• Gods’ favor with several who are considering a significant gift to Dare 2 Share (many large requests have been presented)
• Wisdom as we seek sponsors/partners for our 2012 conference tour
• Safety, weather, and ministry effectiveness in Columbus, OH this weekend (expecting 5,000+ at conference)
• Friends struggling with major health issues (specifically Mom/Jean, Susie, Julie, Susie, Jane, Dave)

Thank you!

I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be a young girl, betrothed to the one she loved, then called by God to carry His child, then faced with a 70 mile journey on a donkey during the last month of that important pregnancy! And I think I have issues!

Mary’s faith and character have been a quiet reminder for me as I face the challenges I have in my own world. God seems to give us just enough of what we need when we need it to not just “get through” but to also keep our focus on Him in the process. I heard this from someone once…

God help me to give up worshipping the god of my expectations.

I know that this is a struggle for me. I like to have a plan and I expect to execute that plan. When things don’t quite go the way I envisioned, I can tend to get a bit crabby. And when several things don’t go as planned, I find myself swimming in the sea for the overwhelmed, bobbing up and down, trying to catch a few breaths of air.

I know we don’t have insight into Mary’s entire pregnancy, but it sure seems to me that she responds in a completely different way to all of her circumstances. I would guess that she didn’t expect to have to travel during her last month. I would guess that she wouldn’t have expected to give birth in a dusty, dirty stable. I would guess that she would of expected the birth of God’s Son to be a royal party not a humble occasion in the middle of the night. But she just waited and responded in the moment with faith in God and for His sovereign plan.

I want to be like her. God help me.

About 10 years ago we put a pen to paper and came up with a goal at Dare 2 Share to

Train 1,000,000 Teenagers To Share Their Faith By June 30, 2010″

At the time the goal seemed right. It was prayed over and planned for. Strategies began to form and programs were developed. The last decade has been a whirlwind of pushing toward that one bullseye. Not only was it posted on every brochure and strategic plan, it was written on my heart.

So, here we are. June 30, 2010. Have we trained 1.000.000 teenagers to share their faith? Not quite. My best guess is that we are about a couple hundred thousand short. This reality started my day with a sober and bittersweet, somewhat nostalgic tone. I caught myself reflecting on the past and remembering the sweat, tears, and blessings. But as the day is coming to a close, I really feel thankful.

• I am thankful for the opportunity to even have a goal like this laid on my heart. My prayer life is better for it.
• I am thankful for the hundreds of thousands that were trained and I pray that they have trained hundreds of thousands of others that only God knows about.
• I am thankful for the new vision goal of mobilizing teenagers to make disciples who make disciples. It is more complete and holistic and reflects the wonderful principle of multiplication.
• I am thankful for those who have walked beside me through the journey. They have touched many a teenager’s lives and I can only hope I am present to see them get their rewards in heaven!
• I am thankful that God’s timing is not mine. “Lest any man should boast.” I am not surprised now when He surprises me. What a great God we serve!

I wonder what the next 10 years will hold?

About 10 years ago we put a pen to paper and came up with a goal at Dare 2 Share to

Train 1,000,000 Teenagers To Share Their Faith By June 30, 2010″

At the time the goal seemed right. It was prayed over and planned for. Strategies began to form and programs were developed. The last decade has been a whirlwind of pushing toward that one bullseye. Not only was it posted on every brochure and strategic plan, it was written on my heart.

So, here we are. June 30, 2010. Have we trained 1.000.000 teenagers to share their faith? Not quite. My best guess is that we are about a couple hundred thousand short. This reality started my day with a sober and bittersweet, somewhat nostalgic tone. I caught myself reflecting on the past and remembering the sweat, tears, and blessings. But as the day is coming to a close, I really feel thankful.

• I am thankful for the opportunity to even have a goal like this laid on my heart. My prayer life is better for it.
• I am thankful for the hundreds of thousands that were trained and I pray that they have trained hundreds of thousands of others that only God knows about.
• I am thankful for the new vision goal of mobilizing teenagers to make disciples who make disciples. It is more complete and holistic and reflects the wonderful principle of multiplication.
• I am thankful for those who have walked beside me through the journey. They have touched many a teenager’s lives and I can only hope I am present to see them get their rewards in heaven!
• I am thankful that God’s timing is not mine. “Lest any man should boast.” I am not surprised now when He surprises me. What a great God we serve!

I wonder what the next 10 years will hold?

My colleagues kept asking me, “Where will you go?” My response? “I’m not sure. I need to pray and plan and save some money, but there a lot of places I would love to see.” Okay. So it took me five years to do that… but hey, I’ve been busy!

