It's Looking a Lot Like Christmas

Notice that I didn't quote the famous Christmas song...that would just be too easy. But with an early morning dusting of snow, it is looking a whole lot like Christmas is nearly here.

As I mentioned in my last blog, I absolutely love this time of year, and especially because of the beauty I see in my fellow members of the human race - at least the ones I am in personal contact with. Without a doubt this season brings out the best in many, many people, and I am grateful for it.

I was reflecting on this a bit today as we spent the day with my wife's side of the family, at least some of them anyway. Her siblings have managed to produce children who specialize in producing more children, it seems. Visits with the J clan are very crowded, energetic, a bit chaotic and tiring, but always very fun and full of love.

This year, for the first time in a long time, we did not make the trek across the Cascade mountains to the home of her sister, who in years past (due to having the largest house) has hosted the family get-togethers. With siblings, parents, children of siblings and children of the siblings' children we number in the mid-30s. Quite a crowd. But this is a year of transition. Big sister and her husband are trying to sell their house, so we can't be in there making a mess.

So instead, big brother and his wife, along with their youngest daughter and her hubby (and three cute kiddos) made the trek over to our side of the mountains to spend a "Pre-Christmas Christmas" at the home of their eldest daughter (& hubby and three kiddos).

Because schedules are what they are this year, we had a gift exchange this morning for the families present (and in absentia). What a hoot! Monday, all of us will have a traditional Christmas gift time with our own little family units, but this was "THE BIG ONE" for the extended family and a great time. I never tire of seeing the faces of the little ones light up as they open yet another toy and shriek with excitement! Seemingly forgetting the toy they just shrieked about a minute or two earlier.

Yeah. Christmas is all about giving. Our Lord gave us hope for eternal life in heaven by coming to earth in human form - in the most humble and helpless form possible. A baby, born in a manger and wrapped in humble cloth. I still think that gift, which shook the world and which led directly to the ultimate sacrifice that would change the universe, has generated a ripple effect that crosses time and space to touch us all in this season.

I also believe that if we will pay attention and attune ourselves, as some I know have. We can feel it every day of the year. It's the reason people perform random acts of kindness, wait politely in a long line and treat the clerk with a courteous, respectful smile instead of complaining. It's why we choose to prefer others before ourselves. It's why we give. It's why we love. And the cool part is...some of us even know why - so we do it consciously and with purpose - following the example, as best we can, of the ultimate giver of good gifts.

Merry Christmas, and God bless us - every one!

'Tis the Season...

The photo at right is a still image from the new movie, The Nativity Story, which I haven't seen yet, but intend to this weekend. From what I've read it is a pretty faithful account of the birth of Jesus, as told in the Gospels. I can hardly wait to see it for myself.
I've been thinking about the season and the yearly controversy over whether retailers should greet us with "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." To me, it's not such a big deal because it is a season of several holidays. For me, it's Merry Christmas, thank you.
I love Christmas. There is no denying that something about this season brings out the best in many people.
Oh, sure, there are a few "Scrooges" around, and curmudgeons. There are also people who, through no fault of their own, suffer profound depression at this time of year as it often emphasizes and/or magnifies a loss they've suffered. I feel for them, deeply, and pray for their healing whenever I encounter them. But for the most part this is, as I said before, a season that brings with it much good.
Why is that? I have many extended family members, in my family and through marriage, who don't have a clue who Jesus really is and, frankly don't want to know. But even the ones who most hostile to any mention of God or Jesus find themselves almost inexplicably drawn to acts of generosity and kindness. They find themselves being more patient and kind and so excited for Christmas day, when they can see if they've guessed right and blessed their loved ones with "just the right gift."
Could it be that we are all responding to the spiritual shock waves of the greatest gift ever given, around 2000 years ago? Could it be that the God of the universe, in giving His only Son created such a splash in the time/space continuum that the ripples lift us each year to a higher than normal awareness of the Spirit of giving that emanates from that gift? For it was indeed a magnificent gift, and one that was given by God the Father, Jesus Himself, and the Holy Spirit. A three-fold expression of the ultimate gift by the triune God simply has to have ramifications, don't you think?
I don't really have any answers to this quandary, but I love to think about the mental picture it gives me, an image of huge ocean waves of grace, mercy, kindness, generosity, and love washing through the universe, lifting the the cork of earth upon which we sit and, just for a moment, allowing nearly everyone to experience the joy of giving for the sake of giving.
Merry Christmas, and God bless us, every one!

