Combining and injustice

So I am in Saskatchewan right now visiting Amy's family and doing some support raising. Today was a weird day filled with strange and bizzar emotions. I just wanted to take a minute and talk about it with you.

Amy's family are farmers. Her dad and two brothers farm together in N. Saskatchewan. This year for them has been shit, to say the least and to say it bluntly. Please don't be offended by my use of words as I am not swearing, but trying to put things into perspective. There has been a lot of rain, which has stopped them from getting into the fields to harvest the crop. Their machinery has also been breaking down, which not only stops them from getting in the field, but costs them money in time and parts.

So, I was driving to Humbolt today to pick up a part and kept thinking of what I was about to do tonight at the church. I was talking about our ministry in Seattle and also about the The Invisible Children injustice issues. I couldn't get my head around the fact that it just seemed irrelevant and pointless to talk about stuff that we are doing and injustice issues when things were so hard here for the farmers. I almost bailed out as I just felt ridiculous.

Well I am now back at Amy's house and I made my presentation in spite of how I felt. I have a different perspective now than I did before I shared. My perspective now is that I needed to share with the church about injustice and the ministry that we are involved in. I told them that a part of our job is to help young people see that the world does not revolve around them, but there are other issues that are going on in the world that are different and at times, many times worse than the stuff they are going through.

This is how I felt tonight. I felt that even though things are tough for the farmers in this community, and I don't want to down play that especially since it just started raining again, that they needed to look outside of themselves and their own situations to see what else is important in the world. I hope that this is making sense. Anyway, all that to say that I feel tonight went well. I hope people heard from Jesus and not just little old me.

If I could as you one thing though it would be to please pray for the farmers in this area, specifically Amy's family. That would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Waffle House

I am in Nashville with my bud's from the Mission Adventures N. America Leadership Team, (don't worry, i'm not that important) and we went to the Waffle House for my first time. It was at 12:30am so it was a little more funny than usual i am sure. Anyway, things were great at home, now I am here for 3 day's. After that it is off to Saskatchewan for a few day's then home sweet home.

I miss my wife, can I just say that. She is a great person who I need in my life.

Also, I have wanted to get bumped for a while now on a flight and yesterday was my day. Unfortunately I couldn't take it as I needed to be where I am. It was free hotel and travel voucher. Oh well, I will pray that I get it again on the way home.

Later.

Pizza Pops

It is good to be in Canada, they are a bit odd here though. No offence to the country I grew up in, but they are still stuck in the 80's in a lot of way's. It is kinda funny and weird in a way.

One of the best things about coming here is raiding mom's fridge. Mom alway's takes care of me food wise. This time though, my nephew Stephen has been living with my mom and we like the same bad for you food, specifically Pizza Pops. To my dismay, yesterday I went into the freezer for a 3pm afternoon Pizza Pop snack and Stephen had gotten to them 1st. So sad.

Today I got to give a presentation to my home church about Cambodia as they are coming there with me in May. It was great to be able to do it. It also reminded me of how much I love that country and the people there, I can't wait to return.

Tomorrow night I give a 35 min. presentation to my home church at the evening service. I am very excited about that as I am talking about purpose and how we need to find our purpose and start to live it out. I am also talking about Invisible Children and how we can make a difference in the injustice that goes on in the world. Please keep that in your prayers if you read this.

Finally, there are no Mac's here. Another sad thing in a beautiful country.

Later eh!

So far so good.

Well I am here, sitting outside Best Buy so that I can send and receive. That sucks, but at least it is close to my house and it has wireless. Anyway, things are good. I like being here, but it is always a little wierd coming. I feel that there is an expectation, either put on me by me or by others. I want to rest, but I know I need to connect with people, which I love doing. I also just miss home and my friends and community back in Seattle.

Anyway, if you think of me just pray that I can enjoy, rest and connect.

Later

Gone to Winnipeg

Well, in 7 hours, at 6:30AM the family and I are off to Winnipeg. We will be there for 2 weeks. I am very excited to go and see family, supporters, old friends and new friends. It should be a great visit. It will be great to go to my home church and have an opportunity to speak to them about what we are doing out here and what there prayers and support is going to. I hope to raise our support a little bit while home as well.

It will, as always, be good to see family. I look forward to spending time just hanging out and being with them. I also hope that my mom stocked the fridge.

Finally, I am excited to hook up with my friend Jamie Arpin -Ricci who along with his wife Kim head up YWAM Winnipeg.

