I had almost forgotten that it's not bad to take a break. To let up for a little while. Aaron mentioned going for an extended stay home this Christmas holiday as none of us have really taken a rest from our responsibilities at the the church for a while. You can rest physically and then there's the "all the way" rest. To get away. That's what this week has been for us. I'm so thankful to my family that opened up their home here in Oregon so that we could have a cheap, fun, restful vacation. What's funny is that we've done quite a bit. So far I've...
Seen 3 movies
Been late to my niece's concert (because of traffic) but the evening was salvaged at a nice gelato/esspresso shop
Read a 734 pg. book
Been for walks with my pipe
Had great talks...even a nice debate.
Went to the Oregon museum of Science and Industry
Impulsively went to a Geoff Moore/PHIL KEAGGY! concert (awesome! Phil Keaggy is from space.)
Had the best Indian food of my life...Chicken Vindaloo. Oh my Gosh...it has changed my life.
Journaled, studied and gotten farther on a personal product
Had Burgerville twice...mmm...Tillimook Cheesburger and sweet potato fries
Had some great time with family
This is the kind of rest that has sunk down into my bones and gives me new perspective for my responsibilities at home. I'm a grateful man.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Monday, November 07, 2005
Fast and Pray
I’m not impressed with the streets or “street life” anymore. Created long ago, way under those streets is God’s good earth. It was there first. The “street” is a facade and I will no longer be impressed with it’s culture, menace or power. It is false.
Too many of my friends are under the sway of the “streets”. They feel there is no escape. They feel powerless to get up out of it’s grasp on their lives and I am sick of it.
Isaiah wept this week, so overcome with grief over his life. He doesn’t know why he can’t just get up out of the park and get over it. But it is too overwhelming for him to imagine something else for his life. He wants to change and is scared to death of change. “This ain’t me” he says, “I know what I need to do but I can’t seem to do it.”
Pearl used to be involved in the life and outreach of a church. She’s hooked on drugs and prostitutes herself on 9th street. She says getting to where she is now was one little step at a time and doesn’t see the way back. We offered her our help but fear and addiction keep her where she is.
Patti has let CPS take her children because of her drug use. She is so far inside herself that it is impossible to get a real human response from her. She cannot stop. She is powerless in her addictions. There are so many layers over her heart that she doesn’t even know who she is anymore. She is Gollum. She is almost a non-being. Her room is filth. She is abused and abuses.
For so long, our attitude toward the poor has been to say, “well, they got themselves into this mess and that’s that...there’s nothing we can do.” Good thing Jesus didn’t say that about us. He didn’t help us problem solve our way out of hell. We can’t pull our bootstraps up that far! HE SET US FREE!
“This kind comes not out but by prayer and fasting.” The words of Jesus. How else do we expect it to work? How can we pray if we do not know? How can we know if we are not there? How can we be there if we do not go?
"The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice. I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” Ez. 22:29-30
Too many of my friends are under the sway of the “streets”. They feel there is no escape. They feel powerless to get up out of it’s grasp on their lives and I am sick of it.
Isaiah wept this week, so overcome with grief over his life. He doesn’t know why he can’t just get up out of the park and get over it. But it is too overwhelming for him to imagine something else for his life. He wants to change and is scared to death of change. “This ain’t me” he says, “I know what I need to do but I can’t seem to do it.”
Pearl used to be involved in the life and outreach of a church. She’s hooked on drugs and prostitutes herself on 9th street. She says getting to where she is now was one little step at a time and doesn’t see the way back. We offered her our help but fear and addiction keep her where she is.
Patti has let CPS take her children because of her drug use. She is so far inside herself that it is impossible to get a real human response from her. She cannot stop. She is powerless in her addictions. There are so many layers over her heart that she doesn’t even know who she is anymore. She is Gollum. She is almost a non-being. Her room is filth. She is abused and abuses.
For so long, our attitude toward the poor has been to say, “well, they got themselves into this mess and that’s that...there’s nothing we can do.” Good thing Jesus didn’t say that about us. He didn’t help us problem solve our way out of hell. We can’t pull our bootstraps up that far! HE SET US FREE!
“This kind comes not out but by prayer and fasting.” The words of Jesus. How else do we expect it to work? How can we pray if we do not know? How can we know if we are not there? How can we be there if we do not go?
