New blog site:
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sunday, April 27, 2008
New blog website!
I have a new blog site, which look pretty sweet. It is directly connected with our website, which just makes everything a whole lot easier. So from now on, visit
http://www.jacobswelloncampus.com/Blog/
http://www.jacobswelloncampus.com/Blog/
Friday, April 25, 2008
Coffee-no-food-shakey
For you coffee drinkers, you know where I'm coming from. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's only the coffee drinkers that really know what I'm talking about. If you drink coffee on an empty stomach, just wait. If you have no food, it's only a matter of time before the jitters start - the kind of jitters that make it impossible for you to hold your hand steady.
This is not the case with you mountain dew drinkers, or you drinkers that have other sources of caffeine, because with your source of caffeine is a source of calories. Mountain dew, pop, diet pop, all of those caffeine sources have some caloric content. And the caloric content makes it so these jitters won't hit you as hard because you have something in your tummy. Coffee, on the other hand, has little to no caloric content, which means you're basically drinking straight caffeine.
So here I sit, thinking I should probably eat something soon because I'm coffee-no-food-shakey. There's work to be done today though, plenty of it actually. I'm trying to manage my time well, and at the same time take a break every now and then (like I'm doing right now) to collect my thoughts.
For the record, it was time for Carly to go on American Idol, and I'm a David Cook fan to the end. The new Jacob's Well website is sweet, props to Brian. And I'm heading to Rochtown later today to teach at a youth conference tomorrow for 13-18 year old students, which I'm stoked and scared about at the same time. I'm used to addressing college students, I've forgotten what it was like to be in high school, and so I'm trying hard to remember and asking my sister for advice. Oh ya, and after Rochester, Sunday Clint and I are taking off for Kansas City to speak to a class of seminary students about church planting and Jacob's Well, which is cool.
I'm bummed I'm going to miss the first Sunday Gathering at the Stadium Village Church Building, but I know it's going to be a sweet time. I had a dream about last night - little weird, guess that means I've been thinking a lot about it. I just hope the first Sunday Gathering at SVC is as sweet as it was in my dream.
And by the way, all this is coming to you from Overflow Coffee, which will be my favorite "office spot" for a long time to come.
This is not the case with you mountain dew drinkers, or you drinkers that have other sources of caffeine, because with your source of caffeine is a source of calories. Mountain dew, pop, diet pop, all of those caffeine sources have some caloric content. And the caloric content makes it so these jitters won't hit you as hard because you have something in your tummy. Coffee, on the other hand, has little to no caloric content, which means you're basically drinking straight caffeine.
So here I sit, thinking I should probably eat something soon because I'm coffee-no-food-shakey. There's work to be done today though, plenty of it actually. I'm trying to manage my time well, and at the same time take a break every now and then (like I'm doing right now) to collect my thoughts.
For the record, it was time for Carly to go on American Idol, and I'm a David Cook fan to the end. The new Jacob's Well website is sweet, props to Brian. And I'm heading to Rochtown later today to teach at a youth conference tomorrow for 13-18 year old students, which I'm stoked and scared about at the same time. I'm used to addressing college students, I've forgotten what it was like to be in high school, and so I'm trying hard to remember and asking my sister for advice. Oh ya, and after Rochester, Sunday Clint and I are taking off for Kansas City to speak to a class of seminary students about church planting and Jacob's Well, which is cool.
I'm bummed I'm going to miss the first Sunday Gathering at the Stadium Village Church Building, but I know it's going to be a sweet time. I had a dream about last night - little weird, guess that means I've been thinking a lot about it. I just hope the first Sunday Gathering at SVC is as sweet as it was in my dream.
And by the way, all this is coming to you from Overflow Coffee, which will be my favorite "office spot" for a long time to come.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Commitment to slow down
So life has been too much go go go if you haven't picked up on that in my posts already. Yesterday I was journaling and I made the commitment to slow down in the moments I am able. Don't get me wrong, this week is crazy busy with stuff every day of the week, but in the few moments I have where nothing is going on, I've committed to really resting in those moments - going out on the porch, journaling, going on a walk or a run - things like that.
