A good friend of mine asked me to write a post about the phenomenon we call 'upstream battle'. Defined: An upstream battle is when you feel like you're just another fish trying to swim along like the other fish.
First off, the upstream battle is a flat out lie. I think it's something planted in our hearts to make us feel bland or boring. This planting is premeditated and has a desired effect. We hear these whispers of 'what are you even doing here?' or 'you're no different than the next schmo who's trying to make it happen'. The one I hear a lot is 'no one cares about what you think or what you have to say, so get busy shutting up'.
A lot of times we respond to the above lies by taking matters into our own hands. We decide since we are getting blindsided by these thoughts and low self-esteem that it's time to prove the voices wrong and 'be somebody'. We put incredible pressure on ourselves to be a good Dad, a good son, or a good 'enter your identity here'. These thoughts put us in a pressure cooker where failure is not an option.
I think this is a scheme to distract us from where we really need to go. To our maker. He has some very different things to say about us and who we really are.
1 Peter 2:9 says:
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
This verse has been floating around in my head for a while now, and it keeps popping up in bible studies, sermons, or casual conversation. What Peter is trying to show us here is how Jesus sees us. We are precious. A few verses later Peter refers to us as 'Beloved'. I can't think of a more endearing salutation than - Beloved.
Matthew 5:14 says we are the 'light of the world'. Think about that. Of all the things in the world, we are the brightest. We are the 'IT'. But it's not because of anything we've done, it's because we have a father who Loves. With a capital 'L'.
Next time the upstream battle phenomenon occurs just remember, you are the beloved. Jesus is so crazy in love with you that all he wants is for you to sit with him. He wants to marvel at the light you are.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Frontier
Each table in our dining room has 24 sweeteners; 8 sugars, 8 sweet n' low, and 8 splendas. Sugar faces the salt so that everything is uniform. Glasses are set right above the knives - center cut, not to the left or right. Tables in the dining hall are set with excellence.
I haven't experienced this, but heard that sometimes when the accumulated snow starts to get dirty we vacuum it. Not to remove it, but to make sure the lawns are completely white. Trash bags are placed in the cans and then tied tight. The knot is hidden so that the trash can looks more presentable.
Blankets are folded on beds so that you only see a clean fold. Ribbon side up with the fold facing the door - always.
We do these things to create a place where people meet Jesus. Sure it's great to have camp presentable for guests, but that's not why we do what we do with excellence. It all points back to the cross.
Maybe life would be a ton easier with less distractions. What would it look like if I treated my heart like we treat Frontier Ranch, and prepared a place so that I could meet Jesus? Time and time again in scripture we see Jesus seeking his 'mountainside' for prayer. More times than not this mountainside precedes or follows a miraculous event. I could learn a lot from this.
Ecclesiastes 4:6 says: Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
I haven't experienced this, but heard that sometimes when the accumulated snow starts to get dirty we vacuum it. Not to remove it, but to make sure the lawns are completely white. Trash bags are placed in the cans and then tied tight. The knot is hidden so that the trash can looks more presentable.
Blankets are folded on beds so that you only see a clean fold. Ribbon side up with the fold facing the door - always.
We do these things to create a place where people meet Jesus. Sure it's great to have camp presentable for guests, but that's not why we do what we do with excellence. It all points back to the cross.
Maybe life would be a ton easier with less distractions. What would it look like if I treated my heart like we treat Frontier Ranch, and prepared a place so that I could meet Jesus? Time and time again in scripture we see Jesus seeking his 'mountainside' for prayer. More times than not this mountainside precedes or follows a miraculous event. I could learn a lot from this.
Ecclesiastes 4:6 says: Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Unlikely Messenger
Throughout history, God has used the most unlikely messengers for the spreading of his message. Whether you look at Paul, Peter, or even John the Baptist - each one have quirks/blemishes to their story that make you wonder about their selection. I think this is just another example of God's incredible grace, and affirms the Gospel all the more.
How bout John Newton? Ever heard of him? He was a sailor who lived during the mid 1700's. He had a reputation of being a nasty, profane, and untrustworthy individual. A Wikipedia article about him says the following:
This guy ended up leaving the British navy to go work on an African slave boat. Here he bounced around between boats and at one point was shipped off to a plantation to work as a slave. Shows you how much he was hated by his peers.
Somehow while working on the plantation he found his way back to another slave boat, and became one of the ranking officers on the boat. One night the sailors fell under a massive storm and the boat was nearly capsized. Newton tried everything he could to save the ship and was quoted with the following:
Big deal right? Well our friend John Newton also had a knack for writing. Years after this terrifying night at sea he wrote a song.
His song became a staple to African American folk music. The same guy who exploited and captured innocent Africans wrote a song that promised their deliverance. Pretty ironic huh? It should also be mentioned that John went on to be an advocate for the abolition of slavery.
What does this guy have to do with the spreading of God's message?
Currently his song is performed over 10 million times a year. It has been recorded using the melodies of just about every music genre ever created. I would argue that it's the most popular tune ever played. And all this coming from a man who was considered vile, disgusting, and wretched by the most vile, disgusting and wretched group of people? Worst of the worst. Doesn't make sense... But does God's grace ever make sense?
Romans 3:23 says we are all sinful and are separated from God. It's only by God's grace and the blood of Christ that we are reunited with the Father. Below are the lyrics to John Newton's famous jingle.
How bout John Newton? Ever heard of him? He was a sailor who lived during the mid 1700's. He had a reputation of being a nasty, profane, and untrustworthy individual. A Wikipedia article about him says the following:
While aboard the ship Greyhound, Newton gained notoriety for being one of the most profane men the captain had ever met. In a culture where sailors commonly used oaths and swore, Newton was admonished several times for not only using the worst words the captain had ever heard, but creating new ones to exceed the limits of verbal debauchery.He created cusswords? Takes the expression curses like a sailor to a whole new meaning.
This guy ended up leaving the British navy to go work on an African slave boat. Here he bounced around between boats and at one point was shipped off to a plantation to work as a slave. Shows you how much he was hated by his peers.
