Vision Quest 3

14 years ago I went to the desert to seek God. I figured those guys in the Bible heard and saw God in the desert so I figured I would go look for Him there as well. I called it my Vision Quest.

 

People advised me not to get my hopes up or to expect too much, but I felt certain the experience would change my life. Two weeks in the wilderness. The first week with 5 guys and the second also with our wives. I returned confident that the course of my life had forever been altered, but I wasn’t sure of just how. There was no great revelation nore a clear word from God, but something had changed! My life would never be the same.

 

Nine months later, Cole was born.

 Monday I am going back to the Moab desert for the third time. This time Cole is going with me as is Elli O’Cain and his father and brother. Together we will seek God and wait for him to touch us in a way which changes our lives.

Blog Buddies

I really only got into blogging because a friend set me up a blog and said I should post some thoughts. However, I have found the process strangely enjoyable, perhaps even beneficial. I haven’t yet master the habit of throwing all my thoughts out in cyber space but it has helped me to reflect on things more frequently. 

Lately I have followed the trail of comments and have found the blogs of some really neat people. It is like there is a whole new world out there. Time doesn’t allow full exploration but an occasional detour into the minds of others certainly expands the boundaries of your mind.  Here are two blogs you might want to check out. Rufwriter.wordpress.com   jimmorrow.wordpress.com realministries.org

 Well it is Friday again – So I AM LEAVING the office to go have lunch with my family and then I think I will just hang out with them some.

Friday!?

Well it is Friday afternoon. I suspect that phrase conjures up a different feelings in the pit of a pastor’s stomach than it does for those who are not pastors. I think Friday’s are different for Pastors than for non-Pastors. Not better or worse, just different.

My wife went out of town for the weekend with a friend to go skiing. I have 20 people coming over tonight for a party and due perhaps to poor choices on my part; I still have two talks to write before Sunday. The point being that Friday seldom symbolizes “It is finished”, but most often represents it is all about to be “upon you”.

So while my plan is to take Friday’s off I am generally caught in the inevitable dilema to attempt to finish work and I end up here at the office. Yet there is still something about Friday’s that is impossible to completely escape. It is in the air I think.

 I spent the early morning hours with God and then was joined by some close friends. I spent most of the rest of the morning simply visiting with another friend. Oh our meeting began about “church work” stuff, but soon we were sharing our hearts. We were pulling for each other and speaking life and hope to one another. He shared his struggle that he felt that much of what he did didn’t matter and had no lasting effect. I found it hard to image that he could feel that way and then it hit me. Maybe what I do matters more than I realize. Maybe we are all making more of a difference that we are aware. Maybe people really do read my blog.  

Magnum P.I. once said, “The best way to know yourself is to look in a mirror and the best mirror of your self is your friends.”  If I turn out as good as my friends I will be very pleased.

 Make a friend this weekend by being a friend.

Things to Think about

I just returned from a brief vacation away from the everyday responsibilities of life. One of my friends emailed me, that like so many others; he is off on vacation as well. My friend is a really busy man and clients and others often eat up his time outside forces, so he was really looking forward to being able to determine how to invest his time during his trip. We normally meet together each week to simply share insights and challenge each other to think beyond the thoughts, which are easily grasped. I assume in an attempt to maximize his intellectual productivity he asked me to prod his thinking in a few thought-provoking areas. I thought we might all benefit from sifting these through our mind while sitting in the shade some this summer. Respond to any or all you like:

 

1. In the world of push and pull information, can spiritual formation be fostered through push information? If so how?
2. At least in recent history there has consistently been 24 hours in a day. So why have we become so busy? What has changed and is it a good thing? If not why don’t we change it back?
3. What is the biggest hindrance to people’s spiritual growth? What is your own personal obstacle to growth?
4. Does “Discipline” enhance or dilute an act as an expression of love and devotion?

     5.  Does behavior reveal or shape character?