beginning to digest a "Jesus retreat"

had one of the coolest experiences of my life this past weekend. took 2 students from our youth group to meet up with 5 other students from youth groups in indianapolis and brownsburg to just talk about Jesus.

see, we had this summer gospels challenge. the challenge was to read through a gospel per week, every week of the summer. that meant that you would read all 4 gospels 3 times each! and that was incredible!! awesome to get into the Word and see the Word Himself come to life!

but then we finished it off with a 24-hour retreat @ twin lakes camp to reflect further on all that we learned.

the bulk of the time was scheduled teaching or experiential worship sessions, such as a passover seder, a footwashing service, a sunrise worship service, an emmaus road session, and a sermon on the mount. but the best part was, as one student put it, "we just talked about Jesus all the time, even when the session was over and we could talk about anything we wanted..." that's not a direct quote, but it hit the main idea...

even when we had some down time and could talk about anything...we ended up talking about Jesus, and what we were learning in the gospels or questions that we had as we read! what an incredible experience!!!

shouldn't we talk about Jesus like that all the time? like it should just come naturally? like we WANT to talk about Him?

great reminder of spending time with my Savior and His redeemed...all centered around HIM!

on reading

there are few concepts that i find as intriguing as the concept of reading.

i remember the days when my arms could barely spread the distance of an opened newspaper while i would pretend to consume the information as i saw grown adults do. then the success in completion of my first literary accomplishment, "tim can run", opened up a whole new world. it's a world that has captured my imagination, kept me up into the dark hours of the night in anticipation, frustrated me when i'm pressed with deadlines and due dates, bored me to tears, transported me around the globe and through the imaginations of others, impressed lessons upon me, and keeps bringing me back for more. it is ever growing, and my understanding of it's vastness is constantly surprised and overwhelmed: the world of reading...and the more you read the more you begin to understand how much there is to read!

standing among the towering shelves of an enormous library is exhilarating, staggering, comforting, depressing and inspiring all at the same time. i can't help but be overwhelmed at times with the amount of information, adventure and knowledge there is to consume. i can't tell you how many pages i've read in my lifetime, but even as the number climbs i still feel as though i've barely gotten started when i look out on an endless sea of books.

and then there's the online ocean of information that dwarfs the world's largest libraries. i am so thankful for filtering systems that allow me to streamline authors & topics that are of unique interest to me. otherwise i begin to feel lost in the sea without any flotation device to support and encourage me to keep swimming (or reading).

and so, as someone who has a unquenchable thirst for more but can't seem to read fast enough (and is also plagued with a short attention span), i find hope in the words of the 18th century writer and critic, samuel johnson, "a man ought to read just as inclination leads him; for what he reads as a task will do him little good." saw that in a blog this morning as i flipped through my morning's edition of google reader. he goes on to say, "what is read with delight is commonly retained, because pleasure always secures attention but the books which are consulted by occasional necessity, and perused with impatience, seldom leave any traces on the mind."

those are encouraging words to me, because i have to admit that i rarely actually complete an entire book. i'm afraid i would be diagnosed with what my mother-in-law calls "bright light syndrome"...i can't seem to stay focused on one thing with all the excitement of the other lights. so too it is as i start one author's work and see something of another interest only a few chapters in. in fact, it would probably be embarrassing to get an actual count of the books in which i could say i am currently "reading" (meaning i've read a few chapters and may one day return to read more...but don't count on it...).

if you can relate at all to my dilemma, then allow me to breathe some hope and freedom into your routine: it's ok if you don't finish that book. it's ok if you start reading something else. don't feel the pressure and obligation that a few OCD friends have burdened you with.

just keep reading.

the winds are blowing

our whirlwind of a summer is coming to a close...can't believe it. we've had so much going on around here! i'm officially transitioned to a new position here at church (from student min. to worship/discipleship), we had 3 weddings in three weeks in massachusetts, pennsylvania, and northern indiana...spoke at twin lakes camp for a week and now we're finally home for awhile. i think...

i'm excited to get back into a bit of routine. and although schools start in just a week and a half around here, carissa and i have decided that summer is NOT over for us. we're still looking forward to a day trip to the pool/water park in lafayette and trying to enjoy a few days of front-porch living!

but the winds are blowing...and this morning i could feel it...it's coming!!!

one month from wednesday.

i can't wait!!! my buckeyes kick off a fresh season of college football...only the best season of the year!