Over the River and Through the Woods

So Saturday was quite the day. Once again I was required to go from the East Side to the West Side in order to perform. It started at church for regular services. Maury put together a big band for worship. It was a blast! I got to play baritone sax. Bari is my favorite instrument to play. :) I just wish I'd gotten pictures, but alas, I failed to ask someone to take them for me. We decided to call ourselves the "One Rehearsal Band" since that's all we had, was one rehearsal the night before. It went well though, and the congregation seemed to enjoy the new experience (I did hear from those who did not, but I assured them, that it was not going to happen again for a long time, because of the work involved in pulling it off. I am grateful though to Maury for setting it up. Many of the musicians were professionals, in other words, they get paid to play. But Maury managed to get them all to volunteer! That's a tremendous feat. Many pros will insist on being paid. Not all of them were believers either, and we were all given a copy of the Jesus Film as a thank you gift, so this was also a great outreach. I've always thought music was a good way to get people into church).

So once worship was over, I didn't even stay for the sermon. I jetted out of there, so I could be in Beaverton by 7:30. I mad it in plenty of time, and even got to sit out in the sun for a little while before going in to play. This time, I played flute with the flute choir I belong to. Then I finaly went home. I didn't get in too late though, and slept well. Good thing, since I had High Ground in the morning.

I picked up Murray, and headed to church. Dave Stout spoke at High Ground. He has issued a challenge to all the men to share Christ with someone this week. Why does God always have to put what you say to the test? (see previous post) It's as if He thinks actions speak louder than words or something. Gee wizz.

So I played again for services, and then went to my friend Andrea's house. We then headed back to church together, and worked the coffee bar for the Columbia Symphony concert. By then, I was exausted. We went back to her house and took her dog for a walk, and then had dinner, and then I went home and crashed. Hard.

It was a good weekend though. Monday I finaly got my room clean!!!!!!!!

Oh, update on the job search. It decided to turn down the job at Starbucks. The more I prayed about, the less peace I had about taking the job. Now I'm pretty well at rest with the decision. I realized that I had not sought God in the beginning of this process, and just went off and did my own thing, expecting God to bless me somewhere along the line. That...uh...doesn't work. So I'm going to stop for now, and just spend the days ahead praying. Relying on His strength has been a weak point in my life the past several months, and that needs to change if I'm ever going to be free from where I am now. I am at peace with the decision to leave where I work. I think God has made that clear. I just need to trust Him with the right place to begin again.

Special Olympics, round one is coming up this Saturday. I'll be in Kelso reffing soccer games. Please pray that I will get enough volunteer refs. I don't have enough right now to cover all the games. I need at least six to eight in order to be effectively covered.

Oh, the quotes I got were from Stu's Four Pillars book, and S.D. Gordon came from "Quiet Talks on Prayer"

On a side note, I decided to start sending back those credit card offers with the FPU letter inside. I'm tired of the recycle bin piling up with them, so I figured why not make them deal with it?

Crossroads

I read the first chapter of one of Stu's books several weeks ago, and this paragraph, and in particular, the last sentence has stuck with me:

"As I look back on my life, I have to conclude that was the day I became a man. Turning twenty-one hadn't done it. A college degree hadn't done it. Even marriage hadn't made me a man. Nor having a son. Nor getting jump wings. Nor winning the Ranger tab. Nor wearing the Green Beret. But when I decided to follow Christ without reservation, I became a man."

So I've come to that point in my life. The critical crossroads that all believers face at some point in their walk with the Lord. Some come to it sooner than later, but we all come to it sooner or later. With the many different issues and responsibilities pressing in on me from what seems like all sides, I have to make a decision. Am I following Christ without looking back?

This may sound like an easy question on the surface, but I've learned that it is anything but. I can look at people around me who have come to this same crossroads, and chosen to go their own way. They may still be walking with the Lord, but they're holding back for one reason or another. I've been holding back for one reason or another. I keep allowing other things in life get in the way of taking a hard look at myself and see what parts of my life I have not surrendered to Christ. So I return to the question: am I ready to become a man? Am I ready to decide to follow Christ without reservation before the issue is forced upon me?

Sometimes I think changing my career will do it. This is only a temperary fix though. If I'm not walking with Christ in every aspect of my life, then I'll just fall back into the same old patterns. I could also step away from one or two of what seems like the miriad of responsibilities I have. This will still have the same result in the end. There are many other possibilities that could solve my problem for a little while on the outside, but unless, and until I choose to let the Holy Spirit change me on the inside, they will all ultimately fail to bring about any substantive difference in my life.

It may sound like I've made up my mind already. I could boldly proclaim that I'm going to follow Christ without reservation. But I know me. I know the times I've been confronted with the choice to go the right way, or do the right thing, and have failed to do so because it was "too difficult" for one reason or another. What makes me think that this time won't be different? There is a coward lurking inside this heart of mine. He pops up at the most unexpected, and inconvenient, times and begins a war inside me. Unfortunately, he often prevails. But why? I can go out on a soccer field as a referee, and make some pretty gutsy calls, and make very difficult and often unpopular decisions without a second thought because I know it's the right thing to do. Why can't I do the same in my Christian walk?