"The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice. I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” Ez. 22:29-30
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Someone I knew
Rick was one of the first encouragements I had when I came to this valley to reach out. Back in 2001, I had come here to work but felt really alone. The only house we could afford was 30 minutes from the church here. I did work with other people but no one else was full time like me. I wondered why we had come here, what was our purpose?
In the first few weeks of outreach, I met Rick who was severely strung out on crank. Just a “hello” at first and some kind conversation. Then I discovered that he was a Christian who deeply felt conviction for his current lifestyle. He asked me to make him a tape of Christian music. He wept and prayed with me and my brother-in-law. We encouraged him to clean up and go to a recovery house.
When I next saw him, he had done just that and had relief and joy. He was dealing with his problems, working everyday, fellowshiping with believers...the difference was overwhelming. He was at that house for quite a while.
Then the recovery house closed down due to leadership issues and Rick fell off the wagon again. Back to living a homeless lifestyle, we would see him every now and then. He was always kind and friendly. The last time I saw Rick, he came to the bread truck again, broken and weeping and needing prayer and an ear. Aaron, Leah and I prayed with him and once again encouraged him to give recovery another chance. Another house had opened up in the neighborhood and he left us to go to their meeting.
Rick sent me a wonderful message through my Father-in-Law who regularly frequents this house to bring them donated food. He wanted to tell me that he was well and happy. He was right where he needed to be.
Last week, tragedy struck in Ricks family and in his despair he turned to drugs. He overdosed and died. The folks who run the recovery house say there’s no doubt where Rick is right now. Finally free of the addiction he desperately fought, he’s with the Lord and has no worry of where to lay his head down or what he will eat.
I am not responsible for Rick’s successes or failures. I am not the hero of this story. I did precious little but listen with other brothers and sisters and agree in prayer for Rick. I did not know him well. Christ knows Rick though. Through all the turmoil, failure and steps forward and back, Jesus carried Rick and knows him even now. His faithfulness is truly great.
In the first few weeks of outreach, I met Rick who was severely strung out on crank. Just a “hello” at first and some kind conversation. Then I discovered that he was a Christian who deeply felt conviction for his current lifestyle. He asked me to make him a tape of Christian music. He wept and prayed with me and my brother-in-law. We encouraged him to clean up and go to a recovery house.
When I next saw him, he had done just that and had relief and joy. He was dealing with his problems, working everyday, fellowshiping with believers...the difference was overwhelming. He was at that house for quite a while.
Then the recovery house closed down due to leadership issues and Rick fell off the wagon again. Back to living a homeless lifestyle, we would see him every now and then. He was always kind and friendly. The last time I saw Rick, he came to the bread truck again, broken and weeping and needing prayer and an ear. Aaron, Leah and I prayed with him and once again encouraged him to give recovery another chance. Another house had opened up in the neighborhood and he left us to go to their meeting.
Rick sent me a wonderful message through my Father-in-Law who regularly frequents this house to bring them donated food. He wanted to tell me that he was well and happy. He was right where he needed to be.
Last week, tragedy struck in Ricks family and in his despair he turned to drugs. He overdosed and died. The folks who run the recovery house say there’s no doubt where Rick is right now. Finally free of the addiction he desperately fought, he’s with the Lord and has no worry of where to lay his head down or what he will eat.
I am not responsible for Rick’s successes or failures. I am not the hero of this story. I did precious little but listen with other brothers and sisters and agree in prayer for Rick. I did not know him well. Christ knows Rick though. Through all the turmoil, failure and steps forward and back, Jesus carried Rick and knows him even now. His faithfulness is truly great.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Not a normal day
Just before we set out to give away our big load of bread yesterday, we had a prayer time. After prayer, I like to ask if anyone had felt any specific direction from God. One of the girls working with us said she felt God telling her that it was not going to be a normal day and added that she didn’t quite know what it means.
Typically on bread day, we go to the gospel mission and pick up their leftovers, have some friendly joking around with the guys working there. Then we go to a park in the airport district and distribute to 60 - 100 folks there. After that we go back to the mission to load up again and go to another park in the west side and give it away to about 30 - 50 people.
That’s what happened yesterday. In many ways, it was a normal day. I thought about this later on and wondered about Leah’s impression that is was not going to be a normal day. And I know God spoke to me...
