The longing of Advent

I love this time of year. I love cold winter weather, holiday parties, snow, time away from work, time with family, the hopes of am NFL playoff berth (though not this year), presents, singing Christmas carols, my mom's homemade toffee & russian tea cakes ... I could go on and on and on.

When I think of December, I think of all those things. But what I love more than all those things combined is the concept of a season of Advent. This word Advent comes from the latin word adventus, meaning "coming." It describes the waiting and expectation of the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

One of the least appreciated things in our culture today is waiting. We don't have any patience. Whether its the drive-thru, an elevator, a stop light - it's hard to wait. Some long for other things - a child, a spouse, a job - and find that patience is wearing thin.

This Advent, my church has been doing an sermon series called Yearning. God's been using this series in my life in several ways - to call me out on my longings, and to remind me that nothing can fulfill like Christ.

I don't have to live in misery with my sin. Transformation is possible through Christ. This is such good news! Yet, I'm still left longing. While I can know Christ on this earth, and experience the presence of God in my life, I won't be able to find full satisfaction to the depths that I desire on this side of heaven. I am finding an unexpected peace this Advent, in knowing that I will probably always be longing something more on this earth - but this longing will be fulfilled, and this transformation I desire will be complete the day I see Jesus face to face.

<< And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. >> philippians 1.6

The danger within Christianity.

AW Tozer said, "What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." If you're a Christian, and you believe in Jesus, chances are you seek to live your life in a way that honors him- telling others about him, giving to those in need, being a good person, etc.

These are great things. The danger lies in the way we relate to God. We can be tempted, in the midst of these great activities, to reduce God to be the means to an end. Whether that end is getting the material things what we want, or achieving our life goals, our lives are about us. We use God to get these things.

Take someone like Mother Teresa. Most of us would agree that she was a phenomenal woman. She lived her life serving the poor and sick around her. Admirable. But even someone as good as Mother Teresa can still using her faith in God to as a means to an end, to give her a sense of purpose for her life. All the good she does becomes about her, and not God.

The difference lies in experiencing God as our treasure. Even if God doesn't give us anything - material possessions, or a ministry to pursue on this earth - he is still available to us, and that's the most amazing thing ever. Do you see him as a means to an end, or as your treasure?

Check out this video from Skye Jethani, where he explains four popular views we have about our relationship to God, and why we might need to rethink our approach.

Let's Go!

The first deadline has passed to apply for our 2012 International Summer Projects. Praise God for: our 124 applicants so far! In 2011, we had 127 students total participate in International Summer Projects. We have over 50 applicants to Ghana! Pray for: France (no men have applied so far); Uruguay & Australia (only a handful of applications are finished); Students who have not finished applications - that they would discern what the Lord would like them to do this summer.

TCX 2011: FUSED

Here's a little promo video for our largest student conference, TCX. We're trusting the Lord to move in the hearts of this generation of college students. We're trusting He will use this conference to impact lives and advance His Kingdom. Will you trust the Lord for this with us?

TCX 2011 Promo on Vimeo.

Why College Students?

It was during his college years that CS Lewis learned what it meant to believe in Christ.
It was during his college years that Karl Marx shed his Christian faith.

The campus is a battleground of ideas and ideologies, vying for dominance and competing for followers. Everyone will graduate as believers, but in what?

It isn’t a question whether tomorrow’s leaders are on the campus, or even a question whether these leaders will shape and influence our country and world. The question is who will shape and influence them? The old watchword of Campus Crusade for Christ was, “win the campus today and you’ll win the world tomorrow.” Almost every major political, athletic, social, military and religious leader will pass through either the high school or college campus. To reach them with the gospel is to effectively reach the world.

The campus ministry of Cru targets students, because it is the time they make the most decisions in their lives. It is the small window of time where individuals are open to changing their ideas, beliefs and perceptions of the world. This is the reason roughly 90% of all Christians made their decision for Christ before they reached the age of 21.

The fact is, no one thought up the strategy of fulfilling the Great Commission by reaching the college campus. Campus ministry is the result of the observation that God has chosen to use University and college students like you as His primary vehicle in accelerating the evangelism of the world. The campus ministry is the heart of God’s global missionary strategy.



[taken from http://joinus.campuscrusadeforchrist.com/why-campus-ministry]

Someday

The word 'someday' can leads us down dangerous paths. We begin to set aside our dreams and hopes for some day in the future when we'll have more money or time or just plain have it all together.

There are two sides to the someday coin. While we let someday dissuade us from our dreams, we also let the hope of someday keep us from reality. If we begin to actually pursue our dreams, we may end up being crushed anyway, so if we don't try, at least we can say we didn't fail.

In the words of one of my favorite musicians, even a fool will tell you, someday never comes.

Life change.

Last month, my newsletter featured the life-changing story of a student named Cheeia. Below is a video going into more detail about her story and how God used people, ministry tools and ministry opportunities in her life to reach her and many of her family members.

Many things encourage me about this video. God is persistent in pursuing people, and we should be, too. God can use one person to transform multiple lives. And, as this video shows, God didn't directly use Campus Crusade staff members in Cheeia's life, he used students who were equipped to share their faith.

Enjoy!

Gifts & Strengths.

A friend recently asked me what my spiritual gifts are. Instead of blurting them out excitedly, I found myself pausing before answering.

I definitely know what they are, but I was hesitant to share because I didn't want this person to label me. I'm good at organizing- not just material things, but ideas, data and intangible things. That doesn't mean I'm always organized, or that I don't forget things. That also doesn't mean I like to be labeled as the obsessive-compulsive woman who never forgets anything. I have other strengths besides organization.

The flip side of this is that I do love working in the areas of my gifts. I am often quick to jump at the chance to do things in the area of my strengths, but honestly, it gets a little dull sometimes.

I may be good at administrative stuff, encouraging others, etc, but that doesn't mean I can use my gifts as an excuse to not do the things I'm not good at. I don't have the gift of teaching. That doesn't mean I can excuse myself from investing in others through leading a Bible study or mentoring someone. Give me a challenge! Working where I'm weakest provides great potential for growth.

Religion.

I'll never forget the day I overheard a co-worker say "I just HATE religion!" I happened to be walking by him at the exact time he expressed this feeling. I didn't hear the context of the comment, but nonetheless I responded with an emphatic "me too!"

To say the least, I caught him off guard. I explained that I saw religion as an organized system of earning favor in God's eyes by doing good things. But my faith in Jesus was not this system at all; it was based on living a life that pleases Him because I'm already accepted and loved in His eyes.

