On May 12, 2010 we took a handful of boys from Saint Albert Catholic High School and “got high” with them – 101 feet worth of high.

In an effort to build trust, instill confidence and show these boys that they’re valuable young men, we worked with them for eight plus weeks with different experiences from blindfold teamwork challenges to visiting Edmonton Police Tactical Unit to rappelling the Leduc #1 oil rig.  There were 12 boys in total.  Two had to leave the program early.  Seven opted to complete the program with the final challenge of a 101 foot descent from about 1/2 way up a retired oil rig.  We did this under the professional instruction and expertise of Robin Postnikoff of www.climbedmonton.ca . (An outstanding job by the way!  Highly recommended!).

There was a definite sense of fear in many of the boys.  A good deal of “I’m scared but I’m going to do my best not to show it.”.  In the end, despite significant fear in some, all of the boys climbed the 101 feet on their own and descended with courage and a definite display of having what it takes to step up in the face of a big challenge.  I completed the rappel as well and I can tell you that even after dozens of similar experiences, the fear does not go away.  And I commend all of these guys on their willingness to say “yes”.

Every boy needs to know he has what it takes.  Indeed, every man walks around with that same question mark hovering over him.  “Will I have what is needed to come through?”  And the uncertainty of not knowing the outcome.  As older men, we have a role in answering that question for these young boys, especially before they have any kind of relationship with God.  And particularly in the absence of an earthly father which is so often the case.  We need to love these boys, share experiences with them where they have a chance to test themselves and have that question answered.  And we look for the opportunity to share with them God’s words – “You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”  You have what it takes.

Watch this 3 minute video and leave a comment for these guys!

God’s after two things in us, during our time here.  He’s after our hearts and after our healing.  God desires our hearts to come alive with our deepest desires and to bring those to bear on the world.  And he desperately wants to see us restored, our hurts healed.  The two go hand in hand.  And he accomplishes this differently in men and in woman.  For men, our restoration comes in the form of a journey, a series of events of initiation.  In these events we uncover the love of a True Father, that shapes us into men.  For women, restoration comes primarily through relationship and beauty.  To be truly seen and recognized as vital and beautiful, women come to the fullest understanding of God’s image in them.  In the coming weeks, we will share together and alone, as men and as women, who and how God is awakening and restoring our hearts.

Join us on Sunday nights for the next 8 weeks or so as the men and women share together and separately, just what God is after in our lives.  For more, click here: Sunday night gatherings.

Leave a comment below and finish this sentence.

“The perfect church….”

What will 2010 be for you?

Hello friends!  It seems so passe to just say “Happy New Year” to hearts close to us such as yours.  And “happy” doesn’t quite cover it.  And “wishing” doesn’t work for me either.  It’s more like “An Alive and Awake New Year” to you.  Or “Hopeful Discovering to You This Year”.  And, just how does our walk with God fit into a “happy new year”.  “Journey alive and awake alongside God this year” is good.  I just don’t think Hallmark’s gonna pick it up.

But that is indeed our prayer for ALL OF YOU.

And, to go together.

I’m in touch with a lot of my friends from the U.S. on a regular basis.  And, boy oh boy, Fear is powerfully there.  Fear of financial ruin.  Fear of war.  Fear of the future.  And as I pray through this, last year and now this year, “together” and “community” seem to rise.  The support of like hearts.  The pooling of talents.  The joy of togetherness.  The support during sadness.  So, so important.

With that, we will continue to open our house on Sunday nights, beginning on January 17th.  At 7pm until 9pm.

We want one more week to discern direction.  And, that’s where you come in.

What does your heart need this year?  What’s God asking?  Oooh, can you feel the level of question change?  Maybe an aversion to taking it too deep?  Friends, the heart is key.  It’s where we need to go for life to the fullest.  It’s the reason for Christmas.  He came for our hearts.

We love you.  We look forward to an incredible year.

Doug and Judy

********

As we start this new year, where do you feel your heart needs to come alive? What is your deepest desire for 2010? Not “what do you want to accomplish” or “what are your goals” (the gym was ridiculously and hilariously full tonight!). But what does the deepest part of you need this year? Where is God taking you?