It wasn’t a normal day because I got to meet and talk to Charles, an older gentleman who comes to the bread line. I’ve never spoken to him and he seemed to brighten just by having someone pay attention to him. It wasn’t normal because one of the men working at the mission treated me so kindly that it refreshed my heart. I got to help an elderly (and very cantankerous) lady find the closest thing I could find to a pie. I got to smile and encourage people. The poor, who are usually ignored, looked at with disdain or somehow locked out or expected to jump through hoops, got bread and a dessert for their family without any red tape. Neighbors thought about each other. God was with us all as we were all together.
It was not a normal day. God keeps his promises.
Typically on bread day, we go to the gospel mission and pick up their leftovers, have some friendly joking around with the guys working there. Then we go to a park in the airport district and distribute to 60 - 100 folks there. After that we go back to the mission to load up again and go to another park in the west side and give it away to about 30 - 50 people.
That’s what happened yesterday. In many ways, it was a normal day. I thought about this later on and wondered about Leah’s impression that is was not going to be a normal day. And I know God spoke to me...
It wasn’t a normal day because I got to meet and talk to Charles, an older gentleman who comes to the bread line. I’ve never spoken to him and he seemed to brighten just by having someone pay attention to him. It wasn’t normal because one of the men working at the mission treated me so kindly that it refreshed my heart. I got to help an elderly (and very cantankerous) lady find the closest thing I could find to a pie. I got to smile and encourage people. The poor, who are usually ignored, looked at with disdain or somehow locked out or expected to jump through hoops, got bread and a dessert for their family without any red tape. Neighbors thought about each other. God was with us all as we were all together.
It was not a normal day. God keeps his promises.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Hard week
No miracles to report. Just the slow daily struggle to progress and see something, even just a little something, be better.
Last week, just two hours after a good friend got out of rehab, he chose “street” life again, not being able to handle the challenge of a changed life. Old habits do die hard. One councilor of mine likened it to water that runs on stone and for years it cuts a path until soon water flows down that path very easily. My friend needs a new stone.
Some kids we’re working with may have been taken from their mother down at the motes this week. Hopefully, CPS will work with us to let us stay in touch with them.
Our physical labor seems to never end. The property here is constantly springing leaks and messes pop up out of no where.
But...
This morning is new and so is God’s mercy. There is good work to my hand to and good friends to do it with. There is provision and good food. There is a baby in my wife’s womb kicking and moving around with life that I could never give. There are two boys still asleep in their beds that make me laugh every day. There is never a lost hope as long as there is breath. The poor still need the dignity of being human. The homeless are my flesh and blood that I cannot turn away from. Healing and reconciliation are possible. Anthelono, a man who we share bread with, helped us start our van yesterday when it seemed we were gonna be stuck down on 9th St. A big youth group committed yesterday to serve our mission as their own and work with us at least once a month to refresh the heart of the poor and forgotten in Modesto. All I have and experience is from a grace too immense for me to understand. All I can do is be thankful.
Last week, just two hours after a good friend got out of rehab, he chose “street” life again, not being able to handle the challenge of a changed life. Old habits do die hard. One councilor of mine likened it to water that runs on stone and for years it cuts a path until soon water flows down that path very easily. My friend needs a new stone.
Some kids we’re working with may have been taken from their mother down at the motes this week. Hopefully, CPS will work with us to let us stay in touch with them.
Our physical labor seems to never end. The property here is constantly springing leaks and messes pop up out of no where.
But...
This morning is new and so is God’s mercy. There is good work to my hand to and good friends to do it with. There is provision and good food. There is a baby in my wife’s womb kicking and moving around with life that I could never give. There are two boys still asleep in their beds that make me laugh every day. There is never a lost hope as long as there is breath. The poor still need the dignity of being human. The homeless are my flesh and blood that I cannot turn away from. Healing and reconciliation are possible. Anthelono, a man who we share bread with, helped us start our van yesterday when it seemed we were gonna be stuck down on 9th St. A big youth group committed yesterday to serve our mission as their own and work with us at least once a month to refresh the heart of the poor and forgotten in Modesto. All I have and experience is from a grace too immense for me to understand. All I can do is be thankful.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Cds and Veggies
I had a very productive day yesterday...cleaning, gardening and doing yard work gave me a nice Saturday rhythm. Except for one hiccup. In the middle of all that I decided to check my e-mail and various web interests when I get roped in by a pop-up window with an offer for a free new laptop. The promise was that if I try out just a couple of their promotions that they would give me a new laptop. Now, my brother in law has won a new laptop from the internet and gave it to me so I thought I’d give it a try.
