Thoughts from the other side of the hill

I did it, I survived my 20's. I want to take this time to say thank you to my 20's. We had some good times together didn't we. We laughed, we cried and then we got old. Not really. From what I hear 30 is the new 20. I know I already wrote about this a bit but since it finaly happened I am revisiting it. I can still confidently say that I am not too terribly fazed by the passing of my 20's, yet.

Some people look back and wonder what they have done with their lives and mourn the passing of the time. I look back and think, how the heck did I do all that in the last 30 years or even the last 10. The only sad thing to me is how fast it truly does go. It feels like time is standing behind me pushing me harder and harder towards the precipice. The reality is that it's just the way it is. I can't do anything about it so I better accept it. The consolation is that in the scheme of eternity I am still quite infantile. I am really not getting closer to death but rather closer to new life. It is hard to accept this concept sometimes in our fallen state. The frailty of life and shortness of life make me realize that it truly is not about me. If it were, it would be a pretty pathetic existence and very depressing. I don't want to mourn my own life especially while I am still living it. This life is not my own. It is a gift and it should be used to glorify the one who gave it to me. I think that when I start to get depressed about the loss of youth or days gone by I may be losing the proper perspective. I constantly struggle to let go of myself and be humbled. It is my nature to want to be in control but it is in my best interest to give up control. I believe true joy and peace in this life come when we give it up. When we give up ourselves to the one who is in control we get something far greater in return, we get hope. Hope for a better life to come. Hope that this world can be redeemed. Hope we will not only survive but be victorious. It is Christ's love that brings us this hope. The purpose of this life is to bring Christ's love and hope to bear on this world. That's what his kingdom is about.

So, as I enter a theoretical new phase of my life I will continue to pray that God will use my life to bring hope to the world through His love.

Out and About

It looks like it has been awhile since I wrote some words on this here little blog. Don't worry though, I have a great excuse. I've been working like a little monkey in a circus. We are on tour right now and sometimes that's just how it feels. We are doing 27 shows in 5 and a half weeks which means a lot of time away from home and not much sleep. We are barely a quarter of the way done and I'm tired. For this tour I am, as I have been before, the only tech person. This means that I get to wear a lot of different hats and try to make the show sound and look good at the same time. Fortunately the band guys have really stepped up and are pulling their weight. They are my crew and they are finaly getting things nailed down so that setting up and tearing down are much smoother. We are out with Shawn McDonald and our good friend Jason Gray. Shawn and his band are very kind and have been a lot of fun to get to know. The tour is gelling really well and the shows have been good. On this tour, like most we are on, we are focusing on World Vision child sponsorships. This has been going good too and many kids' lives are being changed every night. So, that's where I've been lately. I don't usually find myself with much time for writing or energy. We are working 18 hour days sometimes and the last thing I want to do is type. I will try though to offer some updates and tour tidbits. The hardest part of this tour, obviusly, is being away from my beautiful wife and daughter. Cali is growing so fast and I hate missing it. I do know that it is all part of God's plan though. I am really looking forward to tomorrow which is a day off at home. Praise the Lord.