I was brainstorming on the phone yesterday with someone about what it would look like to “blog” the Catalyst Conference.

Note: This does not mean only sitting in a chair making bullet point lists of what the speakers are saying.

Note: This does not mean only talking with the speakers back stage.

I NEED YOUR HELP! Think WAY outside of the box. What do you see happening as a blogging-behind-the-scenes-meeting-people AND incorporating this into the actual Catalyst event? Bringing Catalyst to the people who aren’t there…and bringing what isn’t at Catalyst to the people there.

No dumb ideas. Forget about money and logistics for now. Just throw out some crazy ideas!!

Lunesta has become a close companion lately. I go through seasons of insomnia…usually about 3-4 months long, followed by 3-4 months of healthy, non-medically-induced sleep. Currently, I’m about halfway into one of those insomnia cycles.

I decided last night to see if, by chance, I’d be able to fall and stay asleep without the drugs. No such luck. I drifted off into a weird, lucid dream.

In my dream, I was given a choice to do something and the consequences would require me to leave ministry. I’d be disqualified completely. And I remember the battle I was waging in my head.

“If I make this decision, I’ll lose my job.”

“If I make this decision, I’ll never be able to speak into the lives of leaders again.”

After I woke up following a very restless night of tossing and turning, I started thinking through what my dream-self was considering and realized something disturbing.

Not one of those thoughts I had was “If I make this decision, I’ll be disobeying God.”

Now, I realize this was just a dream and the decision I was considering in it was something that would likely never cross my path…and I realize a dream doesn’t represent my full consciousness.

But if it was a real life situation, would I have asked myself the same questions, while neglecting the most important one…How does this affect my relationship with Christ?

It’s easy for me to coast through life and walk a straight line. It’s actually pretty easy for me to be the good girl. But following rules isn’t the most important thing…that should just be an overflow of a lifestyle of obedience.

Why do you make the decisions you make? Are they out of love and obedience, or out of fear for losing your position, your marriage, your ministry?

Just something to chew on.

Another company takes online initiative.

My tweet after picking up some amazing produce at Whole Foods on Sunday:

And their reply:

Stuff like this gets me really excited for some reason! And not just because the gift card. I really love good customer service!

i thought i’d share a few little blurbs with you from my article for the catalyst groupzine.? as soon as i know when you can order them, and when they’ll be available, i’ll let you know.

my article is called “the lonely leader and the power of truth” and here are a couple of thoughts from it:

Fear and loneliness are two inseparable lovers with a tragic common denominator: they seek to destroy the Kingdom within.

and

Sadly, we?ve often become so structured there?s no time to experience real life together.? We?re obligated to schedules and appearances but not to each other.? The business of community satisfies our addiction to productivity, but does nothing to nourish the anemia that is afflicting us.

as a leader…do you struggle with loneliness?? do you find that fear isolates you?

with moving, getting settled in, starting my new job and then spending a week in the dominican, i’ve been really behind on reading some blogs. i just caught up with brad lomenick’s blog last night and he asked a great question earlier this month which i thought i’d ask y’all.

if you could have dinner with anyone (besides jesus)…who would you have it with, and where would you have it?

mine would be anne lamott at a waffle house.

you?

I have got to focus the little part of my brain that is the creative writing part on a very cool article for the Catalyst Groupzine. For some reason, it’s been tougher to write than my book!

In the mean time, I thought I’d copy the ideas of many others and have a “You Ask…I’ll Answer” post. You ask questions and I’ll respond to them (in the comments as well).

Nothing is off topic…have fun!

I am so relieved there are services out there like this. What would I have done without this Facebook ad?

You guys are amazing! We had 118 books donated to the GO Ministries Pastors’ library. WOW! Thank you once again for being the church in practical ways and making a huge difference thousands of miles away!

Our team REALLY appreciates your prayers of support and encouragement along the way.

It was an amazing trip…and this week will be a crazy one of catching up on emails, blogs and comments. But I really can’t thank you enough.

I would be honored to spend some time praying for you this week and weekend…please let me know how in the comments.

Hola, everyone! I am back on Southern soil in Nashville after a great week in the Dominican.

Last week, I posted about some time I spent in The Hole — which is a trash dump in Santiago where squatters have taken residence over the last decade or so.

The story of The Hole is one that is grander than anyone could ever dream up.

Years ago, the city of Santiago set aside a large area (which is sunken in and dug out, thus creating “the hole”) to be a landfill. The river is filled with trash and raw sewage, and it is here that Santiago’s poorest call home.

And the mayor of The Hole? A drug lord. It’s his territory, and even in the midst of poverty you see proof of his reign. Nicely dressed young Dominican men with gold jewelry walk along the open sewer with expensive motorbikes, following prostitutes. Children who have no contact with the outside world flash gang signs and chant Dominican rap songs.

A man named Felix is the pastor of the church and feeding center in The Hole. He’s been around for seven years, getting to know the children and their families.

(Here is Felix praying with the kids before lunch one day).

One day, the drug lord requested a meeting with Felix. He saw what he was trying to accomplish in The Hole.

As long as you are here, the drug lord said, you will be safe. Anyone you bring to help will be safe. And if you have any problems, you tell me, and I will take care of it.

And it was true. As nervous as I should have been walking around with expensive video equipment in the lair of drugs and prostitution, I felt safe. We Americanos were welcome and loved.

That’s just like something God would do, isn’t it?

So, we have been trying to figure out a good way to get the community here at FlowerDust.net involved in the Dominican trip this week. I have really enjoyed getting to know the staff here at GO Ministries and learning what they are doing to equip local pastors.

The average Dominican makes $6500/year…so you can guess what the average pastor makes — not a lot! What GO is doing is forming a library for the 44 churches in the area they support.

Here’s the deal.

From 7 am CST Monday to 7 am CST Tuesday, if you purchase any book from the list below, I WILL GIVE YOU A FREE AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MAD CHURCH DISEASE WHEN IT COMES OUT! Simply purchase the book and leave me a comment letting me know. I will email you to get your info this week.

So, buy a book, or buy fifty (I can only send you one copy of mine either way, but hey, don’t let that stop you!) and get a free autographed copy of Mad Church Disease.

You guys donated over 100 mosquito nets on World Malaria Day…so let’s show some love to some pastors and get them some study material they would never be able to afford otherwise. By the way, the money that comes through the Amazon Associates referrals also will go directly to GO Ministries!

Now ready? Set? GO! Don’t eat out today and instead, buy a book for a pastor!! Their Wish List is below!