Emergency!!!

Sorry this entry doesn't have a photo, and not much in the way of a back story. I'm asking you for prayer.

Tonight @ around 9PM, my dad was taken back to his room at CAMC after a heart catheterization and shortly after arriving had a major heart attack. He has multiple blockages around his heart, and blockage in his neck.

His doctor is trying to open up one of the arteries which probably became completely blocked by a blood clot. There is a risk that the blockage in his neck can move and cause him to have a stroke. If they can open up this one artery tonight, then they can go back tomorrow morning and take care of the multiple bypasses.

Please pray for my dad to experience the peace only Christ can give during this time, and pray for the doctors to be able to flawlessly execute their procedures so my dad can be back on his feet walking 10-15 miles/day again really soon.

Thanks.

Billy

New River Narrows

Yesterday, I traveled a short patch of US Route 460 that I've traveled on a couple of other occasions. Each time I've traveled, the weather has been poor, and I've been in a hurry to get to my destination. At the same time, each time I drove this short stretch, I've felt a desire to stop and take a picture. I've felt like I should come back one day.

And so yesterday afternoon was my day. While traveling past the town of Narrows, I stopped near a boat launch and snapped this photo. I even took a moment, at the suggestion of one of my friends, to dip my feet in the water (this is a habit I have in a few different locations--year round.)

Between the sun, and the view from the valley, this little moment of respite in an otherwise consuming week was incredibly enjoyable.

Have you ever felt drawn to a place like that? I mean, the first time I went through this area it was night time and it was four years ago, but in my mind, I just wanted to drive this stretch of road along the New River again.

There's something about driving along the bank of a river that just does something to me. I remember having this soothing tranquil feeling as I made my way along the Allegheny River with my parents later in the fall of 2005.

I'm so thankful for the soothing power of water. I can't describe it, but when I go to the riverside, I feel a sense of tranquility and ease that I can't fully describe.

Yesterday, as I stood along this river bank, I thought, "How cool would it have been to have grown up here along this river?" And then I started thinking about how easy it is to feel like the grass is greener on the other side, and to be constantly filled with a longing for something more, something different, or something else.

Honestly, my life and my times have been pretty amazing. The creator of the universe has woven a wonderful set of experiences for me, and I hope I never take for granted the places He has allowed me to go, the work He has allowed me to do, and the people with whom He has filled my life.

My cup runneth over, and I am grateful.

It's Happening!!!

"Be Hope to Her" at Stanford

See that photo? There's a link beneath it. I need you to click that link, or this one and go vote this photo as BEST in Peninsula Happenings for the Mercury News in Silicon Valley!

Will you go do that?

There's a story and more info with the photo, but you can read that when you click the link and vote. Thanks for helping out!

Early Morning Mist

Took this photo of the Monongahela River valley with the iPhone my
best friend Willie gave me.
You know, when we take advantage of vistas and moments we can enjoy
the beauty of the created world.
Hope you can take a moment this morning wherever you are to reflect
and enjoy.

The Bucket

It's emerging all over campus at WVU, and making appearances as far west as Stanford and as far north as Boston College and Gonzaga. It's even popping up all over Ball State this week! (Check out this sweet articlefrom BSU's campus paper.

WHat's it all about? It's BH2O+, or "Be Hope To Her" and what it's about is this. THere are over one BILLION people in our world who don't have access to clean drinking water. They can't even get in their car and drive to wal-mart for bottled water. That's right, they've gotta walk and fill up a bucket just like the one you see above. Five gallon bucket, sitting on top of a little girl's head and guess what else. She has to miss school. So she doesn't get an education, and if she doesn't boil the water she acquires, then she and her family can get six. Five gallons of water weighs about 42lbs. Can you imagine carrying that?

But it doesn't have to be this way. There's another possibility. What if they didn't have to walk 30 minutes or more to get water, and what if the water they acquired was clean?

This week, hundreds of women across college campuses here in the states will be walking and raising funds and awareness so wells can be drilled in Kuria, Kenya.