Leave your comment below.

Advent. The dawn of something big. Arrival. The coming. Preparation.

I have come to love the season of Advent. And having our own kids, it’s become even cooler.

Every night at the dinner table during Advent we sing a ridiculously silly song to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and I do stress EVERY night, for 25 days ….. I wouldn’t change a thing.

“Advent is a time to wait, not quite time to celebrate. Light the candles one by one, till this Advent time is done. Christmas day will soon be here. Time for joy and time for cheer.”

Blessings y’all.

Going where called,
Doing what is asked,

Doug

This may be the hardest video you’ll ever sit through.

The whisper of a familiar voice and the tapping on my lower leg awakened me in the wee willy winky light of pre-dawn.

(**IMPORTANT NOTE** – For those readers unfamiliar with my family, my wife and I are the joyous and sleep-deprived parents of six beautiful children ranging in age from 4 months up to 14 years. Three boys and three girls.  This is a little story from our past night-time adventures.  I remember it fondly.  I remember how much I love kids.  I love my kids.)

“Doug….”

“Doug……Jonathan is with you, right?”

“Huh?”

“Are you sleeping with Jonathan?”

You see, on any given night in our house, there is a complicated game of musical beds going on. It is a dance of parents and children and beds which often includes a dog, an E-Z chair and a couch. On this particular night, in the midst of our packing, we have also re-arranged said beds to clean and store until we can move. This involved the rearrangement of the room that contains our 17 month old son, Jonathan, and our 4 and 7 year old daughters, Kateri and Gabrielle. Simply, the girls have been sleeping in bunk beds for several years and they have requested to have “side-by-side beds so we can talk and tell stories”. Cute right? Right. Jonathan has been, up to this point, in a crib. Sorry, let me re-phrase. There is a crib in this room that Jonathan occassionally occupies. Last night, we pulled the bunks apart, put them both on ground level, took apart the crib and put the crib mattress on the floor between the now dual single beds. A rite of passage to be sure, the transition from crib to bed. But no ceremony or four day fast or anything. This is, after all, the fifth time we’ve done it. We kept it simple. All three kids were thrilled. And, around 11:00pm they were all actually in their respective beds making us believe they were sleeping. Enter 5 am.

“No. Jonathan isn’t with me. You got him last night when he cried. Kateri is here beside me.”

Honestly, I couldn’t answer this question without first patting down Kateri from head to toe. She could have been any one of three children. I then proceeded to pat down the bed to my left and at my feet. And, a thorough search is not complete until I check the floor beside the bed. After which I confirmed…

“No hon, Jonathan isn’t here.”

A small discussion ensued here about who picked up who and put who back and where. These details are often obscure and based mostly on what we thought we did that night.

“I can’t find him. He’s not in his bed.”

“Weird.” I thought. But nothing to get too excited about. I rolled over and let Judy look for him. Often it’s just a matter of moving a sheet or lifting a pillow and the missing, sleeping child is found. But, not the case this bleary eyed morn.

After 30 seconds of Judy being unable to locate him, I went into investigator mode. I grabbed my Garrity LED Tactical Flashlight (http://www.garritylites.com/) and began my search.

Now, I must admit, as cool and calm as I am, the thoughts still go through my head. My fifth born child, who we safely tucked in last night, is missing, six hours of darkness and silence later. Did he wander the house and fall down the stairs? Kidnapped and ransomed for our fortune? Sleeping in the dog’s nest? Did the aliens come for him as they once came for me?

As a warrior, the calm mind, the deep mind must always prevail so these thoughts, through intense and rigorous training, are pushed down, allowing clarity to prevail. I first played my flashlights beam over the floor of our bedroom, moving aside piles of clothes and books, lifting laundry baskets and hampers. Nothing.

I proceed to the PLS. In search and rescue operations, this is the “point-last-seen”. It’s where we first begin looking for tracks and sign of the missing subject. I cleared off the blankets, pillows and stuffed animals. The crib mattress was indeed empty. I got down on it on my hands and knees. And then I saw it. Could it be? I highlighted the tiny foot with my flashlight beam. Reaching under my oldest daughters single bed, I confirmed it. The foot belonged to Jonathan! Thankfully, it wasn’t just his foot. I traced my hand up his body and bent over low to have a good look. With the side of my head on the floor, I could see the full form of his body. As any good dad would do, I tickled his foot to see that he was responsive. He shifted slightly and I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Sound asleep.

