It is wild, crazy fun and tiring.  In a reeeeeeeaaaalllly good way.  Volunteers start showing up to help build stages.  Tent companies start setting up.  The port-o-potties arrive by the truckfull.  The interns order mountains of food and water the workers.  Newspapers show up to take pictures and a bald eagle sat watch from a tree backstage today!  Nice people everywhere!

Omygoodness: THANK-YOU to everyone who helped build stages yesterday and today.  And to people in the office stuffing packets and answering hundreds of phone calls and running errands and keeping us in chocolate!

L O V E all over the place!

The alert is sounded, the village of them swells with hope. 

“Revival!” they shout. 

“We have waited for it, longed for it, prayed for it to come.  Revive us, o garden lord,” in unison the sing. 

The leader comes in close giving courage to the rest, “O, yes, we have heard of your fame – how you have fed us and revived us in the past; how you have made it possible for us to go on.  Do it again in our day, o lord of this garden.  Do it again in our day.”

Glee is apparent.  Great joy begins to swirl.  From my expansive perspective I look down as they approach.  I wait for them to land.

Smack!

You wish.

Reason 187,686 that I am not God of the universe.

I mean, come on.  This seed is high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids and helps fight cancer, diabetes, heart disease and a myriad of other things that ail us.

So, after the bloom, a very small, maybe pea-size, pod appears.  It drys and slightly browns.  I stop by and help myself to a pod or two while gardening.  I pinch and crush it open, whereupon the chaff disintegrates in my hand and amongst it I find plump, life-giving seeds.

As I place the little sphere in my hand, I realize it is, really, a very delicate little covering, this outer husk.  It surrounds the true fruit of the plant, but can be crushed in a second, obliterated with hardly any thought or effort at all.  And then it looks like an unusable mess in the palm of your hand – like who would ever even take the time to try to retrieve the revitalizing seed once protected and nurtured?  The crushing.  And now what?

Some days I am in too much of a hurry and waste it, but today, I realized, the slightest breeze, my soft breath blown on the mess of the crushed husk is all it took to reveal: 10 perfectly shiny, healthy life-giving flax seeds.  And the sheer density of the life-potential within them keeps them there during the wind-storm of my breath.  The crushing hurt the shell, but the crushing couldn’t take away the future of these tiny seeds.  The pod-destroying blow didn’t negate the purpose for which they were created and it couldn’t stop the seeds’ destiny.

“The harvest is past,

the summer has ended,

and we are not saved.”

Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;

I mourn, and horror grips me.

Is there no balm in Gilead?

Is there no physician there?

Why then is there no healing

for the wound of my people?  Jeremiah 8.20-22

Two realizations on an early summer morning…

1.

Same with us.  God breathes in our direction on the most painful places, the most damaging situations, the most vanquished moment of our lives. My carefully fashioned defenses are obliterated.  And?  He breathes.  And the force of His breath reveals – all has not been lost.  The true thing remains.  All I am and all He created me to be, the legacy I have to leave…there still as the chaff floats away on the breeze of His command.

Isaiah 53.5   But he was pierced for our transgressions,  he was crushed for our iniquities;  the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,  and by his wounds we are healed.

2.

And we can do that for others.  We can be the agent of grace who looks at how the enemy has tried to hurt some one irreparably, tried to destroy the hope and the future plans God has for them and we can breathe life.  What the enemy means for harm, that thing that has cut so deep a person cannot even see the way out, we can walk in as an Ambassador for Christ and the blow away the mess, dust off the area, bind up the brokenhearted, bandage the wounds and tell them, “See?  You were born to be a beautiful planting of the Lord.  The devil may have taken some stuff, but he couldn’t take your purpose.  All is well.  You are not destroyed.  Be at peace.”

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the LORD

for the display of his splendor.  Isaiah 61.1-3

Since I so need it, this cleansing breeze, I must so sow it.

Yes, I saw it on Yahoo News (via The Wallstreet Journal).  CLICK HERE.  It is the government cracking down!

So this is how I know God really wanted me to have these shoes.