Somehow while working on the plantation he found his way back to another slave boat, and became one of the ranking officers on the boat. One night the sailors fell under a massive storm and the boat was nearly capsized. Newton tried everything he could to save the ship and was quoted with the following:
"If this will not do, then Lord have mercy upon us!"Seems like the standard, desperate cliche 'God help us', right? Well it turns out they made it through the storm, and Newton was left to ponder these words during his eleven hour shift at the helm. His near death epiphany turned out to be a life changing moment for Newton. The effects of this night led him to conversion to Christianity, and to leave the slave trade business all together. God's grace is amazing.
Big deal right? Well our friend John Newton also had a knack for writing. Years after this terrifying night at sea he wrote a song.
His song became a staple to African American folk music. The same guy who exploited and captured innocent Africans wrote a song that promised their deliverance. Pretty ironic huh? It should also be mentioned that John went on to be an advocate for the abolition of slavery.
What does this guy have to do with the spreading of God's message?
Currently his song is performed over 10 million times a year. It has been recorded using the melodies of just about every music genre ever created. I would argue that it's the most popular tune ever played. And all this coming from a man who was considered vile, disgusting, and wretched by the most vile, disgusting and wretched group of people? Worst of the worst. Doesn't make sense... But does God's grace ever make sense?
Romans 3:23 says we are all sinful and are separated from God. It's only by God's grace and the blood of Christ that we are reunited with the Father. Below are the lyrics to John Newton's famous jingle.
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Gospel Homecoming
Over the past few months we've had all sorts of different groups come to camp. From upper middle class women's groups to 300 men on four wheelers, we've seen it all. This weekend was Young Life snow camp. Holy freaking awesome.
Young Life seeks the unreachable - which is broad. Unreachable could be the high school quarterback who literally gets everything he wants. It could also be the future rocket scientist who can count his friends on half of one hand. Two kids who most likely have nothing in common but one thing - they probably haven't heard much about Jesus.
So Friday night 506 Young Life kids come to camp. We've spent the previous 8 hours shoveling snow and removing ice from sidewalks (nothing ends a fun weekend like impromptu iceskating down a flight of stairs). All this 'camp prep' is undone by 500 high schoolers in less than 10 minutes.
You've got 10 kids from one school at the top of a two story deck, hurling snowballs as if they are defending Fort Knox. Below them are 12 kids from a different school packing their snow missiles with rocks. These kids are out for blood.
50 feet to the right is a bonfire, with 4 couples sitting around looking like they might suffocate if separated from one another. Behind them walks three kids dressed in black, with chain wallets that hang to their patent leather Dr Martens.
There's one thing that's blaringly obvious about these kids. They all seem like they're fighting like hell to find something. Every single one seems out of place and uncomfortable. You may call this child development. If you do, you probably haven't witnessed the transformation that takes place from Friday to Sunday.
A Young Life weeeknd camp is packed with fun activities, and 4-5 group sessions we call 'club'. The first two sessions typically talk about who Jesus was, most often using a story out of the 4 Gospels. The third session is the Sin talk. This is when kids are told of their sin-condition, which separates us from God. Kids are then left with 6-8 hours of free time and activities to marinate on this terrible news they've been given. It's also interesting that most fights break out during these 6-8 hours. Saturday night is the cross talk. This is when the greatest love story is ever told. God incarnate coming down to earth to die for our sins. The ultimate sacrifice to reunite humankind with its creator.
Last night I had the priviledge of working the screamer swing 2 hours after kids heard the cross talk. The screamer is a 50 ft swing that flies over the Arkansas River valley. Its name is derived from the vocal phenomenon caused by the swing's intensity.
It was incredible to see the difference in these kids. Many seemed like totally changed people. Rather than searchers out of place, they seemed like they had found something. I guess more complete. Seeing such an incredible metamorphosis over a three day period is proof in the pudding. We are built with a gaping hole, only to be filled by a savior who loves us greatly.
In John 10:10 Jesus says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly"
A lot of these kids were given life this weekend. Sweet dang that awesome.
Young Life seeks the unreachable - which is broad. Unreachable could be the high school quarterback who literally gets everything he wants. It could also be the future rocket scientist who can count his friends on half of one hand. Two kids who most likely have nothing in common but one thing - they probably haven't heard much about Jesus.
So Friday night 506 Young Life kids come to camp. We've spent the previous 8 hours shoveling snow and removing ice from sidewalks (nothing ends a fun weekend like impromptu iceskating down a flight of stairs). All this 'camp prep' is undone by 500 high schoolers in less than 10 minutes.
You've got 10 kids from one school at the top of a two story deck, hurling snowballs as if they are defending Fort Knox. Below them are 12 kids from a different school packing their snow missiles with rocks. These kids are out for blood.
50 feet to the right is a bonfire, with 4 couples sitting around looking like they might suffocate if separated from one another. Behind them walks three kids dressed in black, with chain wallets that hang to their patent leather Dr Martens.
There's one thing that's blaringly obvious about these kids. They all seem like they're fighting like hell to find something. Every single one seems out of place and uncomfortable. You may call this child development. If you do, you probably haven't witnessed the transformation that takes place from Friday to Sunday.
A Young Life weeeknd camp is packed with fun activities, and 4-5 group sessions we call 'club'. The first two sessions typically talk about who Jesus was, most often using a story out of the 4 Gospels. The third session is the Sin talk. This is when kids are told of their sin-condition, which separates us from God. Kids are then left with 6-8 hours of free time and activities to marinate on this terrible news they've been given. It's also interesting that most fights break out during these 6-8 hours. Saturday night is the cross talk. This is when the greatest love story is ever told. God incarnate coming down to earth to die for our sins. The ultimate sacrifice to reunite humankind with its creator.
Last night I had the priviledge of working the screamer swing 2 hours after kids heard the cross talk. The screamer is a 50 ft swing that flies over the Arkansas River valley. Its name is derived from the vocal phenomenon caused by the swing's intensity.
It was incredible to see the difference in these kids. Many seemed like totally changed people. Rather than searchers out of place, they seemed like they had found something. I guess more complete. Seeing such an incredible metamorphosis over a three day period is proof in the pudding. We are built with a gaping hole, only to be filled by a savior who loves us greatly.
In John 10:10 Jesus says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly"
A lot of these kids were given life this weekend. Sweet dang that awesome.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
What does the sheep say?
Today I was going back through my journal and reading entries from before I moved to Colorado. Don't let me fool you - I've never really been a journaler or a writer. My journal goes all the way back to 8/28/2011... Impressive huh?