So when you see the bucket on facebook or twitter (or on this blog), take a moment and think about the opportunities we take for granted. Don't let this one pass you by. Be part of sustainable solutions to clean drinking water and even more.

Visit the be hope to her website and join others in confronting this crisis!

Immigration Complications

Let me preface this entry with the statement that I am not an expert on American immigration policy. Now with that . . .

Last night, I was talking to my friends, and he started talking about an immigration case his friend who was a law student was working on. In the case, an illegal immigrant had a child, and that child, who was born in the USA, is a citizen. The immigrant has a good standing and is respected in his community. But because it was discovered that he was not a US citizen, he runs the risk of being deported to his native land. His son is receiving medical treatment that will not be available in his native land. Since his father is his legal guardian, (the son is very young) he will be deported to his native land as well.

What do you think should be done in a situation like this? Here's a recent usa today article on the subject to stir your thoughts.

Morgantown's Top 100-Jen Short

Ok, this entry is pretty self-explanatory. My friend Jen Short just made the morgantown, wv newspaper's top 100 influential people of the area. She's number 15 too! While some of you from other areas may not think this is a big deal, take a minute and read the article above. Jen is living proof that you can make a difference in this world.

Where are you going to make your mark?

You Will Suffer

My best friend on the planet was telling me about this video of John Piper speaking to college leaders at a conference. From the sound of it, it probably took place around Easter.

A few years back, I was able to represent the state of WV as well as Great Commission Ministries at a nationwide Passion Conference in Sherman, TX. During the conference, not only did I hear John Piper speak, but I was able to acquire a free copy of his book, Don't Waste Your Life. I highly recommend reading it if you get an opportunity.

I listened to this video early this morning, and found it to be a good aid to focusing on what it means to be a Christian, to be one who has been transformed by the power of the cross and of the resurrection. It doesn't mean that things will be easy for us. As my friend Jerry Haynes put it, it means that "God is with us, that He hides Himself, and that He is faithful." Even in suffering, God has a plan. He had a plan for Joseph when his brothers sold him into slavery. He had a plan for Daniel when he was placed in a den of lions. He had a plan for Paul when he was beaten severely multiple times and placed in prison.

And you know what else? He's got a plan for you. It may not make sense. It very likely will involve some difficult times. But sense will be made one day. And as God walks through the difficulty with you, there is an eternal weight of glory that we can not even begin to comprehend in this life.

I hope this message on suffering can encourage you in perseverance of faith. And whatever you are going through, remember that God is with you (even when the way seems dark and desolate!)

Be Hope To Her

This spring, Nuru International is launching a nationwide awareness campaign focused on college campuses. The event is an attempt to experientially raise awareness about the issue of clean drinking water that over one billion people are challenged with each day. In the states we get our water from a tap, flush it down our toilets, and buy it by the bottle.

In other parts of the world, people hike 30 minutes or more (one way) to get five gallons of water for their family. This trip has to be made multiple times per day. In order to get that water, people have to give up a lot of time to dedicate to water access. Even when the water is acquired though, oftentimes it is filled with bacteria, and is not safe to drink. So the water needs to be boiled. If the water isn't boiled, then people get diarrhea, or have other health problems. This means that their daily routine is slowed down severely at best. In some cases, because of lack of convenient access to medical facilities, this can result in death (an 2.2million million children will die from diarrhea this year). When you have to spend hours each day getting water, and boiling water, there isn't much time for schoolwork, so many young girls don't get to complete school because they are taking care of getting water for their families.

Next Thursday, eleven major college campuses across the United States are participating in an event called Be Hope To Her. Women will gather at a central place on campus, and carry yellow five gallon buckets to a water source where they will fill and carry in solidarity with the women and girls in other parts of the world for whom this is a daily part of life. As the women walk, men will hold posters along the route that explain the fact that this walk is THE NORM for many, many people. Every day. Because water is a necessity.

I've heard people say that it would take $13 billion dollars to provide every person in the world access to safe clean drinking water. That's a lot of money. It's also the same amount that americans spend on cologne and perfume each year.