Reminds me of Philippians 3: I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith (verse 9, nlt).

I don't have to worry about whether or not I'm living a life that is 'good enough' for God. I know that He accepts me, the good and bad. I can't earn right-ness with God.

Spiritual Information Overload.

For the past few weeks I've been reading Jim Elliot's bio, Shadow of the Almighty, written by Elisabeth Elliot. It is a phenomenal biography; Jim was a man of so much focus, determination, and passion for seeing the name of Jesus shared and the glorify of God lived out in his life - whether he was at college or at home or living as a missionary in Ecuador.

While several things throughout these pages have deeply moved me, one of Jim's reflections near the end of the book warrants mention (more posts about this book will follow, I am sure!). In a letter to his father, he wrote of 25 new believers in one of the small villages where he preaches, asking for prayer that those Indians that cannot read and must be fed in their new faith only through words from Jim and others. These illiterate believers must rely on the words and training of others to grow in their faith.

This summer, while visiting a church in Bellevue, NE, I heard a guest speaker named Jesse speak about his work among the Lisu People in Burma. The church had been supporting Jesse for many years, and Jesse was there to share about his current project - printing a Bible for the Lisu people. There are more than 500,000 Christian Lisu that have no written Bible in their language. It took Jesse and a team of people 6 years to translate the word of God. Jesse explained the importance of this project with one simple sentence in his accented English: "You can't make Christians without the word of God."

I have so many tools to help me grow in my faith; whole libraries of good Christian books written by theologians and pastors, thousands of sermons available online with outlines, notes and cross references, and numerous wonderful people that serve as spiritual leaders in my life.

All of these things are great, but I also need to take responsibility for my own growth. If I only depend on the revelations that others have, and don't seek to know God through his word, I am limiting my growth and my knowledge of God.

We live in a world where there is a potential for constant Spiritual Information Overload (hereto referred to as SIO). As I type this, I can see out of the corner of my eye the stack of 10 books that I've been wanting to read for a year. I have a sort of "spiritual growth to-do list" in my head, sermons to listen to, magazine articles to read, blogs to check up on. I'm committed to several Bible studies and book discussions already this semester, and I find myself thinking, Can I really retain all of this information, making it meaningful and applicable in my life??

In the Cru world, I've heard this described as "trying to drink from a fire hose." I really enjoy attending conferences, working through my spiritual development training for ministry, and reading the newest Christian book - and all these things help me grow. The funny thing is, some of the most memorable times of learning spiritual truth have been on my own. There are certain verses that will never leave my memory (Acts 4:12, Philippians 3:9, to name a few); the very first time I read them I was studying God's word in my dorm room, or in a cubby at the library - and when I read those verses the words seemed to jump of the page into my heart. They were little pieces of hope that inspired, encouraged and guided me in my faith.

I am mainly preaching to the choir here, but I also want to encourage you to consider how you can be even more rooted and grounded in the word of God. Many of us have multiple Bibles in our language while hundreds of thousands of believers around the world do not have one. If we are not rooted in the Word of God, we limit our growth, and our ability to stand firm when opposition comes our way.

the American Dream

Over the Labor Day weekend, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz sent out an e-mail to consumers about his decision to withhold political campaign contributions to members of Congress and the President until "a fair, bipartisan deal is reached that sets our nation on stronger, long-term fiscal footing." (Read more about his plan here).
Here's a portion of the e-mail Schultz sent:

"I love our country. And I am a beneficiary of the promise of America. But today, I am very concerned that at times I do not recognize the America that I love...America is at a fragile and critical moment in its history. We must restore hope in the American Dream. We must celebrate all that America stands for around the world."

What struck me about this e-mail was not Schultz's political views or solutions, but where he puts his hope.

I love this country. I am proud of our history and what we've accomplished as a nation. I am grateful to have been born in America, with religious freedoms and abundant opportunities to succeed and pursue my dreams. I am thankful for the sacrifices others have made to make those things possible.

However I am cautious of having "hope in the American Dream," as Schultz puts it. It's hard for me to describe my thoughts and feelings on this topic, so I will leave it up to pastor and author David Platt.

"The dangerous assumption we unknowingly accept in the American Dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability. The American dream prizes what people can accomplish when they believe in themselves and trust in themselves, and we are drawn towards such thinking. The gospel has different priorities. The gospel beckons us to die to ourselves and to believe in God and to trust his power. In the gospel, God confronts us with our utter inability to accomplish anything of value apart from him. (...) As long as we achieve our desires in our own power, we will always attribute it to our own glory. The goal of the American dream is to make much of ourselves."

One of the biggest arguments I hear regarding this is that you can still be a Christian, seeking to live a life glorifying to God, and pursue the American Dream. Honestly, I am not sure that one can fully pursue both. God wants our full attention, and I've seen in my life that pursuing the American Dream pulls me away from the things God wants to be true in my life.

I could write so much more on this topic, but I'd actually love to hear your thoughts, if there's anyone out there reading this! :) Have you ever thought about this before? Do you think the idea of pursuing the American Dream is a concern for followers of Jesus in our society today? Or am I/others making a big deal about nothing?

Stint: Short-Term International sending

A few weeks ago, more than 400 recent grads and staff from the US and Canada attended the Global Stint Briefing. These laborers ("Stinters"), will spend the next year of their lives in a foreign country, building spiritual movements by sharing the gospel, discipling students and increasing spiritual awareness in their neighborhoods.

These 400+ laborers are traveling to 37 different countries and 65 different locations. We are trusting God to grow the total number of US Stinters to 700 within the next 2 years.

From the Upper Midwest, we saw 40 "Stinters" leave for 6 different cities in 4 countries. They will join international campus staff (ICS, basically meaning long-term) in growing and building movements in their neighborhoods and cities. Two Stinters are on staff with Cru, and the rest are recent graduates that are giving a year of their lives to international missions.

I was talking with a staff friend this summer, and she mentioned that in 1994, we sent a total of 4 Stinters- 3 staff with Cru, and 1 recent grad (my friend), to one country: Latvia.

Since then, God has opened doors for us all over the world and has greatly blessed our efforts in sending recent college grads and staff on short-term international missions.

How you can pray for these Stinters:

*Thank God for all the laborers he's raised up to take the gospel all over the world!