I got lost in the longest survey ever, then I picked a couple of promotions, then they wanted me to do a couple more, then they wanted me to do 6 more! An hour later, I’m fuming and give up. Now I’m enrolled in stuff I didn’t really want to do, my productivity has dropped and I’m all stressed out.
You can’t get something for nothing...unless...
One redeeming moment yesterday happened in our church garden. We had planted cucumbers in one spot and they didn’t seem to take so we pulled up the dying plants and planted zucchini. This we watered like crazy. I was picking zucchini, feeling around for the best one when under the plant I noticed a weird looking zucchini. It was, in fact, a cucumber growing under the zucchini!
God’s order is so beautiful and full of joy! First, you know what you’re going to get. There is no hidden agenda. When you plant squash, you know that’s what’ll come up. And every once in a while there’s a nice surprise like cucumbers under the squash. A wild, wonderful order.
And if anybody wants 12 CD’s for the price of one I know of a good promotion going on. Grrrrr!
I got lost in the longest survey ever, then I picked a couple of promotions, then they wanted me to do a couple more, then they wanted me to do 6 more! An hour later, I’m fuming and give up. Now I’m enrolled in stuff I didn’t really want to do, my productivity has dropped and I’m all stressed out.
You can’t get something for nothing...unless...
One redeeming moment yesterday happened in our church garden. We had planted cucumbers in one spot and they didn’t seem to take so we pulled up the dying plants and planted zucchini. This we watered like crazy. I was picking zucchini, feeling around for the best one when under the plant I noticed a weird looking zucchini. It was, in fact, a cucumber growing under the zucchini!
God’s order is so beautiful and full of joy! First, you know what you’re going to get. There is no hidden agenda. When you plant squash, you know that’s what’ll come up. And every once in a while there’s a nice surprise like cucumbers under the squash. A wild, wonderful order.
And if anybody wants 12 CD’s for the price of one I know of a good promotion going on. Grrrrr!
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Condi? Part Deux
Just as a follow up...At that same visit to the bookstore I checked out the bargin bin. What was in there? A compilation of Keith Green's music coupled with an hour documentary of his life on DVD for $5.77! I got it and this last Tuesday showed the documentary to my youth group.
It's been too long since we've had a voice like his speaking to the church. When I say "like his" I mean, one who not only talks about the works of Christ but does them as well. I told the kids that maybe God doesn't want a big celebrity to be that voice. Keith was uncomfortable with celebrity in the first place. Maybe God wants us to be that voice and live that life.
Keith Green's intense search and passion for God is not some unattainable thing because he was so much holier than us. He was not. He was serious though. Serious about living the gospel, about pouring out his life and going as far as he could in taking the love of Jesus to a dying world.
Where is the musician so passionate about his message that he will just give it away? Where are the people who are willing to live life alongside the hurting and addicted? Who will stop promoting themselves and promote Jesus? Who will work tirelessly to see the church come alive and be what God wants it to be?
It's only gonna be us folks. Keith Green is dead.
It's been too long since we've had a voice like his speaking to the church. When I say "like his" I mean, one who not only talks about the works of Christ but does them as well. I told the kids that maybe God doesn't want a big celebrity to be that voice. Keith was uncomfortable with celebrity in the first place. Maybe God wants us to be that voice and live that life.
Keith Green's intense search and passion for God is not some unattainable thing because he was so much holier than us. He was not. He was serious though. Serious about living the gospel, about pouring out his life and going as far as he could in taking the love of Jesus to a dying world.
Where is the musician so passionate about his message that he will just give it away? Where are the people who are willing to live life alongside the hurting and addicted? Who will stop promoting themselves and promote Jesus? Who will work tirelessly to see the church come alive and be what God wants it to be?
It's only gonna be us folks. Keith Green is dead.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Condi?