It was interesting to reread my thoughts leading up to my year out west. I don't really remember having these thoughts or prayers, as I have a hard enough time remembering what I had for lunch yesterday. The 8/30/2011 entry goes like this...
'Dear Frank (because every journal deserves a name),
One thing I pray will happen - As I'm drawn out of my comfort zone, that I will become more reliant on God for strength and comfort. Over the years I've become self-sufficient and comfortable with the life I have in Jax....'
At the bottom of the page I wrote: 'Prayer - Reliance on Him'
Pretty much nailed that one.
The overarching theme of the past few months has been God breaking me of my worldly comfort (most times against my will and with a vacuum in hand). I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I'm pretty stubborn. God has been showing me over and over to trust in Him, and that he is the source for true strength and joy. I get glimpses of this comfort, but it seems like I forget just as quickly as I remember.
I think there's a reason for my grace amnesia.
First of all we are all sinners and fall short of our expectations. But also, the Bible gives us some insight of how smart we humans really are... The word 'sheep' is used in the Bible 196 times. That's a lot of times for such an insignificant word. As a frame of reference, the word 'love' is used 683 times. Seems like a lot of sheep right? The word sheep is mostly used to describe us. Yes, there are many times where it's used to actually describe animals in the Bible, but mostly it's our doppelgänger. Sounds great, right?
- 'But he who enters the door is the shepherd of the sheep.'
- Jesus says 'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me'.
- Jesus says to Peter, 'Feed my sheep'
A few quotes from the Wikipedia entry on sheep...
- 'Sheep are prey animals'
- 'Sheep are frequently thought of as extremely unintelligent animals.'
- 'Sheep are just below pigs and on par with cattle in IQ'
Sheep. are. dumb. But as always, there's good news about our inability to fend for ourselves. The 196th time that 'love' is used in the Bible is in Psalm 91:14
14"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
We love Him because he loved us first. We need to come to grips with our sheepish nature... And also rest in who we belong to.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Identity Crisis
If you're anything like me, you find temporary happiness in the latest 'thing'. That could be a new car, new job, new city, etc. You tell your self 'if only I had this job', or 'if I moved away to this cool city' - everything will be complete. The interesting thing here is that after a few weeks the novelty starts to wear off, and you find yourself with a brand new list of 'if onlys'.
One of the big perks of moving to Colorado was the adventure. Aside from spending a year in the mountains and focusing on my relationship with the Lord, I was certain Colorado would be the ticket to overcoming my state of boredom. I mean I'm basically living every pickup truck TV commercial. My hands are getting tough, I wear a rock climbers harness at work, and I carry a pocket knife at all times. I agree, Colorado is the land of milk and honey, BUT - it's not the cure all. At times I find myself right where I left in Jacksonville.
BUT THIS IS THE BEST NEWS EVER!!
My reoccurring boredom and the 'new' losing its novelty points to one thing. The Cross. We are all created with a void, and that void can only be filled by Christ. For whatever reason we constantly try to fill this void with something other than Christ. It never works, and we always find ourselves let down. It's when I seek joy/identity in Christ that I'm sustained. Christ never loses His novelty - I lose focus. The below verse gives me insight as to who I am and what I've been made to do.
1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
One of the big perks of moving to Colorado was the adventure. Aside from spending a year in the mountains and focusing on my relationship with the Lord, I was certain Colorado would be the ticket to overcoming my state of boredom. I mean I'm basically living every pickup truck TV commercial. My hands are getting tough, I wear a rock climbers harness at work, and I carry a pocket knife at all times. I agree, Colorado is the land of milk and honey, BUT - it's not the cure all. At times I find myself right where I left in Jacksonville.
BUT THIS IS THE BEST NEWS EVER!!
My reoccurring boredom and the 'new' losing its novelty points to one thing. The Cross. We are all created with a void, and that void can only be filled by Christ. For whatever reason we constantly try to fill this void with something other than Christ. It never works, and we always find ourselves let down. It's when I seek joy/identity in Christ that I'm sustained. Christ never loses His novelty - I lose focus. The below verse gives me insight as to who I am and what I've been made to do.
1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Jesus vs The Economy
Today at church the pastor went through Mark 5. It's in Mark 5 that Jesus drives thousands of demons out of a man. The demons then beg Jesus for permission to enter into a herd of pigs. Jesus obliges, and the demon possessed pigs run down a hill to drown themselves in a lake.
I've recently read this passage on my own, and was frustrated with the part when the pigs died. Not because it was inhumane for the pigs to die, but because these pigs belonged to someone. The passage states that the pigs were two thousand in number. Can you imagine a modern-day farmer losing two thousand pigs in one fell swoop? Now think about how it must have affected the local economy 2000 years ago. Must have been an epic blow to the owner's livelihood as well as the local economy. That would be the equivalent to half of Delta's plane fleet being demolished by a hurricane. The corporation itself, as well as Atlanta, would be in pretty bad shape. Who would allow something like that to happen?
The scripture shows that the local people felt the same way I did about their porky loss. They begged Jesus to leave the area.
Today I realized that I'm missing the point.
When I originally read the passage on my own, I wasn't really affected by the demon possessed man who was healed. My thought was, 'Hmmm, man is healed from two thousand demons.... TWO THOUSAND PIGS WERE KILLED'!
I'm pretty sure heaven's reaction was vastly different. Probably went more like, 'ALLELUIA, A MAN HAS BEEN SAVED! oh yeah, a few pigs caught the brunt-end... But he's healed!!
God is so in love with us that one man's soul is far and away more important than the local economy. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if God values one man's soul over the global economy.
See parable of lost coin, prodigal son, etc...
How do our priorities line up with that? Do we care more about a random person's well-being or our 401(k)?
I'm not trying to sound irrational, nor am I saying we should abandon economy and commerce. Just food for thought.
Fast forward two chapters... Jesus returns to the exact same area He had previously been begged to leave. He heals a deaf man. Four thousand people then flock to Him. Jesus feeds them all with 7 loaves of bread and a few small fish. Talk about a picnic.
You say something about some pigs?