As I think about the event, and the inner strength of these women and girls who make this journey every day for themselves and their families, I'm excited. I'm excited because I believe this event will help inspire a generation to work creatively and collaboratively to confront the crisis. Not just the crisis of clean drinking water, but the larger crisis of extreme poverty.

If you wouldn't mind, if you have a blog, or you twitter, or you use facebook, will you help us to make the event even BIGGER by telling your friends, and posting a link to http://bhope2her.org and http://www.nuruinternational.org to be part of lasting change?

Be the change you want to see.

Be hope. Be light.

Be Nuru.

Fee and Hillsong London

Tonight at Crc I attended a concert with Jerry Haynes and Jamie
Reaser. Concerts at Crc are pretty busy days for the staff but often
it ends up being a mini reunion as well. I've run into old roommates,
friends from my undergrad days at WVU, and people from the community
whom I haven't seen for a long time.
There's something cool about music that brings people together.
There's something cool about reuniting with old friends who share a
common tie. What's cooler than that is to share big dreams together.
Are you dreaming big with friends and with your Creator?
Dream big. Change the world. Love others. Love God.

Water Girls

Water Girls, originally uploaded by Nuru International.

Over the lenten season, I attempted cut down my purchases of beverages and keep an accurate budget of what I spent during the course of the lenten season on beverages. It was kind of shocking to see how the total came out. I tried to keep track of times that people offered me other drinks (whether it was me or them, somebody had to make the purchase).

As a result, I realized that on average, I probably would have spent about $3/day on beverages. A cup of coffee here, and a soda there, and some juice at this spot all kind of add up. Of course there were days when I probably wouldn't have bought anything, but I think I realized over the course of time that I take for granted that I have all of these choices.

In the end, the amount I donated was a combination of what I would have spent combined with the amount I actually did spend on occasion (there were a few times I downed a coke, a coffee, or a vitamin water), and a little bit on top just to round everything out.

It's been an eye opening time with regard to the access to a variety of beverages and even more so to the availability of clean drinking water at my disposal.

If you get a chance, check out this website, and perhaps take stock of the simple pleasures like water that we all take for granted.

And, if you are so inclined, I encourage you to give to Nuru as well. It's a great organization, and they are planning to drill four deep water wells during the month of May for the 5000 people of Kuria, Kenya.

Will you join me in helping to bring lasting change to the people of Kuria?

The End of Christian America?

That image is of the oldest church in the city of Amsterdam. It's called Oude Kerk. Outside the church is a monument to a prostitute. There are still services at the church on sunday I believe, but not many attend. Actually the main function of the church is as a museum. For six dollars, you can walk through this large and beautiful old building and see some amazing architecture, stained glass windows, and murals on the ceiling.

The oldest church in Amsterdam is functionally a museum. To me it is hard to believe that the huge structure that was built in 1280 AD serves better as a link to history than as a gathering place for those who have been radically changed by faith in Jesus.

All around the church, there are sex shops, hash-marijuana bars, and most shockingly, windows.

These windows aren't just any kind of window. The windows are outlined in red lights. Behind the windows, prostitutes stand. Many of these prostitutes are trafficked to be in those windows, so instead of prostitutes a better understanding is that they are slaves. Just outside the doors of a church there is slavery and prostitution. There are drug addicts and dealers. In some ways it seems like a perfect location for a church. But in other ways, it seems very indicting that the church has very little influence in the community directly around it.

This week, Newsweek had an article called The End of Christian America. If you read the article, you'll find no mention of prostitution or slavery, you'll just see that the church in America has a steadily declining influence, as well as a steadily declining percentage of the population who claim any affiliation.

The reasons for the decline are many and the article doesn't really generate many in it's four pages but instead points to this being a good thing. Because I believe that Jesus, and His church are the hope of the entire world, I have to say that I disagree. The author points out that people aren't becoming less religious, because religious devotion of some type has always been a part of society--even if it is a religious devotion to atheism, or agnosicism, or our own personal Gods. And if the truth be told, there has never truly been a "Christian America" although some would like to think so. Regardless, the level of influence that the Christian faith is demonstrating in America is in a marked decline.

