Category Archives: friends
…at starbucks with theworstblogger(.com)
i met with jason smithers today at starbucks in levis commons (as referenced by the above picture, in which he appears to be oh-so-happy) to come up with a rough outline of october’s new community service at the toledo campus. i think we put some great ideas on the table, and it’ll be interesting to see what, if any of it we can pull off. if it goes like what we have planned, i think it could be an incredible service, and definitely not what people are used to.
i’m thankful for jason being in my life. we don’t spend a whole lot of time together, and i wouldn’t say we’re “great friends” or anything. but of all my coworkers, he’s probably one of the few that i feel really comfortable around and am able to just get a coffee with and hang out. i think we collaborate well together (i guess this new community in a couple weeks will be a good indicator), and generally speaking we see pretty much eye to eye. we’ve had our fair share of head-butts, but i would honestly be worried about any relationship that didn’t. disagreements are an important part of life, it’s how you handle them that are telling and character-revealing.
today i got him hooked up with a twitter account. the next six months or so of his life are going to be crazy interesting (him and his wife jess are having a baby!) and i think it’ll be fun for him and the people in his life to be able to kind of come along in the journey (virtual or otherwise) through twitter/facebook/blogs.
if you’re on twitter, i would highly recommend adding him (@theworstblogger) to your “follow” list. he’s an interesting cat who brings a whole lot of funny to this online community.
and, if you’re not on twitter yet… what’s taking you so long?
…wide awake // chapter two
this book is proving to be quite incredible. i just love mcmanus’ style of presenting the gospel in ways that challenge me to think bigger than my little bubble.
here are some of my favorite quotes from chapter two, followed by my thoughts:
“how many of us are living unaware of all the unused potential all around us? or even within us? maybe your life is defined by problems you have not yet overcome, and you’ve conceded that these are your boundaries and limitations.”
“there is never a point in your life where you lack value or significance. there’s always something for you to contribute.”
“i think a lot of us are where we are in our lives because this is just sort of where we got stuck. you didn’t feel a god-inspired call to where you live; you just happened to be born there or transferred there. you are being manipulated by the circumstances of your life rather than being moved by a calling with purpose and potential.”
“do you have a career or a calling? are you there by accident or intention?”
“but it is possible you’ll never find greater contentment or joy or exhiliration until you’re willing to give up what you know and what you have for what awaits and what exists in the unknown.”
“when you live up to your greatness, the whole world is made better. the world cannot afford for you to choose average or easy.”
sorry for the number of quotes, but believe me when i say that this is only a sample from my moleskine! this book is really hitting me. hard. right in the gut. it challenges me, and makes me think about my place and what i’m doing to advance. if i were being truly honest with myself, i’m quite positive i am not yet living up to my potential. but, i’m honestly not sure what i’m supposed to be doing yet.
that isn’t to say i’m just biding my time and treading water in my current ministry career. i believe god called me there (the circumstances that lead me to my current job have jesus’ hands all over it), but i’ve been honest with everyone around me that i’m not sure i’ll be there forever. i truly believe there is something bigger out there for ryanne and i both.
for right now, i know that we need to get out of the bondage of debt, so we can enjoy the freedom to be able to pick up and move at the moment we feel god’s calling on us to change our location, or if we’re called to something far more drastic… perhaps long-term mission trips. who knows? i’m not willing to rule out anything under god’s design…
additionally, the quote about great contentment, and the one above it… i don’t believe are just about where you live. but for now lets explore just that side of it. it’s no secret that i’ve felt a calling to the pacific northwest my entire adult life. i can’t fully explain it. part of it i’m sure is just what i’ve seen from movies/television. some of it is from first-hand friends accounts. but most of it, i truly believe is a purpose that i haven’t fully realized yet. but i’m only human and my desires to get out of town, while understandably don’t make my family too happy at the prospect of me moving thousands of miles away, could be completely misguided.
still… i’m left to wonder if this… toledo, ohio… is all i’m supposed to know? i love my family to death, and i’d be the first to admit that moving miles away would be tough. but i refuse to believe that my fate is dictated solely by where i was born. i do not buy in to “i stay here because i was born here, and it’s home.” i believe home is, cliche’ as it sounds, where the heart is. and as long as i have the love and support of my wife, and at least the love of my family, i’m pretty sure “home” can be wherever god wants me to be.
…this is way overdue
on july fourth, cedarcreek did a special package at the beginning of the service honoring our troops. take a look at how it went down.
