So much good stuff. So many ideas. So many things I want to tweak and change right now.

But one thought, one story, captivated my attention and touched my heart.

During the last session, Mark Batterson was sharing a quick anecdote about the previous day’s main speaker, Al Gordon. I wish I had a recording of the exact words and story, but the short version, as summarized in my imperfect memory, is this. Al felt like God was bringing revival. It was coming. But God’s instruction from God to prepare for itscoming was this… “Change nothing but your heart.” 

Change nothing but your heart. 

And it struck me so clearly, in the midst of all my excitement for new ideas and frustration with the status quo. My wiring and inclination is to tweak and change and perfect and, if I’m honest, to never ship because I chase the next great idea and am still busy tweaking the last one and might be too busy railing against whatever has me frustrated.

Change nothing but your heart.

And so I’m back this week. Back to the grind. Back to working on the things I feel called to work on. But I’m trying hard to align my heart with where God would have it. To tweak and perfect, yes, but not as a delay to doing the things I know I should, but to maximize impact in the places God’s heart is working. There’s lots that still frustrate me, but I’m trying hard to fix my heart and not just live in frustration, or waste time and energy to solve problems that aren’t mine to solve.

I’m excited for this next season. I’m renewed and refreshed and filled with encouragement to pursue the things God is calling me towards. But most importantly, my heart is renewed and refreshed and realigned with the heart of God.

Whatever God has in front of you, whether it requires huge changes or small tweaks, before you rush to make the changes consider first whether there is something in your heart that you need to change, to refresh, to renew.

The goal… a fresh coat of paint and new content rolling out afterwards.

The reality…

I’m still painting. But tired of waiting to release new content.

So new paint and feel coming (and continuing to come).

And new writings and project details coming even sooner.

And ultimately, this seems to be the secret to getting to that Next Level. Helping others, helps me. Helping others trickles out and finds new projects in new categories with new clients and more opportunities to help make the world better. I’m still working on branding and business plans and all that official stuff, but the one thing I know I’m about is Helping Others to reach the Next Level in whatever it is their doing.

I know… I know. That was earlier this week. But this week has been mostly cleaning things up from last year and get things ready for next year (this year). And so really… Today feels a bit like the last day of 2018 and maybe Monday is the beginning of the new year.

But I’m choosing today. Because ultimately, New Year’s Day is an arbitrary date on the calendar. It probably made sense at some point in history, but at this point, other than my calendar and my finances, there is nothing different between December 31 and January 1.

So today I’m moving some of 2019’s projects forward and I’m marking down some goals for the next 12 months. And today I’m wishing you a Happy New Year. You can decide whether I’m early or late, but it is definitely working for me.

I don’t know about your year… but 2018 has flown by in the Marsden house. I transitioned out of a role, and off a staff team, that I had been serving on,  for almost 9 years. I jumped into a new and exciting role with a Missions Agency. We drove over 5000 miles to and from the Grand Canyon (so many miles. So many pictures. So worth it). And my wife and I celebrated 20 years of marriage in beautiful New Port, RI.

As a family we participated in 6 shows and 2 summer camps with AUTA. I lost count of how many various school events, local open mic nights, worship events, and various tech freelance gigs I covered. And that’s not counting my final Good Friday and Easter as TD at Kensington. And 20ish Sundays on staff and another dozen as a volunteer.

Oh yeah… And we moved. After all that travel and change, we found out our landlord was selling, so we embarked on a mission to find a new place that better suited our family, fit our budget, and kept school zonings (roughly) the same. Wow!

And for the first time in many years (9 at Kensington’s scale of production, but I’ve lost track for in general), I am not racing into the Christmas season with a Christmas production looming over my head. I’m going to attend service with the family. We’re going to have Christmas dinner. We’re decorating the house. We’re going to Christmas parties. We’re taking it slow.

Don’t get me wrong. I still have 2 shows I’m wrapping this next week. I’ve got some financial prep work for 2019 for Global City and a huge communications initiative we’re starting in the new year. But Christmas feels different when you’re not running at 100 mph.

And so 2019 is almost here. My brain has shifted to prep for next year, mostly. But I’m slowing down, enjoying the moment, and making plans for cocoa by the fire, a bit of family time, and a little Christmas music that I don’t have to produce or direct.

But then, a few weeks later, comes the actual end of summer. With Labor Day comes the shift away from beach days and barbecues to football, and that modern seasonal signifier, pumpkin spice.

Growing up in Florida, the whole seasonal rhythms mean a lot less than they might in a cooler climate. We don’t get the leaves changing, and the weather doesn’t really turn until October or November, but they is definitely still that bittersweet feeling of the loss of the slow days of summer and the return to busyness.

And that’s the temptation. Mourn the loss. The end of something passing. But the better choice, is to celebrate the new thing that is being birthed. A new season, for new productivity, new adventures, and it’s own joys.

