Freddy's Blog

there is times in life when reflection causes us to re:think what we are doing. i think that it is time to re:think some stuff both individually and communally...

the issue of time continues to be a glaring issue in my life... more specifically the managing of time as more and more people pull at the fringes of my time the people who need it most often get sacrificed the easiest. i need to re:think time.

the sense of community seems to be becoming less and less as more and more new faces gather with us. how do you maintain or better yet, continue to build community and continue to teach it at the same time? i think that its TIME that we re:THINK community also.

F

in our efforts to try our best to rationalize our way through life or come up with logically reasons and solutions to answers the "whys" we often seem to come up short. i find myself in the process thinking that my reasoning is legitimate and the reality is that it just may be...

for instance... "i don't pray much anymore because god doesn't answer my prayers." this is from a conversation that i had last night... now we all know how silly that sounds, BUT we have all said that or thought that on some level... so how legitimate this actually sounds in many ways its just simply NOT true... and therefore becomes an EXCUSE!

how about... "its difficult to risk because of the uncertainty." very logical and rational right? but nonetheless becomes an excuse that paralyzes us from taking risks in life from past experiences.

our excuses will define us if we let them.

F

have you ever felt at times that there are some things that are more urgent than other things? now the obvious answer is yes... but i am talking about something more here.

the deal is that we only have so much time for certain things and certain people right? so what are we going to spend our time doing? if our time is limited, on what and with who and where are we going to spend it? i got a small dose of reality this evening with my seniors (12th graders) knowing that our time is limited... were down to 8 months left before they leave for college... there's a lot to do, a lot to talk about...

there's urgency when you know that there is an end... i hope that we dont wait to long.

F

while reading the sacred echo by margret feinberg i came across a phrase that she uses in her book... the place "in-between".

the place in-between defines the distance amid the questions and the prayers. it represents the tension of waiting on god while actively pursuing. this isn't about passively sitting back and waiting that god is going to do something... this is about forcing us to ask the questions our hearts long to ask that were afraid to ask and then acknowledging our deep and uttermost dependence on god.

F

"he loves what it does to us - the humility it creates within our hearts. the prayers that emerge from our spirits. the childlike cries from our innermost beings that acknowledge utmost dependence. maybe thats why he allows us to enter in-between..."
excerpt from the sacred echo by margaret feinberg

one of the great tragedies in life happens when we just settle for things... we settle because we lack anticipation and fail to have expectations for fear of disappointment. so we just settle for what is or for what was... even if it was good.

regret is an frightening word. the thought of living in and with regret makes me sick... so on some level we need to chose disappointment or regret... but the reality is that at least with disappointment you tried... you risked... you were in the game... the sting of defeat most times can be a good thing.

we need to shift our thinking to anticipate in life versus the fear of disappointment AGAIN trying to keep us safe and close enough but not too far.

risk is a scandalous word to me... i think because of the exhilaration that can come from it... ultimately the life that can come with it... the person we can reflect with it...

F

our moments are defined by our choices and our lives are a compilation of our moments...

if our compass is our guide... our mission, our core, our values... then essentially our choices steer the ship. its near impossible to see where you're going in the dense fog of life so our compass becomes necessary to maintain direction. without knowing where you want to go and who you want to be with, we'll never know what choices and decisions are essential to get us where we need and want to go.

our choices will echo the desire...

what do you desire?
may our choices echo...

F

it seems that we spend our entire lives caring what other people think about us... trying to fit in, get in and stay in... whatever or wherever "in" is... the uphill climb, riddled with obstacles and limitations and circumstances leave us wondering, ultimately WHO we are.

we will never find ourselves in other people and the endless efforts of caring what people think about us is a pursuit we will never win. here is what i am NOT saying... that it doesn't matter what people think about us... here is what i am saying... we can lose ourselves in pursuit of caring what other people think about us. we can never be everything to everyone.

F

"a human baby is the strangest and most wonderful creature this world can offer. no other mammal emerges so helpless from the womb, utterly unable to to cope with the opportunity and adversity of nature. yet no other creature holds such limitless possibility."

"we are hard-wired for nothing but learning. all we begin with are possibilities."
(excerpt from "culture makers" by andy crouch)

what possibilities did you harness today?

what did you learn today?

"knowledge without application is vanity." what good does knowledge do if it doesn't get applied to life... its just knowledge with no life. which is fine if your life goal is to be on jeopardy someday...

you were built with possibilities in mind... with the future in mind.

CREATE.

F

if our questions produce our learning... what questions are you asking?

what are you curious about?

when i write the word curious, it seems sort of provocative to me... i am not sure why... maybe its because its our curiosity that sometimes gets us into trouble so i have this stigma with the word... maybe? but at the same time i have this intrigue about the word curiosity... it brings a sense of wonder and awe, a feeling of mystery and suspense.

the reality is that the things that make us wonder... the things that pique our curiosity are the things we tend to explore, but often also become the things that we ignore.

have you ever dreamed of something that seems so big that you get paralyzed at the very thought of it? it seems like we'll miss 100% of our tomorrows, if we miss 100% of our todays. so, start small... maybe today just notice the sun warm your skin. our dreams are built on the consistency of learning a little more everyday... our learning is built on a bed of questions.

what are you curious about?

F

as i sat at the robbie seay concert last night i was reminded of the dream and the mission given that is known as the church. the church truly is the hope of the world... because the gospel, jesus redeeming and restoring humanity, is the only answer we have to the aching questions of life.

i cannot think of another entity or institution (although i hate those words to articulate the church) that has more potential for widespread change and influence worldwide. to think and know that "we" through the power and grace of the gospel can be used to SHIFT, NUDGE, CHANGE, CREATE the world... to LOVE, CARE, SHAPE the future.

the dream still stands...
the gospel still lives and has breath...

tomorrow is possible.

F