Century

Team Young Life Adventures all dressed in polk-a-dots completes century fundraiser #1!  What a day it was riding 100 miles in Chico, CA and the surrounding area.  My expectations were exceeded multiple times...  First of all Chico is way more beautiful that I anticipated.  Riding 100 miles is challenging but not as punishing as a marathon, therefore I feel like I want to ride another century some time.  The food at the rest stops was incredible and they were frequent (PTL).  Best of all was the group that I got to ride with.  All of us riding to support a program that has changed my life and has changed the lives of hundreds of teenagers every summer.   It was truly a gift to ride with the Thomsens!

As I rode up hills by myself sucking wind, just trying to make it I was struck by the surrounding area, how majestic it was and how I was looking forward to joining the group again to enjoy what we were doing together.  I didn't want to finish the race alone and the Lord knew that.  I was able to ride the last 40 miles with 8 other people from our group.  That was the highlight of my ride, going through the flats with our polk-a-dots in full force passing so many people and talking about life together.  It was a great lesson in team work as I couldn't have ridden that fast into town on my own.  Two guys carried the group by letting us draft behind them.  Thanks Thomsen bros!  Also so fun to ride alongside Courtney for 40 miles, sharing in one more adventure together!   

So here's to athletic insanity, the Kingdom of God growing in the hearts of kids and the wonderful feeling of accomplishment.  It will surely happen again!

Baptism

This weekend 9 current Young Life kids and 2 former YL kids are being baptized!  What a way to celebrate Easter!  One of my high school friends and I were sitting at the top of the Broadway tunnel looking out over the city talking about life and baptism.  What a privilege it is to take the journey with teenagers into new life in Christ.  It is truly amazing to see God's faithfulness through the kids desire to be baptized!  

It has reminded me of when I was baptized.  The moment of feeling like the Holy Spirit met me in his fullness as I was immersed in water.  It was so personal, like Jesus was pulling me out of the water and telling me that he loved me.  It was a beautiful gift of intimacy between my Savior and I.  Going down into the water is truly the way back up to fullness with Christ.  Thank you Jesus for new life and love unending.

Risk

Relationship without risk is not relationship.  Will I choose to challenge those that have been brought into my life?  Will I choose to live in such a way that draws the deepest parts of people out?  Will I ask questions that could result in pain and frustration?  Will I let people into the depths of my life?  Will I reveal that parts of me that sometimes feel like they are going to eat me alive?  The answers to these questions is not often.  

The motivation of my life is usually fear.  Fear of hurting others and of being hurt.  Fear of abandonment and disapproval.  Fear of never being enough.  So I hold relationships at bay hoping that people won't figure me out.  Hoping they won't see that part of me is a fraud.  The false self comes out to play leaving the true self in the shadows waiting for one shining moment to be revealed.   But when those moments come they bring truth, beauty and love.  Oh how I long to live out those moments at all times.  How I wish my motivation were solely out of love.  Regret would be left to the wind and the air would be filled with passion and extravagance.  

I challenge myself tonight to learn to live out of love and passion, not out of fear.  The kingdom of God is not a kingdom of condemnation but one of love and encouragement.  Our Savior is dripping with love calling out the deepest parts of who I am and I want to live in such a way that points towards him.  Relationships have the most powerful place in my life, my hope is to represent the love of the place Power really comes from.  Perfect love drives out fear.  

Invitation

I invite you into my darkness.  Into my fear, my weakness, my sadness.  Depressing?  At times...  Beautiful?  If you read between the lines.  I am inviting you to look into the void and find the majesty and mystery that rests there.  No, it doesn't initially make sense, but the journey towards understanding will unfold.  The hope is to truly know more of Christ as I reveal more of myself.  He is found in my nothingness, in the deep places that I keep hidden, in the "just beneath the surface" part of my life.  That is where Jesus is.  

The recent days have held a grief beneath the surface of my life that lurks waiting for a moment to be released.  To be realized.  I haven't tried to forget about how I feel, I have done what I can to keep living which results in short term memory loss.  The moment I slow down for even a second I come crashing into the grief that rests in my heart.  I find comfort in my sorrow knowing very well that Jesus meets me there.  I feel very alone in my sorrow because all I want is to be with someone that understands.  That's why this is an open ended invitation.  

To escape my loneliness means I need to invite people into my void.  Into, my darkness, my fear, my weakness and sadness.  Out of these broken places grows hope.  It is in the valley where things grow and Lord I am asking you to grow me.  I cannot grow alone, thus community is welcomed in to water the loneliness with compassion and understanding, mercy and grace.  The body of Christ at work.  

So come friends.  Here we are together standing in the gaps for one another.  Doing for others what we cannot do alone, what they cannot do for themselves.  We are the body of Christ, come make my heart your home.