A Dizzying December

We've been a bit all over the place.

We spent a week in early December in Xenia, OH taking our Systematic Theology II class from Crusade.

We spent a week at home.

We spent around a week with Melissa's mom and dad in Waynesfield, OH.

We spent around a week in Canton, OH with my mom and dad.

And we've just been in Indianapolis for about 5 days.

This is staff life, we've sort've just grown accustomed to it. We pack a lot, unpack a lot, and just feel as though we're constantly on the move. The kids were super excited to be home yesterday, even opting out of "pool time" at the hotel just to get home earlier.

The class was a good review from a class we took a few years ago when we joined staff. It's always refreshing and fun for both of us to study for a while and be challenging in our thinking. It was also pretty great (though not without a tinge of sadness) that we were without the kids for about 5 days. The week ended up being quite refreshing for that reason.

Being home for a bit in the middle of December was really pretty fun. We had much overdue family time to soak up so I think we went to Cosi two or three times and the Zoo lights at least once. We played lots of games, had lots of giggles, and had loads of tickling going on. This was just a fun week.

Visiting the families was nice, though not without its challenges. Noah and Leah just don't sleep quite as well as at home, so that always makes everybody a bit crankier. All in all, though, it was awesome to see the kids faces as they opened their gifts. Noah got lots of Cars things of course and Leah got girly stuff, obviously.

Christmas Conference was fun, as usual, but nutso with the kids. I think after having been with mama and papa nonstop for a few weeks straight made the kids dread childcare, which made for an interesting few days. We had quite a few late nights with students, so we're looking forward to a nap here in the next day or so.

Now we're back, and school is beginning tomorrow. We could use prayer for rest and refreshment.

Thank you

The Kingdom

I just finished 2nd Chronicles this afternoon. For anyone familiar with 1-2 Kings and 1-2 Chronicles it can become a little redundant. "So-and-so was the king after so-and-so and he was wicked in the eyes of the Lord." or "So-and-so was the king after so-and-so and he was righeous in the eyes of the Lord, doing good like his father David had done."

The state of these kings really seems determined by one major thing: idolatry. The wicked kings seem to not worship God and set up asherah poles (whatever those are) and other shrines to foreign gods. The righteous, good kings smash down these altars and shrines. Hezekiah and Joash both remember the passover and invite all of Judah into that special festival in remembrance of God's deliverance. Good kings worship YHWH, evil kings forgot all about him and worshipped the same things as everyone else.

It makes me pause. From a bird's eye view, I would say my life is one in which I worship YHWH and give him all. But, honestly, the closer we get, the more we zoom in, the hairy things get. Maybe I'm a good king with a penchant for watching to much football? Perhaps I'm someones that smashes idols but just loves reality tv?

I don't know. I have trouble with things found either in the black or in the white. I tend to think real life is a lot more gray.

But I'm determined to my utmost to make this life a white one.

A Race

Paul loved race analogies. I wonder, though, if Paul was ever actually in a race.

1 Corinthians 9:24 - "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."

and there are more.

I said I've wondered if he has actually been in a race; I think I should qualify that to say, I wonder if he has actually been in a 13.1 or 26.2 mile race.

I ran the Columbus half-marathon this past Sunday. It was 2 hours of grueling, mental anguish, as all races of that length are. Distance running is just something that is hard to put into a category because it is just a battle on so many fronts, the least of them is often the physcial one.

But run the race to win? To win? Has Paul seen these others runners? They're like gazelles skipping down the pavement while I plod along in pain. And I'm supposed to run this race, and train for it, as one running to win?

Then, Paul says this later, in 2 Timothy 4:7 - "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Distance running is all about not quitting, and continuing to push on despite any mental, emotional, or even physical desire to do so. It's just a war against yourself. Will I keep going? Do I even care? Just stop! Finish strong!
I actually think Paul got this. Run your life of faith as one running to win. Will you win? Well, that's no guarantee, and even Paul at the end doesn't make that claim. But did he leave his all out there on the course? You bet. He finished the race.

As I'm typing this I think I've changed my mind. I think maybe Paul actually was a runner and of course he has run races.

Am I the best, or even an average runner? Nope. And I'm not sure I could even say I ran that half-marathon to win. For me it was more like I just wanted to enjoy myself and my surroundings; I wanted to take it all in. In some ways, I gave in to the pain and just took it easy.

I never, ever want to say that about my faith. If running has taught me anything it's taught me what it feels like to quit or to cave in. I know that feeling of "I just can't push anymore, I just can't go on, it's time to walk." And I can see signs of it in other areas of life as well. I want to run this race of the faith to win. No way am I stopping for some "cramp" or some setback. My life is all for Jesus, bring on the hurt.

Join me?

Tidbits

Noah just turned three in September and I can hardly believe it. Time really does go fast. He is definitely having his toddler-tantrums fairly regularly, but at the same time I think we can honestly say we can see him growing and maturing. He seems to understand to care for Leah and just generally likes being around her. Step by step, eh?

Campus life is crazy, as is normal this time of year. Our schedules have now been mostly finalized and we're getting into a little bit of a routine, which can be refreshing in a way. Both Melissa and I work more efficiently if we actually have tracks to go on, rather than setting our own tracks. That's not to say we don't like the idea of laying down tracks for others to run on, just to say that we seem to feel as though we get more accomplished with clearly understood schedules.

Discipleship has been really fun thus far. As I'll talk about in our ministry update, the majority of it has been a return to loads and loads of evangelism. Every few people we meet with though, just need time to slow down and be with Jesus. Sometimes it seems like our job on campus (and in life for that matter) is simply a matter of making sure and helping people walk with their Risen Lord. My goto question is usually, "How is your relationship with God?"

I'm running the Columbus half-marathon this weekend, so that should be fun. I'll be able to finish for sure, but I'm definitely not expecting to set any course record or anything. Since school started, my running has gone in the tank. All the hoopla of race day is sure to make Sunday a fun one for us.

Thank you for your prayers and concern for our family and our ministry. Feel free to leave a comment telling us about how you're doing!

The madness begins!

School has officially started, and in many ways that means craziness reigns.

Trying to coordinate with a large staff team and trying to make sure the 150 or so small group leaders we have are up to the minute with the latest news is sometimes a daunting thing. What did Christian workers in the past do without texting and facebook?

This time of year is exciting for lots of reasons. We are meeting new students that will be the leaders of our movement and the kingdom of God at OSU for the next few years. We are reconnecting with students after their summers. We are reconnecting with other staff members and living out ministry together. In short, we are riding a wave of momentum to faithful service to Jesus.

Our schedules are packed and I like that. Sometimes I lose focus and drive when things are unscheduled or unplanned. I can tend to get stagnant.

My brother-in-law commented on not wanting to go to work Monday. "Yeah?" I said. "Of course, do you want to go to work?" "Actually yes! Man my job tomorrow consists of waking up to study the word, leading a staff prayer meeting, meeting with 3 different students for an hour or so each, and then chatting about evangelism with 65-70 students at night. It'll be a long day, but man it's fun." I meant it too. This is a long and trying period of the year in ministry but in many ways the most life-giving and enjoyable. Would you pray that Melissa and I would continue to be faithful and bold in proclaiming the gospel on campus? Could you pray for continued joy in Christ and in ministry?