Written this morning around 4 o'clock.
Good morning! I'm writing this in a document offline. We're not yet connected to the internet here at our new home in Roseville. Yesterday I did what I needed to get us started but there was some problem with the internet connection. The provider will send someone over on Thursday to figure out what is wrong.
There's still a lot to do around the house but Toni and I both spent yesterday doing other things, including a few minutes connecting with the young man who is living now in the basement. Toni fed him a little supper yesterday and during the day, when I was scurrying around doing this and that, he offered to mow our back yard. We'll enjoy having him here. (There's another young man who will be living here too, but not until October.)
When I got back home yesterday after my morning work I saw kids standing at the bus stop at our corner. I went over and talked with two of the dads who were with their kids there. One of them is a football coach at Northwestern. He was on his way to work--the "University of Northwestern" is 4 blocks east of here, on the north side of Lydia Avenue, just on the other side of Snelling. (We're on the east side, Northwestern is on the west.)
After my PM work today I plan to go over to Communitas, the young adult ministry that our new landlord oversees. He (Paul Anderson) has been encouraging me to consider some sort of a pastoral role there, perhaps with a small group of guys. I've told him that I'll think about it and pray about it after tonight. I'll be a lot better at discerning what the Lord is saying about that after I've spent at least a little more time with the group there.*
I'm excited about the ministry possibilities in the new environment where the Lord has placed us. One thing I know is that those opportunities will involve relationships -- relationships with other mature believers and relationships with others who are at various points on their spiritual journeys. I look forward to seeing what the Lord will do as we follow him in connecting around here.
On Sunday Toni and I heard a message at Northgate Church (as of now it's not yet posted online) that focused on the friendships God desires for us. Our wealthy western world is relationally challenged. We are often isolated these days because of our independent attitudes and relatively wealthy, convenience-driven lives. We'll be needing to follow Jesus' lead in reaching out and being vulnerable to others around here so friendship and ministry opportuniites can grow. Pray for us in that.
Well, my 4:30 AM morning alarm is going off now. I've already had a bit of breakfast so I'll probably lie down for a few minutes before heading our the door for my morning work. I'll stop somewhere later where I can connect to the internet and get this online. God bless and guide you all. May you and I be open to His leading today.
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Note as of 10:10 AM - I actually didn't take time to go anywhere to post this. I used my phone as a mobile hotspot again. Don't know how many more times I can use it without running out of data.
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* A few years ago someone who had a reputation as being especially able to hear from God, but who did not know me gave me a special "word" from the Lord. That word was that God was at work in my life to break the "orphan spirit" in people. She said, however, that I don't do that in any official capacity, as in a program of some sort, but just because of who I am as a person. When she said that I immediately said yes, I can see that is true in my life. Pray that I would follow God's lead as He uses me as He chooses in this new place.
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