I've been thinking a lot about the concept of a Sabbath day of rest - how God created the universe to function in a rhythm and demonstrated it to us by Himself creating in 6 days and resting on the 7th. Did God need to rest on the 7th day? No. But He did to set the example for us. I know one thing - I need to program the Sabbath rest into my schedule, a whole day of nothing, because this go go go really can catch up to you.
So I guess those are my thoughts for the day. Relax as much as I can. I'm outskies.
I've been thinking a lot about the concept of a Sabbath day of rest - how God created the universe to function in a rhythm and demonstrated it to us by Himself creating in 6 days and resting on the 7th. Did God need to rest on the 7th day? No. But He did to set the example for us. I know one thing - I need to program the Sabbath rest into my schedule, a whole day of nothing, because this go go go really can catch up to you.
So I guess those are my thoughts for the day. Relax as much as I can. I'm outskies.
Monday, April 21, 2008
My roommates are a blessing
My roommates are such an incredible blessing. All of them. I'm thankful I have the opportunity to share life, the good and the bad, with them, and they with me, and we can walk through it together. One thing's for sure, none of us have this thing called life really figured out.
My roommate Tyler was playing the song, "Come Thou Fount," in his room today on his computer. I lost it, began to cry, struck by the powerful lyrics that speak the truth of Jesus' love for us.
Jesus saught me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescure me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander Lord I feel it
Prone to leave this God I love
Here's my heart Lord
Take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above....
Thinking on how Jesus gave Himself because of His love for the world... how Jesus saught me when I didn't know any better by interposing His precious blood. Man, overwhelmed. It certainly puts things in perspective.
I'm in a season of reflection, at least for the next few days, but my prayer is Jesus is at the forefront of my thoughts, that His sacrifice for me would put everything else in life in perspective, and that I would love people with the extravagant love He has shown me.
Hope you all are trying as I to figure out what it means to live in light of the Gospel through the help of Jesus.
My roommate Tyler was playing the song, "Come Thou Fount," in his room today on his computer. I lost it, began to cry, struck by the powerful lyrics that speak the truth of Jesus' love for us.
Jesus saught me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescure me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander Lord I feel it
Prone to leave this God I love
Here's my heart Lord
Take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above....
Thinking on how Jesus gave Himself because of His love for the world... how Jesus saught me when I didn't know any better by interposing His precious blood. Man, overwhelmed. It certainly puts things in perspective.
I'm in a season of reflection, at least for the next few days, but my prayer is Jesus is at the forefront of my thoughts, that His sacrifice for me would put everything else in life in perspective, and that I would love people with the extravagant love He has shown me.
Hope you all are trying as I to figure out what it means to live in light of the Gospel through the help of Jesus.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Reflections on the Gospel, the whore and the Savior, community, and the journey...
Lately, my life has been go go go and I want it to slow slow slow.
This morning I taught on church planting, something I myself am incredibly passionate about. But I can't really explain it, but this morning, I wasn't in my element. I was bummed that something I feel so passionate about probably wasn't communicated like I was incredible passionate about it. It's times like these I am thankful God uses us in our weaknesses. I guess every once in a while, you have an "off-Sunday."
I can't say how encouraged and blessed I am to be part of a community like Jacob's Well. My closest friends are a part of this community - a community of people committed to journeying together towards Jesus, learning more and more what it looks like to live in light of the Gospel.
And a community that is not content to be content. A community who sees themselves as sent - who are trying to figure out what it looks like to live as a missionary where they are right now. I wish it were a bunch of easy answers, but I'm thankful that I have people who are all trying to figure this out together.
John 12:32-33
"As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself." 33 He said this to signify what kind of death He was about to die.
I'm thankful I'm a part of a community that desires to lift Jesus up, because we know when we do, He draws people to Himself. But when we lift Him up, we aren't talking about singing songs and the like that all goes on during the Sunday Gatherings of local churches around the world, although that is well and good.
