Fort Collins Fun

--I'm currently hanging out at Colorado State University, in Ft. Collins, CO. I'm here with the Montreat West Youth Conference folks, getting ready to implement a totally rad conference. the youth show up tomorrrow, and everybody seems pretty psyched. That last sentence was brought to you by a person who has lived with Kevin Day for a year...Anyway, I actually flew into Ft. Collins on Wednesday and spent the last few days hangin' out with my best bud from college, Katie Jeffries. We spent some time up at the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was absolutely amazing. God's creation really is beautiful. We hiked a mile or so up a trail and sat by a waterfall...the sound of the water drowns out all other sounds....amazing.
--I feel like there was something we discussed in small group leader training that i wanted to blog about, but now I can't remember. I really need to write that stuff down. It seems like a fun group of folks. It's great to see people like Marci, Amy Kim, Beth Watson, John Ryan, and various other folks.
--OK, that's all for now. Look for updates as we get into some theological meanderings this week. I'll probably be pretty fired up.
--Oh, speaking of being fired up, last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to the constitution to give congress the right to ban flag burning. Can you believe that crap?? I mean, don't we have more important things to worry about? Funny that a political party that's all about "smaller government" is introducing constitutional amendments, trying to intervene in state related right to life issues, and calling for more and more money to support a war that most people think is utterly ridiculous. By "funny," I mean ridiculously sad. Seriously!!! Why does it matter if people burn a flag? Does the water quit running? do buildings crumble to the ground? Do earthquakes threaten to engulf our nation when that happens? I think not!!! OK, that is all for now. As always, any comments would be awesome!

Chillin' in Decatur

• I have now moved most of my possessions to Nashville, TN (the Bellevue area for those in the know). I guess that means that I'm for real moving there. Thanks to the youth and adults from Harpeth who helped me move in: Jamie, Tyler, Natalie, Sarah, David, Carrie, Abbie, Cayla, and Nate. I think that's everyone.
• Right now I'm hangin' out in Decatur with my boy, the Rabboni, Wes Goldsberry. We had a good session of wiffle ball batting practice last night. The air was heavy, so we all sounded like Darth Vader out there, trying to suck in oxygen amidst the water in the air.
• On Wednesday, I fly to Denver, and then take a shuttle to Ft. Collins, CO. I'll spend a few days with my good friend Katie Jeffries, and then report for duty at Colorado State University to help out with the Montreat West conference. it should be a fun ten days. Look for updates from Montreat West.
• On July 5th, I head to Montreat, NC to co-direct the auditorium aspects of the youth conference there. Look for thoughts and meanderings about keynote, worship, and various other aspects of Montreat Youth Conference. Hopefully I'll see some of you folks there.
• Finally, be in prayer for all of my peeps who will be implementing the Mansanetta Middle School Conference up in Virginia. It's exciting for me to think that so many of us will be spending so much time sharing the gospel with so many youth from all over the country. Thank God for places like Montreat and Mansanetta.

Be Thou My Vision

Over the past few days, I've had the words of this great hymn running through my head:

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art
thou my best thought by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true work
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou my redeemer, my love thou hast won,
thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou and thou only, first in my heart,
Great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.

Great God of heaven, my victory won,
may I reach heaven's joy, O bright heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

Finding Neverland

I watched the movie Finding Neverland this evening. What a great film! I love the way that reality blends into imagination blends into neverland. It's amazing to me that a man who has brought joy and wonder to so many children suffered so much pain in his own. There are a couple of scenes in which James Barry talks about moments in a child's life when reality presses in to such a great degree that the child disappears...the child is replaced with an adult. It makes me sad to think that that can happen to children at such a young age. It makes me so thankful that a world was created for me so that I could simply be Peter Pan and yell "Bang-a-Rang!!!" in a variety of ways. The move makes one wonder about the power of imagination and our ability to change the reality around us simply by imagining the change. Of course, there are limits to this, but it's still a fascinating idea. Is this what we do when we talk about the Kingdom of God? Is this what Jesus was doing as he both embodied and taught about the Kingdom? Does God use our faith to transform the world? Any thoughts?