Living life with intentionally, from my observations, seems to be something that our culture doesn't observe. Many people want to live from one thing to another, allowing anything that comes up and is "more fun", "a better oppurtunity", or simply "feels better" to trump their ccommitments. I totally understand tat things come up in life that are more important then our standing commitments... but a pattern of ever changing plans brings up red flags for me.

I know very few people that have true standing priorities that they have scheduled and actually protect from being trumped over. Maybe this is simply my generation, but I seem to notice it across generations.

Along these lines are the people in church who participate in the big events, or help out in the more "up front" places yet always have something else when they are not involved. There seems to be an entire group of people who are not intentional about their time, relationships, nor their spoken "commitments".

I bring these things up because in my "humanness" I get tired of "always" being the person who is "there" no matter what. I hear other people say "oh yes I'm commited" but then they seem to always the next best oppurtunity for things in life that are more fufilling for them. It's this scenario that drains people. I believe that God will let things die for a purpose (thankfully nothing is dieing in this case), and those things are usually obvious.

So, in the end I know that I'm in the right place, I need to be more intentional about speaking my expectations - and at the same time I think we need to look at being more intent about who we are as a Church. The sad thing is I see people at work more intentional and commited to the company then many people are to the church.

Now I think some people may read this as judgment but that is the furthest from the truth. My heart is for the health of our Church (the whole church, not just the little piece I'm involved with - read: my "local" church) and the health of my brothers and sisters. We need to be motivated to serve others and not just wjat "I" feel like.

Just some thoughts from the ride home.

So called limits

It seems that we can easily get stuck into daily patterns leaving us feeling stuck. Lately I've been trying to think of things that are cheap or free and that don't require a lot planning. As long as the weather cooperates I think it can be done.

Portland actually has a huge number of parks and big ones too. I think it's time to finally enjoy some of them, with the family and with friends. There's also some great places for hiking that are close, and don't take much time to do.... Some thoughts.

Just get me out of the same grind and out of the house. But gotta find things to do indoors as well, maybe I'll figure that out on the way home. Yes - I went into work late today.

How we are loved

I'm speaking on the second part of a three week series at The Forge - our young adults group. The series is about identifying ourselves as children of God and what that really means. In studying I found three pieces of what a child of God can depend on - you are saved, you are loved, and you are annointed.

Last week was about what being "saved" is all about, not just the initial event but the continual gifts of grace that we encounter every day.

This coming week we'll be focusing on love, and what it means to be loved by the creator, the one who was, is, and is to come. The unconditional love that we can depend on, and why.

The last part is on the annointing, how God equips us for doing things that are supernatural. How he desires us to walk in confident faith, and how our free will ties into all of it.

Personally this all comes out of what God is showing me more and more. That as long as I obey him, put my faith in him, he does amazing, unthinkable things through me and I know the same can be true for anyone - that is my heart - to share this truth with every believer.

Any conflict, problem, recession, relational issue can be miraculously changed to reflect his glory. It may hurt a bit, it may look very bad from the beginning, and yet enduring to the end always brings blessing and peace.