Notes from the Trail

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Saw an amazing sunset last night here in New Mexico, and as we conclude this amazing year of 2005, I wanted to shamelessly direct you to a previous post: Righteous Day Mapping. I think it has some great thoughts for beginning a new year with new discipline, direction, and devotion. (OK, so I sometimes stoop to alliteration. I am a pastor, you know.)

2005 has been so eventful as to be dynamically sublime. Let me summarize it, if I can…

• Journey Church began its third year! We continue to live by faith in God’s provision for our family. Journey pays us a housing allowance, but we depend on Caro’s photography business and my intermittent design business for our “livings.” The Lord was so faithful this year to meet our needs AND to help us make significant progress on our debt reduction plan.
  There’s no way to accurately describe how stressful/trying/overwhelming planting a church and being bivocational is at the same time. We are so dependent on people’s prayers and encouragement. We’ve been so blessed to have such a great support system.
• However… in the beginning of 2005, we knew we would be facing the year with a fight. Caro’s Hodgkin’s Disease had come back late in 2004 (this was its 3rd time). For eight months of 2005, we as a family endured chemo and radiation treatments (Caro had to go five days a week to Little Rock for her radiation.) It was an extremely hard, difficult time for us, yet in the middle of it all, we experienced peace. Thank you to all of you who lifted us up in prayer and sent notes, emails, and cards.Today, Caro is cancer-free again!

• In the middle of it all, our kids’ lives began to dictate our calendars to a greater extent than ever before. :) Caro and I saw our social lives devolve to Netflix and Wal-Mart trips. But hey, living in south Arkansas means that a Wal-Mart trip is a social event! from ballet, dance, baton, baseball, peewee football, our minivan was screaming around town. I coached Sam’s peewee football team to a second place finish (ok, it was a 3-way tie for second in a 4-team league, but it was still second place!).
• I began blogging in September. And learning how to podcast (after getting my first iPod!).
• Finally, we began facing some important decisions at Journey in the last two months of 2005. We have restructured our leadership team in some ways, and had to cut staff support due to a decline in finances. At the same time, however, we were provided with a new spot to meet for worship at the same amount that we were paying for the movie theater. We now have space to the right and left of Stage in the Northpark Shopping Mall.

I am excited about the months ahead for our church. 2006 will be days for Journey to flesh out everything we’ve defined in the past three years. I believe it will be our most significant year yet.

These are just thoughts and ramblings I’m having on this last day of 2005 in New Mexico…

Hey…I’m in process of revamping the side column for the Top Posts at Notes from the Trail and would like your input. What 3 posts have you enjoyed the most? I’m looking to get input from about 20 folks, and then I’ll retally the top 15 posts…

Send me an email with your top 3, and I’ll repost the list sometime early next week!

Greetings from southeast New Mexico! The Noble clan is here enjoying the hospitality of the Hunters, Carolyn’s folks, for the holidays. It’s a sign of the times that my in-laws house AND my mom and dad’s house in Little Rock are both set up for wireless internet. Aaaaah. It’s better than creme soda and a moon pie.

Anyway, I’ve been editing some video for the family, and I wanted to share with you all, for posterity, in the hopes of showing you my multi-dexterous talent, the beginnings of a song I’ve composed for the video…

Download voice_01.mp3

Enjoy. Try not to let it move you to tears…

Several folks have asked me what blogs I frequent, or what catches my eye. Well, it really depends on the mood I’m in. Some days I’m in a more reflective frame of mind, while others, I’m poring over information about the latest gadgets. So… for today… here’s my Top 5 Blogs…

5. Tall Skinny Kiwi… I’ve not kept up with it much, but I’ve really enjoyed reading it.
4. Gizmodo Blog… Hey! It’s Christmas!
3. The Pomo Blog… Terry Heaton always has something profound about communication media and strategy in today’s postmodern culture.
2. The Hankins’ Clan… I haven’t met him, and he’s a new blogger (who isn’t?), but I’ve enjoyed immensely some of his thoughts on church.
1. The Dilbert Blog… How can someone be SO disciplined to come up with amazingly funny strips daily AND blog? I mean, I’m funny daily, but I can’t draw…

Christmas Card Competition…
The annual Christmas Card Competition is drawing to a close at the Noble household. “What?!” you might think, “I didn’t even know there was one! How do I enter?” Well, it’s almost too late, but email me, and I’ll send you my address. But the winner will get international fame and glory by being featured here, on the Notes from the Trail blog.
It all started several years ago… 13 to be exact. That was when I got married. Before that, I don’t even recall sending out Christmas cards. I was always amazed how many I received even though I resolutely refused to send any out. I had always figured it to be a scam created by Hallmark to sell more cards. I mean, I gave people presents, and I figured that by sending out cards, I was needlessly informing the recipients that they were on my “I like you, but not enough to buy a present for you” list.
But when I got married, it all changed… Christmas cards became, well, an art. And because I’m a guy, I had to turn it into some kind of competition just to make it fun. It was a little too fru-fru for me.
So now we go by the Three C rule: Who’s was going to be the most Creative, Clever, and whose kids were the Cutest?
Now some of you buy those boxes of cards made by the Dollar Tree and feel fine about it. I would too. Don’t get your feelings hurt. But I assure you, you won’t win the Christmas Card Competition. We’d love to hear from you, but you just won’t get entered for international fame and glory.
However, this year… so far, there are three significant entries. If you haven’t received a card from them, and want to… well, you’re probably out of luck. But here are the top entries to date from the Noble household:
? The Inmans of Arkadelphia, Arkansas - When everyone else goes for the schmooze, they went for playful. Great shot, Kevin and Shannan.
? The Dowdas of St. Louis, Missouri - Caro said “Omigosh! She wins this year!” when she saw it, but that’s a little premature. Entries are still pouring in, and I get half a vote in this thing.
? JJ & Amy Humphries of Monticello, Arkansas - a baby shot with Santa that’s incredible.

It HAS been wonderful to catch up with friends this season. Thank you to EVERYONE who’s sent letters and cards. As the next 30 hours count down to Christmas, the Noble family wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

(For those of you who are just now finding out about the Competition, it’s not too late! Don’t get discouraged. For those of you who don’t care, go on to Dollar Tree and know that my heart’s with you.)

This is a personal note to Todd Heap, tight end for the Baltimore Ravens… (if you know him, please forward this link to him!)

Todd,

Outstanding play Monday night against the hapless Packers. I hate to see Brett Favre struggle like he has this season, but kudos to you! You had an incredible game! Two touchdowns!? Over a 100 yards receiving?! Awesome! You singlehandedly have restored my dignity, pride, and honor. You have enabled me to face my smack-talking 8 year-old son this a.m. and say, “Ha! I’ve advanced to the next round of playoffs too!” So… thank you!

If you’re ever in south Arkansas, I pledge to buy you a cup of Joe at the best coffee house in Monticello… that is, Dad’s Place!

Thanks again for lifting my team out of the trash “heap” of ignominy.

Best wishes!
Jeff Noble