Life as it happens.
April 9th, 2010 Posted in My Journey, Picture Blog
Apr, 09 2010
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In a Box
April 6th, 2010 Posted in My Journey
Apr, 06 2010
It’s now official that i’ll be leaving Grace Hendersonville to head back to Fort Wayne, IN. Since this news has become public knowledge, I’ve had several people come up to me and share meaningful conversations about our time together over the past few years together. I joked with one friend that it’s a nice experience because it’s probably the closest most of us will ever get to being at our own funeral. People saying kind words from their heart can really move me.
It got me to thinking how sad that is though that in our culture, most of us don’t experience this nearly enough, kind words I mean. What are the statistics? Most people hear 14 negative comments for every 1 positive one? If only we could hear the kinds of words that are spoke about people when they leave or when they pass more often, who knows how it might effect us. It’s my hope to take more occasions to really tell people how much I appreciate them and why more often. Birthday’s are the perfect time in my opinion. Take a moment to truly celebrate the fact that the person is in your life for another year.
I came across this song by city and colour the other day that just really topped off the thoughts and feelings that I’d been having on this topic. The lyrics are below the youtube video.
There’s a funeral procession on the highway
Traffic screeches to a halt
There’s people searching for a better way
To live their lives, oh
Johnny lived a good life, you’ll hear them say
As tears of sadness soak the ground
The reaper crept in, took his breath away
In the middle of the night
We celebrate the lives of the dead
It’s like a man’s best party, only happens when he dies
We gather ’round to pay our respects
While their souls are still searching for the light
Searching for the light
So please don’t come to me on my dying day
Just let me go in peace
With all the things that I forgot to say
Racing through my mind
And don’t you bury me six feet under ground
Just burn my body in a box
And let my ashes blow with the wind
Out into the night sky
We celebrate the lives of the dead
It’s like a man’s best party, only happens when he dies
We gather ’round to pay our respects
While their souls are still searching for the light
Searching for the light
Brian McLaren's latest
April 3rd, 2010 Posted in Faith, My Journey
Apr, 03 2010
Chicken & Stuff Casserole
March 20th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized
Mar, 20 2010
4 cooked chicken breast cut into bit size pieces
(or 2 cans white and dark meat chicken)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1.5 cup milk
1 package pepperidge farm herb seasoned stuffing
1 cup chicken broth
1 stick butter meltedPut cooked chicken into 9×13 dish.
Pour over 2 cans of cream of chicken soup thinned and heated with the 1 1/2 cups milk.
Sprinkle generously with poultry seasoning.
Mix the stuffing with the chicken broth and butter and spoon over the top.
Bake 350 for about 30 min or until bubbly.If you like stuffing, this is pretty good. Not bad for a bachelor chef.
Cynical or Critical
March 19th, 2010 Posted in Future Plans, My Journey
Mar, 19 2010
I came upon an article from Men’s Health called ‘The Hazards of Cynicism: Why men fail” last week and I keep finding thoughts from the article resurfacing in my mind. Two thoughts in particular won’t seem to leave me alone. What is the real difference between cynical and critical thinking and have I allowed myself to become cynical in areas of my life.
The difference between critical and cynical was laid out well i thought by MacGetIT (I googled it).
Critical thinking is where you analyze a problem and determine a solution using cause and effect of various processes. You take “no sides” of an issue and movie forward with what’s best towrard a vision of what’s possible.
Cynical thinking is where you lack or do not take into consideration various aspects of a problem and consider all of alternatives to come to a logical and appropriate answer to a problem. A contemptuous or mocking attitude of various ideas or solution.
I consider myself a critical thinker and so I started to worry that maybe I’m cynical as well. I feel a bit better knowing that having a contemptuous or mocking characteristic is something I am usually able to avoid. That did lead me to wonder though were does that characteristic come from? Why are some people able to be critical without being cynical when others aren’t.
The men’s health article talked about cynicism coming from a broken heart. This is probably way too often true. That when we believe in something so great and then it lets us down, it can cause such heart break that hope is a hard thing to have again. To me, a life without hope is destined for cynicism.
So now I’m looking into my own life, as I hope you will into yours, and looking for areas that I lack hope and have let a thinking, critical mind become cynical. Keep hope alive and remember our best days are always ahead of us.
This is true joy in life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a might one, the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” – George Bernard Shaw
Life as it happens.
March 19th, 2010 Posted in Picture Blog
Mar, 19 2010
Las Vegas Plans!
March 17th, 2010 Posted in Las Vegas Wedding/Honeymoon
Mar, 17 2010
Does our (fb) status matter?
March 17th, 2010 Posted in My Journey
Mar, 17 2010
When i was growing up, they were called chain letters. Then they became forwards in emails. Now, they are facebook status updates.
If you love God, repost this in your status to prove that you do.
If you have a great daughter, repost this to your status to let them know.
I’m more of “this” than you are cause I post “this” in my status update.
I guess all i really wonder is if people repost these things because they actually think it’s achieving something. I’m sorry, but i don’t care how many times you post one of these updates, if you don’t go out and do something, it counts for nothing. You can join groups that support your cause, you can become a fan of something wonderful, but I hope that people realize that facebook and the internet are tools that allow us to make a difference, but joining these groups and posting this updates are not such tools.
If we want to make a difference, if we really care about a cause, our actions and our resources should be involved. Wether that is volunteering your time, giving of your money, or personally saying I love you, get out and do something.
It’s possible that many people post these things and then follow through and do them in real life. (aka. tell their loved ones how much they care or volunteer for a cause) Just a quick note to encourage all of us to live life for all we can and not allow a status update to cure of us of the guilt that comes when we haven’t done enough. Actions speak louder than words status updates.
Examine our lives, Celebrate our loved ones, and Drink deep with our actions.
Sick on St. Patty's. At least I got company.
March 17th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized
Mar, 17 2010
Hardship in Haiti
January 15th, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized
Jan, 15 2010
The tragedy in Haiti has been tough to witness. I visited Haiti in my early twenty’s for a mission trip and was moved by the people that I met and ministered to and with. I remember being struck that it was not like anything I had ever seen. I remember going to the market in Port-au-Prince and seeing the Presidential Palace. To see it in ruins is heart breaking. Even more disturbing to me though have been some of the comments that have been in the public forum about God’s hand in all this. There have been people claiming to know the mind of God and even more specifically to know God’s mind towards the Haitian people. To say that God is punishing Haiti for the sins of their ancestors is really appalling in my opinion.
It is logic like that that allows people to sit in their glamorous homes and not be moved by the plight of the poor. “They deserve it, it is their punishment,” or “they don’t have to live like that, their choices keep them there”. There are over 2000 verses in the New Testament alone dealing with the neglect of and caring for the poor and yet many are never moved to do anything to help those that are in need.
When we hurt, God hurts with us. God never promised our lives would be free of pain or trial. In fact there is much more evidence to the contrary. Looking at his disciples we can see that all were persecuted and died martyrs deaths as they followed their faith.
“In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” - John 16:33
It seems evident to me that no matter what happens in life, we will experience grief, pain, and hardship. God’s promise to us is that we will not go through it alone and that he will not allow what the enemy intends for evil to succeed in the long run. Even in tragedy, God will bring something beautiful from the ashes. In this horrible time, God’s love will be seen and known in the midst to bring strength and peace to people who are hurting. Will you find a way to be a part of what God is doing to minister to the people of Haiti?