Big, BIG day!

Mission trip are always fun... and always bring a little anxiety.  There is always the unexpected.  As the India 7 prepare to leave today, I hope you'll be praying for us, but even more so, pray for those we will see.  Pray for safety.  And pray for our families that we leave behind.  I already miss Pam and Ben.  But it's gonna be great.  When there is assurance in a call, anxiety and stress seem to melt away.  See you there!

I've heard lots of good comments about our Resolved blog from various people this week.  Actually the whole series seems to be striking a chord.  Here is a caution for you:  if you are looking for a sermon series, practical as it might be, to be the 4-step process that "fixes" you... you are about to be very disappointed.  Our objective is to get us thinking and asking questions.  Questions like:

• Is there balance in my life?
  
• Is there a specific area that is WAY out of balance?
  
• Do I know my purpose in life?
  
• And am I doing ANYTHING to figure out what that purpose is. 
  

This list is not exhaustive... but it should be a warning to all of us.  Our culture likes quick satisfaction, and linear, 1-2-3 step processes that guide us to a conclusion.  Life just doesn't work that way.

So, check out the Resolved blog, RESOLVE09.BLOGSPOT.COM, and let's continue the journey together.

Speaking of journey's, I hope you will be praying for the India 7 as we leave on Friday!  And look for India updates frequently.

Crazy Week

I knew coming in that this was going to be a crazy week.  There are a thousand little details that have to be resolved before I head around the world to India on Friday, plus the day to day routine of leading a church remains as well as leading a household.  It seems that God is opening doors for new friendships and new opportunities to live out my faith.  It has been a huge reminder that the Christ-following life is always full of surprises and opportunities.

Don't get me wrong.  I know that "business" doesn't equal "Godliness."  Far from it.  But I do believe that when we pray for opportunities, He gives them, as well as empowers us to accomplish that which He has called us.  

We asked Ridgies (RCC members and attenders) to pray for fertile soil as we head to India, so I'm repeating that request here.  Pray for safety for us as travelers.  Pray for the "ground crew" that is there, that live there, that God has been using... Pray for their encouragement and clear vision for the task at hand.  And certainly pray for those that our team will have contact.  There is such a huge spiritual need; I am confident that the Holy Spirit is already going before us.

I can't promise daily updates from India because of internet availability, but there will be contact.  It's going to be a great trip after a crazy week.

Planning the course...

The staff of RCC has been hard at work the past two days finalizing and tweaking plans for 2009.  It's going to be exciting, but that's not really what this blog is about.

It's so awesome to think about how off the charts creative our God truly is.  It's just as crazy that Christians don't even try to tap in to that creativity most of the time.  Our process of charting our course was so refreshing.  Yeah, we chased rabbits and laughed, but it was so cool to see God's finger prints begin to emerge from the white board as we thought through the needs of our church and community.

We all need to grow... to be stretched.  I just wish that we (read: I) would be more determined to look at life a little more creatively on a day to day basis.

By the way, have you checked out our blog for the current series?

www.resolve09.blogspot.com

Go do something creative!

Sometimes we're just dumb sheep

I'm looking out my window wishing the sun would shine some warmth into my office.  This old house is a huge blessing, but a warm haven it is not.  It was 60 inside when the office staff arrived this morning, and isn't much warmer now...

Anyway, back to the window.  So, as I'm sitting here thinking about tons of things, and listening to my teeth chatter, I noticed a van parked on the curb across from my desk and going in the wrong direction.  It had only been there for a few minutes when the parking enforcement guy wandered by, and quick as a flash, a ticket was written.  

Come on people... who parallel parks in the wrong direction and thinks that's ok?  What was he thinking?  Was his brain frozen?

Then it hit me... Aren't we all like that?  I mean, how many times during the day do we know what we should do (or shouldn't do) and do just the opposite?  What are we thinking?  Especially, if we count ourselves as followers of Christ, how is it that we make some of the decisions that we make?

The van driver just got back and found his special gift on his windshield from the City of Franklin.  I guess his day just took a turn.  I hope I remember the next time I start to park going the wrong direction.

Forward!

Yesterday was a good day for our church. Pastor Ridley took the morning to talk through some vital issues for us to focus on as we begin this new year. It's interesting to me that it is vitally important to look back and forward at the same time. There are so many lessons that we can learn from our past that can make moving forward so much more strategic. At the same, we can't get caught up in living in our past, or resting on the successes of our past. That is true for individuals, families, churches... whatever the organization.
Don't just drift into this new year. Be strategic in planning and finding your purpose and "point-of-view" as we roll into this second full week of the new year.
Forward!!

Happy New Year

Well, here we are.. 01/01/09. It even looks odd to see it in print. Today is the day that we all make plans for the new year; plans to get out of debt, loose weight, simplify our lives, etc, etc. And then in a week or so, we'll look back and wonder how things could get out of hand, again, so easily.

I've decided to take a slightly different approach this year. Yeah, I'm like many of you... Definitely need to loose some around the middle, definitely need to find some traction financially in these tough economic times. But, I've decided that I want 2009 to the year of open eyes. The past two years have been "reactionary" a little bit. We've battled cancer, taken on the role of parents, and continued to explore life in a VERY young church. This year, I want to be even more aware of the opportunities that God gives me, and then be faithful to respond.

At the same time, I also know that I can't get caught up in the business trap that is so easy for Christians to fall prey to. Busy does not equal Godly... so I guess that brings me back to balance. Am I rambling?

Anyway, I'm excited about the opportunities. I'm excited about seeing RCC take another step towards maturity. I'm excited to travel to India and see the Holy Spirit do what ONLY He can do in a place that is so dark. I'm excited to see another church that RCC will partner with begin to take root in Fargo, ND. And I'm excited to see how my family will continue to morph and develop.

I'm looking forward to a great year... and I hope that you are as well.