I'm here in CO Springs. Ali Page's wonderful mom, Tammy, got me an unbelievable deal to stay in the Broadmoor Hotel.  What a treat.

While here, Andrew, Gary, Tom and I met and talked and prayed over how our covenant with one another is doing and how we're going to raise up a generation of radical young Jesus-followers.  Later, we hung out with a few of those radical guys, my son, Seth, Andrew Maas, and Kyle Crimi.

Gary's dad, Dwayne, and I also met to discuss his company, Horizon.  He has such amazing prospects that, if only half of them are realized, the book about his business career is sure to be a bestseller.

The main thing I have to report is that  covenantal relationships are hard work!  Three years ago, somewhat impetuously, sensing something we couldn't understand (but that we knew we could only discover together), we made a promise to one another.  We drank a toast and said we'd always be there for one another and that together we'd seek the dream of a generation that would bring hope to a dark world.

We had no clue about what lay before us.  We didn't really give much thought to the fact that we'd be dragging our wives and children along with us into this mysterious thing called "covenant."  We didn't really consider how hard it would be to do it living in four different states.  And we didn't understand how our own brokenness would get in the way.

We've sacrificed a lot of time and expended a lot of effort to dive into one another's lives.  We've all wanted to give up.  Often our wives think we're crazy.  This thing is so counter-culture in America, land of the free, home of the brave.  We have no good points of reference other than the Bible.

And yet, we choose to believe.  We know that there is magic in it.  We know that just the example makes an important statement to those following us.  How can we preach community and covenantal commitment if we don't live it?  So we press in with blood, sweat and tears.

And along the way, we're finding that it's one of the greatest gifts God has ever given any of us. Do you have covenantal relationships in your life - one's that really stretch you and move you to greatness?  If not, let me suggest asking God about it and making it an objective.