I've recently read this passage on my own, and was frustrated with the part when the pigs died. Not because it was inhumane for the pigs to die, but because these pigs belonged to someone. The passage states that the pigs were two thousand in number. Can you imagine a modern-day farmer losing two thousand pigs in one fell swoop? Now think about how it must have affected the local economy 2000 years ago. Must have been an epic blow to the owner's livelihood as well as the local economy. That would be the equivalent to half of Delta's plane fleet being demolished by a hurricane. The corporation itself, as well as Atlanta, would be in pretty bad shape. Who would allow something like that to happen?
The scripture shows that the local people felt the same way I did about their porky loss. They begged Jesus to leave the area.
Today I realized that I'm missing the point.
When I originally read the passage on my own, I wasn't really affected by the demon possessed man who was healed. My thought was, 'Hmmm, man is healed from two thousand demons.... TWO THOUSAND PIGS WERE KILLED'!
I'm pretty sure heaven's reaction was vastly different. Probably went more like, 'ALLELUIA, A MAN HAS BEEN SAVED! oh yeah, a few pigs caught the brunt-end... But he's healed!!
God is so in love with us that one man's soul is far and away more important than the local economy. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if God values one man's soul over the global economy.
See parable of lost coin, prodigal son, etc...
How do our priorities line up with that? Do we care more about a random person's well-being or our 401(k)?
I'm not trying to sound irrational, nor am I saying we should abandon economy and commerce. Just food for thought.
Fast forward two chapters... Jesus returns to the exact same area He had previously been begged to leave. He heals a deaf man. Four thousand people then flock to Him. Jesus feeds them all with 7 loaves of bread and a few small fish. Talk about a picnic.
You say something about some pigs?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Grizzly Lake
Today the 3 roommates and I hiked up to a mountain lake called Grizzly Lake. It was about a 45 minute drive to the trail head, and then an hour and 15 minute hike. The drive was up a 4x4 jeep road. The FJ took care of business.
The hike was incredible! 3 miles with over 1200 ft in elevation gain. It seemed like we hiked through several different ecosystems. At the beginning it was a cobblestone stream in the alpine evergreens. We were surrounded by Christmas trees. As we approached the tree line our surroundings turned to large snow covered rocks. Right before we arrived to the lake we were in 8-10 inches of powder, similar to ski terrain.
The lake was amazing. It looked as though God carved out the lake with an ice cream scoop. Grizzly lake is surrounded by 2000 ft cliffs on all sides, with the south end being a stadium of evergreen trees. The south bowl almost looks like a mountain church of sorts, with the lake being the pulpit. There's a snowmelt aisle and evergreen pews. See the picture below...
I'm becoming more and more captivated by the scenery out here. It's much easier to find my mountainside for solitude when everywhere you look is a landscape painting. Solitude is key, especially when you're constantly surrounded by community. You'll notice that Jesus finds his 'mountainside' after being in large crowds for an extended period.
Being out here for only a month has already changed my perspective a lot. Life is simple and God is good.
The hike was incredible! 3 miles with over 1200 ft in elevation gain. It seemed like we hiked through several different ecosystems. At the beginning it was a cobblestone stream in the alpine evergreens. We were surrounded by Christmas trees. As we approached the tree line our surroundings turned to large snow covered rocks. Right before we arrived to the lake we were in 8-10 inches of powder, similar to ski terrain.
The lake was amazing. It looked as though God carved out the lake with an ice cream scoop. Grizzly lake is surrounded by 2000 ft cliffs on all sides, with the south end being a stadium of evergreen trees. The south bowl almost looks like a mountain church of sorts, with the lake being the pulpit. There's a snowmelt aisle and evergreen pews. See the picture below...
I'm becoming more and more captivated by the scenery out here. It's much easier to find my mountainside for solitude when everywhere you look is a landscape painting. Solitude is key, especially when you're constantly surrounded by community. You'll notice that Jesus finds his 'mountainside' after being in large crowds for an extended period.
Being out here for only a month has already changed my perspective a lot. Life is simple and God is good.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Air Force and Jesus
I should first start this post by saying we are all wretched sinners - every single one of us. It's only by God's grace that we are saved. There is nothing we can do in our 'walk' with the Lord to save ourselves from eternal damnation. It's a free gift, and you don't even have to pay shipping and handling. Romans 3:23-24 says,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Something a lot of Christians struggle with is the free grace of God, but then this expectation of living a life that resembles that of Jesus Christ. Perfection. How does it all fit? Lately I've heard a lot about a grace provoked obedience. Basically somebody does you a HUGE favor. The response to said favor is to treat them well and honor them. You treating that person well didn't purchase the favor, it's simple cause and effect.
<Enter the part where I relate the above to cleaning up after 350 campers>
Discipline drives excellence.
Last week we had 250 freshman from the Air Force Academy. The group is part of the Air Force's Christian outreach program (I'm almost certain it isn't funded by the gov't). The group was great, and you could tell they lived very disciplined lives.
Each Sunday the campers 'help' us clean camp by stripping beds and folding clean sheets/blankets in a specific way. Camp lingo for this phenomenon is 'folding bed packs'. I'm generous when I say we typically have a 2% success rate of camper folded bed packs. This means the camp staff gets to go behind each camper to correctly fold the sheets. We re-fold bed packs in between vacuuming and cleaning bathrooms (see: Warrior Princesses below).
Air Force freshman were greatly different than other groups. First of all, their bed pack success rate was at least 60%. It was absolutely amazing to see how well these guys folded bed packs. We give each camper a page long description of how a bed pack should be folded, so it's not completely straight forward.
Even more amazing than their greater success rate was when one of the Air Force cadets saw us correct his bed pack. The cadet walked up to the intern who fixed his mistake and asked what needed correction. Our intern then showed the cadet how to correctly fold the bed pack. The cadet then unfolded the now correctly folded bed pack and refolded it with his newly found instruction. He will never need to know this skill ever again in his life, but he still wanted to adhere to the level of excellence that's expected of him. Pretty amazing huh? What would it look like if we brought this level of discipline to our faith?
Proverbs 1:1-7 talks a lot about knowledge and wisdom. I think a healthy dose of discipline will greatly help in becoming more like Christ.
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a]
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.[b]
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools[c] despise wisdom and instruction.
All of the above is great and we can only receive things like wisdom, insight, prudence, etc by the grace of God. However, I don't think we should expect them by osmosis. This is where the grace-driven obedience comes to play. It's the response to the favor.
