Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunset Same Day
I had a rare privilege yesterday. I had the benefit of being around my house with a camera to capture the early morning view, and then, as we had our canvas group come over for creative expression, I had the privilege of being on my back porch to see this view last night.
The hill in the photo is the town of westover. It's funny because the view never gets old to me. Every time I am around my house at this time of day, and I think to grab my camera, I snap a photo like this. It doesn't matter the season of the year, although each season produces its own set of interesting colors.
Lately it feels like the world is traveling faster than the speed of thought. And then I see images like this that compel me to slow down, to savor the moments, to enjoy the journey.
We are a culture that values the destination over the journey. Last night we had a creative expression time at my house, and a group of us were given paint and a canvas and encouraged to work together to create something unique. After about 15 minutes of splashing vivid colors on a canvas, people felt like they were done and wanted to quit. A friend of mine told me that might happen, and so I encouraged everyone to stick with it for a bit longer.
And then something really cool happened. People really started to engage in the process in a deeper way. A couple of people said, "I want to try to do something like this at home in the future."
It takes time, effort, and concentration to engage in the process. It takes all of this and more to slow down from a blurring pace of life. And yet, when we make some small gesture toward slowing down, we experience change deep within our souls.
Our souls were made for moments like this sunset. Our souls were made for the moments beyond 15 minutes of splashing paint on a canvas. We were made to be fully engaged in our world. It's rare that we are able to do that. And when we meet people who have learned how to do that with regularity, our lives are impacted.
As this week comes to an end, may you experience that kind of nourishment for your soul. Get out and go for a walk through your neighborhood, or through some woods. Enjoy a sunrise or a sunset. Paint, write, draw. Slow down a little bit and savor the freshness that the Creator has placed all around you. Pennies and sunsets, and all.
The hill in the photo is the town of westover. It's funny because the view never gets old to me. Every time I am around my house at this time of day, and I think to grab my camera, I snap a photo like this. It doesn't matter the season of the year, although each season produces its own set of interesting colors.
Lately it feels like the world is traveling faster than the speed of thought. And then I see images like this that compel me to slow down, to savor the moments, to enjoy the journey.
We are a culture that values the destination over the journey. Last night we had a creative expression time at my house, and a group of us were given paint and a canvas and encouraged to work together to create something unique. After about 15 minutes of splashing vivid colors on a canvas, people felt like they were done and wanted to quit. A friend of mine told me that might happen, and so I encouraged everyone to stick with it for a bit longer.
And then something really cool happened. People really started to engage in the process in a deeper way. A couple of people said, "I want to try to do something like this at home in the future."
It takes time, effort, and concentration to engage in the process. It takes all of this and more to slow down from a blurring pace of life. And yet, when we make some small gesture toward slowing down, we experience change deep within our souls.
Our souls were made for moments like this sunset. Our souls were made for the moments beyond 15 minutes of splashing paint on a canvas. We were made to be fully engaged in our world. It's rare that we are able to do that. And when we meet people who have learned how to do that with regularity, our lives are impacted.
As this week comes to an end, may you experience that kind of nourishment for your soul. Get out and go for a walk through your neighborhood, or through some woods. Enjoy a sunrise or a sunset. Paint, write, draw. Slow down a little bit and savor the freshness that the Creator has placed all around you. Pennies and sunsets, and all.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Autumn Views and Pennies
It's funny because lately I've found myself taking more photos than I have had opportunity to blog about. And it's even funnier when I think that my life has been so action-packed that I've not had an opportunity to do a whole lot of blogging period.
So, I've got a few minutes in between meetings today, and I wanted to share this image with you. This photo was taken behind my house this morning. Did I tell you that I found a penny on the ground too? The author Annie Dillard talks about pennies being like little treasures strewn all about, and says that it's a poor person indeed who can't stoop for a penny. Pennies are simple treasures, and we often overlook them while we are running to and fro during our day.
You see, I typically walk most places around town during the day, and behind my house there are steps that lead down the hill from the place I live into the campus and downtown Morgantown.
I walk up and down these steps at least once a day to get down to the campus and to sozo, our coffee shop in downtown Morgantown. It's kind of cool to be able to walk to work. (I used to do that when I was at Mylan too, and I got a lot of weird looks from co-workers as a response).
