2010, Wow, what a year…

With only a couple days left of this year, I was thinking about 2010 and it seemed appropriate to write down a few of the things that made this year such a busy and special one.

Just a little over a year ago, 2009 was drawing to a close and 2010 was quickly sneaking up on us.  We were still recovering from sending our last little bird out of the nest; Kelly Renee, our youngest daughter who married in late December 2009.  Needless to say, that alone was enough to dizzy a Dad's head for weeks, but the events of the latter part of that month were a complete blur for me.  2010 would pick right up where the frenzy of activity left off in 2009 and become one of the most memorable in Cathy's and my life.

Just 3 days before Kelly became Mrs. Kenny Lundgren, I got a call from a contractor friend of mine who had been working feverishly for a couple years with Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette, Colorado trying to get to a point where they could start building a facility just a mile or so east of the big box store that they had called home for the last few years.  He asked if I could be available later that day to meet with FCC.  It was a big deal, and I needed to make it happen. 

I had taken an interest in Flatirons Community Church a couple years earlier having heard about them from 3 completely separate avenues in my life.  Something must be going on I thought.  I'm going to go find out for myself what all the talk is about.  I was blown away.  What a dynamic fellowship.  But you can't understand FCC using the words that you normally would when describing a church.  Although all the proper "religious" words would accurately describe who Flatirons is from a Bible believing, Jesus trusting, God worshipping perspective, "Religion" in the sense that so much of stale compromised denominational Christianity has become is just not what Flatirons is about.  They seemed to take Matthew 25:40 quite literally, "The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."  What a passion the people and leadership of FCC have for the lost, lonely, marginalized and needy; those whom our society would consider the least of us.  It's so easy for us as American Christians to forget how unbelievably blessed we are in this country and focus only on ourselves.  I'm so very guilty of that sin myself most of the time.

Well, to make a long story a bit shorter, my firm was asked to play a role in helping FCC realize their suddenly shifted dream of a much-needed facility from where they thought that they would build it to taking over and renovating two existing vacant big box buildings across the street and turning them into the new Flatirons Community Church.  It just seemed right.  Everything about it seemed like God himself was directing it.  It wasn't like FCC hadn't tried to acquire those vacant buildings before, but suddenly, the doors were opening one after another, so fast in fact that a process that normally takes a year or sometimes two years just to get through city red tape, design issues, and construction drawings had to happen and did happen in less than 6 months.  The facility is currently under construction on a pace unheard of for a 165,000 s.f. project and scheduled to be open for Easter 2011.

All during this time, another project, Mission Hills Church was under construction.  There is a perception that an architect's work is pretty much done once the drawings go out the door.  Such is not the case.  The first half of 2010 was probably the busiest I've ever been in my career.  Spring and early summer of 2010 is still a blur as I write this.  Mission Hills opened in August.  They have a wonderful new building where they could easily just hang out and preach to themselves and pat themselves on the back for what they've accomplished.  But that's not who they are.  They plan on and are stepping out of those walls to minister to thousands upon thousands of people who need to know that Jesus loves them in Littleton, South Denver, and Highlands Ranch, Colorado.  I pray that is exactly what their heart will always be about: Telling people about Jesus.

March would be perhaps the highest and lowest month of the year emotionally.  A dear friend from way back to 1968 who I hadn't stayed in close contact with, but who with the help of Facebook I had just recently reconnected with suddenly passed away.  It was such a shock.  But seeing how dearly loved she was and how instrumental with so many she had been throughout her life eased the pain, at least for me.  I know it's been a very tough year for her family who had already gone through painful losses in previous years.  I continue to lift them up in prayer as often as I think of them.  Henry family, I love you all.

That very same day just a few hours earlier, my third granddaughter, Ileanne Joy was born to my oldest daughter Amber and her husband Eric. Ileanne was an answer to prayer.  Amber had a couple of miscarriages since her second daughter, Adelynn.  A few weeks later, Hannah my first granddaughter reached that age in her life when she recognized her need for a savior and asked Jesus into her life.  She would be baptized a couple months later.

