Extraordinary blessings manifest themselves here in "the middle of nowhere" Colorado. Of course, we can see God's fingerprints everywhere in creation, and our towns, still communities where people care about one another. The blessing I am most aware of at the moment? NightVision. NightVision brings together dozens of musical artists and speakers under the Colorado sky, and with no admission charged. The vision and generosity of Praise Him Ministries headed by Victoria Hearst has realized itself in nearby Olathe Colorado for the last several years. The last 2 days saw the crowd swell to fill the park.
People come for a number of reasons, for sure. Social, epicurian (funnel cake, kettle corn, barbecue, pizza by the slice), to hear this famous group or that remarkable speaker. I attend for all those reasons, and more. Somewhere in the midst of the noise, the blessed ones rise above the noise and hear the voice of Another.
Certain acts and speakers stand out as particularly remarkable. Some, due to experience and the confidence of a certain fame, command the stage from beginning to end. Some, by the sincerity of their desire to please the King, touch and take the heart by surprise. Others, by the sheer force of their testimony, penetrate the darkness of the things we call important, and set us on our heels before the very Master of the Universe to hear Him shout the height and depth and width and breadth of his love for us! A few times this weekend, my face buried in my hands, I caught a glimpse of his love, his power, his truth.
God has not died. He has not abandoned us to our own pitiful devices. His love endures forever. His church will not die. In fact, the gates of Hell will not stand against it. He has not given up on me. He has not given up on you.
"In all my prayers for you all, I always pray with joy...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:4
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
First Blog
I know- bad form to disclose your lack of experience when undertaking a new endeavor! I don't care. I have reached a place in life where authenticity has become my goal. So, take it or leave it, I am stepping out to write down and share some thoughts from time to time. Thanks for visiting and reading this!
An ordinary man from humble beginnings, I grew up (mostly) on a farm in northeastern Kansas, the son of a factory worker. I worked my way through college, married, went back to school, and made ends meet by doing custodial work at health clubs, and cleaning pools in Dallas Texas. I worked for many years in community clinics as a counselor, and in 2003 went into private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor with a specialty in Christian counseling.
I share an interest of music with my wife, Mary. We play various instruments at one of the larger churches here in beautiful Montrose Colorado. We have a zoo of, let's just say, several animals.
Why a blog? Because so many of life's exchanges skim the surface of our existence without ever asking the hard questions. Brief encounters and exchanges of "How are you guys?" pass for relationships these days. Sadly, many people live and die without seeking, or finding, deeper meaning. Sadder yet, some die for the lack of it without ever realizing they needed it.
I realize a level of responsibility that comes with blogging that I fear most bloggers don't acknowledge. We don't share "just our opinions" without influencing people, one way or the other. It should humble us to be told that a shared opinion or thought rises to the level of "wisdom" in the ears of the listener, in the mind of the reader.
This blog will attempt to raise some hard questions, and to offer some answers. All respectfully submitted points of view are welcome and will, no doubt, contribute to the depth of the search.
Come along, let's start the excavation and see what we can uncover.
An ordinary man from humble beginnings, I grew up (mostly) on a farm in northeastern Kansas, the son of a factory worker. I worked my way through college, married, went back to school, and made ends meet by doing custodial work at health clubs, and cleaning pools in Dallas Texas. I worked for many years in community clinics as a counselor, and in 2003 went into private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor with a specialty in Christian counseling.
I share an interest of music with my wife, Mary. We play various instruments at one of the larger churches here in beautiful Montrose Colorado. We have a zoo of, let's just say, several animals.
Why a blog? Because so many of life's exchanges skim the surface of our existence without ever asking the hard questions. Brief encounters and exchanges of "How are you guys?" pass for relationships these days. Sadly, many people live and die without seeking, or finding, deeper meaning. Sadder yet, some die for the lack of it without ever realizing they needed it.
I realize a level of responsibility that comes with blogging that I fear most bloggers don't acknowledge. We don't share "just our opinions" without influencing people, one way or the other. It should humble us to be told that a shared opinion or thought rises to the level of "wisdom" in the ears of the listener, in the mind of the reader.
This blog will attempt to raise some hard questions, and to offer some answers. All respectfully submitted points of view are welcome and will, no doubt, contribute to the depth of the search.
Come along, let's start the excavation and see what we can uncover.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)