One Final Thought.

Yes it has been a while. And yes I have been busy/out of town. On December 8th I left with 3 others for Niger West Africa for 10 days. We returned after a couple days in NYC on Sunday December 21st. Then our family headed up the road to Springfield, MO for Christmas with family. Needless to say I haven’t posted anything here for quite awhile. To be honest I have contemplated closing my blog down as it just has not been a priority. As the year ends I am faced with the prospect of all the things I want to accomplish next year and frankly blogging is not one of them. But, alas, I have decided to keep going. Why? I need the outlet. I am an internalizer and by blogging about  my thoughts, experiences, and opportunities it forces me to think about them more completely. I am my own worst enemy. My thoughts become clouded and obscured by my own prejudices, feelings and preconceptions. By making them public it allows others to consider and comment on them. It also forces me to articulate those thoughts and as I do so my perceptions and feelings and prejudices are challenged. So even if my audience is small to none, by blogging I am accomplishing a very important objective. So let me say thanks. Thanks for reading my rambling thoughts and feelings. Thanks for commenting back. Thanks for sticking with me through long periods of silence.

I want to leave you with a passage of scripture that I have been going over the last couple of days. It is a lot and I am simply trying to discern what God wants me to hear through it all. I share this with you because I think God in his timing is saying something important to me and to others about new beginnings. It is Ephesians 3:14-21:

“When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited  resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.”

So whatchya think? I’m curious is there any one theme that comes to your mind as you read this passage?

Leave your thoughts and have  a Happy New Year!!!

A Room With A View

Sounds like a James Bond movie doesn’t it? To be honest right now I kind of feel like James Bond. I’m laying on a bed in a hotel in Casablanca. And no, it’s not some obscure little one stop light town in Texas. The real deal baby. I’m on my way to Niger. But of course it’s quite a little trip getting there. Last night my view was that of a little window looking out the airplane and it was dark so there wasn’t much to see. And well sleeping wasn’t much of an option as getting comfortable in such a confined space is probably much like feeling at home in prison. But now for a few moments I can lay prostrate and stretch and close my eyes and feel the stability of gravity. Another great reminder how we can always be moving and yet never rest. Never feel the stability of God’s hand on our lives. I’d love to tell you more about my trip so far, but I gotta take some time to enjoy the quiet and peace!

Its About Time

This is a picture of me. Nothing special about that. But here’s the deal. I’m leaving for Africa on Monday, so this is my before picture. I can’t wait and I’m sitting here trying not to get anxious about all the last minute details. Pray for me and the rest of the team. We’ll be gone for two weeks and working with some folks who have asked us to help them start up a job training program. I will try and make a post or two while there. Internet can be hit or miss. But my biggest hope is that there will be changes inside me that will be so great that there are changes on the outside that can’t be denied.

Oh yeah…BOOMER SOONER!!!

Boo Yah!!!

Ok all you Rockband studs…top that!

(FYI 100% 3 note streak.)

Nu Doo

No I didn’t poop my pants…though I admit I look a bit constipated. I’m sporting a new haircut. Described to me as the “messy look”. The hairstylist convinced me that its really cool. I know she gets paid to say things like that…She also promised me that I can always take it back to the way I had it.

We’ll see.

Dear Longhorn Fan,

I am a Sooner fan and let me start by saying “Sorry”. I don’t want to take anything away from the accomplishments of the OU football team this season. They truly are a great team and have demonstrated so consistently since “the loss”. I’m not here to make excuses for that one game. I know that most recognize we were one ACL injury away from perhaps winning that game, but that is exactly why we play the games. Right? I mean you all were one interception from making this whole BCMess irrelevant.

I have to admit that it just doesn’t feel right. Getting to play for the Big 12 championship the way that we do. Certainly this isn’t the first time OU’s football program has forced BCMess related changes. Yes, it does feel like everyone hates us for being beautiful. Rest assured everyone knew the rules of the game at the start of the season so to groan and moan about how things are…it’s a tad late for that. In fact, it only serves to heighten the justice of OU getting in. But have patience and know that things will work themselves out and at least be thankful that you aren’t from Lubbock and about to be snubbed for having a franchise year. (We all can agree on that can’t we?)

I won’t presume that OU will win the Big 12 at this point. That is a caution that I have learned over the last few years as an OU fan in the postseason. But should we go on to defeat Missouri and play for the BCS championship and even win that you can be rest assured that you have the distinction of being the only team to beat the national champs.

How’s that for consolation?

The Small Stuff.

I’ve spent a lot of my life focusing and gearing up for the big things in life. College education, graduate school, getting married, having a child, job and career changes. It’s a lot when I stop and think back to those things. Over time I have developed new approaches to making those big decisions, but in the last couple of weeks I have come to a profound, life changing realization.

It’s really all about the small things.

Check this scripture:

24 There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
 25 Ants—they aren’t strong,
      but they store up food all summer.
 26Hyraxes—they aren’t powerful,
      but they make their homes among the rocks.
 27 Locusts—they have no king,
      but they march in formation.
 28 Lizards—they are easy to catch,
      but they are found even in kings’ palaces.  Proverbs 30:24-28 (NLT)

All these animals are small, yet seemingly live life in a large reality. Is it because they make great strategic life decisions? No it’s because they focus on the small things. And it’s not just attention to detail. It’s about contentment with your allotment in life. It’s about putting away the plans you have created for yourself and responding to the opportunities presented before you.

Especially in light of a really big God.

Check this scripture out:

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”  Matthew 17:20 (NLT)

Brutal. Jesus kind of gets on the disciples after they attempted to cast out a demon. My best guess is that they guys (disciples) felt that they had seen Jesus do this a number of times so you just repeat the formula. But guess what…it didn’t work. The lesson? Everything begins and ends with faith. Faith is hoping in something you can’t see or explain. Faith is trusting that what you believe to be true really is TRUE.

Over the last few weeks I have been organizing a team for a trip to Africa. This is the first time I have ever lead a trip like this, let a lone an international trip. I’m in way over my head. And God keeps showing me in the small things it is all about my faith. If I have just a little…it can and will be done.

How small is your faith?