Well, I guess you could call it a conversation. In this day and age conversations consist of phone calls, emails, skypes, AIM chats, facebooking, tweets, and more. And this was a chat on AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) with a very dear old friend named Mark Darling.
Mark is the pastor of a church in the greater Minneapolis area called The Rock. I can remember hearing Mark speak while I was in college, and I remember finding Mark's passion and zeal utterly contagious. Mark loves people and loves God pretty deeply, and wants to give every bit of his life to helping people grow in their relationship with Him.
In January of 2007, as an encouragement to my mom as she fought cancer, he sent her an album filled with original folk spiritual songs he had recorded called Medicinal Spirit.
While we were catching up over AI, I told Mark about my recent engagement, and he told me about a resource he was putting together online to make messages he had given on a variety of aspects of faith over the last 24 years available online. The two sites are called Strong Disciple and Getting Your Family To Mars.
I know there are more resources, itunes podcasts, online messages and talks available to people now than at any point in history, but I couldn't help but write a short note to let friends--particularly friends from the world of Great Commission Ministries know about these resources Mark has made available online.
If you give these sites a try, I know Mark would love to hear your feedback. Hope you are able to enjoy the messages.
In summer 1996, I ran into a group of college students who were singing worship songs on a pier in Myrtle Beach. As a fairly new Christian, I introduced myself to them--I was thoroughly excited to meet other young people who were Christians. One of those people was a guy named Dave Lyons.
Dave was involved with a college ministry/church on the campus of the University of Maryland called Maryland Christian Fellowshipwhich is part of an association called Great Commission Ministries. A ministry which unbeknownst to me, the church I attended, Chestnut Ridge Church was also part of.
Who could have predicted the turns my life and his have taken? Who could have predicted that many years later, we are both laboring for the Gospel and actively involved in service in our respective churches. Who would have thought that in the last couple of years we would be able to catch up, to pray with and for each other, and encourage each other in the specific work God has given us the opportunity to do.
This photo was taken of Dave and myself at the Great Commission Churches National Pastors Conference. We have some pretty cool conversations when Dave and I get together, and it is cool to be encouraged by a brother who I seemingly met by a "chance" occurrence while on vacation with my family in Myrtle Beach.
Just a few weeks ago, I visited the church where Dave is now serving, Oak Ridge Community Church to talk with him and others about a coffeehouse event they are starting.
When I think about meeting Dave and others back in 1996, I had no idea what turns my life or theirs would make. I had no idea if we would ever connect again. And honestly, that's the way most of our interactions with others take place. We have no idea. We have no idea what turns our lives will take. What we can do is be faithful to the gospel of our King. We can strive to love our neighbor as our self, and make the most of the limited interactions we have with others during our relatively short stay on this planet before the life to come.
I'm grateful for friends like dave, and opportunities to reunite, reacquaint and spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
So I guess I can just encourage you to be mindful of your time on this earth. Enjoy your friends and acquaintances you meet along the way, and always seek to be an encouragement and a blessing to others. Who knows what great friendships God has in store for you with people you haven't met, or those who you meet while on vacation far from home. Strive to be aware--there are no ordinary moments.