*Ask Him to continue to send laborers overseas, where the fields are ready to be harvested

*Pray that each Stinter would:

-Love the Lord

-Love their team
-Learn a new world

-Launch a movement that goes on to change the world!

How you can pray for returning Stinters:

*Pray they would continue to walk closely with the Lord upon returning home

*Pray they would transition well back to life in America

*Pray that they would have discernment and direction as they decide what to do (find a job in the marketplace, join staff with CCC, or go to grad school).

Office Devo

Today in our staff team devotional, we discussed Romans 12:1-2 :: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

One thing talked about was the act of being a living sacrifice - giving what is acceptable to God, from our financials, other material resources, along with our time and energy. I love when God brings something up in my life at the same time through many avenues - He's been doing this with the idea of sacrificing my time and energy.

We also talked about what it means to have an acceptable offering to God. If it's something we know he wants us to give up, we must obey, and that's acceptable. Our motives/heart must be in the right place when we give God a sacrifice. This fits in with obedience, but we must be careful to give all that God wants, not part of it like Ananias and Sapphira.

Another thing we discussed was the meaning of the words conform and transform. I was struck by the fact that once God begins the process of transformation in our lives, we cannot go back to living conformed to this world. We might attempt to, but it makes no sense and is actually impossible.

We only had a half hour for our devotional, but I know we could have talked longer about these things. I am grateful God teaches me important things through His people.

To Do's and Don'ts.

Summer seems to be fading with the start of September, and fall is entering without haste. This season has so, so many things that I love: crisp air that leads to sweatshirt wearing, changing leaves that lead to beautiful fall photos...and the beginning of another football season, when my hopes of a Superbowl appearance are still intact. (I also had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks today...a quite tasty perk of my favorite time of year).

I love the change in seasons, especially from summer to fall. With this change comes new beginning; new school years, new schedules, new activities, new potential for growth. (Plus, don't you love seeing all the new school supplies at Target??)

While fall is a busy time for Cru campus staff, it's the least busy and stressful time for me in ministry. I am grateful for the chance to sit back and catch my breathe after a very busy winter, spring and summer. Even though I'm not on campus, lately I find myself thinking about it every day. I can't help but remember my own days as a student leader in our Cru movement. The excitement of meeting new freshmen, making them a part of our community, learning about their lives and seeing God awaken them to the Gospel.

And without fail, there always came a point in each fall semester in college when I realized I'd over-committed myself. Life can get so busy, especially this time of year with the start of new activities that seem to fill up our schedules quicker than we'd like. I fully admit that sometimes I treat my to-do list like it's the most important thing in my life. Sometimes I literally crave being busy. Even when I'm 'relaxing' on the couch in front of the TV, I'm working away on my laptop on whatever is most important on my to-do list.

I was talking with a good friend this weekend about the importance of community. She and I live a few hours away from each other now, and I think we are both realizing how important it is to commit to having long-lasting friendships. I'm starting to realize that even though my job, church and other commitments here in Minneapolis demand much of my time, there are moments when I need to set all of it aside and just be with a friend.

At times I am tempted to think I can get through life without needing anyone. If I believe this lie I risk missing out on something God created for my benefit, and for the benefit of others. We all need community. He uses people around us to grow and change us, to show us his love and acceptance, and to help us experience his forgiveness. We can't go through life not needing anyone.

This fall I hope to commit more of my time to relationships, both new and old. I hope to monitor my schedule more closely and be real with my personal limits to ensure that I don't over-commit. I'd hate to miss out on what God's trying to teach me through the people in my life because I'm too focused on crossing items off my to-do list.

Summer Recap

The end of summer is never that sad for me; I love fall and even really enjoy winter until mid-February or so. The change in seasons brings another thing I love ... football!!

I was just reflecting on my summer and realized something- even though I just stuck around Minneapolis and didn't think the last 3 months were that great, I had some awesome experiences!

My summer truly began when I sent 150 college students and Cru staff off to their international summer mission projects. I worked so much that week that I was able to take a 2 day holiday over Memorial Day weekend to relax and recoup from a crazy spring (it took two days just to unwind and stop thinking about work!).

Rest was a good idea, because the next weekend of June 5 I ran my first half-marathon! I was nervous, but so pumped for the challenge. I ran a majority of the race and finished in just over 3 hours.

The next weekend I found myself at Lake Okoboji with old friends from a med-student Bible Study I was a part of during my final year in Vermillion. Wonderful to spend hours in theological conversations along the lakeside! I came away from this weekend very refreshed, and the worst leg sunburn I've ever had.

At the end of June I was able to catch a Twins' game with my brother Joel and two friends from the regional office. We had a blast, and I don't even remember if the Twins won.

Another highlight of the month was discovering the TV Show Parks & Recreation. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. Hilarious! I had a couple Parks & Rec TV marathons during June and have now seen all 3 seasons (46 episodes...about 15 hours total). :)

I spent the July 4 weekend in Minneapolis, meeting with our finance coordinators for each summer missions project. I didn't really mind working over the holiday weekend; all the meetings went exceptionally well and I was able to catch 3 fireworks shows simultaneously at Lake Calhoun with a friend.

Ten days later, I packed up Sawyer Stratus and took off on a 2 week road trip. I spent a night in Des Moines with college friends, and then 2 nights in Omaha with more college friends. Then it was off to Ft. Collins, CO for our every-other-year US Staff Conference. over 5,000 staff were present at a 10 day training and leadership event, where we heard from interesting speakers like Francis Chan and David Platt. We also learned of the new name for Campus Crusade in the US: Cru. On the way home I stopped in Omaha again, and then spent 2 nights in Vermillion with more college friends.

Once I got home, August 1 came and so did preparations for my big brother's wedding on August 6. He married a wonderful woman, and I'm so excited for them to begin their new journey together (and to finally have a sister!!). A few days later, I took an unexpected trip to Sturgis, SD. I made the 10 hours drive with a friend overnight, which was something I'd never done and would be fine never doing again. It was crazy to be out in Sturgis during the Harley Davidson rally.

Mid-August found me meeting with my Operations Team to gear up for another year of ministry. It was so great to be back with my coworkers, such a privilege to work with an awesome team of people who bring me closer to the Lord and help me develop professionally. That weekend I took a quick trip home to share my faith journey and ministry calling with a church in my hometown. The pastor's wife works with Student Venture, the high school ministry of Cru.