Why is it that our local. big, christian bookstore does not have “No Compromise”, the biography of Keith Green or “An Arrow Pointing to Heaven”, the biography of Rich Mullins but they do have the biography of Condoleeza Rice? Boo.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
9th St.
She was lying on her filthy bed with her closest companions, her cats, milling about the room. A half empty bottle of cheap beer still in her hand as she lay passed out. It was an extremely hot central valley day but she wore a coat. She is mostly inside of herself when she’s awake but as I looked on her sleeping with her motel room door open and the window left wide I was glad she was having this moment of peace. Sleep is rest for the body and a troubled mind. I left the prepared bag of bread and pastries inside the door on a little cluttered table. We try to leave things we know she likes. I realized then that I am just one face in this window. I am here maybe twice a week but she is always here. The realities I see and break over are hers all the time whether I witness them or not.
There is another woman in this motel in a wheel chair. She has a big dog for friendship and safety. He’s quite protective of his mistress so I only see her for a brief minute each week. A knock, then boisterous barking, a shouting match between her and the dog, then the door opens and we hand her a bag of food (she prefers chocolate cookies), “God bless you, Evelyn.”, “Thank you , you too”. and that’s it. Just a face in her door bringing what I can.
This is not enough. More and more, we are being pulled down to 9th Street. We now schedule to go twice a week. But even beyond that we need to engage in real relationships here in the most forgotten place in our town. No lunch truck comes by here. No park for the kids to play. The traffic is fast down 9th. The motels are surrounded by auto shops, trailer parks and vacant lots. It is not a nice place to be. No grass, just unforgiving concrete and broken glass. The working girls walk up and down past the 7 year old girl who has been sent to the store to get something for her drug addicted mother.
Please pray for 9th Street. Pray for us. Pray that God would help us find more ways to engage this toxic neighborhood with his grace, forgiveness and love.
There is another woman in this motel in a wheel chair. She has a big dog for friendship and safety. He’s quite protective of his mistress so I only see her for a brief minute each week. A knock, then boisterous barking, a shouting match between her and the dog, then the door opens and we hand her a bag of food (she prefers chocolate cookies), “God bless you, Evelyn.”, “Thank you , you too”. and that’s it. Just a face in her door bringing what I can.
This is not enough. More and more, we are being pulled down to 9th Street. We now schedule to go twice a week. But even beyond that we need to engage in real relationships here in the most forgotten place in our town. No lunch truck comes by here. No park for the kids to play. The traffic is fast down 9th. The motels are surrounded by auto shops, trailer parks and vacant lots. It is not a nice place to be. No grass, just unforgiving concrete and broken glass. The working girls walk up and down past the 7 year old girl who has been sent to the store to get something for her drug addicted mother.
Please pray for 9th Street. Pray for us. Pray that God would help us find more ways to engage this toxic neighborhood with his grace, forgiveness and love.
Friday, August 19, 2005
I like spam but this is ridiculous
How can you get Spam in your comments! Does anyone know how to stop this or edit it or anything!?! Sheesh.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Too much everything, so little time
This afternoon, Amie and I watched “Stand By Me”, a Rob Riener film written by Steven King. This film is a part of the cultural psyche. Who hasn’t seen it? Me, that’s who so we rented it. I loved it. One more notch on the pop-cultural belt.
I’ve started to read Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Again, who hasn’t? Me. I don’t even know the story except that it has something to do with kids and a trial and racial tension and someone named Boo Radley. So I’m about to join the rest of you in knowing the story. I have purposefully not watched the classic movie so I can read it first.
But I missed my chance to read “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”...It’s just one of those things I’ll probably never do. I stopped reading “Les Miserables” because Amie and I got tickets to the play. “Big Fish” the novel is on my shelf because “Big Fish” the movie is in Aaron’s video collection.
Who are these people with the time to do all this stuff? There are so many things to do and experience sometimes I feel like I’m late on an assignment when the “no late fee” movie just sits on the counter and I’m not watching it cause there’s just so much to do! I leave books for weeks at a time...books that can be read at my leisure but every time I see them I get a little stressed cause I’m thinking about the next book I’ll read.
Then there’s this blogging thing (which I love) but if I haven’t gotten to it in a while I start to feel pressure. What’s my problem!?!
