Love the metaphor of the storm and the idea that we don’t always have to run away from the storms in our lives. Sometimes, as Christians, we’re called to run to them.
I also like this idea that the storm isn’t always a bad thing. We typically think of storms as not fun places to be. I for one love storms. I love the cracking of the lighting and the rolling of the thunder. As a child, I was always told that it was God and his Angels having a bowling tournament. Storms are nothing to be afraid of. I’m not afraid of the storms in my life. I’m looking at the storms in my life as positive opportunities. Right now I’m standing still… waiting for them to come to me, while at the same time… looking up and asking God to be with me and to guide me.
I love to ski. It is my most favorite winter sport. I get so caught up in the thrill of barreling down the mountain. I focus in on what my legs and skis are doing and what route I’m about to take. My mind zeros in on the act of skiing that I sometimes miss what’s going on around me.
So I stop… I look up… and this is what I see.
I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to ski in Winter Park, Colorado for a number of years. The view is truly one of God’s greatest creations. How often do we stop to look at what God has done around us? I’ve been doing more and more of this lately.
Stopping… looking… enjoying the wonder of God’s creation.
If you haven’t heard of Carlos Whittaker… I’m asking for you to pay attention. Carlos isn’t a celebrity, he isn’t a political figure, he isn’t a rock star (although his shoe collection says otherwise)… he’s a Christ follower, he’s a husband, he’s a father, he’s a worship leader, and a creative coach.
His blog is Ragamuffin Soul and on there we’ve created a community of people that interact with each other and that are open an honest with each other. Carlos says that he’s the type of guy that’s looking to be real with himself, others and God and I totally respect that. On the surface, Ragamuffin Soul seems like a huge gaping window into Carlos’ family life. But when we dig a little deeper… we find there’s so much more to it than that.
He’s able to do something I wish I could do. He’s able to take an everyday experience and find a teachable moment in it. It’s almost always Christ centered and he just seems to have a way about him that makes you trust him with your authentic self.
Since I joined the Ragamuffin Soul community a little over a year ago, the conversation has helped me to develop a closer connection to God. I’ve got a long way to go though. There are many times that I still feel very far from God and I have a hard time seeing God in my life. But more and more I’ve found myself thinking about the little things. Finding God in the everyday.
I had the opportunity to spend 10 minutes just talking with Carlos last October at STORY Chicago where we discussed his move to Chicago to be a part of Soul City Church because that’s where he and his wife Heather feel God is calling their family to be. After my brief 10 minutes talking with Los it was clear to me that this guy is the real deal. He’s got an authentic heart for God and for the local church and it’s simply contagious.
So Carlos is releasing his first album. I invite you to watch this video and get to know Carlos a little more as he explains the album.