What's the Buzz?

When I was in high school I was really into sound tracks from Broadway musicals. Not Oklahoma! so much, it was more like Jesus Christ, Superstar and Godspell.

Both of these shows were, and probably still are, highly controversial in the Christian community. They were, after all, extremely secular, different looks at the life of Jesus. But I really liked the music. I played those albums over and over again. Yeah, you read that right. When I was in high school we bought albums - on vinyl, or 8-Tracks or the newest game in town...CASSETTES! Yeah, baby!

Anyway, I was sitting here thinking about the fact that sometimes you just don't what to make of your life. You end up praying prayers like, "Okay, Lord, what is going ON here!" To quote one of the songs from Superstar, we might pray, "What's the buzz? Tell me what's happenin'." And that's precisely where I'm at today. What's the buzz, God? Please tell me what is happenin' so I can do what I see my Father doing. Please show me Your plan - not the whole thing, cuz that would be cheating - just show what I need to do right here, right now.

I don't have that answer yet, and that's okay because the one thing I never question anymore is that God is good and He has got my back. When things are swirling around me and chaos seems to be gaining the upper hand I am learning to just take a step back, pray, breathe, and rest in the arms of my loving, Father, who has everything under control.

Birthdays

What is it about birthdays that make us take stock of our lives. Birthdays and the beginning of a new year has this effect on me every year. I have to tell you that I feel like the most blessed man on God's green earth as I look at turning another year older tomorrow, the 3rd. I have a great life. I am married to the best woman you could hope for. She's kind, loving, smart, just a little mischievous, and beautiful. I have a job that provides well for us and I like the work. I have a safe, warm house, a fun car to drive, and, well...you get the picture.

I just thank God for it all, because it hasn't all been roses, this life. Nope. And, truthfully, it's not all roses now, but with God's help I am learning more every day about seeing His hand at work and taking joy in everything. I am learning the truth of James admonition to "count it all joy, my brothers, when you suffer trials." Getting older and the bones ache a little more, it takes longer to recover from vigorous activity, but you know. I wouldn't anybody anything.

God is so good. And, by the way...I'm turning 48. Yeah.

My Little Window to the World

Those of you who know me well, know that I am an unabashed fan of Macintosh computers and, most things Apple produces, truth be told. I often wonder about this strange turn of events because for years I was an Apple-basher. I would often remark to Mac users, "Get a real computer, will ya!" And now, here I am getting those same snide remarks from my Windows-toting friends. Hmm..

So why did this happen? It really boils down to this, I think. I worked a few years on a PC support Help Desk, answering phones, going out to do hands-on field work to solve software issues and the like. During that period I started "playing" with a Mac. Just to learn something new. No harm in that, right? Boy. I had no idea what trouble I was getting myself into.

I found out what long-time Mac users have always known. For the most part, Macs just work. There is very little you need to do to keep a Mac running in tip-top shape. It's nothing like owning a PC. It's...almost effortless. Now, don't get me wrong. Macs have stuff that goes wrong too, just any man-made machine. They aren't perfect, but they are by far the best marriage of computer hardware and software I have ever had the pleasure of using.

I am writing this on our only home computer, a PowerBook G4. That's a laptop for you PC fanboys. A laptop with a gorgeous 17" widescreen. Sweet. Very much like the one in the picture, except that the picture is a 17" MacBook Pro. One of the new Intel-based Macs.

If you like the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads the whole collection is found on the link provided above. Enjoy!

Kitchen Project

Where do I start? It's been quite a while since I had both time and inclination to write in this space. I'm not sure why, but I think at least part of it is the busy schedules, both personal and professional, that have contributed to my inattentiveness.

