Kingdom Leadership

Our team spent this past weekend at Lake Brownwood Christian Camp participating in the "Kingdom Leadership Module". Those are fancy words for "we spent the weekend together at a camp learning from mentors and working together as a team". These modules are one of the facets of our training through the Halbert Institute for Missions.
When most people think of Christian leadership, they think of the one guy who runs the show. Jesus had a different idea, he wanted to make every person a disciple who leads in one way or another. At the module we had two very wise and wonderful men teach us and guide us in discussion with one another; Gary Green (our team's mentor) and Kent Smith. They did a pretty wonderful job of showing us what true Godly leadership is, and how to encourage its growth in ourselves and others.
I learned a lot throughout the weekend, so I'll try to touch on a few points without sounding too frazzled. I learned more about my teammates, one thing being the way each person thinks satan will try to attack our team when we're in Australia. That might sound strange, but it's good to discuss bad things that might happen so we know what to pray for God to protect us against. I was also reminded of who I am to God. I know that God loves me, but I easily lose sight of the fact that He wants to lavish me with His love. I am valued by God, and each day He is doing things to transform me. The even cooler thing is that this is not just something God has in store for me, but for everyone he has created. Another thing we talked a lot about this weekend was forgiving others. I thought about the fact that God created us to look out for those in need (just look at Jubilee). We were created to get angry when people are mistreated, and to reach out to help them. On the other side of the same coin, when we are mistreated we should forgive those who wronged us and trust God to send us a deliverer. That deliverer might be someone God has called on to help us, or we might have to wait for God to be our final avenger in whatever way He chooses.
I learned a lot more, but I'll end with the point that I think Kent would want us to remember above all; mutual disclosure is the pathway to true intimacy. When we disclose more of ourselves to God, He in turn shows us more of who He is. When that happens, our intimacy with God grows and we find our true identity. When our identity in Christ is made clearer, we become a more Godly leader, and our ability to minister and be a healthy part of genuine, Godly community grows. Wow!

the shaping of things to come

Our team is reading a book called "The Shaping of Things to Come" by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. Okay, so everyone else is probably done but sorry Gary...I am not. However, I totally love everything that I'm reading in it! I don't necessarily agree with it all (although I do most of it), but I love what it makes me think about. For the past few nights I've been reading about action as sacrament, or a little more plainly how our actions are vital to our faith. This is what the authors say, "What we are trying to do here is affirm the inherent value of deeds themselves. Will they save us? No! Are they still inherently valuable? Absolutely, yes".
Here's my thought, our deeds might not save us, but they save other people. I'm not saying that I have the power to bring someone into a relationship with Jesus just by being nice to them, or that I get to decide who deserves that relationship. What I am saying though is this; if you know Jesus, how did that relationship start? Was it because someone took the initiative to teach your Sunday school class or even just be nice to you when no one else would? God works in mysterious ways and does not really need us to show Him to people, but it's pretty stinking clear that He chooses to use us because He wants to. I can think of countless stories in the Bible where someone found Jesus because a Christian listened to God when He said, "Hey, do or say this to that person in that chariot or sitting by the river". Good deeds are holy actions, and even though performing them does not save us they just might be the first step to God saving someone else. So please, do not be scared to do something nice for someone for a change!

Grandmothers

Last Friday I drove to Wichita, Kansas. My grandmother on my mom's side is very sick, and my sister, mom, and I thought it would be a good idea to all travel to see her. My sister came from Idaho, my mom from Dallas, and I from Abilene. I was only able to see my grandma for one day on Saturday, but it was a great visit! She was alert and in good spirits. I think she was using as much energy as she could on being a good hostess for us. I had to leave on Sunday to get home for work the next day, but my sister and mom stayed behind a few more days. They said she was pretty tired the rest of the week. It is possible that it was the last visit I will have with my grandmother before she passes away, so while it's selfish to say I'm glad that it was a very peaceful and good one. Really I'm glad for her sake that it was a good visit, because I want her to be surrounded by good memories as long as she's around.
On Monday night my grandmother on my father's side, along with her daughter, drove in from New Mexico. They live in Iowa, and are making a bit of a cross country car trip to visit family and friends in the surrounding states. This is the first time they have been able to come through the Abilene area, so they were kind enough to grace us with their presence Monday evening. We ate out with my in laws who live in Abilene, and it was the first time my grandma and her daughter got to meet my in laws. Matt and I have our bed and used to have a futon, but we don't have the futon anymore. We gave our bed to my grandmother and her daughter, and I planned on Matt and I just sleeping on our couch and loveseat. Matt was pretty insistent that we borrow a blow up bed from his parents, so Monday night at about 1opm we were trying to blow up a bed with an inflator that was going dead from not being charged. It was quite a sight (and sound) trying to use that thing. We managed to get it blown up, but it was so uncomfortable! It was possibly one of the three most uncomfortable sleeping situations I've ever been in. Add to the discomfort our dog Bane next to us on the floor eating a rawhide chewtoy at 11:30pm and you've got stuff that only the best of dreams are made of....We barely got any sleep, but all I can do is look back on it and laugh.
Last night Matt's grandparents came in from Graham, so we got to eat dinner and hang out with them. It's always nice catching up with them, they're really sweet and super encouraging.
So this might be a record, I've seen three grandmothers in just over a week. I normally only see them about once every other year, but now I've seen each of them within a year. I think God is bringing us together with as much family as possible before we go to Australia...but maybe for energy's sake He'll spread the visits out a little more next time!

Home Gathering Celebration

Wow, another one of those weeks where I feel like I can't catch up...or get to bed before 11pm. I think I might have said this last week, I'm beginning to feel like a broken record! Anyway, I'm tired but I have something worth writing about so here goes. Matt and I are part of home gatherings through Southern Hills in Abilene, that means that instead of going to the big building on Sunday mornings we experience being church in someone's home. There's a lot more that goes into it, but to be honest I'm way too tired to go into it! Feel free to post a question though...people rarely post comments on my blog. We meet on Sunday evenings. Home gatherings have been an awesome blessing in my life, I really connect to the ability to delve deep in relationship with a few people instead of seeing a thousand faces at a time that I can't seem to catch up with. There are about five of our groups meeting throughout town, and we have committed to meet together every couple of months or so. Last Sunday was our celebration time together, and it was amazing! I had a blast catching up with people I have not seen in a while. One of the things I appreciated the most was seeing how each of our groups shows a different characteristic of God. Like I said Sunday evening, our God is a creative creator and He's given us all really cool ways to help reveal who He is to one another. Here are a few pics from our time together, enjoy!