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Surrender

It’s such an odd
word, isn’t it? I mean, just look at it a moment and ponder. It just looks odd. But it’s the meaning of the word that gets us the most.

v., -dered, -der·ing, -ders.
v.tr.
To relinquish possession or control of to another because of demand or compulsion.
To give up in favor of another.
To give up or give back (something that has been granted): surrender a contractual right.
To give up or abandon: surrender all hope.
To give over or resign (oneself) to something, as to an emotion: surrendered himself to grief.
Law. To restore (an estate, for example), especially to give up (a lease) before expiration of the term.
v.intr.
To give oneself up, as to an enemy.

Surrender. I think that’s what it all comes down to.

We’re all broken. We all struggle with what it really means to follow Jesus, to live a "purpose-filled" life and be "on-mission" with God.  Most of us secretly fear
that we will somehow miss "it" — or perhaps have already missed it.

But ultimately, this is a day-t0-day journey.

I think we’ve taught each other lies. Lies Satan longs for us to believe. Lies that whisper, "you’re no good. You can’t even figure out what it is exactly that God put you on this earth for."  "You’ve missed it. You’ve missed your purpose, your Divine Moment. And it’s gone forever." "Keep struggling. Keep agonizing. Keep focusing on those unrealized dreams. And keep banging your head against that unforgiving Wall of the Unknown. Eventually you’ll figure out that big secret God keeps hidden behind that wall, the Secret of Your Purpose."

I have more questions than I have answers. Last week in small group I discovered I wasn’t alone in this. Pretty much everyone in our group said they didn’t have a big picture of what their purpose is either.  But last Wednesday I finally got it.

I’ve always expected My Purpose to be something big. I always thought that God would eventually pull back a curtain and suddenly I’d see it, in all it’s grandeur and glory. My Purpose. My Reason for Being Alive on This Earth. It would be larger than life. It would be all-encompassing. It would be a defined path, a specific task, a Grand Plan.

I worked hard to be faithful in the routine, as Erwin said, so that I could at some point in my life see the radical. And that’s what I expected my purpose, my reason for being on this earth, to be: Radical. Life-alteringly radical.

What God whispered to me all this week — and, really, for some time now — is that it is in the daily, hourly choices that my purpose lies. It’s in the living in the moment every moment that the reason for my being alive can be found. That my purpose isn’t a big, Grand Plan kind of deal. It’s a daily choosing, daily living, daily impacting, daily imprinting kind of deal. It isn’t found in the Big Reveal. It comes in the Daily Discovery package of Life.

No offense, God, but I think that kinda sucks. Its not nearly as good, as exciting, as grand and cool as my idea of purpose. I want the flash. I want the bang. I want the radical. I don’t want to just live my life and… Be.

Yeah, I get that others can still, and hopefully will, see You in me in just the every day stuff of life. But don’t you think that’s kinda boring? Man, I really want to have this crazy-ass life! Don’t you want that for me too?

Do I trust you?! What kinda crazy question is that? Of course, I… well…. hmmm…

I guess I really don’t. Not in this area. Not yet, anyway.

Surrender.

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God-Flavors

"Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that
brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness,
how will people taste godliness?" — Jesus  (Matt 5:13, The Message)

Amy has mentioned several times that believes that all that this moment is the coming hope for New Orleans. I think she is the one bringing the hope. The hope in Christ. She and others like her are helping those who’ve lost their hope because of Katrina taste and experience the God-flavors and God-colors of this earth.

Isn’t that so cool! We — us crazy, broken, messed-up, freaked-out, crazy followers of Jesus can help others taste and see that God is good, even in the midst of such trauma and tragedy.

Only a God so rooted and grounded in His own strong sense of identity, and so convinced of our worth and value and talent and passion would do such an outlandish thing. If I were God I wouldn’t let any of my creations near such a task. I’d do all the bringing of hope and God-flavors and God-colors myself. I wouldn’t trust my creation to get it right. I wouldn’t have faith in my own creation to do me "justice".  I’m so glad I’m not God!!

He has such faith in us! Much more than we have in ourselves — and truckloads more than we have in Him.

Go Amy! Go Joe! Go Wendy and Conna and Kat and Leticia and Ron and Niza and Larry and Los and all you other barbarian-followers of Jesus. He has faith in you. The God of all creation has faith in you!  Go be hope-bringers and salt-seasoning to a whole world full of hurting, broken people. Jesus is with you!

You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God
is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as
a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now
that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand–shine! Keep
open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others,
you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in
heaven.

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Good Night

I hung out with a couple of cool new friends, introduced to me by my friend Kat — who’s never been to Nashville (that I know of). Man, that woman is amazing! She makes friends all over the place and then introduces her old friends to her new ones to create this incredible ever-increasing sphere of friendships.

