Some quick (but important) updates, some of which I've referenced but never put up, some of which I don't know that I've mentioned at all.
First, I'll be graduating from Focus on the Family Institute on July 24th, which is both exciting and more than slightly saddening. I have only 10 days left here with these people, in what has truly been the closest and most incredible Christian community I have ever been a part of (and that says something... I have known incredibly close community before; but it has not been like this).
My family and I are going to Yellowstone for several days starting later that week. I'm looking forward to having time with family, to just catch up with everyone in more detail and have one good time together before everything shifts again. Things will be very different by the time we're all together again come Christmas. I'll have gone through another semester of college; my younger sister will have been through her own first semester of college; and my youngest sister will be halfway through her sophomore year of high school by then. We are all growing and changing immensely, and I can see it's hard on my parents. I'm trying to give them more grace, just as they are with me, and I'm trying to encourage my sisters to do so as well. It's much easier to transition from our end than it is from theirs: we are ready to go, and though they are ready for us to go, it's much harder to stop acting the way you have for twenty years than it is to keep walking forward. My parents are doing a good job, overall. They make their mistakes, to be sure - but we are all fallen, and they are seeking God's best in this, which is a blessing.
As a few of you know (but many do not yet), this year is going to look a bit different than expected. I'll be a full R.A. (rather than a SafeWalk) in Walker Center. Specifically, I'll be on Walker 3W. I'm excited about that; I know that God is going to move mightily in the year to come, though I don't know exactly what that looks like. Among other things, that means that I'll have significantly more responsibility on my plate. This will be a challenging semester. That also means that I'll be on the Chris and Laurie Goree's Ministry Team, about which I'm incredibly excited (though I am somewhat saddened I won't be on the Jaques' team again, and that I won't be with the Honors and Cate and Adams people). That has some interesting ramifications... suffice it to say that God has a sense of humor, and one that is extremely ironic.
Last but not least for this set of updates, I want to update some of you who know about my major project (and fill in for the rest of you). Over the course of the last year, there are a lot of ideas and passions God has laid on my heart with regards to the calling of His body. Anyone who reads my blog (be it on blogger, xanga, or facebook) knows that I am incredibly passionate about the gospel and God's glory, and that I am saddened by the state of the American church. God has called me to take the gifting He has given me and the passions and broken-heartedness He has put in me for these areas and from them to create something for His glory. After a great deal of prayer, I have begun working on a book, as yet untitled, calling the American church out of its apathy and to stand and do spiritual battle to advance the gospel as it ought. I have written a detailed outline, an introduction, and drafted the first two chapters. I would greatly appreciate your prayer support. My goal is to finish the first draft of the book (which will probably be about 300 pages long) by Christmas. This is something that is beyond me, that I cannot do in my own strength. I need your support in prayer; and I need the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit for this to be effective. I will post regular short updates here, and I will also be doing e-mail updates. I'll let you know when I start that. I'll also probably post the first chapter here and on my website so that you can all take a look at it and hopefully gain some vision of where my heart is.
Thank you all for your friendship, for your love, for your support. I could not walk without you. Fix your eyes on our Father above, and be in awe of His glory, His greatness, His love, His mercy!
- Chris
First, I'll be graduating from Focus on the Family Institute on July 24th, which is both exciting and more than slightly saddening. I have only 10 days left here with these people, in what has truly been the closest and most incredible Christian community I have ever been a part of (and that says something... I have known incredibly close community before; but it has not been like this).
My family and I are going to Yellowstone for several days starting later that week. I'm looking forward to having time with family, to just catch up with everyone in more detail and have one good time together before everything shifts again. Things will be very different by the time we're all together again come Christmas. I'll have gone through another semester of college; my younger sister will have been through her own first semester of college; and my youngest sister will be halfway through her sophomore year of high school by then. We are all growing and changing immensely, and I can see it's hard on my parents. I'm trying to give them more grace, just as they are with me, and I'm trying to encourage my sisters to do so as well. It's much easier to transition from our end than it is from theirs: we are ready to go, and though they are ready for us to go, it's much harder to stop acting the way you have for twenty years than it is to keep walking forward. My parents are doing a good job, overall. They make their mistakes, to be sure - but we are all fallen, and they are seeking God's best in this, which is a blessing.
As a few of you know (but many do not yet), this year is going to look a bit different than expected. I'll be a full R.A. (rather than a SafeWalk) in Walker Center. Specifically, I'll be on Walker 3W. I'm excited about that; I know that God is going to move mightily in the year to come, though I don't know exactly what that looks like. Among other things, that means that I'll have significantly more responsibility on my plate. This will be a challenging semester. That also means that I'll be on the Chris and Laurie Goree's Ministry Team, about which I'm incredibly excited (though I am somewhat saddened I won't be on the Jaques' team again, and that I won't be with the Honors and Cate and Adams people). That has some interesting ramifications... suffice it to say that God has a sense of humor, and one that is extremely ironic.
Last but not least for this set of updates, I want to update some of you who know about my major project (and fill in for the rest of you). Over the course of the last year, there are a lot of ideas and passions God has laid on my heart with regards to the calling of His body. Anyone who reads my blog (be it on blogger, xanga, or facebook) knows that I am incredibly passionate about the gospel and God's glory, and that I am saddened by the state of the American church. God has called me to take the gifting He has given me and the passions and broken-heartedness He has put in me for these areas and from them to create something for His glory. After a great deal of prayer, I have begun working on a book, as yet untitled, calling the American church out of its apathy and to stand and do spiritual battle to advance the gospel as it ought. I have written a detailed outline, an introduction, and drafted the first two chapters. I would greatly appreciate your prayer support. My goal is to finish the first draft of the book (which will probably be about 300 pages long) by Christmas. This is something that is beyond me, that I cannot do in my own strength. I need your support in prayer; and I need the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit for this to be effective. I will post regular short updates here, and I will also be doing e-mail updates. I'll let you know when I start that. I'll also probably post the first chapter here and on my website so that you can all take a look at it and hopefully gain some vision of where my heart is.
Thank you all for your friendship, for your love, for your support. I could not walk without you. Fix your eyes on our Father above, and be in awe of His glory, His greatness, His love, His mercy!
- Chris
I can see that life is treating you nicely. You are writing a book?! That's awesome. I like the subject you are writing on as well. God is clearly involve in this. I wish I had your motivation for writing a book. Not I don't want to. I just don't know what story I could about yet. Anyway, God bless you
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