i-dub

I had the privilege this weekend of hanging out with some of my family at iWitness Ministries. It was the annual reunion/banquet weekend in which we shared meals, conversations, hugs, laughs, and Sharpie tattoos. After reflecting on my weekend and time spent with these wonderful people, I opted to publish something to occupy and educate my readers for a moment.

iWitness are the folks that mobilized me to go to China back in Summer 05. In doing so they unknowingly launched online diary for the masses, America's second most popular blog (according to... nobody). So if that were all they'd ever done, I think that'd be sufficient. However iW has done a lot more than send a blogging, red bearded college kid to China. They've sent hundreds of students overseas to some of the least reached places on Earth in order that they might spread the Good News.

That would be enough for most people to approve of them as a mobilizing agency, but there is really so much more than that. The way they do missions is, in my opinion, extremely biblical. What I love about iW is that they train students to live missional lives, regardless of what their geographic location is. They teach everyone who go on their trips that the "front line" is more of a way of life than it is a place. Also, and this is big, they value involvement in the local church, and see it as necessary to Great Commission fulfillment. I can see the fruit of things I've learned through this ministry and it's staff continually in my life, over two years after going on my trip.

So what's the point of this post? I don't know exactly. I've had iW on my mind a lot, and sometimes things that reside in my brain for more than a few days end up on this blog. Also though, this weekend was all about supporting iWitness, mainly through finances, of which I have little. So, I thought I could support this wonderful ministry through... well my blog. So now you know. If you know of any high school or college students who think Father's tugging at their hearts for the nations, may I humbly recommend that you point them in the direction of igoglobal.org. They will not be upset. Also, if you ever want to talk about iW or missions or anything else, feel free to ask. Seriously. I don't say things I don't mean.

So thanks iW for the weekend. Only you could lift my spirits from the movie debut upset. I love you.

limited time only (part two)

As is so often the case, I was on my way to finishing a masterpiece of a post when the computer freaked out, and forgot that I was ever online in the first place. So, pretend that I started out with an extremely clever introduction that linked the previous post to this one. It also talked about how the first post really was a giant incomplete thought... man, I wish I hadn't lost that original "limited time only (part two)" post.

The way I've decided to close out this two-part post is this: instead of whining and spilling out all my thoughts of Brenham for the mostly uninterested world to read, I'm just going to make a little list of things I've learned during this short season of refinement. Some of these lessons are the ones that I've learned before and will continue to re-learn as the years go by, while others are new. Most of them weren't fun to learn, and honestly probably won't be that fun to read, but hey, you came to the blog voluntarily.

• I am selfish - I love myself way too much.
• Ministry is hard - Not hard as in the opposite of easy, rather hard as in not enjoyable, exciting, glamorous, appealing, or other attractive things.
• It would behoove me (and probably you) to focus more on knowing Jesus better, and less on worrying about where He may or may not want me to be.
• Jesus' grace is ferociously amazing

I'm sure I learned more than four things this summer, but those are the ones that have kept coming up and impacting me a whole lot on a daily basis. I'm very thankful that God loves me enough to teach me things like this. I don't deserve it.

As I write this I'm enjoying the fact that I'm done for the summer. I get to go to Dallas this weekend and see my friends, including that special one Brooke! I get to spend one more week here in Brenham debriefing, and hopefully I'll quiet down enough to let the Lord finish showing me the things He taught me whilst I was here. I'm looking forward to a sweet week of rest in College Station following the last week in Brenham, but more immediately than all of those, I'm looking forward to a free dinner tonight.

Chances are, if you are reading this, I love you, and I don't tell you that enough.

p.s. Special thanks to Uncle Stan for the magazine article of a comment he left. I really do appreciate it.

limited time only!

The title isn't to make you think that I'm offering you something that won't be available much longer, rather it's to let you know that I don't have a whole lot of time to write this post. As usual, I'll apologize for there not being a picture. I'll also go ahead and apologize for it not being funny or awesome. Sorry and sorry.

So here's the deal: I've got until Friday the 28th of July. Once that day comes (really, once 12:30pm that day comes) my work here in Brenham is over. I will have to stay another week to clean up and debrief and things of the sort, but the work part is over. Sadly, there just isn't a whole lot that excites me more than the thought of my time here being over. Why is that sad? Oh, well let me tell you. (Disclaimer: being that I have limited time to write this I'm sure I'll say things that I haven't completely thought through yet, but this is what's on my mind, and if it's heretical, know that I really do mean well).

Jesus said tons of things about how we, his followers, ought to be involved with helping those who cannot help themselves. In America, I believe that a huge group of people that fall into that category are the people who we often call "poor." I don't like the thought of calling people poor, but then I realize that Jesus did, so it must be okay. Anyway, the way I read scripture, I think as a follower of Jesus I should be involved in helping the poor, and I think that should be in a more tangible way than simply throwing money at them through some organization like Compassion International. I actually like doing things of that nature, but I really think that Christians do stuff like that and then check the "help the poor" box off their good deeds list.

Ok, crap... lots of people just walked in the room, and I can no longer go on letting my fingers think for all of you to read; not their fault, my mind just can't handle it. I also have to leave to drive around Brenham for an hour, picking people up for a youth conference in a van that broke down on me last week... Sorry for the incomplete blog, but maybe it'll give you something to work with... this one had the potential to be way too long, so it's probably best. Terrible ending... dang it.