Last week we had a regional office staff fun day on Lake Minnetonka and I got to venture out on a sailboat for the first time. It was windy but still a lot of fun. Last weekend my brother Joel came up and we took in the Vikings/Cowboys pre-season game, (my first nfl game) which was a ton of fun. I kid you not, I almost teared up when I walked in to the Metrodome and saw the field. I seriously love football.

And this weekend I will head to Sioux Falls to visit friends and take in the Lifelight music festival. I haven't been in a few years and always have a fun time.

And that was my summer. And this was my 600th post! Incredible how time flies.

Paper Calendars

Say what you want about phones and technology, but sometimes you just need a paper copy of something. I'm in the process of lining up 10 Day Vision Trips for the next school year. To keep myself organized in all of the planning and preparing for numerous trips at different times through the year, I keep a yearly calendar posted in my cubicle. Certain tasks have to be accomplished 90, 60, 45 and 30 days out from a trip, so using a yearly calender helps me stay organized (and keeps me sane!)

Since it's a new school year I needed a new one, so I just went online and found a great resource, and I thought I'd share it with you: CalendersThatWork.com You can select whatever format you'd like (over 100 options), and each of those options can be customized further. You can also start the calender on whatever month you'd like.

Once you're done selecting your options, the calendar will download into a Word file and you can print and/or save a copy. I know Word also has a calender program/template in it, but this website was more efficient and easier to use, in my opinion.

Vocation.

I was just reading through a list of quotes I wrote down at one point in my life and came upon a great one by the theologian Frederick Buechner - 'vocation is where our greatest joy meets the world's greatest need.'

I hadn't written down who said it, so (of course) I googled it. To my surprise I stumbled upon a blog post written by a professor about this quote, vocation and how our passions play out in different ways.

The blogger gives us two takeaways when thinking about our passion and our calling on life that struck a chord with me:

• we can live out our vocation even in the most uninspiring surroundings
• pursuing our passion is not an excuse to burn ourselves out
  

It's a good, quick read - feel free to check it out here: Vocation

Wedding Bells

Around 36 hours from now, I will be heading to my brother's wedding! I was talking about marriage tonight with my roommate, and how significant events change our perspective, passions and purpose in life. Marriage is one of those events for sure, and having kids. I can't imagine the sacrifice that goes into preparing for and being a parent. You're always a parent, forever. Irreversible life change that brings sacrifice and blessings and challenges and memories. I'm so excited to celebrate my brother's marriage to a great gal this weekend. (And, I finally get a sister after 25 years of only brothers!)

Leaving A Legacy.

One of my favorite moments of the 2011 CCC US Staff Conference was the night of the 60th Anniversary celebration. Up on the stage sat an adorable, gray-haired woman. The MC (left) shared with us that Nancy (right) spent much of her life as a missionary with her husband Mark. The two served with the PCA in Brazil for 50 years. She was a nurse, and her husband Mark was a pilot. They used his plane as an ambulance to take care of people with machete wounds, snake bites and bullet wounds.



The MC asked Nancy how she was affiliated with Campus Crusade. Nancy was pursuing religion and truth while in college, so she went to a meeting at the house next door to her sorority house. After the meeting, a woman approached her and asked if she enjoyed the meeting, and if she had any questions. Nancy said she'd never placed her faith in Christ, and when the woman asked if she's like to do so, Nancy said she would.

The two women met frequently that year, and on December 2, 1952, at 11:30 in the morning, Nancy became a Christian during her sophomore year in college at UCLA.

Nancy wrote to this woman every year, even while living in the jungles of Brazil, to thank her for her impact in her life.

This woman who shared with her was Vonette Bright. Nancy was the first person to come to Christ through Vonette...ever. Vonette was so encouraged by this experience, she continued to share her faith on the UCLA campus. She was scared to do so, but she "did what Bill told her to do" (her exact words). Vonette didn't know it, but Bill kept track of her faith sharing journey. The next 100 people she shared the Gospel with placed their faith in Christ. Incredible. And now, 60 years after that appointment, the two met on stage at the US Staff Conference.

You never know how one conversation can change a life. And how that one life will impact the world.

Perceptions.

A few weeks ago I watched the movie Marley and Me. I was busy doing something else, and had the movie on in the background, when all of a sudden my ears perked up.

John, the main character, was talking to his boss about the column he wrote for the local paper. He said, "I just always had this idea in my head about being a reporter (instead of a columnist)."

His boss Arnie replied, "sometimes life comes up with a better idea."

Throughout the movie, we watch John as John watches his friend Sebastian progress as a reporter and move forward in his career, while John stays put. It's obviously tough for John to watch, but he is a very successful columnist.

I identify with John, and I think all of us probably do at some point in our lives. We have a perception about something that we want to attain. Do we really want it? Or do we think we want it? And why do we want it, because it will provide us with more power or fame? Or is it a sincere desire that we have, with proper motives? It's hard to know sometimes what we really want.

How we perceive ourselves can be tricky. We may be something entirely different than we think we are. When we look in the mirror, what do we see? Is it what we really are? Do others see us in the same light?

You can’t seem to see past your own reflection
Caught up in the halls of your introspection
And you’re staring at your mirror on the wall
Asking “who is the fairest of them all?”
‘Cause Lord I know, it’s not me
If only you could see that you’ve already been set free

Well you say “hold on, if I could just try this one thing.
Well I know I can change and that would change everything”
But a house made of mirrors never helped you see any clearer
It’s yourself you can’t see past
And Lord, isn’t that just like me?
If only we could see, that He’s already set us free

Well come on, come on
Let’s throw our mirrors down
Yeah come on, come on
Let’s shatter the glass on the ground

-Tenth Avenue North//House of Mirrors

Knowing What Counts.

It's no secret: I like numbers. One of my favorite ways to use numbers is by counting things. (In fact, I'd love to stop writing right now and count how many times on this blog I've started a post with the phrase, I like numbers).

I've always liked counting things. Sometimes I feel like Harold Crick from the movie Stranger Than Fiction. (I know I've made that reference at least once before on this blog...)

But I love something more than the process of counting things. I love living my life in a way that counts. Even as a kid, I knew I wanted my life to count for something. I knew that I could use my talents and abilities to do something great.

What better to do than to pursue the American Dream? The nice house, the car, a suit and heels I could wear in my corner office in a big skyscraper downtown that would make me feel powerful.

The problem with that was, my life wouldn't count for anything once I was gone. I'd earn a lot of money and spend it all on myself. It would be fun, but I forgot to count something. I only had one life, and my desire not to waste it was stronger than my desire for my version of the American Dream.