People aren't becoming less religious, but they are becoming more individualistic. I believe that part of the reason for the departure is that Christians seem to know a lot about God and love, but often times we fail to be tangible demonstrations of that love. This is what I believe to be the foremost indictment against many who call upon the name of Jesus in America.

We have an unprecedented opportunity to stem the tide, but it might require a change of lifestyle and habit for many. By stemming the tide, I don't mean the creation of a "Christian America" as much as I mean an America where Christians, wherever they are exert a transforming influence on their communities for the better. The transforming influence of Christianity always starts, ends, and is sustained by love. Yesterday, we celebrated Easter, and we saw that love can get you into a lot of trouble with the powers that be, but love is always the best way, and in the end it is victorious.

May you examine your own heart and life, and begin to ask for strength to make the changes in your life that need to happen so the Church can be a better sign of the Beautiful Kingdom of Jesus.

Easter He Is Risen

I took the above photo in Sint Nicolaskerk in Amsterdam a few weeks ago while in the city on a service trip for another local church.

Yesterday, Christians all over the world celebrated the resurrection of the Messiah Jesus. At the very least, there were more people in churches yesterday than virtually any other day of the year. And yet, much like the prior two days it just doesn't seem that there was a whole lot of significance being placed on the event being celebrated. For many, Easter can feel like just another day for family dinners and an opportunity to wear some new clothes to church. In some churches, the big question is how good will the Easter performance be.

Don't get me wrong, Easter is a great time for family. I enjoyed being able to connect with quite a few families yesterday, and there's something special and sweet about seeing the generations come together--it just doesn't happen much any more in the States.

Also, I think that Easter worship gatherings should be extra special too, they should stand apart from any other gathering. If people aren't able to be in a church very often through the year, the celebration at Easter should be huge and beyond anything they could imagine.

When I think about the significance of the day, it kind of makes me wonder why we don't have the day end with fireworks or something like that. What if Easter was just this huge blowout party, and it just continued all day long? What if somehow we could in the middle of a day long celebration manage to keep Christ central to our conversations? What would that be like?

Easter feels like there should be a space for reflection as well. Somehow, in the middle of the celebration, there should be moments of quiet (maybe that's what Friday and Saturday are for?) for folks to consider the significance of the events of these three historic days.

Sometimes I kind of feel guilty because my mind can seem to wander from the significance of the day so quickly. I wonder if I'm alone in this feeling?

I don't know what it will look like, but I'm hoping next year's Easter weekend will be different for me. I have a distinct feeling that I will be compelled to say no to a lot in order to say yes to this kind of celebration and reflection.

Regardless of my scattered feelings, this day represents the single most important event in human history. Jesus of Nazareth was crucified and buried, and He rose again to declare his defeat of evil, sin, and death. His resurrection gives proof and validity to the words and actions that led to his crucifixion. He is the God-man, and His victory over sin enables us to have restored fellowship with God. As the Gospel of John states, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

Everlasting life--now that's something to REALLY CELEBRATE!!!

Longest Day

The above photo was taken of a church near Red House, MD about two years ago.

As I've had opportunity, I've been trying to do a little reflecting on the triduum, the three days at the end of the lenten season. It all starts with Maundy Thursday, then Good Friday, then ends with Holy Saturday.

But let's just set aside the tradition for just a minute and reflect and remember the original period. What would it have been like? What would it have been like to be spending an evening with your Friend who was just asking you to stay awake and pray for just a little while, but you kept falling asleep. WHat would it have been like to be awoken by the roman guard coming in to take away your Friend, the One you believed was the Messiah? If you were daring enough to follow his captivity and trial from a distance, you would witness him taking a beating unlike any you had ever seen after a middle of the night trial.

I can barely picture what this would have been like to the early disciple and witness all of that. But it didn't stop there. I mean, they probably saw Jesus crucified. Now when we watch passion plays or even the movie, we don't get the full effect. He was beaten beyond recognition. He was naked. He was probably gurgling and gasping for air in pained moves. The flesh was torn from much of His body, and He had lost massive amounts of blood. Even before the trial and beating, He had sweat blood from His pores.

