jakerasmussen.com

So many people have asked me, “Jake, what is Jedidiah and why do you wear clothing from them ALL the time?”

I first become connected to Jedidiah when I was just entering into vocational ministry as a youth pastor almost 10 years ago.  I was sitting at a table in Southern California with a mid-20’s dude that was wearing this brand, Jedidiah.  It looked rad and I asked where I could get me some.  He told me his passions about clothing and making a difference in the world.  When I first started buying Jedidiah clothing for myself and others it was just screen printing on Haines shirts.  Now they have their own brand.  Here is a video that share a snapshot of their story.  Post a comment here and let me know what you think:

Jedidiah Clothing: Who We Are from Jedidiah Clothing on Vimeo.

It has been awhile since I have posted something new on this blog.  I am not sure if I have lost my passion for this online thing or if I just don’t have anything I feel is worth saying… or I am just too lazy.

I guess I don’t view this place as a place to really process though my “feelings” but rather a platform to share my thoughts and ideas.  So, maybe I don’t have any thoughts or ideas really.

With that being said I think I am going to try to post a new entry here at least once a week.  Until I “find my voice”.

I am scared to death.  I can’t stop praying.

I am putting together my message for this Sunday and am broken to the point of tears sitting in Starbucks for the devistating stories about porn in our community.  For God’s sake, the line: “it isn’t hurting anyone what I do on my own”.  That is so full of crap!  It destroys marriages, relationships with children, self image, view of the other sex, and creates a massive gap between our heart and the one who created us, God.

I am scared to give this message becuase it is so important and I feel that I will not present it in a way that is full of grace and with a call to repentance.

Oh Jesus, please place protection about my heart as I am preparing and delevering your message to our community this Sunday.  Jesus, please allow the Holy Spirit to radically work in the lives of all who will enter the movie theater this Sunday.  Please use me and my voice this Sunday to present clearly the facts about porn in our culture and community.  - Amen

Every year there are approximately 500 refugees resettled in Tucson.  They come from countries like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Russia, Vietnam and Cuba.  Some of them speak English.  Most of them are Muslim.  Many have left behind everything when they were forced to flee their homeland.  All of them deserve a friend like you to come alongside them and show them the unconditional love of Jesus as you build relationships and share your life with them.

To learn more about this oppertunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus please contact  Cherie Gray at cherie@tucsonrefugeeministry.com

Good times!  I worked at Starbucks this morning.  I started at 4am.

When I got off of work my phone had a text message to call my wife.

I called her and this is how the conversation went down:

Jennifer - “Hey baby, don’t be mad, ok?”

Me - “Ok”

Jennifer - “I am selling all of our furniture.”

Me - Silence…..   “umm… ok”

Jennifer - “Giggle”

Me - “You know new furniture costs more than what we will get for ours.”

Jennifer - “I have a plan, don’t worry.”

Me - “Ok, I trust you.”

Jennifer - “Ok.”

Me - “Love you”

Jennifer - “Love you”

[click]

I love my wife 100% and the trust we have built in this 7+ years of marriage is wonderful.  I know she always has the best intrested of me and our family in mind.  She is an amazing woman.

This is how I view leadership in organisations.  There is trust and respect in the relationships that have been established.  This takes time for sure but it is wonderful with you have acheived this.

Kristin McGee is the musical worship leader at Epic Church.  She does an outstanding job leading us in music each week at our Sunday Gatherings.  She is a talented writer as well.  She entered into a community contest at Jedidiah.

Her story was selected and a shirt was designed for her.  We need your help in voting online for her shirt.  It is quick and simple.  But, we NEED your help.  Follow this link:

http://www.jedidiahusa.com/community/vote/item/7

And vote for Kristin McGee.  You might even read her story and share your thoughts with her as I am sure she would love to hear from you.  You can send her an email at: kristin @ epicchurchonline (dot) org

Thanks in advance for all who vote!

Day one is done here at Glorieta Conference Center.  My family and I traveled here today from Tucson, leaving around 5am.  Yes, it was a LONG drive with 2 young children.

My purpose for being here is tri-fold.

1) To connect with church leaders around the nation to create health partnerships to further the Kingdom impact in Southern Arizona.  We are doing this by working with NAMB to provide for summer and semester missionaries to come and work with Epic Church.  We are also working to get groups to come to Tucson for week long service projects in 2009.

2) To heal.  As many of you know I was diagnosed with testicular cancer a week ago today.  This past Tuesday I had my right testicle removed as it had the cancerous tumor.  There is some phyiscal healing and emotional healthing that is taking place this week.

3) To Kindle.  To kindle the Team Rasmussen spirit as we have been attacked with bubby’s blood disorder news, my cancer news, and with Madison starting school in a week.  We are kindling our team spirit and will enjoy each other as a family.  Knowing that beyond everything we have Jesus and our family.  And above all we have JESUS!

Tonight was a moving experience for me personally.  As soon as the rhythms from the instruments and the vocals singing the words on the screen I was totally broken.  God HAS worked a MIRACLE in my life, no doubt about it.  I am tender in my heart right now for the steady voice of Jesus.  “What are we really here for?”  That was a great question the communicator brought to us.

Stay tuned… all three you.  This week will be an adventure.

Have you ever walked into a hotel room and within seconds your barefeet are solid BLACK?

How about you look around for a second and you see…

What about you pull back the sheets and see the linens ripped with a hole?

How about a non-smoking room that smells like a packed out pub?

Team Rasmussen is on the road for a wedding in Kansas.  On our route we stayed the night at a hotel in New Mexico and that was our experience.  It was out of this world.  There was also some “gummy” object on the floor.  Jennifer picked it up and get this… SHE SMELLED IT!  Yes, that is right she was trying to discern what it was and actually smelled it!

Out of this world…. oh the joys of traveling away from home.

Worship is a hard thing to define.  It is personal and also very community based.  But, in preperation for a talk I am giving at Epic Church this weekend I am floored about this topic.

I am having a hard time trying to filter my thoughts about what God desires to say to the community of Epic Church.  One passage that I came to:

2 Samuel 6:21-22 (NIV)
²¹ David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel–I will celebrate before the Lord.
²² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

This is NUTS to me.  It would be like President Bush so enamered with the presenece of God that he just started worshiping God by ripping off his clothes.

That is what I want my life to look like.  Not the naked part all that much, but the abandoment.  That God is so important to me that I would do everything in my power to experience him more and to follow his commands.  That is what I desire my life to be, my family to be and my church to be and my community to be.

Ok, new look and an upgrade… I think we are back online.

-Jake