I shared a little, then we stretched our legs and walked outside to enjoy the sunshine.  Matt quoted a passage from Isaiah 62:

I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night.  You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.

He reminded me that the Lord wants us to be persistant in prayer.  Jesus told the parable of the persistant widow–she got her request met partly due to her incessant asking (Luke 18).  Isaiah challenges his listeners to pray, to give the Lord no rest.

I don’t know if there’s a theme here–last night I was thinking about crying like a baby.  Tonight I’m picturing a pesky child asking over and over and over for the same thing.

When we know that the things we’re praying about–people to find life and faith and hope in Jesus, the restoration of broken lives, the breaking of spiritual strongholds, the transformation of a city–when we know that those things are close to the heart of God, we need to dig in.  It’s easy, I suppose, to lose heart.  To get discouraged by a lack of visible progress.  To either simply go through the motions or stop praying altogether.

But tonight I am encouraged to keep praying, keep asking God to breakthrough in my life, in my family, in my community.  He is the Lord–there is nothing too big for him, nothing beyond his scope or power.  I believe that God wants to breakthrough–to bring life, help, healing, and hope to my family, to Happy Valley, to Penn State.  Just because I haven’t seen much/any progress doesn’t mean that God isn’t working behind the scenes, under the surface.

What prayers are you getting tired of praying?  What have you been asking God to do that isn’t happening?  If you truly believe that God wants to breakthrough in that area, keep on praying.  Find a friend who will pray with you.  Don’t give up.  Keep pestering the Lord.  Give him no rest…

My normal run takes me along a creek (which I love) but doesn’t offer the protection of sidewalks and streetlights.  Kim was worried that I’d get smacked by a car and wind up in the creek, so I opted to run our prayer route through campus.  I popped in my earbuds, dialed up a sermon from Mark Batterson, and hit the road.

I like to listen to sermons while I run.  If the preacher goes for about 45 minutes, that gives me time to run, cool down, and stretch while I listen to the entire sermon.  I’m in the middle of Batterson’s series about Legends, and tonight I listened to his sermon about Samuel.  I won’t preach the sermon to you, but here’s something that the Lord seemed to highlight for me.

They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel’s behalf, and the LORD answered him.  1 Samuel 7:8-9

As a general rule, most of my prayer time is pretty tame.  I’m consistent, but there’s a general straight-forwardness to my praying.  In fact, I’d say that my prayers are pretty bland overall.  I keep a prayer journal, and I’m praying for some pretty heavy and consequential things.

But I would hardly describe my prayer time as crying out to the Lord.

Crying is something that we tend to move away from, isn’t it?  Babies cry when they’re hungry or cold or sick or in need of a fresh diaper.  But we mature grown ups use words to express our wishes.  Crying is for babies, right?  Crying is desperate.  It draws attention.  It’s messy and embarrassing.  Crying isn’t cool.

But as I finished my run and prayed, letting my heart go to God, I found myself choking up, tears forming in my eyes.  It wasn’t expected.  It wasn’t planned.  I didn’t need a fresh diaper, either!  But something in me broke.  I brought my desperation to God, and he met me.

I’ve been praying for my family, for the church, for the pastors of the city, for the PSU campus…but tonight felt like a breakthrough for me.  I cried out to God–literally.  I don’t know what I looked like to the few other runners sharing the night with me, and I don’t really care.  I cried out to the Lord.

Psalm 120 holds this promise: I took my troubles to the Lord;I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.

O God, let this be reality in my life!

Our Midtown group met again tonight to walk our prayer route, asking God to bless the people at Penn State and make his presence known.  I was excited about tonight’s adventure, because one of the midtown lifegroups decided to rearrange their schedule to join us.  Last week they prayed before the main group of us got there, which was fine.  But this week they wanted to walk the route and pray with us.  That was cool!  Thanks, Jonathan…

Our loop is around Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center, with a little dip out and around the PSU football buildings.  It’s right at 2 miles, and is a fun walk to boot!  We meet at the JoePa statue at 7, and after a round of introductions and instructions, we head out to pray.