Rick and I loved the two Carribean cruises we have taken so we started looking into a cruise. Something extraordinary, something we wouldn’t do on our own. We settled on the Mediterranean. I’ve dreamed of Greece and Italy – sure that I would never be able to actually get there. I found an itinerary that was perfect:

• Venice, Italy
• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Ephesus, Turkey
• Santorini, Greece
• Corfu, Greece
• Venice, Italy

Seven days cruising with 4 full-day ports and then 3 days before/after the cruise in Venice!

The entire trip was a dream come true. Not only was the weather PERFECT, but we really didn’t have any travel headaches until we hit a delay on the way home through Washington, DC. It was as though God was smiling down on us and paving the way for a wonderful time. From the unsolicited upgrade to a suite stateroom to locals pointing us in the right direction at just the right time, the entire trip seemed to be one blessing right after another.

We went completely unplugged. No cells, no laptops. I was twitchy on day one but recovered quickly as I realized… I’m in Europe! It would be an understatement to say that I enjoyed getting reacquainted with my hubby of 27 years. I can’t explain the connection we had during this trip, but I kept thinking… “I’m really glad I married you!”

We jumped outside our comfort zone and spontaneously came up with our own little “adventures” every day. This wasn’t something we talked about – it just happened naturally – and it was a blast! Here are just a few of the highlights:

• Getting lost – we intentionally got lost at least 3 times just to see where we would end up.
• Do what the locals do – eat what they eat, go where they go. I was intrigued with the languages and tried my best to chime in. Rick gravitated toward the culinary side of things: unusual items on the menu and shopping at local markets.
• Public transportation – I have no idea why we ended up exploring each of these countries best in mass transit, but we hit them all! We even eavesdropped on a British tour guide to figure out when to catch a bus… when in doubt, walk around until you hear someone speaking English.
• You may never be back – We tried to remember this and go ahead and splurge a little. A midnight Gondola ride, a rental car in Corfu, a mid-afternoon snack with orchestra playing in St. Mark’s square…

The cruise itself did not disappoint either. Of course, we weren’t expecting a suite but sure were thrilled to have the extra room and all the amenities that go with it (I had no idea how well they treated the “suite” people til now). Our tablemates were interesting too – two mother/daughter couples, one from MI/MN and the other from NY. The girls were about 25, so we regretted not having TJ along! As usual, the ship was clean and the service was great, the food spectacular (and lots of it). We both got massages after a long, hot day in Turkey – what a treat!

But I have to tell you, the most memorable part of the trip was visiting Ephesus. I’ve not been to a lot of ruins, so I’m a bit of a rookie. But as we walked on the ancient marble roads and saw the city that was so powerful and had so much significance in our Christian heritage, I was overwhelmed. It took my breath away to realize what had happened there so long ago.

Pictures are on my Facebook page if you are interested.

Along with the to-do list was a couple of healthy (albeit difficult) commitment objectives I set for myself for this short-term sabbatical:

• Focus on relationships (especially the ones that had suffered the most from the intensity of the past few months).
• Rest.
• Create some space to get “my head straight”.
• Don’t work! (D2S stuff that is…)

Christmas Eve was a hit and everyone invited save one came and partook of the annual Bresina stinky (but delicious I am told) Oyster Stew. We didn’t get any extended family talked into joining us for candlelight worship services in Brighton at 11 pm, but I just don’t think our family is up to staying up that late. I will have to work out something different for next year. Christmas came and went and was filled with great food and fellowship and thankful hearts.

Remarkably, I came close to finishing the list and with one major exception, feel pretty good about keeping my commitment objectives. It took me a full week, but I finally began to relax. I spent almost an entire day unplugged and with the Lord. I had some great coffee times complemented by outstanding conversation. I saw three movies and went shopping with 8-year-olds for hermit crabs. The craft room is organized and I can see the top of my desk in our home office. I spent an afternoon painting platters with my closest confidant. I loved on my hubby, my son, my mom and dad, and many others. It was awesome!

But sadly, it’s now over. It’s time to hit 2010 head-on and accomplish His purpose for His glory! My desire this year is to continually be in prayer and to draw closer to my Savior. I want to rest in Him and allow Him to be the true authority in my life. As I head into the new year, these are the things I want to put first:

• Making my relationship with Jesus my top priority.
• Taking care of myself (sleep, exercise, eating right).
• Pray without ceasing.
• Love — purely, sincerely, honestly.
• Model what I ask of others.

Here we go!

There are triumphant defeats that rival victories.”

This may seem like a contridiction or merely a play on words, but have you ever seriously thought about it? Today, studying a chapter from Os Guinness’s book The Call, I was faced with a new thought challenge. How can you have a triumphant defeat?