I like walking, because you engage the world differently when you walk. It seems like all of life is really hurried, but when you walk, there's a different pace that get's set for the day. Most of us live our lives flying through our days and wondering where the time went as sunset arrives.
Walking helps me slow down, and enjoy the journey--it always has. I found myself much better prepared for my days at Mylan when I started walking.
I think it's because when you walk, a space is carved out to really enjoy the world around you. I mean, this is the view from behind my house. I get to see this every day!!!
My family has lived close to rivers for generations. There's something calming about the water and being able to see it.
Beyond the water, there's something really cool about the way God gives us these impressive and simple views every day. This world is beautiful, if we would just open our eyes to see it and appreciate it.
I hope today you can take a moment away from the busy-ness of life, to enjoy the world around you. Often times we feel like we need to go somewhere far away and exotic to see something exquisite, but the Creator of the universe leaves little treasures strewn all around us if we'll just stoop to pick em up. It's a poor person indeed who can't stop to pick up a penny.
So, I've got a few minutes in between meetings today, and I wanted to share this image with you. This photo was taken behind my house this morning. Did I tell you that I found a penny on the ground too? The author Annie Dillard talks about pennies being like little treasures strewn all about, and says that it's a poor person indeed who can't stoop for a penny. Pennies are simple treasures, and we often overlook them while we are running to and fro during our day.
You see, I typically walk most places around town during the day, and behind my house there are steps that lead down the hill from the place I live into the campus and downtown Morgantown.
I walk up and down these steps at least once a day to get down to the campus and to sozo, our coffee shop in downtown Morgantown. It's kind of cool to be able to walk to work. (I used to do that when I was at Mylan too, and I got a lot of weird looks from co-workers as a response).
I like walking, because you engage the world differently when you walk. It seems like all of life is really hurried, but when you walk, there's a different pace that get's set for the day. Most of us live our lives flying through our days and wondering where the time went as sunset arrives.
Walking helps me slow down, and enjoy the journey--it always has. I found myself much better prepared for my days at Mylan when I started walking.
I think it's because when you walk, a space is carved out to really enjoy the world around you. I mean, this is the view from behind my house. I get to see this every day!!!
My family has lived close to rivers for generations. There's something calming about the water and being able to see it.
Beyond the water, there's something really cool about the way God gives us these impressive and simple views every day. This world is beautiful, if we would just open our eyes to see it and appreciate it.
I hope today you can take a moment away from the busy-ness of life, to enjoy the world around you. Often times we feel like we need to go somewhere far away and exotic to see something exquisite, but the Creator of the universe leaves little treasures strewn all around us if we'll just stoop to pick em up. It's a poor person indeed who can't stop to pick up a penny.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Nuru Presents at Oxfam Conference
Nuru Presents at Oxfam Conference
Hey, I just posted a blog entry on the nuru website. It looks like you have to click the link above to see it. But go ahead and click it and check it out. Hope you are having a great day!
Posted using ShareThis
Friday, October 24, 2008
Nuru Launches New Website!!!
Her name is Josephine. She lives in rural Kenya in a tiny hut made of straw, mud and dung. She has 5 children; 3 are sick with malaria. The youngest died last year on Josephine’s back as she frantically travelled 30 kilometers to the nearest clinic for medicine that would have saved his life.
Josephine walks 5 hours each day to get water, and the water sometimes makes her and her children sick. She doesn’t have access to fertilizer and good seed to grow crops to feed her family, so she must hire herself out to provide them their daily meal of porridge. There’s no school for her children to attend, and she wouldn’t be able to afford the small fees for books and uniforms even if there was. Her husband died last year of AIDS and she is most likely infected, however, she doesn’t want to be tested because there’s no medicine available, and the uninformed superstitions of the community regarding HIV/AIDS would label her and her children as outcasts.
Josephine is trapped in the cycle of extreme poverty. She has no choices. It’s not her fault. Neither she nor her children did anything to deserve this. Yet one in six people in our world today are like Josephine, living without hope.
Insert Nuru.
Fast-forward 5 years.