I arrived before anyone else, but folks started streaming in right away.  Pretty soon there was a group of about 25 of us gathered.  There were undergrads and grad students, a dad with 2 of his kids, campus ministry leaders, some folks with children in (and out of!) college…it was a pretty mixed group, which made for some interesting conversation along our walk.  I had fun listening to all the interaction as we walked and prayed.

We stopped along most of the same places to pray as last week’s group:

• Paternoville
• The commuter parking lot below BJC
• On either side of the Football buildings–the Blue Band was rehearsing in sections on one of the practice fields, so we prayed for them!

PSU's Blue Band hard at work

But this time we added a couple of stops:

• The intersection of Dauer and University–we prayed for unity among the city church, the pastors, and the workers in the BJC
• The sign at the corner of Porter Rd and Park–we prayed in groups of 3 for various things the Lord laid on our hearts as we walked through the course of the evening

our last prayer stop

A couple of highlights:

• Praying for the CityChurch is a biggie.  God began something more than a decade ago when Ed Silvoso and his team from Harvest Evangelism came to teach us about unity and prayer evangelism.  I believe that was significant for us part of the church of the city.  I don’t think that we’ve fully explored that, or that it’s reached its potential.
• In the Commuter Lot, we were reminded to pray for the non-traditional students, those who have lost jobs and are coming back to school, those with families or jobs, juggling other big responsibilities while trying to further their education.
• As mentioned earlier, my family experienced a little push-back in the spiritual realm this week.  I talked a little about the reality of spiritual warfare.  The enemy (the devil) doesn’t like it when God’s people begin to cry out for help, and the devil will try to discourage/frighten/intimidate us back into silence and complacency.  But our God is stronger, and he has given us spiritual armor to stand against the schemes of the devil!  (Thanks Beth P for reminding us–Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Ephesians 6…)  We are believing that God wants to plunder the house of the devil, and He has the power and authority to do it!

Tonight was my daughter Lilly’s chance to shine.  She and one of her friends got chosen to be part of a singing contest.  Lil thought that she would actually be holding the mic and singing before the crowd.  It turns out that she merely got to represent one side of the stadium as they sang, finishing a line from a song. But there she was, on the big screen, belting out a line from Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer.

She was beaming as she sang, too! Our side (her side) of the stadium rocked it out, and she was rewarded with a gift certificate from a local rib joint. We’ll enjoy the benefits of her stardom!

Maybe you’ve seen the Spikes on Sportscenter or youtube lately. Their manager got ejected from a game last week, and decided to leave the field with a little oomph. Here’s the video…

Like I said, there’s nothing quite like minor league baseball…

I told you about the bat that was in the house.  I didn’t tell you that there was a second bat the next night.  I caught it behind the laundry room door.  One of our fearless felines was crouched just outside the door, patiently searching for a way to get at the little furry vampire.

A couple of days ago Kim D was over visiting with her pup, Rosie.  They usually stop by in the afternoon to let the dogs out (who let the…made you sing it!).  I was inside minding my own business when I heard a ruckus developing.  Kim was hollering at the dogs to “Git away from there!”  Then I heard her mention something about a bee getting her.  I moseyed outside to see what was the matter.  Levi and I had just fended off a minor swarm in the front yard the day before.  It turns out that there was a little hole in the ground that was home to a colony of bees.  The dogs got ‘em stirred up, and Kim was the beneficiary of their stirring.  I think the dogs got zapped once or twice, but they seemed ok.  Kim’s ear was a big red mess.

I tried some home remedy that I found on the interwebs–boiling water poured down the beehole at night, with a screen covering the hole so they couldn’t escape.  When I inspected my handiwork the next day, there were about 50 bees buzzing around the screen trying to get back to their apartments, I suppose.  I doused the sucker again last night, but this morning there were still bees present.