But remember, our good deeds are still tainted. Isaiah 64:6 says,
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Something a lot of Christians struggle with is the free grace of God, but then this expectation of living a life that resembles that of Jesus Christ. Perfection. How does it all fit? Lately I've heard a lot about a grace provoked obedience. Basically somebody does you a HUGE favor. The response to said favor is to treat them well and honor them. You treating that person well didn't purchase the favor, it's simple cause and effect.
<Enter the part where I relate the above to cleaning up after 350 campers>
Discipline drives excellence.
Last week we had 250 freshman from the Air Force Academy. The group is part of the Air Force's Christian outreach program (I'm almost certain it isn't funded by the gov't). The group was great, and you could tell they lived very disciplined lives.
Each Sunday the campers 'help' us clean camp by stripping beds and folding clean sheets/blankets in a specific way. Camp lingo for this phenomenon is 'folding bed packs'. I'm generous when I say we typically have a 2% success rate of camper folded bed packs. This means the camp staff gets to go behind each camper to correctly fold the sheets. We re-fold bed packs in between vacuuming and cleaning bathrooms (see: Warrior Princesses below).
Air Force freshman were greatly different than other groups. First of all, their bed pack success rate was at least 60%. It was absolutely amazing to see how well these guys folded bed packs. We give each camper a page long description of how a bed pack should be folded, so it's not completely straight forward.
Even more amazing than their greater success rate was when one of the Air Force cadets saw us correct his bed pack. The cadet walked up to the intern who fixed his mistake and asked what needed correction. Our intern then showed the cadet how to correctly fold the bed pack. The cadet then unfolded the now correctly folded bed pack and refolded it with his newly found instruction. He will never need to know this skill ever again in his life, but he still wanted to adhere to the level of excellence that's expected of him. Pretty amazing huh? What would it look like if we brought this level of discipline to our faith?
Proverbs 1:1-7 talks a lot about knowledge and wisdom. I think a healthy dose of discipline will greatly help in becoming more like Christ.
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a]
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.[b]
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools[c] despise wisdom and instruction.
All of the above is great and we can only receive things like wisdom, insight, prudence, etc by the grace of God. However, I don't think we should expect them by osmosis. This is where the grace-driven obedience comes to play. It's the response to the favor.
But remember, our good deeds are still tainted. Isaiah 64:6 says,
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Picture from Agnes Vail falls... Yup, it's snowing in October.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Dude... You're going to mess up three times. Tonight!
If someone told me I was going to screw up three times in one night, I'd have two things going for me. One - The foresight of your prediction would keep me sharp. Two - My pride itself would make me want to prove you wrong!
To take that a step further... If you told me I would lie about being your friend three times in that same night, surely I would be able to abstain. Right? All you Sunday school warriors probably know where I'm going with this...
Using the above scenario, and add to the fact that I call myself a Christian. One who adheres to a set of morals and ideals, and tries my best to uphold them. So now I've got 4 forces preventing me from falling into your hypothetical prediction - foresight, pride, knowledge of the exact prediction (I guess this would be foresight squared?), and my own moral convictions. There's no way I'm screwing this one up...
However, ALL these things combined are not enough to counter-act the sinful nature. At least the sinful nature of a professional super-Christian who has the sweetest nickname ever... The Rock (much cooler than Dwayne Johnson, as his nickname was self-dubbed).
So here we have this guy Peter, 'The Rock', who was warned twice by Jesus about denying his allegiance to the Christ. This was after Peter charismatically claimed he would never leave Jesus' side.
Matthew 26:34 says,
34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
Warning bell number two comes in verse 41,
41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (This is where we break into chorus of the song "Light the Fire")
Interesting that Jesus highlights an inner battle between the flesh and the spirit. Sounds familiar, I can relate.
We see Peter's inner battle manifested physically in verses 69-74. Peter's weak flesh is shown when he denies even knowing of Jesus' existence! Keep in mind this is the man who holds the keys to the Pearly Gates... Also interesting is that Matthew portrays these denials to have a very short succession. To me this compounds Peter's inability to control his flesh. Either that or Matthew was taking a jab at his buddy (just kidding).
In verse 75 we see Peter's 'ah-ha' moment,
75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken:“Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
So you've got the Babe Ruth of Christians who can't even refrain from repeating the same sin 3 times over a 5 hour period. How much more difficult will it be for the rest of the flock?
The bad news is that even the best Christian is a wretched, uncontrollable sinner. The good news is Ephesians 2:8-9...
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Pretty sweet huh?
Below are a few pictures of yesterday's hike to Hancock Lake. Pretty sure God took a few more minutes making Hancock Lake than he did on Reno, NV.
To take that a step further... If you told me I would lie about being your friend three times in that same night, surely I would be able to abstain. Right? All you Sunday school warriors probably know where I'm going with this...
Using the above scenario, and add to the fact that I call myself a Christian. One who adheres to a set of morals and ideals, and tries my best to uphold them. So now I've got 4 forces preventing me from falling into your hypothetical prediction - foresight, pride, knowledge of the exact prediction (I guess this would be foresight squared?), and my own moral convictions. There's no way I'm screwing this one up...
However, ALL these things combined are not enough to counter-act the sinful nature. At least the sinful nature of a professional super-Christian who has the sweetest nickname ever... The Rock (much cooler than Dwayne Johnson, as his nickname was self-dubbed).
So here we have this guy Peter, 'The Rock', who was warned twice by Jesus about denying his allegiance to the Christ. This was after Peter charismatically claimed he would never leave Jesus' side.
Matthew 26:34 says,
34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
Warning bell number two comes in verse 41,
41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (This is where we break into chorus of the song "Light the Fire")
Interesting that Jesus highlights an inner battle between the flesh and the spirit. Sounds familiar, I can relate.
We see Peter's inner battle manifested physically in verses 69-74. Peter's weak flesh is shown when he denies even knowing of Jesus' existence! Keep in mind this is the man who holds the keys to the Pearly Gates... Also interesting is that Matthew portrays these denials to have a very short succession. To me this compounds Peter's inability to control his flesh. Either that or Matthew was taking a jab at his buddy (just kidding).
In verse 75 we see Peter's 'ah-ha' moment,
75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken:“Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
So you've got the Babe Ruth of Christians who can't even refrain from repeating the same sin 3 times over a 5 hour period. How much more difficult will it be for the rest of the flock?
