Maybe the American Dream...

It's not hard to look at our world and wonder. I wonder about our future - the future of our country, of our lives, of our world. With the unbelievable debt of our country growing, the trust of the people of this world fading, and the tendency to live a life fully focused on whatever makes ME happy in this moment, the world seems to be bankrupting itself while feeding on selfishness and short-sightedness.

Yet, only a couple generations ago the "American Dream" seemed to be making this the "Land of Opportunity." The people who came here to this country from all over the world, many owning nothing but the clothing they wore, seemed to have a strange sort of happiness and optimism - yes, it was hard and they sacrificed greatly, but they looked to the future for what would become of their family in generations to come because of the love, sweat and tears they poured out - they saw the future with hope and joy!

Now, we have, as a country, achieved all that they set out for us. We are successful - no less than global domination. We have an unbelieveable life - with cars and tv's and warm places to live - looking around the world, we see that we are remarkably close to the dream our dreaming past generations had for us. Yet, are we REALLY happy? Do we find that the end of the American Dream is satisfying and peaceful? Do we find that we savor the moments of our days and spend much of our time just smiling at the wonder and amazingness of our lives?? In each 24 hours, do we find that the majority of our time is spent doing the things we would do if we really could choose what we wanted to do? Do we put our heads on our pillows each night and find the smile hard to escape us because of how fulfilling our lives are?

I think you will find if you look around our country, around your neighborhood, around your house, you will find that the answer is, "No."

So, if we are not happy and full of joy when we have made it to our ancestors' dream for us, then where have we gone wrong? Why were they happier than we are? Why are we so harried and frustrated and stressed out?

The truth is that we have misnamed the American Dream. The real dream of America - the joy and wonder and hope of this country - is not found in success and achievement and power and money...it is not found in pleasure and fun and self-pleasing...it is not found in escape or even in religion and being very successful at your belief system.

The real wonder and amazingness of this country - that made this country great - is love. It is a willingness to sacrifice for someone else...a willingness to see the beauty around and savor it, to be satisfied with what you have in the moment and yet to keep trying to become the best you can be...a lifestyle that lives like each of the people i encounter in a given day is just as important as i am and that i should treat them that way...a desire to see someone else have a great life when i can help them, and to look for ways to make that happen...a really deep knowledge of what is really important and what is not in this life, and a life that shows that you really believe it...


The problem is that it is hard to live this way - there is virtually nothing in our society that is encouraging us to live this way. In fact, everything teaches us to live exactly the opposite. So, how can we return to the real American Dream?

This is what More than more is all about. These things are what we believe in at More than more and we are looking for ways to live this out, to change over our lives to experience life in the fullest. You see, there is a fantastic God who is so interested in our lives and He is so amazing that He set the world up to be lived in this "true" American Dream kind of way - that is why living that way is so amazing!! At More than more we notice the wonder of life and the people around us and this keeps our focus on what is really important. Plus, we invite this amazing God into the moments of our lives and He helps us to see life differently - and we have the chance to celebrate life, not just plod away at it until we die.

It is a great way to live!

We would love to have you join us - we will be at McAllister Recreation Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, 6:45-8:00PM tonight, the 4th of November and then again on the 18th, same time - we would love to have you join us!