Christmas ain't the same without a bbq in the snow

Just sittin' and thinking about Christmas and what it means. There is so much to it....As a Christian I remember the birth of CHrist and what that means to me...and as well just Frankie I think about my friends, family and people that I miss.

We would hold a Christmas party back in spokane at the house...food, beer, snow and friends. Pretty much all were welcome and I miss that. All I can do is let my friends know they are all in my thoughts.

Last Christmas my dad was not home for the holiday and it was my first Christmas back....Dad will be home this year and that makes me happy. Beths mom is in England which made tonight a bit odd (oh yeah Notre Dame beat Hawaii today!!) for beth, the kids and Beths dad.

I guess what I am trying to say is this.....If you are not a Christian remember it's all about family, friends and loved one....if you are a Christian well it's about the same things plus remembering the birth of Christ.

This goes out to all my friends and family all over the country....God Bless you guys and have a great Christmas!!

Cheers
Frankie

Gone but not forgetten

On December 16th 2004 I had just moved to Washington, my birthday had just past (12/14) and I receive a phone call from my friend Chumly with news I was not expecting....On December 16th 2004 my friend Ernie Cortez passed away after a battle with cancer. I along with a bunch of others did not know he was sick.

The last time I talked to him was shortly after Thanksgiving in 2004 just to let him know beth, myself and the kids were doing ok and adjusting to living outside of California.

All I am really saying is that I considered Ernie my friend and always looked forward to him coming into Fresno from Oakland

I still think about him....hope I will see him again someday!!

And so the show goes on.....

Saturday December 6th was kind of a big deal. "Why?" you ask. Because saturday was the first show I have done since coming back to California...let alone Dinuba!!

The bands were All Or Nothing (from Hollister), Your Pain, My Victory (Sacramneto) and two locan bands (Throne of Agony and ICATCHFIRE).



I went into this show with no real expectation....I mean come on it's Dinuba and to my suprise we had over 60 kids show up and have a good time!! Even Lindsee had a good time. She helped hand out fliers around the high school for me.

Ever since the show added Lindsee keeps telling me everyone wants to know when the next show is going to be. You know how crazy that really is and what is even crazier that my child who a year ago would have nothing to do with dad's shows was there helping and hanging out with her friends (sniff sniff)

There was one thing about the whole night that was a little of kilter and that was some of my friends were not there to enjoy the night with me....Alicia, Marshall, Thomas, Gus and some of the others but that was the first people to come to mind.

The great thing about this night was that we collected toys that were donated to Open Gate Ministries which is a battered womens shelter....So there are some little kids that are going to get a little somethin' somethin' for christmas!!

I wish people understood that this show probably meant more to me then it did the kids in the comminuty.....I am pushing 35 and the truth is sometimes this is all I know!

Number 1 question I have been asked this week is "When is the next show?" I am not sure I can promise there will definitely be another on!!

Thanksgiving.....

So yesterday was thanksgiving and it really is kind of clich' at times. Why do we only give thanks once a year...should we not be grateful everyday for our families, friends, the things God has blessed us with. I know we are all guilty of being ungrateful little basterd....but we need to learn to be grateful more then oh once a year!

Cheers

The last day or so.....

First I keep coming back to scripture in Joel 2:12-13. 12 is calling us to return to HIM and it is a direction to fast and then 13 God say we are to "rend our hearts and not our garments"....I just keep coming back to this almost like a default switch.

I was put into a postition to think about Epehsians 6:10-18. The word the STAND is used three times in this passage
1: "Stand against the devils schemes"
2: "Stand your ground"
3: "Stand firm"

Definition of the word STAND: 1. To cause to stand; place upright.
2. To engage in or encounter: stand battle.
3. a. To resist successfully; withstand: stand the test of time; will not stand close examination.

I think these definitions are great reference to what God has called us to do....The stand strong!!

There is so much I am still learning and just do my best to not only trust in but to have faith because you can not have one without the other.

The Blood Of The Lost......

EZE 3:17-19......The word WATCHMEN came to me during prayer on Friday night and it was confirmed. I do not beleive in coinincidences when it comes to the word of GOD. During my time of prayer the same word came to another person who I had not talked to or shared this with....So here it goes.

I am not sure how to put it without posting the whole scripture so here it goes...If we as Christians know someone is walking in sin and we fail to minister to them and share the Gospel with them , and they die there sin is on our heads....we are responsible....If we do what God commands and they still choose to turn from there sin and die....there sin and death is not on our heads.

I beleive that GOD is calling people up to be WATCHMEN.....This really puts everyone of us who calls ourselves Christians with a sense of responsibility.

The Call

I just found out that Jeff from DBC is going to be at The Call in San Diego. Jeff and his wife are getting ready for a church plant in Seattle this year. They are hoping to get settle between thanksgiving and Christmas. I think Seattle is a good city to see a DBC plant....it is a city that needs GOD!!!

There has never been something I want to be a part of as much as I do The Call in SD.....I mean I am willing to sleep on the street if I have to. SOmething is there and I want to be a part of it