Josephine lives just a few minutes from a deep well that provides clean drinking water for her entire family. There is a simple medical clinic down the road with basic supplies and competent staff who educate the community about the causes of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and typhoid, and provide antiretroviral medication (ARVs) to keep Josephine well. She and her neighbors have access to high quality seed, fertilizer, and agricultural know-how that enable them to increase their crop yields by 100%. This bounty allows them to not only feed themselves but also earn a small income to pay school fees for their children and invest in next year’s crop.
Josephine’s children attend the primary and secondary school where they receive a sound education from qualified teachers. As the community continues to prosper, a village bank is established to provide micro-loans and training to promising entrepreneurs, helping them develop a business plan and learn fundamental skills. The small fees the community pays for its basic services are re-invested to spur further development and create sustainable growth, allowing the community to lift itself out of extreme poverty.
This is innovation in action.
This is holistic and sustainable development.
This is a dozen NGOs and thousands of grassroots volunteers working alongside the poor to break the cycle of extreme poverty.
This is NGO 2.0.
This is Nuru.
To find out more about Nuru, and check out the new site click here.
Josephine walks 5 hours each day to get water, and the water sometimes makes her and her children sick. She doesn’t have access to fertilizer and good seed to grow crops to feed her family, so she must hire herself out to provide them their daily meal of porridge. There’s no school for her children to attend, and she wouldn’t be able to afford the small fees for books and uniforms even if there was. Her husband died last year of AIDS and she is most likely infected, however, she doesn’t want to be tested because there’s no medicine available, and the uninformed superstitions of the community regarding HIV/AIDS would label her and her children as outcasts.
Josephine is trapped in the cycle of extreme poverty. She has no choices. It’s not her fault. Neither she nor her children did anything to deserve this. Yet one in six people in our world today are like Josephine, living without hope.
Insert Nuru.
Fast-forward 5 years.
Josephine lives just a few minutes from a deep well that provides clean drinking water for her entire family. There is a simple medical clinic down the road with basic supplies and competent staff who educate the community about the causes of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and typhoid, and provide antiretroviral medication (ARVs) to keep Josephine well. She and her neighbors have access to high quality seed, fertilizer, and agricultural know-how that enable them to increase their crop yields by 100%. This bounty allows them to not only feed themselves but also earn a small income to pay school fees for their children and invest in next year’s crop.
Josephine’s children attend the primary and secondary school where they receive a sound education from qualified teachers. As the community continues to prosper, a village bank is established to provide micro-loans and training to promising entrepreneurs, helping them develop a business plan and learn fundamental skills. The small fees the community pays for its basic services are re-invested to spur further development and create sustainable growth, allowing the community to lift itself out of extreme poverty.
This is innovation in action.
This is holistic and sustainable development.
This is a dozen NGOs and thousands of grassroots volunteers working alongside the poor to break the cycle of extreme poverty.
This is NGO 2.0.
This is Nuru.
To find out more about Nuru, and check out the new site click here.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Life With God
Recently I started reading a book called Life With God. It seems like a fairly simple and unassuming title. In it, the author puts forth an interesting statement about the Bible.
He says that the Bible is the story of how everyday people like you and I can enjoy life with God. As we read through the scriptures there is an overwhelming and emphatic statement that begins to leap off the pages. "I am with you!" "I am with you!" "I am with you!" It's like a loud whisper that calls out from the pages. All through scripture, God says this to a variety of people. He says it to Abraham, to David, to Enoch, to Nehemiah, to Adam, and to Jesus. He also says it to you and I. "I am with you!" Can you hear the whisper?
I don't know what you are going through today, but whatever it is, there's a certain degree of comfort in the thought that the God of all creation is with you.
That same God also asks a question of us though. It's a question that searches the depths of the human heart. "Will you be with Me?" Saying yes to this invitation thrusts us into that life with God. God, in his deep and abiding love, calls out to us. He longs for us to be with Him.
He is with us in the terror and joy and peace and frustration and anxiety and insecurity and wonder that is our life. Are we willing to be with Him? Will we respond?
Every moment we have an opportunity to choose to be with Him. He longs for our response.
It blows my mind the great love that has been shown to us. It blows my mind that so often I can find myself missing that whisper while straining to hear every other voice on the planet.
I don't know if you can relate to that. Whether you can or not, it's my prayer that today you will be able to drown out the distractions, and you will be able to respond to the One voice that beckons softly.