So you look upon your Messiah, realizing you are unable to do anything to stop this injustice. Nobody deserves to die like this. You might even wonder if there was something you might have done that could have prevented it. It's the way we always wonder about loss of a loved one when we realize our time is short with them. You look up at the cross and see your Rabbi Jesus breathe his last. (That's if you can stand the sight of this kind of suffering). As He breathes His last, your sadness grows greater. The Sabbath is fast approaching.

Of course no one can walk a long distance on the sabbath. So begins the longest day. Jesus has been crucified under Pontius Pilate, and you can not go to visit the tomb until Sunday morning. So you go to the temple just like any other devout Jewish person. You weep. You morn for the loss of your dear Friend. But the day seems sooooo long. You gather with friends, and maybe share some stories of favorite moments with Jesus.

It just doesn't seem real. Just a few days ago, you were celebrating as He rode into town--on a donkey. Everyone thought He was the One. The crowds cheered as He rode in on that Donkey.

Maybe one day, in the resurrection, you might see Him again, but your Friend is in a tomb.

For now, it is the Sabbath. It's time to sit and wait. Maybe tomorrow will offer you an opportunity to pay last respects. Maybe then you can go and visit the tomb. It's too far to travel on a sabbath. The sun may be shining today, but it's clouds, tears, and dismal darkness in your mind.

It's hard to imagine the loss those first disciples felt. They didn't know what was coming on Sunday.

And sometimes, I have to wonder if we can really grasp what was coming on Sunday either.

Good Friday

While trying to write this entry, my phone has rung a few times, I've received a half-dozen emails, and I've been involved in three conversations. SO if it feels a little disjointed, there may be a reason for it.

Yesterday was Good Friday. Among other things, I spent yesterday responding to phone calls and emails, driving across the state, running errands, and even spent a little time connecting with friends.

Seems kind of weird really. Maybe I'm the only person on the planet that feels this way, but it just seems like life is incredibly fast -paced and busy. Too busy.

When I was a little kid, I used to love looking forward to Easter weekend because it meant a day off, lots of candy and goodies, and fun time with friends. And to be honest, much of my life as an adult has been spent this way as well.

Usually Good Friday is spent running around and catching up on shopping, taking care of little purchases that there is rarely time for during the week, and things like that.

Yesterday, as my best friend Willie and I drove around Parkersburg, WV in the afternoon, we were amazed at the massive numbers of people driving around Parkersburg, WV in the afternoon. It seems kind of strange that on the day that Christians have historically taken time for extreme fasting, prayer, and reflection upon the brutal substitutionary atonement death of Jesus of Nazareth that people would be out and about so much.

Seems like something is missing and feels a little hollow with such a hustle and bustle going on. And as I am writing, I feel like I am confronting my own disjointedness and lack of rhythm when it comes to the sacredness of a day like Good Friday.

I started off the day well. Read a devotional with Jamie as we drove to drop her off at her parents house. Spent the next hour in the car reflecting on the fact that Christ died, and then I connected with Dad, Becky, Ray, Willie, and Emmalee.

I have a friend named Mona whose family spends the time from Sundown on Maundy Thursday (the day before Good Friday), to Easter morning fasting and in extended times of prayer. Life get's much simpler for them and they end their fast with a HUGE feast to celebrate our resurrected Lord.

I don't know about you, but I feel a bit disconnected from that kind of seasonal rhythm and reminder both of the Messiah's great suffering, and His Great victory.

It's not too late though. May you find some time to worship and reflect on the great sadness and the great joy that have historically been part of the Easter season. Let's not forget that our sins cost deeply, and that our Savior rose victorious.

Be Hope To Her

Be Hope to Her from Nuru International on Vimeo.

Go ahead and hit that play button above, after you read this blog entry.

In just two weeks, Nuru is launching it's largest grassroots event to date. It's called Be Hope To her, or BH2O+ for short. The event will feature women from 10 college campuses in different parts of the country walking in solidarity with women and young girls in the developing world. Campuses like Boston College, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Ball State University, and good ol' WVU are part of this historic event.

