Joshua and Me

It is interesting to me how little I actually know or was unaware about the Bible.  I have been reading in the Book Of Joshua and I am surprised by a lot of the things that I read in this book and how applicable it is to my life (and probably yours).  So I have decided to do a quick “series” of Joshua of things that I’m learning in this book and hopefully it will help you as much as it has helped me and how we can all learn to be like Joshua but truly more like ourselves (there is only one Joshua and there is only one Nate, so I am striving to be more like me and no one else).

Part 1:  Imagine following in the foot steps of one of the greatest leaders of all time?  Maybe Abraham Lincoln, Caesar, Alexander the Great, Billy Graham, (random I know) etc… and you had to carry on the mission that these leaders based their whole life on.  What would your emotions be?  Awfully and terribly scared!  Joshua had to follow the footsteps of Moses!  Yea, I know!  The guy who parted a large body of water, who hit rocks and water came out, who came down from a mountain with stone tablets of one of the most influential writings ever written (twice)!!  Everyone who followed Moses, seemed to love him.  So how are you to follow that?!

The LORD knows the position He put Joshua in and that’s why he had to hold the fetal positioned Assistant to Moses and say, “Be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

I am often in the fetal position in life and to think that I (we are) am God’s plan to do His will is an awful plan, but the only way I am encouraged is to read this passage and to look at what happens after that with Joshua.

Exploding Brain

I might be the ten thousandth person to post, blog or discuss “The Leadership Summit ’08” this weekend.  All I want to say is that my brain might explode.  I am exhausted.  My mind can hardly process the amount of information and rich spiritual wisdom that this Thursday and Friday had to offer.  As the optimistic person that I am, I thought it was overwhelmingly awesome.  Every session and interview that was displayed via satelite (which was very awkward… “do I clap?  Everyone else at the real site is standing up and clapping, does that mean we should?”) was fruitful.

I wouldn’t say that it has totally impacted me in a way that I will forever be changed, but it has given me such an amazing example of the confidence (some people maybe cocky, but mostly confidence) that these leaders and history makers have in the Lord Almighty.  My biggest fear is that I become like them, because I know that God has called me to be Nate Johnson and not Craig Groeshcel (although that wouldn’t be a bad person to imitate).

Although it felt sometimes like the speakers were doing a shameless plug for their books (that had their opening release at that conference), something about being in a place with other hungry and thirsty leaders waiting for the Spirit’s leading in their ministry and church.

Overall, awesome two days but I must find away for my brain not to be pounding with all this information.

Trying Things Out

So this is a blog!  This a blog that I have no idea what to do with.  Now grant it, I have been reading blogs for a very long time.  At first it was my amazingly witty friends and now it has expanded to “celebrity” Christians like Crowder, Groechel, Driscoll, Chan.  Each person has their own little thing that they do on these blogs.  Crowder never capitalizes anything.  Chan carries his camera everywhere and others sound super spiritual.  I will attempt to be myself.

Here I am.  Maybe I’ll have a thing that people know me for or I’ll sound just interesting enough that people will want to read.  One thing that will probably happen is the length.  It will never be too long what so ever.  If I get tired of reading my own stuff then it is obvious what will happen to you.

I feel like (not to sound super spiritual) Noah coming off the ark for the first time when the floods have resided where he probably thought to himself, “what now?”  This gonna be weird but also very fun for me and I will try my best to make this as enjoyable for you.

Let the fun begin: I will now let you hear something that has been one of the greatest things I have ever been a part of all summer.  If you listen closely you can almost hear me.   Here You Go!