In the time since I last wrote an entry, we have finished the construction phase of the everlasting kitchen remodel. All that's left is to buy a couple of new appliances, which can wait since what we're replacing still works...mostly. ;-) Yep, all the tile is up, the new countertops is done, new sink and new faucet. A new laminate floor replaces the 20+ year-old vinyl flooring that was peeling up. Old cabinets that were stripped to wood and repainted and hung with new hinges and hardware. We also trimmed the doors out in a shaker style with bead board on the bottom doors. You can't see it in this picture, but on the wall opposite the cabinets, we also installed bead board wainscoting and chair rail molding. Looks pretty good, if I do say so. And, no, we didn't do all the work ourselves. We hired pros to do the drywall tape/texture, countertops, sink and fixtures. The rest...we did with the advice and greatly appreciated help from friends who've been there, done that.

We are so happy to have a bright, "new" kitchen to work in. It makes cooking and entertaining our friends so much more pleasant. Next stop...paint the exterior trim. Not terribly impressive, except when you consider we have a two-story house and I have very short arms. Lots of ladder moves and LOTS of climbing up and climbing down. First to prep, then to paint. (A motorized, lift is starting to sound better and better...)

Our next construction project is the upstairs bathroom. Not a huge project, really, just having our tape-&-texture guy come in to repair some "oops" and finish out the new drywall I put up recently. We are toying with the idea of ripping up the floor and replacing it with the same type of tile we put up in the kitchen to warm up the room (with a floor warming unit underneath, natch). We'll replace the sink too, since the current one is cracked.

After that, we will put some additional recessed lights in the already-exposed ceiling of our basement to brighten things up (along with some paint, I suppose). I think we've agreed to call it quits on projects in this house after the basement is done. We are working toward saving up to buy and sell a "flip" now that we've had so much practice and then...a new home of our own. Definitely a rambler. Definitely set up for having our friends over...yes you're invited. :)

Blessings to you and yours.

Tooth and Fang

This post is just for fun! My wife recently had a very strange thing happen to her car. She was visiting a friend who lives in a rural county, up on a small mountain, in northern Washington state. Evidently sometime during the night or morning hours as she was sleeping safely in the house, some kind of critter decided to use her passenger side bumper as a chew toy. I've greatly reduced the size of the images, so hopefully they won't overtax your connection...but I couldn't resist posting all of them.




Is that freaky or what? And no, there was no food being stored in the car.

Summer Saturdays

It's another Saturday - one of my favorite days of the week. My absolute favorite is Sunday, but Saturday is great, too. I love sleeping in and it's my only sleep-in day. I love doing little projects, especially on no particular rush or timetable. I love picnics in the park, to which we are headed this afternoon. I love the relaxed pace of life on the weekends.

You may have perceived it already, but I am definitely not a "Type A" personality. Nope. I am a sanguine. One who, left to my own devices, would spend my days pursuing relaxation and fun. I could very easily slip into "island style" living. If you haven't been to any of the Hawaiian or Caribbean islands, you may not be able to relate to that term. Spending a week or two on the coast regions would give you an idea, but it's not quite the same thing.

There is a deep something in the tropical air that simply begs you to relax, slow down, and enjoy the moment. Simple things like sunsets, the feel of the sand between your toes, the refreshing feel of a warm ocean current - oh yeah. That's the life for me. Yet, here I am in the near-desert climate of southeastern Washington state...and I am content.

I know I can drive for a few hours and be near the Pacific, I've been to Maui and plan to go back as soon as possible. Actually, I could probably live in Maui except for one simple fact. My church, my family and my friends are here. In the end, that's what keeps me here. I love the relationships Di and I have so much that location has become secondary.

Maybe that's a little taste of what Paul talked about when he said he'd learned to be content in all circumstances. The deep intimacy he had with his Maker and with his fellow believers was all he needed. His location and the circumstances became "background noise" that faded into utter unimportance.

What a great place to be.

