It has been a few days since I last posted here on "thewalk". It has not been short on events taking place thats for sure. 6 inches of snow and 2 inches of ice has crippled the Charlotte NC area here all week. With schools closed and makeup days are announced, parents are frustrated, kids have cabin fever and things are just a mess with everyones routine out of whack. Hoping for a fresh start next week as things get back in groove and normal - what ever that is - comes back into our lives.
I had a chance this week to sit down and share a coffee with a friend and leader and brother. He and his family are moving and even though thats hard, its only miles inbetween a relationship and with the internet, email, texting and facebook - those miles wont seem so far away. I am praying hard for them and their next destination in serving God. I am praying for big things for them and using all that they have learned over the last few years to further their walk and service for God and his family. I know great things are yet to be done there and looking forward already to camp or outreach somewhere in the middle - I am thinking NYC and spending a few days teaming, planning and outreach when God gets us to that place.
As one friend parts another comes in.... Thats how life works most times as I look at things not so much as a mountain to climb but railroad tracks running parallel to each other. Sometimes the train takes a person but another train comes and along those tracks, life has its good and has its tough spots but they both go together and without one of those rails - our lives are crashing. I walked away after a great coffee and conversation - I love those 2 things going together - God sure had a plan to make those 2 things....coffee and conversation! - for 2 hours talking, dreaming, catching up on families, and just sharing our heart for God and all that is going on in our lives. I am especially pumped for that friendship and his leadership in my life. I am so needing it..... and God has perfect timing and a perfect plan. His ways or bigger than mine.

God will do amazing things in your life when you humble yourself to serving him, his teachings and ways of doing things. Your relationships with others take on a new deeper walk when we serve them by being humble. When we come to that place loved ones, we begin to see things differently and in a new way that we may have never seen before. I think about that as I dig into God word and what I read last year or a few months ago, when reading today sometimes has a new meaning to the words. Sometimes we see them in a different way or have experienced something in life that makes the words and the parables and the teachings come to life. I love when that happens and there is such blessing that comes through that process of God shaping and molding us to be more like him.
John 16: Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. BUt I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. UNless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement; in regard to sin, because me do not believe in mel in regard to rightouesness, because I am going to the Father, wher eyou see me no longer; and ion regard to judgement, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can bear. But when he, the spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belings to the Father is mine. That is why I said the spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. IN a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.

As Jesus prepared his disciples for his earthly departure - it was clear to him that the world would mostly be rejoicing and celebrating but his closest people who knew who he was and called him friend would be filled with grief. By sending the holy spirit it is God who lives in us and in the proper season as our understanding grows and our walk deepens, the holy spirit will open our eyes in new ways and understanding. So as we strive forward reaching to understand more and living a life of significance - God reveals things to us as we mature. Its like when we are teenagers - we think and act like teenagers but as adults we mostly act like adults and mostly think like adults. As our spirit deepens so does our understanding and our thoughts and our actions.
We all have one sentance in life. A life lived on this earth is mostly recorded on the tombstones of where our earthly bodies are placed. Its a reflection of a life lived here - What would be your sentance that you would leave to others? What is your life about? What is important enough to you that you would leave as a standing legacy? Most people I would say want to live a life with significance. As a man, I know this to be true because I want to stand knowing that I am making a difference in the lives and of the people in my life. Leading students to know Christ and walking with them as they learn to not only trust God for their salvation but also in their lives - the good times and the bad times. I know there wont be much in the terms of "Thank You" or seeing their fruit take but someone else will see those things. Thats upsetting but its also the way it is. I plant the seed that God has trusted me in doing to them and down the road, at some point in their lives, they will lean back and know I was there - cheering them on from the balcony of life planting Gods seeds for their future. Some stick, some walk away, some float and some take charge - its up to them but I have done my part and what God has called me to do.

So as I think about my buddy Travis and his family today. Thank you my friend for your wisdom, guidance and challenging me to be the person that God has called me to be. I am not worthy to study God word, to teach it at times and live my life as an example for others. I surely cant beleive that at this place in my life the students and their families mean that much to me that they break my heart, keep me up at night for days on end and praying for them with tears in my eyes and a heart that is unreal in being so heavy at times. I know Travis you have inspired me and given me leadership to shape me and you have also given me a foudation of trusting God and doing what he says. You have shown me that example time and time again. Thirst camp being so hard, emotional and life changing and calling me to lead when you didnt hardly know me but my heart shown. Thank you my friend, my brother. We will hook up down the road and serve God together again. Keep in touch ....... the best is yet to come.

Authentic, lasting significance is hid with Christ. That means to say a man cannot find significance in any lasting way apart from Christ. So if a man in Christ, and submitted to Gods plan and purpose, then he can satisfy his greatest need in a way that endures.

Lonnie~