To lift Jesus up is to make Him famous. And to make Him famous - to lift Him up - is to tell the world of His love and demonstrate to the world His love. To lift Jesus up is to realize the extravagant love Jesus has shown us. Even though we are hopeless sinners, Jesus gave Himself for us. To lift Jesus up is to love people with the extravagant love Jesus has shown us.
And when we do this, when we lift Jesus up, He will draw people to Himself.
I am struck more and more with my own depravity - my fallen nature. It was my sin that nailed Jesus to the cross. My sin was the reason He had to die. But what's really got me lately is the thought that when I am unable to forgive myself, or I continue to beat myself up for something that I have done or said and later regretted, I am telling Jesus His death on the cross wasn't enough - that somehow I have to pay for this particular sin. So I spit in Christ's face when I sin, and I tell Him His death wasn't enough by refusing to forgive myself - I am in one terrible mess.
But Jesus forgives even that. And God who starts a work will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Learning to walk in light of the fact that I am a mess, but the death of Jesus was all-sufficient is quite a journey. But it is freeing! I'm thankful God reached down through Jesus and saved me when I could not save myself. I'm thankful His hand is at work and that my God is in the business of Life-Transformation and shaping His people to look more and more like His Son. I'm thankful that Jesus, the bridegroom, is always faithful to a neverfaithful whore who continues to turn her back time and time again and He continues to take her back time and time again. It is this extravagant everfaithful love that I am trying to learn to walk in light of. And it is this love I want to love others with through the power of Jesus.
This morning I taught on church planting, something I myself am incredibly passionate about. But I can't really explain it, but this morning, I wasn't in my element. I was bummed that something I feel so passionate about probably wasn't communicated like I was incredible passionate about it. It's times like these I am thankful God uses us in our weaknesses. I guess every once in a while, you have an "off-Sunday."
I can't say how encouraged and blessed I am to be part of a community like Jacob's Well. My closest friends are a part of this community - a community of people committed to journeying together towards Jesus, learning more and more what it looks like to live in light of the Gospel.
And a community that is not content to be content. A community who sees themselves as sent - who are trying to figure out what it looks like to live as a missionary where they are right now. I wish it were a bunch of easy answers, but I'm thankful that I have people who are all trying to figure this out together.
John 12:32-33
"As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself." 33 He said this to signify what kind of death He was about to die.
I'm thankful I'm a part of a community that desires to lift Jesus up, because we know when we do, He draws people to Himself. But when we lift Him up, we aren't talking about singing songs and the like that all goes on during the Sunday Gatherings of local churches around the world, although that is well and good.
To lift Jesus up is to make Him famous. And to make Him famous - to lift Him up - is to tell the world of His love and demonstrate to the world His love. To lift Jesus up is to realize the extravagant love Jesus has shown us. Even though we are hopeless sinners, Jesus gave Himself for us. To lift Jesus up is to love people with the extravagant love Jesus has shown us.
And when we do this, when we lift Jesus up, He will draw people to Himself.
I am struck more and more with my own depravity - my fallen nature. It was my sin that nailed Jesus to the cross. My sin was the reason He had to die. But what's really got me lately is the thought that when I am unable to forgive myself, or I continue to beat myself up for something that I have done or said and later regretted, I am telling Jesus His death on the cross wasn't enough - that somehow I have to pay for this particular sin. So I spit in Christ's face when I sin, and I tell Him His death wasn't enough by refusing to forgive myself - I am in one terrible mess.
But Jesus forgives even that. And God who starts a work will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Learning to walk in light of the fact that I am a mess, but the death of Jesus was all-sufficient is quite a journey. But it is freeing! I'm thankful God reached down through Jesus and saved me when I could not save myself. I'm thankful His hand is at work and that my God is in the business of Life-Transformation and shaping His people to look more and more like His Son. I'm thankful that Jesus, the bridegroom, is always faithful to a neverfaithful whore who continues to turn her back time and time again and He continues to take her back time and time again. It is this extravagant everfaithful love that I am trying to learn to walk in light of. And it is this love I want to love others with through the power of Jesus.
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