The End of the Spear

Last night we watched a movie on DVD. We knew the basics of the story, but few of the details. The movie, The End of the Spear, is so powerful. If you haven't seen it, please do so as soon as possible. Buy it. You'll want to see it again and again. Seriously.
I have rarely been so moved by a motion picture. The background for this story is well known to Christians, but is most often told from the perspective of Elisabeth Elliot, Jim Elliot's widow. This movie takes a whole new perspective on an already powerful history. This is more of a story of two boys whose lives become bound by a single event. Without giving away too much of the plot, you see how two lives from completely different worlds intersect and both are changed forever.
I don' t mean this to be a movie review, instead I want to share the way the this movie has touched me. I was startled at the violence of the Waodani tribe. They lived (still live, actually) in a very dangerous place. There are all kinds of critters there who wouldn't mind having Waodoni for a meal, so there's plenty of reason to be fierce and tough. You'd have to be just to survive. What really got to me was that the very thing that allowed them to survive this harsh world became their greatest weakness. They had absolutely no mercy on anyone or anything that harmed one of their own. Thus, revenge killings became a way of life. A cycle of violence that was leading them to extinction.
I was struck by the similarities in our modern world. You can't look at the Middle East closely and not see the same cycle being repeated by the Islamic fanatics who seem to have taken over the culture there. There is absolutely no respect for human life. No boundaries on what they are willing to do to kill in order to satisfy their sense of justice. It's as if the entire culture has gone mad - they seem to have lost the ability to reason. All perspective is warped by the lens of hate so that they seem incapable of even a semblance of civility.
I am left with the amazing realization that Jesus died for such as these. He bore our sins on the cross so that they may live eternally with Him. And He has given we who love Him the commandment to love them. To plead for their salvation before the Throne of God. To intercede for them with compassion and love.
How can we do this? It seems so hopeless and naive. But it is His command and He has supplied the way...He's given us the Holy Spirit and invited us to abide in Him so we can see as He sees, and love as He loves.
A tall order, and it's one that I am still working on...probably for the rest of my life, but I don't see any other options given in the Scripture. How about it folks? Are we willing to pray? Are we willing to go and die if that is our calling?
Watch the movie. It may change your answer...or deepen your commitment to say, "Here I am, send me."

