The dream and the reality

Here we go for another try. I have dismally failed on this portion on my New Year's resolution, but I'm picking it up again. Pushing through to the inspiration and determination. Let it be so.

I've been reading the stories of Samuel and the first kings of Israel recently. In my journey, Israel has just made the transition from King David to King Solomon. One of the interesting points I picked up on this time through these chapters is the dream of building the temple.

David is the one who had the dream, the goal, the vision for the temple. He looked at his palace and realized how lovely it was and that the ark of the covenant was sitting in a tent. He started to make the plans and then God said, "Thank you so much for wanting to build this for me, but this isn't your job. Your son is going to build a temple for me."

Years later Solomon, having become incredibly wealthy and wise, remembered his father's vision and God's promise that David's son would build the temple. He picked up the dream and made it a reality. The description of the temple is awe-inspiring. The hundreds of bronze pomegranates, the altar, the 15 foot cherubim! God's house was amazing.

But I wonder, what if David hadn't had the dream in the first place. Would Solomon have built the temple without the dream of his father?

This makes me wonder if there are dreams I have that aren't for me to fulfill or what am I fulfilling that had their start in the dreams of others? We're definitely supposed to have dream and goals that we have and carry out, but sometimes maybe we are just the dream carrier, the dream conveyor and someone else carries out the dream and makes it reality.

David and Solomon's temple building story makes me wonder how many other times God has used someone as the dream sparker and another to carry out the plan.

I am a freak

An event took place recently that brought me to a harsh realization: I am a freak. Our weekly pastoral staff meeting generally starts with a pilgrimage to our favorite table and chairs at the Plover Starbucks, some of our absolute best work gets done there.
It was during one of these Starbucks meetings that the full extent of my freakishness was unveiled. I ordered my customary tall nonfat no whip peppermint mocha and then made a decision that changed the course of the entire meeting. I ordered oatmeal as well. It was prepared for me by the jovial barrista with a little milk and brown sugar. Perfect. But when she handed it to me, I got my first inclination that this was not going to be okay. It was in a thick cardboard container. It kind of makes me cringe just thinking about it.
I have a problem and my problem is wet cardboard or wood products. Wet cardboard boxes, popsicle sticks, wooden docks in lakes. When I was handed the cardboard cup with the delicious but wet oatmeal in it there was moment of panic. I quickly told myself to suck it up and get over it. I sat down in my regular chair and tried not to scrape the spoon along the cardboard as I ate my oatmeal. It did not work. I blanched as the spoon made contact with that stupid wet cardboard and Pastor Dan launched into the topics we needed to cover that morning. I tried as hard as I could to keep eating, but I couldn't. My teeth started tingling and I just put the oatmeal down to try and recover. But try as I might, the mere thought of the hideous wet cardboard sitting on the table in front of me controled my thoughts and physical reactions. No matter how I strained, I couldn't hear a word Pastor Dan was saying.
Finally I knew I had to do something about it. I went back to the counter and told the kind barrista that I had a problem. I had a problem with wet cardboard and, if possible, would like to have a bowl or glass cup to put the oatmeal in. As she looked at me with a puzzled expression, I admitted, "Yes, I know. I am a freak."
And here's the spiritual application. God loves you just the way you are. No matter what freakish fear you might have. God created you and loves you, even if you become petrified at the sight of the Starbucks cardboard oatmeal cup. Amen.

2009: The Year of Consistency

2009 is going to be the year for consistency.  This is the new resolution.  Consistency in many areas.  In writing, in reading, in running and it seems 2009 will be consistently exciting too.  The blog is going to become less hit and miss.  Regular updates, that's the goal.  I have to read more this year too.  Last year I fell dismally short on my reading goal, not this year.  No, this is 2009: The Year of Consistency.  

And Running.  Accomplished huge goal in this area in 2008.  Ran a 1/2 marathon.  But the running and other exercise has been sparatic in the last month or so.  Not so in 2009.  Not only because 2009 is the year of consistency.  No, there is added motivation.

The wedding!  No, not my own, but almost as exciting.  My dear friend Miss Julianne Whitten will be changing her last name to Paxson in September!  Juls and Matt got engaged last weekend.  So at the end of February or March I will be flying to DC for some fantastic wedding planning (including possible dress shopping) and in September I will return to Northern Virginia for the fabulous wedding!  Gotta look good the best friend's wedding!  Wonderful motivation.  With wedding planning taking place, 2009 is sure to be consistently exciting as well.

So there you have it.  The goals and reasons 2009 will be the year of consistency. Amen.

Youth Convention, Night 2

The second night of youth convention was even greater than the first.  More laughter, more worship, more change in lives!  Saturday night I got the opportunity to watch and pray as hundreds of students came forward to pray for freedom from the “lovers” they had been turning their attention to and trying to find comfort in instead of God.  The message was the story of Hosea, the prophet, and his wife Gomer, the unfaithful prostitute, whom he loved and chased.  “She decks herself with rings and jewelry and goes to find her lover.  But me she forgot.” was the key verse that evening.  Those are the words the Lord spoke about Israel’s unfaithfulness.  You can hear His heartbreak. 

