I Woke Up In Chicago, but I'm not exactly sure how I got here...

I woke up a little before 6 am today in a hotel in Chicago...but how I got here is somewhat of a blur.

A few months ago, we booked a trip to attend a creative arts conference here called story. You can see more at storychicago.com.

First, let me tell you why we decided to come to this. Creative energy is just like any other kind of limited resource. If you do physical labor as your skill or gift (think: electrician, framer, welder, landscaper, etc.), you go through a regular cycle of work - rest. Your physical rest refreshes you physically for more physical work. Well, creative work is much the same, except the way we 'rest' or get 'refilled' is not physical, it's creative. What I've found is that people who are responsible for envisioning, planning and executing highly potent, highly creative events (services) have a steady drain in their creative tank. It must be replenished regularly (just like you would physically rest for replishment) or the ideas get tired, old, and stale.

So, that's why we're here with Beth Stoddard, Jackie Heberle, Lindsay Harris, Susan Hughes, Elijah Schiarelli, Sarah Brawley, Katie Rusch and John Ivins. These are some of the folks directly responsible for keeping PCC's services exciting, fresh and alive with promise. Creativity is one of our primary, God-given tools.

BUT, the summer was hard at PCC, financially. We just didn't have the money to fly. Driving was our only option. So, we left Powhatan at 9:15 and arrived in Chicago 15 hours later. It's a new record for me for the longest road trip of my life. Most of it was fun. Being in the car for that long is hard, though, especially the last third or so. After a while, it all starts to blur together, the next road, the next state, the next rest area/bathroom break, the voice on the GPS, the songs on the iPad. And you are so tired, you are in and out of coherent conversation. I'm not exactly sure how I got in my room. I don't remember much of the last couple of hours of the trip!

We'll come home Friday, after the conference ends at 5:30 (chicago time). Not sure if we'll drive all night or find a hotel along the way. Either way, it'll be a long day. But I really believe that God is going to do great things in us and that it will be worth it!

Thanks for praying for us - that today and tomorrow would be refreshing and a time of renewal of our creative juices. And thanks for praying for our trip home, too.