He says that the Bible is the story of how everyday people like you and I can enjoy life with God. As we read through the scriptures there is an overwhelming and emphatic statement that begins to leap off the pages. "I am with you!" "I am with you!" "I am with you!" It's like a loud whisper that calls out from the pages. All through scripture, God says this to a variety of people. He says it to Abraham, to David, to Enoch, to Nehemiah, to Adam, and to Jesus. He also says it to you and I. "I am with you!" Can you hear the whisper?
I don't know what you are going through today, but whatever it is, there's a certain degree of comfort in the thought that the God of all creation is with you.
That same God also asks a question of us though. It's a question that searches the depths of the human heart. "Will you be with Me?" Saying yes to this invitation thrusts us into that life with God. God, in his deep and abiding love, calls out to us. He longs for us to be with Him.
He is with us in the terror and joy and peace and frustration and anxiety and insecurity and wonder that is our life. Are we willing to be with Him? Will we respond?
Every moment we have an opportunity to choose to be with Him. He longs for our response.
It blows my mind the great love that has been shown to us. It blows my mind that so often I can find myself missing that whisper while straining to hear every other voice on the planet.
I don't know if you can relate to that. Whether you can or not, it's my prayer that today you will be able to drown out the distractions, and you will be able to respond to the One voice that beckons softly.
Rick Varner
There I was sitting in sozo monday afternoon, when this guy Rick Varner came into the shop. Rick is one of the people who volunteers at sozo. You see, we have a lot of people who work here, and most of them are volunteers.
So Rick comes in, and he says Billy I've got to tell you about this miraculous provision God has made. Needless to say, my interest was piqued. So I invited Rick to sit down and join me at my table. He began by telling me a little bit of his story. Twenty-one years ago, he was given five years to live after he had a heart transplant. He should be dead, but he's not. And then, four years ago, he found out his kidney was failing. He was told that it was next to impossible for him to get a kidney, because the wait lists for donors were so long. Part of the reason wait lists are so long is because it takes a long time to recover from giving a kidney. At least it used to take a long time. Now, Rick says there's a procedure that takes about a week for both the donor and recipient to be back on the mend. Not only that, but Rick's wife was tested for the possibility of being a donor. Spouses usually don't make great matches for organ donations. Children, parents, or siblings maybe, but not spouses. Rick's wife is able to donate.
This means that rick (who is already a very energetic guy) will have even more energy very soon when he has better kidney function.
Rick is thoroughly excited to be part of the sozo team, but he hasn't always lived in Morgantown. For a long part of his life he lived in Parkersburg, WV where he was a youth minister at North Parkersburg Baptist Church. I had a roommate by the name of Jimmy Shreeves who went to that church and was involved in the youth group. As Rick and I talked, I discovered that he was Jimmy's leader. Small world.
Aside from the miraculous work God is doing in Rick's life, I have to remark on the profundity of our meeting and sharing stories. If I hadn't talked to Rick, I would have missed out on this remarkable miracle. I would have also missed out on his connection to my old roommate Jimmy.
Now picture this. There are people in your world who have profound stories, miraculous stories, tragic stories. Until you stop and listen, you'll never know, and you'll never be able to learn from them or share in their story.
Beyond that, none of us are as far apart as we seem. We're connected in a way that probably won't make sense to most of us on this side of eternity.
So as you read this blog entry, you can choose to sit silent and secluded in your own private world, or you can begin to share, You never know what God may be able to do with your story if you are brave enough to share it. Or maybe you just need to listen, because someone else has a story that you need to hear. Don't live as an island. Life is too short to miss out on all it has.
Monday, October 20, 2008
LOSING GOD
So you might be wondering about the image above, and why I would post a book that is seemingly so antithetical to what I stand for. I'll tell you why. This, my friends, is the second book that my friend Matt Rogers had published. It's not what it seems from the title. The subtitle is this, Clinging to Faith Through Doubt and Depression.
