I’ve got one post completely done, and several others in mind, the only problem has been finding time to type them out and post them for your reading pleasure.  My father and I just got back yesterday from Washington DC.  I spent most of yesterday afternoon until this morning, sleeping the trip off.  It was an awesome time.  I’ve never planned a whole trip by myself before.  It was a great experience putting together the plane trip, hotel and rental car reservations, and planning an itinerary in a city I didn’t know.  It was a bit stressful at times, but the whole thing was a success.  I’ll post some pictures and more details on here soon.

It’s been about three weeks since I’ve set a goal, that I’d like to let you in on.  I’ve started training to hopefully qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2009 or 2010.  I’m going to begin a weekly journal on Thursday’s, chronicling my journey.  I’ll post on training, races I enter, diet, and tie it all together with the main Journey I’m on called Following Jesus.  Honestly training for a marathon and living out the Gospel, have a lot more to do with each other than you might think.  It’s already been a lot of fun picking up nuggets of truth from running, in relation to walking with Jesus.  Hopefully at the end of the day, I will have raised my hands in triumph after running the hardest race of my life, and the  process will serve to encourage my heart and yours in the ultimate race.

I have just entered the world of digital photography!  I know I’m way late, but due to the fact that I’m taking a vacation with my dad, for the first time since I was a little boy;  I decided it was time to get a camera and capture some memories.  This is one of the first pictures I took with my new camera.  It’s not the best shot, it’s 1 in the morning after a drive from Iowa to Minnesota, and I’m holding the camera, but it’ll do.  I know I’ve just given you three run on sentences, but hey, what am I gonna do?  There will be many more pictures to come soon!

Howdy Partners.  I’m on my couch, on my tush, because I’m feeling a little ill.  So I’ve decided to get out on the information highway and let you all in on some inner ramblings.

I haven’t thought much about the whole oil/gas deal.  That is until I saw a nice new RV drive by today pulling a blazer.  All I could do was shake my head.  I knew in the amount of time it took for him to drive by me, a small country could’ve been bailed out of debt.  So I have officially thought about the gas/oil crisis and it’s ridiculous.  I’m not really worried about it, but it’s ridiculous.

I’m going to watch Chronicles of Narnia until I fall asleep.  It’s what you do when your sick, watch movies. (and type blogs)

I’m kicking back at home with a latte on my right, and text messaging a friend about our golf outing tomorrow. I got done doing my state taxes a couple of hours ago (this is the first year I’ve ever filed) and still have quite a few things I need to get done today. Honestly, I feel really blessed right now. The last 4 1/2 years of my life walking with Christ have been such an adventure, and even when it seems like I’m moving backwards or in slow motion, when I take a look around, I see that He’s up to something.

Anyways, I’m doing some realigning this weekend. I’m starting by switching my e-mail from yahoo to gmail. The reason I’m doing this is to get some organization.  I might as well start with my computer.   I’ve turned igoogle into my homepage and now when I turn on my computer, I can have most of what I use on internet, on one single page. I use google reader, which allows me to sync all of the blogs and newsletters I read, to one site. So i’ve got my calender(google calender), reader, the weather, and my favorite 2 news sites (NY Times and Business Week Online) all in one space along with my e-mail.

After this I’m planning on re-assessing what’s important to me in life and what I feel I’ve been called to. Honestly, I really want to have a global impact in my life and I’m longing right now for greatness and significance. I’m pretty sure most of us were made this way, but we either suppress this desire or try to obtain it in wrong ways. I just think that if I don’t have a clear picture of what’s important and what the vision is for my life, I’ll just end up filling time with lots of activities that aren’t leading to anything.

Just thought I’d let you all know

I don’t know about you, but I go through seasons in which a certain preacher or author really stands out to me.  Right now I’m really digging John Pipers teaching.  The dude has a really deep theological and devotional well, and breaks down the word into bite size pieces, and relates it to life in a way that builds hunger and confidence to own that reality.  But the thing I’m loving the most, is that he is simply genuinely excited about Jesus, and touching Him in the Word and I want stuff like that to rub off on me.