Unity

My friends and I have recently finished teaching a Streams 101 Starter School in a beautiful little town called Goldendale. Smallish town, somewhat isolated and so peaceful. I taught three units this time and in two of them a major theme is unity among the brethren. As I mentioned my last blog I am becoming somewhat obsessed with this idea of unity in the church.
I grew up in a mainstream denomination that, during the 60's and 70's when I was growing up (yes, I am that old Emily ) was wrestling with the idea that God might even be dead. Well, the academics in the seminaries and the "upper tier" leadership were wrestling with it. My mom & dad and our small-town church had no such doubts. There was, I am afraid, a distinct lack of bible training in my Sunday school experience, especially after grade school and almost none when I got high school youth group.
After a relatively brief, but intense period as a hedonist (post high school) I started seeking a relationship with God. I found a bible study that promised to open my understanding of Revelations to me, which excited me. It turned out to be a recruiting tactic for a group of believers who, well, let's just say I couldn't support many of their more emphatic belief structures and let it go at that. Many of the people I met had, I imagine still have, a genuine love for Jesus, so I am not willing to judge them. I just couldn't buy in to the movement so I moved on...to nothing. At least not for a while.
Eventually I found this cool little church just down the street from the rental my new bride and I were living in. They had just hired a new pastor and were so excited to have reached 100 people attending a couple of weeks in a row. Yep, a small church in a cinder block building, much like the one I grew up in. This church however, centered everything they did on the bible. Learning to live every day by the Word of God. That was what their sign said, and it was true. What a great bunch of sincere God-loving, people. This was no fire breathing, get-saved-or-die-tomorrow church. These folks were warm, loving, and it was a place of healing and growth for us. My wife became a Christian shortly after we started attending and life was very, very good.
The church grew. And grew. We built a new sanctuary, converting the offices to Sunday School rooms and offices. We built additional square footage for Sunday School space and almost by the time it was built, we had outgrown our "new" building. So we rented a nearby school auditorium. Adults met for two services there, while the kids took over the entire facility - and it grew.
Eventually the green light was given to begin building a huge (by our community's standards, anyway) new church. And a funny thing happened. During that building project, my eyes were opened to a realm of Christianity I hadn't known existed. Through a series of events one could only say were God-directed (for they are too strange and convoluted to be of human invention) I became aware that the little voice in my head that I had heretofore called intuition might just be God speaking to me.
Now THAT freaked me out, as it may be freaking some of my friends from that church out, but hang in there for a bit while I explain. You see, I began to experience a new intensity when I prayed. When I really listened to that voice while praying for people, words would spill from my mouth that directly addressed a situation or issue in that person's life with such accuracy that they often have a physical and/or emotional reaction. What was strange to me is that there was absolutely no way I could have known about that situation or issue in the natural course of events. It was uncanny..and yet it brought emotional healing, comfort and/or encouragement, so I am sure it was God. The fruit was good (see Matthew 7:17-19).
And that led to my leaving that wonderful church. I still love that church, but it didn't support my newfound experience. The leaders subscribed to something called dispensational theology. I wasn't really sure what that was, nor am I entirely sure I understand it now (I plan to make a study of it in the upcoming weeks or months), but I do know that all of sudden I didn't fit into their mold. I was something of a freak. No one was rude about it. You must understand, I was not treated badly. People just weren't sure what to do with me. My definition of what God does and will do had changed into something that didn't fit. Theologically correct or not, I knew what I was experiencing was real and it was God. I had to go. Fortunately, I was called to go to someplace rather than just leave someplace.
I was called to help plant a new church, Desert Rock Fellowship. We were modeling this new church to be an independent, evangelical, charismatic church. We were inspired by a book called The Word and Power Church by Douglas Bannister. This was the pastor of a large evangelical church who had to deal with a supernatural experience in God, and how he lead this large church into an acceptance, no, an embrace of the flow of God's Spirit in their church. It fit who our core group of pioneers were, mostly ex-Baptists who had experienced too many of the supernatural aspects of God to accept the conventional wisdom that the spiritual gifts died with the last apostle.
And now, through circumstances beyond my control, I find myself in another small church, the Three Rivers Bridge Christian Fellowship (and it's only that short because they ran out of relevant adjectives ). As you might guess we simply call it The Bridge, not to be mistaken for the local tavern of the same name. :) I find myself pursuing certification to teach courses from a ministry founded in the prophetic, learning to interpret dreams by the Spirit of God, and then taking that experience to the street to give the lost a "God touch" of love and encouragement, and guess what. It's awesome!
It's more than a little strange sometimes, but always strange in ways that bring us closer to Jesus. Creativity has been released in new ways and is actively sought out. New paintings, sketches, dances, sculptures, songs, and yes...blogs have found life because of this enthusiastic embrace of the creative spirit of our Creator!
So how does all that relate to unity? Simple. I've come to understand that many in the body of Christ take great delight in trashing the reputations and doctrine of those with whom they disagree. The internet abounds with with I call "Gatekeeper" websites, inviting anyone and everyone to participate in the public denunciation of any doctrine with which the orthodoxy had declared unsound. I've read books that trash the Charismatic movement because of emotional excesses that left out solid doctrine. Guess what. That happened, unfortunately. And guess what else. God is a God of GRACE. He forgives. He loves. He corrects first in gentleness and only when we willfully, stubbornly refuse to change does he correct us more sternly. In many case, by withholding a measure of His protection around us, allowing us to suffer the natural consequences of our foolishness.
My plea is this. Brothers and sisters, whether you believe in the current operation of the Spiritual gifts or not...LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Stop the backbiting, snide, mean-spirited criticism of your fellow Christians. Just stop it. Take your complaint with your brother's doctrine to the Judge and let Him sort it out. Do you not believe that God is big enough and sovereign enough to correct His church? If not, your God is too small. The truth is that He is more than big enough to correct those who are out of line. Let Him do it. Let's concentrate on fulfilling Jesus command to love one another so that the world might know we are His. Wouldn't all that energy be better spent on loving and winning the lost?
Think about it. Search the Scriptures. I think you'll find that the keepers of doctrine were more often than not the Pharisees, who missed the whole truth of who Jesus was because they were so busy jealously guarding the word, when the Word, stood before them in the flesh.

