In 2006 the Lord began doing something in my heart. A shift began taking place.

In 2008, I went on a two week medical trip to India. This turned out to be no quick fix to the life I want to live.

Then the World Race happened. That whole 11 countries 11 month thing happened. It was: energizing, depleting, refreshing, dirty, epic, and still hard to put into one sentence.

But it was a season - not my life's spiritual peak.

After the Race I moved to Gainesville, Georgia, chicken farming capital of the world. I never wanted to live in the South or have to raise support again.

But usually the things I don't want to do are the things I should do. It's been refining, refreshing, and a struggle at times.

That leads me to the future...ahhhh. Future right? We stress about this jazz all the time.

What I'm learning about the future is how to live in the present. My identity frees me to live out my calling - not the other way around. My job, community, my dreams - these are all valuable, but they are not what defines me. I am not the sum of my experiences or accomplishments.

My job, community, my dreams - these are all valuable, but they are not what defines me. I am not the sum of my experiences or accomplishments.

My identity is not my calling. My job, community, dreams - these are all good, but they are not what defines me. I am not the sum of my experiences or accomplishments. God is much more concerned about my character development than where I may be going.

But where I am going is a journey - and I want you to be a part of it.

On January 12th I will complete my term at AIM and have decided to return to Colorado for a season. It's been a blessing to be in community that lives out freedom. My time here has been a transition period and stretching in many ways, but I'm ready to move forward. My season with AIM is coming to a close. Being a part of the World Race and Kingdom Dreams has helped shape my worldview.

Seth Barnes, founder of AIM, has told me his dream is to “see our generation fully alive.” What that looks like for me is heading to India in August with a different ministry called Word Made Flesh. (www.wordmadeflesh.org)  My heart is postured toward making the move from short term ministry to a long term mindset.  Scares the crap out of me. But my heart is for people stuck in trafficking, and the poor, and the sick, the unloved and forgotten in our world.

I'll still need your support.

And I'll want to know how to be involved in your present and future as well.   

Love Nathan Salley

Most of the time we think of Sodom only as a town that did crazy sex orgies and threw mad raves that played Lady Gaga all night til people barfed from either the drugs or the music. But in verse 48, God speaks like he burned the place down because of their lack of concern for the needy.

That's huge. He consumed two towns with balls of flame because no one was acting on behalf of the poor and needy.

I'm not just gonna sit here and portray God as this angry-lightning-bolt-thrower who sits up in heaven upset that we don't tithe. I mean, Yes, not giving the Lord our firstfruits does upset him, but that's not what this is about. I'll save that for another blog.

This is a call to intercede.

Ezekiel was about intercession. He is interceding on behalf of his people. He is warning them of the impending doom about to be dished out if people don't straighten up and fly right.

Just like Abraham did with God in Genesis, God is doing with Ezekiel. Abraham petitioned for God to spare Sodom if there were 50 righteous people, then 40, 30, 20, until it was widdled down to 10. And the Lord listened to Abraham's plea.

Unfortunately, Sodom sucked and was burned to death.

But... God is always looking for us to intercede on the behalf of others.

Ezekiel 22:30, “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.”

I don't want to get lumped in with Sodom, and I really don't want to be lumped in with Israel in this period of time. Thus, will I simply complain about injustice in the world, or will I choose to be a solution to the problem.

The End. For Now.

What are your thoughts? Reply below.

I'm still learning whose voice is talking to who.

Like sometimes I wonder if I am trying to dictate the voice of the Lord or if that's actually the voice of the Lord leading me. Here's a good indicator it's from the Lord. Consistency. Generally, if the Lord wants to press something on your heart, He will continue to bring it up. At least that's how it works with me.

So Ezekiel has been popping up in my head since being home.

I'm thinking, “Really? Ezekiel? I have to be making that up. Who reads that book anyways? I probably only thought of it because he has a bad-ass name." Say out-loud. Ezekiel. “See, I told you it sounds sweet.”

Anyways, the thought in my head was consistent, Read Ezekiel, so I decided to give it a read. That book is crazy! To put it gently... God is pissed. Not exactly a feel good family flick. Got the big three here: Language, Nudity, and tons of Violence. I'd give it a good 'M' for 'Mom-would-not-be-thrilled-if-I-watched' rating. 

Makes Kill Bill look like Mary Poppins.

Ezekiel 16:48, 52b, “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done…because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you.”

Yikes!

Lots wife was turned into the real version of sodium at Sodom, and no one else looked back for fear of turning into who knows what kind of other spice (somewhere Pat Shanks and Sam Payne are laughing)! The question for me is, what did Sodom do to tick off the King of the Universe in such an epic way, and how did Israel manage to trump that so badly that God labels Sodom Saints in comparison?

