Changin' lanes

Shift. 

You thought it was about you.

Shift.

Then, it's more than two.

Shift.

This little person has soul.

Shift.

How did I ever get this old?

An encouragement for desert wanderers

Huacachina Oasis in southern Peru. A small village (pop. 115)

This personal blog is a response to the 7/11/12 teaching of @YoungAdultsEcc, a ministry of  @EmmanuelMN.
An encouragement for those of us in the desert: we can THRIVE where most cannot even survive.

Here's why . . . According to the Bible (Exodus 15, Deuteronomy 33, Judges 5), Yahweh (God's personal name he gave to Moses) was a warrior God who came from the desert of the South. Now, today we understand that God is the Father of Jesus Christ, His Son (Galatians 4:4-5), but back then they needed a way to identify God from the false gods. In the days of the the exodus from Egypt, polytheism prevailed-- many gods and goddesses acting wildly and starting all sorts of trouble. 

So God, a warrior of Love, not only survives in the desert-- He thrives in the desert. God's job is hard, but He's not tired! God is not like us, with our weaknesses and shortcomings. He is Love (1 Jn 4:8). Last night after service as Kelly and I fell asleep I felt the love of God SO strongly. For those of you know us, you know we are walking through prolonged periods of uncertainty that keep us praying (and we appreciate your prayers as well) and humbled. But we KNOW He'll keep taking care of us, no matter what!

The next time you feel discouraged and defeated, the hot sun of life beating down on your cracked lips, remember the One who created an entire ecology of plants, animals and insects who thrive in this environment. And remember that you for times in your life you are like one of these creatures. The desert may be dangerous and uncomfortable, but you were made to THRIVE there, for a time.

Review from Pastor Brian @btalso:
1. Consider your focus- remember Wrong Way Riegels!
2. Check your motives. Heart motives matter to God.
3. Consider your maturity level. Some things we are not ready for.
  
Reminder: The desert is uncomfortable, not impossible. Don't forget grace. We can do nothing without God; we can do everything with Him!

Bottom line: God takes people into the desert to renew their intimacy with Him and remind them of their dependence on His love. Your desert is a training ground. The one who took you there will also lead you out. What is uncomfortable will only make you stronger.

Application:

Desert traveler, I pray you eat, drink and are strengthened today. I pray you are confident of your status as a forgiven and blood-bought son or daughter of God. May your whole person soak up the strength that only comes from waiting on the Lord. Though the desert surrounds you, may your heart not faint!

Food: The Word (2 Tim 3:16)
Water: The Spirit (John 7:37-39)
Shelter: The Shadow of His Wings (Psalm 17:8)
Clothing: The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)

The world has none of these things. Will you take a risk today and step out of your comfort zone to help someone in need? A kind word can go a long way for the overworked single mother whose husband just left her. For the teen who is cutting, their pain shows on the outside, but your prayers and love can reach their insides. For your co-worker whose life is a neverending party, who will they turn to when the party ends? Remember, believers are not the only ones who go through deserts in life; we are the only ones who can THRIVE in them.

No student is greater than his master. Jesus is the greatest!

the hunter becomes the hunted

last night's sermon at mosaic was about faithfulness, and the famous geyser was on display. we also talked about david the second king of the hebrews. these guys used papyrus for TP if you know what i mean. they were ballers. but that was later in life. it really got me thinking, though, about david's early life as a shepherd, about the lion and the bear David had to fight before he was "ready" to kill Goliath. wait, what? for a moment i snapped out of the fairy tale daze i usually sit in during sermons and was like, "really?" was david endowed with superhuman strength on account of his friendship with yahweh? was david some type of jedi? either the account is legendary, which i'll admit is possible, or true. then, i dug up this.

Lift

I take most of my life metaphors from aviation. There's something about leaving the comfort of the ground that so describes the joys and sorrows of life. All the "white-knuckled flights" of our lives build character, and any landing you walk away from is a good one. There's no substitute for experience. You get scared later, and you have to plan to succeed. Booze rarely helps, and while courage is a plus, macho=stupid. Ask for help. Trust your gut. Remember to thank those who help you along the way. A little prudence goes a long way, but if you want to leave the ground, you have to fly!

Rejection vs grace

I'm writing because I think someone may benefit. Even one person would be well worth it. I want to do my part to get the truth out there.

