The Well Palmdale, CA

A few weeks ago, Sarah and I were at a pastors' conference down in Palm Desert (doesn't that just SOUND beautiful during the summer).  Well, we had one afternoon free since there was a golf tournament, and I decided that for the sake of everyone else...my wicked slicing skills didn't need to be unleashed on the brothers. 

Since we had some time we decided that we wanted to see something fun.  Since the area is known for two things: golfing and shopping, we had to look a little harder to find something fun to do that wouldn't require us maxing out our credit card or getting sunburnt looking for my shots from the tee into the rough.  Well, we decided that it would be fun to go to Joshua Tree National Park.  It wasn't very far away and we always love a good hike.  Now, we know that we live amongst the Joshuas, but we figured that it if it's a National Park, that it's got to be awesome. 

We were right...Joshua Tree is awesome.  It was beautiful.  But we missed out on a lot.  You see, since this was an impromptu excursion, we went their without a camera and we were both wearing flip-flops.  We didn't even have a water bottle until we stopped at the Visistor's Center.  We drove around and we would get out from time to time to look at the view...but not hike...remember...flip-flops and desert don't mix.  We got to the hike where you get to see a natural spring and an old dam that was built back during the gold rush.  It was about 1.5 miles round trip.  We gave it a whirl (it was shorter than many of the other hiking options).  There was even a point where I really wanted to boulder and it didn't quite work out in bare feet. All during that hike, we kept saying to each other...why didn't we, at least, wear tennis shoes.

As I was hiking around I realized something...I was completely unprepared for this journey through one of the most amazing chunks of desert in the world.  Often, this is how we live our lives, too...wearing flip-flops when we need some sturdy hiking boots or at least tennis shoes.  This is even how we approach the Bible, too.  We aren't really able to fully appreciate it, because we aren't properly prepared.  Sometimes that even pushes us completely away from getting into The Word.

The last time I posted about the vision for The Well, I spoke about how we are put here to serve.  We are not a church that serves ourselves.  Well, in order to get to that point we need the proper tools...we need the right shoes, because when we take that approach to ministry, things can get rough.  This is why we have worship and Community Groups (as well as other things).  These are central to the ministry of The Well because they will give you the right shoes.  They will help you understand the Word, God's Grace, your faith, and your salvation so that you are able to walk with Christ and get the most out of the Christian life as possible.  The Well is not only a serving church, but we are an equipping church.  One that equips for low, easy roads, and one that prepares for the harsh climbs and decents through the desert wilderness.  In my favorite book of the Bible, Habakkuk, the last verse (3:19) says "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights."  Habakkuk saw God as an equipping God, and we do to...that is why we are also an equipping church...so that God might enable you to 'go on the heights' and not just be stuck in the car admiring greatness from a distance.

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