Horseshoe Canyon Ranch Climbing Summer

August 20, 2013

Horseshoe Canyon Ranch Climbing Summer

(Jeremy working Dancing Outlaw 5.9+)

"This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." John 15:12-13

There were several good conversations had on our climbing trip to Horseshoe this past weekend...but the quote that stood out the most; the one that resonated with me was:

"Jesus comes down here, and meets us at our need..." Rod Gilbert, via his Sermon on the Crag!

Rod was explaining to us a book he read about personality profiles and how each one of us, depending on our personality, have different needs that have to be met to feel like were loved (or something like that...). In our relationships with others...we need to speak their language, show interest in their cause, and genuinely pursue their ambitions to let that person know you love them. The thing is, we all have different needs, and they all look so different: spiritual, emotional, physical, etc, etc, etc...So how do we do this? How do we love accordingly? How do we meet the needs of others?

This led me to Jesus. How does the person who knows how to love best...love others? Jesus tells us to love each other like he loves us, right? How does Jesus love each one of us? How does he show his love for us? How can he teach me to love like he loves?

Jesus tells us there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for a friend! And yes, Jesus did just that! He loved us so much, he went to the cross for us, sacrificed himself, and died so You and I can have Life! So here's our first example of love: Sacrifice. Now, truth be told, chances are we may not have to die for someone, however there are ways to practice sacrificial love. So before we can love accordingly, we first have to sacrifice (lay down our lives) ourselves. We have to put our goals, our agendas, our ambitions, our plans, and our thoughts aside...We have to die to ourselves and practice sacrificial love: Listening, encouraging, giving, etc...Jesus loved us by putting us ahead of him. It is his attitude:

^"Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had:

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges,
he took the humble position of a slave,
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God,
and died a criminal’s death on a cross." Phillipians 2:3-8

So how does Jesus love us? He's selfless, is humble, thinks more of us than he does himself (this one's crazy to me by the way...He is God!), and looks out for our interest. But what strikes me most in this passage is what Jesus gives up to be with us. He gives up his divine privelages. He gives up being God just to love, serve, and save us! If this doesn't blow your skirt up, nothing will (paying homage to Dr. Ron!)!

So after giving up his privelages, he was born and appeared in human form, then obediently died on the cross to meet our needs! This is why we call Him:

The Light: When your in a dark place
The Way: In need of direction
Commander: Because we need to be led
Counselor: In need of council
Hope: In times of desperation
Comforter: When in pain
Healer: When sick
Rock: In need of solid foundation
Advocate: When need help to fight
Mediator: In need of intercession
Redeemer: In need of redemption
Rabbi: In need of a teacher
Strength: In need of power
Bread of life: In need of spiritual food
Living Water: In need of true life.
Friend: We're always in need of one.
Savior: In need of salvation!

and 200 other names he goes by in the bible.

Jesus has all these names, because as Rod put it, "Jesus comes down here, and meets us at our need." So how do we love one another like Jesus loves us?

We lay down our lives...we become selfless, putting others before ourselves, take interest in others and their passions/pursuits while taking on the attitude of Jesus. When we can do this, we will be able to meet needs, and love people how they were meant to be loved! Now your speaking their language!

(Me sending Road Hog 5.10a)

What: Horseshoe Canyon Ranch (HCR) Climbing Trip
Who: Irene Lee, Jeremy Hendrix, Jess and Rod Gilbert, and Me
When : 8/16-8/18/13

(Jess sending Gimp and Wheezer 5.10a)

There is not much of a trip report...We just simply climbed. We climbed at North 40 wall, Mr. Magoo Rock, and over on the West Side (Formerly known as the Confederate Cracks area). The weekend was perfect. Highs in the mid 70's and lows were in the upper 50s. The rest of the blog post will be a photo collage of the weekend.

(Irene working Man Servant 5.9+)

(Me sending Dancing Outlaw 5.9+)

(Jeremy sending Season of the Storm 5.10a)

(Jeremy and I contemplating climbing this 45 ft route as an overnighter...but we decided to push through since we didn't have a portaledge to sleep on.)