In Fall 2007, after years of experiencing drastic and unfruitful ups and downs in my Christian walk, at school I took a Galatians Thessalonians Bible literature class with Pastor Craig Krueger, who leads Sojourn Campus Church at the UofM. Craig is a smart guy, and I really connected with his teaching style. Halfway through the class, we arrived in Galatians 5, and Pastor Craig ended the day's lecture describing the difference between Enlightenment-style freedom and the freedom we have in Christ.

Enlightenment freedom: self-oriented, humanistic, freedom to live as one pleases
Freedom in Christ: others-oriented, freedom from law, freedom to love

Something inside me switched on, and I couldn't move. I sat in my chair, my mind streaming with thoughts, until everyone had left. I realized that when I choose to follow Christ, all my efforts are like worthless rags. I felt humbled and free from the legalistic mindset that I must "purify" or "save myself" from trouble. In essence, I "let go and let God."

The next few months of my life were beautiful and full of grace! I spent my days praying and seeking the Lord. I developed closer and more meaningful relationships with other believers. I had words to say about things. I knew they were from the Lord, and I knew it was He, not me, working (and more importantly, receiving the glory!)

My closest friends know very well that my "grace encounter" changed my entire life, but since then I have revisited the past. As I grow closer to wonderful and godly woman, I have seen tendencies surface for perfectionism, striving and self-absorption. In short, although I was walking in wonderful things of the Lord and falling in love with woman who complements me in every way, I was unable to enjoy most of it.

I was trying too hard. Way too hard. I was trying to save my life when losing it is the only way to live. I was trying to work on my salvation-- to keep at it long and strong enough that God would keep loving me.

My inner child came to the forefront during this time, and I realized I was not a whole person. I was broken. Unable to receive the love of God or others, I was also unable to fully give it. I struggled with the simple things. I was always watching my back. I was striving.

I shared this with a spiritual mentor and received confirmation that I was struggling with a spirit of rejection. Past experiences had colored my view of the world so that I thought I would need to do something in order to receive love. Rather than accepting the peace of the moment, I struggled to just "be" and allow God to "be" Himself.

Here are the symptoms of rejection:
1) Striving
2) Heaviness
3) Guilt
4) Legal mindset
5) Inability to receive love or connect with God, or fully love others

Here is the freedom of grace:
1) Freedom
2) Acceptance
3) Forgiveness
4) Humility
5) A loving view of God, others and especially self

I am still walking out my healing. My next step is to pray and ask the Lord to bring to mind every person who has ever hurt me so I can release those hurts to the Lord. I believe He will do it. In the meantime, feel able to receive love again. I recently emailed a friend. "Last night was the first time ever I really believed that God (and Kelly) love me for who I am and not in spite of who I am. It was a strange and beautiful experience, like hearing a new foreign language or getting off a plane in Florida in January and feeling the balmy air all around you." That's grace!

So, although in 2007 I found grace, three years would pass before I had the emotional and spiritual understanding to realize why I needed it. As Pastor Craig puts it, "You have to go through the Bible and find all the verses that are too nice. And then, read nothing but those."

Feels good :)

Red-faced

Jesus, welcome to earth
red-faced and wearing
a frail human body
your own, now.

You are not trapped here, no,
leaving is something.
Just say it, something like
I'm Done With You, Kids.

If you want to stay, run.
Swiftly south.
You are a wanted child, and someday, baby Jesus
they will finally find you.

Cry, but don't sweat it.
This isn't your life,
nor your plan.
Cry, but don't let it get to you, child.

What's next is in your Father's hands
and these next few years you will know Him well
and someday you will say with otherworldly confidence:
if you know me, you know Him.

But they'll call you a drunkard and a glutton
a friend of sinners and tax collectors.
Oh, well,
can't please them all.

Someday,
your friend Peter will hear you ask him to, "Feed my sheep"
knowing full well that
you have always done just that.

Jesus, let it all go, everything not from the Father
because it's all about Him now
and you will give your life for these children of his,
these sheep.

Baby, baby,
you're free to live for yourself
or to give it all away.
Welcome to earth.

How to talk to an ornery OTR truck driver who's just about lost his marbles trying to jackknife his rig into the dock

There ain’t no class A minus

So stop all your whining.

Everyone else can do it, so

Put her in gear and move it.

Chock when you’re done,

Bathrooms at the front.

And, DUDE, you could really use some home time

For a shower yourself.