declaration.

I've done most of my international travel, "missions trips" with an organization called Global Expeditions. They're pretty great, if you have teenagers or are a teenager sensing God's call to go to the nations...I would recommend checking them out.

One thing that's basically a staple on their trips is this "Declaration of a World changer." Its basically a short paragraph that is said at meal times, and in the morning, and whenever otherwise deemed necessary by leadership. It usually takes about 3 days into the trip to memorize it because it is said that often.

Its good, its meaty, and if you let it truly wash over your day, its powerful.

This declaration is on my mind this morning, so I thought I'd share it with y'all :)

Today I will live honorably through my thoughts actions and speech. I choose to be full of faith; I will not only be a hearer but a doer of the word of God. I will serve before I demand, I will love and not hate, and I will give before I take. Today, I choose to make a difference in this world and to be a part of something bigger than myself. I choose to dedicate my life to prayer and ask God for his miraculous power and the courage to do the impossible. I will make Godly Relationships a priority in my life as I esteem others higher than myself. Today I will live my life in such a way, that I will change the world!

busy.

About oooh a year and a half go...two years, I had this really great conversation with a friend. The end result was that we were going to try to not ever use the word busy. There were many reasons for this. Busy by definition is discribed as being charactarized by activiy, or not at leisure.

So many people throw around this term. Oh how are you...Good, just busy. Hey we havent talked in a while...I know I've been busy. Sorry I havent returned your call, i'm busy.

bah, it makes me crazy just thinking about it.

God calls us to live full lives in him. If we stay in tuned and keep our actions within his will, then there should be no BUSY. It should be purposeful activity, and leisure within his timing.

I feel like Americans are good with this; being busy that is. Like the busier we are, the more successful we are. No longer is an evening home with the one you love an ok activity. Instead we are constantly going and doing something.

One of the most dreaded days at work for me is Monday. I think this is probably most people's most dreaded day, but I think for me it is for different reasons. You see, on Monday there is the obvious question to ask. "how was your weekend." I'd be willing to put money down on the amount of times the response I get is "oh it was so busy." Even worse then this response is then the follow up conversation that involves the list of activities any given co-worker dumps on me. All I can do is walk away and say, you're right, you are busy. From time to time there's the occasional friend who i engage in a similar conversation. Yet as they list on their weekend's pack of activity i realize, they weren't busy, they were loved. Their life is full of love and joy and caring...and at what point did it become easier to begrudgingly talk about it, then say I had an incredible weekend full of the love of family and friends. When did the attitude turn to busy, instead of life overflowing with goodness. what a blessing.

I just don't get it

I had the crazy realization the other day, that this summer is slowing creeping into the stage of busy. I've said it to a few people recently, that I have this gnawing feeling that I'm going to wake up sometime in September and wonder where the summer went. There's LOTS of fun things going on, and as the planning of activities continues, and summer is now somewhat in full swing, I'm wary of being too busy of my weekends and days becoming too full. That the things that are important fade into the background as activity filled days trump out days of leisure, and I too become busy.

Busy...the new dirty 4 letter word


seiriously makes me cringe when I hear it.

hug.

Hug Poem

by: Bradley Hathaway

I read about how you touched them and they were healed

Or even if someone just touched your cloak they were forever changed

You let a broken woman bathe your feet in her tears

And you washed your best friends feet

I'm just wondering though did you ever hug people.

I mean, I know that it is a silly question at all I'm sure you would have why wouldn't you

But its one of those things that was never mentioned that got me thinking about it

And how whenever there was a touch from you sins were forgiven and sickness fell

I think I'm caught up in my sins last time I checked all my body parts were properly working, nothing special here

I'm just a kid with a heavy heart these passing sunrises and sunsets.

I don't think our encounter would have ended up in the gospels or anything

Because all I really need is a hug

That is ok for me to imagine right

That's not going to be conflicting with any sort of theology is it

Ok good, then hug me

But not one of these side ways one arm around the neck type hugs

Or the ghetto right hand clasp fists elbows to the chest pit pat on the back back

Or you put your right arm over my right arm and I put my left arm over your left arm and we make this weird sort of diagonal thing

Nah none of those

BEAR HUG ME MAN

Take your old school carpenter arms and throw them over my upper body leaving my arms dangling underneath yours somewhere and I can barely move them because you're squeezing so hard

But don't pick me up and make my back pop because I hate it when people do that

And hold me, hold me here in your arms until I start to cry because

I want to cry

But I just can't seem to do it on my own

I have been teary eyed once recently but not enough for a drip down my cheek

There's just hurt in my soul that needs to be purged so hold me in this hold pose until the pain is flowing from my eyes and my nose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_flSjlyqijM

Here.

It seems strange to me how 4 years ago I couldn't have fathomed living here, and yet as we round out 2 years since graduation and my moving home, here is still where I am.

Its not that here is a bad place, I've just always craved and hungered after more. More then this. More then the 9-5 job, church on Sundays, aimless conversation, and youthful entertainment. And all those things encompass what here was in my mind.

I've learned that wherever "here" is at the moment, it isn't hard before it turns into the exact definition that I held this place to in years prior. The trick is I never planned to stay in one place long enough for it to become that.

I became good at running. Running from here meant being there, and there sounded like a much better place to spend my life then here. I could have conversation with people, good conversation and not be too concerned about what I said, because soon enough I wouldn't probably see them again. I could work the 9-5 job because I knew I wouldn't be there too long, and there was always a light at the end of the tunnel. Everything I involved myself in as I traveled different places was much easier...in my head anyway...because it had a definitive end.

Unlike here.

Here are the friendships that are still going to be here in a few weeks/months. Here is where I'm held accountable to my actions because there is long term commitment involved. Here is where I cant walk away from relationships I'm frustrated in; but I need to work them out. Here is where I work out how my gifts and passions related to my daily life. There is no more here box and there box, it is all one; and its tricky working all aspects of who I am into one box.

Everyone always thinks traveling elsewhere is scary. Its here that's scary. Here takes commitment, and growth. Confrontation and accountability. Its easy to slip through the cracks when you're always there and never here.