I had a brilliant conversation with my friend Larry several weeks ago. Years ago Larry used to bike competitive in races as a strong hobby. These days he's up to several engineering projects and teaching. So we were talking about vision and big picture ideas (living out who you're supposed to be and doing what you're supposed to do). We also discussed the micro picture of creating to do lists and being faithful to them.

Here is the major nugget of the conversation. Larry said in racing 1,000 things will prevent you from winning the race. There are 1,000 distractions of things you could be doing but won't help and there are only 5 things you can do or be.  Those are the 5 things that will help you win the race. Larry continued "...And if you can narrow down the 1,000 distractions to just 100, you will win the race."

 

If you know me well you know I really like funky marginal concepts, life stories, and cultures from other continents. So I really like international music a lot. These past two years I've been on a heavy international music diet. Mmmn. Yummy. As I've ingested and analyzed more international music my diet of Christian music (music art regarding Christ) has decreased.

I have forgotten what it's like to have several songs about Jesus zipping in my short term memory and not just my long term memory. I forgot what it was like to have certain songs penetrate the different contours of my being. So I started listening to more skillful musical art of faith and journey with God. Oh music! Songs are so powerful I forgot this. I love this God and great music encourages me in my faith journey.

wow. I haven't' spent so much time in the presence of God in a long time. This past couple of days I have been at a prayer retreat. Several pastors from the Boston area came together and we just pray. Someone prays for a minute, then another, and another. Someone breaks out in song and we sing, someone shares scripture and then we pray again. And we sit before the Lord for hours in this flexible time of worship. It was amazing. I've experienced these types of worship times before but not recently. At first it's challenging to be before the Lord without certain structure of prayer and praise but it's so enjoyable. We took grand timeouts, pondered God's mercy, grace, kindness, love, authority, nature, power, etc. and we were all moved.

What was doubly amazing was the unity that theses pastors share in the Boston area. I have never seen a gathering of pastors across different denominations and churches who genuinely love each other (verbally, non-verbally, and give themselves and resources). Furthermore their friendships are deep and none of these guys have chips on their shoulders (including the pastors of larger congregations). Amazing. There is a unity like I've not seen before and this common unity was shared across denominational branches? Amazing. Several people wanted to meet with me, discover what our church is up to, and how we are doing, and stay connected to us and offer to be of help in any way possible.

This time has been amazing.

Ok so one of my good buds helped me to see this. Here is his original post.
If you're reading this on facebook the pics won't pop up so you have to go to the original posting on my blog here.

 
Now I know why I like Desmond so much. Now we know why he can see the future, how he's apparently in more than one place at the same time,  and why he believed it was his job to save the world. It all makes sense now doesn't it?

That's what he told me. I was on the phone with a good bud from college (so we've known each other for a long time.) During our college years we would meet up every week and discuss the surface and deeper things of life. We did this for a little over a year. We would usually meet up in a dining hall and eat for about an hour or so and talk about living this life with Jesus, how we stink and screw up in following Jesus, how faithful God is, scripture, life happenings, etc. We'd also catch up on the phone or with other friends and generally be of encouragement and edificaiton to each other. That's why we started to become intentional about our friendship. Before we just saw each other at church or a bible study, talk about how tired we were, talk about the weather, or talk about some silly class experience, and talk about deeper things if the time allowed. 

A funny thing happened as we began to meet up, hang out and discuss the more important things of life. Usually when my friend was in need of advice or encouragement and I would share some thoughts and scripture with him that turned out to be exactly what I needed to hear, realize, and live. We were experiencing different life scenarios but it seemed as if God was teaching me the same things he was teaching my friend. At least one third of our converations to date have been had these suprises of "ouch" and "ohhhh" moments where I realize some things in me in needs to change or that I have been foolish about God's places in my life and quickly see the error of my ways. 

So in our last conversation. My friend was talking about a dissapointing work situation in the big picture of living a life that pleases the Lord. He said, "I'm willing to lose in order to win." I quickly wrote it down on my dry erase board between the windown and closet.

So this refrain has been bouncing in me for the past week and half and it's starting to rub off on a couple of things. Obviously to be continued.