Matt tells his own personal story of his struggles with faith as he fought through a long period of depression. I have not read the book myself, but Matt asked me (and everyone he knows) to consider ordering a copy of it today. Matt's a great guy, and an impressive writer. I had the pleasure of working with him part of this summer during a Leadership Training program he directed in Carolina Beach, NC. We shared some thoughts on writing, ministry, and encouraging others to be faithful to pursue their calling. Despite what you might think from his book titles, he's got a great sense of humor. More importantly, he has a passion for helping others to connect more fully with the God of the universe. If his books can help people in the middle of their struggles, to fix their eyes on Jesus, then it's a success.
I want to encourage you to buy a copy of this book, not just to help out my friend, but because I think your life will be impacted by his writings. I was thoroughly impressed with his last book. When Answers Aren't Enough: Seeing God as Good When Life Isn't In that book, he told the story of dealing with the problem of evil on a personal level after he and his campus had witnessed the evil that manifested in Blacksburg, VA on April 16, 2007.
So I'm writing about Matt's book today to encourage you to help him out. If we all order a copy of his book today on Amazon.com, it will move his book up in the rankings and garner more attention from booksellers. Will you buy Losing God: Clinging to Faith Through Doubt and Depression on Amazon today?
Thanks for reading and considering helping him out--hope your week is starting well, wherever you are in this big world!
Monday, October 13, 2008
NURU BLOGS!!!
Nuru International, the organization my friends Jake Harriman and John Hancox co-founded to work toward ending extreme poverty one community at a time has commenced it's first project in Kuria, Kenya. The team left the United States on Monday September 22, and have been in Kenya for the last three weeks.
Three of the team members have started blogs to give people back here a little insight into their daily lives. (The fourth is working on content for a soon to be launched website for Nuru.) It has been more than a little eye-opening to read. The team's work is just beginning, and it is really wonderful to get stories of what life is like for them on the ground. I'm setting up a new category on the left so you can easily click to read their blogs.
Janine is nuru's health care specialist and started her blog by sharing a snapshot of one day in her life. One of the most eye opening portions deals with her work in the health care clinic. There are amenities and standards that we really take for granted here in the West among them being the quality of health care that is available here in the states. I recently made a doctor's visit, and there were four people (including the doctor) who offered varied assistance during my visit as I had a mole removed--the whole thing took about 20 minutes. One machine made an incision as another cauterized blood vessels to minimize bleeding. Such a fast procedure would be unheard of in much of the world. In Nyametaburu, there is simply a nurse who does EVERYTHING. No receptionists and no computers and all the records are handwritten by the nurse. No privacy either, patients just stroll in while the nurse is meeting and treating others. But you can read more about it allhere.
Nicole left Chicago to begin working to improve the water and sanitation in Nyametaburu. In one of her blog entries, she shares a very detailed picture of what water and sanitation is like for the people she is serving. As I started reading her accounts, I've had my eyes opened even more to what is the norm for over one billion people. For instance, she shared in one entry what it was like to get clean drinking water. First you have to travel to get to a water source--no plumbing. And then, the water must be boiled once you get back to the house. So then you've got a bunch of really hot water, and then there's still some stuff floating in it--dirt, etc so it has to be filtered through a clean cloth (you've gotta clean the cloth again once you go through this process once). And THEN, you have some clean hot water, so you have to let it sit, and cool down a bit. No refrigerators. No Brita filters. No ice either, so you never really have a COLD glass of water. So after you go through all of that process of acquiring and purifying the water, you wait for it to cool to whatever the temperature is that day, just so you can have a drink. We really do take A LOT for granted here! Wanna read more? Check out Nicole's blog.
Jake started his blog with a Bible story. It's a story of a young man standing up to insurmountable odds, and in the end triumphing over a monstrous evil. He ended that entry with a challenge, and it's a challenge I will echo and leave you with. You see, there's no reason why anybody needs to live this way. The technology and the resources are available--what the world needs is people who are willing to say "Enough!" and begin to DO something! It's time for our generation to STAND UP and GET IN THE FIGHT!
Will you join us in the fight?
You only live once…be the change you wish to see. Be hope…be light…be nuru.
Placed by the Gideons
While not the sharpest photo, I wanted to capture this little new testament the Gideons were giving out on campus today.
I think it's pretty cool that these gentlemen came out to give out Bible's on the campus to anyone who wants them. But do you know what I think is even cooler?
There's a statement about the Bible written on the inside of these little new testaments.
I think it's pretty cool that these gentlemen came out to give out Bible's on the campus to anyone who wants them. But do you know what I think is even cooler?
