BLeach

I Think We'll Do This Song on Sunday!

Weekend Rewind

Here are some updates from the weekend!

• Left Thursday to travel to Springfield, Missouri.
• On Friday, I was honored at Central Bible College as the Young Alumnus of the Year.
• I really appreciated the award, although my real dream is to be the "Old Alumnus of the Year." I don't think that award actually exists, but if it did, it would mean that I'd finished well!
• It was fun to preach in chapel again.  I shared a challenge from 2 Samuel 23--live courageously, sacrifice heroically, risk it all, and surrender the ending to the King!
• I was able to connect with several old and new friends while at CBC.  Really enjoyed catching up and connecting!
• CBC rolled Friday night in the homecoming game.  They really are a great basketball team.
• Saturday turned out to be a loooooooong day of travel.  I did get a free ticket out of it--and the chance to get a lot of work done in the airport.
• Weight Watchers is very challenging to keep up with while traveling.  I missed Leah's creative, low-point cooking!
• Today is weigh-in day.  Looks like I lost a couple more pounds last week.
• I had some exciting conversations over the weekend about a potential location for our next church plant.
• Yesterday I kicked off the "God Is" series at COTK.   Started with God Is Incomparable.  A big thanks to Life Church and One Prayer for the idea.
• My hope during this series is to inspire our church to focus on God.  AW Tozer said that what you think about God is the most important thing about you.
• Focusing on God is especially important during times of transition since He's our one constant reference point.
• Another woman committed her life to Christ in the service yesterday.  Awesome!
• Leah and I dedicated Gabby in the morning service.  Cool to have my dad lead the dedication.
• Gabby was very well behaved during the dedication, although she did get off a pretty good sneeze directly into the microphone.
• Last night we capped off the weekend with Current, our quarterly ministry training opportunity. 
• The general session was really powerful.  Some of the youth leaders shared reports from youth convention, and we had a time of prayer for JD and Rachel Bayer (our new youth ministry directors).
• JD is passionate for teenagers!  He had all of us in tears.
• I won't know for sure until after tonight's game, but it looks like this may be the first weekend in which all four of my fantasy football teams win!
• The Lions lose again.  I recorded the game so I could watch it after Current, and the DVR ended with six minutes to play:(
• Looking forward to a great week!

Where Dreams Are Born

Had a great time preaching chapel today at Central Bible College! Challenged the students to live courageously, sacrifice heroically, risk it all and surrender the ending!

Being here brings back alot of memories. This picture is the aisle on the side of the chapel. I spent hours walking that carpet, crying out to God. I don't know how to quantify what God did in me during those times of worship and prayer. I have a hunch that thirty years from now I'll still be living the dreams that were born in that corner.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Yesterday began my second week of following the Weight Watchers online program. Leah and I signed up for the three month program, and plan to stick with it until our anniversary on January 19. I'm a little worried about Thanksgiving and Christmas myself!

I did lose four pounds last week, so that was encouraging. The iPhone app is amazing. And I love the fact that you keep track of points, because at times I forget what I'm doing and feel like I'm playing a game.

To be honest, I've enjoyed all the food that we've been able to eat. The biggest adjustment for me has been portion size. Now, almost every time I sit down for lunch or dinner, it's a smaller serving then I would have eaten before. At first I felt pretty hungry all the time, but I think my body is starting to adjust. I didn't used to think of myself as someone with an overeating problem, but now I'm realizing theirs a difference between feeling full and feeling satisfied.

The ironic thing is that indulgence doesn't necessarily lead to satisfaction. Actually, the opposite often occurs. The more we indulge in something, the more of it we want.

I've noticed one other benefit as well. Because I'm eating less, I'm eating more slowly and savoring each bite. I appreciate what I have when I know I can't just go back for seconds!

Now I'm wondering where else I can apply this principle in my life. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

I enjoy a television series more if I'm following a few rather than several.

Leah and I have only been to one movie since Gabby was born. The "diet" has made me really look forward to the next one.

One time I accidentally checked the repeat button in iTunes and didn't realize it until I had listened to the same song for an entire morning. I don't like that song anymore.

What about you?

Is there anything you might enjoy more if you experienced it less?

Tower

Our band introduced this song during worship yesterday.  It's a powerful declaration.  I've started including it in my personal times of worship as well.  Seems to really speak to the season of life we're in right now!

Weekend Rewind

Feels like life is on fast forward right now.  Doing my best to capture some of the moments.  Here are some highlights from the weekend.