Restoration

Restoration has been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe the fact that we've been restoring and remodeling our old house for the last few years has influenced me. Yeah, probably. But there is much more on my mind than a newer looking kitchen (uh, yeah the year-long kitchen remodel is finally drawing to a close...picking out, and putting up the tile backsplash is all that's left - whew).

Actually, I really got on a restoration frame of mind when listening to an awesome young man preach a couple of weeks ago. Yeah, you know him. One of the things that really stood out to me was his uncommonly good common sense about dogma. I was totally captured by the idea that we believers in Christ are absolutely horrible at loving one another with His grace. Just to be clear, that's not what Jason said, it's the thought I had when he talked about Matthew 7:1 - you know the verse, "Do not judge..."

Wouldn't it be cool if the body of Christ could all just get along? I am not advocating that everyone meet in the same building with the same style of worship and same service. No, no, no. Keep your identity and power to you. I just want not to be judged for how I choose to worship, dress, express my beliefs. That's all. I am not telling you you have to believe every word I speak, I am simply asking you to listen with the same grace Jesus gave to His disciples.

Think about it. Jesus' closest disciples, the 12, had all kinds of screwy ideas about who He was, what He was about and were in a near constant state of amazement at His radical ministry. Yet He corrected them with love, mercy and grace. Even when His words seemed a little harsh, there was such love behind them that instead of being angry they simply repented and came around as best as they could.

Wouldn't it be great if "charismatic" or "evangelical" or "Pentecostal" stopped bringing with them all kinds of baggage and criticism by those who consider it their sworn duty to be gatekeepers of the truth? Don't the gatekeeper websites and books sound an awfully lot like the Pharisees of Jesus day? They too, were the learned religious scholars of their day. And they completely missed the day of their visitation.

Let's not miss it, shall we? Let's build bridges of love and grace and leave the tired old dogma behind.

Just Thinkin'

I am guessing that everyone who reads this blog knows me at some level or they wouldn't be here. With that in mind, I feel the freedom to spend a little time just downloading my thoughts here, whether it's profound thinking or not. I know there is love and abundant grace and for that I am eternally grateful.

I've been reading and doing my prep for an upcoming course I am teaching, 101 - The Art of Hearing God developed by John Paul Jackson and Streams Ministries. I love this course. I love the way it changed my life and the way I see it changing the lives of those to whom I've had the privilege to teach it. This will be, God willing, my last Starter School. For those who aren't sure, that means that I am a "Teacher Trainee" so I teach classes for which no tuition is charged, although the Student Notes must be purchased to take the class. It's a great way to take the class at less expense and an equally great way to learn how to teach the class. Everybody wins...most of the time. :)

One of the things I like to do to prepare is listen to CD's of John Paul teaching the first Teacher Training and hearing the deep insights for why a particular topic is emphasized and when this insight came to him, and how the Lord has worked in his experience to reveal the principles, concepts and actions presented in the course. There are such gems of truth in this material. Such profound insight. Yeah, I love it. I love it because every time I review the material I see something that hits home. I do a lot of repenting and clean up when I study to teach this course. Wow, the material is convicting.

It is also edifying and encouraging to note that everyone struggles to follow God well. Everyone. I love God with all I am and yet I find myself struggling to keep my appointments with Him. I struggle sometimes to make time to just "sit at His feet and listen" as Mary did when Jesus visited her house. In the past, I've been prone to beat myself up pretty badly over my lack of discipline, and sometimes I still do, but I am getting over that. One of the most freeing concepts I've ever gotten hold of is that God is into progress, not performance. I love the phrase (thank you Jim Driscoll), "We need to learn to get good at doing things badly."