Then I learn that my whole youth group is addicted to something called “myspace” which is a web service I’ve yet to figure out but all the kids love it so I thought I’d give it a try. I’m so not digital though. I can fake it pretty good but I look at some of these “myspace” sites and I just get a headache. But I signed up...
Then there’s my brother-in-law who is a computer programer and he can be doing four things at once on two computer screens and sill have the presence of mind to chat with me online. Do you know what I do while I chat online? I sit and wait for the other persons response then I respond. One thing. That’s all I can do.
So with all this blogging and myspaceing and chatting and reading and watching to do...who the heck is doing anything else?
One of my favorite movies is “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” about St. Francis of Assisi with a kickin’ soundtrack by Donovan...Good ole “They call me mellow yellow” Donavan. One of the songs says “If you want to live life free, take your time go slowly, Do few things but do them well, heartfelt work grows purely. Day by day, stone by stone, build your secret slowly. Day by day, you’ll grow too, you'll know heaven’s glory.” Ahh. That sounds right.
You haven’t seen it? Where have you been?! Watch it! Watch it now!
I’ve started to read Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Again, who hasn’t? Me. I don’t even know the story except that it has something to do with kids and a trial and racial tension and someone named Boo Radley. So I’m about to join the rest of you in knowing the story. I have purposefully not watched the classic movie so I can read it first.
But I missed my chance to read “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”...It’s just one of those things I’ll probably never do. I stopped reading “Les Miserables” because Amie and I got tickets to the play. “Big Fish” the novel is on my shelf because “Big Fish” the movie is in Aaron’s video collection.
Who are these people with the time to do all this stuff? There are so many things to do and experience sometimes I feel like I’m late on an assignment when the “no late fee” movie just sits on the counter and I’m not watching it cause there’s just so much to do! I leave books for weeks at a time...books that can be read at my leisure but every time I see them I get a little stressed cause I’m thinking about the next book I’ll read.
Then there’s this blogging thing (which I love) but if I haven’t gotten to it in a while I start to feel pressure. What’s my problem!?!
Then I learn that my whole youth group is addicted to something called “myspace” which is a web service I’ve yet to figure out but all the kids love it so I thought I’d give it a try. I’m so not digital though. I can fake it pretty good but I look at some of these “myspace” sites and I just get a headache. But I signed up...
Then there’s my brother-in-law who is a computer programer and he can be doing four things at once on two computer screens and sill have the presence of mind to chat with me online. Do you know what I do while I chat online? I sit and wait for the other persons response then I respond. One thing. That’s all I can do.
So with all this blogging and myspaceing and chatting and reading and watching to do...who the heck is doing anything else?
One of my favorite movies is “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” about St. Francis of Assisi with a kickin’ soundtrack by Donovan...Good ole “They call me mellow yellow” Donavan. One of the songs says “If you want to live life free, take your time go slowly, Do few things but do them well, heartfelt work grows purely. Day by day, stone by stone, build your secret slowly. Day by day, you’ll grow too, you'll know heaven’s glory.” Ahh. That sounds right.
You haven’t seen it? Where have you been?! Watch it! Watch it now!
Friday, July 22, 2005
Can't complain
Well, it’s back to the ole blogstone...
I’m not going to bore you with the crazy details of my work lately but suffice it to say, I haven’t had much computer time. Thank you for your patience and I appreciate the comments I have received from friends awaiting entries. Here we go...
We have moved. We now live in a church in our own apartments that we built! How cool is that?! We aren’t settled by any stretch but we are in and it is very satisfying.
I harvested about 100 tomatoes from our organic garden yesterday and gave them out with our normal load of bread at the parks. This was fun. We read in Psalms this week that God feeds the hungry and He lets me be a part of it!
Tuesday, we helped a church group throw a BBQ for an impoverished community in our town. They raised the funds and a dear brother from their church gave us a brand new propane grill to use from now on. It worked beautifully and we had an awesome time pouring grace out on 9th St.
We celebrated a meal with our formerly homeless friend, Dave. He has recently gotten a much needed surgery on his foot and things in a nasty custody case with his daughter are looking very positive. Anytime Dave gets good news, he does this little dance and sings “We’re going to Sizzler, we’re going to Sizzler!” so we took him to Sizzler.
Some missionary friends are back in town for a visit and had our family and friends over to their host home for supper.
