We're engaged!

Rebekah and I got engaged on May 9th, 2009! After a long hike up Green Mountain in Boulder, around the Flatirons, we settled on a good rock (now dubbed Ring Rock) for a picnic lunch. After munching, Beka reached in the pack for desert and found the ring box. After I opened the empty box, I found the ring where Maria had hid it in another box in my pack. Thanks, Maria, for keeping it interesting!

Tentatively we have set the date for July 18th. View photos from the day here.

Reporting for Duty - Part 2

Last time, we talked about identity - and how important it is to search out some of the unique gifts, talents and circumstances you have been placed with and in so you can be closer to knowing what the Playwright is doing with your character.

This time, we'll talk about our Commander.

Have you ever known you were right, and then later realized you were wrong? How could you be so wrong when you were SO RIGHT? When you are wrong, but think you are right, it totally dictates HOW you act and behave and believe.

For example, after I had lived in my house for 3+ years, I got a statement from the energy company saying (in my own words) "By the way, we never sent you a bill, statement or anything to indicate you owed us money, but this whole time you have been racking up a debt and now owe us $3000+ for energy used. And it is past due. Here's a bill."

My world view was I was paying those charges to someone else - the city. If you asked, I would have bet the bill on it. Ah, but our world views are often tainted by misinformation, misunderstanding, misguidance, misnomers and other mis's.

Now that I had a correct view, I knew I would be shelling out more dough every month for utilities. But at least I had a correct view and wasn't going to go for another few years (or worse, for the rest of my life) only to realize I was living with the wrong information, and then be plowed over by a semi of life revealing how WRONG I was and how I wasted or misused my life.

Here it is, the one thing to remember from this post:

It is vital, paramount, essential, it is one of the most important things in life, to have a correct view of God, who He is and who He isn't.

Books you must read. If you haven't read them, do whatever it takes to get them!

• Chip Ingram - God as He longs for you to see him
  
• AW Tozer - The Attributes of God, (also see Vol 1, Vol 2 & others with same title for extra reading) and The Pursuit of God
  

When you have a right view of God, you start developing a right view of everything else! Yourself, your mission, how God works, the world, the things happening in the world, faith, surrender, love, service, family, friends and everything else that is important.

How do you let him use you to accomplish His purposes? Watch for where God is working, then join him there.

How do you get to know him more? Spend unhurried time with Him

(By the way, the energy company was gracious and we worked it out so I didn't have to pay the full balance)

Some hymns... old school, new style...

Between Two Worlds blog posted about some great hymns being made available for no charge.

Here's a cool project:

Page CXVI is a project started with the idea of making hymns accessible and known again.They are some of the richest, most meaningful, and moving pieces of music ever written.

For a limited time, you can download them for no charge!

Jackson Hole - Snowy, sunny, and super

I learned a lot on a trip to Jackson Hole, WY. Like, like the servant has a great reward for serving. I learned how to make sushi (thanks ED!), cook fondoo (thanks Leslie!), connected a little bit more with Pico de (thanks Maria!), met a cool dude from LA (Q for short), met a ton of cool people from Masters (maybe not a ton, you are all pretty skinny).

Q taught me to look for opportunities to give, to be generous, to show Christ's love to others without reservation. This IS the reward - the very act of doing it. The bonus comes later.

Eric showed me ways to connect with others.

Matthew 18:4, Matthew 23:11-12, Philippians 2:7, 1 John 3:16

See some photos here:

• Photos of snowshoeing and raw beauty
• Phil, Maria, Q, TMC team: Have any others we can link to here?
  
  

Chase Lions

Great post on Chasing Lions, my new favorite past time. Read the full post here, below is an excerpt:

“Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshipping what’s right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don’t try to be who you’re not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion!”

From II Samuel 23:20

Reporting for Duty - Part 1

Identity - We all have one. And out of 6.76 billion people on earth, no two are exactly alike. Out of the 50 million+ babies in the US that have been killed before exiting the womb, they all had their own. Out of the 11 million children who have died from starvation, dehydration, and other preventable diseases, they all had their own.

We are all part of the puzzle that makes up God's character - all our good parts. The evil parts all come from the fall, and make up the opposite of God's character.

It is so easy to misunderstand the identity God gave us - how do we know who we really are, not who we think we are, or who I wish I was, or who I want myself to be, but who did God put me on Earth to be?

I think these few steps can be helpful. They are not complete, by any means. What are your ideas and thoughts?

Grab your journal or a pen and paper and take this short journey with me...

• Find the meaning of your name - God often gives people their names for a reason, and does the same today. behindthename.com, babynamesworld, thinkbabynames.com, zelo.com, are a few to get you started. Each may give slightly different meaning, so check them all out.
• Identify your spiritual gifts - God will give you your strengths for a reason.
• Identify your favorite historical characters (from the Bible and other history), stories, movies, books, etc. And more importantly, identify why you like these. This will give you insight into who you are deep down.
• Identify your favorite scriptures - what sticks out, what really means something to you
• Write down what you want people to put on your tombstone - what do you want to be known for.

Some verses for thought: Eph 4:10, Titus 2:14, Daniel 11:32, the entire book of Ephesians.

As you go through this, remember, some people around you just need someone to believe that God can live in them and transform their lives - be that person for them! Phil 2:13, Heb 13:21

Oh, and one other thought: Often, God will reveal the answers to these questions about your purpose through crisis.

Further reading: No Great Leader initially set out to be a leader

Reporting for Duty - Part 1

How important do you think it is to know your identity?

When you go to the airport, if you aren't sure who you are you're sure to get a pat down, an odd look, and maybe a little jail time. In life, you're sure to confuse and frustrate yourself and the people around you, not accomplish your purposes that you've been put here for, and maybe a little jail time.

To me, it is all very pie in the sky talk - Know yourself, what is your identity? Who are you in Christ? What is your calling? I'd rather talk concrete stuff, like how many calories in a Jamba Juice (answer: 400+, a lot!).

Since I really believe that we all, every person on Earth, myself included, have a specific purpose and mission to fulfill, it becomes vitally important that we know who we are, who our Commander is, and what our mission is.

Can you imagine a platoon of soldiers going to battle, and no one knowing who they were (gunner or runner? Strategist or sniper? Major or Private First Class?), what their mission is (shoot the bad guys? Save the hostages? Don't get killed?) or who their commander is (that guy or this guy? Me or you?). It would be a slaughter! They would loose the battle and maybe the war!

Newsflash: We are at war. Time to get ready.

How do you discover any of these elusive elements? They seem so slippery - once you catch them, how do you keep them from falling back into the sea of oblivion?

That's what I'm going to try and work through in the next few posts. I don't have it figured out yet, but hopefully my ramblings will help you discover yours. Part 1 is Your Identity, Part 2 is Our Commander, and Part 3 is Surrender.

First up next week - Your identity - Why it matters, how you figure it out.

What are your thoughts?