I will present one answer here. It comes from S.D. Gordon:

"...you must first win the victory, every step...every foot of the way, in secret, in the spirit-realm, and then add the mighty touch of your personality in service. You can do more than pray, after you have prayed. But you can not do more than pray until you have prayed. And just there is where we have all seemed to make a slip at times, and many of us are yet making it--a bad slip. We think we can do more where we are through our service: then prayer to give power to service. No--with the blackest underscoring of emphasis, let it be said--NO. We can do no thing of real power until we have done the prayer thing."

I know that I just talked about changing my career, but I am still in the process of doing that. I just got offered a job with the Starbucks is Canby. I really need to be able to work elseware in order to take this job and step out of the one I have now, but I'm tempted, very tempted, to just step out anyway, and line something up later. Am I willing to step out of my current job without a net? Am I willing to risk a financial struggle simply to improve my work environment? What if this is exactly what Jesus is calling me to do? With that said, I redirect your attention to the above quote, and ask myself if I will begin again to devote myself to stretching into the spirit realm and call upon God for guidence, in this, the most significant decision I've had to make since I chose to move down here.

So other than that, I had a pretty normal week. ;)

Wild Ride

What a weekend! It was so full, that I didn't even get pictures! Of course the whole problem was that I ran out the door without putting my memory card in my camera. So, you will simply have to read about my journey. It started at about 7:00am when I took off for church to have a rehearsal for worship that night. Rehearsals with Bruce are the coolest. I can't think of anyone I've ever met who is more patient with people. I rehearsed with Sarah Pyne and Julie Reed. Both of whom are far more proficient at their instruments than I am at mine (they play violin and flute respectively). It was a lot of fun.

We got done at 9:30, and I dashed from the church on my way to Aloha High School for the annual Flute Fair trade show. I got there just in time to start warming up. We played for about 45 minutes and then it was my turn to volunteer for an hour. With that done, I got to go play on some really neat (and REALLY expensive) flutes. One that I played on was a solid gold flute! If you want it, it only costs $15,000!!! And that was on special!! Oh, well, at least I can say I played on one. I did make a serious effort to find some kind of accessory to buy to make my flute playing life easier, but alas, I found nothing, and left empty handed.

So I jetted out of Aloha at about 2:15. I had to be back at church by 3:00. Right. That didn't happen, but I did manage to make it back to church. Then I played for worship (oh yeah, all this time, there was this icky feeling in the back of my throat that would not go away, and got progressively worse as the day went on).

After service, I went to Jodie's for One Point Three. We had a lady named Erica Irvine from Portland Rescue Mission. She was actually inspiring. I think a lot of people are pretty excited about helping out down there. I know I am. The thought of teaching people gets me excited, and apparently there are lots of opportunities to do so. Plus, doing things as a group to reach out in Christ's name is also pretty neat. Please pray for God's guidence, and for continued momentum to carry us over that initial hump of just getting started. My buddy Murray has done a great job in getting the group involved in this! I'm proud of the guy. He stepped up to the plate and put the ball into play, and that's what you really need from some one is to just get the ball into play.

Sunday was great. I went out to lunch with friends to celebrate Amy's and Sean's birthdays that are both happening this week. I did manage to get those pictures:







Amy is trying on her new reading glasses! Carrie's future is much too bright for her to bear.












Matt's never been the same since he tried on the glasses











You can tell Sean's getting old, he needed the glasses just to read the menue ;)















Amy decided she preffered this pair instead.













So she gave her glasses to me...hmm.

I Gave Up Coffee for Lent

I could have gotten coffee this morning from my favorite coffee shop. Tabitha's comment the other day, however was enough to keep me from using money I hadn't set aside for such a purpose (thanks a lot Tabs ;). I discovered too late that I hadn't made my own coffee this morning as has been my custom the past couple of months (it's a lot cheaper than getting an espresso every day). So I grabbed my ibuprofin and headed to work without coffee for the first time in probably a couple of months. The results were not pretty. All work and no coffee make Nate a very dull boy. Fortunately, the pain killers made the day bearable, and I'll probably sleep better for it (the other reason I didn't have coffee today was the fact that the last couple of nights I had been sleeping very poorly). I thought of staging a picture of what I look like without coffee, and then realized that I didn't want to be kicked off Blogger. ;)

So this Saturday will be interesting. First, I have a rehearsal at church in Boring from 8:30 to 9:30. Then I run all the way of to Flute Fair at Aloha High School to perform with Rose City Flute Choir. Then I'll be doing a little volunteering and a little looking around, and hopefully pick up a few items (don't worry, they'll be in the budget ;). After that, I get to run back to church to play with worship team! From one end of the Portland Metropolitan Area to the other and back again all in one day! Hmmm... I think it was Bob Dorsey who said that men thrive under a certain amount of stress. Well, we shall see.

