800 came to a Fall Festival on our lawn.

I hope you are having a great week and feeling a sense of joy and wonder at the imminence of the winter season. But in case you are not, I thought I would share a poem I wrote as I spent time with Jesus a few nights ago.

There is no catalyst for behavior correction like a police car pulling up behind your car. Bam. We all put on our brakes, whether we’re going the speed limit or not. We all fasten our seat belts quickly, whether they're already fastened or not.

Last Monday night, my super rad wife and I went to Brophy College Preparatory to listen to one of my super rad wife’s heroes speak on the topic “Theology in the City.” I know that probably sounds super boring, but stick with me a bit longer and it will get less bland.

I am so proud of our Living Streams family. I know we are not the biggest, hippest, or even best church in town. But my heart wells up with steady joy as I see us step further into our potential. 

Today is the third day since we saw an intense display of violent evil in Las Vegas. This is another grotesque, infuriating, and heart-wrenching act in human history which is riddled with war and hate.

Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
1 Corinthians 9:16

I remember the first time I preached a sermon. I was 17 years old.

Hundreds of people gathered around food-filled tables—smiling, laughing, getting to know each other, and talking about life. Kids running around the same tables, also smiling, laughing and getting to know each other, but talking about absolutely nothing.

Ahhh September. Cooler weather. (I wrote cooler, not cold.) College football. (Yes, I like college better than pro.) And best of all, my birthday.

As all of us are thinking and praying about our brothers and sisters in Houston, the turmoil and exhaustion that has poured down on them will take a long time to recover from. But our generous prayer, gifts and volunteering support will help ease the burden.

Once again, we had 500 men come together and fill up Young Life's Lost Canyon camp. Once again, we had 500 men of different ethnicities, cultures, economic statuses, age, and denominational and political affiliations.

This Sunday, we will dive into a very deep and detailed chapter of prophetic literature. This chapter forces us to deal with questions like:

• Where did evil come from?

This is my weekly message to the Living Streams Family, but my hope is that it will be so much more.

Each week I hope these messages bring you clarity, and understanding to cut through the current cloud of confusion that is causing your path to be unclear and uncertain.

I asked Joel to write my blog post this week while I’m on vacation: —David

Over the years our family has experienced a couple of miracles which were not only transforming for the person who received them, but they were transforming for our family and friends who witnessed God’s grace and power up close.

My daughters have a new favorite song right now called “Boomerang.” (It is a little embarrassing to admit that I know the song, because a 15 year-old punk rock girl named Jo Jo sings it.)  There is a line repeated in the song that says, “I don't really care what they may say, Imma come back like a Boomerang.”

My wife, Kristina, has had heart troubles since she had untreated strep throat, Asian flu, pneumonia and scarlet fever as a child. These illnesses left her with myocarditis and pericarditis. Her parents were alcoholics, and Kristina and her younger brother, Kirk, were often neglected.