Life.  It can come at you pretty fast sometimes.  Two weeks ago was one of those weeks.  A week where I saw life in its fullest.  The pictures associated with this blog are all from my week.  I have lived in the Chicago area for 21 years now and had never been inside the “United Center” until last week, and I wound up there twice for two completely different reasons.

The first event I went to was to celebrate my church’s 40^th year anniversary.  I know, not that long compared to most churches, but considering how this church got started with a small group of teenagers who didn’t know a thing about how a church should be ran.  What started out in a movie theater with about 100 people has grown to one building running 20,000 a weekend with five other campuses totaling around 27,000.  We just say, “Only God!”

The second event at the “United Center” was for a Chicago Blackhawks game.  They won.  Two very different events.  One cheering for men, the other cheering for God for all of the lives he has touched and saved through this little group of people who dared to listen to God’s whisper.

The rest of the week was life.  Highs and lows.  A co-worker finds out his 4yr. old grandson has cancer.  A person sitting on the ground begging for money.  Another friend finds a good job.  Trees beautiful with colorful leaves.  Warm days, cool nights. People together talking, eating, working, laughing, crying.

I have one friend who never has anything happen to him.  You ask him how his week went, and he will only say, “It was okay.”  I was talking to a co-worker about this and she suggest he goes through life with his eyes closed.  God gives us life.  He will help you through the lows, and bless you from time to time with some highs, but you have to see it.  Your eyes have to be open.  This is living, this is life.