We had a great time hangin’ out at dinner, and then playing pool. Can I tell you it’s been ages since I played any pool. But after a few games, my body was remembering how to make the shots. These women are very down to earth, gracious and funny people. What a blessing I got tonight!

In other, completely unrelated news, I’ve been thinking of moving my blog to Typepad. I’ve currently got a 30-day (26 I think it is now) trial before the one-time payment would kick in. I like how easy it is to set up and change the template. I don’t have to know html — which is good, because I don’t. Any changes I’ve made to my template here on Blogger have taken me forever to do, with lots of trial and error (mostly error). Typepad has simplified the process so that it’s a joy to change things around and customize it to my taste.

So, what do you think? Should I move?
Check out my two blogs at Typepad and tell me what you think. Here’s the links:

A Voice of Hope
Turning 40

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Making the Invisible Visible

Reading Alex’s blog this morning, I learned of two New Orleans’ students (at NOBTS) who are blogging their experiences with Hurricane Katrina and their work to help those who weren’t fortunate enough to make it out.

Amy, it appears, is from Nashville. She goes to Rolling Hills Church.

Joe is from Mobile and went back home to ride out the storm.

It’s amazing to read their posts. I see so much of Jesus in them! It’s so encouraging, and convicting!, to see these guys and their friends so passionate about Jesus that they are driven to give their lives so others can know Him too; willing to sacrifice their own comfort and the self-centered priorities natural for young 20-somethings in order to reach out to those around them in need, to a whole world in need, and do whatever it takes to meet those needs and be Jesus to them.

Those you in the Nashville area tomorrow. Rolling Hills is gathering supplies for Amy to take down to Texas and help the newly re-located refugees from Louisiana. Read Amy’s post for more information.

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Help Needed, Please Respond

Katrina survivors need help. They are in desperate need of all manner of supplies, and shelter, and yes, prayer. But prayer is where to begin, not end.

There are so many things we all can do to help. If we each give even a little food, water, shelter to those who fled to Nashville, money, blood, clothes, sundries… you name it, they need it.

Here’s just a few places I found where donations can be made to those in need:

NAMB Disaster Relief Fund

The SBC here is town are partnering with the Red Cross and Salvation Army to provide assistance and supplies to folks in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. If you’d like to donate clothes or other such items, they, or Salvation Army, would be good places to contact.

People’s Church Katrina Relief Fund

American Red Cross
***The great thing about the Red Cross is you don’t have to donate just money. If you’re low on funds yourself, you can give blood, platelets, and plasma instead — all of which is just as needed as money.

Please give. Give of your time, if you can. Give of your money, all that you can. Give of yourself in blood and plasma. Give from your heart in prayer, love, compassion and grace.

Life will be hard for all of us for a time because of Hurricane Katrina. But I think the least we can do is help those who’ve lost the most, and for whom life will never be the same.

And I gotta tell ya, when I find myself complaining about higher prices at the pump or at the grocery store, all I have to do is remember just a few of the images I saw this week on tv. And I know beyond doubt I ain’t got it bad at all.

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Something New

I’m testing out Typepad. You can get a free 30-day trial when you sign up. Mine starts today. Thought I would see if its easier than Blogger — especially with my Mac.

I got an idea from another blog I happened upon and thought I’d journal the last 26 days of my 30s. And probably reminisce a little about the paths I took getting here. Here’s the link.

Turning 40

Check it out and let me know wha’cha think.

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Restoring Life

I’ve had one of those blissfully restful weekends. I took long walks around Radner Lake, read quite a bit, cooked some (an amazing and rare thing for me), did a little sorting and discarding in preparation for my move in October, and just generally kicked back.

I spent much time in my own head, thinking through deeply rooted problems and sin in my own life from childhood crap. I needed this time, and need more still, to begin the healing process and make changes in life; changes that will lead to a restoration of Life God meant me to have.

Much of my writing ended up being stuff that’s really only for private consumption. I had big plans to finish all the various drafts of posts I started last week but didn’t have time or energy to finish. But sometimes — well, often times, really — life just doesn’t pan out the way we plan.

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No, I Haven’t

No, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth.
No, I haven’t gotten bored with blogging, or moved on to something "new".
No, I haven’t run out of things to say (as if that were possible!!).
No, I haven’t forgotten that there are people who stop by here every day to see what crazy thing I will say—uh, write—next.

I’ve just been ultra-busy on a project at work, and mega-tired after work (for more on using too many adjectives to describe something, see this article). So, while all the thoughts and ideas run rampant in the chaos commonly known as my mind, this space has had to remain blank for a bit.

But the weekend is on its way, and, hopefully, I’ll have a little time and enough energy to thrown down here, for your reading pleasure (or whatever), a few of the thoughts that have currently taken up residence in my brain.

Until then, check out this recent post and Dan’s comments from Dan Kimball, and Carlos’ take on a similar subject. Okay, talk amongst ya’selves…!