There's a statement about the Bible written on the inside of these little new testaments.
The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the travelers map, the pilgrims staff, the pilots compass, the soldiers sword, and the Christians character. Here paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object, our good is its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is given you in life and will be opened in the judgement and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labour, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.
Pretty good thoughts to consider on a Monday morning, or any morning for that matter!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Charlie Hall Band
Yesterday, Charlie Hall came to Morgantown, and were our special guest worship leaders for the special event we've created to help folks know God and connect with each other in downtown Morgantown. We call the event 17three. They came, and I believe they really helped us to help others connect with the living God. They are a wonderful group of guys, and their desire is to help others connect with God and with others.
It wasn't the first time I've had the opportunity to interact with these guys. The first time was back in early 2004 in Baltimore, Maryland for a conference called Ignite. I picked them up at the airport, and brought them back to the conference. We spent much of the afternoon connecting about what God was doing in our lives, and sharing stories with one another. The really beautiful thing about it all was there was a genuine nature to everything they were saying and doing. I don't know about you, but sometimes I can get a bit skeptical and wonder if folks are really the way they portray themselves in music or on Sunday morning. Maybe it comes from the general sense of distrust we have in our culture.
These guys are the real deal though. Every time I see them, we seem to be able to have a space of time simply for catching up. We are able to share what God is doing in our lives, and beyond that, we are able to spend time encouraging each other in the truths of scripture. The music these guys produce comes from places of deep pain meeting with the rich love of God.
I want to recommend their latest album to you because it is great music, but even more because I know that this great music comes from the heart, and it is the band's musical expression of their great love for Jesus.
In the same vein, I want to encourage you to be genuine as well. As people encounter you, may they experience the life of someone who has been radically transformed by the great love of Jesus!
Crazy Love
Recently, I had the extreme joy of being able to read a book by a person who is quickly becoming one of my favorite pastors, Francis Chan. The reason I enjoy Francis is that from what I read, hear and see, there is a genuine of that He has for God and for people.
As I grow more and more certain of the temporary nature of this life, I'm confronted with one simple truth that is echoed throughout scripture. Life comes from knowing God. What matters most in our life is that we are loved by God. A close second to this important truth is that the only normal response to the kind of love that God has for us, the only logical way to think about the fact that the Creator of the universe has a crazy love for us is to love Him back.
Over the last couple of months, I have been growing to love God more and more. Sure, I still do stupid things that displease Him, but I genuinely want to love God with all of my heart, my mind, my soul, and my strength. It's kind of funny, because many of you who are reading this recognize that as the first and greatest commandment. And yet, if we are honest, very little of our life is characterized by that kind of radical love. I mean, picture your love for your spouse, or your closest friends. Picture what it would look like to love anyone or any thing with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. That's the kind of crazy love God has for us.
I don't know about you, but when I think about God's great love for me, and I think about how easy it is to be complacent, I get a little scared. I get a little uneasy, because I realize I'm not capable of that kind of love. The only way I can love God with everything I have is if He gives me the capacity. And He is willing if we ask, if we abide, if we cry out.
You may be reading this blog and thinking this is crazy. What's crazy is that the God of the universe loves us with an abounding love, and our response is typicallly (in the words of Francis Chan) to "go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss."
Something seems amiss--doesn't it? I want to recommend Francis' Book, Crazy Love if this blog has stirred you a bit.
More than recommending a book though, I want to encourage you to respond to the great love that God has for you. Take a moment right now and just reflect on how deep God's love is for you--wherever you are and stop reading--this blog will be here when you get back. I'm serious. Right now. STOP.
Did you stop? If so you can keep reading. If not, go back to the previous paragraph!
Isn't it amazing to think that God loves YOU that much!!! Isn't it amazing to think that He even gives you the ability to love Him. As we grow in our love for God, our love for others will grow, and we'll find less and less pleasure in things.
Like I said, at the beginning of this entry. Life is very short here on this earth. Let us learn to love well!
Thursday, October 09, 2008
One Time . . .
your dad took me to Denny's . . .
I love my best friend in the whole world, Willie! We watched this movie a while back called Smoke Signals. The movie was actually recommended by another friend, Mark Darling.