I looked at them a week ago.  I loved them for two reasons.  One, they are Candies shoes.  Candies, people (think: Grease, Olivia Newton-John in the late 70s…Ok, get it?).  Two, they are retro platforms.  I may or may not have had the same shoes in patent leather black in 1976.  And in light, strappy tan in 1977.  Trés comfortable!  Trés bon!

But, they were $50 and a totally unsensible color called Tangerine.

Then this morning, while doing just a little bit of Heaven Fest work very early, I was listening to the standards (I love Frank of course, but adore Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, Jimmy Dorsey, etc), I heard the song, “Tangerine,” (YouTube above).  And I remember those shoes going right through my mind, yes they did.  At 6:42 am or so.

Shopping, minding my own business…

When I happened by the shoe department at Kohls several hours later:  there they were…in MY size…on SALE for $17.99.  This was a God moment.  I heard angel choirs break forth in song. 

I had the fleeting thought that I might be making a ridiculous mistake, but when I put them on…aaaahhhhhh….perfection.  Platforms are so surprisingly wonderful.  They look high, but your foot is almost totally level, so good, c’est magnifique!

This evening I am just walking about in them {traipsing around the backyard, running up and down the stairs, whatever} for no special reason, other than I just love looking at them.  They have ignited my very sole.  And, yes, I meant that play on words because I am goofy-in-love with my new shoes!  This does not happen often, but when it does…forever.

NOTE TO SELF:  Nail polish in the exact same shade…find and paint away!

an opportunity

To bring the Church (big “C”) together.  To make the Name of Jesus glorious through worship.  To get believers out of separate boxes and into the world to proclaim God’s faithfulness together.  To bless the City of Longmont and the City of Firestone and Weld County.  To work with all the jurisdictions cooperatively, bringing peace to the city.  Proverbs 11.11a, “When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes…”

a platform

For making people aware of child sex trafficking and how together we can put a stop to it (Heaven Fest is giving to end child sex slavery and exploitation this year www.love146.org).  For raising funds to help end homelessness in our region, for caring for the poor (working with the O.U.R. Cengter in Longmont, applauding their work to pave the road to self-sufficiency in the St. Vrain area www.ourcenter.org).  It is to make people aware of child soldiers (another ministry HF will be giving to www.projectak47.com) as young as 4 years old and how we can, together, lift the heavy oppression and ungodly abuse of them. 

a chance

To give.  To defend the helpless.  To see what we can do together.  To come together in prayer and unity for the glory of God.  And to sing and dance and smile and have a great time!

a venture in faith

Because this is bigger than any of us could ever do.  But God just sends people and resources and makes it happen.  The potential for great disaster lurks, but somehow, God…He makes it happen.  And we look back in awe and shake our heads and give Him the glory!  We don’t have the expertise, the resources or the finances to do this, but somehow…and the giving we want to do gets done.

Body life

Where have all these amazing people come from?  1800+ volunteers from churches all over the metro area.  New friends.  Just today I met a man who’d been part of the Denver gang scene for 17 years, living a bad life.  Last year at Heaven Fest, he made the change and got baptised at HF and is living for Jesus today!  Everytime we turn around God is sending amazing people our way and I just can’t get over the fact that my whole life I did not know how many consecrated, devoted followers of Jesus were outside my circle.  They are everywhere!  People LOVE Jesus!  It is so cool.  And?  They give-give-give of themselves so the work of the ministry makes an unbelievable impact!

Get tickets online, click here

www.heavenfest.com

crowd from last year

As the sun breaks into the day, but before the wetness of night has been lifted (when the scent of youth camps past seem to run barefoot by almost unnoticed), the question is: whatever shall I do about the zucchini?  Yes.  That is the question.

Shall I allow them to procreate madly, growing ounces by the hour (pounds by the day, don’t go there people) during this lush time of their season?   Shall I nightly pick baby zuchs and slice them into long, thick chunks?  And then should I drizzle them in olive oil and top them with Kosher salt and juices from crushed garlic and maybe some dill or Mrs. Dash right before I place them on a ready-sizzling grill where they will just start to carmalize before I enjoy their hot succulence?  For a grilled slice of zucchini is, indeed, one of life’s most glorious pleasures, though as yet so undiscovered by the masses.  It is a part of achieving true happiness in life.

