Fotos.

In the future, I plan on having more pictures as I post, but until then, here's a few from in and around Mijas:

                                       

View from my terrace.

Sunset in the streets.

View coming down from the mountain at the back of Mijas.  

Hiking into the clouds.

My apartment sits on the right. One of the most photographed streets in Southern Spain.

Overlook on the way to class.

I feel like I could walk arounf taking pictures for days and I still wouldn't be able to fully capture the beauty of this place. I'm not even sure it fully can be captured. But I'll do my best. Until next time!

much love Sons and Daughters of God,

Knox

Day in the life.

Wow. Already in the middle of my third week here in Mijas, Spain and I'm daily being challenged and pushed deeper than I've ever been. I've been getting slapped in the face by the Holy Spirit, spiritually and physically. Literally slapped. The head of G42, Andrew Shearman, is a fiery man of God that has a huge heart for challenging men to "quit playing silly little games" with their lives and rise up to claim the inheritance God has for them. He has challenged us to rise up among a culture of emasculated men and accept the call to greatness in Christ, where WE have domain over this earth. He gets so fired up, that he'll actually slap us men. It's so loving. So challenging. I intentionally get to class early for a front row seat, and make sure to wear contacts, not glasses, so he'll have more of my face to slap. It's brilliant! It stirs my heart and forces me to rise up as a man. There's an anointing in that slap that is incredible. I want more of it.

I digress. I'll save more for Shearman in another post. But I thought I'd give you a picture of what my week looks like here:

Monday through Thursday, we have class from 9:30 am to 12pm and then 2pm to 4pm. Throughout the semester, we'll have the directors of G42 as well as special guests from a wide range of ministries and organizations to teach us on subjects such as: Discerning Life's Calling, Leadership, Purpose, Equipping, New Covenant Realities, Social Entrepreneurship, The Culture of Non-Profits and many more.

The rest of the time is ours to spend however we wish, and to this point, most of that has been spent processing and praying through the lessons and revelations from each class. When not trudging through all this wisdom, you can find us adventuring as a community: hammocking, reading, slacklining, hiking through the mountains found at our backs, grabbing a drink at Roger's pub, or taking the bus down into Fuengirola and hitting the beach, shopping centers and restaurants. The world, at this point, is our playground, as it should be.

At the moment, there's two houses, each with about eight interns (students) in. Each week, cleaning and cooking responsibilities are divied up. Two are in charge of buying groceries for breakfast, lunch and cooking dinner for the week for each house and any visitors or teachers that come to visit. The rest set the table, do dishes, and are in charge of cleaning the house. It's been amazing to sit down to a home cooked meal from our friends and eat in great community, having that time filled with fruitful discussion and thoughts from the day.

The community here is incredible. Coming in, I was one of two people, out of eighteen interns, that hasn't gone on the World Race, an eleven month mission trip to eleven different countries. But despite the friendships already formed, we've wasted no time in diving in with complete vulnerability and open hearts ready for radical change and awakening.

Again, I can't wait to write more about my time here, readings I'm working through and revelations I'm having in my own walk. Let me know if there's any questions about all this stuff.

I'm off to class. Here we grow.

Much love Sons and Daughters of God

Knox

Wild Goose Chase

I've always loved to write...and so begins the process of making my thoughts, revelations and just more of my story open, to you, my friends, family and anyone else that may stumble across.

The Wild Goose Chase...

“Celtic Christians has a name for the Holy Spirit – An Geadh-Glas, or the ‘Wild Goose.’ The name hints at mystery. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious, I cannot think of a better description of what it’s like to follow the Spirit through life. I think the Celtic Christians were onto something…  

Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time. And I know that is unsettling. But circumstantial uncertainty also goes by another name: Adventure.”

This is an introduction to the book Wild Goose Chase, written by Mark Batterson, and honestly, I can't think of a better way to describe how I've felt pursuing the Spirit the past few years. Lots of questions. Lots of unanswered prayers. Lots of frustration as I've sought out what exactly God wants to do with me. 

And to what end?

Through transferring schools, gaining new community and opening my heart even wider to receive whatever it was God was trying to do in me, I still felt lost. With no vision, no understood purpose, it's impossible to fully apply yourself. Proverbs 29:18 even goes to say it's dangerous for a man to not know his purpose, that he "casts off restraint." I want to be dangerous FOR the Kingdom, not a danger TO it!

So what now? Well I love Batterson's quote on that "circumstantial uncertainty"...the adventure. I don't want to "arrive at death safely" but rather "start playing offense with my life...making daring plans."

The first of these daring plans involved moving to Mijas, Spain for six months to attend a leadership academy where I am believing my purpose will be made clear, vision will be gained and I will be equipped and sent out to fulfill that purpose! I've already been here a week and I'm expecting God to do huge things in my heart. For Him to break me down, refine me and prepare me to accept the responsibility He has for me here on earth.

Can't wait to share as He does work on me.

So here we grow.

much love, sons and daughters of God

Knox

Here's the link for Mark Batterson's book, Wild Goose Chase:

http://chasethegoose.com/

And here's a link for the school I'm attending this semester:

http://www.g42leadershipacademy.org/