THIS WEEK!!!

Hey everyone!
Sorry things haven't been up to date these past weeks, we had a few technical difficulties...However, we're back on track giving you guys updates for whats going on in the REALM.
This Thursday we have a guest speaker talking on the important meaning behind the Hebrew name God gives to moses, Yahweh, and how it should make us react to Him.

This week's going to be awesome...
Hope to see you all there!

Relevant

Relevant:

Brandon Reynolds (associate pastor) and I were talking today about the relevance of the scriptures. You’ve got to admit, it’s pretty amazing that a book, certain parts being over 4,000 years old, has relevance to our lives today. That blows my mind away!
Just a little bit I thought I’d share…

-Lance(realm leader)

Climbing Mt. Thielsen

On the 28th, all of us Antioch interns climbed Mt. Thielson. Although we had to get up at about 4:30 am to get ready for the hike, everyone enjoyed the day...

It was amazing! The day was hot, tiring, challenging and tons of fun. Everyone made it to summit had an awesome view of God's glory.

One of the leaders gave us a reminder of the difficulty it is to get to the summit; how it can wear down on a person emotionally and physically...but in the end it's all worth it. God is much the same!!!

It can be hard sometimes to walk with Christ... to do what we are called to do as his fallower is not a cake walk; it's like summiting a mountain sometimes. There are cliffs to climb, loose and sharp rocks, altitude sickness and de-hydration...But you get to top, soak in the beauty of God's glory seen in nature and it was all worth it...

Remember folks, it isnt always easy...There are cuts, bruises and falls along the way but with His help, it's always worth it when you reach the summit.

Broken...But Fixed

This last Wednesday, the 23rd, I got to sit down and have coffee with a pastor of a Lutheran church here in Bend. Although knowing him for many years, I didn’t know what to expect from out conversation. Thank God, we got into the muck pretty quick. We talked about: abortion, homosexuality and grace, the Church’s political involvement, and church movements.
With all the interesting topics we hit, there was one in his personal life that really struck me hard… His wife left him. He said he never saw it coming and after 30+ years of marriage and children, it was hard.

I noted to him it a sign of character to see a man suffer like that and not blame God. His response is what connected with me…

“Why would I blame God? God didn’t make my wife leave… I have to rely on God.”

It’s a simple truth of Christianity but honestly, people don’t practice it that often in times as hard as that. To see how a man relies on God and seeks comfort in his friends in such a difficult time is amazing to me and a true inspiration in my own personal walk…

Will we stick with God and give him our load of doubt, frustrations, and anger? Will we seek the face of our creator when life throws us a stick in our spokes? When we are broken, will we rely on God to put us back together?

-lance

(realm leader)

9-9 REALM ROCK AND RIDE THIS SATURDAY,THE 19TH

The 9-9 REALM ROCK AND RIDE THIS WEEKEND JULY 19TH!!!

Come on out and join at Smith Rock for rock climbing and then onto Lake Billy Chinook for some wakeboarding, tubing and lunch. From there we head to a sweet park in Redmond for BBQ dinner and some chillaxen.
Best of all, IT’S FREE!!! All the gear, all the gas for the boats, all the food… IS ALL FREE!

We are meeting at the Cascade Village Starbucks (far north by Best Buy) at 9:00 am to head to Smith.
Any questions? Then email Lance Green at spoken_deity@yahoo.com
Hope you guys can make it!

Traansatlanticism

A month and a half ago, one of my dreams came true: I was within ten feet of Ben Gibbard, one of the greatest indie rock musicians of all time. In my opinion, that is.

Lead singer of the Seattle-based band Death Cab for Cutie (DCFC), Gibbard stood on the Les Schwab Amphitheater stage belting out lyrics to one of my favorite songs.

“The Atlantic was born today and I’ll tell you how
The clouds above opened up and let it out

I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere
When the water filled every hole
And thousands upon thousands made an ocean
Making islands where no island should go”

The song, Transatlanticism, is beautiful, poetic, entrancing… but makes little to no sense on the first go-around. So I did some research into its meaning and found out that when DCFC recoded Transatlantacism, Gibbard was enduring a painful separation from his girlfriend. The two spent a lot of time apart while touring and working on their respective musical careers. In this song (and on the rest of the album), Gibbard sings of their physical and emotional distance from each other.

The “ocean” he speaks of is literal. While his girlfriend was touring in Europe, Gibbard was in Seattle. So it would seem natural for Gibbard’s song to revolve around the Atlantic as an obstacle in their relationship.

If you haven’t yet experienced the lyrical genius of DCFC (or had the chance to decipher their tunes yourself), I suggest you pick up a copy of their latest album, Narrow Stairs. It’s been on repeat in my Oldsmobile for the past month.

-Natalie Troyer (soon to be Stollar)

LYRICS:
The Atlantic was born today and I'll tell you how...

The clouds above opened up and let it out.

I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere

When the water filled every hole.

And thousands upon thousands made an ocean,

Making islands where no island should go.

Oh no.

Those people were overjoyed; they took to their boats.

I thought it less like a lake and more like a moat.

The rhythm of my footsteps crossing flatlands to your door have been silenced forever more.

The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row

It seems farther than ever beforeOh no.

I need you so much closer

I need you so much closer

So come on, come on

Bellatazza Review

Today I am reviewing Bend's little gem Bellatazza. I have had more than one person tell me that Bellatazza is the best coffee they have ever had, one person even said it was "better than I have had in Seattle". Right...

Bellatazza is basically the cornerstone of downtown Bend (and by downtown, I am referring to the 6 blocks that take up Wall and Bond), with the nice outdoor seating and quick access to Drake Park.

I know that there are only a few Bellatazza coffee shops around (Tumalo, Bend, and Sunriver), but upon walking in I felt like there were thousands elsewhere in the world. It has a very corporate-chain restaurant feel to it. The professional signs, uniforms, and display cases really make it feel not oh-so-indie-cool. I hated it. Don't count on finding me hanging out much, unless I am with people, or in dire need of the free wi-fi.

Atmosphere is important and all, but its really about the coffee. Bellatazza has been won Bends best espresso blend 5 years in a row now, which must say something.

I ordered myself a cappuccino first, for not very cheap. To be completely honest, it was an amazing capp. The foam was made well, and tasted sweet. Not too bubbly, and not flat. It tasted really good, and really enjoyed it. I was suprised.

Onto the espresso, the hardest test... I ordered a doppio, for the low price of $1.95 (most places charge $2.00). Just watching the barista make the drink, I knew the results. It was awful. I didn't finish it. I took two sips and gave it back to the barista. I didn't want another.

I really wish I could tell you all the things wrong with the coffee, and how there was an awful flavor or aroma. The truth is, I couldn't even taste the sublities of the espresso in order to judge.

The shot was pulled far to quick, not allowing the water enough contact with the coffee, the grind was probably much to fine.

The misconception that people have, is that pulling a shot of espresso is as easy as pushing a button (and at some places it is), but there are a lot of technicalities that go into the perfect shot. The grind has to be just the right coarseness, and the slightest variable can throw the whole machine off. Even a change in temperature outside can throw the grinder off just enough. There needs to be just the exact amount of coffee getting contact with water, at the right temperature, for the right amount of time.

Bellatazza clearly doesn't pay attention to most of the fine details of pulling espresso, but in any drink of 3oz big you might not be able to tell the difference. I would go back for any sort of latte or cappuccino drink, but not straight espresso.

3.5 beans out of 5.