stephen wayne hammond

2008- a look back

As we get ready to tackle the new year that is called 2009, I wanted to step back into time and remember some great things that happened for me and my family in 2008.

• January our family met some new friends that would change how we view suffering, friendship and hope.  Although our lives aren't connected physically any longer we are eternally grateful for the journey with them through the year.
• In February Lanette and I celebrated 10 years of marriage!  Our church was very cool and took up some funds to help us get to Cancun (a dream of ours since we were married). We love one another and look forward to the next 10 years. 
• Mosaic continued to grow up in some really cool ways.  We lost a few close friends during the year but God provided our church with the greatest 'increase' we had seen in our 3 short years. Our attendance in small groups doubled and our Gathering attendance hit an all time high.  Add to that the fact that we commissioned another elder, drilled 3 wells in El Salvador, committed to partnering with an orphanage in Mexico, came alongside the Arlington Life Shelter to help take practical steps to eliminate homelessness in Arlington and gave away a bunch of our money to help the needs of the poor and it was by far our greatest year ever as a community. 
• We had our first emergency room visit when our dog bit our youngest son Bryson and it required 14 stitches to repair him.  Needless to say we lost a dog as well.  We still miss Cali but it was the best for us.  And Bryson now has a 'war scar' to go along with his warrior's heart and spirit.
• I got to go to El Salvador to help dig a well with a team from Mosaic.  Very cool.  
• I coached Harrison in 2 seasons of baseball.  He's a little stud.  Made the All-Star team (again) and represented Arlington in a local tournament.  I love hanging with that dude! Despite him being a great athlete, he is an even better leader to his peers.  (Plus he loves to swing business deals in the Butler cafe during lunch by selling items he gets at Target to his friends for an upcharge of 50%.  Hope he is tithing!)
• Madison continues to bless us with her ability to create.  She is the artistic one.  She dances and colors in ways that amaze us.  
• Bryson is the athlete.  The tough kid.  Nothing fazes him.  Just yesterday he came bragging that he is going to have to get fillings.  "Bring it on" is his attitude.  
• Square One, our church planting arm, had it's ups and downs.  We lost some major donor support (so if you want to fund new church starts let's talk) but our planters are doing a heck of job changing cities.  It's fun to coach these guys to great things in the future. 
• I am learning how to lead better.  Starting with learning how to say "No, I can't do that" to "You are wrong and here is why."  I need to learn more about humility and grace no doubt, but for the most part if you are in my life I hope to continue to be a better leader for you in the future. 
• Holidays are always great.  This year we were blessed in so many ways.  We finally paid off ALL our debt!  We were able to lease a new vehicle for myself.  We grabbed another large dog (welcome our golden retriever, Lady, to the world) for the kids.  Upgraded our home computer (Lanette got a Mac desktop for Christmas) and to top it off found a brand spankin' new Wii on our doorstep on Christmas Eve. Someone from Mosaic (we think) dropped it off as a blessing for all our family does for others.  WOW!   

That's a snapshot of our year.  God was good through it all.  We are a blessed family, doing everything we can to be a blessing to others.  

The best is yet to come! 

Sierra Nevada

This is my brother Kevin and two of his good friends. Today the 4 of us found ourselves in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This is a picture of this beautiful place.

On this min-vacation/sabbactical I have learned much about humility, honesty, seeking God, asking hard questions and overcooked prime rib. I am really enjoying my time with these guys and I pray that I am encouraging them to greater things in life concerning faith, love and hope.

I am blessed to have a generous brother who can afford to pay my way to such an awesome place. It's been fun having some of his co-workers/friends with us as well.

Pray for Kevin, KC, Randolph and myself that we all continue to meet with God as we celebrate life together this week in Lake Tahoe.

The Good Life

Today I learned some not too encouraging news regarding people and money. But my lunch buddy reminds me that God is still good and He has everything in control. God, my son Bryson and Sonic Ice Cream- Life is Good!

