A new direction-many of them

Hey All--

If you have visited this blog in the past you are in for a change... I've moved the blog for One Life Church to a new spot. It is now called "one life together". It will be a collaborative experience for those who have a connection with One Life Church.

This re-imagined blog will be a place for a wider conversation and will truly reflect my life of scribbling. If you have ever eaten lunch with me or been in my office you would see that I scribble a lot. Napkins, yellow pad and dry erase boards are my friends. I even have an app on my iPhone that allows me to scribble there, in color!

Scribbling could be with a pen or pencil, like I used to do on the cover of my PeeChee folders at El Dorado High School. Or they can be short bursts of concentrated thought on a particular subject, like this blog. See I just scribbled about scribbling.

I am fascinated by life and in particular people, technology, spirituality and philosophy. I also plead guilty to a number of guilty pleasures, namely pop culture and 80's trivia ("Bueller, Bueller, anyone?").

So, first question: Do you doodle or scribble? What have you scribbled lately?

P.S. I've included a few past posts that share some of my life story and our recent journey to Nor. California from behind the Orange Curtain (Orange County, CA)

Trail Head

A few weeks ago I shared about envisioning a pathway for spiritual formation for our families. It is less about a formula and more about a shared road of God-experiences. This is not to say that we do not have a plan, its just that the plan is a beginning point. Like a trail head.

A few weeks back I have a week with two of my sons. We do this every few years. I spent the first half of the week with my middle son and then the latter half with the eldest. We went hiking a few days (a different trail with each boy). We found each trail head and started there. Sometime we stayed only on the trial, sometimes we ventured off a bit to get, what we thought, was a better view.

The passage that serves as inspiration is Deut. 6:1-9. It is a picture of a whole life filled by God's good presence, experienced throughout each day in the most ordinary ways. A few of you asked for the short prayer we shared together. Is it simple way to begin each morning individually or as a family. It again finds the inspiration from Deuteronomy:

[4] Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [5] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. [6] These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. [7] Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

As you rise, we God and others in your home, join in a prayer of receiving the day:

Thank you God, for this day. I receive it as a gift. This is a one-time opportunity. Help me to live it well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Grace and Peace,

Troy

Re-create me

This past Sunday we spoke about the challenge of navigating life not in a total sleep deprived, just get me through this, almost-empty-gas-tank-red-light-on-the-dash-board, way. But, how can we? A recent article observed that Americans are trying to cram 31 hours of living into 24 hours. Anyone remember the square peg and round hole problem?

I know I can be as guilty as others on this one... pastor, husband, dad of three boys (all on separate little league teams), community volunteer, trying to keep in shape (preferrably not an avocado shape)... I can definitely push the edge of my time and energy levels to try to get it all in... yet, a few years back I began to get a sense of what helped me stay focused, energized and fully present to those I was with. I call these my core practices or re-creation rituals. They help to re-create God's life in me. When I get these right, I can see a dramatic difference in my capacity for life and ministry. I pray and hope these can be a help to you as you discover your recreation rituals:

1. Sit somewhere quiet - spend intentional time in stilling my soul with God (can include scripture meditation and listening prayer. Anyplace near water works for me (river, stream, lake, pond, ocean).
2. Read something fun - take time to read a magazine, novel, or site that is fully for fun. No need for research or preparation for teaching. WIRED is one of my current favorite periodicals.
3. Fix something up - actually fix something that needs repair or replace something broken or assemble something new. Ministry is about people and you do not 'fix' people. Believe it or not, they actually resist it if they think you are trying to! Cleaning the garage or installing a closet organizer is therapeutic to me.
4. Sweat something out - the need for athletic activity and physical fitness is core to my being. Riding 20 miles in the Tour de Lincoln, playing in a pick up game of soccer, or throwing a baseball with my boys really goes miles in refilling my tank.

What are your re-creation rituals? How are you more ready for God's work because you've taken the time to re-fuel?

Grace and Peace,

Troy

Prayer of Interruption

Many of you have asked for a copy of the prayer we shared together on Sunday. It is a dangerous prayer as it invites God to interrupt our life with His Life. 1 Timothy 6:19

I believe this day is a gift from God:
I receive it as unique, strategic and life-forming

I believe I have been given this one life, fixed in time:
It can not be repeated, re-done, or re-lived

I believe God is good and speaks today:
Through the Spirit, His unchanging Word, and other pilgrims

I respond to this sacred moment:
Interrupt me.
Teach me.
Change me!

In name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Grace and Peace,

Troy