Somewhere in our timeline, Dasher must have gotten on the bad side of the bees.  He was real lethargic over the past day or so, limping around, not wanting to play with Rosie, not able to put weight on his front paws…I think he reaped the wrath of the bees.  He was feeling a little more lively tonight, and I took care of the bee problem the old fashioned way: I sprayed the heck out of ‘em!

How do you deal with pests in your life?  Turning the corner, how do you deal with sin?  Do you try some “possible fix” that you heard about, only to discover that only part of the problem/sin is affected?  Or do you pull out the big guns from the start?

Here’s Jesus’ view on dealing with sin:

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’

Them’s some mighty strong words…it might be time to break out the big guns.

I don’t mean “my turn” as though I was the only one praying.  We divided the campus into 7 prayer routes, and each route is being covered by a different group from Calvary.  Tuesday is the Midtown Gathering’s night.  We pray around Beaver Stadium, Medlar Field (baseball), the Bryce Jordan Center, the football buildings, and Jeffrey Field (soccer).  I love the fact that “my” prayer territory encompasses the sports fields of Penn State.

We planned to meet at 7 at the Joe Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium.  I had gotten word that a few people we planning to join me, but I really had no idea as to how many would actually show up.  Let me say, I was pleasantly surprised!  There was a life group waiting for us when we arrived–they prayed from 6-7, before their LG met.  They prayed for us, and passed the baton.  14 of us began our walk, and as we made our way along our prayer route, a few more caught up with us and joined us in prayer.  All told, I think there were 25 of us praying tonight.

If you prayed along our route today at a different time, please shoot me an email to let me know…

Some of the highlights:

• praying for the students who will be camping out at Paternoville.  Calvary’s own Dan Saxton is the president of Paternoville this year!
• Matt felt the Lord directing us to pray for all the commuter students (a group often overlooked by the church and campus ministries) as we walked through the Beaver Stadium parking lots.
• Aaron landing on Psalm 67 as we walked.  We stopped to pray for all the international students and the countries they represent…

May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere. May the nations praise you, O God.  Yes, may all the nations praise you…Psalm 67:2-3

• As we made our way around the football complex, one of our high school guys prayed for the players and coaches who know the Lord to have a strong year, a year of boldness in their faith, and an obvious love for their teammates.
• At the corner of University and Park, we could see (and hear) the Blue Band practicing in the distance.  We asked God to move through the band, that Christ would be lifted up, and that believing bandsters would have opportunities to share their faith with their friends.

notice where Joe's pointing?

Levi starts 9th grade.  Yep, my son is a high school student.  I spent more than 20 years as the pastor to some of the greatest high school students in the world (that right there is a true fact); now we’ll see if I know anything about being the dad of a high school student.  He banged up his knee (strained ligament is the current diagnosis) Saturday in his first football scrimmage, so he’s a little gimpy for the first day.

Lilly will be on her own at the middle school, changing classes for the first time.  She’s got to learn where all the rooms are, what she needs to carry from class to class…She spent her last day of freedom confined to the kitchen table, working on math homework that she had all summer to get done.  Bummer.  I think she might be a carrier of the Sublett procrastination gene.  Sorry Lil…

Annabelle and Sadie are all geared up for their first day of 4th grade.  They’ll be in the same class, and have the same teacher that Levi and Lilly had.  This is a biggie for Annabelle–she’s never started a school year with us!  She’s been shopping for back-to-school clothes, getting her backpack ready, sharpening pencils and arranging notebooks…

We had a blast a supper tonight, talking and laughing together, celebrating the end of the summer and the start of a new school season.  Levi kept us in stitches, and at one point I thought Annabelle was going to blow her drink out her nose!  She’s picked up on some of the family inside jokes, and leads into them just like she’s been part of our lives forever.

I wonder what they’ll look back on and remember as markers of their childhood.  The smell of freshly sharpened pencils, the feel of new school shoes, the anticipation of making new friends, the challenges of learning new thoughts and principles…I think this is going to be a banner year at the Sublett Ranch!

Seth Barnes has written some great posts on mentoring.  Go to his site and click the links for Discipling or Spiritual Coaching to learn more.  Honestly, it’s worth your time.

