NEXT

So maybe you have been all excited about going to NEXT this year and at the last minute you can’t go. Maybe it just didn’t fit into the budget this year or you had a trip to Paris over Memorial Day weekend (If you do, have a great time and send me a post card). Or maybe you just know some folks that won’t be able to join us at NEXT this year. What do you do? Here are some quick thoughts what to do if can’t make it to NEXT….

1. Check out the website.  At http://www.thisisNEXT.org we are going to be keeping things up to date during the conference at the website so drop by and check out what’s going on (besides lack of sleep and lots of coffee). Stephen Altrogge will be keeping everyone up to date on Twitter and Josh Fenska will be keeping everyone up to date on FaceBook.
2. Pray for friends by name.  A great way I have found to participate in a conference like this I can’t attend is to pray specifically for people I know and then ask them later how the conference affected them. Pray has such a huge affect on our lives don’t underestimate its power! So lets be praying big prayers!
3. Listen to the Messages.  So after the whole gig is up and everyone goes home, all the messages (and cool application videos) are going to be posted online. So download the messages and then find someone that went talk about the message… sure to have great discussions
4. Loose sleep.  Since the rest of us will be loosing well most of our sleep this week, you can sufferings of the your brothers/Sisters by skipping some nap time too. Seriously maybe take one night over the weekend and spend some time searching the Lord instead of just chill’n. Pull out that book that has been on your “list” and read it! Pray about it and just seek the face of God. It is awesome that we don’t have been at a conference to experience the Power and Presence of God!
5. Fast.  Yes gentlemen not eating a meal…. I know it is tough but you can do it. I have found fasting to be one of the most powerful ways I have encountered God. And don’t feel like you need to do a 3 day thing…. Take the meal you love the most and just decide to “skip it” and instead spend time in prayer before God…. 
6. Keep up with friends.  It is awesome we live in this tech world so lets use it. If you can’t make NEXT this year, text friends that are going to check out how God is meeting them or hit them up on Facebook or follow the Tweets….
7. Have a NEXT party.  I am sure there people in network friends that also aren’t going to NEXT so give a shot and have a “I am not going to NEXT” party (original I know but I am an engineer not a creative genius). Focus the party on one aspect of God that we are hitting up this year at NEXT and spend some time just chill’n and talking about that aspect of God
8. Go fishing.  Okay that has nothing to do with NEXT but I still think it is a solid suggestion…. If I wasn’t able to go that is one of things I would do, standing in stream fly-rod in hand pulling out some trout…  nothing is better

Well that is all I got…. For those of you who can’t make it this year, we are going to miss ya’ll but hopefully see ya NEXT year (sorry for the pun). And to all that are going…. I will see ya’ll in 8 days! It is going to be a blast!