An inside look at the Wyndham Resort, Smokey Mountains. 

Madison’s tour of our condo from longyear on Vimeo.

One worn-out 10 gig white iPod stolen from my truck  last week.  One 30 gig black iPod video GIVEN to me today.  Every setback is an opportunity for God to do something.  Why do I always forget that?

What setback in your life could be a set-up for God to do something?

… I would be one bad Pastor.

Check it.  Just got a note from Emily Wiggins.  They are in the process of adopting Juan Pablo from Guatemala. 

Friends,

John and I have been praying for a miracle.  We received good news today that all of Juan Pablo’s paperwork has been waived and he is now legally adoptable.  This is huge!!

Even with adoptions being closed, our Guatemalan case manager took our paperwork to the children’s court and told them our story.  She said by the time she was finished they were all crying and said that Juan Pablo needed to go home.   Mabel, our case manager is at the court again today.  We don’t know all the details, but see God moving.   Please join us in praying for this miracle to happen. 

Love you all,

Emily

I fell in love with this kid when I was in Guatemala and can’t wait to get him living with John and Emily!  Check out the Wiggins blog here.

From Blue Fish TV.  This was brought to my attention from my friends at blogworship.com.  Enjoy.

My iPod was stolen out of my truck. It makes me angry.   I would have rather had them steal my truck.  I wouldn’t have bothered coming after them.  My family would have been happier.  The truck is worth less than said iPod.  Instead Mr Thief takes a small package full of sonic goodness.  Makes me want to chase down the punk and dispense some Old Testament judgment. 

Oh, and the irony?  This Sunday in the Red Series, I am teaching on what Jesus says about revenge.

I hate it when God does that.

Kyle just brought it to my attention that Delirious will end their tour and call it quits as a band.  Many fans (including myself) are saddened by the news.  However, let me say thanks to a band that rocked my world with the whole worship scene.  When I was a kid, Petra was the a band that had a dramatic effect on me.  Years later, Delirious gave me a re-birth and (for me) redefined worship music.  Cutting Edge 1 and 2 may still be the best worship project in my collection.  It effected me in ways I am unable to express here.

Thanks boys, for a great ride. Thanks for following Christ among the critics, and pushing the boundaries.  Here is to a new and better season.

Click here for the press release from the band.

Not a bad way to start the day.  Thanks to exchanger and pilot Paul Felty!

Hot Air Balloon Ride! from longyear on Vimeo.

I just got rocked pretty hard.  In the middle of listening to a sermon  from Craig Groeschel, I sensed God convicting me to pray more for exchange.  It felt like a punch to the gut.  It’s not that I don’t pray, it’s just that I need to pray more frequently and intentionally.

To add to the beating, check this prayer from Sir Francis Drake, 1577

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

The conversation went something like this:

Steph (my fly wife):  Are you going to register to run a Marathon next year?

Me:  What?  No.  I said that I would run a full marathon when I turned 40.

Steph:  Um, this year you turned 39. 

Me:  [pause.  pause.  cold, empty realization that I am staring 40 in the face.]

40 is coming.  It will try to knock me down but I will not have it.  I will prove to it  that I am a driven and violent man.  A little bit of crazy.  A little bit of fun.  A whole lot of stubborn.  40 may be coming, but it will get the slap-down in my neighborhood.  I think I heard it shiver when I registered for the January 2009 Disney World Marathon.

Oh yes, I did.  And I’d like to tell you that I am excited.  The truth is that every time I think about running 26.2 miles, a little pee comes out.