IYC 2007...Servanthood...

Wow...what a trip...My friends...I have biked from Jackson, MI to Knoxville, TN...close to 600 miles...And there is no way I could have done it alone...I'm telling you...I have never been challenged like this...Physically, mentally, spiritually...All of it was tested...

When we started off...Everyone just wanted to do the miles to say they did it...By the end...we didn't want to stop riding together...Rick (youth pastor) threw at us the idea that we should be servants on this trip...Getting outside of ourselves and thinking of how we could make the trip better for someone else...Let me tell you...Not an easy task...So many times I wanted to go at my own pace and just get it done...So many times I wanted to stay in my own head and block out the rest of the world as I climbed another monster hill...Somewhere though, I realized that what we were doing couldn't be done alone and we all needed other, as well as God...duh... :) I'm pretty sure that the smoothness of the trip and the good weather were all God...Too many things went right and fit together too well to not lead me to believe God went crazy on watching over us...But yeah, slowly I learned how selfish I am and how much I think about what I want or need in order to get through a day...I mean, crap, how much more could someone benefit from me staying behind to cheer them on up a hill than me getting up it 3 minutes faster? (something I struggled with all trip) Shoot...I still have to wait at the top anyway... Could it be that putting someone ahead of your needs and wants is admirable and pleasing in God's eyes? It's like a punch between the eyes...
The bike trip overall was amazing though...Meeting new people and learning how wonderful it feels to have a bike seat shoved up your bum for 11 days...:) I swear my legs are twice as big as when I left...

When we got to IYC itself it was a little different meeting up with the bus group...You could tell the difference, not in a bad way...Just the way it was...We gelled eventually though...
So it began with a little fire and brimstone from Ron Kopicko...Love it...People were getting saved like it was going outta style...Really learned a ton...The worship band rocked every sock I own off...And Lost and Found is the weirdest friken band I have ever seen in my entire life...And I loved them...I know I am just rambling and most likely you don't care...But I don't care that you may not care...So ha... :)

I'm, thinking next blog I will elaborate on servant hood...Yeah, I think I will...

Really there is so much to tell you that I don't feel like writing it...So let's get coffee (hot chocolate in my case, caffeine gives me headaches) and talk about life, my trip and what I learned and how my life needs to change...And why we are at it...Let's talk about your life and what you are thinking about...