So I'm planning a trip to Glacier National Park. For years this has been on the top of my list of the places that I've wanted to go in the world. I think it was the fall of 2000 I was in Great Smoky Mountain National Park on a backpacking trip where a guy staying at the same shelter as us was telling me that was the most spectacular park in the continental 48. Ever since then I've heard nothing but amazing things about the park. So I'm really excited to go.
The thing is, the trip is still 5 months away. I become faced with a choice, to live out the time between now and this moment I've dreamed about as time that just needs to be passed to get to where I want to go, or to live out this time as something special of it's own.
I think for many of us we find some point in time that we dream of (getting out of school, getting married, having kids, a great vacation, retirement) and then every moment between now and then is lived out as something we just need to get past. The thing is, there's a lot of other great things between now and then. God has blessings for us, things He wants to share with us, in what we see as "mundane" and "ordinary" if we would only pay attention.
I live in Indiana, not one of the more spectacular states as far as scenery. But God made Indiana too and there's surprising things here if we slow down and pay attention. One of the things I want to do this spring is find a nice Saturday or Sunday to wander downtown to take pictures of some of the neat churches and monuments downtown. I'm still working towards my goal of visiting all of Indiana's state parks, just to see what each one has to offer. A couple of months ago I discovered a huge waterfall I had no idea existed in Indiana.
Above all, we have to remember to be thankful, and enjoy, the ordinary blessings that God has put in our lives. I have a good job, I have some material blessings that I really do enjoy (I need to get my guitars out again), and I have some wonderful friends. A year and a half a go I had an opportunity to move out near Glacier. I chose not to, mostly because of the blessings that God has put in my life here. The amazing scenery out there wouldn't be nearly as special without people to share it with.
It's ok to dream of something in the future and to seek after that, sometimes that's what keeps us moving forward when we're bogged down in the ordinary. However, we can't always live our lives in the future. We have to make the most of where we are now and be thankful for all that God has given us. Sometimes the best gifts come in ordinary packages.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Tugging at your heart...
This is something that, if you are human, will tug at your heart strings. Some incredible beauty, and the sadness that people feel the need to destroy it.
As you watch the paddling segments, think about the skill involved in getting that video. That impresses me more than the paddling.
Save the Ashlu
As you watch the paddling segments, think about the skill involved in getting that video. That impresses me more than the paddling.
Save the Ashlu
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
A moment captured
I was just looking at some photos on a blog I follow and was just blown away by the amazing shots. It got me thinking about my photos. If you've ever looked at my Flickr site, I take a lot of photos. I think the reason I take a lot of photos is to try to capture the moment. When I look at the photo, it reminds me of my time there. Most of my photos aren't anything special, I won't be selling many prints. But they are valuable to me for the moment they take me back to.
Some photos do manage to capture the magic of the place. Certainly not as good as being there, but still able to stir something in the heart. This photo is one that I'm still impressed with (especially since it's a panoramic)
If you want to see some other killer photos, head over to http://therangelife.blogspot.com/ They have been having kayak photo competitions, some great photographers pulling out their best stuff. Some amazing photos. Look past the lunacy of the paddlers, look at the beauty of the world God created. I'd love to have an HD TV simply to be able to better appreciate my kayaking videos. The porn isn't just the kayak stuff, the scenery is incredible. And there's no easy tourist path to these places either.
Some photos do manage to capture the magic of the place. Certainly not as good as being there, but still able to stir something in the heart. This photo is one that I'm still impressed with (especially since it's a panoramic)
If you want to see some other killer photos, head over to http://therangelife.blogspot.com/ They have been having kayak photo competitions, some great photographers pulling out their best stuff. Some amazing photos. Look past the lunacy of the paddlers, look at the beauty of the world God created. I'd love to have an HD TV simply to be able to better appreciate my kayaking videos. The porn isn't just the kayak stuff, the scenery is incredible. And there's no easy tourist path to these places either.
White Fang
"Life achieves it's summit when it does to the uttermost that which it was equipped to do" - from "White Fang" by Jack London
I thought that was a really powerful statement. God created each of us for a purpose and our lives find their pinnacle when they reach that purpose. So that brings the question, what is our purpose? The really generic, pithy Christian answer is "to bring Glory to God." While that's true, that doesn't really help me a lot. Exactly how is someone as small and flawed as myself supposed to achieve something as huge as that? Thankfully, it's not our job to do that. We're not capable. That's the job of the Holy Spirit, the God who can do lives inside of those who can't do, so those who can't do are able to do what we were created to do.
In a more practible, apply to my life sense, each of us has to learn to understand, and embrace, who God made us to be. Each of us was given certain gifts and talents, and each of us place put in a certain place in life, that prepares us for what God created us to do. Then, as we seek the heart of God and to be conformed to His likeness, the desires of His heart become the desires of our hearts. So that when we combine His heart within us with the gifts and talents He blessed us with, we are able to discover who He created us to be. It's a long and humbling process, and it's meant to be that way. The only way we become strong in who we are is through struggle and work. A doctor who spends 10 years in school doesn't give up easily when difficulties come in his job.
