The Life and Times of 'James P. Erickson'

Right around the corner is the 4th and I get to spend it in Iowa City with some of my best friends, how neat is that?  As many of you may know I’ve been raising support this summer so that I can work with Campus Crusade for Christ in August.  I’ll be living in Orlando for a full year working with their video tech team.  This internship is literally a dream come true.  But before I get ahead of myself I want to focus on the here and now.

The process so far has been incredibly humbling.  Imagine having to call up all these people asking for them to help support you financially for an entire year…crazy right?  A lot of people think I am.

“So you’ll be converting people?”

“Why waste a year not making any money?”

“Is this like a cult group…”

I’m serious I’ve actually had all these things said to me.  I can reassure each and everyone of you that NONE of these things are true about Campus Crusade.  Except maybe not making any money, but it certainly isn’t a waste.  I know the Lord has called me to work with CRU making videos and helping share the gospel across the world.  I also know that when we place our trust in Christ, He will never leave our side.  That being said I’m getting close to the end of this process which means focusing on full time video making.  Grant, Jared and myself hope to finish up some CRU videos this summer so we can start next semester with a BANG.

I’m currently reading A Million Ways to DIe by RIck James and came across this section, “Imagine turning on a thousand-watt light bulb inside an old clay pot.  What would you see?  You would see every possible crack, fracture, and imperfection.  You would also see a gloriously blinding light, but only through the cracks and imperfections in the jar.  This is how Paul envisions us: God’s power manifested and made visible in and through our weakness, frailty, and brokenness.”  Wow.  I spend so much more time filling in those cracks and making them INVISIBLE to those around me.  Maybe it’s time for all of us to let our imperfections shine through.

Today’s going to be a good day of editing!  Where you might be right now for the 4th Weekend, enjoy yourself.  Have fun with friends and family.  Eat some American food.  And don’t blow your fingers off…trust me they don’t come back.

Peace be the Journey - (Jared)

-JP Erickson