stupid ideas?

Everyone has ideas swirling around in their noggin. Everyone! Most people think that their ideas stink or are not original and have no use so they keep those ideas tucked away, deep inside their brains, locked up for no one else to see. Most the time they don’t get shared out of fear of someone looking at them funny, or saying “that is a stupid idea” or “that’s already been done”. Sharing Ideas is very vulnerable and at times very scary. It makes sense that most people are reluctant to share their ideas unless the environment for doing so is extremely safe. greenectar is that safe place for you to share your ideas - I want your ideas, even the ones that you feel embarrassed to share. I want to take those ideas and subject them to the creative process and come up with other ideas. Then I want to take a couple ideas and bring them to life – I want to do these ideas and give them a life to live. Let them free to deeply impact others. What if the idea you have is the idea that other ideas are born from and then one of those ideas awakens another idea that when refined is an amazing idea! What if God uses that idea to make a huge impact on 10-20-50-100–1000s of people. How would that feel? What if your stupid idea, once refined, impacts people worldwide? Or what if your idea helps 1 person deeply experience God in a new, and much needed way. Most good ideas once subjected to the creative process give birth to many others ideas or they start a creative journey. I call the ideas that you have within greenectar. I want to squeeze your brain a bit and convince you to give us those ideas so we can use them to impact others in meaningful, life giving ways, that deepens their relationship with God and that ultimately brings Glory to God. I am asking you to risk! I am asking you to put yourself aside and open your mouth and share those ideas. I am asking you to loosen up your creative muscles as you walk through the day and allow yourself to think creatively, If you have a problem getting started then try finishing these sentences. I wish that …… what if ……… wouldn’t it be cool if ……… I wonder if ……… give it a shot and then share your ideas with me.

DRAGONFLY

Today I took the 1-mile walk to café ladro to grab an Americano and spend time with God. I pushed play on my IPOD and spent some time with Shaun McDonald’s “Live in Seattle” CD. God slowly started to download pieces of his vision of my future I was completely overwhelmed with creative thought. He slowly gave additional clarity of God’s vision for greenectar. My heart has a passion for life transformation. My Desire is to be used by God to help others experience Him. I want others to seek God, always want more, and beg for a deeper connection. I ordered a Tall Americano and a 600-calorie brownie – definitely NOT a mistake! Spent 30 minutes receiving creative insight on an Adirondack chair. God’s was so close, almost too close . I gave myself permission to bask in his presence while the sun forcing me to close my eyes. All distractions were instantly gone – God was being glorified through my prayers. Pausing life to give way to God - 30 minutes of bliss
This was the beginning of an even deeper clarity and vision. Overwhelmed with love for God. Tears found home on my eyelashes. Wanting to cry, no, burst into tears of joy. Remembering how close I used to feel to God
Realizing God never went anywhere - God was always there ready to give. Experiencing peace and the need and desire of nothing but him. Clarity of God’s purpose. I start walking home. God says “use your creativity to encourage others to deepen their relationship with me?

There is nothing more important than a person’s relationship with ME!
There is nothing more important than a person’s relationship with ME!
There is nothing more important than a person’s relationship with ME!
Help others invest themselves in their relationship with ME

Maybe greenectar’s mission should be…
Creative movement towards a deeper relationship with God
If a person moves toward God because of anything I do then that’s all I need. That is all I want

I Found a Dragonfly on the ground – dead but in perfect condition - A gift. Amazing patterns, colors, design. Its wings are so delicate, so perfectly designed. Every detail thought of, planned, intentional – no mistakes. God affirms that there is no chaos, confusion, and accidents, in His kingdom. Perfect design. God affirms His love towards me . God created a masterpiece in me. Every detail thought of, planned, intentional – no mistakes. God doesn’t want me to experience confusion, chaos, and fear.. But instead clarity, purpose, focus, vision, love and peace.

