I struggle not posting on my blog... However, with the addition of research, posting, and writing that the pursuit of my doctorate has added to the lists of "things that must get done," I am not able to keep up with both right now on a regular basis. But if you are reading this, you figured that out a long time ago, right?

Even so, I am hopeful that I will be able to carve out some added time and increase the number of entries and reflections on my blog. There has been much going on and God is moving in an incredible way -- stuff that needs to be shared! Yet each week none of us are immune to getting "caught up" in the daily demands of living.

The truth is, we can't afford to get "caught up."

Over the last several months I have contemplated a lot of things. When you are in the fog of being "caught up" you start looking for ways out, don't you? I've learned a lot about myself and about what God is doing. And God continues to teach, form, shape, and blow me away.

The other morning I got up and walked out on the back deck early to watch the sun rise. This is the picture (right) I captured. For me it was a reminder that fall is on the horizon. Fall is my favorite time of the year -- it reveals so much. There is always a beautiful change on the horizon if we pause to look.

Life has been busy, right? We get "caught up." But life continues, and God is making all things new. Pausing to notice is a telling activity. Taking time to appreciate the important things -- those things we often take for granted -- are essential to recognizing something beautiful. And when you see it, it is like seeing it for the very first time... You are at a loss for words...

I need to look more, talk less, and listen intently. What I have to say is worthless by comparison. What about you?

Good grief I am behind! Last blog post was the first part of November! Unacceptable! ...

We get "caught up," don't we? Life seems to rush by at times and before you know it you are another year older and hoping that you are also another year wiser. One thing has become clear for me over these last few months... God is certainly on the move at FaithWalk. It has been crazy, exciting, exhausting, draining, and fulfilling! Humm... Maybe I have become a bit wiser...

There has been so much change taking place at FaithWalk over the last 2 years and 8 months that when I pause and reflect on everything, I am blown away. Just in these last few months there has been construction going on for our expansion upstairs. New lighting configuration and painting in our worship center, gathering space, and the children's ministry areas. And the new outreach coffeehouse is coming together. All of this points toward a big push for Easter Sunday. However, the most impacting of all is that LIVES are being transformed!!!! I know; I am one of those lives. It's definitely exciting!

Sometimes we try and take it all on ourselves, work all the problems, and meet the expectations and dealines. You've done this, right? You've gotten "caught up" before. All the while, we may be missing an opportunity to watch budding fruit appear. I was reminded of that recently...

We see in Psalm 46:10 (an old favorite for many!) that God says, "Be still and know that I am God!" Here God is not just telling us to "be still," like we may have been told by our parents. I remember many days being told by my mom to, "Sit still!" or "Be quiet!" It was hard for me.

Think of it this way... In the midst of chaos and trying to do it all ourselves, God says, "Be still..." Perhaps God is saying to you, "Stop trying to fix it! Remember that I am God and you are not!" The rest of Psalm 46:10 says, "I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world."

God is God. And God will be honored. Sometimes we are so busy trying to "do" that we forget to "Be." In what ways have you found yourself "caught up?" Maybe you need to look around and observe the budding fruit that points to how God is at work... "Be still..."

At every turn newness introduces an experience that shapes the way we plant our next step. Whether we’re moving from dark to light, uncertainty to clarity, or the unexpected reverse of either or both, the day brings with it a marvelous unfolding of circumstances that help us grow...

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“If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava, let'em go, because, man, they're gone.” --Jack Handey If you don’t know who Jack Handey is then this post will begin as an exercise in semiotics. Jack Handey was a character (or was he?) on Saturday Night Live, popularized by Al Franken, who is now a United States Senator from Minnesota. Franken was on SNL for 10 seasons, comprised of 123 episodes over the following years: 1979–1980, 1986, and 1987–1995...

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