What did I do next? Well, when a 17 month old male whirlwind is sleeping soundly, and there is no clear and present danger to his person, you leave him sleep. I returned to our bed and reported my findings. The child was sleeping and safe, under the bed. Not a word was said after that. My wife knows the value of sleep, ours and theirs, better than even I.

As I said, I’m not ready to be out of the crib yet.

After a significant labor of eight hours at home, we left for the hospital at 11pm yesterday.  We were extremely thankful and pleased to be accompanied by our friend, Elder and doula, Maureane.  She was a beautiful source of encouragement, wisdom and stories.  By the time Judy was in her gown and being monitored she had gone into full active labor.  By 1:30am, our new baby was safely here.

There is a breath-taking set of moments when a baby first emerges.  Today, it was a mixture of joyful surprise seeing it was a new baby girl and desperate hope that she was healthy and vital.  When those first cries come, tears have never failed me.  Today, during that moment, all of your prayers and support and encouragement came to bear, leaving Judy and I both so grateful for your presence in our lives and the influence you have in the hearts of our kids.

It’s been a long night and day so I’ll let a couple of pictures speak and I will write more later.  Thank you so much for being a part of our journey.

Hannah Therese Kramer

July 22, 2009

7 lbs. 5 oz.

I sat to pray and talk to God this morning.  Man, my heart is so full right now.  Full with worry, excitement, impatience, desire, frustration, ideas, heartache, Vision.  SO much of me right now wants to just lay down and rest. To STOP. Everything. Except Judy and the kids. I just want all the time and energy I have to go there. But I feel the drive, the pull, to our Wild at Heart trip for men in November, to a Vision of the ranch, to our growing online business, to building a true community, to getting in top physical shape.  So deep.  I feel God’s call to all of it.  I love it.  It’s incredible to be tapped into that wellspring.  But, like hypothermia, as the cold drains strength, the desire becomes strong to just lay down and rest.  Give up and give in. But give in to what?  The slumber is the kiss of death.   It’s a resignation.  A false contentment.  Dispassionate and apathetic.   It is a giving of life over to death.  And like the hypothermic slumber, life can go cold.  We fall asleep.  We become falsely content with chasing mediocrity.  There is a strong likelihood that we haven’t actually ever been really awake.  Or we’ve known moments of “awake-ness” but haven’t had the strength or the people around us to maintain it.  So we long to go back to sleep.

Like Cypher in “The Matrix”.  He was wakened by Morpheus and was called into a titanic struggle for the hearts and minds of other people.  Their mission, as a crew, was to pull people out of the Matrix and invite them into a real existence, in a community that was truly alive.  But Cypher became jaded.  Watch the clip in the sidebar to the right.  Or click here to watch it on YouTube.

Surrounded by wine, steak and a fine cigar, Cypher makes a deal to go back to sleep.  “I don’t want to remember nothing.  NOTHING.  You hear me?”

Let the Matrix take over again.

But I can’t.  (Actually, I can.  You can too.)  We can choose sleep.  (In fact, we need to choose rest.  But they are two different things.)  We can choose mediocrity.  We can choose all those things that we think give us life but actually keep us asleep.

Grandfather spoke about those things that stir our hearts awake to the reality of an unseen and eternal life.  From his native language to English, he translated it as “Inner Vision” or “The Voice of God”.  He said the Voice of God gives us Vision for our lives, our true purpose.  And then he said:

“A person who is not living their Vision is living death.”

And I remember.  I begin to remember why I can’t fall asleep.  Because it would mean death.  It would mean ignoring Vision.  It would mean ceasing to live for others.  Death by selfishness.  Death by numbness.  Death by mediocrity.

I can’t do it.  I won’t do it.

One foot in front of the other.  Stay awake.  Stay alert for the needs of others and rise up to meet them.  Fight.  Live.  Pray.  Listen.  Laugh.  Love.  And wake up the next morning to do it again.