I Think I Can't

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. Hey, If the little red engine could, why can't I, right?

A key part of living life to the full is living life BEYOND full. A lesson God wants to teach His creation is that if you ONLY live life to your fullest, the results will be, at best, large amounts of human recognition.

The way I'm learning this lesson while in Chile is that the more I look for recognition for what I do here, the less effective I am. On the other hand, the more I ask for prayer to make me effective for God's Kingdom plan, the more freed up I am to give myself away and be much less concerned about myself.

God is answering those prayers, though the seemingly constant struggle is self-consciousness and concern for the opinions of man. My times of "giving myself away" have been, literally, the most fruitful and fulfilling times of my trip so far.

May Jesus be magnified, my own insecurities be minimized, and God's Kingdom be expanded because of it all.

I can now truly say, "I think I can't" with full confidence that because of this healthy dependence on God, what I accomplish will be much bigger than me and will be more beneficial for all involved.

A Chilean Super Bowl!

Part of my goal of "leaving it on the field" by the time the Lord calls me home is to take every opportunity possible to do something difficult but beneficial.

All kinds of things can fall in this category.  Recently, when my good friend Manuel mentioned his plans to go to his homeland of Chile, I knew I had to pray about and pursue the possibility of going with him.  Why is this difficult?  Allow me to name just four things that come to mind:

1. Being away from my family for 16 days.
2. Missing our church's annual Winter Get-A-Way Retreat.
3. Being somewhere where I stick out (from my lack of Spanish to the color of my skin to my height to . . . you name it).
4. Preaching and teaching to a different culture through an interpreter.

Yet, why is it so beneficial?  Allow me to name just six things that come to mind:

1. God has some work to do on me, and this will be a great place for Him to turn up the heat.
2. I get to witness faith in Christ in a whole different context.
3. I get to fellowship through language barriers with brothers and sisters in the Lord.
4. God has opened up opportunities to teach and preach about things I am passionate about.
5. My family and my church will get to be stretched as well through my experience.
6. Our network of disciple-making churches gets to expand.

I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 
                     Galatians 2:20.

Super Bowl XLVIII is this weekend and my favorite team is playing (Go Broncos!).  It is a big deal and it comes to my mind often.  Yet, as I consider what will be happening once I leave for Chile Wednesday, February 5 (see itinerary below), I not only think about it often but there is also an undefined emotion that comes over me.  It is part nervousness, part curiosity, part anticipation, and part pure JOY, with a little trepidation mixed in.

As an athlete has a sense of being blessed for having the chance to play in a Super Bowl, each of us needs to aim for and pursue as many Super Bowls as we can get to.  We need to pray for opportunities to be stretched, to be counted on for something bigger and more significant than ourselves, and to grow as a person and as a follower of Jesus Christ.  For it is no longer I who live so I may as well leave it all on the field for Christ's sake.

Chile Itinerary:

Wednesday 5-Thursday 6 . . . . . . .Fly from Minneapolis to Santiago, Chile

Friday 7………………………… Travel from Santiago to Talcahuano

Saturday 8 …………………….GATEWAY (The whole day)

Sunday 9………………………..GATEWAY (morning only), service in Talcahuano (evening) CARLYN PREACHES

Monday 10……………………. Travel to Curarrehue

Tuesday 11……………………..Service in Curarrehue PAUL PREACHES

Wednesday 12………………..Return to Quillón

Thursday 13…………………….Barbecue with Pastors’ Network in Quillón

EVENING  SERVICE Alex PREACHES

Friday 14…………………………Free day in Quillón/BOOTCAMP  (It will start at 6:00 pm)

Saturday 15…………………….Church Planting Bootcamp

Sunday 16……………….………Service in Quillón (morning) (Carlyn Preaches, service in Talcahuano (Alex Preaches)

Monday 17………………………nothing schedule

Tuesday 18………………………YOUTH EVENT PAUL PREACHES

Wednesday 19…………………Nothing scheduled currently

Thursday 20- Friday 21……… Return flight to Minneapolis