"It Happened"

Back in the days before I did the bridge on Sunday nights I went into Duncan with a group Justin rounded up to minister to the homeless and poor people of the city. I haven't been able to go at all this semester, but I did have another opportunity to be a part of what Justin's group was doing one Saturday.

Justin came into the room where I was doing homework and asked if any of us wanted to come visit a man named James who was in the hospital in Duncan. I don't know why I said yes, I had a lot of homework, but I felt like it would be good for me to go. I think it's how I was raised. I remember one year at christmas our whole family went to the hospital to visit an elderly man that my parents knew. He had no relatives to visit him and he was brought to tears when we sang with him and prayed with him.

Unfortunately the man we were going to visit was not in the hospital. We found out later that he had left the day before. We couldn't find him at the hospital, so we thought we would look at a place where James often hung out. On a beach, by the river that runs through Duncan. We did not find James there, but we did meet a bunch of his friends. A lot of them seemed rough around the edges, most of them were drinking, and a few had already had too much. But two words made the whole trip worth it. A man who Jeremy and Justin had the opportunity to speak to and pray with approached them. He was smiling as he said, "It happened."

It happened, an answer to prayer. God was moving in the campfire crowd on the beach of the Duncan river. Making a name for himself. Even in all the brokenness and sin. God is moving and is going to continue to work as his people pray and love. I'm excited to hear about how next year's kaleos continue this ministry

The Fire

There's something special about campfires. There's something extra special about campfires at kaleo. This past campfire was no exception.

We made our way down to the beach late one night last week and started a fire. Well some of us did, others of us went and collected roasting sticks, and others just sat and enjoyed the stars camping in the night sky.

The night was simple, we roasted marsh mellows, Justin read us the story of Jonah, and then we sang some worship songs to our father.

It was simple, but it was so powerful. I remember the joy that came over me as we lifted up our voices to the Lord. One song would end and then soon after, but not too soon after someone would start singing something else and we would sing some more.

The night ended with us all being very thankful to God and voicing that in prayer. God has truly blessed us this year and the campfire reminded me just how much.

The Passion

I looked up what the word 'passion' meant and I found this:

strong and barely controllable emotion.

Then I looked farther down and saw a definition for the term 'the passion':

the suffering and death of Jesus.

On Easter a bunch of the Kaleo crew congregated in the lodge to watch The Passion of the Christ. I don't think I was prepared for it, in fact I know I wasn't. There were so many times when I instinctually closed my eyes, or turned my head, or gasped at what I was seeing. I remember thinking, 'What Passion.' The devil couldn't control Jesus' passion, the beating and scourging couldn't control it, the crucifixion couldn't control it, and even death itself couldn't control it. Driven by love Jesus gave himself up to death on a Cross. This is how he shows his love. Love for his father, and love for the adopted sons and daughters his blood would purchase. The bible talks about the love of Christ controlling us. That's possible because his own love controlled him first and made love possible for us.

I want my passion for Jesus to only be controlled by love.

Haven't you heard? He is risen!

Yesterday night was a saturday like any other. I was hanging out in the office with a bunch of people when Jeremy walked in and made his proposal.

"I'm going up maple mountain tomorrow at six for Easter if anyone wants to come."

I don't know what made me think that it would be fun to get out of bed at six o'clock to hike up a mountain, but on Sunday morning, before dawn, I found myself with Jeremy, Justin and Nicole hiking in the fresh morning air. We hiked in silence. Good Friday was just two days before. A day that we remembered the death of Jesus at the hands of sinful men. It was a somber mood as we walked and remembered. We made it to what we thought would be a good place to stop and we paused. Jeremy said some words and we sang some songs and something began to stir. Then Justin prayed. He spoke softly, as he recalled and thanked Jesus for his work on the cross, then he said

"Thank you Jesus, now may we shout it from the mountaintops, HE IS RISEN!!!" His voice echoed through the forest and over the waters as he screamed those words at the top of his voice.

Jeremy spoke after Justin had finished. "I feel like the disciples must have felt when they were at the empty tomb. Just before they went running to tell the good news to the others."

And we were like them, we did run. We ran all the way down Maple Mountain shouting and singing, "Have you not heard? He is risen!"

Our sorrow was turned into joy and our tears to laughter. He is risen and I want to live always like the disciples as a herald of that news. He is Risen