July 1, 2010

Forgive me, readers. It has been too long since my last significant post. We start our new fiscal year at work today and it’s half way through the year. So today sort of feels like New Years Day to me. Also, I just got my new MacBook Pro (work, not personal) up and running so I thought I’d better post something to let anyone who has been watching this blog out of the corner of their eye that I didn’t go away, just had a busy Spring season.

I thought I’d give a quick update on 2010 in light of what I thought it might bring. I wrote some of my new year predictions back in December.

RACE
I successfully trained for and ran my 2nd Half-Marathon.  My goal was to get in shape and establish some healthy lifestyle changes in addition to actually running the entire race.  Well, I completed the race but have yet to make significant lifestyle changes.  Just goes to show how stubborn we humans are.  We want what we want and from my experience, that get’s me into trouble more than not.

TRAVEL
We had a wonderful trip traveling as a family (with Grandma) to visit my sister and my government in Washington D.C.  We stayed 3 blocks north of the Capital Building and walked about 20 miles pushing strollers and kids all over.  One thing I really got thinking about while looking at the monuments was all the people who have died in wars.  I have some thoughts on that that I may or may not post, depending on how bold I feel.

VEGETABLES
We successfully built, planted, and have eaten from our (un)certified organic vegetable garden.  We’ve been hoping to get a garden going for many years now and are so excited to finally have it become a reality.  Now the only trick will be to learn how to garden well.  We’ve already had furry visitors eat some of our  bounty despite the fences we put up.

MISSION
I continue to deal with feelings of disappointment as I struggle with lifestyle choices that are robbing us of what God might have for us.  We have met some more of our neighbors, thankfully, but we still have much more time and resources that we need to free up for God’s use in stead of our own.  We are making some changes for the month of July that I hope will push us closer to God so we might hear His voice and model generous Christian living for our kids.

VISION
We successfully launched a new Vision at church and are now over our heads in implementing the plan that will (God willing) transition us.  The Vision is to be 2nd Mile Church.  The concept is taken from Matthew 5, specifically verse 41.  It’s the idea of demonstrating a kind of God-love that is sacrificial, relational, and requires God’s direction and involvement.  There’s a lot more to it than that, but that’s the basic idea.  I’m pumped because this is aligned with what God has been simultaneously showing me and my family.

Well, so far in 2010 we’re not doing too badly.  I just finished Crazy Love, which was completely inspiring and challenging,  and I continue to move closer and closer to a fully surrendered life…a life lived in unity with my family and surrendered to Jesus’ leading.  What I’ve figured out lately as a Christian, is I don’t have to just try harder and harder to do the right thing, I must try harder and harder to surrender.  I’ve got to work hard at letting go and letting Jesus’ words and will direct my actions, not my own, or the will of our world.

Finally, I just want to share that the reason I began this blog is to allow others to share in the journey of my family as we explore the frontier of living completely for God.  Perhaps if we can have the courage to not conform to the patterns of this world and let God have leadership over our lives (and all our stuff!) then He may prove Himself faithful, we may prove a life surrendered to Jesus is joyful and you may become interested in following.