I love knowing that I count. And it's not because I do well at my job, or have a nice car or apartment or friends, or money in the bank. I count because I'm a human being, created in the image of God. I count because He loves me - not because of the good I do (which would never be enough!), but because He says I count.

All I have is one life, and this life is only a dot on the timeline of eternity. Why not use my one life to count in ways that matter after I'm gone?

In college, our CCC movement used to count how many people we shared the Gospel with, how many people we had spiritual conversations with, etc. We used to explain that to others by saying We count people because people count. It wasn't about being rewarded or chastised for your number - it was about keeping track of how many lives had been impacted that year by our small group of student leaders.

By living life in light of eternity, and impacting those around me, I can multiply my life, and really make it count.

What God Has Done

Check out this video for some of the ways God has used the US Campus Ministry of Campus Crusade in the last year:

Top 10 Questions about the Name Change

1. Why is Christ no longer in the name?
2. Why did Campus Crusade for Christ change its name?
3. Who made the decision to change the name?
4. Who was involved in the process?
5. How were the staff involved in the process?
6. What does Vonette Bright think about the new name?
7. Why did we hire a brand consulting agency?
8. Campus Crusade for Christ has inherent meaning. Cru has no apparent meaning. How do you explain that?
9. Does Cru carry the negative connotations of the word “Crusade”?
10. Why did we take the name “Christ” out of our name?

Each of these questions have run through my mind, along with many others over the last 48 hours as I've thought about the name change. Visit this website for answers and even more frequently asked questions.

Campus Crusade for Christ becomes Cru

Two years ago, at our US Staff Conference here in Ft. Collins, CO, our leadership announced that the board of directors had approved a motion to consider changing the name. Over the course of these two years, there has been an incredible amount of research, discussion and much, much prayer over this decision.

This week, at our US Staff Conference, they revealed the new name: Cru. There have been many sessions and discussions concerning the process of searching for and deciding on a new name. After taking everything in, it is very, very evident to me that the US Leadership of CCC has been lead to this name by the Lord.

It's been interesting to reflect on the name change and think of the history of CCC. Even in the 70s and 80s, founder Bill Bright talked about the possibility of changing the name of the ministry.

I feel confident that this is the right decision for us at this time, and that our organizational leaders and staff involved in making this decision have truly sought the Lord on this.

the Lisu people

This morning I went to church with a friend I was visiting in Bellevue, Nebraska. The church had a guest speaker, Jesse, come in and share a little about his ministry. He is a missionary the church has supported for many, many years, working with the Lisu people in Thailand.

My heart was so moved for this man and his work with this people group. I don't know a thing about them, but as I saw photos of the people - graduates of a Bible Institute he started, children in Sunday School, his small team of people helping him translate the Bible into the native language - I could not hold back the tears.

There are over a half million believers in the Lisu people group, but they do not have a Bible in their native tongue. It took Jesse and his team of 10 people more than 6 years to translate both the old and new testament.

This one man's life has been used by God to influence thousands and thousands of people. I was so moved by his story, and the way that God can use one person to bring him so much glory. What a great reminder that each life is important to God.

During his update, Jesse said, "it's hard to make Christians without the Word of God." Here are 500,000 Lisu people trying to live a life pleasing to God and walk in His ways - without a Bible. I have a handful of Bibles, yet it's been awhile since I've picked one of them up for any significant amount of time. I pray often for the Lord to work in my life, for the Holy Spirit to move in my heart - but my lack of time in the Word of God shows the emptiness of these pleas.

Perspective.

If by chance you're checking in to see if I've blogged lately about the summer projects returning... I haven't! Sorry. Well, I guess this one technically is about them, because I just wanted to leave a quick note that I am so amazed at the things God's done this summer through our six international projects. I was reading some of the project director prayer letters the other day and got the more extreme case of goosebumps I've had ever! Pretty soon tears were streaming down my face after taking in all that they shared through a simple newsletter.

The Gospel going out into the world to people who are destined for death without it is one of the most important things in my life. The redemption that is possible through Jesus is the best news ever, and I never want to lose sight of that.

It's ridiculous how often I lose sight of this mission. Even in the midst of my role in ministry this summer with our projects, I lost sight of the purpose: bringing glory to God through sharing the life-changing Gospel with others.

More on this later, because this is supposed to just be a quick note. Stay tuned for stories from all around the world ... can't wait to share them!

A note from India

A staff friend of mine from Nebraska is leading an international summer project to her region's partnership location in India. Here's an excerpt from a recent e-mail of hers that I thought I'd pass on:

The past few weeks here in Bangalore we’ve had the opportunity to work on several campuses. Our company here is present and working on 6 campuses, we have such a unique chance to get to work with these students who are the future leaders of this country and get to help out with what the team is doing here. There are over 7 million people in the city and just about 2% of them are christians, which seems to be a bit daunting at times. To add to that, there are several different main religions here. One minute you could be talking with a Muslim student and the next you could be speaking with a Hindu student, both with very different beliefs and so it has been difficult to adjust to the many different ministry needs.

As many of you read in my last email, my passport was ruined during a monsoon while we were in Mumbai. I cannot thank you enough for your prayers, because I have really seen God’s provision in this area. I decided to continue to travel to Bangalore with the rest of my team, and once I got here I was able to get a train ticket from here to Chennai, the nearest US consulate in order to get a new passport. A LOT had to happen in order for this to work, for example, most of the time train tickets here are booked 3 months out simply because of the number of people that live here. I showed up at the train station one morning not really knowing what to do or where to go, and a random stranger at the station was nice enough to wait and help me for 45 min while I filled out all the paperwork. Also it just so happened that they have a special foreigner ticket here that I was able to get for the very same day. AND there is a Cru staff team in the city I was going to that was able to meet me at the train station and drive me straight to the consulate and the consulate who is normally booked solid just happened to have one appointment open that day. The Lord provided in unbelievable ways, and I already received an email that my new passport is already finished! Please continue to pray though, I need to courier my old passport to them in Chennai and wait for the them to send them both back to me. I’m not necessarily worried about the time as much as I’m worried about one of both of my passports getting lost somewhere along the way. Please pray for everything to go smoothly with that and I will continue to keep you posted.

Deep Roots.

Earlier this summer I finished one of the best books I've ever read about being single. Interesting fact: the author was actually involved in Campus Crusade in college but didn't have a real great experience. Which made me even more intrigued by her story.