1,500 students were challenged to stop turning to their vices for comfort and solace and instead recognize God’s freedom and love.  I watched, prayed and cried as hundreds of students came streaming from every corner of the La Crosse Center to turn away from the answers and fulfillment of the world to God.  Students prayed and were changed.  They were set free from suicidal thoughts and depression, addictions to pornography, drugs and alcohol and anorexia, bulimia and cutting.  God is good and it was wonderful to see Him work so personally in lives.

The freedom found when we stop trying to make our vices stretch to cover our pain is amazing.  We admit our tactics and comforts don’t cut it and don’t fix the hurt.  We stop telling ourselves the lie that we can handle the situations and trials of life.  Instead, we stand in Christ, trusting not in our understanding and ability, but in His goodness and faithfulness.  Releasing the lie and embracing the Truth brings miraculous freedom.  And the miracle of freedom is what hundreds of students experienced on Saturday night.  The relief and joy seemed tangible as students began to worship God with all of their hearts, minds and souls, not just the portions that weren’t busy trying to find a solution and hold it all together.

It was an amazing and miraculous event.  I’m so happy I was able to be a part of it.

Youth Convention, Night 1

This weekend I get the privilege of helping the district with registration at youth convention in La Crosse, WI.  Last night we opened up and it was great.  Smooth sailing for registration, but nearly flawless check in, while incredible, was nothing, absolutely nothing compared to the service!

There are 1,500 people here this weekend and last night the vast majority of those people were worshiping God full tilt.  Interface is the worship band here this weekend and the excellence of music and heart they bring opens the doors for students to respond by pouring their worship out to God too.  A message given by Reggie Dabbs, interspersed with drama and music, on choosing to turn in the lies and junk of the world for the truth and life of God, to turn away from the past that has hurt to the God who heals, was exactly what was needed.  As I stood by the registration table in the lobby, I watched over 400 students pour out of the stadium and head to the response room where they talked about their first time or re-commitment to Christ.

Then I saw all 1,100 people left in the stadium praise God and worship Him with all of their might and as those 400 rejoined the rest of the group they entered in completely as well.  It was a great night to be in La Crosse and a wonderful first night at WNMD Youth Convention.

This afternoon there are football, basketball and dodgeball tournaments taking place.  The champion team from each sport gets to take home a 5' trophy.  There is definite excitment and competition in the air.  Let the games begin!  

Looking forward to a good day and evening!

Music of the Revolution

Tuesday I traveled to Madison to be a part of the revolution and on Wednesday at 12:08am the great leaders of Greycoats took the stage.  Well worth the travel and wait and exhaustion this morning.  I knew I appreciated their music before I saw them, but last night solidified my opinion of them as a truly superb band.  Greycoats’ Setting Fire to the Great Unknown is the CD to buy and the concert to attend.  They’re based out of Minneapolis, MN and just finished their East Coast tour last night, or this morning rather.

I woke up several times throughout the night with one of their songs rolling through my mind and that brought a broad smile to my face.  What a fantastic group. 

Seek out Greycoats and hear for yourself their ability to captivate.  Fantastic.  Find them online at Greycoats, Myspace or facebook and enjoy.

"Oh my gosh, for goodness sake, you just ran around a lake"

That’s what the man on the side of the road with drums at mile 12.5 sang as I ran past him on Saturday morning.  The word “ran” in that sentence has a very loose definition, he was sitting at the top of a large hill and I was more… not even jogging, it was a bit more like shuffling by the time I got to him.  But I was pleased. 

I’ve been training for a half marathon, a 13 mile run, all summer and for those of you who know me, you know that’s a HUGE stretch.  I hate running.  But, even so, I really wanted to say I’d run a half marathon (I wasn’t foolish enough to think I could tackle the whole).  I’d tried training before, but it never worked and then in May I felt like God said, “Now’s the time.”  When my friend Rhonda asked if I’d run with her, I agreed.

When I was in DC at the Unplugged conference I was introduced to the phrase “Fall in love with the climb”.  The phrase means to love the journey, the fun and the pain and the mess that comes with it.  The phrase was so brilliant to me that I wanted to do something physical to represent it.  I was already in training for the half marathon and it just seemed to click in.  All summer I’ve been trying to love the journey of training for the half marathon.  And surprisingly, I have for the most part.  When I started I could barely run a mile (seriously, it was bad) and then at the end 3 or 4 miles was no problem.

Through the process I’ve learned things about myself, one of the most important being that I can handle more than what I think I can handle.  I’ve learned things about God, like the fact that He is faithful and when we enter into a plan with Him, He will see us through and help us to the very end.  I’ve learned things about topography, like there is no place in the world that is as flat as Plover and that if you’re used to running in Plover, running anywhere else seems like a mountain range.

So, what’s the next big challenge?  I’m not quite sure yet, but I think it might have something to do with music.  Quite possibly leading worship from the guitar.  Ooo, that’s scary.