Mr. Guinness makes a strong case for our attitude and behaviour in the midst of a battle, explaining how a small group of Spartans fought courageously so many years ago, fighting with hands and teeth when their swords were gone. Knowing that we live in a fallen world, and knowing that in the end the victory is His and not ours, I wonder if God is watching and waiting for us to “behave as if He would wish us to behave?”

I have certainly experienced my own version of a battle this past year. And I know that I was not always fighting through it with courage and dedication. What a great reminder today from 2 Timothy 4!

• Preach the Word – I can’t preach it if I don’t know it. I need to study this letter to me and then unashamedly share it with others.
• Be Prepared – Along with studying the Word in preparation, my relationship with Him must come first. I do not want to be a fake.
• Teach and Encourage – Encouragement may come easily for me, but do I act on every nudge from the Spirit? Teaching is not as natural for me since I am relentlessly impatient. But the Lord has surrounded me with amazing students, I need to be obedient and teach when it is called for.
• Keep a Clear Mind – Yes, in every situation. <pause> Not sure what else to say…
• Don’t Be Afraid of Suffering – I realize that it is laziness that has motivated me to ask for an end to the suffering that I have experienced personally. I just don’t want to expend the energy needed to fight. I suppose this is where I need to look to my ”Spartan” friends for inspiration and face the fight head on. It’s a time to stand!
• Work at Telling Others the Good News – Even though I work for Dare 2 Share, I still stink at sharing Christ boldly. I love the fact that this is a work in progress. It is progress in this area that I truly desire – may I be a better witness this year than last.
• Fully Carry Out the Ministry God has Given Me – for whatever reason, I am where I am. I need to fully carry out what He has called me to do right now.

I want to end this post with a great quote from The Call:

A time to stand is a time to behave as our Lord would wish us to behave. A time to behave is a time to believe as He has taught us to believe. A time to believe is a time to move from small, cozy formulations of faith to knowing what it is to be called by Him as the deepest, most stirring, and most consuming passion of our lives.”

If I face any defeat in my future Lord, let me face it with a triumphant resolve for Your glory!

This “Day Alone With God” has still not become a regular outing for me. Usually it is more like a MAWG day (Morning Alone…) than a DAWG day, but I often recall Marlae’s voice in my head saying, “start with what you can do.” So, today, with the advent of a convenient Christmas office closure and a nagging urge to walk into a new year with a renewed relationship with Who matters most, I’ve been reading and writing, praying and crying at my local thinking spot (where they also serve a great latte!).

It’s more difficult than I thought it would be – trying to focus on just this one thing. I did turn my cell phone off and vowed to only use the computer/internet to write, but I am invariably more distracted than I want to be. It’s not the hubub of the coffee shop at all. It’s the urge to DO. I can focus for about 2 hours and then, sure enough, here comes “the to-do list” again!

I’m hoping this blog post will allow me to reset through expression of the frustration. The morning brought some amazing insights from Job. Here are just a few thoughts and verses that I ended up journaling about:

• Trials are an opportunity to turn to God for strength.
• Doubt is one of Satan’s footholds in my life.
• Job 28:28 - ”The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is understanding.”
• Job 29:16 - ”And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days. At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly.”
• Job 42:2 – “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.”

Okay, back to the Book.

One of the great things about shopping at Costco are the wonderful “sample stands” setup at the end of many of the aisles. They are manned by pleasant senior citizens (almost always) who offer you a tasty sample of one of the products they sell. Children flock to these carts begging for parent’s permission to partake. And I just know there’s a whole group of folks who intentionally skip lunch so they can walk around and scoop up samples!

Today, though, I noticed something more. Sample recipients quickly became “zombies” as they reveled the taste of each bite-sized freebie. They would stop in the middle of the aisle completely unaware of anyone around them who may be waiting. Then if and when they decided to move, their feet would just drag along the ground, barely making any progress.

I’m not exactly sure what was going on. Did someone come through and secretly drop “zombie juice” into each little sample as a halloween prank? Or is it because our precious Broncos didn’t have a game today and folks had nothing else to do?

Whatever the reason, it pretty much droze me nuts.

It started when I picked back up reading Secrets of the Vine by Wilkinson. Learning about how God “prunes” us is certainly interesting and I became increasingly intrigued by the idea. So, I began looking up verses that were referenced and studying the notes in my application Bible.

Then it started. I became acutely aware of how I was responding to adverse circumstances. Even though nothing joltingly remarkable happened, there was plenty of pain to attract my focus. Now, a couple of really crappy days and a few bad decisions later, I am realizing that God has been doing “His thing” in my life all along!

I am praying that I can truly get it now and do better. And I am encouraged by the words of Paul in Philippians 3:13-14:

…but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

I want to focus on that ONE THING! My heart’s desire is to join author John Piper when he writes:

Lord, let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am.

I know God will continue to prune as He sees fit. My only hope is that I can respond by focusing on the prize…