Two weeks after Ileanne was born, my fourth granddaughter Sofia Grace Harder, daughter of my son Cory and his wife Nicole was born.  Sofia was a little impatient and came about 6 weeks early.  She had to spend a couple weeks in the hospital.  But she has more than made up the time.  She's a sweet beautiful little girl now 9 months later.  I just can't believe how fast they grow.  Cory was still in Afghanistan when she was born but due to some amazing pulling of strings by his commander, he was allowed to come home early from his tour and arrived home 4 days later.  I've been proud of Cory his whole life, but he has shown himself to be a truly doting daddy, and I know exactly how he feels about his little girl.

About this time, we learned that another friend from my teen years, the younger sister of some very dear friends who we've kept up with over the years had decided to run for public office as a state representative for her district.  Although I wasn't able to offer her assistance in her run for office nor could I personally cast a vote for her (not in her district), it was very exciting to watch her stand up for her values and make an awesome run.  She won her election and is now serving the people of Colorado.  Kathleen Conti is going to do a great job.  I'm sure of it.

Before I leave the subject of grandkids, all three of my kids had kids of their own in 2010.  Just 4 weeks ago, (wow has it already been 4 weeks?!) Kelly gave birth to little Leeland John Lundgren.  What a little cutie.  He's my first grandson, so right or wrong we expect that he's going to get thoroughly spoiled.  Just kidding.  Cathy and I are determined not to show favorites.  But it is special having 4 granddaughters and now a grandson.

In July Cathy and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary by taking a cruise to Alaska.  Although, the anniversary was in May, July was a great time for a cruise and Cathy had wanted to visit Alaska for 30 years.  It was our first cruise and a great one.  It featured several of my favorite Christian musicians who still sound great!  Folks like Barry McGuire, Matthew Ward, Dallas Holm, Michael Card and Don Fransisco.  It was so fun, and the weather was fantastic.  It was a much-needed time of rest and relaxation.  In addition to the musicians, we met a lot of really wonderful people and saw a lot of God's beautiful creation.

I've just loved contemporary Christian music since it began back in the early 70's.  Folks like Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Honeytree, Pat Terry, Resurrection Band, Petra, Degarmo and Key, Servant and many others didn't have to take a back seat to anyone as far as I was concerned.  One of the very earliest Jesus groups, Love Song decided to get together and do a reunion tour with Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel.  Wow!  They were coming to the church I've called home for 26 years, Crossroads Church of Denver.  Pastor Tom and Maryellen Stipe were very much a part of what became known as the Jesus movement in the late 60's and early 70's.  Much of that movement and the music we now refer to as contemporary Christian Music had its roots in Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California.

My son-in-law Eric is pastor of a Calvary Chapel in Colorado Springs.  Love Song and Pastor Chuck were going to visit there the night before Crossroads, so I went there to enjoy them for two straight nights.  You'd think I was a groupie in another life the way I basked in the fun of those two nights.  But the absolute highlight was getting to have dinner with Pastor Chuck.  Pastor Chuck Smith is a man who I probably have more respect for than any other besides my own Dad.  If only I wasn't such a drooly mouthed dunce and could have put together a few more intelligent sentences while I had the chance with such a tremendous man of God.  But those of you who know me know that I'm not the most eloquent.  What do you expect from someone who has to make up words like burlap-ish to describe a particular architectural finish to his clients?  Oh well.  Pastor Chuck will definitely never remember me, but I'll always remember dinner with him.

As I mentioned 2010 had its tough times in addition to the joy.  The very same time that Love Song was arriving to sing in Denver, my brother-in-law Jim Wells took a turn for the worse and had to be admitted to University Hospital in Denver for brain surgery and the beginning of chemotherapy.  He would not fully recover, and the chemo was mostly ineffective.  He died just a couple months later.  Our only comfort was hearing him tell us that he in fact had trusted Jesus to be his savior and the fact that his suffering didn't last for a long time.  We know that we will see him again.

We've also heard that after many years of marriage, some dear friends are going through a tough time and are thinking of calling it quits.  God is faithful through it all and can restore wounded hearts and make things whole.  Whatever the future may bring in their lives, our hearts are with them, and we know that God will get them through a difficult time.

I wonder what 2011 will bring.