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I’m back. Here’s what’s next

I'm back after two weeks of no blogging. Did you miss me? It's been nice to not have to write a blog post. And I've enjoyed the time to think about what needs to change. But, yes, I've missed you. OK, so here's what I think. I'm going to keep posting on this blog once o…
By Seth Barnes

I'm back after two weeks of no blogging. Did you miss me?

It's been nice to not have to write a blog post. And I've enjoyed the time to think about what needs to change.

But, yes, I've missed you.

OK, so here's what I think. I'm going to keep posting on this blog once or twice a week. And I'm going to re-ignite a community that has lain dormant for some time on the Wrecked.org website.

I'm particularly interested in the subject of how we need to take risks if we're to become the man or woman that God had in mind when he dreamed us up in the first place.

I'm interested in what holds us back from going for it. I'm appalled by the conclusion that the producers of 56 Up come to, that most people go through life and never do their dreams. They die full of regrets. Their series of documentaries follows a group of kids who grow from seven to 56. Every seven years, a new documentary. And now this one shows people approaching the twilight of their lives and realizing, "I probably will never get it done."

That's one way to get wrecked.

Another way is to recognize what Peter Gabriel calls "the grand facade" before it's too late. We can pull back the curtain on that facade by realizing that society feeds us lies we don't need to embrace. For example:

You are your stuff
You are your career
You are your relationships
You are your accomplishments

We grow up never questioning these ideas and we begin to believe them. We begin to live our lives according to them. And we become estranged from our true selves. We begin to live lives that deny our dreams.

Those of us who follow Jesus understand that he defines us in terms of what we mean to him. And he gives us precepts to keep us in alignment: To give is to get. The first shall be last. The least shall be greatest.

But to embrace those truths means embracing risks – taking a wrecking ball to the parts of your life that are aligned with the lies. Lies that say you're ordinary and that ordinary is good enough.

The truth is that you're special and that your dreams are beautiful and that the world needs them.

But embracing that truth means being wrecked for the ordinary. Jeff Goins wrote a book about that process and for six years, I've dreamed of building a community of people who were committed to go through the wrecking process together to find their true selves.

Going through that process requires no small measure of courage. We do it on kingdom journeys of all kinds. We do it as we embrace authenticity and simplicity and the truth that sets us free. It's a beautiful thing to see when it happens.

I'd like to help encourage people who are willing to take the risks that will get them there. And I'd like to see us shine some light on the path that will get people to God's dream for their lives.

What do you think? I'm headed to Thailand for a week tomorrow and hope to launch the blog after that. What ideas do you have that might improve this? If this is going to work, it'll need to function as a community. So I'm looking for your feedback and advice. Thanks in advance!

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