The bad news is that even the best Christian is a wretched, uncontrollable sinner. The good news is Ephesians 2:8-9...
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Pretty sweet huh?
Below are a few pictures of yesterday's hike to Hancock Lake. Pretty sure God took a few more minutes making Hancock Lake than he did on Reno, NV.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Met Jesus in a Vacuum... Cleaner
So today while vacuuming I had a few thoughts... I vacuumed roughly 7k square feet so bear with me.
We as humans all have something we put our 'identity' in. I don't really know how to explain what it means to have your identity in something, but my best explanation is as follows: Your identity is what you find the most joy in, and how you measure success. Example - A child's identity is found in his/her parents. The child is 100% focused on his parents, and their approval or availability. This can be seen when a parent leaves the child with babysitter, or when the child wants to be carried while in a public place. Later on in the teenage years the child becomes way less concerned with the parents, and way more concerned in sports, image, and the opposite sex (no need for explanation or examples here).
Later on in life we lay our identity in careers, families, friends, or even sports teams. This explains the peculiar over-the-top reaction when a college football team loses. Some people literally suffer from short-term sanity loss (for best example see University of Alabama fans).
So you may be asking, what in the world does this have to do with vacuuming. Relax, I'm getting there.
I'm pretty sure I fall in the category of career identity. Prior to working with Young Life, I had a very comfortable job working with a financial software company. I had earned respect from my co-workers and started to take on leadership roles within my department. It was pretty easy to find joy and self-worth in my job.
Now that I'm working with Young Life it has become much less about how important I am to the organization, and more about how I can humbly serve in ways that are less than appealing. This can be a shock to someone who has rooted a lot of their self-worth in career. But today it was awesome.
My thoughts today were more focused on finding my identity in Christ - not career, family, or friends. Christ is a much better place to find identity because guess what, He's not going to fail. He won't fall short like the career identity, or the family identity. Why? Because we were built to live with Christ as the center. Focusing on anything else as the center is like trying to run a gasoline engine with water. It won't run right, and eventually it will break down.
What does identity in Christ look like? Again, not entirely sure. It probably looks like setting your purpose to serve and seek Christ daily, and to bring Him glory. Our only purpose on this planet is to bring God glory (whether in our work, how we love others, or even how we enjoy our favorite activity). Who we are in Christ are children saved by grace. That's a pretty easy place to rest if you ask me. Check out the below verse that might paint the picture a little clearer.
In Matthew 11:30, Jesus shows us what he's about.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Life would be a lot more enjoyable if our burdens were lighter. Why do we make it so difficult?
Below is a sunset pic I took the other day... Pretty crazy
We as humans all have something we put our 'identity' in. I don't really know how to explain what it means to have your identity in something, but my best explanation is as follows: Your identity is what you find the most joy in, and how you measure success. Example - A child's identity is found in his/her parents. The child is 100% focused on his parents, and their approval or availability. This can be seen when a parent leaves the child with babysitter, or when the child wants to be carried while in a public place. Later on in the teenage years the child becomes way less concerned with the parents, and way more concerned in sports, image, and the opposite sex (no need for explanation or examples here).
Later on in life we lay our identity in careers, families, friends, or even sports teams. This explains the peculiar over-the-top reaction when a college football team loses. Some people literally suffer from short-term sanity loss (for best example see University of Alabama fans).
So you may be asking, what in the world does this have to do with vacuuming. Relax, I'm getting there.
I'm pretty sure I fall in the category of career identity. Prior to working with Young Life, I had a very comfortable job working with a financial software company. I had earned respect from my co-workers and started to take on leadership roles within my department. It was pretty easy to find joy and self-worth in my job.
Now that I'm working with Young Life it has become much less about how important I am to the organization, and more about how I can humbly serve in ways that are less than appealing. This can be a shock to someone who has rooted a lot of their self-worth in career. But today it was awesome.
My thoughts today were more focused on finding my identity in Christ - not career, family, or friends. Christ is a much better place to find identity because guess what, He's not going to fail. He won't fall short like the career identity, or the family identity. Why? Because we were built to live with Christ as the center. Focusing on anything else as the center is like trying to run a gasoline engine with water. It won't run right, and eventually it will break down.
What does identity in Christ look like? Again, not entirely sure. It probably looks like setting your purpose to serve and seek Christ daily, and to bring Him glory. Our only purpose on this planet is to bring God glory (whether in our work, how we love others, or even how we enjoy our favorite activity). Who we are in Christ are children saved by grace. That's a pretty easy place to rest if you ask me. Check out the below verse that might paint the picture a little clearer.
In Matthew 11:30, Jesus shows us what he's about.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Life would be a lot more enjoyable if our burdens were lighter. Why do we make it so difficult?
Below is a sunset pic I took the other day... Pretty crazy
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Faith of a Trapeze
Churches in Buena Vista don't use air conditioning. This means air doesn't circulate, and Oxygen slowly depletes during the hour or so of the service. Pretty funny to see the drummer falling asleep during the second worship set. Thought I would throw that out there as a random fact...
At church today the pastor quoted a Henri Nouwen book. The excerpt taken was from Henri's experience with a group of trapeze performers. Basically there are two roles in a trapeze act. The 'flyer', who's job is to perform acrobatics while flying to the 'catcher'. The catcher's job is to, well, catch the flyer. Pretty simple.
Henri was amazed at the difficulty of the flyer's role. Henri asked how the flyer perfectly timed maneuvers so that he would successfully be caught. Surprisingly the flyer responded that his job was the easiest. It's that catcher who has to time the catch at split-second precision. All the flyer has to do is let go of the bar and wait to be caught. Everything relies on the catcher.
The pastor then drew the correlation of the flyer to our Christian faith. We as Christians essentially do nothing. Our only job is to 'let go' of whatever it is we are holding on to, and wait for God to catch us. Our faith has nothing to do with performing, it's all on the catcher. We can't do anything to help the catcher other than reach out our arms. Pretty powerful illustration.
There's a pretty solid example of this in Matthew 4. Jesus is just starting his ministry and essentially has zero followers (or enemies for that matter). While walking on the beach He meets two brothers who are fisherman, more than likely multi-generational. In Jesus' first interaction with them He asks the brothers to follow him.
