Feeling Convicted

So, here I sit in a Chicago hotel room as I process the information that has been "downloaded" to my brain in the last two days. I'm at a Mission Developer Training event hosted by the ELCA and I've been having a BLAST, but my head is feeling about like it will explode soon.

I've enjoyed the opportunity to meet face to face some people that I have known only through email or internet bulletin boards up until now. There is something surreal that happens when you meet people that you have a virtual relationship with, it really does shift things. It's not a bad thing, it just helps to really frame things in a more authentic way.

As I sit and process the information (after two very full days of seminars, eating really good food, and a wonderful worship opportunity at Willow Creek Community Church) I can't help but think about one sentence in particular that is running through my head. Someone (might have been a presenter, might have been a participant) asked a seemingly simple question ...

Do we love to tell the story or do we just love the story?

Hmmm ... that's a good point. If you missed the nuance in the sentence above, re-read it here, I'll try to make it obvious... Do we love to tell the story or do we just love the story?

I've had to ask myself, "outside of a worship service, when is the last time you've told the story of Jesus Christ?" I can't say I'm sure I know the answer. Yes, I'm sure I've made vague comments to people, but I'm pretty sure I haven't just sat down and answered any question by saying, "you know, it's about Jesus ... let me tell you about him and what he's done for you." I mean, sure, I'm a Lutheran and we're notorious for not being too out-going and yes, I'm an introvert, but those are simply excuses.

So, here I sit, feeling convicted, feeling like I need to tell the story to someone ...

Where does the time go?

If you're anything like me, you start out at various points of the year feeling like you have all kinds of time to accomplish a set list of goals only to get toward the end of that time to discover that you haven't accomplished a quarter of what you set out to do.

Well, I can't say that was entirely the case this summer, but I sure feel like I've gotten to the end of my "free time" with only a few of the items that I hoped to accomplish checked-off.

I did get to celebrate the birth of my daughter, I did go visit Alaska, I got moved into a new home, and I did travel with my family to Southern California for a few days. That sounds like a lot when put in a list, but I feel like I had so much more I could have accomplished. I had a list of books that I wanted to read and haven't gotten to any of them (I actually secretly hoped I would read one of them and that would have made me happy ... didn't even accomplish that).

Maybe I just need deadlines in order to accomplish things. I seem to have this tendency to put things off until the last minute, but if I have a deadline, then I get them done. For example, if I take magazines on a trip with me and promise myself I won't bring them home, I do tend to read them before coming home. Maybe there's hope for me yet.

In other news, I've been obsessing about the whole Brett Favre situation these days. I'm not sure why I care so much ... yes, I'm a Packer fan, yes, I think Favre is a great quarterback but in the scope of the world does it really matter if he comes back to play? Apparently in my world it does matter. Its one of my guilty pleasures ... next to watching hockey!

O.k. one of my goals for this summer was to write a blog entry that actually mattered ... and I will do it yet, but maybe not before I start my internship ... still, I have a topic in my mind that I really want to write on and get some thoughts on the table.

Peace!