New Seasons

I loved that when I woke up today I could sense that fall was back. Everything around me is pointing to that reality: we are beginning a new season. Some people approach seasons differently. When fall hits, I know people who almost go into a sense of mourning because summer is gone. Others seem to enjoy the season, no matter what it holds.

Life is full of different seasons. Some are easy and some are more difficult to face and walk through. No matter what the season of life you are in: learn to enjoy it. I have seen so many people who are always looking forward to the next season, but as they do they miss out on the opportunity to enjoy the season that they are in.

Seasons in life will come and go. They change. Embrace it and enjoy it.

Encounter | What's next

This past weekend we hosted our annual youth conference at Eastridge. It was an amazing time of worshiping God together and encountering His presence. It was awesome to have our good friends from Fairwood Church with us! Through the weekend we had over 25 students make decisions for Christ. Students were built up in their faith, refreshed in God's presence and inspired to go and make a difference in their world.

After an event or experience like Encounter, I am always left thinking "what's next?" Now that we have had this moment of encountering God, what should our response be? Here are a few thoughts:

1. Look forward
Throughout scripture we see examples of people who loved the "moment" so much that they almost missed out on what was ahead (for example, Peter during the transfiguration). We need moments and markers in our lives where we can encounter God's presence. But these moments should cause us to move forward and not just want to "camp out" there.

2. Share it
There is something about sharing what God has done and is doing in you. Talk about it, bring others along in the process of experiencing what you have experienced.

3. Expect more
We so often live to the level of our expectation. I encourage you to live with a sense of expectancy. Don't settle for living at a level where you are expectant when there is a "big gathering", a camp or a conference. Live with expectancy everyday and watch what will happen!

Great things are ahead!

Mile Markers

Mile markers are important. They tell us about the journey: how far we have traveled, how much longer we have to go...they tell us about our progress.
A few weeks back, Amber and I took Judah and Justus camping for a few days in Eastern Washington. On our way back there was a significant mile marker for our car - the odometer rolled from 99,999 to 100,000 (it's a Honda)! It was fun to be aware and able to capture the moment of transition on my camera phone.
Markers are important in our lives. They tell us and show us how far we have come. They also let us know how much farther we have to travel. But if we are not careful, we can easily miss them. If I had not been paying attention to the dash board I could have missed a significant mile marker in the life of our car...not that it is really THAT important. But think about how many markers that you maybe have gone past without even pausing and thinking about what they communicate to you.
Have you made more progress than you realize? Are you not as far "down the road" as you wish you were? Enjoy the journey, but check in the the mile markers every now and then and rejoice where God is taking you. Don't just fly down the road and miss those significant moments.

Fresh Perspective

Every now and then you read something you have read before, but it comes across to you in a new light. I love when that happens when I am reading my bible. Tonight I was reading in Psalms 37 and came to verse 23 and I had to pause and think. Here is what it says in the NLT:
"The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives."
Did you catch that? God is interested in the details of our lives. To think that the God we serve, the One who spoke everything into existance cares about the details of my life is an awesome thought.
I think all too often we only approach God with the "big" things or the "spiritual" things in our lives. But He takes notice of and cares about so much more!
Maybe this will help us to have some new perspective as we are going through our days. Maybe with the understanding that He does know and care about what we are going through...and the details of it will shift the way we approach prayer.
I love getting some fresh perspective!

Make Room

We just wrapped up a series in our student ministry entitled: Make Room. It was a challenge and reminder to be people who are willing to Make Room in our lives - in us, for others and for God. All to often in life, we are unable or unwilling to make room in our own lives to grow and develop into who God wants us to be. Pastor Josh preached an amazing message about Make Room in me (check it out on podcast @ http://impactlife.com).
The next message in the series was about making room for others. It can become easy to get in the routine of being comfortable with just having your needs met. A true reflection of our faith is when we are willing to make room for others to encounter and experience the same love and freedom that we have found in Christ. I am so glad that people made room for me to come to know the love and hope of Jesus...are we doing the same?
The final week we launched into some new things for our student ministry as we talked about making room for Him in our lives. Sometimes our perceptions keep us from making room. Sometimes we don't recognize what God has already done for us. We need to make room in our lives for God to be God.
Are we so crowded that this rarely happens? I think that can easily happen. This week strive to make some room in your life. Make room to grow and develop who you are. Make room for others - reach out, love and take time. Make room for God to be God in your life, understanding all that He has already done for you!

Family Vacation

Some of the fondest memories that I have of growing up were camping trips with my family. From the earliest memories we would head out on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend with our supplies and some of our close family friends to get away. It was on these weekends where I learned a few things. I learned to water ski, thanks to our friends Jim and Sharron, on the Columbia River. My first successful slalom ski was with our friend Rod and his beautiful Master Craft. I learned how to set up a tent. I learned the importance of telling mom and dad where I was going. I learned that even adults like to have fun. That memory was placed in the memory bank when a group of our parents got in trouble at the camp ground for dancing and singing too loud! I learned how to fish. I learned how stuffy tents get in the morning when the sun gets hot! There was a lot that I learned from these weekends.
Of all the things that I learned, I think the most important thing was appreciating time with my family. Those were some of the only moments I ever got to see my dad on "vacation". No shaving, no worries...just family, fun and rest.
Those are some of the memories I want for our family. Of all the things I want my boys to learn from moments like vacation, the biggest is to appreciate time with family. I am faced with the reality that these moments with my boys won't last forever. They won't always need to hold my hand. They won't always need a nap. They won't always need me to help them with swimming or cut up their food. But I want one thing to stick - to appreciate the time we share as a family!