It's not that I purposely go out of my way to do things badly, just the opposite in fact. I strive for excellence in all that I do. But the idea I've caught hold of is that like the kind, gracious, loving Father He is, God loves me just for trying to follow Him well, whether I am a stunning failure or a smashing success. He loves me for loving Him enough to try. There's FREEDOM in that concept. Grab it!

So here's to doing things badly (like writing a coherent blog entry). Go forth and fail...or succeed...but go forth!

Stick to Your Ribs!

Ah...nothing like the taste of ribs that are cooked just right! Can you guess what I had for dinner tonight? :)

Yep, I am sitting here, hours after the fact, basking in the warm glow of a huge beef ribs dinner and you know, I can't think of a single profound thought to record. So here's my first "throwaway" blog...well if you don't count my first blog when I found myself unintentionally creating a blog in the first place. ;) We had dinner with my wife's mom and her husband to celebrate my Mother-in-law's birthday, which happens to be tomorrow, the same day as my sons. What are the odds?

Happy birthday Jan and Branden!

Have you ever wondered what makes something funny? I don't mean just a little funny, I mean universally, rib-splitting, gut-busting funny. Guffawing, snort-inducing, hold your gut and shed tears funny. Me too. There seems to be a pattern to things that make us laugh. Playwrights, screenplay writers, and a few stand-up comics seem to have figured it out. There are body language cues, there specific types of movement in an area, facial expressions, and spoken language. For instance, have you ever noticed that clowns...well trained ones anyway...always move in circular, rounded movements? Hah, I didn't think so! Why is that? Well, that one I actually know the answer to. It's because straight lines aren't funny - they are commanding, so they are used to show aggression. Rounded paths to a destination are "soft" and therefore more likely to be funny and put an audience at ease. It's hard to laugh when you're tense.

I have no idea why I thought that was important enough to share with you, but there ya go.

Blessings...and remember, if you want to be funny walk in circles! :)

Monday, Monday

Well, it was definitely a Monday in every sense of the word. I spent most of the day doing the least fun part of my job (for me, any way) working on budget stuff. It comes with the job as a manager, but at heart, I am still just an instructor. I still love teaching more than any other part of my job. I love watching the light go on in someone's eyes when the concept or skill I am telling or showing "clicks" and they get it. The excitement, the sense of accomplishment...yeah I dig it.

Have you ever wondered how Monday got such a terrible reputation? I mean really. It's just another day of the week, by most calendars, it's the second day of the week. But because it's the first day in many peoples' work week (or school week for my young friends), it has come to stand for the drab and dreary. The hard to get over. The "everything will go wrong" day. The "oh, please don't make me get out of bed" day. I'm not sure when these attitudes made their way into my conciousness, but there they are and I deal with them every Monday. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I was at work doing manager-weinie stuff, and I found, to my great delight that I had money in the budget that I thought had been lost. It was there a few weeks ago, then gone, then today we were able to track down where it went and I am getting it back. Woo hoo! This is wonderful because it was set aside for completing a project that I thought I was going to have to scrap or work on free time to finish. God is so good. Yes, you read that right. I am saying God is good, because I firmly believe it was His plan for me to find that money. Why? Because it gave me the boost I needed to make Monday a happy day in spite of many things going wrong.

Sometimes Mondays aren't so bad after all. Just don't tell Garfield. :)

P.S. Bonus points for all who know the significance of the image without using Google! LOL

Lazy Sundays

I love Sunday afternoons. My wife and I have made it rule to reserve Sunday afternoons just for us. More often than not, that means a nap or just relaxing in one another's arms for a couple of hours. It's our time to recharge the batteries and get energized for the coming week.

Yeah, sometimes life stuff gets in the way. Whether we have an errand or two that can't wait or we are drawn to visit with friends or family, sometimes we miss our "nappy time." There's always a price to pay though, because as good as making connections with friends and family can be, and we truly treasure our relationships, we end up feeling like we've missed a vital part of our week if we miss our rest time. I've found over time that I tend to run out of energy by mid-week when we miss our Sunday rest times.

