A good TIME

Last weekend I got to go to Beth Moore’s Living Proof Live event in Eugene, OR with my jubilee sisters.  (note to self: I need to write a post all about us.)  It was held on campus at the University of Oregon in the fairly new Matthew Knight Arena (because I think Nike owns UO).  The LPL events take place on Friday night through Saturday noon and there were 7300 women at this one.  I think this was my fourth LPL.

This is a blurry picture taken with my phone (but without my glasses on so I could tell if it was in focus or not).  Friday night we sat in seats that made you feel like you were perched on the edge of a cliff when you stood up.  We thought this was way high – little did we know that the next day we’d be sitting in those empty seats up in the upper left of this photo at the approximately 10,000 foot elevation level. 

Hotel space in Eugene was at a premium – partly because of this event and partly because there was also a marathon on campus that weekend.  So Karen found a house on VRBO that was actually cheaper to rent for one night than a hotel room!  It was a little two-bedroom that worked out just perfectly.  Except that the hide-a-bed I slept on felt like there was nothing but a wash cloth between me and the metal frame.  But for one night?  I can do it.

Saturday morning we got a late start and ended up having to pay to park in the structure under the arena.  We dropped Liane off to get seats (she’s the one who found the prime seats in the clouds) and got in line to enter the parking lot.  Then something really cool happened.  The attendant taking our $10 said that she couldn’t believe it but someone in the line ahead of us had paid for the person’s tab behind them and that everyone following had also paid it forward.  I loved that this made a big impression on this woman in an orange vest who probably deals with all kinds of folks – maybe she’ll think about the women who came to see someone called Beth Moore and find out what it was all about.  Or now that I think about it, I’m sure someone probably told her.

So we paid for the person behind us, parked and found Liane’s phone laying on the back seat - the phone she was going to use to let us know where she found seats.  But she was very resourceful (as she always is) and borrowed some kind person’s phone to call us.  Isn’t it amazing that she has my cell # memorized?  I don’t even know what my cell # is. 

Karen and I decided to take the stairs because we could use the exercise.  We only had to rope up twice and use the ice ax once but we finally found Liane. 

Being very careful to hold hands when we stood up to sing, we had a bird’s-eye view of everything and everyone.  Beth never made it up to our section (as she did in 2009) but I loved so many things about this event.

The theme of the weekend was ‘Time’ and it was a truly thought-provoking series for me.  I know you kind of had to be there to get the real impact but, in a nutshell, she reminded us that time is not running out for us who know Christ but time is coming.  He is returning.  There are certain affixed times that only God can appoint or change (sabbath is one, the day we are born and the day we die, the day Christ returns).  Then there are 'apportioned' times - time God gives us to use as we choose.  God has given us the days and hours we have and we are to use them for His purposes.  To redeem the time - make the most of every opportunity we have.  There are seasons in our lives (Eccl 3 - a time to sow, a time to reap) and we were encouraged to discover what season we're in.  Are there things we need to 'kill'?  Sin that needs to be crucified?  Are we in a season of healing?  And perhaps the most mind-blowing of all... time is one day going to end.  God started time 'in the beginning' and time will end when Christ returns.  So what am I doing with the time He's given me?

That’s a really lame description of a very impacting message series.  I came away knowing that I need to look at my time differently.

There is an outlet mall on the way back to Portland and Liane dragged me into the Gymboree store where these precious little items were calling out to me.  My first Grammy purchases.  {grin}