Yet, the quandry arises while taking the early-morning count of the fruit.  For one cannot help but notice the explosive, welcoming bright yellow flora that rise up to greet.  Bees happily visiting flower to flower pay me no mind and have no idea that I am wondering if I should forego the zucchini soon to be birthed from this floral friend?  For the flower of the jade squash is edible too and in this fashion, dipping and bathing it in a light, frothy tempura batter, then deep frying in to a crsipy blossom…why, this also is a gourmet delight, delectible in every way.

One cannot overstate the stress a gardener faces every day.  So many decisions.

YOU CAN’T WALK IN TO HEAVEN FEST.  YOU HAVE TO DRIVE.

HOT TOPIC! http://www.timescall.com/editorial/editorial.asp?ID=22650

And there has been a little bit of a stir about that.  I can understand because being green is important these days and if you live nearby, you hate to have to get the car out when you could normally just walk in the the reservoir.  And for anyone from Longmont who was planning to walk in, I am truly sorry for the inconvenience (though most of the commenters seem to have such negative opinions I don’t think they were coming anyway). So an editorial in the Longmont Times-Call (see above) actually proposed we HF organizers think about what Jesus might do to get there.  And I have.

And, respectfully –  if Jesus were coming to Heaven Fest physically this year,  with 11 or 12 disciples in tow (or 35,000), I think He’d be driving in.  Because He’d know that after months of meetings, a concensus between us (the organizers) and the Longmont Police, the Weld County Sheriffs, and the Colorado State Patrol, has been reached.  It has been deemed a huge risk to think of anyone crossing the kind of traffic that 35,000 additional people coming in tot he city will create on highway 119 and the surrounding roads.  I am pretty certain Jesus would follow the legal mandates and safety plan decided upon by the many officials who made this decision and who work daily with the community’s best interests in mind.   He’d so understand that the safety of everyone attending was important.  So He’d drive in.  And He’d pay the $5 parking fee (all of which will go to orphans and ministries saving children from sex slavery), in fact – I think He’d overpay because He knows where that koney is going and He’d probably hang out a lot in the children’s area, laughing and eating ice cream and generally forgiving us all for being so ungracious to one another.

We have invited Him to be there.  And I hope the people of Longmont and the surrounding areas will see Him, through me, through you, through thousands of other people who come to worship Him that day.

HF TRAFFIC PLAN, click here

DISCLAIMER:  These are my personal views and do not reflect the viewpoint or opinion of the Heaven Fest staff or volunteers or the ministry of Worship and the Word Movement.  They are just thoughts I had.  Stuff I actually DO think!

Our HR team is unbeatable.  Seriously.  They got requests from HF leadership for something like 1800-1900 volunteers to run a festival to welcome 35,000 people to Union Reservoir at Longmont this year.  And they have been out to churches all over the metro area and along the Front Range telling the Heaven Fest story and making the vision plain.  And people are answering the call!  How cool is that?

The volunteer link is only up for a few more days and only 168 positions to fill.

Volunteers are already hard at work

Volunteer already, will you?  You’ll help promote a culture of honor, you’ll make the Name of Jesus glorious and you’ll sweat and work hard and get to serve some of the greatest people you’ll ever meet anywhere!  Plus?  Because we didn’t have to pay some one to do what you’re doing?  There will be money for orphans and resources to help end child sex slavery through www.love146.com.  There’ll be offerings for the poor and the homeless and Jesus wells dug in India.  THAT is what YOU volunteering will do.

Kristie Allbritten and Stephanie Morgan?  I am humbled and blown over by you.  Thank you.  thank you.  Thank you.  You leave me speechless…

VOLUNTEER, says Tredessa

WHY HF, Dave Powers explains

A Look Back at The Sacred Assembly

The lightening show was straight from the heavens – not some effect added later.  An incoming storm stopped dead in its tracks and we just had the coolest worship time at the end of the night!  Volunteers help soooooo much!  PRAY ABOUT IT THEN SAY YES!

www.heavenfest.com