Anyway, I didn't love the book because of it's writing style (unique and witty) or all of her dramatic stories (there were plenty!). The author consistently shared encouraging insights into the character of God and living the Christian life that she drew from her experiences in relationships (and her lack of relationships, at times).

Below is an example of what I mean- a short excerpt from the book in which the author compares living the Christian life to being a tree:

And you have to sink your roots into Him, after all. You have to find His water underground…only when your roots are drinking from that stream can you grow tall enough and strong enough to reach out into the world and maybe even make a little shade for others. To grow up tall and strong so as to bless the soil of others’ plots of ground – that’s what we’re meant to do. The branch or plant, after all, doesn’t worry so much about “growing” hard or stretching up strong, but sinking the roots down deep into the waters of life. And then, because of how God’s made us, the life and springing upward is a mostly natural consequence of that drinking, sinking, rooting.

If I had a favorite verse, this one from Colossians would be near the top of the list: "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

That verse felt like the theme of my upperclassmen years in college. Looking back, meditating on this verse propelled me into a search for a deeper relationship with God. I had been feeling distant from God for several months, grown weary of ministry on campus and wasn't growing much emotionally even though I was growing spiritually.

I remember sitting at yet another fall leadership training my senior year (or maybe even super-senior year), and hearing from a speaker that the Gospel was not just for unbelievers, but for believers, too. We needed the Gospel every day. I was floored!! God had been bringing this up in my life for the last year but I didn't really understand until that day. Right away I thought about that verse, about being rooted in Christ each and every day.

While masquerading as a book on singleness, this book taught me a lot about living the life God intends: not striving to grow and do and be externally- but seeking Him wholeheartedly. The Christian life is about letting the growth and good works and character traits we seek come from the love and life we can draw in with roots that grow deep.

Growing up.

My younger brother came to town this week to visit for a few days this week. We took in a bunch of typical Minneapolis sites (Mall of America, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, a Twins' game, etc), and also just spent time hanging out by the lake and watching movies.

Aside from the couple years we had to share a bedroom during elementary school, we've always gotten along well. We had some good times as kids, but hanging out now as adults is even more fun. Sometimes growing up is not so bad!

Dreaming life away.

In the first book of the Harry Potter series, Harry is sneaking around his boarding school very late one evening. He stumbles into a deserted corridor, and ends up finding a tall, full-body length mirror in an empty room.

He is immediately intrigued. When he peers into the mirror, he sees his parents (who, if you're unfamiliar with the story, died when he was a young boy). Harry runs back to his dormitory to wake his friend Ron. When Ron peers into the mirror, he sees a very handsome version of himself as Captain of the Quiditch team and head 'boy' at the school.

Later that week, Harry sneaks back into the room. The school's headmaster, Dumbledore, finds Harry gazing the mirror, at a scene that will never come to pass. Dumbledore explains:

As you've figured out by now, this mirror shows the deepest, truest desires of one's heart. The mirror does not give knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad. Tomorrow it will be moved, and I must ask you not to go looking for it again. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

I was so struck by this scene. While I don't have a mirror like Harry, there are influences like family, society and pursuit of the American dream that lure me to dream wistfully about things I don't have, but desperately need. A bigger savings account. A new car. A significant other in my life.

Sometimes it's hard to ignore these things. They certainly aren't bad. But wanting them more than I want anything else isn't good. When I sit down and honestly reflect about my life, I find myself wondering why I waste time like Harry did, staring into that mirror. There's a life to live!

Unlikely Friends

I just finished a great book, Same Kind of Different As Me. The short novel (a true story) links the lives of two people who could not be more different; one is a wealthy art dealer (Ron), one is an uneducated homeless man (Denver). They meet unexpectedly, and neither likes each other, at first.

Ron begins to befriend Denver. About halfway through the book, Denver questions his motives with a very interesting analogy:

"I heard that when white folks go fishing, they do something called 'catch and release.' That really bothers me...when colored folks go fishing, we really proud of what we catch and we take it and show it off to everybody that'll look. Then we eat what we catch...we use it to sustain us. So, it really bothers me that white folks would go to all that trouble to catch a fish, then when they done caught it, just throw it back in the water."

He finishes his monologue with a challenge: "If you is fishin for a friend you just gon catch and release, then I ain't got no desire to be your friend."

Denver isn't afraid to tell it like it is. He doesn't want to be some project that Ron works on to completion and then forgets. He is skeptical that Ron's in it for the long haul, and I can't say that I blame him. Denver doesn't need Ron to give him money or new clothes or any material possessions. He doesn't need Ron to tell him how to live his life. Denver wants someone to love and trust him, a true friend.

Writing that makes this book sound sappy; but this story will give you a real glimpse into how redemption is possible in a broken world.

Cracked.

At the beginning of May we had some pretty bad weather in my neighborhood; funnel clouds and strong winds and several minutes’ worth of golf-ball sized hail. I sat in my living room, watching the weather develop, the lightning crack across the sky; the hail stones pound the trees, the ground...and my car, (which I recently named Sawyer. Props to ES for the idea to name it!).

After the storm passed, I went outside to check out the damage. There were some nice dents on the hood, roof and trunk. I was a bit annoyed, but grateful the damage wasn't worse.

When I got into my car to leave for work the next morning, I noticed a large chip at the top of the windshield and several cracks that had developed. I almost didn't believe my eyes! I had checked it last night and didn't see anything. When I got to work I checked it again, just to be sure.

I have had some bad luck with windshields. In just over 2 years, I've gone through 3 of them. I've never been in an accident, major or minor, never been ticketed, never even been pulled over in my car. But for whatever reason, cracked windshields are my thing.

The weirdest thing is that the glass looks fine on the outside, but on the inside it's very obvious there's a crack.

A few months ago I heard a sermon from a guest speaker at my church about the seven woes in Matthew 23. The first three woes in this passage deal with proper teaching (the Pharisees were pushing people away from Jesus). There’s enough in these first three woes to warrant their own post, which maybe I’ll write someday.

It was the next 3 woes really hit me; those dealing with justice, faith and mercy (throwback to Micah 6:8 - "do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God"). These woes deal with our desire to fill our restless hearts with things that don't satisfy. We do a lot, we're busy, but we neglect the most important things in life.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe...and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others..." (verse 23)

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." (verse 25)

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness... outwardly appearing righteous, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (verse 27-28)

After every "woe" in this passage, my heart follows with it's own quiet "whoa."