This movie is essentially a movie about friends, about family, and about telling good stories. It's a road trip movie, but it is so much more. It's a movie about being American Indian in the present day as well. Seems like most Indian movies place folks back in history, but Willie and my dad, they are a couple of contemporary Indians.
So anyway, in the movie there's a scene where one of the characters tells the story of when another character's dad took him to denny's. Willie has been dreaming of the moment when this could come true for Him. It happened this past Saturday . . .
It was probably made even more cool in the fact that I wasn't there. From now on, Willie can tell the story of when my dad took him to denny's and the only way I'll know about the details is through his stories.
I imagine he had the grand slam breakfast with Juice! because that's part of the movie, but I'm sure there's more to the story.
And that's the bigger picture. We all have stories that we can tell and that we are part of. There's a great big story that all of creation is part of, and only when we share with one another, do we get to have a more robust picture of how the individual threads of the story come together.
As you go through your day, realize that your life and your day is a story worth telling. And the cool thing is that the way you live it informs the details. So live in such a way that you have a good story to tell. A good story has it's share of struggle and difficulty, but it also has laughter and joy.
Live the story God has written you into passionately!!! It is my prayer that as you read this, perhaps a new chapter will come alive for you, or perhaps an old memory will come to mind, and next time we get together you'll be able to share.
And it will go something like this,
"One time . . ."
I love my best friend in the whole world, Willie! We watched this movie a while back called Smoke Signals. The movie was actually recommended by another friend, Mark Darling.
This movie is essentially a movie about friends, about family, and about telling good stories. It's a road trip movie, but it is so much more. It's a movie about being American Indian in the present day as well. Seems like most Indian movies place folks back in history, but Willie and my dad, they are a couple of contemporary Indians.
So anyway, in the movie there's a scene where one of the characters tells the story of when another character's dad took him to denny's. Willie has been dreaming of the moment when this could come true for Him. It happened this past Saturday . . .
It was probably made even more cool in the fact that I wasn't there. From now on, Willie can tell the story of when my dad took him to denny's and the only way I'll know about the details is through his stories.
I imagine he had the grand slam breakfast with Juice! because that's part of the movie, but I'm sure there's more to the story.
And that's the bigger picture. We all have stories that we can tell and that we are part of. There's a great big story that all of creation is part of, and only when we share with one another, do we get to have a more robust picture of how the individual threads of the story come together.
As you go through your day, realize that your life and your day is a story worth telling. And the cool thing is that the way you live it informs the details. So live in such a way that you have a good story to tell. A good story has it's share of struggle and difficulty, but it also has laughter and joy.
Live the story God has written you into passionately!!! It is my prayer that as you read this, perhaps a new chapter will come alive for you, or perhaps an old memory will come to mind, and next time we get together you'll be able to share.
And it will go something like this,
"One time . . ."
Monday, October 06, 2008
Standing Between Heaven and Earth
This past weekend, I took a little road trip to Elkins, West Virginia to see my dad, and my best friend and his family. One of my roommates, Joel took the trip with me, and we skipped out on the WVU game.
I know--some of you are shocked. So am I. It was a challenge to leave my Mountaineers back in Morgantown, but the forest festival only comes once per year and the thought of enjoying it with my dad and Willie were just too much to resist.
So after enjoying the parade, we drove to the top of Bickle Knob (which is much faster and more enjoyable than riding a bike). That's when we took this photo.
I love it, because we are literally standing between heaven and earth. I read about that idea on a David Crowder album one time, and it has really stirred me. Everywhere we go, we are between heaven and earth, but it is sometimes more easily seen than at others.
I love this photo, because of the brightness of the grass and the giant like stature of our little group on top of the mountain. We look like superheroes or something--and maybe we are.
Maybe you are too. Maybe you and I stand between heaven and earth to bring a little bit of heaven to earth. Maybe we get the privilege of making a difference in this world. That's more beautiful than a picture even--that's a lasting picture!
According to the scriptures, there's this latent superhero status in each one of us. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us. The sad thing is that we have that kind of power, and we don't even use it most of the time.
So, as you stand between heaven and earth today, be mindful that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you. Don't let that power sit idly--change the world today. Change a life. Maybe start with you, but change something.
