Random Thoughts

Just some thoughts I wanted to share.

---502 at Element yesterday. I tell people all the time -"I'm blown away, yet I'm not, yet I am, yet I'm not." For me, anyway, that describes best how I feel most days. I am totally PUMPED and truly HUMBLED all at the same time. It's an awesome place to be.

---For those of you that have been waiting for me to blog more often, good news. I actually intended to blog every day last week. Every day? Yes, it's true. Could you handle it? I had the titles and themes written down and everything. Well, then life happened and I ended up leaving town last week. It was a much needed break, though. Except for about a fifteen minute time-frame of some wacked-out theology, the rest of the four days was amazing. It truly was a blessed trip.

---Our volunteers are the best. They really are. We had a couple bumps in the road yesterday and they just took it in stride. No big deal. Whatever it takes to get the job done. Wow. Thanks. A million times, Thank You.

---I/We are reading a great book. "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson. I've been thinking as I'm reading it--" I should be underlining this, well I'm just going to read it again, I'll underline it the next time through" Just so happens Mark is a church-planter, so there is that connection. But anyone can benefit from it. Prepare to be challenged.

---Life Groups are going great. Once again, God has blessed us with some amazing people. Honestly, that is one area that does need and deserve more of my time and attention. So.. to ALL of you that have been hosting, leading, and attending, thanks for your patience, for your perseverance, and for your leadership.

Loving life,
Grant

San Diego

Where to start?

Terri Lynn and I are sitting in the San Diego airport waiting for our flight to get home. And really, I don't know what to say.

Let me start by saying God is awesome!!! Words fall short when trying to express what I'm feeling and all that I experienced on this trip. I felt God's presence so strong all week. It was incredible.

For those of you that don't know....my sister Mary died suddenly last week. The funeral was yesterday in San Diego. I just "happened" to be on vacation from Frito this week so we were able to go and we decided to take a couple extra days for pleasure and relaxation. Honestly, it has been a GREAT trip. We love San Diego but we love Cheyenne more. Wyoming is home.
For those of you that offered me your condolences, I thank you. I do appreciate it, I really do. I really don't know how to feel when it comes to one of my family members passing on. I know what my head wants to believe but I also know what my heart feels. The last time I saw Mary was twenty years ago at my wedding. It's weird to lose a sibling you hardly even know. I do take some comfort in knowing that I was able to boldly witness to her on one occasion. So...who knows?

I DO know this. One thing this trip has allowed me is this: being able to "get-away" from it all (everything that is in my life in Cheyenne) for a couple days has totally shown me how truly blessed I am. Being able to ponder, kind of looking back at all that has happened the last year in Cheyenne and being able to share parts of our story with people has reminded me of how far I've come and how far God has taken Element Church. May I never EVER take any of it for granted. EVER!

Those of you that serve with me (both staff and volunteers), THANK YOU!!!! I truly am humbled to be on your team. I tell people all the time how awesome ALL of you are. I don't care if they believe me or not. At least they know that I believe it.

Terri Lynn and I were blessed to be able to have dinner with a gal from Outreach that helps us with our mailers. All I wanted to tell her about is all of you guys, your God stories, and what you mean to me/us.

So again, thanks for your prayers. Thanks for your friendship. Thanks for all that ALL of you do for me and for Element and for (most importantly) God.

Grant