My boys used their hard earned allowance to buy me a present today.
My life is dripping with grace.
I’m not going to bore you with the crazy details of my work lately but suffice it to say, I haven’t had much computer time. Thank you for your patience and I appreciate the comments I have received from friends awaiting entries. Here we go...
We have moved. We now live in a church in our own apartments that we built! How cool is that?! We aren’t settled by any stretch but we are in and it is very satisfying.
I harvested about 100 tomatoes from our organic garden yesterday and gave them out with our normal load of bread at the parks. This was fun. We read in Psalms this week that God feeds the hungry and He lets me be a part of it!
Tuesday, we helped a church group throw a BBQ for an impoverished community in our town. They raised the funds and a dear brother from their church gave us a brand new propane grill to use from now on. It worked beautifully and we had an awesome time pouring grace out on 9th St.
We celebrated a meal with our formerly homeless friend, Dave. He has recently gotten a much needed surgery on his foot and things in a nasty custody case with his daughter are looking very positive. Anytime Dave gets good news, he does this little dance and sings “We’re going to Sizzler, we’re going to Sizzler!” so we took him to Sizzler.
Some missionary friends are back in town for a visit and had our family and friends over to their host home for supper.
My boys used their hard earned allowance to buy me a present today.
My life is dripping with grace.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Wow!
So sorry folks...if you read Aaron's blog, I've got the same trouble. I'm trying to remodel our new apartment space to move in on the 25th while setting up to run a fundraiser fireworks stand and oh, we need to pack and paint and find the septic tank and install the cabinets and hook up the plumbing and pack our stuff and....
See you after July 4th!
See you after July 4th!
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Soda
Once again, Jones Soda is proving to be my greatest spiritual advisor. Working this month on remdeling our church into more useful space...something we thought we would never be able to do...and the money is provided, after some talk, it seems approval from the city will not be so hard, friends keep showing up to help and bring items that will help...after all this I buy a bottle of soda and the cap reads...
"There is new hope for projects you had almost given up on."
Hmm.
"There is new hope for projects you had almost given up on."
Hmm.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Mad at Oprah
Oprah makes me mad. Not really “her” but what her show does. She just did a sensational (and by that I mean “hyped up” not “really awesome”) show about child molestation. On this show, she played recordings a pedophile made while watching children load up on a school bus. Did we need to hear this? We are all well aware that there are sick people in the world, do we have to participate in their depravity by hearing all the gory details. This has become “journalism”. Oprah is this great hero who is not afraid to confront the real issues and talk about them frankly. No way.
Oprah gets good ratings and more money playing off the fears of her audience. So do all the other talk shows and newscasts. We have a national obsession with how bad it can get. TV drama that continues to explore the dregs of how evil people can be, movies that have to shock more and more with how disgusting the serial killer is, and the media jumps on any bandwagon they can. There is a kind of sick fascination with other people’s misery...talking about the latest “horrible thing that happened”.
All of this, of course. leads us to justify a society that moves farther and farther away from each other. Gated communities, vigilantes at the border, a neighborhood protesting a homeless shelter, a city shutting down a recovery house or a church wondering about men that “look bad” being around the property all come from this fear that you just never know...
Well, of course you never know. I’m not advocating we stop being wise but the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God, not our neighbor...and God says to love your neighbor as yourself. He also has a lot to say about welcoming a stranger into your home. welcoming the foreigner into your country and being good and fair to the poor in your community.
I’m not advocating that we pretend everything is sunny and nice either. Of course the world is messed up! What I’m talking about is our something nigh upon enjoying the horror. We can’t just hear that there was a shooting in the park, we have to see the blood on the concrete and the arm of the deceased sticking out from under the blanket. The camera is right in the face of a desperate, crying mother. How far will they go? As far as we keep asking them to go.
So let’s stop asking.
Oprah gets good ratings and more money playing off the fears of her audience. So do all the other talk shows and newscasts. We have a national obsession with how bad it can get. TV drama that continues to explore the dregs of how evil people can be, movies that have to shock more and more with how disgusting the serial killer is, and the media jumps on any bandwagon they can. There is a kind of sick fascination with other people’s misery...talking about the latest “horrible thing that happened”.