God was very present today.
God always wants us to feel close to Him.
He is always right here!

getting real

I have been more broken, wounded, shattered, lonely that I ever thought I would be. At times I am full of shame, I feel controlled, I am full of sinful thoughts that are selfish and self serving. At times I feel beaten down and depressed. I fall short. I lust, hate, envy, crave, despise. I am full with anxiety and stress. I keep records of wrong and do not want what is best for others. I resent those who are more successful, popular, funny, creative, beautiful. I hold deep resentments and hesitate to forgive those who have imflicted emotional wounds on me. I have been too addicted, too obsessive, too compulsive, too focused on my wants. I hesitate to forgive quickly and have robbed myself of alot of joy God wants me to experience. Fear cripples my foward motion and I do not allow God to control my life. I do not measure up to the standard set by God. I have missed the mark!

But ... I love God and am desperately seeking his presence and praying that He will guide me to live a life that honors Him. I am begging him to rip out my selfish will and replace it with a will that serves him. I crave his Spirit's guiding presence and and trying to trust His directions. I love God and daily remind myself that there is nothing more important than my relationship with God. Nothing! I am committed to living every day I get to spend on this earth for Him and for only Him. It's tough but I am committed to this journey.

God, I beg you to use greenectar as a tool to inspire people to bring their real selfs to you so they can experience a deeper freedom in life.

giving greenectar some focus

I wrote this in hopes of giving this whole greenectar idea some focus. Tell me what you think. This is very rough!

greenectar's mission statement
Life transformation through creative collaboration.

greenectar's "what we believe" statement:
At greenectar we believe that all creativity originates from God’s creative nature, and is given to us as a precious gift to experience and express. Those who choose to wrap their lives around God through truth will inevitably experience a greater freedom and ability to create. As individuals we are responsible to nurture our creative gift and be committed to investing time and energy in using it to connect to God, inspire others, reach out to the community and to worship God. Embracing creativity as an essential will hopefully propel us to stay on the innovative edge of what God is doing to bring others closer to Him. greenectar plans to create environments where people are encouraged to explore and express their creativity in a way that impacts others in meaningful, life giving ways and that ultimately brings Glory to God. God gives us the gift, faithfully using it is our gift back.

greenectar's definition of creativity:
Creativity: is the skill to originate something new and that has significant value to an individual, a group, and organization or a society.

5 mile tears

I have never cried while running before, but I did last week. I was 5 miles into a 6 mile run when the song "Great" started to play on my ipod. Why did I cry? I have been searching for a song, poem, passage or anything that would help me express my heart during this period of deep transformation and restoration and this song simply nailed it. The song deeply touched the soft, needy part of my heart that has been crying out for direction over the last few years. The last line "To be genuine in my love for others and for you is to be great" is my prayer and my desire and my passion.

Artist: Ten Shekel Shirt
Album: Much
Song: Great

I have always wanted to be somebody who is great

To be great in, great in your eyes, is my dream
To be the one who makes you smile is everything

To love my enemies
To serve others until I become the least

To be great in, great in your eyes, is my dream
To be the one who makes you smile is everything

Greatness in this world is different than greatness in your eyes

To be great in, great in your eyes, is my dream
To be the one who makes you smile is everything

To be genuine in my love for others and for you is to be great


Right now I am reading "A Theology of Love" by Mildred Bangs Wynkoop. On page 22 she quotes John Wesley's strongest passages on the suject of love.

It is well you should be thoroughly sensible of this, "The heaven of heavens is love." There is nothing higher in religion; there is, in effect, nothing else; if you look for anything more than love, you are looking wide of the mark, you are getting out of the royal way, and when you are asking others, "Have you received this or that blessing?" if you mean anything but more love, you mean wrong; you are leading them out of the way, and putting them upon a false scent. Settle it then in your heart, that from the moment God has saved you from all sin, you are to aim at nothing more, but more of that love described in the thirteenth of the Corinthians. You can go no higher than this, till you are carried into Abrahams bosom" (works, X1, "Plain Account," p.430).

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

My prayer is that as I craft Greenectar, god will show me how to deeply love.

Why Greenectar?

Why am I even starting this journey? Is it gonna be worth it or worthless? Is this just an idea I have or is this God directed? As I was reading "Orbiting the Giant Hairball" I found this ...



You have a masterpiece inside you.
One unlike any that has ever been created, or ever will be.
REMEMBER:
If you go to your grave without painting your masterpiece it will not get painted.
No one else can paint it.
Only you.

Greenectar is my masterpiece and I will paint it!

Fred