• Sabbath on Friday. Slept in. Worked out. Hung out with Leah and Gabs.
• On Friday night we had dinner with Matt and Joy Thomassen--incredible people and leaders in our church. 
• Leah taught an SAT prep class on Saturday so I had baby duty. I think it's either getting easier, or I'm caring less about staying clean:)
• Light the Night was a HUGE success. Gave away about 1,700 bags of candy.
• We offered free pictures for families. First time we've done it and it was a home-run.  People were lined up the entire night. I think we took about 200.
• Lots of new volunteers for LTN this year. Thanks so much for investing your extra hour of sleep into outreach!
• Great day at COTK on Sunday! Now that Leah and I are preparing for a transition, I value these gatherings with our church family more than ever.
• I wrapped up the Road Trip series with a message from James 4.13-17. Roll the window down and feel the wind in your face!
• Shared some thoughts about the nature of risk during my message. It was another opportunity to process with the church what God is doing in my heart.
• I can't tell you how much I appreciate the encouragement of so many friends right now. Leah and I still have unanswered questions, and the uncertainty is a little scary, but we feel the prayers of so many family and friends. Thanks!
• Two men committed their lives to Christ yesterday! Awesome! Seriously, that never gets old and was probably the highlight of the weekend for me.
• The band introduced a new song sung by American Idol winner Kris Allen. I loved it! I'll put it up in another post.
• Gabby started eating flavored baby food--carrots (although I hear it really doesn't have much flavor). Thankfully she likes it better than rice cereal.
• Really rough football weekend--even more than usual. Michigan gets smoked by Illinois, and the Lions lose the Toilet Bowl.
• Chances the city we move to will have a better NFL team than the Lions: 100%. Chances I'll stop caring about the Lions: 0%. I know, my football life doesn't make sense.
• This is a busy week with transition meetings with our leaders and I'm speaking three times.
• On Thursday I'll be traveling to Springfield for a few days to preach during homecoming at Central Bible College. Excited about the message God has given me.
• Preparing this week to kickoff a new series this coming Sunday called God Is...

The Illusion of Control

I've been learning a lot about prayer this week.

The future feels really uncertain right now.  I find incredible security in God's call.  He's definitely giving me a sense of destiny.  But my unanswered questions during this transition are a daily reminder that I'm not in control of my life.

At first I thought I had surrendered control to God, but then I realized that I never actually had it to begin with.  Granted, at times life has felt more settled, but what I had wasn't actually control, but the illusion of it.

Now back to prayer.  I'm a little embarrassed to share this, but I think I've been praying more now that I don't feel like I'm in control.  And when I realized that, here's what hit me.  When I neglect prayer, it's because at some level I've subconsciously bought into the notion that I'm in control of things. 

So I'm thankful for the uncertainty in my life right now.  I'm grateful to be reminded that my future has always rested in God's hands alone.  And I'm committed to continue to acknowledge Him, even after some of the blanks have been filled in.

The Benefit of Change

This week our church is in the midst of our monthly prayer and fasting focus.  I'll be praying with a group of men in our church in just a few minutes.  And tomorrow night we'll all gather for worship and prayer.  It's back to basics this week.

Week of War couldn't be at a more strategic time for us this month.  Personally, Leah and I are depending on God like never before as we wait on Him to direct us in our new church planting adventure.  As a church, we are looking to God as well for faith and direction.

One of the benefits of change is the way it pushes us to seek God.  On a practical level, we need wisdom to make the big decisions that are before us.  But more than that, change pushes us to stay connected to the Changeless One. 

Looking forward to the extra time this week to worship with our church family and seek God's face.

The Gerber Baby is Not That Happy

Had some fun last night giving Gabs her first taste of solid food.  Enjoy a laugh on us!

Transition Timeline

I've been writing this week about some shifting winds in my life as Leah and I respond to God's call to plant a new church.  You can catch up on the story here and here.

Another question related to our upcoming transition is, "when will it happen?"

Again, the short answer is a bit ambiguous.  We're not entirely sure!  I know, I'm just full of information this week:)

Our priority right now is to help lead a healthy transition for Church of the King.  COTK is the first baby God gave me (and quite a bit larger than the 7 pound baby he gave me in June)!  Leah and I want to give our best to help establish our leaders here so that our ministries continue to advance.  Over the next few weeks we will be determining together with our leaders what a healthy time-line looks like.  At this point we know for sure that we'll be leading the church through the end of the year.

Right now we are embracing the uncertainty in our lives as an opportunity to depend on God for guidance and provision. 

When we're daring enough to back our sailboats away from the dock, leave the harbor, and experience the deep seas, we feel both exhilaration and anxiety.  Anxiety, because the open waters aren't as safe as the harbor.  And exhilaration because it's in deep waters that we feel the wind in our sails and witness magnificent sunrises.

On the morning of September 16, 2001, we launched Church of the King.  That afternoon my parents gave me a gift to mark the occasion.  It was the picture at the top of this post.  It still hangs in my office today.  The title is "Risk."  And the sub-title continues to be the theme of our lives.

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships were made for.

Sail on!