We are in a season of relationship buildin and we love it. In our community we are meeting so many awesome people. It seems like weekly we are meetin somebody new. At church, we are starting to meet people for the first time. Then, today at church, we hear a message about covenant relationships.

I think God wants us to get the idea that without relationships, we can’t really understand His kingdom and in order to release the kingdom, we have to build strong lasting imparting relationships. It’s like iron sharpening iron. This may seem like a “duh” point, but how many of us are searching for them rather than just waiting for them to fall into our lap? Like Scott said today, are we going the extra mile to strengthen them?

Once again, I am not saying I am an expert, just sharing what’s going on with me.

We went to Helen today for a family trip. We started off tubing and I learned that we should have taken the short route. Jillian did a great job helping us out and getting us off he rocks. Benden lost his shoes, Jillian lost her favorite sun glasses and we all got a little banged up slipping on rocks. But now we sit on a deck overlooking the river, enjoying some food and drinks and feeling like today is a good day.

Yea God!!!

The other day my boss comes over and says, “Have you heard? We are all going whitewater rafting Thursday. Now, it’s not that I am against rafting, but let’s just say I would have not scheduled that trip myself. Now, my wife would be first in line, but it was work related so she could not go.

Now, it was time to man up and try something new or wuss out. In this situation, there was no reason to wimp out, so I knew I was going. But, that little nudge sent me doing something that I would have never chosen on my own.

I think that we all need that little nudge sometimes. It helps us try some things that we may typically not try on our own, but once we do, we love the feeling. And I did! We had an amazing time, got soaked, and stayed in the raft the whole time. I can’t wait to go again and take Torrey with me.

So where is God nudging you? I am not saying He was nudging me to go rafting, but the lesson taught me that there are times when He asks me to do things and I wish I had a nudge. Maybe this experience will teach me that just like I loved the feeling after rafting, I can get the same feeling after I step out in faith and obey Him.

How about you?

I tried to use a couple tools on my Dell Mini that could write to multiple blogs, but to be honest, the best option I see is using ScribeFire with Firefox.  I can write while I am disconnected and then post it when I get reconnected.

I can also use Firefox to research the information and then include it here.  To me, it just makes perfect sense to do it this way in Ubuntu.  Maybe that is why the guys who were developing desktop alternatives stopped because this way is so simple and convenient.  Either way, I am really happy with my set of electronics with the HP Laptop for development, my Dell Mini for travel and my iPod Touch for convenience.

Looks like my wife’s dreams have come true and I no longer have any electronics to buy, for now.

This place is where all dreamers need to come for empowerment. Every time I am here, I just feel ready to take off. As big as my dream is, being here makes it all seem so possible. God is in control, He is 100% good and makes everyhing possible.

This device has to be my favorite ever so far. Everything that I want it to do it does and now it writes to my blog. I am not one of those Apple freaks yet, but my new iPod Touch is quickly turning me in to one. Time to go Father’s Day shopping for the dads.

I have been having some problems blogging lately.  Some technical, other time related.  But I have purposed to blog because I want to document what I see God doing both in my life and around me. This includes our ministry where I believe God is really doing something different, but it comes at a price and I have determined to pay it.

Yes, Jesus paid a price that we couldn’t, but there is a price required of us if we are going to see the Kingdom manifest on the earth.  I think that to whom much is given, much is required.  Which means we have a say in the matter.  Some only reach a certain level of faith because the requirement becomes too much and they can’t continue.  Others see some of the greatest things of God because regardless of what the circumstances look like, they continue down the path that God has set before them.

I am purposing to continue down this path.  Circumstances at times can appear overwhelming, yet in the Kingdom we know that life is not always as it appears.  Many times we have to see what is not yet visible and co-labor with Christ to make it seen.  God is moving now just like God was moving in the days Christ walked the earth.  Jesus saw Him and made a point to go where God was going and do what God was doing and say what God was saying.  It was like Pete and repeat.  Now, here we are and the same scenario is available to play out in our lives.  We can either move, do and talk independently from God or we can go where He goes and say what He says.

Let us be warned, to do such a thing will require us to walk by faith and not by sight.  There is no other way to learn this than to actually do it.  You cannot claim to live by faith and never have had to stand, and when you have done all you know how to do, just stand.  Faith people see when nobody else sees.  What do they see?  God at work, moving and setting things up for their next move.  God is alive, and alive things move.  Even when we are sitting still, our body is moving and at work.  Why?  Because it is alive and it takes even to just sit still.  The activity in our body, even at a resting state is in preparation for the next move.

We are to be the same way.  Even if it “appears” like nothing is happening, those are the times to press in towards God and see what He sees and what He is doing.  Then, once you see it, get ready because when He moves, you have to go with Him.  Many of the times we equate to “wilderness” periods of our lives are really preparation periods.  The problem comes when we get stagnant in these times rather than making the proper preparations.  Bill Johnson writes a great book called Strengthening Yourself in the Lord.  I would highly recommend reading this book to learn exactly what to do during these seasons.

I, like Christ, want to get to the place where I am following God wherever He goes and do what He is doing and ay what He is saying.  In order to do that, we must purpose to walk by faith and not by sight.  We must make a point to be constantly aware of the presence of God and if we feel it starting to become less apparent, then it is time to find out where He just went because we should have moved and we didn’t and we better get going.

More to come tomorrow…

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Out of the Cave Part 1

1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
      Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
      He made us, and we are his.
      We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
      go into his courts with praise.
      Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
      His unfailing love continues forever,
      and his faithfulness continues to each generation. (Psalm 100)

Our Prayer:

Father, let us shout with joy to You, the Lord of the earth! We worship You with gladness and come before you singing with joy.  We acknowledge that You are God and that You made us and we are Yours.  We are your people, the sheep of your pasture.  We enter Your gates with thanksgiving, and go into Your courts with praise.  We give thanks to You and praise your name, for You are good and your unfailing love continues forever.  Your faithfulness continues to throughout the generations.

Refuel Chapter 1