Here in the tundra we don't waste time. At the hint of spring we discard our wraps and don our summer best--there isn't time to mess around with semantics, the first day of summer is really just the last day of winter. It's pretty simple you see. We've got these few months and then lots of winter again.

And so, for me, summer commences with the side porch sitting. We have two rockers and a porch swing here on the side of the house--we're encased by grapevines waiting for life again and a vegetable garden waiting for planting and lots of air. We're serenaded by multitudes of birds and did I mention the air? The air in these here parts is the best parts. I know because I've been a part of a lot of air. And it's not always pretty, or clear, or fresh, or all mine. But here, in St. Lawrence County, with the seaway on one side and the Adirondacks on the other--air is in plenty.

I love that.

This past week, in case you didn't click, which I know for a fact many, many of you did not, was our Annual Prophetic Presbytery Meetings at my church. I capitalize those four words not for grammar's sake, but for my own. Because capitalizing on these four days is absolutely necessary. Unlike the use of redundant adverbs like absolutely. I digress (because that's what you're supposed to say...).

In truth, I capitalize the past four nights because imagine yourself for a moment in the largest, most happening church in the New Testement: Ephesus. Imagine yourself for a moment sitting there in a crowd of churchgoers and hearing the recently delivered posted letter being read aloud from the front. Imagine a word from Paul from the Lord for you. Addressed to you. Citing names and places and situations. Specifics. Imagine that.

Now imagine 2000 years later, a lively happening church in Potsdam, New York. A place where we have a lot of air and not much else--but along with all that air, we have the Spirit. And He's addressing some things to us, citing names and places and situations. Specifics. And we sit there and marvel. And then we capitalize.

Because hearing the Lord speak means nothing, clanging symbols we might say, if we don't take it and do something with it. Make it practical. Bring it to life. Walk it out. Stir up within us. Kindle afresh. Get excited.

Go big, or go home.

Because God isn't concerning Himself with semantics in these parts--we've got this lifetime and that's it. We discard the wraps, the things that hold us back, down, beneath, and we'll step out in faith that if the air feels like God, smells like God, bears the fruit of God, and looks like the Word of God, than it's God.

And, wow, was it God.