Checking Off the List

As I stated in my last post, I am planning to make this a year of change for me. One of those changes was to blog more, which I really have not done well at. I have thoughts and ideas of what I want to blog about. I actually have a list of things I want to write about. The challenge for me is making time. I guess the fact that I am blogging for a second time and it's only the 13th of the month is an improvement from last year. We'll see how it continues.

Blogging is not the only thing I am planning to change this year. There is a long list of changes that I'm hoping to implement in the coming weeks and months. Actually, I've accomplished quite a bit so far. For example, one change that I was looking to make was rearranging my office. I moved into my current office about four years ago. I've only rearranged once. Now, for some of you, that might be normal. Some of you might be saying, why rearrange at all? If it works, it works. Leave it alone. That doesn't work for me. I need to make changes every so often to shake things up. The challenge for me is this: I have a lot of stuff in my office. Plus, I really struggled to find a new layout for the stuff in my office. The bookshelves, couch, and workstations created a Rubic's Cube rearranging challenge. But, I prevailed...AND had room for a new coffee cart! Now, there are still a few boxes of stuff to deal with, but I've checked it off the list.

Another thing I have been attempting with the new year is read and learn more. Last year I really felt like my work and study stagnated. I wasn't doing horrible work, I simply wasn't pushing forward with anything I was doing. Shaking that off has been a focus of mine since October. I plan to read through the Bible this year in addition to studying specific sections more (maybe Isaiah?). I also plan to dig more into other literature and books. So far I'm doing well on reading my Bible. I'm a day ahead in my year plan (which I am doing on youversion.com). I'm also about half way through Tribes by Seth Godin. While its not a full check because we are only 13 days into the new year, its a check of being on target this far in because I'm normally off track already.

I am also trying to lose part of myself. My family history is riddled with heart attacks, high blood pressure, and other not so good things. Part of the reason there are so many issues is that we, as a family, like to eat. And we do. If you were to ever come to a family reunion or any gathering for that matter, you would see endless amounts of good, hearty food. Seriously, you haven't lived until you sit down to a full plate of cabbage rolls, Mom Lowman potato salad, and Aunt Jeanie's baked beans, followed by a slice of Aunt Garnet's velvet red cake or Aunt Ina's warm rice pudding. Now you know why I weigh over 300 pounds. My familiy taught me how to appreciate food. While I plan to continue to appreciate it, I am planning to appreciate it in smaller quantities so I can live long enough to not have the routine bypass surgery or heart attack that many in my family have had. More importantly, I want to see Hannah grow up. If I continue on the pace I am on, I'd be lucky to see her graduate. So, I've been cutting back. I'm making progress and somewhat enjoying it.

Now, I don't say all these things to be prideful. I say them to show that I'm at least 13 days into some good changes and getting them out there so you all, all five of you that read this, can maybe ask once in awhile about them to make sure I haven't digressed.

I also write about them to maybe challenge you. Where are you at in your life right now? Are there things you want to do, yet never really accomplish it? Maybe there's a habit you need to change or a new, better habit you need to start. I challenge you to do some self reflection, some prayer, and dive in. Join me in making 2011 a year of change for the good.

Happy New Year

It is a new year.  Hope you all enjoyed your celebrations tonight.  We had a quiet evening at home with friends.  Hannah Grace made it till the new year, ate a cheese curl, and then went to bed.  What a funny kid.

My soul longs for this new year ahead.  I'm looking forward to the changes that I look to make in my life.  I look forward to the ministry that God has in store for me.  I look forward to reveling in God's grace and love for yet another year.  

Goodbye 2010.  Bring on 2011.

Dim then Bright . . . or at least Brighter Than Dim

I've really been thinking a bunch lately.  I'm nearing my 10 year anniversary here at South.  I've been thinking much about what I've done, what I've not done, what I should have done.  Plus, I've really felt like I've been in a rut with my job.  Nothing's really wrong, I guess.  I think that I've simply been doing it for 10 years now, and its become sort of second nature.  That's not good, in my opinion, because you just do the job then, or at least that is how I was feeling.   

Then, a few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to attend the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, GA.  Simply put, Catalyst is a conference put on to encourage ministers and church leaders to continue on being the Kingdom of God and challenging their congregations to be the Kingdom of God.  It was a breath of fresh air to my soul, especially being in the place I was in before going.

There is not space here to share all the great messages, challenges, and what all that we heard and saw during the whirlwind two day conference.  But, I want to share what I've been thinking so I can try and unpack it out of my head and to hopefully have you all, my five or so faithful readers, enter into a dialogue about what to do with it, if anything.  So, here you go.

It seemed that at every corner of the conference, there were stories after stories of people doing huge things for those in other countries who either don't have stuff they need like clean water to drink or who were being treated with injustice in some way like being held captive as slaves in the sex trade.  These things really made my mind work.  Within 100 miles, we have Detroit, where people live in oppressed situations.  We have that here in Lansing.  There are strip clubs within 2 miles of my house and 1 mile of the church that I serve.  The people we heard from the stage are people who are taking action and doing something about what is around them--what they see.  I have really been struggling with the question of what am I doing here?  What am I seeing? What am I going to do about it?   What is breaking my heart?  Is anything breaking my heart?  If its not, why are my eyes broken?

In light of that, my mind has really been thinking about the freedom that the conference had to share what they shared, how they shared it.  They had covered their costs with the monies from those attending.  They were able to speak freely and challenge us to be God's kingdom here and now.  Their vision/voice was beyond the event.  The questions that bubble up to me then, is what is my vision?  Am I looking beyond the tasks I need to do week to week, or am I thinking in a bigger picture of what do I need to do to help the people at South see?

Even more simpler than that, I question how I am praying?  What am I praying for?  Am I putting myself in the path of God?  Am I praying enough and asking God what he wants to use me, what he wants me to see.  Or, am I simply asking him to provide what I think I need?  These are a few of the questions rolling around in my head.

I've been here almost 10 years.  What have I done?  How have I advanced the kingdom of God here at South?  I've had the privilege to be a part of some great things here.  I've had the opportunity to watch some of my students in the youth ministry understand what they are called to be and chase after it through Bible college and go into ministry.  Those are awesome things.  But, at the same time, I question, what more could I have done?  How much more do we look like, act like, live like Jesus than we did before I was here (not that I am the end all).  

That leaves me here:  Since I can't change the past, what am I going to do from here.  What is my roll in pushing South to become a body of people who love God in a passionate way that we seek out what it is God is calling us to be (like Jesus) and then do it.  What is my roll in helping people encounter that calling, process it, and live it out?  

From there, the question becomes, how do I do that?

This is where my brain is at.  This is what I think about when I drive down the street and see all the people between my house and the church that I serve.  I covet your thoughts and ideas.

My prayer is that God would give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and the moxie to do something for His glory and His Kingdom.

Drink Coffee. Do Good.

Having coffee with Chad Cronin at this coffee shop today.  Its a great little shop that has the feeling of the old Hill of Beans from back in my early GLCC years.  Wicker tables and chairs, little nooks in crannies in the house, and, most importantly, good coffee.

Plus, they are doing coffee right, in that they are doing fair trade coffee a step further, by working directly with a grower in Rwanda to make sure that the small growers are getting the money they deserve for their products.  My friend, Cassidy, did some work in this vein when he shot video for the Bicycles for Rwanda project.

What do you need to do?  Drink coffee responsibly.  Make sure it is fair trade--meaning the growers are getting treated fairly in the process.  Also, make sure you are getting coffee from places who use, not abuse those they get their coffee from.  You can certainly buy coffee from places like Land of a Thousand Hills and know that you are being a good steward with your cup of joe.