Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Wow, what a weekend!

Ok, so everything's right in the world - well, at least this little soap box called "my world." I met with the guys here at Daybreak and everything's going to be ok. It'll be a little tight financially this summer, but with a little budgeting (the "natural") and God's intervention (the "super) I think we're gonna see a glimpse of the supernatural this summer.

So I'm sittin in my little office here at Daybreak - there's nothing glamorous about it - overlooking the parking lot. I'm watching this wonderful Michigan rain soak the hot, black asphalt and I can't help but think about the cleansing qualities of rain. Even though it's pretty much all I see here in Michigan, I can't ignore how renewing and life-giving rain actually is. It's like exactly what I needed from God, just to hear the sound of the rain falling softly on the roof (I know you're thinking, "Davey, your sounding like a real fruit." But just bear with me . . .). I was listening to the rain and a huge rush of PEACE just flowed over me. If God can send rain from heaven, providing nourishment for thousands of plants on earth, then how much more will He provide for me (Luke 12:24-28)! So I say, "God, bring on the Rain!"

I can't wait to get things rolling here. I'm speaking on Sunday night, so be in prayer for me for that. I really think that God's going to use me to make an impact here.

I spent the weekend with the wonderful Amanda Grace running in a community 5K together, reading with her on my shoulder, playing, swimming, and "tanning" at St. Joe (Lake Michigan), and sifting through old home videos of each other. It was a blast! It's amazing how well you get to know someone when you actually spend time with that person (as opposed to long distance phone calls for 5 months). I'll be able to see her about once a week, so we will definitely get some time together this summer (YEAH!).

I was thinking, this morning as I was driving up to Hudsonville from an amazing Memorial Day weekend in Elkhart, about our relationships, particularly with our Heavenly Father. I wonder if God get's tired of long distance calls sometimes. I lay awake at night thinking about how much I would like to be with Amanda, just spending time with her on a daily basis, and sometimes I can't take the phone any longer. I just have to SEE her!

I wonder if us being on Earth is like a long distance phone call to God. I know the Holy Spirit is always surrounding us and God's presence is always with us. That's the beauty of Jesus' sacrifice; it made interaction with God available to everyone. But I can't help think that God looks forward to the day that we're in His presence in Heaven, "kickin' it" with Him all the time, personally. Maybe that's when He calls us home, when He can't take the long distance phone calls anymore and He just wants to see us and embrace us. Maybe death, the state that induces such mourning here on earth, creates an environment in heaven that blows away that of a New Year's Bash in New York City! The day that God takes us up in His arms and wipes all of our tears away will be even sweeter than when I embraced Amanda for the first time in 5 months.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Directions to I-90/94?

Life hit me fast today. A knock out blow. You’ve all seen Rocky. Of course, who hasn’t. Isn’t it amazing how Rocky can stand there and take a left hook, a right jab, an uppercut, and another hook and it never phases him. Here I am wallowing in my own pity after one sharp hook. Granted this one was below the belt.

Let me back up. It all started yesterday as my mom dropped me off at the airport in Birmingham. After an amazing three days with my family I was ready to take life head-on again and be out on my own. There was something spiritual about walking through those revolving doors at the Birmingham International Airport, it may have been the tacos from the night before, but whatever it was, it hit me like the Titanic to an iceberg, I was on my own again! For all you high schoolers out there who are so eager to get away from the auspice of your parents overbearing regime, don’t ever forget the day that you will run back with your tail tucked between your legs. The REAL WORLD is scary! It’s full of vicious monsters waiting to devour you at every slip of your footing (Hmmm . . . funny that my blogsite is entitled THE REAL WORLD).

So back to my spritual experience—this recognition that I was once again on my own. Once again I have to think for myself, I have to reason for myself, I have to find my way around by myself, shoot, I have to feed myself (have you ever forgotten to eat a meal because it wasn’t provided for you? haha). Everything goes well until my plane lands in Chicago, where my dimwittedness kicks in. I hop the Airport shuttle to Economy lot Yellow, Stop 12, and hop in my car heading east on Garfield Blvd. I decide that it might be faster for me to follow the signs to “Alternate 90/94” instead of just getting on I-90/94 the way I know how. Guess where the signs led me to . . . NOT 90/94!

So I’m lost in Chicago feeling a little like Kevin on Home Alone. It takes me literally 2 hours to get 30 minutes down the road, and ultimately 4 hours to get to Elkhart, Indiana (2 hours away from Chicago). UNBELIEVABLE! What’s even worse is I can’t hear out of my left ear because of the altitude pressure built up from the plane ride.

Hmmm . . . I could vent about that one for hours and tie some superspiritual conclusion in but I want to get on to today.

People have been asking me how my internship at Daybreak has been going. One word:

NOT LIKE I EXPECTED

Ok maybe that’s 4 words. Seriously, it’s fast paced, it’s intense, it’s high-tech, it’s cutting edge, it’s multidimensional, and it’s dynamic! Wonderful right? Sure, if your making more than $50 dollars a week.