The Pharisees were fantastic at keeping their windshields polished (but neglected the cracks on the inside). They were passionate and devoted (concerning the wrong things). They did good things (and ignored what was best).

At different times in my life, I've felt similar to the way my windshield looks. As I pondered this analogy on my drive home from work the other day, I was struck by the irony present when considering my windshield history.

The cracks I've experiences in my windshield have occurred during very stressful situations in my life. Last summer, a tree branch cracked my windshield during a storm while I was living at home. I was preparing to move to Minneapolis, even though I wasn't at full financial support, which was stressful, to say the least. The week before my college graduation, amidst finals, adjusting to a new roommate, and deciding whether or not I would join staff, a rock chip turned into a major crack in my windshield on a snowy winter day.

Every time I get in or out of my car, I see that crack. It's been taunting me the last few weeks of work, the most stressful so far this year.

What Jesus is talking about here in Matthew 23 describes exactly how I’ve felt at these moments in my life. I immerse myself in tasks and to-do lists, doing good things, but ignore what’s really going on in my heart.

I could write more about that, the source of my stress, but right now my focus is on the tendency I have to ignore it, push through it, and pretend like things are fine.

We're all cracked in ways that aren't visible on the outside. These imperfections are present no matter how hard we try to hide them. They occur for different reasons. Not dealing with them in healthy ways is like not dealing with a cracked windshield. The longer we wait, the situation becomes worse.

As I think about being cracked, I'm grateful for the Body of Christ. God uses His people to point out the cracks, yes, but God also uses them in significant ways to move me brokenness to redemption.

Minneapolis Half-Marathon

This morning I finished my first half-marathon!! I include 'first' in that sentence because I will definitely be running more. My goals for the race were pretty simple: have fun, do my best and cross that finish line. My final time was 3:04:11...SO close to under 3 hours!)

Besides jogging across the finish line, my favorite moment came at mile 5. After crossing the stone arch bridge, I crested a small hill, and suddenly saw a TON of people, cheering loudly and waving and clapping for the runners ahead of me. The energy in the crowd was so electrifying...I felt like a celebrity! I hadn't stopped at all at that point, and was feeling great, so I blazed through that part of the course.

After the crowd thinned out, we climbed a big hill, and I realized at the top that I wasn't sure what mile we were on. I had been keeping track of my time in my head after hitting each mile mark, so it was pretty odd that I missed one. After climbing another hill, I was pleasantly surprised to see a huge blue mile marker up ahead - mile 7!

Amidst the craziness of the crows, I had totally missed mile marker 6. True confessions: I'd never ran more than 6 miles in my training, so I had unknowingly crossed into uncharted territory. I'm so glad I missed the mark for mile 6, because I probably would have psyched myself out and slowed down. It was a good lesson for me - sometimes you don't have to be so focused on the next milestone and what's up ahead...enjoy your journey!

Throughout the race there were people lounging on the sidelines, cheering on their friends- and strangers, too. I didn't have anyone coming to watch so I wasn't expecting many rousing cheers. But right after mile 8, while climbing another hill, I caught the eye of a middle-aged woman standing near a street light. She started clapping as I neared her, then pointed at me and shouted "YOU are an inspiration. KEEP GOING." After I passed her, I glanced around to see if she was really pointing at me, and there was no one around, so I took that as a random act of support. It was another of my favorite moments. Encouragement can come from the strangest places, where you least expect it.

Around mile 9, my right hip flexor started to hurt. I had been having a lot of problems with my right knee during the last two weeks, and it was also starting to get sore. At mile 10 we hit a turnaround, and I slowed considerably due to my hip. At mile 11 I got a packet of hammer gel, which I could barely get open with my teeth (PS - it was disgusting!). By that time my hip flexor was really starting to hurt, and I had slowed to a brisk walk.

In the first 5 miles of the race today I had several bad side aches, but I pushed through them and kept running. It's not a natural thing for me to enter into pain, but I'm glad I did. Another good life lesson. On the flip side, my hip hurt so much that I had to walk most of the final 2 miles. I'm really glad I didn't push myself to run them and risk a more severe injury. It's hard to know sometimes how far to push yourself.

I was more worried about the mental aspect of the race than the physical, especially because I knew I'm be running the race alone. My friend Kerry signed up with me, but she's a speed demon (finished in 2.25 hours!) so we split after the first half mile. I am surprised at how driven I was throughout the race, and how I didn't psych myself out. I love doing things with other people, but it was actually kind of fun to try this on my own. (Though I wasn't truly alone - I had a very random mix of music artists on iphone to keep me company: Zac Brown, TobyMac, Chris Tomlin, Jason Derulo, B.Dill, the Vespers band, Matt Wertz, Sara Bareilles, Linkin Park, Switchfoot, Josh Turner ... and many others!)

Crossing that finish line felt so, so good. Even amidst the sore muscles and tiredness, I felt so good at the end of the race. There's something about entering into something painful, when you usually shy away from it. You come out on the other side and realize you're ok. You might find out you're stronger than you thought, or you might realize you're weaker. But you make it through.

Day 2: 2 believers!

It's day 2 on campus for the summer project team in Uruguay (pictured here), and they saw 2 people come to Christ! I don't have many details, just that some of the project students were sharing the Gospel on campus in the Economics building and saw two students place their place in Christ. Rejoicing in Minneapolis (and in heaven!) for these new believers.

On the flip side, I saw a tweet from the project director today that he shared with 2 guys at the university's law school. The students weren't interested, saying that God bores them, and they have no faith because they believe in themselves.

These two situations occurred on the same day, on the same campus. Our message is taken differently; the Holy Spirit must be at work on hearts and minds for our words to mean anything. We cannot control outcomes. We can only be faithful to share what we know and trust God to use our actions done in obedience to His will.

Sidenote: it's also Tuesday - so many 2s today :)

What do I do for a living?...I'd love to tell you.

What a week! On Sunday afternoon, 151 college students and staff arrived at the Hilton Hotel near the MSP Airport. I watched from a balcony on the 11th floor as students arrived and parents and friends (and significant others) said good bye.

These people are heading to 6 different countries for a period of 4-6 weeks to share the Gospel with college students around the world. Campus Crusade strategically sends these teams each summer, giving encouragement and lift to the teams that are in-country long term, and giving a vision for college students of God's work around the world.

My part in this adventure is an interesting one: financial, logistical, administrative. I track donations, help trip leaders set their budgets, obtain visas for those that need them, book airline flights, ensure that everyone follows the corporate rules we as a global missions organization have in place, etc.