Essentially, here is the issue at hand. There are over one billion people who don't have access to clean drinking water. What this means is that women and girls spend much of their days walking long distances and often standing in line to gain access to a water source. Keep in mind that water is necessary for life (just in case you didn't realize this). Because they spend their days walking to get water for their families, often young women never get an education in these areas. Nuru wants to change that.

Nuru wants to give these women hope and opportunity. And women on college campuses are going to be part of that hope. Nearly 300 people have signed up for the event already, and we still have two weeks before the event takes place. Imagine what a stir will take place as women walk from their dorms and apartments with buckets on their heads, meet in the center of campus, make their way to a water source and walk through the campus in solidarity with each other, and with women and girls around the world.

At the same time as the event, Nuru is raising funds for our deep water wells to be drilled next to schools in Kuria, Kenya. Drilling wells next to the school gives extra incentive for students to go to school and then they can take water home with them at the end of the school day. These wells are not cheap. Another organization, Dry Tears has agreed to raise funds for one of these wells. They are raising $20,000 to bring clean drinking water to the people of Kuria, Kenya. BTW did I mention that Dry Tears was started by HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS?


I'm blogging about this today because I'm totally stoked about this event! I'm blogging because there is still time for you to register for the event, or even make a contribution to Nuru. I'm blogging about this event because YOU AND I have an opportunity to save hundreds of lives and create opportunities for others by getting involved.

Will you visit the Nuru site, or the facebook cause page, and make a donation? Or, better yet, will you register, and join in solidarity with women and girls around the world who do this not just once, but EVERY day.

May you take a moment to make a small contribution to change while you have the opportunity.

an experiment

So I wanted to try this out. It's a little experiment. The garden is
an experiment too but I'm talking about this post. I'm trying my hand
at mobile blogging. This could mean more stuff being written and more
photos being taken.
You see, my best friend in the whole world gave me his iPhone. What a
gift right? Wrong. What a friend! Willie is way cooler than an iPhone.
Back to the experiment. I just took a photo of my garden and now I'm
emailing that photo and these words to my blog. Hopefully you are
reading this with no problem.
But hey, it's an experiment. I hope it works. Might just increase my
blogging frequency again.
Experiments are really a step of faith though. Most of us aren't real
comfortable with that. Comfort is, well, comfortable. But when we
experiment sometimes we end up reaping a major blessing. When we step
away from comfort sometimes we even begin to know God better. Isn't it
part of the gospel story that Jesus stepped out of the the comfort of
heaven to walk this earth and suffer? Pretty cool to think about.
And you. Is there an area in which you may need to experiment and step
out of comfort? May it go well with you and transform your life and
the lives of others for the better.

I Washed My Bible

That image above is my Bible. The one I made lots of notes in. The one that I carry with me virtually everywhere. I guess I should be using the past tense in those last sentences, because I ran my Bible through the washer this morning.

It sounds kind of spiritual, right? Make sure you wash your Bible every day and pray. haha. I can't believe I did this. My bible is now a jumbled mess. It's a little pocket Bible, but it weighs as much as one of the big boys now.

I was multi-tasking a bit this morning (a skill I learned as an analytical chemist at Mylan) when it happened. I was going back and forth between responding to emails, household chores, and planning for a couple of speaking engagements I have in the next couple of weeks. I had my Bible on my bed/futon, and I decided that today I was going to wash all of my blankets. I grabbed up the blankets, sheets, pillowcases (and Bible), and proceeded to shove them all into the washer. An hour later, I open the washer and remove all of the blankets, sheets, etc. and find my bible lying at the back of the washer.

I was more than a little bit bummed. I mean, I've been through so much with this particular Bible so there was a sentimental value attached. But the flip-side is that I've stored these words in my heart. And more important than the Bible is my relationship with the living God. So I hopped in my car and drove to Laura Christie's bookstore, Good News Bookstore. I was long overdue for catching up with Laura, and I like to support local businesses.

While I will miss my old Bible, and it's notes, I guess it is a good reminder to be more aware, and to maybe make my notes in more than one place.