I think many times in the church we are pressured into being what we were not created for. Working with children is not my gift. I've tried it in many capacities. While I'm able to do it, that's not what I was created for. So I don't become deeply involved in children's ministries (though I do help when it's my group's turn to help with child care). However, I have been given gifts as an organizer and planner, and a passion for the outdoors. So I continue to explore those desires and gifts to understand how I can use those for God's Glory.
With all things, our greatest strengths can also be our greatest weaknesses, and our greatest passions hold the most danger of becoming our biggest idols. Satan fears who we may become if we find our purpose, so he wants to keep us from becoming that. He knows that the greatest temptation is the prettiest apple that we want the most, and that the best lie is made up mostly of truth.
A couple of excellent resources for understanding our purpose better:
"The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren (as much as I'm against fads, it's a good book)
"Calling: Deciphering the mystery of your life" by Gary Barkalow (from John Eldredge's ministry) http://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=62
Sometimes I get this feeling that the church thinks to follow Jesus we have to suffer. The message I find in the Bible is that to follow Jesus is to find life, and find it to the fullest. Even when we encounter hardship when following Christ, it is not suffering but really living.
I felt closer to God here than I ever have in church
I thought that was a really powerful statement. God created each of us for a purpose and our lives find their pinnacle when they reach that purpose. So that brings the question, what is our purpose? The really generic, pithy Christian answer is "to bring Glory to God." While that's true, that doesn't really help me a lot. Exactly how is someone as small and flawed as myself supposed to achieve something as huge as that? Thankfully, it's not our job to do that. We're not capable. That's the job of the Holy Spirit, the God who can do lives inside of those who can't do, so those who can't do are able to do what we were created to do.
In a more practible, apply to my life sense, each of us has to learn to understand, and embrace, who God made us to be. Each of us was given certain gifts and talents, and each of us place put in a certain place in life, that prepares us for what God created us to do. Then, as we seek the heart of God and to be conformed to His likeness, the desires of His heart become the desires of our hearts. So that when we combine His heart within us with the gifts and talents He blessed us with, we are able to discover who He created us to be. It's a long and humbling process, and it's meant to be that way. The only way we become strong in who we are is through struggle and work. A doctor who spends 10 years in school doesn't give up easily when difficulties come in his job.
I think many times in the church we are pressured into being what we were not created for. Working with children is not my gift. I've tried it in many capacities. While I'm able to do it, that's not what I was created for. So I don't become deeply involved in children's ministries (though I do help when it's my group's turn to help with child care). However, I have been given gifts as an organizer and planner, and a passion for the outdoors. So I continue to explore those desires and gifts to understand how I can use those for God's Glory.
With all things, our greatest strengths can also be our greatest weaknesses, and our greatest passions hold the most danger of becoming our biggest idols. Satan fears who we may become if we find our purpose, so he wants to keep us from becoming that. He knows that the greatest temptation is the prettiest apple that we want the most, and that the best lie is made up mostly of truth.
A couple of excellent resources for understanding our purpose better:
"The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren (as much as I'm against fads, it's a good book)
"Calling: Deciphering the mystery of your life" by Gary Barkalow (from John Eldredge's ministry) http://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=62
Sometimes I get this feeling that the church thinks to follow Jesus we have to suffer. The message I find in the Bible is that to follow Jesus is to find life, and find it to the fullest. Even when we encounter hardship when following Christ, it is not suffering but really living.
I felt closer to God here than I ever have in church
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Snow
I think one of the reasons that God gave us snow was to remind us what silence sounds like. There's a magical silence that comes when snow falls. Everyone retreats inside, everything is under a heavy blanket, and the snow absorbs all sound. Some people can't stand silence, I don't know how they keep their sanity. Silence is a magical thing, sometimes we don't realize how much noise we fill our lives with. Silence helps us stop and refresh, to know what peace is. I don't find that enough, it seems like there's always a noise. After a while it just all blends together and I can't hear God or myself.
I'm sad that with the snow I can't just go play. I have to be grown up and go to work. Maybe I'll call in a snow day tomorrow :)
I'm sad that with the snow I can't just go play. I have to be grown up and go to work. Maybe I'll call in a snow day tomorrow :)
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Discipleship and the art of kayaking
I grew up in the church. I went to Sunday school and was forced to sit through the sermons each week. Though I didn't really want to pay attention, somewhere along the lines I learned the basics of faith. For a long time I thought that was how you learned, everyone went to church growing up and everyone knew the basics. Starting in college and especially after college this word "discipleship" started appearing more and more. I didn't know what it was or how it worked. When I became a house church leader, suddenly it was my job to disciple people. I didn't know what it meant or how it worked, I'd never seen it before.
