Obviously, this one makes you think. Makes me want to check out the book.
It had been a few weeks since I had seen my friends downtown because of not feeling well and an adventure I will tell about in a few months.
-I saw Jim, who has been working through a cooking program in Raleigh. He has completed 5 of the 11 weeks to be placed in an eventual apprenticeship to get a paying job. He still is struggling with all the drama at the shelter he sleeps in, but he is keeping positive and relying on God to give him grace for other people. He is flying out of town to get his heart checked on, I attempted to tell him of a resources to getting to the airport, but I really wished I already lived downtown to be able to take him.
- I saw Billy, who is still needing to find a place where he can sleep with his whole family. He continues to move up in the rankings for a good shelter, but continues to not see his wife and child except for a few hours a day. He asked if we could help get his child some warm clothing, which I think I already have covered because of some generous people at Story Church in Durham, NC.
- Today, I witnessed another miracle. We have not been able to get much in the way of clothes donations. Hugh called and let us know that Apex United Methodist had donated a lot of warm clothes for people. It was so much that it nearly filled the back half of our Expedition. It was yet another time that God provided in the last day of our real need.
Please pray for Suzanne and I as we embark on our next adventure of selling our house in Apex and moving into downtown Raleigh. We have incredible amounts of vision of what God will do through us, just need the prayer support to make it happen. If you want to know more, keep watching this blog for more details to be coming soon.
We still could use some people to give monthly to our organization, Love Wins, as we always have a need for work boots to put people to work downtown.
*Names have been changed above for obvious reasons
I had a lot of fun creating this with Chris Marlow of H.E.L.P. I have a couple more coming for H.E.L.P. and Love Wins coming in the next few weeks. I edited it on Final Cut Pro 6 Academic. I especially like the song by Aaron Ivey on it.
Saving our sons – Life – News & Observer
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What makes one day good and the other bad? Is it perspective? Attitude?
Example of what I could say after today:
1. I had twenty-four six year olds bugging me with questions every minute of the day.
or a different attitude reflects…
2. I had the opportunity to create alongside, imagine with, and shape the minds of young children today with the talents/gifts given to me.
I know attitude plays a larger role than many of us want to admit. I sang a bit more today. I spoke a little more excited today. I cherished the day. Not because it was Monday, but because my attitude changed my perspective and reminded of all I have to be thankful for.
BTW – My dad is recovering well and I just found out that my wife’s back injury is healing up. I have even more to be thankful for.
There are times in life, where you just don’t think you can handle anymore. I remember living in it over the last couple of years as I worked part time as a children’s pastor of a growing church, taught full-time in public school, and worked on attaining my Master’s in Education. People would ask me, “How do you do it?” I would simply say, “You just get it done,” or “ like to work,” or my favorite, “I really enjoy school.” Most of those were true. I will let you guess which ones.
I remember as a young follower of Jesus, that many people would say, “God will never give you more than you can handle,” but it just never made me feel less stressed. I wish it would have, I prayed it and told myself it many times. I did have moments of peace, when I learned to take breaks. We get caught in the trap of being a “human doing”, so busy doing what “God gave us”, that we begin to burn out.
I guess I think a little differently now, as I sit on my computer on a night where I don’t have a lot to stress about. No papers due, no online discussion to do, and no stressing over my grades. I have work to do at school and for church, but by going through such a busy season God has taught me to prioritize (God and a little reading of a lesser book Getting Things Done).
So I guess I would say, I have what I can handle, and know that God will trust me with a bit more for going through the last season. I can’t wait to see what He is going to do in the coming days, months, and years. My job is to remain faithful, disciplined, and rested. His job is to not give me more than I can handle, I am glad that is his job and not mine.
The lights faded in the auditorium. Then a regular guy appeared barefoot and in blue jeans. I was quite shocked by his appearance. I was expecting something a little different, maybe a bit more dignified. But he came walking out and forever begin to change my mind as to what sacrifice really meant. This guy was Rich Mullins, he came out and involved us all in a different way of thinking in his music, life, and death. I guess today, I just wanted to say, I miss you Rich. Though I only saw you in concert two times, you made me think about the authenticity of my faith and continue to do so through the music God gave through you.
Recently my father suffered a heart failure and I headed back to help out however I could. I boarded an airplane for the first time in five years not knowing what my Dad might look like as I walked into his room. As I arrived, I got to see my Dad almost immediately and he looked healthy, besides the cords and attachments that the nurses placed in him. I helped my family get a few things done as I was there during this time. I also had a lot of time to think. Here a few of my thoughts unfiltered:
- Each day is truly a gift from God
- I need to be more serious about losing weight and being healthy
- God prepares your heart and mind (Suzanne suggested a book to me about weight loss and it ended up that the author had the same type of heart failure as my dad. It helped me know what Dad will go through in the coming months.)
- I need to be more serious about how I spend my time “off” (I am a confessed workaholic) – sometimes people admire hard workers, but they don’t realize that many times we admire people who “rest well”
- I have good friends that I need to spend more time with.
- I have so much to be thankful for.
- I am full of hope, but sometimes I struggle with a top layer of faith.
The week ended, I came home truly a different person. Not totally different, just a few degrees radically different. This was the first time I have been away from home for more than two days in two years. I can’t wait to make some trips back to KC and of course enjoy the beauty that is North Carolina.
Thanks for following my blog, I hope it made you think today. We have so much to be thankful and hopeful for, we must bring our hope to fruition.
Sometimes I just walk,
Sometimes I question every step.
I wish I was one of those,
Who trusted every time,
Who had faith to leap,
Who did not look back,
What does it feel like to leap I ask?
Unsafe, dangerous, and deadly,
I hear,
I know this can’t be fully true,
Yet I still hesitate to lean in.
God grant me…
It was nice to get away today to Raven Rock State Park, where a sign that read, “Stay on the trail or you inflict a injury or even death.” We should have been cautioned, but it actually made Suzanne, Lucy, and I excited. Lucy our dog was excited as she left a surprise for the next passerby. We hiked about a 3/4 a mile down and decided to take a side trail to the overlook point. It was quite beautiful and we paused there for awhile. It overlooked a river and reminded both of us Chimney Rock near Asheville. We headed back from the overlook to the main trail, and followed it all the way down to the river. This is where the Raven Rock State Park got its name, there was a gigantic rock formation, that was unlike anything we have seen in the triangle area. There were lots of stairs, people, and roots to trip on, but it made for an exciting day adventure for all of us. It also helped us get our exercise in for the day. Nature has always had the effect of resetting me, I needed it today. Getting out in nature helps me to realize that I am such a small part of this world, yet God loves me immensely. I needed to see his work today, to remind me of the work he is doing through me.