There is also a chance to see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers with my friend Matt. I don't like them, but it is a free show. I will try and keep in touch, but there in no internet in my mom's house.

Later

Heathen

So here is a funny/wired story that one my good friends Lars encouraged me to post. The other day I was at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. I was talking to a pastor there about church stuff and just getting to know them a bit better when who walks in the room wearing a t-shirt that says HEATHEN across it, Mark Driscoll. This was my 1st up close and personal encounter with Driscoll and all I could do was laugh and say "nice shirt." I don't know if I got a response, but I am pretty sure that he just wanted to punch me in the face.

Anyway, Mark is a great teacher, but pushes the bounds a bit, oh, did I say a bit? I meant a ton. Anyway, that is my funny quirky story for the week.

Later

Thought for the Week: Piece Of Mind

Wow, I managed to squeeze an Iron Maiden picture into my blog that went with the theme of this weeks post. Well, that is stretching it a bit, I feel like I am back in High School trying to think of any excuse to justify Maiden as I go about in my tight 501's and black Harley T-Shirt as my mom wouldn't let me wear rock shirts. No visual of that age required.

Anyway, I was talking to a friend yesterday about my life and what he thinks of what I am doing. He thought it sounded good, but thought that I was called or gifted to do something else. Not something totally different than the direction that I am headed, but a little different. Anyway, I spent a long time thinking about the advice, good advice at that, my friend gave me as I respect him and his opinion and wisdom. I came to the conclusion today thought that I am fully convinced in my own mind (Iron Maiden Piece of Mind album tie in) that I am following what God has placed on my heart.

The thing about me is that I am easily swayed like waves, James 1 speaks about this in the bible. I have been praying that God will give me vision, passion and goals and not be swayed from what God wants for me by others. I want to have others speak into my life, but I want to know that I am confident that I am doing what God wants so that even if people say I am wrong, or crazy I can still be strong in my call.

I guess that is my thought for the week. It is that we be fully convinced in our minds of what God has called us to regardless of what others say. This doesn't mean that we don't have to listen to others, the are in our lives to help us, but we need to listen to God first. I have been doing better in this and feeling less guilty and selfish for it. I encourage you to follow God's call on your life, which you will know by what you are passionate about and what you think about most. Do this regardless and I will do the same.

-amen-

Teaching

Tonight I get the opportunity to speak at a Youth Group in Puyallup. I am totally excited as I was asked to speak on Church. Specifically the early Church in Acts. I love what I read about the Church. I get excited when I think of what Church was intended to be. What exactly do I think it was intended to be?

Well, I see the Church as a group of people who love Jesus. People who gather together in large or small groups to worship Him with their time, money, relationships, etc. I see the church as believers helping those in need and bringing the truth of Jesus Christ. I see the Church as a people who devote themselves to Jesus teachings. I see the Church as something so real and exciting that people are daily being added to the Church as they fall in love with this Jesus by seeing His followers and being lead by the Holy Spirit. That is in a nutshell of course.

Tonight I am excited to bring this simple, yet lifechanging message to high schoolers. I am also excited because I am going to be doing the powerpoint from my i-pod video. Talk about redeeming things for Jesus.

Later

Mockingbird

Yesterday, Sept. 1, Derek Webb released his Album Mockingbird for free on line. You can find it here and download it. It is an interesting reason that he is releasing it for free, one that I think is worth the read. Here is a brief reason for the free download.

"one of the things that excites me most about the future of our business is how easy it is becoming to deliver music to people who want to hear it. I heard a story once about Keith green caring so much that people were able to hear and engage with his music that he gave it away for free, which was a very difficult and expensive thing to do at that time. It's actually never been as simple as it is today to connect music with music fans. And I want people to have a chance to listen to mockingbird and engage in the conversation.

I have never listened to Derek Webb before, but today I have been listening and enjoying it a lot. One of the lines that struck me is the 1st few lines of the album that say "there are days I don'’t believe the words I say. I am not sure why this strikes me, but I feel like this some times. I feel like I chang my mind on things alot. Not closed handed issues like salvation, Jesus, the inerrancy of the Bible, etc. But on everyday issues. I feel like some day's I am just speaking out of my ass (see the story of Balaam, if you are offended by the word ass, but make sure it is King James Version, haha). I just don't trust myself sometimes. I want to be more secure in who I am, but also not afraid to make mistakes in what I say. Anyway, that line rang strong in my ear and I will be thinking about it for a while.

Thanks for reading.