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
The astonishing part of this whole deal is their response. They didn't say, "Wait, I've got some baggage to clean up" or "Let me figure out who will run the fishing business that's kept our family afloat for 5 generations." Peter and Andrew dropped their nets 'at once' and followed. They probably didn't even know Jesus was God incarnate! That sort of Faith can only be God inspired, not a rational decision made by the human. That's the kind of faith I pray for...
On another note... The Colorado stars tonight are Re dic u lous.
At church today the pastor quoted a Henri Nouwen book. The excerpt taken was from Henri's experience with a group of trapeze performers. Basically there are two roles in a trapeze act. The 'flyer', who's job is to perform acrobatics while flying to the 'catcher'. The catcher's job is to, well, catch the flyer. Pretty simple.
Henri was amazed at the difficulty of the flyer's role. Henri asked how the flyer perfectly timed maneuvers so that he would successfully be caught. Surprisingly the flyer responded that his job was the easiest. It's that catcher who has to time the catch at split-second precision. All the flyer has to do is let go of the bar and wait to be caught. Everything relies on the catcher.
The pastor then drew the correlation of the flyer to our Christian faith. We as Christians essentially do nothing. Our only job is to 'let go' of whatever it is we are holding on to, and wait for God to catch us. Our faith has nothing to do with performing, it's all on the catcher. We can't do anything to help the catcher other than reach out our arms. Pretty powerful illustration.
There's a pretty solid example of this in Matthew 4. Jesus is just starting his ministry and essentially has zero followers (or enemies for that matter). While walking on the beach He meets two brothers who are fisherman, more than likely multi-generational. In Jesus' first interaction with them He asks the brothers to follow him.
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
The astonishing part of this whole deal is their response. They didn't say, "Wait, I've got some baggage to clean up" or "Let me figure out who will run the fishing business that's kept our family afloat for 5 generations." Peter and Andrew dropped their nets 'at once' and followed. They probably didn't even know Jesus was God incarnate! That sort of Faith can only be God inspired, not a rational decision made by the human. That's the kind of faith I pray for...
On another note... The Colorado stars tonight are Re dic u lous.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Moving Day
Today we moved from our temporary housing to where we will live for the next year. It feels great to settle in and unpack. I've basically been living out of my car for 2 weeks.
Over the past couple of days I've been training on the ropes course. It was a lot of fun to climb trees in the woods and rappel from 130 ft cliffs. I felt like a kid again, climbing trees in makeshift forts in Marsh Landing. The crisp air is refreshing. Our trainer left us with some profound words - "The next year is going to be what you make of it. Also, don't always try to be the blessing for others. Make sure you see the blessing in others."
Today I focused on seeing Christ in everyone I interacted with, which totally changed the way I approached people. The only problem was how quickly I forgot about this new Christ-lens.
Other thought for the day: Pretty sure John the Baptist listened to Southern Rock. Check out the below description of him from Matthew 3:4-6. The guy is a complete redneck and people still trekked through the wilderness to hang out with him. Pretty cool.
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Should also note that I'm still undefeated in Ping Pong.
Over the past couple of days I've been training on the ropes course. It was a lot of fun to climb trees in the woods and rappel from 130 ft cliffs. I felt like a kid again, climbing trees in makeshift forts in Marsh Landing. The crisp air is refreshing. Our trainer left us with some profound words - "The next year is going to be what you make of it. Also, don't always try to be the blessing for others. Make sure you see the blessing in others."
Today I focused on seeing Christ in everyone I interacted with, which totally changed the way I approached people. The only problem was how quickly I forgot about this new Christ-lens.
Other thought for the day: Pretty sure John the Baptist listened to Southern Rock. Check out the below description of him from Matthew 3:4-6. The guy is a complete redneck and people still trekked through the wilderness to hang out with him. Pretty cool.
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Should also note that I'm still undefeated in Ping Pong.
Monday, September 12, 2011
It's All About Attitude
Today we cleaned cabins for the campers who are coming this weekend. Last weekend had over 400 campers, so we basically had to clean every bathroom and organize every bed at camp. We started at 7:00 AM and finished at 8:00 PM.
At first the cleaning wasn't that bad. Cleaning toilets and showers used by high schoolers wasn't the most desirable task, but it was manageable. We had music to listen to and the mood was light. It wasn't until around 11 AM that my attitude was tested.
After cleaning several cabins, I started to list 300 reasons why I shouldn't be cleaning a summer camp dormitory. Every once in a while I would focus on the fact that my purpose here is to glorify God, but this didn't help much. It wasn't until I texted the following to a friend, "I've been cleaning bathrooms all morning. Very humbling." His response was, "At least you're not cleaning your Outlook inbox."
My friend's simple response was eye opening. It caused me to look back 8 months ago, when I was receiving and responding to 100 emails per day. Back then I would have paid you to let me go clean a bathroom.
I began to think about a Bible passage I had read this morning. Philippians 2 says,
'3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.'
This verse took care of my thoughts around why I shouldn't be cleaning bathrooms. Later in the same chapter Paul writes, '
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.'
God was showing me that joy didn't come from the task I was doing. The joy I was looking for comes from doing my work for the glory of God. It doesn't matter if I'm answering emails for clients or cleaning a dirty toilet. After lunch God allowed me to rest on this. Pretty sure I would have been fine digging a ditch with this 'refreshed' state of mind. My prayer is that God will continue to work this concept into my heart.
On a lighter note, I was able to go fishing with Uncle Jim and Mike this past weekend. Below are some pictures of our adventure.
At first the cleaning wasn't that bad. Cleaning toilets and showers used by high schoolers wasn't the most desirable task, but it was manageable. We had music to listen to and the mood was light. It wasn't until around 11 AM that my attitude was tested.
After cleaning several cabins, I started to list 300 reasons why I shouldn't be cleaning a summer camp dormitory. Every once in a while I would focus on the fact that my purpose here is to glorify God, but this didn't help much. It wasn't until I texted the following to a friend, "I've been cleaning bathrooms all morning. Very humbling." His response was, "At least you're not cleaning your Outlook inbox."
My friend's simple response was eye opening. It caused me to look back 8 months ago, when I was receiving and responding to 100 emails per day. Back then I would have paid you to let me go clean a bathroom.
I began to think about a Bible passage I had read this morning. Philippians 2 says,
'3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.'
This verse took care of my thoughts around why I shouldn't be cleaning bathrooms. Later in the same chapter Paul writes, '
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.'