Just wanted to say good morning!  I’ve got several posts that are pretty much ready to go, but I haven’t quite put the final touches on them yet to make them “postable” for the whole world to see.  To peak your curiosity…

1.  I’ve got a post coming soon on some of my issues with Barack Obama’s campaign and some of the reason’s we need leadership again like Marin Luther King Jr..  (some have trouble with Martin because he was a weak and broken human who had failure, I don’t condone everything he did, but I’m choosing not to go there)

2.  I’ve got some thoughts on 1 John which has really been life to me in this season.

3.  I’m going to talk about the house church model (I’m involved in a house church), how it’s a viable “skin” of ministry, and how I think it will be one of the most effective models for true discipleship, in the end-time harvest that is getting ready to break in on the whole earth.

For now, have a great day!

In Luke 18, we find Jesus yet again telling His beloved disciples a parable.  The purpose, according to Luke, was to teach them that they should always pray and not lose heart.

The few points He is trying to make are pretty simple, but easily lost through the day to day grind of life, which is precisely why He’s telling the story.

First, He’s setting forth yet again the reality that prayer, is one of God’s prescribed methods of partnering with His people, in seeing the kingdom of heaven break into their lives, families and communities.

Secondly He knows there will be a point (actually many) in which the disciples would want to simply quit pressing into Him and give up.  There are many things that factor into the disillusionment of prayer and Jesus knows our weak frame.  It would seem that perseverance and patient are pretty big qualities to posses, in seeing the manifestation of the Justice and the glory of God in our sphere of influence.

I’m currently sitting in the lodge at Sundown Mountain!  Sundown is a ski resort in Iowa.  It’s not Colorado, but it gets the job done.  I haven’t been skiing in several years, and it’s amazing how fast everything comes back.  It’s like riding a bike, once you’ve learned, you can hop onto one anytime and pedal your heart out without needing to re-learn.   I’m by myself and have had plenty of time to think out on the slopes with just me, my Ipod and a “mountain.”  Today, Skiing has really related to my faith.  I don’t want to just ski, but go off jumps, and do things that the normal skier wouldn’t attempt.  What stands in the way of really pushing myself to the limits is fear of failing “Crashing,” and fear of looking dumb to everybody else when I fail.   So I can either be a coward and never try, or go for it.  The next problem comes after I go for it and start to take the jumps and riskier hills.  Inevitably I’m going to fail and crash and look dumb.  That’s when fear really tries to set in.  It’s just a matter of getting back up and realizing that the failure only serves as part of your teacher in reaching the level you really want to attain.

First, I want to apologize to you all, for not posting Random Tuesday.  I will post it later tonight when I get some time.   It will be Random Tuesday on Thursday night

I thought today, I’d just let you in on some of the questions, I’ve been chatting with Holy Spirit about through my day.  The reality of life is that, as Rocky Balboa would say, “it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows.”  I mean, there are so many things to navigate through the course of a week, at least for me, that I need much grace and mercy.  Just navigating work, personal and family relationships is enough on it’s own.  I say all of that to say, that I’ve thought a little about Joseph today.  The man went through the extremes of life, from being his Father’s favorite, to being sold into slavery, thrown in a pit and finally second in command to all of Egypt.  Nothing was steady in the circumstances of Joseph’s life, and I’m sure the inner turmoil and wrestling inside of his heart, was also intense.  But through the whole process of his life, God was with him and everything he did prospered.  He had the ability because of the favor of God and the posture of his heart, to take every circumstance he was put in, and make something positive out of it.

This is my desire today, to set my gaze upon the only constant, in a world and life full of constant change and turmoil.  To allow my heart, actions and emotions to be dictated by my desire to bring glory to God, in everything that I do.  Through the blessing of God, be able to take the desert places in my life and turn them into gardens, the prisons into palaces.  This is my destiny as a son of God, that through every circumstance and trial, to see something beautiful.