I've discovered a lot of different reasons why I got into kayaking. One of the reasons is because it put me in the place of being a student again. Not a student in the manner of sitting in a classroom, but a student in the manner of having to step into a real live situation that can be life or death, and having to navigate through it. It becomes more than a manner of learning intellectual facts, it is learning skills and a mental awareness to keep your head about you when things are not going like they should be. To learn how to survive mistakes and learn from them. To be a part of a group of people who each have to travel the path on their own, but they are traveling together to support and help and have fun. Each person has to paddle their own boat, run their own lines, and make their decisions about how they are going to run a rapid. But they have someone there to teach them how to read the path they should take, to give them encouragement and tips on how to do it, and to help them if they run into trouble. The experienced people take time to help out the new people, not in a condescending way but in the way of sharing their love for something. It is all about a group of people who have found something they love, and sharing their love of something with each other, so that they can all sharing in that joy together.
"What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete." 1 John 1:1-4
Tonight something cool happened that has encouraged me. One of the guys asked if I would be interested in helping do some instruction. This encourages me because this says that I'm not just a newbie, just the kid hanging out, but someone who is being accepted as part of the community. Not that I have much in the way of paddling skills, I'm still a beginner there, but that I've been given a measure of respect as someone who has something to offer to others. That's an encouraging thing. I try to do that in my house church also. Give people an opportunity to contribute to the group. So that they aren't just watching, but they are being given the opportunity to share their gifts with others.
I'm still trying to figure out why I decided to get involved with something as insane as whitewater kayaking, but I've seen God grow me in some important ways through that. I'm sure more lessons are coming soon, when spring comes I'll be getting out in the real world.
I've discovered a lot of different reasons why I got into kayaking. One of the reasons is because it put me in the place of being a student again. Not a student in the manner of sitting in a classroom, but a student in the manner of having to step into a real live situation that can be life or death, and having to navigate through it. It becomes more than a manner of learning intellectual facts, it is learning skills and a mental awareness to keep your head about you when things are not going like they should be. To learn how to survive mistakes and learn from them. To be a part of a group of people who each have to travel the path on their own, but they are traveling together to support and help and have fun. Each person has to paddle their own boat, run their own lines, and make their decisions about how they are going to run a rapid. But they have someone there to teach them how to read the path they should take, to give them encouragement and tips on how to do it, and to help them if they run into trouble. The experienced people take time to help out the new people, not in a condescending way but in the way of sharing their love for something. It is all about a group of people who have found something they love, and sharing their love of something with each other, so that they can all sharing in that joy together.
"What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete." 1 John 1:1-4
Tonight something cool happened that has encouraged me. One of the guys asked if I would be interested in helping do some instruction. This encourages me because this says that I'm not just a newbie, just the kid hanging out, but someone who is being accepted as part of the community. Not that I have much in the way of paddling skills, I'm still a beginner there, but that I've been given a measure of respect as someone who has something to offer to others. That's an encouraging thing. I try to do that in my house church also. Give people an opportunity to contribute to the group. So that they aren't just watching, but they are being given the opportunity to share their gifts with others.
I'm still trying to figure out why I decided to get involved with something as insane as whitewater kayaking, but I've seen God grow me in some important ways through that. I'm sure more lessons are coming soon, when spring comes I'll be getting out in the real world.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Rainy Day
Ever notice how sometime in December a gloom settles in over life? The weather just gets yucky, for lack of a better word. The sky turns gray, it's cold, and it's wet. Sometimes it can really affect life. I've known people who get seasonal depression, when the weather goes south so does their attitude. Personally, after a while I just go stir crazy being stuck inside. Today it's just rainy outside, I wish it would just snow because at least you don't get soaked when you go outside and it's pretty. Through the winter it just seems like there's a sense of gloom.
Our lives can be a lot like that. Sometimes we just enter a season where everything seems dull and gloomy. Not really full on depression, just a sense of the blah's. We kinda withdraw to ourselves and take it easy, being a bit less active and spending more time hiding under the covers. A lot of the time we can't really do anything about it, we just have to hold out for a sunny day again. We have to find a warm place inside that gloom, a place where we can find some warmth and light to hold out for the day when the skies clear again.
Not sure where all that came from, maybe it's just the rainy day outside. I can't say that at the moment things are gloomy in my life, but I do find myself seeking to withdraw a bit to take it easy and rest. Good weather is coming and I want to be ready to play hard again.
Our lives can be a lot like that. Sometimes we just enter a season where everything seems dull and gloomy. Not really full on depression, just a sense of the blah's. We kinda withdraw to ourselves and take it easy, being a bit less active and spending more time hiding under the covers. A lot of the time we can't really do anything about it, we just have to hold out for a sunny day again. We have to find a warm place inside that gloom, a place where we can find some warmth and light to hold out for the day when the skies clear again.
Not sure where all that came from, maybe it's just the rainy day outside. I can't say that at the moment things are gloomy in my life, but I do find myself seeking to withdraw a bit to take it easy and rest. Good weather is coming and I want to be ready to play hard again.
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