God was showing me that joy didn't come from the task I was doing. The joy I was looking for comes from doing my work for the glory of God. It doesn't matter if I'm answering emails for clients or cleaning a dirty toilet. After lunch God allowed me to rest on this. Pretty sure I would have been fine digging a ditch with this 'refreshed' state of mind. My prayer is that God will continue to work this concept into my heart.
On a lighter note, I was able to go fishing with Uncle Jim and Mike this past weekend. Below are some pictures of our adventure.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Kansas State of Mind
Monday morning I left St Louis for Colorado Springs, CO. One thing I learned on this drive - Kansas. is. loong.
The best way I can describe it is a 9 round boxing match with a world champion opponent, who's 2 weight classes below you. First three rounds - Not that bad. Pretty sure I can take this guy. Next three rounds - holy crap, he's got a little more fight than I thought. Last three rounds - just take me to submission. All that said, I made it to Colorado Springs.
Tuesday was by far the best driving day. 2 hours of driving and pure rocky mountain beauty. I checked into camp around 11 AM, and met the other interns for lunch in Buena Vista. It was very cool meeting the rest of the team. We are all different but have similar senses of humor, which has helped us bond quickly. I'm very excited about the next year and think I'll make some great friends.
Today (Wednesday) was mostly orientation and addressing housekeeping items. Zach and Amanda, our coordinators, talked about the program and what to expect. It was very humbling hearing their expectations from us, as well as our 'role' as interns. We spent some time in the Word, looking at various passages. One passage we looked at was in John, talking about Mary Magdalene. We looked at how faithful she was to Jesus, and how she loved Him deeply. Even after Peter and John left the Christ's tomb, Mary sat and grieved. We compared Mary to our views of discipleship, which made me reflect on how I follow Christ. I realized how far I fall short of Mary's loyalty and passion. It was incredibly humbling and reminded me how sinful I am, and that I'm in desperate need of a savior.
The next few days will be filled with more orientation. We start training for the ropes course next week. Looking forward to getting acclimated to the altitude!
The best way I can describe it is a 9 round boxing match with a world champion opponent, who's 2 weight classes below you. First three rounds - Not that bad. Pretty sure I can take this guy. Next three rounds - holy crap, he's got a little more fight than I thought. Last three rounds - just take me to submission. All that said, I made it to Colorado Springs.
Tuesday was by far the best driving day. 2 hours of driving and pure rocky mountain beauty. I checked into camp around 11 AM, and met the other interns for lunch in Buena Vista. It was very cool meeting the rest of the team. We are all different but have similar senses of humor, which has helped us bond quickly. I'm very excited about the next year and think I'll make some great friends.
Today (Wednesday) was mostly orientation and addressing housekeeping items. Zach and Amanda, our coordinators, talked about the program and what to expect. It was very humbling hearing their expectations from us, as well as our 'role' as interns. We spent some time in the Word, looking at various passages. One passage we looked at was in John, talking about Mary Magdalene. We looked at how faithful she was to Jesus, and how she loved Him deeply. Even after Peter and John left the Christ's tomb, Mary sat and grieved. We compared Mary to our views of discipleship, which made me reflect on how I follow Christ. I realized how far I fall short of Mary's loyalty and passion. It was incredibly humbling and reminded me how sinful I am, and that I'm in desperate need of a savior.
The next few days will be filled with more orientation. We start training for the ropes course next week. Looking forward to getting acclimated to the altitude!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Mid Westventure
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| From Knoxville to St Louis |
Had a lot of time to think today, which was very cool. God is showing me how to be reliant on Him, rather than the comforts I've built around myself. Let me rephrase, God is showing me that I need to be reliant on him - the implementation of this is in process! It's crazy how much security we (or I) find in friends/family/home. My prayer is that I will find security/joy in Him, as He is the only true source. All other 'sources' are mirages.
Glad I spent a lot of time with family and friends over the past few months. Great memories with Mom and Bill, working on the boats at the house. Chris, get that tennis game ready. Below are a few shots from the drive. Photography by Chiang from Chiangs Chinese Chicken (unsafe for me to shoot pics while driving).
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| Crimmis Trees |
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| Gateway Arch |
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| This was the third fountain I saw people swimming in. St Lousers love swimming in fountains. |
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| Blues fest. Taken from Morgan Street |
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| Le Arch |
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Rolling Out...
I've decided to start a blog to document my next year in Colorado. I promise not to document every mundane detail, but you may notice more details around my drive out west. Figured this would be a good way to create a lexicon scrapbook of sort, and might even serve as cheap therapy - for me at least.
Compared to the longer legs of my drive to Colorado, the Jax to Atl leg was seemingly harmless. What I didn't account for was the wall I hit on I-75. Don't worry Mom, it wasn't a concrete or brick wall. Just a wall of doubt and fear of the unknown. 30 miles north of I-10 I found myself pacing towards a tractor on a construction site, convincing myself that I'm making the right decision. After very candid conversation with the 'Big Guy', I decided to press on. Fast forward 200 miles and three more 'rest stops', I reach Atlanta.
Tacqueria Del Sol for dinner with Wade and Kenny. It was great to see these guys, as they were both big advocates of my going out west. Their words of encouragement at dinner were much needed, and netted a few of the monster butterflies that had been traveling with me thus far. Both of these guys are huge answers to prayer and would probably pop-up under google search 'Brother in Christ'.
Friday: After 18 holes of disc golf with Wade I head out to Knoxville. Atlanta traffic and Volunteer game day traffic turned a 3 hour drive into 5 plus. I can smell college football in the air. Grabbed a quick burrito with John, Meghan, and baby Luke (baller). Time to go to the rock show.
Chris Doody and the gang put on a stellar show in 'Guvs' fashion. The Dirty Guv'Nahs are a breath of fresh air, and know how to bring southern rock. The show started at 8 PM and was at the historic Tennessee theater. The theater reminded me of a cross between The Fox in Atlanta and The Florida Theater in Jax. Almost all 1600 seats were packed out - I have a feeling we are going to be hearing a lot more from the Guvs.
Saturday: Breakfast with John, followed by relaxing at the house. Opening day of college football, life is good. Heading to St. Louis tomorrow for brunch with Nelly. War Eagle.
Picture of the new parents on Game Day. Luke pimping his Auburn gear.
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