That’s right $50 a WEEK! Today, when I was informed that my money raised had equaled out to be a $50 a week salary, my world came crashing down. I have never felt so dejected, unqualified, devalued, or misused in my life. I put in about 60 hours a week to get paid $50. “Here Davey, let me fill up your gas tank once a week and we’ll call it even. Oh by the way thanks for the work!” Shoot I moved up here knowing no one, leaving everything, with only the crappy weather and the 8 point buck that hangs on the wall of my room at my host home to keep me company. Can I just say that northern people in general are not near as hospitable as Southerners. I probably just made some enemies with that one.

Reality Check. It has been a real a reality check (sorry for being redundant). I was driving to Hudsonville this morning excited, ready to finally get to work on this internship stuff, ready to pour my time, my energies, and my resources into this job. I had dreams, I had hopes—high hopes—I had ambitions. I had a vision of what this internship was going to look like. And now it seems shattered.

For you young ministry students or pastors. How does it feel on the bottom of the totem pole? I saw this cool advertisement in one of the magazines on the airplane and it said: “Don’t you see the pecking order? Oh, look behind you.” Hmmm. What field is that guy in? Cuz I look behind me and see nothing but trash that I was supposed to pick up from all the people in front of me.

Welcome to the Real World, Davey. Maybe this is why so many people lose their dreams and ambitions when they grow older. It’s not the old age, the sensodyne, the tapioca pudding, or the nutragena that does it. It’s the world. It’s the ruthless, insensitive, vicious world that swallows our dreams.

I watched Office Space tonight for the first time. I connected! It was another “spiritual” experience. The Plot: a bunch of guys who hate their jobs because their talents aren’t utilized and they’re not challenged. They’re not fulfilled at all! That may be my biggest fear—to forget why I was put on this earth, to have dreams and never see them come to fruition, to shoot for the moon and blow up like the Challenger. I’M SCARED TO DEATH OF NOT MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

What’s even scarier is that I’m in a line of work that sees no worldly success. If I’m “successful” at my job, I won’t see it. God only knows (not to borrow the cliché).

I feel Lost. Kind of like the television show but more like total blackness. I sat in the dark today just to gain a better perspective on things. It was lonely. No light to comfort my senses, no awareness of what’s going on around me. I’m lost on 106th street in Chicago and I can’t find the entrance ramp to 90/94.

Monday, May 22, 2006

I'm Back!

Well, well, well. My long-winded sabatical from bloggin is OVER!! I'm back and I'm PUMPED! It's tough going so long without having any outlet for my thoughts. A few things I want to share with you guys:

I arrived at Daybreak Community Church in Hudsonville, Michigan last Monday. I was hoping my life would slow down a little once I got settled in and I could start blogging again. WRONG! Daybreak put on a conference this past week called the Creative Infusion Conference and we were at it for about 12 hours every day. It's similar to one of those Ed Young or Andy Stanley conferences where pastors and creative ministers come to learn about how to be innovative and emerging with the way they teach the message of Jesus Christ. IT BLEW MY SOCKS OFF! I was amazed! I was able to sit in on PhotoShop and Final Cut Pro seminars, listen to some of the most creative people in the country, and meet Ralph Winter (the producer of the X-Men and Left Behind movies). If you want to see more about this conference check out the reviews here.

I'll be keeping you guys updated on the church and exactly what I'll be doing this summer as the summer goes on. KEEP READING EVERYDAY! NO MORE SABATICALS FOR ME!

I'm reading Rob Bell's book (The Velvet Elvis). Very insightful. What's even cooler is that Mars Hill Bible Church (Rob's church) is about ten minutes down the road from me in Grandville, MI. I checked it out and I'm hoping to get over there for a service sometime and hear Rob speak. You can check out Rob's book here and Mars Hill Bible Church here.

I flew back down to T-Town (Tuscaloosa, for my non-Southern readers) from Chicago today for my bro's graduation. It was a very memorable time, looking back on my High School graduation and how much the people here in T-Town mean to me. Coping with moving right before my Senior year was not easy but the people here in T-Town welcomed me with arms wide open and I will never be able to fully express my appreciation. I'm so proud of my bro, too. My prayer is that no matter what life brings his way, he will be passionate about making a difference in people's lives for Jesus Christ.

Anyways, can't wait to get into all the things I have to share with you guys. I can't promise that it will all be interesting but I can promise to be somewhat insightful and thought-provoking. I've been wrestling with some serious life issues lately and I can't wait to express myself through this blog. Until then . . .

Friday, May 12, 2006

Blogging Haitus

I haven't blogged in FOREVER! I'm soooo sorry for those of you who actually read my blog. I've been CRAZY BUSY for the past month and a half. I'm leaving for Michigan today for an internship. I'll start blogging everyday again once I get settled in there on Monday. Be in prayer for me this summer! Thanks for your support! If you want to see the church that I'm interning at this summer you can check it out here.