I was able to find a similar pocket ESV Bible--the cover is different, but the words are the same. ;)

As much as I had hoped to be really productive today, the day definitely hasn't gone as initially planned.

Anybody else ever done anything this ridiculous?

Twitter

twitter icon (for Fluid), originally uploaded by seyDoggy.

So last week, I started diving into twitter. Twitter is like a micro-blog. I can write about things that take 140 characters or less, share links, and share a little bit of my life in the process. Who would do this? Businesses, celebrities, individuals, friends, the sky is the limit. Our current President twitters as do many celebrities, pastors, and bloggers (like some of the ones linked to this blog). I'm finding out that quite a few of my friends twitter as well.

Lately I haven't been able to share as many full length blogs, but I'm readjusting some things to make that more viable (plus there have been some really cool stories that I want to share, but haven't been able to yet!)

Anyhway, I thought I would take a moment to introduce you to twitter. I'm amazed at the number of people I'm finding on twitter. Some people treat it like a facebook status update or wall post (read more about facebook and twitter in the articles linked in this sentence.)

So I'm telling you about twitter because I have linked my "tweets" (twitterese for updates or blog posts) to this blog in the left hand column. While this will never replace full length blogs, it does allow for me to share a bit of my life while on the go. You can twitter from a phone (but standard texting rates apply), so I choose to use the web and twitterfon to make my posts.

Now some people twitter about anything and everything--for instance, some twitter that they woke up and went to bed. I don't plan on doing any such thing. But I do plan on experimenting with it a bit. So if you are into the whole twitter thing, check my little mini-blog out it goes by the same name as this one.

And if you feel like it, you can let me and the world know your thoughts on the whole thing by leaving a comment on this blog.

Have a wonderful day!

Canal View

During our last full day in Amsterdam, our team took a canal boat tour of the city. I took a ton of photos, and I felt like this one was particularly blogworthy. (It continues some of my thoughts on time).

This week, I had every intention of catching up my blog, but I found myself constantly distracted. There just seems to be SO MUCH going on at any moment in my life. I know I'm not alone in that feeling--we all live pretty busy lives it seems . . .

Monday I celebrated my birthday, but unfortunately I haven't really had time to reflect on it. I'd like to take some time over the next few days to think about my life, my goals, and my plans for the year, but we'll see if time is on my side.

I guess it's all a matter of priority though isn't it? Today, I made a commitment to myself to sleep in, to spend more time in prayer, and to move slowly and deliberately through the day instead of in a flurry.

How does that relate to the photo above? In the canal boat, we were a captive audience. We had purposed to go on the ride, and we had no choice but to sit patiently until the ride was over. I couldn't speed the driver up, and really I wouldn't have wanted to. How on earth could I enjoy anything if I went through it too fast.

Even during this time of so much going on, I'm tempted to rush through it and be done with it, but I feel like by doing so, I would be cheating myself of many lessons that could be learned. I think that's the case with any trial. We want to push through it quickly because it is exhausting and painful and time consuming, but when we push through too quickly we fail to learn and grow and benefit fully from the trial--and so it comes again.

The year on the canal struck me--a bridge was built over this canal in 1728. That was a long time ago. It probably wasn't built too fast. Maybe it was just completed in 1728, but took several years prior to establish a solid foundation. And because of it's solid foundation, I could travel under it nearly 300 years later. That's building for endurance.

Often times, I think we are tempted to not build for endurance. I think we are tempted toward quick fixes, sugar highs, and band-aids over lasting solutions that stand the test of time.

Deep down, we all want the lasting solution, but the effort is not easy. It's challenging to build something that will last 300 years, or even 3 years.

Here's a little tid bit about the canal boat tour too. The captain told us that the water in the canals was pretty nasty. There were house boats all along the canals in which people lived. Their sewage went into the canals. So you want a sturdy vessel to navigate the waters, and if you are going to build a bridge, you want to make sure it will endure. There is a lot of refuse that we have to navigate through in this life. Make sure you have a sturdy vessel and build lasting structures to keep you from swimming in the mess.

Have a great weekend, and I look forward to writing more soon.