Twins win, Twins win!

Today I had the chance to catch a Twins game in Detroit, versus the Tigers. I've visited other stadiums before, but not when the Twins were playing, so this was a unique opportunity for me to not only see my Twins on the road, but to see them kick the Tigers' butts 11-3! Go Twins!

Cliff and Angela's

Well, I've had a great time visiting with Cliff and Ange this past week in Rochester, Michigan. Here are a few pictures of their house. Of course, as you can see, Cliff has an amazing surround sound set-up! It's been nice to catch-up with the two of them, and to see how their lives and ministry are going in Michigan.

Thursday night was a great time with the guys, as we enjoyed homemade panini sandwichs, and played some cards.

On Friday night, we had a chance to see Michael W. Smith perform at their church - he's referred to as "Smitty" by those who consider themselves friends with the entertainer (sorry Abs, no photos for you)!

On Saturday, we had a chance to go to Comerica Park in Detroit to watch my Twins crush the Tigers (photos coming next blog).

Sunday will be busy with Sunday school in the a.m., followed by the "big church" service, with Cliff's Lighthouse service later that night at 7:07 p.m. I then return home to Minneapolis early Monday morning.

It's good to see that Cliff and Ange have really connected with the people of their church, and have made some great friends; which I had the opportunity to spend time with, getting to know them better. This was indeed a much needed, fun-filled trip!

The Shearer's Wedding Weekend

Dan and Heidi's Wedding!

Look out South Dakota, here we come! The good people of South Dakota won't know what hit 'em!

i am not but i know I AM

"God does whatever He wants. His purposes are a sure thing. There's no stopping Him. No containing Him. No refuting Him. No cutting Him off at the pass. No short-circuiting His agenda. God is in control. He sends forth lightning from His storehouse, He breathes out the wind, waters the earth, raises up rulers, directs the course of nations, births life, ordains death, and, in the midst of it all, still has time to be intimately acquainted with the everyday affairs of everyone on the planet."

Louie Giglio, i am not but i know I AM

"God's rule and reign are unrivaled in history and eternity. He sits on an everlasting throne. His kingdom has no end. Little gods abound, but He alone made the heavens and the earth. God has never feared a power struggle or a hostile takeover. He doesn't have to watch His back. He has no equal. No peer. No competition. It makes perfect sense that His name should be I AM. And even more sense that my name is I am not."

Louie Giglio, i am not but i know I AM

Lord, help me to see that you are God and that I am not. Help me to trust you for all things in my life, and to believe that you have my best interest in mind. I want to truly know what it means to be loved by such a big God, who has created everything that I can see and imagine, yet still desires to have an intimate relationship with little old tiny me. Amen.

Our Story

"This is written on the human heart, this longing for happily ever after. You see, every story has an ending. Every story. Including yours. Have you ever faced this? Even if you do manage to find a little taste of Eden in this life, even if you are one of the fortunate souls who finds some love and happiness in the world, you cannot hang onto it. You know this. Your health cannot hold out forever. Age will conquer you. One by one your friends and loved ones will slip from your hand. Your work will remain unfinished. Your time on this stage will come to an end. Like every other person gone before you, you will breathe your last breath. And then what? Is that the end of the Story? If that is the end, this Story is a tragedy."

John Eldredge, Epic

"God has set eternity in our hearts. We've been trying to express it in the stories that we tell. Or rather, it has been trying to express itself, this eternity written on our hearts. And the scripture bears witness that, in fact, the best of those stories are very close indeed to what is about to happen in our story. Follow me into this. It will take your breath away."

John Eldredge, Epic

God has set us in His Story, and is giving us intregal roles to play in it. What is your role? Are you a willing performer, or an understudy waiting for their time to shine? Every single person has a part in His Story, and there are no "bench warmers." It's time you figured out your part and got into the scene, as it isn't quite right without your involvement. "Action..."

The Lost and Found

It's now been a little over two months since I quit my job. I quit because I felt God was wanting me to make a bold decision in my life - to trust Him for provision. There wasn't enough work to keep me busy, so the HR department offered me the chance to accept a "separation" of employment, with a two week severance package and the opportunity to go on unemployment. The timing was also good because I received my Federal tax return and I could use that to offset the difference between unemployment and my salary (MN only pays 60% of your wages for unemployment - not enough for me to live on alone). So I felt God was pointing me in the direction of quitting my job.

I've had several interviews since, and have been in the final group for two different positions, but have not yet received a job offer. I am beginning to get worried as my Federal refund is quickly dwindling, along with my patience. I am beginning to question God's direction for me, and have begun to even question His love for me...

"As I look at humanity, I can only describe the human personality as one designed for relationship with something from which it has been separated. I hear this rift in conversations, read it in books, listen to it in music, interpret it through psychology, and so on and so on. The idea of this separation has come to feel obvious to me. And perhaps I mean that as a confession, a kind of lens I see the world through that robs me of objectivity. Kindly forgive. I needed the reality when the fantasy stopped working.

-Donald Miller, To Own A Dragon

"And when we don't return, He is like the Great Shepherd of our souls who goes out seeking us, even the one lost sheep."

- Donald Miller, To Own A Dragon

It's times like this, when I feel very far away from Him, that I need to realize that He is closer than ever before and is probably carrying me through these tough times. He understands my struggles and the doubts that I am feeling. I want to learn to love Him for these difficult times I am experiencing, because I think I will learn to appreciate His love for me more when times are better.

Stupid Weather

(This post is for Jamie.)

What the heck happened to Spring? It's almost mid-April, and we have heavy snow warnings issued for Minnesota for tonight and tomorrow! Where's the stinkin' sun and warmer temperatures? The average high is supposed to be in the mid-50's. I am about ready to go postal on someone pretty soon if we don't start getting better weather! As you can see, this isn't helping my attitude or my outlook.

So, how's the delay of Spring-like weather affecting you?