finding Monsuun | est. 2005

I’ve been amazed at how fast time seems to have passed over the last year. Nevertheless, my son Colin is one year old this weekend. View our family blog here.

…are rarely noticed, but its the things you don’t do that always are.

I’m not sure if anyone still checks this blog (no blame here if you don’t anymore), but I just felt I had to post this trivial revelation (in my limited life experience) I’ve had since starting a new business. It’s one of those revelations that forces me to remember Seth Godin’s sage advice in The Dip: “Quit quickly and quit often, but if you’ve decided that you can be the best in your industry, push and push and push harder and faster through the dip and you will get beyond most of your competition” [paraphrased]. redPear, we, I am in that dip right now and I know that I have to keep fixing the things I don’t do, while continuing to do that things that I already do.

Thanks for listening out there.

We will open our home for a potluck-style dinner (BYOEverything to share) at 6pm this Friday, July 20 and our time will transition as the night goes on into a worshipful gathering of Christ followers. Sans agenda, we just plan to eat, commune and worship together as believers and to take our guidance for the evening from Him. The gathering will repeat every month on the third Friday at our house. See you there.

Yes, that’s right, after almost one year’s hiatus, Shared Expression (or a close equivalent) is returning to the Valley of the Sun. We will open our home for a potluck-style dinner (BYOEverything to share) at 6pm this Friday, June 29 and our time will transition as the night goes on into a worshipful gathering of Christ followers. Sans agenda, we just plan to eat, commune and worship together as believers and to take our guidance for the evening from Him.
The gathering will repeat every month on the third Friday, this month is unique, and I hope to see those who still read this blog (and any others that live in the Valley) at our house on Friday.

Brandon and I stayed at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort for our fourth Anniversary. This years theme was fruit and so these were the gifts we got each other. The resort had a great summer special, if anyone is looking to get away for the night. Brandon and I used just about every amenity they offered. We had a great time!

This is Colin’s second play date with Daniel. Daniel is almost 2 weeks older than Colin. His mom, Christy, is a friend from high school. They both enjoyed wiggling next to each other and Colin enjoyed watching a flying baby.

The two following quotes (posted on my friend, JJ’s, blog) adequately sum up what Andrea and I have been doing with regards to our explorations of Church over the last two years. We are in the margins and its nice to know that others recognize the need to cast of insecurity and to explore the new culture around us and to figure out how the Church will look and interact with it in the future.

“When the forms of an old culture are dying, the new culture is created by a few people who are not afraid to be insecure.”
- Rudolph Bruno

“Future Christianity is generating itself from the lives of those who have fled to the margins.”
- Sister Wendy Beckett

In May we went to the Smith cabin. We spent tons of time on the porch and we also hiked up to “The Rocks”. Two of our friends, Travis and Liz, came up one night to relax with us. We had a great time! I’m sure you will be seeing lots of pics from this place.

Colin went swimming for the first time on Father’s Day. Bath times are his favorite part of the day and so you can only imagine what he thought of my brother and sister in-law’s swimming pool that was bath water temperature.

Colin did a great job getting his pictures taken. We couldn’t have asked for a better baby. Check out his one month pics. Click on any of these here to go to his web album.