My job is hard to explain to people sometimes. I've tried to come up with a 2 sentence rote answer, but I rarely get across the magnitude of my job in the way I want. I should probably just start telling people I'm a missionary, and if they are actually interested, they will ask more questions after that.

I'm a missionary. Instead of the typical "going to live in a grass hut in the Amazon," that you might think a missionary would do, I work in a cubicle. (Don't worry, I LOVE it!)

I'm a missionary that loves Jesus, that desires for people all over the world to have a chance to hear the Gospel and respond to the claims of Christ. I'm a missionary that happens to have a business degree and a passion for using resources efficiently and effectively. A missionary that is gifted in administrative tasks, has a methodical mind that loves serving others. A missionary that loves supplying people with the resources they need to do what God has called them.

That's my job.

So, here's a breakdown of the mission projects I've spent the last 5 months coordinating:

• 33 students are heading to Accra, Ghana for 4 weeks
• 16 students sent to Uruguay, a country with currently only 2 CCC campus staff
  
• 17 students sent to Montpellier, a city near the south coast of France
• 20 students to a closed country in Eastern Asia where God is moving mightily
  
• 18 students to a country in the Middle East that is less than 1% Christian
  
• 23 students to Brisbane, Australia, where there is a large amount of international students
  

As I write this, there are students sharing their faith, some for the first time, in a foreign country with students, some of whom have never heard the name of Jesus. Glory to God for giving me a passion for using temporal things like e-mail, money, microsoft excel and paperclips to have an impact on eternity. That's what I do for a living.

May Daze

A few weekends ago, we had our annual Upper Midwest staff conference, May Daze. It was my first official time at the conference, and I had a great time! The weekend began with an Operations Team luncheon at the Pizza Ranch in Alexandria, and then we headed to Arrowwood Resort on Lake Darling (the photo below was taken from the balcony of my hotel room).

Some highlights from the conference included seeing my boss MC with one of the other national directors in the office (Steve and Patty, who did a super great job!) and hearing from Steve Sellers, the CCC VP of Oceania and the Americas.

I was reflecting about the weekend on the last night of the conference , and I realized I hadn't sat down at all during the weekend to read my Bible. Regardless, I felt very encouraged. I felt like I had experienced the presence of God in the last couple days by just being with like-minded, dedicated followers of Christ.

Reminds me of the book How People Grow, which I read this year for new staff development. One of the authors described a time in his life when he expected God to do something in his life supernaturally. Instead, God used the community of believers in the author's life. I've been experiencing the same thing lately; God frequently uses people in my life, sometimes very unexpectedly.

Kingdom Called

It's a few weeks late, but finally, a post about Kingdom Called! :) This is one of my favorite conferences (I feel like I always say that!) - it's incredible to sit in a room full of college students and recent grads that are passionate about reaching the world with the Gospel. Their lives have been changed by God, and they seek to be used by Him to change the lives of others.

We provide vital training and development for students going on international summer projects, along with the new US and international interns in our region.

As I stood up in front of a room full of 150 people on Saturday night, I felt overwhelmed with the task of sending these students and staff to the world. This will be the first trip overseas for many of these students, which could lead to many more trips. I feel so privileged to play a part in sending laborers around the world!

Day of Prayer

Today was the CCC Worldwide day of prayer. Being able to pull away from the craziness of ministry and gather with like-minded people to pray for our world was incredibly encouraging.

Last week was so busy, by the time Easter rolled around I was so emotionally and mentally spent I couldn't reflect on the significance of the day. I didn't get a chance to go to a Good Friday service, so getting to spend an hour or so this morning reflecting on the cross and events leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection really made up for that.

I was able to lead the group in 30 minutes of worship this morning. I can honestly say it was one of the best worship sets that I've ever experienced. I sensed that hearts were really engaged in worship; people were connecting with the heart of God, which was my prayer the whole time. And everyone sang so loudly, I could barely hear myself at times...and that just makes it fun. It was about as far away from a performance as you can get, which can be a struggle.

To stop in the midst of a super busy week and sit before God for several hours is very humbling. It leads me to admit that I am only able to do my job because He enables me to; and He can do more in a minute than I can do in a month. He doesn't need my work- He wants my worship. There are times that the two don't gel like they should.

When Pancake People Persevere

I like to dabble. I have a long list of hobbies: photography, songwriting, running, graphic design, crocheting, reading, golfing, playing cards- the list could go on for quite awhile. Recently, I was talking with a friend who used a funny phrase to describe a friend of hers; "all about." She said her friend was "all about quoting Saturday Night Live."

I found this very interesting. What does it look like to be all about something? Is there one thing I'm all about? Is it even a good thing to be all about one thing?

I neglected to include a major hobby in the list above: googling. I love google. I like knowing an instant answer to a question. This is totally normal for the millennial generation (or Net gen, or iY gen, or whatever they call us now). I recently read an article in which my generation was referred to as "pancake people" - due to rapidly advancing technology and instant gratification, we are turning out like pancakes: a mile wide and an inch deep.

This topic continues to run through my head. Last week I received a weekly e-devotional, and the topic was dabbling. The author suggested the opposite of dabbling was a lot less common in our world today: persevering.

If there was one thing I'm "all about," it would probably be strategy. I enjoy using my time wisely. I constantly multitask, which leads me to accomplish a lot in a day. But, I've found that sometimes this leads me to be a little pancake-y. On Sunday I listened to an hour-long podcast while running, but I didn't remember much from the sermon and I couldn't focus very well on my form, so I ended up being pretty sore. I'm not so good at persevering, because I'm more interested in the desired outcome, and getting there as quick as possible.

When I dabble in something, I am satisfied with small results. I've dabbled my training before, and barely been able to finish a 5k. Sometimes, the process of persevering is more important than the goal. This month I started training for a half-marathon. I think I'm about to learn an important lesson; shortcuts in my training now are going to lead to mucho pain later. When I cross that finish line on June 5, I certainly won't be winning any prize money or a trophy. The real reward comes in the health benefits of months of training, along with a deep sense of accomplishment in sticking to a tough training schedule.

I dabble in a lot of things, and I think that's ok. But I should never dabble in my walk with Christ. I may not enjoy the process at times. I may try to take shortcuts so I don't have to walk through tough stuff. But the outcome of persevering, no matter what it is, is in the hands of the God who knows me better than I know myself. It may not be the way I would have chosen...but you said I'll never go alone.