The world...in color

Hi everyone! It has been a crazy couple weeks huh? This time of year is filled with franticness, running to and fro, with more appointments than time to complete them all! Sometimes it feels as if the real wonder and joy of all of it is lost in the to and fro.

So, into thw midst of all this, here's something to think about. Take a few seconds and clear your mind of all the clutter - sit down someplace quiet and give me 2minutes. Now, find something that is a color. I don't care what color it is, but preferably one color.

Now, just settle your mind down and look at the color. Allow your mind to wander about that particular color. What does it remind you of? What memories does it conjure in your head? What experiences do you recall? Maybe brown reminds you of the woods and hunting with your father. Maybe red reminds you of your first bike and the ride (and spills) you took on it. Maybe yellow reminds you of your grandmother's lemon poppyseed bread. It may not be all good - maybe black reminds you of a funeral or white of a wedding day full of promises that were never kept. Whatever it is, for a minute let the memory swallow you up a little. I can almost smell fresh baked bread, can almost feel the dampness of the woods in my lungs, can almost see the smiles of my little ones when they learned to ride their bikes...what do you see? What do you hear? What memories run wild in your mind?

Now, let them run their course and then let's come back to 12-28-10. Consider this: All i asked you to do was think about a color and your mind was transported to vivid memories, thoughts, dreams, smells, feelings, emotions, passions. If you really let things run, you might have even had a heightened sense of your senses as you could almost BE where you were in the middle of what you were remembering. Now, consider this: Your brain did that automatically (ok, I prompted it to some degree, but the direction and memories are yours). It took a color and created an amazing scene.

Do you ever stop and notice color and what is does to you? Do you ever stop and consider that the process of going from the sight of the color to being enveloped in a memory is natural and amazing? You see, some people would argue that the development of all the complexities of humanity is an accident - some cosmic mistake made us here! When we consider color and all that it brings about - the remarkable passion inside us, is there any question that we are wonderfully made? And if we are made, there must be a maker. A maker who gives us all these wonderfully complex bodies and minds!

Now, i would like to suggest to you that you notice. That every once in a while you notice color, let you mind wander to what it conjures in your head and then be thankful for how amazing you are. Have a little chat with the God who made you that way. Allow yourself to escape the everyday rat race of American life and invite the One who made you into the moments of your life. This, my friends, is the beginning of freedom; freedom from being always driven to get more, become more, achieve more, be more, always driving, always pushing, always more, more, more. This will destroy us all. Instead, to focus on the wonder and the things in life that really matter - that is a better way; and to invite the One who made the wonder - that is even better!

I hope this encourages you to find More in your life!

If you are intrigued by this way of going about life and would like to hang with some people who are trying to live their lives this way, we would love for you to join us - all are welcome!

We will be hanging out at McAllister Reacreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, from 6:45-8:00PM, this Thursday night.

There will, as always, be free and excellent child care for you kids.

Hope to see you there!

Wonder in a 12 year old

Hey - ever get so caught up in the craziness of everyday life that you seem to forget what it's all about? Ever feel like your schedule owns you and not the other way around? Ever get to the end of the day and feel like you may have totally missed the point of life?

Well, here's a perspective moment:
My daughter, Emily, just had her 12th birthday. Now, as I am being hurled headlong into a world of "cycles" and giggling about boys, a world of dresses and makeup and hairdo's, I am overwhelmed and amazed. You see, on that crazy day - her birthday - which saw 8 - 11 and 12 year old girls spending the night at my house - I stopped for a second, several times actually, and really SAW Emily. There she was, laughing, giggling, running, smiling. She was filled with passion and joy, excitement and awe. She oozes life! She is lovely and amazing. In her i see the true meaning of life - there is something about her life that goes way beyond the everyday grind of get more, become more of the american way.

You see, i remember when Emily was born, she was small and delicate and tiny - she was helpless and she spit up so much that everything in our entire house smelled sour, and yet we didn't care. When she smiled, her whole body seemd to smile - she was amazing - our little blessing.

So, when she was born she was amazing, and when she is 12 she is amazing - all i had to do was stop...and...SEE. I had to notice.

How much of our lives do we miss because we fly right by the truly amazing things that are right in front of us? How much time do we spend on insignificant things when amazing things are there, under our noses.

You see the really amazing thing about Emily is how she is both the same person, the newborn...and the 12year old...both...and together. You see all the people around us, all these kids, they all grow this way - they are all babies, gifts from God and then they grow and develop and they have all that wonder inside them - how could anyone look at the way children change and seriously believe that they are anything short of amazing - certainly no chance that she happened as an accident - She is a beautiful proof of God and His love.

I read somewhere that when God makes us, He is making us because He believes in love so much that He wants to share it with someone - to expand the love(not unlike my wife and i did when we decided to try and have a child) - and that His making of each of us is His gift to Himself! I like to think of that. And I like to think of Emily...and when i do - when i notice her, i sometimes invite God into the moment with me, i thank Him for the amazingness of Emily and her life and His life in her - and in that moment i have broken another of the chains that have been placed on me by the american dream of always getting more - not me - i choose to NOTICE.

If you too are tired of busyness as usual this holiday season, come join us tomorrow night 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, we would love to hang out with you - and you will not regret it!

Tonight!

Hey everyone! Ever feel like our society during this season is taking a bath in the "if you buy it, you will be happy" idea of life?

The problem is that what we find the day after Christmas each year is that all that buying is not what really satisfies us - living life appreciating the wonderful and amazing parts of it - is what really makes the most of each day.

Tonight we will be hanging out and trying to learn better ways of doing life.

We hope you can join us!

6:45-8:00PM McAllister Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette