Lately...

• Lately, I returned home from this fabulous adventure in the mountains with some pretty incredible teenagers. We had five glorious days in God's beautiful creation. We were on the trail the entire time, and yes, we carried all of our stuff with us and drank water from mountain streams. If you ever want to go on a backpacking trip in Colorado, I highly recommend Noah's Ark. They're one of the most amazing organizations with which I've worked, have some quality folks on their staff and are located next to the Arkansas river in Buena Vista, Colorado. You can't get a better combination than that! Pardon the crocked picture - the camera was balanced on my pack.

• Lately, I'm still reading the Psalms. Still learning a lot. Resting in 119 for a while. It's a long one.

• Lately, I've realized how great it is to be at a church for a long time. Not that I've been here forever, but I've been here long enough to truly form relationships with families, to be invited into lives and to be a part of the stories that their teenagers will tell years from now when they talk about their faith and youth group - it's not because of who I am, but it's the position I hold. Yikes! That's humbling.

• Lately, I've been again reminded that my job is more fun than your job.

• Lately, I've started running again. Not just the short, precisely timed pathetic-wanna-be runs...but real runs. I still have to walk for 2 minutes every so often, but yesterday, I ran the entire route that used to be a daily event. It's the first time that's happened since I hurt my knee, which was just over a year ago.

• Lately, I've been lame when it comes to looking for a road bike. I've talked a lot about it, but I am overwhelmed and have no idea where to start. It's made me a little scared to go to the bike shop alone. I need to just go and test ride some bikes. And yes, I know that it's the components that make the difference, but it's all in a foreign language to me.

• Lately, I've been reminded to go to God first. I tend to share with close friends before praying about things. It's made me feel all secretive inside, but I know that it's what I'm supposed to do and has already been an encouraging blessing.

• Lately, I went with some friends to the musical in Zilker Park: The Music Man. The former children's ministry intern at my church was in it. Until I arrived, I had no idea that he had the lead! I love taking advantage of free things like this in the summer. It's not just because I'm cheap. It actually is always a pretty phenomenal performance.

• Lately, I've been reminded of God's blessing in my life and the difference between what I need and what I want. That gap can be frustrating, but when I think more about what I want and less about what I need and have been given, it simply steals away what God has intended for me. Jesus came so that we "may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). And so that's what I'm seeking. Each day I've started to pray more for that day and that day alone. I'm not ignoring the future or the bigger things of life, but I'm reminded that God has been faithful in yesterday, God is faithful today and God will be faithful tomorrow.