Thursday, September 07, 2006

Some lessons, and a recommitment to prayer

Yesterday we had a prayer day here at the conference. It was much-needed for me, as I had been neglecting prayer I needed in my life--both dedicated prayer and breath prayer.

Prayer is like the fuel that powers a plane's engines. When we stop praying, there is nothing to propel us. The subtlety of prayerlessness is that we often don't notice because, like a plane, we still coast. But the descent, slow though it may be, begins the moment we abandon prayer. Eventually, when our communion with the Lord is cut off long enough, we crash. It takes a lot to crash--we often get our act together enough, soon enough, to avoid it--but why are we so easily satisfied with coasting near the ground when we could be soaring through the clouds?

Spending some time in prayer yesterday served to reconnect and refill me. How quickly I forget the necessity of communion with God.

At one point in the day, I wrote down some lessons - many of them lessons I need to keep re-learning. These lessons are me-specific, but I share them with you in the event that you can benefit from them as well.

HUMILITY - be a friendly nobody. Learn from leaders and non-leaders who are humble.

PRAYER - have dedicated prayer every day, and live prayer. Don't make prayer some thing; see it as relationship with the Lord. Make dedicated prayer creative.

DISCIPLINE - always do what is best. Don't waste time and don't stay up too late. Get up early.

LOVE & BIG-HEARTEDNESS - pray for the world. Invest in caring and seeing and experiencing global needs and tragedies.

EXERCISE - do it daily. Plan. Jog, power-walk; do sit-ups and push-ups.

THINKING TIME - take time to sit down and process things with a paper and pen.

WISDOM - don't be foolish. Instead, seek wisdom for the sake of yourself and those who are affected by your decisions and life.

SENSITIVITY - don't say stupid things. Avoid nationality-based comments.

RESTRAINT - when in doubt, don't. Don't say it. Don't show off.

FOCUS - Pray for re-focus. Lead conversations in eternal directions, or at least make sure that God is part of it. Have every conversation be something God can use.
ar TORONTO, CANADA | 2023+

APRIL


MAY

27 Sat (1) 11am Commencement speaker at R. University, (2) ~3pm+ time w/ V/AR+
29 Mon (1) 9:30am VT prayer, (2) 3pm mtg DerCh - Mississauga
30 Tue (1) 10am ph call (AA), (2) 5:30pm video mtg (IsTan), (3) 8pm neighbourhood prayer mtg

JUNE
1 Thu (1) 11:30am Zoom mtg (LM), (2) 4pm mtg (VS,KBr)
2 Fri (1) 10:30am ph call (PVDW; SL w/ boys; ~J working)
3 Sat SL w/ boys and MG
5 Mon (1) 9:30am VT prayer mtg, (2) 2pm Europe call, (3) 5pm mtg/walk (YM)
6 Tue (1) 11:30am lunch (GD) - St. Jacobs, (2) 4pm mtg (AF) - Cambridge, (3) 7:30pm worship night
9 Fri ~J's b'day
10 Sat North Bay trip
13 Tue 11am mtg (DAy) (~J school trip w/ ~Co | text BD)
14 Wed 9:30am time w/ BD
15 Thu 4:30pm video mtg (Paul T.)
16 Fri (1) 9am video med appt, (2) 15-km run (Prayer Journey "warm-up")
17 Sat Prayer Journey (my own: 50km GTA bike-ride; Jessie's: 5KM) and speaking at GTA after-party
23-25 Fri-Sat poss. SL
26 Mon 2pm Europe monthly call
29 ... July 7 Thu-Fri poss. holiday in Arkansas

JULY
... 7 Thu-Fri poss. holiday in Arkansas
~8-17 SA+ in Toronto; P/H Bell likely visiting too
15 Sat aft+ baptism (Saj; NaB may be coming)
17-21 Mon-Fri Kids Kapers camp
24 Mon 2:45pm med. appt
26 Wed (1) 11am video mtg (SM), (2) 3pm Zoom mtg (SMa,SB), (3) 7pm ~J speaking at Greenhouse/Zoe - UofT downtown
27 Thu 10am video MVT board mtg
31 Mon 3:05pm med. appt
July/Aug CCWM board mtg / AGM

AUGUST
2 Wed 11am video mtg (SM+)
6-12 Sun-Fri Cottage w/ O/DN+ and UB/AC - Windermere; plus Muskoka
19 Sat poss. ~J fam beach day - Brighton area
25-29 Fri-Tue MoveIn staff retreat - southern Ontario

2023+
Sep 21 Thu - MVT board mtg
Sep 23 Sat poss. date of GV memorial
Sep 24 Sun ~Ch's b'day
Sep ~26-28 Poss. time in Lushnjë, Albania
Sep 29 - Oct 6 MoveIn Europe Conference+ - Durrës, Albania
Oct 21 Sat poss./unlikely date of GV memorial
Oct 21-27 Dollar-a-Day week
Early Nov Poss. fundraising event - Niagara
Nov-Jan Poss. time in India - Goa; Philippines - Manila+; Indonesia - Jakarta/Bali; LA/San Diego