16:49 “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”

22:29 “The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery, they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice.”

They were arrogant; ate too much; didn't concern themselves with their neighbors; schemed their way into more money; never served the poor and needy; and denied foreigners justice.

There is a point to this.

To be continued....

Old Title: Support Update

Here's one of those boring blogs about finances again. But why should it be boring? It doesn't have to be boring.

New title: The Lord's Favor Update

I recently moved into a ¾ million dollar lake side home owned by AIM. Biggest house I have ever lived in.

Zero rent. One fire pit. Two refrigerators. Three housemates. Three kayaks and a canoe.

Awesome.

My housemate Weston entered a random drawing a while back at the mall to win a free recliner. And won. He decided to leave the price tag on the recliner as a reminder. Thus, the recliner became known as, “The Lord's Favor.”

And that's how I feel lately about support raising. About the house I'm living in. Really it's just a chance to sit in and soak up The Lord's Favor over my life. Forgive the analogy. But that's what you do when you give. You are being a part of The Lord's Favor.

Malachi 3:10

"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'"

The only time in the Bible the Lord asks us to test Him, is when we give. This verse is wild! The Lord says give me all that you have, and I will overwhelm you with blessing.

Yikes!

So far $6,400 has been committed to my account in either one-time donations or monthly donations. Only $2,100 more to go! Let me put that in perspective for you. In a matter of one month, the Lord, through your prayers and financial support, has given me over $6,000.

That's my salary you're supporting.

My food. health insurance. car insurance. gas. etc... more food (I'm skinny).

I'm praying the Lord pours out his blessing over you and your household as you continue to encourage and support me in this journey.

Keep it coming, Nathan Salley

Attention Monthly Supporters: Can you please e-mail me with your guesstimated date of monthly donation and amount for the next five months. For those of you that have already told me, disregard this message.

Thanks!

So my dreams of professional sporting didn't happen. Other dreams did happen. Better dreams I might say.

As time passed I realized I didn't have the skill, sacrifice, willpower, motivation, or desire to chase after many of those dreams. But that didn't stop me from forming new dreams.

I believe dreams originate from the desire God puts in us.

When we allow dreams to become stifled by Satan, then we then live in a world without hope. Ask any kid in the U.S. what they want to be when they grow up and I guarantee they'll have an answer. Now visit a child in the African bush of Uganda ask them what they want to be. You'll be answered with blank stares.

You may say those kids never had the opportunities provided to form a dream. True. That is often the case.

But maybe... they were never told they could dream of something better.

Always dream folks.

It's our God given privilege.

That's the take away message here.

If your dreams have simply become your memories, than you are no longer dreaming (paraphrase from some wise dude). I think most of us are afraid of dreaming, not because dreaming in and of itself scares us, but because failure scares us.

So we settle.

Maybe we stop listening to the dreams the Lord laid on our hearts years ago, or present dreams, because we realize sacrifice is needed to accomplish the dream.  Or its possible control needs to be given up in our lives so we can discover what God's dream is for us.

You can't out dream God.

You might as well ask God what He has in store for your life and begin aligning yourself with that dream.

This may sound silly coming from a 26 year old...but dream again. Its ok. God is giving you permission.

Maybe it has to do with: 

Your job.

Your family.

Your marriage.

Your community.

Maybe the Lord is pressing on your heart something he's been asking you to be a part of for a long time.

"If we are going to do anything that makes a difference in this life, we need to look beyond our own lives and discover God's dreams."

"WE MUST BE WILLING TO GIVE AWAY OUR LIVES FOR THE SAKE OF HIS DREAM."

Nathan Salley

I used to have a map on my basement apartment wall in Fort Collins. Every time a different friend would come over I'd hand them one small sticky note and tell them to write their name on it. Next I'd tell them to pick one country they dream of going to someday. 

Finally, I'd ask them to put it on the map, but only with the understanding that once they post it, they have to go there. 

A visual contract of sorts with the map.

My map had 50 names all over the world on it. No two people listed the same country listed. Imagine that. 50 different people. 50 different countries. Now imagine what God could do with that.

My idea, while trivial and childlike, was to get my friends dreaming. Even if it was something as small as seeing there name on a sticky note next to the country they have always dreamed of going to.

I called it the Dream Map.

Always since I was younger I have dreamed. Dreamed of being this. Dreamed of being that.

I would go and tell my dad what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be. He would never laugh at, shoot down, or discourage this process. Even if he knew deep down I would never try to accomplish said dream. It didn't matter to him.

Dreams included going to North Carolina on a soccer scholarship. Playing professional indoor soccer. Coaching for a major College program. Going to Germany or Italy to see the World Cup.

He let me dream. Encouraged it. Invited me to.

Thats what our Dad in Heaven does too...only even more.