Real Freedom

I feel like something in me has been set free...

It seems like the topic of freedom has been on my mind for several months now. As Christians we are set free from the law, but does that mean that we're free to do as we please? Growing up in a culture where the "American Dream" is to pursue our own happiness, it's hard to see it any differently. We don't even realize how deeply that is implanted in our souls! We want to follow God, but we want to gratify ourselves at the same time. This has been my life's message. Surrender to Him, but only enough to where I could still pursue my own happiness. Trust in God, but only by understanding that my good will come from it. But what if it doesn't. Is my purpose so small that serving myself is all that I desire? The climax of my life? Don't get me wrong, I've always wanted to bring glory to Him... to lift Him up to the world so they could see how good He is... how much life He provides. I remember talking with a friend several years ago about how much I don't want the nice-house-with-a-picket-fence-two-kids-and-a-dog life this world tells us we should pursue. I want to be more; to mean more. But now I know how. It's been there all along, and I've come close to it before... even thinking I've understood it before. But I haven't- not like this. The purpose of life is not about being happy. It's not even about love, really. It's about serving. Serving through love, but serving nonetheless. Christ came to serve not to be served. And we are to serve God and others with the love and peace that comes from knowing Christ, so that they may see something different in us. Something that is actually satisfying which is so contrary to this world. We search for entertainment, for adventure, for pleasure; but none of those things give us the peace that we long for. None of those things satisfy the hunger that is in our souls. Only Jesus can... but that means as Christians we must live like this. I MUST live like this... seeking to serve Him and others at all times regardless of my own desires. I fully believe He can fulfill my desires and satisfy my soul, because He has been there and done so all of my life when I've looked to Him. This may sound weired to some, but the truth is that we are all slaves to something. If we give in to the idea that we are to pursue our own pleasures in life, we become slaves to our own desires. Pray for me if you think of it. Pray that God will give me the strength, even when it's so hard, to lift Him up in all situations. I pray that what God is doing in my heart will awaken yours as well, because true freedom can only be found when we understand who we were created to be and what we were created to do.

Big Chill Shirts

Big Chill is just around the corner... it seems in this ministry time flies especially fast! I guess because we're always looking into the coming months for the next thing that needs to be planned. Things for Big Chill are coming together as amazingly as always. We are so excited to see what God has in store for all of us this year! Every year it seems to be something bigger and better than the year before. Remember the fog last year as we were walking out of the Saturday night session in silence? We could just FEEL God's presence. Awesome.

So Jeremy is busy planning the schedule, getting the games together, and talking with Ed... and I am thinking about the t-shirts. Such a simple piece of the weekend, but so important as they are a piece of physical evidence for us to keep and remember what God did in each of our hearts over the weekend. For some of us the shirt is a reminder of a decision made... for others it's friendships formed. Everyone has something different that they think of when they wear the infamous Big Chill shirt. So what will they look like? Do i design them again or outsource them? and of course, the #1 question... what color will they be?! I guess at this point, God only knows. :) Any suggestions...?