And remember, to the world you may be just one person, but to one person, you may just be the world!!!
I know--some of you are shocked. So am I. It was a challenge to leave my Mountaineers back in Morgantown, but the forest festival only comes once per year and the thought of enjoying it with my dad and Willie were just too much to resist.
So after enjoying the parade, we drove to the top of Bickle Knob (which is much faster and more enjoyable than riding a bike). That's when we took this photo.
I love it, because we are literally standing between heaven and earth. I read about that idea on a David Crowder album one time, and it has really stirred me. Everywhere we go, we are between heaven and earth, but it is sometimes more easily seen than at others.
I love this photo, because of the brightness of the grass and the giant like stature of our little group on top of the mountain. We look like superheroes or something--and maybe we are.
Maybe you are too. Maybe you and I stand between heaven and earth to bring a little bit of heaven to earth. Maybe we get the privilege of making a difference in this world. That's more beautiful than a picture even--that's a lasting picture!
According to the scriptures, there's this latent superhero status in each one of us. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us. The sad thing is that we have that kind of power, and we don't even use it most of the time.
So, as you stand between heaven and earth today, be mindful that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you. Don't let that power sit idly--change the world today. Change a life. Maybe start with you, but change something.
And remember, to the world you may be just one person, but to one person, you may just be the world!!!
Friday, October 03, 2008
Don't Waste Your Life
It was a few years ago that I heard this message from John Piper, but this morning I saw someone reading a book he wrote with the same title. He actually gave away 20,000 copies of the book to anybody who would read it because he was so thoroughly concerned that people would waste their lives on triviality. As I watched this video, I began weeping, because in my heart I know how hard it is to resist the enticements of this world.
So last night in my CANVASgroup (that's our word for a small group in our college and career ministry), we started reading the book of James. I don't know how familiar you are with this book, but I suggest giving it a read. (It's actually part of a larger book called the Bible--great book, and amazing Author!)
Anyway, we were reading the first chapter last night, and it kind of related to the video. You know, it's really easy to have priorities that are centered in the wrong place. So much of our efforts in America deal with increasing our level of comfort, accumulating wealth, and acquiring more and more stuff. Money, comfort, and stuff aren't necessarily bad things. What's bad is when we center our lives on the pursuit of these things. It's downright scary actually!
I mean as I think about my own life, I just feel like sometimes I can get kind of numb, and go on autopilot when it comes to the lifestyle I live and the way I steward my resources. It's kind of like I'm on a lazy river, or a down escalator, and unless I am actively striving to go the opposite direction, I will just drift.
I guess as I think about it more and more, I don't want to be thinking about how I use my time, talents, and resources from an eternal perspective. One hundred years from now, those investments will be the ones paying dividends, and from what I have read, there's a lot more security in that market than any in the world today.
I don't know if you ever feel the pressure to give time, effort, and energy to bigger houses, nicer cars, and really nice clothes, but I do. I feel those pressures, not directly, but in the escalator way I mentioned. I really have to fight against the natural drift.
May you consider this weekend, your resources, the great gifts you have received from God, and how you can best use those things for His glory. May they be tools and not idols in your life, and may you be transformed. Hope you like the video too!
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Every year, my buddy Cameron throws a costume/birthday party at his house. And this year was probably the biggest one yet.
After our creative expression time, a number of us made a pigrimmage to the King's place on park st in Morgantown.
The guy on my right is Andrew Hitchcock (behind him, sneaking into the picture is nikki etris). Andrew and I used to be roommates, and unbeknownst to us, we had put together costumes that worked well together.
He was the world's largest leprechaun, and I was a blond rendition of the King of Ireland, Bono.
The party was a lot of fun and featured events like a limbo line and guessing the number of candy corns in a jar. Of course there were also many theme oriented jokes that made the evening even more fun.
For instance, Andrew was constantly looking for the gold that had disappeared from his pot, and I was constantly belting into song and talking to people about making a difference in our world (ok mine was a little more me just being me and had very little to do with my costume). The only theme oriented part for me was that all of my songs were u2 songs. (Many of them had a haunting eddy vedder or scott stapp feel to them tho.) ;)
Regardless, last night was a great time with some truly great people, and it was awesome to celebrate Cameron's birthday with him in such a fun and unique way.