My Buddy Rob

This is my housemate, Rob. As I said before, he rocks. He's a constant example to me in my walk with the Lord. One must be carefull around him however, or shenanagins and tomfoolery the likes of which Sean hasn't seen can break loose (read his blog, and you'll see what I mean). Like tonight. Marilyn and I are sitting in the kitchen, and Rob goes into the bathroom, and blows his nose. Then he says, "Oh, tell me that's not salsa." Now, we had to pause and consider what we'd just heard. Then he said that it was salsa and that he needed to be more carefull. "Hmm, that's dissapointing," I thought to myself. Marilyn actually had the guts to ask him the question that was on both our minds. It turns out, Rob had blown his nose, then looked down, and seen a salsa stain on his sweater! It's fun to drop into the middle of a conversation, or get only half the information you need. (Sean, is there a WC? ;)

Nothing else exciting happened today. No Chuck Norris, or any other celebrity. But Rob was complaining that I don't talk about him enough. So I decided oblige him. ;)



He's not mad, he's just committing some tomfoolery.




So I did go to the book store yesterday with my buddy Sean. I picked up 'Quiet Talks On Prayer' by S.D. Gordon. I'll share what I learn when I start reading it. I'm reading a couple other books right now, so It may be a while. I really wanted to pick that book up, becuase I'm struggling mightely in my prayer life right now, and I'm looking for some fresh insights into the subject. So I'm excited to read it and to share what I learn. My friend Andrea told me that she remembers her devotions better if she shares what she learns with other people.

After I'm done with that book, I think I'll pick up 'Fresh Faith' by Jim Cymbala. Now he's a guy I like to listen to, and I've only heard him once. He and his congregation have the disease so bad, even the stories that come out of his church are contagious! But I have to pace myself, and not spend my money all in one place. Especially considering that my car's check engine light came on again today. Fortunately I have an emergency fund, so it won't hurt as much as some car repairs have in the past. This comes just as I'm getting ready to sell my other car! (I'll give you the whole story when it's finished). Maybe God is telling me I should ride my bike more often. ;)

Karate Kicking Law Enforcement Official

Can you guess who it it? Well, I posed this riddle to my buddy Rob when I got home from church, and asked him if he could guess who'd been there today. He couldn't figure out what I meant. The news spread like wild fire, and most people I told didn't believe me, until they'd heard it from multiple witnesses. It was none other than the man who's occupation is to portray Walker Texas Ranger. Someone asked me if I'd seen Chuck Norris, and I didn't believe them either until I saw him with my own two eyes. It was pretty cool, and fun to watch other people's reactions to the news as well (especially the girls! ;).

So from that to-do, I headed out to my friend Andrea's house, and helped her transpland some bulbs to make room for some raspberries. It seemed to go well. Then we went for a walk to get some pizza. I pulled out the camera...


It was a very nice day all around. We also saw a picture worthy house. I just liked the was it looked.



So that was my day. Now I'm sitting at home waiting unitl it's my turn to pray for the Sudan Team. I don't know why I like to take these late night shifts, but since I don't have to be at work on Mondays, I always figure I should cover a late night slot.

This is only a smattering of everything that went on. I always feel like I'm leaving things out that are important when I write these posts. Hopefully I'll continue to improve with practice (or else this blog will get real old real fast ;).

Chickens and Easter

So Marylin picked up six more chickens and a rooster. It really is amazing to see how big the older chicks are compared to the new ones, and they're only a week older! We'll have lots of eggs come August when they'll all start laying (all but the rooster of course. He'll be crowing, and my room is the closest to the chicken yard!). Chickens seem to take a long time to grow up, especially when they get big enough to jump around and fly short distances, but aren't big enough to be out from under the heat lamp. That's the time when they can be fun at times, but also they can be just plane annoying and darn right dangerous (hmm that sounds like a certain age group af whom I am no longer a member of...and thankfully so ;). But actually, they grow up in no time flat. In another week, they'll have doubled in size and weight from what they are now! Assuming all of them survive to maturity (mortality is a possibility when dealing with these animals) we will have twenty chickens out in the chicken yard this summer!


If only chickens could be smart, like chicken little here. He's always saying yes to my crazy ideas.








I had an eventfull week. I started rehearsing with the Easter Orchestra at church on Tuesday. Every year is different, and this year, we're playing some fun music, but we're not playing vary much. It's been a big part of the services in the past, so it's exciting to see what's going to happen this year. Anyway, earlier that day, a young lady came into my work with her mother to get her oboe fixed. Her mom said that her daughter had a "band thing" that night. Well, I'm sitting in rehearsal, and Bruce, our worship leader looks to the door, and exclaims, "There's our oboe player!" And who should it be but the very same girl, sho promptly recognized me! Funny things happen at big churches like mine. You run into people outside of church who have been going for years, and you don't even know it until something like this happens.



So here is part of the orchestra. We're an exciting bunch...






Then, I discovered that I was playing penny whistle with the worship team next weekend! Everybody seemed to know but me. How come I'm always the last person to know these things?

Thursday, I reheased with the Rose City Flute Choir. We have a performance at Flute Fair next Saturday. Which means, I'll be performing at Flute Fair, which is in Aloha, and then heading out to church, which is in Boring, to play for worhship. That is going to be a busy day, but should make for an interesting post. :) By for now.