AHS Ballboys

Harrison and Bryce gearing up for the big game tonight.

Go Colts!

Happy Birthday Madison!

Today our little girl turns 6 years old!

Time flies when you are having so much fun in life.

To celebrate her life we took Chick-Fil-A up to her school for lunch today. Here she is with 2 friends enjoying her special day.

We love you Madison! Happy Birthday!!

Go Ahead...Wreck Your Life

As I approach 40 (many months from now) I am coming to realize that here are 3 things that will derail you and I from fulfilling God's best for our lives-

Pride

(Sexuality falls under this one for me)

Money

Legalism

This Sunday at Mosaic we will be discussing the Money issue.  Probably nothing has a great daily influence on your character than how you view, handle and give away money.  It's a tough topic for me to speak on but I am growing up. :-)  

I hope that this Sunday will be a time of both encouragement and challenge as together we remember that you can't take it with you, but you can sure send it on ahead of you.  

Join us this Sunday at 10am at CATS to learn more about what the world would look like if "Everyone Gave" as we conclude our EVERYONE series.  (Start reading the scriptures in Ephesians as we jump into our "Verve" series starting next Sunday) 

We will miss you Cali

On Monday we had to put down our Australian Shepherd.

It was a tough loss for our family. Cali was a part of our family. She loved us, took care of us, protected us against strangers, swam with us and wrestled with us. We picked her out when she was 6 weeks old and did everything we could to care for her. She wasn't the calmest dog in the world but she was passionate about people. Our family will not be the same without her, but as with all things we will move on.

We love you Cali and we will miss you!

Vacation Update

We just got back this past weekend from a great week at Horn Creek in Colorado for our yearly family vacation!

It was a great experience that reminded us of so many cool things but here are the ones that top my list-

*spending time with good friends in Colorado Springs
*eating together as a family is probably the coolest (and at times most frustrating) thing we do together
*riding horses is a blast, but watching your kids ride them for the first time is even better
*playing Koob is probably the most fun I have had in years (a must have game)
*eating chocolate at this place is just heavenly
*standing on top of Pikes Peak will remind you of how small you really are, but how big God really is
*AAA baseball is really cool to watch and when your oldest gets a game ball (signed afterwards by two players) it really makes the evening memorable
*driving to Colorado at night is probably the best vacation decision I made (cooler temps, kids knocked out sleeping, no people on the road and the thousands of stars above you make for peaceful miles)
*long walks with my family, talks with my wife and alone times to think and pray for sure top the vacation list

This summer vacation was another great week with my family. I am so blessed.

Sleeping across the State Line

These two missed the sign that read 'Welcome to Colorado' as we crossed into this great state at 5:55am this morning.

We have made awesome time (9 hours from our garage to the Colorado line.)

This will be a great trip!

Vacation

Tonight my family and I will pull out for what has become an almost annual trip to the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

We will be seeing some friends in Colorado Springs for a few days before we head up to this awesome place.

Vacations with our family are important for many reasons but here a few that come immediately to my mind:

*I need to continue to show my family that they come before anyone or anything else. Vacations are practical ways to do this.

*It's important to make some memories with my kids as they grow up. These trips help reinforce the power of family and the joy of the journey together.

*I need to decompress from all the stuff that grabs my attention here in Texas. Going to the mountains usually remind me to slow down a bit, thank God for the greater things in life and admire Him for His beauty, power and creation.

*It's good from me to leave Mosaic in the hands of capable leaders and not worry about the day to day affairs of our church. We have some of the hardest workers and wisest men and women around leading our community. I can leave for a week, or a month if need be, and I am confident we would keep moving forward in the mission of God.

*Seeing my kids come alive as they see new sites, ride horses, have fun with others or just know that mommy and daddy are completely theirs for a full week.

Please be in prayer for our family as we take this journey. Pray for great memories, safe travels and life changing conversations. Pray also that I can find the cheapest gas prices along the way! :-)