Estes Park, Colorado

I'm going to one of my earthly homes this summer. Estes Park, Colorado. My Mom found a house for the 10 of us to rent this summer for a few days. I spent my High School years in Estes Park.

Since its located in Northern Colorado and my parents have settled in Central Colorado I don't make it back to my home turf very often.

What a joy to be with there with my Mom, Dad, Brother and all the additions that God has brought to our little family.

This place means a great deal to me. Growing up in the mountains was a unique privilege that I don't take lightly. The people who live there are outdoor adventurers, risk takers and admires of God's handiwork. Those people and their passions made a very big impression on me.

Most importantly God made a bigger impression. How can you not be wowed by Him when your seven mile commute into school everyday brings you to vistas that never cease to inspire? Majesty, beauty, strength, wildness, dependence, the brilliance of snow covered trees...

In August I will go and remember with family and old friends, and be grateful to rediscover it with the next generation of our family. A blessing indeed!

What get away are you most excited about this summer?

All figured out...

This week I signed up for my last class at Fuller Theological Seminary.

I am very excited about this last course. The title of it is Participation in the Ministry of Christ. I could not be more excited about the description of the course and its desired learning outcomes. It matches up so beautifully with what has been most enjoyable and challenging about my journey through seminary.

I will return to Southern California for two weeks in July to complete the course. The Lord, through his wonderful people, has provided gracious hosts and even transportation for me while I'm there. I'm looking forward to many wonderful reunions.

One friend will just be arriving back from Israel so I'll get to see all her pictures and hear her stories. I'm very grateful for the timing of this because we believe the Lord wants all three of us to travel to Israel with our church next spring. So it will be fun to hear about her experience and I'm sure will get me even more excited about our upcoming trip.

Another friend will just be returning from co-leading a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. I am excited to be praying with her about some specific things and can't wait to hear how God worked through her and in her on that trip!

That's just a couple of the conversations I hope to have.

As I reflect back on the last five years and look forward into the near future, I realize how much of an adventure my life with Christ has become. He has called me to follow him by faith to places that were unknown and intimidating. He keeps asking me to continue living my life that way. It has gotten a tiny bit easier to follow the Lord into these places because His love and faithfulness have only get more obvious. For that I am very grateful.

I know what it is like to feel stuck. I hated that feeling. Let me encourage you that if your feeling that way to ask God to show the way out that He has for you. Whatever challenges that journey brings will be worth whatever cost you might have to pay.

Continuing the adventure...

Indifference or love?

The opposite of love is not hate it is indifference.

I read this statement in The Shack this morning. Its not the first time I've contemplated this idea.

Love teaches us to not be indifferent to God and to others. Love teaches not to be indifferent to ourselves. There is much that needs attention paid to it.

This is one of the reasons that I believe prayer matters. Talking to God gives our relationship with Him a chance to matter. It matters that I say thank you. It matters that I worship the Lord with words and songs. It matters that I seek wisdom from God. It matters that my friends are hurting or seeking and that I talk to the Lord about those things. It matters that I look back and think about the motivations behind the things I did that I don't want to do in the future.

Some days I convince myself it doesn't matter. I become indifferent. I choose not to love. That is sad and prideful.

I do not want to be indifferent and absent of love. I'm grateful God knows when I get there and that He pulls me back. He loves me back.

Where are you indifferent to God? Where are you indifferent to people? Talk to God about it and be in awe of what happens next. Or, if you don't feel like talking try just sitting with Him.

Maturity

Quote:

Jesus has a different view of maturity: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go. Henri Nouwen


So when do we believe enough in Christ to go where we don't want to go? When have you believed enough to go to such a place? How did God meet you there? What did you learn about God or yourself or both together?

The answer to these questions must have endless possibilities and fantastic stories.

I marvel at how long and patiently and artfully the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are willing to work for us to trust God enough so that we will go places we do not want to go.

Honest Conversation

I had a conversation yesterday with my son.

It may be one of the most important we ever have. Both God and lies were intensely at work in what what going on.

Honest tough questions got thrown my direction. Sincere thought through and completely believed by me answers got served back in his direction. Praise God, his heart and mind connected with what I shared with him.

I saw my son move from doubt back to faith, hopelessness back to courage, from anger to love. It was one of the greatest privileges of my life to be in that conversation with him.

Class

When I signed up for my New Testament Class this spring. I was excited because I thought I'd have a lot to write about related to what I'm learning in the class. I'm learning too much. It's hard to condense all that I'm learning right now into a blog entry.

However I have new appreciation for Paul. Jesus Christ swept into Paul's life and changed every perspective he had. Once he could see with new eyes he was tenacious about getting the word out. He was full of compassion and zeal and love for his formerly sworn enemies - the Gentiles. He wanted everyone to understand what God was revealing to humankind through Jesus Christ.

One of the reasons why I wanted to go to seminary is the experience I am having in this class. What is the big picture? Each time I get a glimpse of how one book of the Bible fits in with all the books I see the picture better than I did before. So far it blows me away every single time. God is beyond big. God inspires awe. The way God has moved through history to reveal himself is breathtaking. Once again, short on words that match what is going on in my soul.