Levi got to experience some mentoring today.  We happen to live in the shadow of Beaver Stadium, the home of Penn State football.  Over the past few years, a number of standout athletes have attended our church.  We’ve been privileged to get to know them off the field, and it’s been encouraging to see how their faith shapes the way they live.

9th grade football has kicked into gear for Levi.  There are over 70 young men vying for spots on the field, and Levi has been moved from offensive tackle to center.  I shot a quick note to PSU lineman Stefen Wisniewski to see if he’d be interested in spending a little time with Levi.  Wis responded within minutes, and we ventured over to the PSU practice facility today for about an hour of 1 on 1 work with him.

photo by Benedict Samuel, for the Daily Collegian

He was great with Levi!  He took the time seriously, gave some great instruction, and made Levi feel like a young man with potential.  I don’t know what he gave up to spend time with my son, but that gift is invaluable to me, and to Levi.  They worked on all kinds of things from the mental approach to the stance, from footwork to the shotgun snap.  Levi ate it up, and as we walked back to the truck, Levi was beaming.

I am grateful for Wis–grateful that he’d give up study/nap/food time to hang out with my son, teaching him some of the skills he’s learned from the game.  But do you know what’s even more meaningful?  Levi knows that Wis loves Jesus, that his faith is real, and that he lives his life with Kingdom priorities in mind.  I doubt that Levi will end up being 6′3″, 306 pounds.  He may not ever have a 3.9 GPA at PSU, may never be a pre-season All American, headed for the NFL.

But if he can learn a few things about following Jesus from men like Wis, that’s a win from my perspective.

For a great article on what matters to Stefen, click here.

Kim took the girls and 2 of Lilly’s friends down to Friendship Village to celebrate Lil’s birthday.  It’s a little early, sort of like a pre-birthday party, but her actual birthday is too close to the start of the school year.  They stayed in a little cabin (named after Levi–more truth for you), hung out around the fire ring eating smores and Swedish Red Fish (Kim’s favorite snack!) late into the night.  Today they hit DelGrosso’s Amusement Park to close out the festivities.

Meanwhile Levi and I were left to fend for ourselves.  Kim had hamburger meat thawed in the fridge and a packet of taco seasoning on the counter.  There was a note that said “Call me if when you need instructions…HA!”  Seriously.  She included a laugh at the end, as if I don’t know how to brown hamburger.  (Truth: yeah, I googled.)  We scrounged up some soft-shells and shredded cheese, but couldn’t locate the lettuce, salsa, or sour cream.  I offered Levi some yogurt for his taco, but he declined.  We didn’t mind too much.  We ate our bare-bones tacos like they were our last meal, and spent the evening hanging out.

I love the fact that Kim takes the girls away, and that I get to spend some time with Levi, just being guys.  It’s good for us all, and we’re creating some goofy/priceless memories along the way.  And Levi and I are learning to fend for ourselves.  Bear Grylls doesn’t have a thing on us…

Kim’s mom has quite a few in her collection:
You buttered your bread, now you have to sleep in it.
Oh Todd, you never seem to amaze me.

Kim keeps the tradition alive with such word-wonders as this:
Kim: Levi, come over here now.
Levi: OK mom, just a sec.
Kim: Levi, I don’t have time for secs…(say that one out loud for best result)

Yesterday at the supper table, Levi was in rare form.  He’s taken to a form of faux belligerence lately, and most of the time it’s amusing.  For example, if I say something like, “Levi, put the dishes away for mom.” he would respond with “You put the dishes away for mom.”  He always emphasizes the You in the sentence, for effect.  Here’s another example:

Me: Dude, you need to change your shirt, it’s a mess.
Levi:  You’re a mess…

They’re not sidebusters, but most of the time it’s goofily amusing.

Last night, however, he talked himself into a corner.  Kim was passing a bowl of rice to Levi, and warned him, “Be careful, it’s hot.”

He replied without even thinking:  You’re hot.

Ah yes, my son, most true.  And more than slightly amusing in the moment.