Back in Columbus

It has only been two weeks since the Dare2Share Revolution, but Carmen, Adam and Jackie have returned to Columbus. This time they have come for a different purpose and they have invited Becca and I to join them.

Carmen's volleyball team is just one of approximately 85 teams playing at the Columbus Covention Center. They are playing at the opposite end of the complex from the massive area where Dare2Share occured but that didn't stop Adam from showing me the place to get "the best coffee in the world".

On Saturday night, we all went out to Johnny Rocket's at Easton Mall after the pool play was over. Adam and Becca also spent a good deal of time in the hotel swimming pool and hot tub. The outdoor temperature never climbed above the teens, so Adam didn't get a chance to play basketball in the courtyard.

After a better day of pool play on Sunday, we all went out to Buca di Beppo off of Front Street. It was a great place to eat with a large group of people. Good Italian food served family style in classy decor that displayed heritage of Italy and lots of art from the Catholic Church.

While refereeing a game, Carmen was embarrassed to see her mother and brother, sharing an iPod and jumping up and down to Revolution. She just can't take them anywhere.

The Fountain of Living Water

It's not an incredible revelation, it's probably something that many of you have seen for years in Daniel 1:8, but it took a series of events for me to see the significance of the symbol God chose to describe His Son.

1. Mike described hunger as a NEED, not a want
2. Matt carried around a cool water container
3. Adam wanted a cool water container ( like Matt's )
4. Carmen got weak, visited the doctor, who told her, "You NEED to drink more water!"
5. Matt got Carmen a matching cool water container
6. Last month, I was staring at Matt's cool water container when it all came together

Growing up in a conservative family in a conservative town surrouned by Amish communities, I've always thought that Daniel was denying his own appetite and setting God up as the only explanation for Daniel winning his unlikely contest. Kind of like Elijah asking the people to water down the wood on the altar before he asked God to ignite the wood with flames.

There are lots of tempting WANTS in the world that distract us from what we NEED. In Daniels words, they "defile" us. We are all jars of clay of many sizes, shapes and imperfections, but we were all created with a single purpose, to hold the daily portion of plentiful Living Water never to thirst again.

Do you see why God was so frustrated with Moses when he struck the rock?

We all NEED Living Water, we NEED a thirst for God that is rationed daily.

Don't let sugar, caffeine, flavoring or color distract you from God's pure, cool, clear, Living Water.

Some Scripture about what I see...

Jeremiah 2:13
"For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Jeremiah 17:13
O LORD, the hope of Israel,All who forsake You will be put to shame Those who turn away on earth will be written down,Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD.

John 7:38
"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

Daniel 1:8 ( This is where I started from at first glance of the container)
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

48 Minute Challenge...

Since Josh and Kelley were really pushing the adults to a 48 hour challenge like the youth received at Dare2Share, I would like to begin pushing you all to do the same by sharing my experience.

Within 30 minutes of the challenge, the church received a phone call on what I thought was a non-functional phone in the kitchen. People passed the phone call around until it got to me and I took the gentleman's phone number and then called him back on my cell phone from the sanctuary where I could hear him.

His name was Charles Kelly and he had a speech impediment and a back problem from a work injury. He was wanting to drive his family to South Carolina that afternoon in order to surprise his mother-in-law for her birthday the next day and was going through the yellow pages calling churches for gas money.

The more I listened to this man, the more I knew that he had called the church at that time for a reason. He wanted $40 which I didn't have. I put him through a few tests to determine if he was telling the truth about the trip to SC. I told him that after he was all packed with his family, that I would meet him at the intersection of Richmond Road and I-75 so that he wouldn't lose any time coming from the North side of town.

Then came my opportunity to beat the 48 minute challenge, I asked him if he knew Jesus and he said "yes". I then asked him why his church wasn't interested in helping him get to SC. He told me that he used to go to church on Liberty Road but one time he inquired of his pastor about a trip to Promise Keepers and he was told he couldn't afford it. He hasn't been back to any church since.

Charles called me back at 5:15 to let me know that he was packed and ready to leave and he wanted to meet me at Walmart on Richmond Road so that I wouldn't have to drive as far. I told him that I had to take my kids to church at 5:30 so he could meet me there. ( God's plan, not mine)

I was hoping to drop off the kids and then go to the bank to get some money, but Charles and his family pulled into the church parking lot right behind me. I explained to him that I only had $20 so if he had an empty gas tank, I would pay him in gas at the gas station down the road.

While we were pumping gas, I had the chance to invite Charles, his wife Rebecca and his son Bobby to church when they return to Lexington since they know where it is and they know that we care.

Please keep Charles and his family in your prayers. I have his phone number so I will be calling him again.

The Servant Song

Back in 1994, I rode a borrowed ten speed 134 miles in one day from Louisville to Bloomington with a group from FCA enroute to Indianapolis for a Promise Keepers event. I remember collapsing at a United Methodist Church that night and thinking my inflamed knees would never be useful again. The next morning we rode another 65 miles and it seemed painless compared to the Southern Indiana terrain of the previous day.

The worship at Promise Keepers was incredible under the great leadership of Morris Chapman but there was one particular song that was very important to me.

It was important to me because of something that happened when I returned to Lexington and was holding then 9 month old Adam standing on my knees facing me as I sang this song again during a testimony time from those that had attended Promise Keepers with me.

God told me that Adam was not my son, but my brother. God told me that Adam was as much His son as he was mine. At 9 months old, this boy was more interested in food than being a son of God, but God clearly showed me that He wanted Adam for His own and it was my job to raise him as my brother.

Here are the words of "The Servant Song" by Richard Gillard:

Brother, let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too

We are pilgrims on a journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load

I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh I'll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through

When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony

Brother, let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too


Tomorrow a 12 year old Adam will be sharing his testimony from a different conference. He will standing in that same building where he once stood on my knees. There will be many men watching, each one an important part of his life as our brother. God is faithful to deliver on His promises.

In the crowd of witnesses tomorrow will be a great servant, Matthew Hind, who has pressed my son, our brother, into mountain biking and servanthood. Another witness will be Michael Harrington, who has pressed him to worship. There is an entire crowd of other brothers that have helped to rough him up a bit ( a very necessary part of growing up )

Is a Bottle Defined by its Contents?

In Kim's comment to "What do you see?", she posed a question from Matt. The answer to this question is almost giving away what I see, but I think it is only fair for those viewing the blog and not attending the Celebration to know the answer first.

Matt's question: Would a water bottle be a "water bottle" if it didn't have water in it?

I hope these images will help to explain my answer.


Kevin's answer: A container is designed for a purpose, the contents of that container do not change its purpose. A container is not defined by its surroundings, capacity or fullness. Said more clearly, a container is defined by its creator.

Do you see what I see about the water bottle now?