I think this summer, more than others is feeling extra nostalgic. In May I wrapped up 8+ years of serving with Kensington Church. It’s the end of an era. But new things are on the horizon. And I can’t wait for the new adventures to begin.

At the end of both services Sunday Kevin invited me and the family up to say thanks, say goodbye, and pray for us as we jump out on this next adventure. I had some tentative thoughts planned, but the song we closed out the day with kinda threw me and got me reflecting on the last 15 years, and not just the last 8.

Maybe you’re familiar with the Elevation Worship song, Do It Again… If not, the chorus says:

I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

And I realized this journey we’re ended, the new adventure we’re starting, they are just another page in a larger story that God has been, and will continue to be working in. God brought us back to Orlando, introduced me to Alex, introduced me to Kevin and Kensington, brought me on staff, lead us through a short sale, changed my role at Kensington countless times, and brought me to this place we are at now. And so we begin the long climb to being fully supported in my new role. But God has done so much to get us to this moment where we can begin that climb, why would I doubt that God would do it again.

The one thing I think I articulated reasonably well Sunday (it was an emotional moment) was simply this. Following God was worth it. It was worth it to come back to Orlando. It was worth it to jump in with Kensington. It has been worth the struggle that planting a church like Kensington has been. And it is worth it to jump off on this next adventure. I don’t know how easy or hard this next chapter will be, but I know it will be worth it.

I’ll leave you with links to video from this past Sunday. Not my best, composed, stage moments, but like I said, it was an emotional day. One of those bittersweet moments of joy and loss.

1st Service

2nd Service

For more info on our upcoming adventure, go to chrismarsden.com/gcmi.

Last night I wrapped my final Windermere Prep event in this role. It was the 8th grade graduations titled “Turning A Page”. And it was fitting, because that event, which has always been one of my favorites, epitomizes what I’m feeling right now. It’s that bittersweet excitement for what’s next and nostalgia, already, for what you’re leaving behind. I am SO excited for the next chapter, for turning the page. But unlike Middle School, my season at Kensington has been almost 9 years.

Just like last night, there is a part of me that wants to stroll down memory lane, but really I want to celebrate Turning A Page. Starting Monday I am no longer a staff member of Kensington Church. This June, we’ll be spending some time celebrating anniversaries, hanging out with family, cleaning the house (it’s been a crazy spring), and resting. And then July 1, the new chapter officially opens and a new adventure begins. I can’t wait!

My new role was literally made for me. I will be working out of my strengths with an organization that is highly aligned with my philosophy of mission and ministry. The short version (read more here): Global City Mission Initiative is a missions agency focused on Discipleship & Evangelism in global, urban places. We are planting churches with people groups that are hard to reach through traditional church methodology (even edgy churches like Kensington) and doing it in places that are naturally global and transient. My job will be to work behind the scenes to help maximize what we’re already doing and multiply our capacity to expand the number of mission catalysts in the field and the number of fields we are in.

A lot like those 8th graders last night, most of whom will still be a part of the Windermere Prep family, just a few hundred yards away in the high school, we aren’t moving anywhere. We’ll still be around Kensington, just as members/volunteers. I’ll still be freelancing as a tech around town, even occasionally at WPS. And in some ways that makes all this easier. And in some ways that just increases the weirdness and bittersweet of the whole thing. But here’s what I know. God has brought us to this moment, and the next 3 days are the crazy precipice of this long journey, but it’s just 3 days in an even longer adventure that God has been working through all along.

Only 3 days left. Can’t even imagine all the things God is going to do after that!

3 Quick Notes

• For more about Global City Mission Initiative and my new role, go to chrismarsden.com/gcmi.
• For regular updates about what I’m up to subsribe at eepurl.com/11OGn.
• To make a donation to support my work with Global City go to cma.rs/support. Our goal for salary, HR expenses, and ministry funds is $8,000 per month in ongoing support.

In 2018, I turn 40. My oldest turns 16 (and doesn’t get a car, quite yet, but still). We celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

No matter what I did or didn’t do over the last 5 years, these were the facts that were going to happen, no matter what (I guess technically there are huge life altering derailments that could have changed those things, but you get my point).

And now we are here. 2018.

Hold on. It’s only just beginning.

Right now I’m feeling that momentum start to build. We’re not quite there yet. We’re not going too fast, yet. But I’m not sure if all the wheels are on straight and we’re starting to get going. And if I don’t slow down, it won’t be long before the only way will will slow down is to crash. And start over.

So I’m slowing down (a little), taking a breath, and making sure everything is in tip-top shape ready for a good long run. And then hold on. Because we’ll be going hard and fast for a while, after that. But first, I got to slow down.

Maybe you do, too. Take a day off, breath deep, slow down, and rejoin the race ready to run, better than ever.