day 31, lent 2009

early saturday greetings [12.19 am]...

nancy, patty, leah and i just drove from tampa to ft pierce for our missional weekend of discovery...

later today, we will have lunch with bill hobbs and the parenting ministry team from urban youth impact in inner city west palm beach...

our goal is to move beyond tutoring kids in tampa, to supporting the parents and grandparents [many working solo] in ways that will empower them to form the family support network and undergirding community necessary to help their kids achieve...

tutoring is great BUT the kids need more -- they need parental encouragement and empowerment...

what excites us about bill [besides our friendship of over 20 years] and the UYI team is that the people who are now leading the parents ministry were some of the early students in the program -- now that's empowerment!

we can hardly wait!

we will also be blessed to hang out with glenn and jeremy and elizabeth tomorrow -- looking forward to being with you...

i will close the weekend speaking at trinity EPC in ft pierce...

then back home...

wish you could all be here with us!

for friday [a little late], nouwen shared: "we are poor listeners because we are afraid that there is something other than love in God. this is not so strange since we seldom, if ever, experience love without a taint of jealousy, resentment, revenge, or even hatred. often we see love surrounded by limitations and conditions. we tend to doubt what presents itself to us as love and are always on guard, prepared for disappointments..."

AMEN!

i am so guilty...

what if i do listen to God and he says something to me that i do not want to hear?

what if i do listen to God and he calls me to do something i do not want to do?

what if i listen to God and he demands his will rather than my own?

enough said...

i guess nouwen is right -- at its very root, this is a crisis of love...and trust!

so, if God is really perfect in his love, maybe i should listen and simply trust...

too deep for me while i am this tired...

shalom...

guy

have you read bill hobbs new book MY LONGEST DRIVE??? it is a MUST READ! i am picking up 50 copies tomorrow -- would you like one???