Today was not one of the busy days. In fact, I just got up from a nice long rest and I feel so relaxed and so ready for...well ready for ice cream, actually. Another one of our Sunday traditions is to skip "real food" for dinner and have ice cream. Sometimes it truly is the simple things in life that make it best.

So why was it worth the time and effort to capture and share these thoughts, you may be wondering. Well, I was lying in bed and couldn't help thinking of how many times the bible refers to marriage as a metaphor for God's desire for intimacy with us. Christ as bridegroom, the church as His bride. Intimate.

How is it that we miss that part? I mean, really. How often do you and I really, truly, in the deepest part of ourselves, know the connection and the sense of oneness and wholeness, that comes from a deep intimacy with God? How much more often do just skim the surface in our relationship with God. Satisfied with knowing Him at a distance, and believing that that's all there is or even should be. He is, after all, GOD. How can He possibly have time or interest to waste in pursuing such intimacy with with li'l ol' us'ns?

That's the rub. No honest person can be truly satisfied with such a distant relationship. Oh, it may feel more comfortable to fool yourself into thinking you are in control this way, but the truth is, we need that intimacy with the Spirit of God like we need air, food and water. It is woven into the very fabric of our being. Ted Dekker, in his Circle series, calls it the Great Romance. And that's what it is. God is calling us, wooing us, wanting to lavish His love upon us.

I, for one, am all for this pursuit of the Great Romance. It's what lazy Sunday afternoons have come to represent to my wife and I, and it's what kindles the fire I talked about in my last entry. That passionate, newlywed bliss of a deep, intimate relationship with the One who knows us better than we know ourselves and loves us with a love deeper than the oceans, more vast than the universe. He knows all our flaws, and covers them with grace. He treasures us, cherishes us, holds us and sings His love songs over us. All we need to do is make the time be quiet with Him, resting in His rest, drinking in His peace and soaking up His presence...like a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Burn, baby burn!

I was reading Matthew 5 a couple of nights ago and verses 14-16 really jumped out at me. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
As I read v. 16, I stopped and pray fervently that God would shine brightly in me. During my prayer, an image of a camp lantern came to mind. As I focused on it, I was there in a forest setting, watching as a lantern was being lit. I could hear the rush of propane and see the match setting the mantle ablaze. The mantle glowed a yellow white for little while then the fuel was turned all the way up and the light was so white and so bright I couldn't look at it directly.

I looked up and saw the circle of light created by the lantern widen to several feet, then several yards, casting shadows among the trees. And it hit me...this was a picture of what me! I was that mantle.

Don't ya know that once a mantle has been used it becomes very fragile when not lit. It's very easy to destroy with only a slight touch. However, when it is filled with fuel and burning brightly it somehow becomes strong - as if the fuel racing through and being burned somehow also keeps it together.

The fuel is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit and the match, what sets us on fire is the love of Christ. We are so fragile when we aren't filled with the Spirit. It is that combination of the fire of our love for Christ and the fuel of the Holy Spirit that makes our lives bright, warm and oh, such a comfort in a dark forest.

In response, I cried out to be that filled, that brightly lit...burn, baby, burn!

Don't Ya Know...

Don't ya know, that things are rarely as easy as you think they're going to be. For instance, I really just wanted to add a commentary to a friend's blog, but guest commentaries aren't allowed on her blog so I had to create a user name and a blog of my own. Just to encourage a friend on her new blog. This is all your fault Nadine! :)

I had been considering this whole blog business since Nadine's hubby, my friend Tom started writing. I've so enjoyed the insights in his thinking that now I'm reading his posts nearly every day. I'm becoming a Tom-ite! (Gotcha! LOL!)

Anyway this post is really just filler to get my page up and running. When I have something profound to say, I'll post. Hmmm...maybe I'll just post anyway so goofy, profound...it's all good and fair game on this page.

Laters...