All of this, of course. leads us to justify a society that moves farther and farther away from each other. Gated communities, vigilantes at the border, a neighborhood protesting a homeless shelter, a city shutting down a recovery house or a church wondering about men that “look bad” being around the property all come from this fear that you just never know...
Well, of course you never know. I’m not advocating we stop being wise but the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God, not our neighbor...and God says to love your neighbor as yourself. He also has a lot to say about welcoming a stranger into your home. welcoming the foreigner into your country and being good and fair to the poor in your community.
I’m not advocating that we pretend everything is sunny and nice either. Of course the world is messed up! What I’m talking about is our something nigh upon enjoying the horror. We can’t just hear that there was a shooting in the park, we have to see the blood on the concrete and the arm of the deceased sticking out from under the blanket. The camera is right in the face of a desperate, crying mother. How far will they go? As far as we keep asking them to go.
So let’s stop asking.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Books and Movies
Just spending a bit of the morning catching up on my friends posts and thought I’d add one myself.
Construction continues at the church. Most of the walls for the new apartments have been framed and I discovered on Saturday that it is really unnatural to hammer a nail into wood through a drop ceiling directly over your head while standing precariously on a ladder while having a bit of a weight problem.
I just finished “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis. This book has awakened me to joy in a way that I have not thought about for quite sometime. The way we hold on to pain and hurt and smallness when God has oceans full of fish to enjoy and infinite fields of starry light and things of which we could never dream. “Eye as not seen and ear has not heard...” I would highly recommend reading it.
Also, I finished a book called “Imprisoned In Iran” by Dan Bauman. This guy is a part of Youth With A Mission and is a friend of friends of mine. The title is pretty self explanatory ... an account of the time he was um...imprisoned...er in...um...Iran (who am I to make fun of titles...my quarterly news letter is called “From the Whitlers”). Like all “YWAM” books it’s not a literary masterpiece but it is a good story told with human honesty. I really appreciate the author’s willingness to not just tell a great missions victory story but he also includes his moments of great weakness too. A good read that renewed a desire to become familiar with more missionary biographies. But next on the list is a good ole’ Steven Lawhead fantasy novel that I bought with my birthday gift certificate.
I saw “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” last week and loved it. I’m ashamed of myself that I haven’t read it...there’s still hope but it’s not likely. Josh and Sam are still singing “So Long and Thanks for all the Fish”. They loved it too and I’m proud to have boys that catch absurd humor the way they do. Looking forward to “War of the Worlds” and “Episode 3”...it’s a good summer to be a geek! Also, “Kingdom of Heaven” looks promising. We may see it today which happily is a much needed day off.
Construction continues at the church. Most of the walls for the new apartments have been framed and I discovered on Saturday that it is really unnatural to hammer a nail into wood through a drop ceiling directly over your head while standing precariously on a ladder while having a bit of a weight problem.
I just finished “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis. This book has awakened me to joy in a way that I have not thought about for quite sometime. The way we hold on to pain and hurt and smallness when God has oceans full of fish to enjoy and infinite fields of starry light and things of which we could never dream. “Eye as not seen and ear has not heard...” I would highly recommend reading it.
Also, I finished a book called “Imprisoned In Iran” by Dan Bauman. This guy is a part of Youth With A Mission and is a friend of friends of mine. The title is pretty self explanatory ... an account of the time he was um...imprisoned...er in...um...Iran (who am I to make fun of titles...my quarterly news letter is called “From the Whitlers”). Like all “YWAM” books it’s not a literary masterpiece but it is a good story told with human honesty. I really appreciate the author’s willingness to not just tell a great missions victory story but he also includes his moments of great weakness too. A good read that renewed a desire to become familiar with more missionary biographies. But next on the list is a good ole’ Steven Lawhead fantasy novel that I bought with my birthday gift certificate.
I saw “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” last week and loved it. I’m ashamed of myself that I haven’t read it...there’s still hope but it’s not likely. Josh and Sam are still singing “So Long and Thanks for all the Fish”. They loved it too and I’m proud to have boys that catch absurd humor the way they do. Looking forward to “War of the Worlds” and “Episode 3”...it’s a good summer to be a geek! Also, “Kingdom of Heaven” looks promising. We may see it today which happily is a much needed day off.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Wow, has it really been since April 14?! Oh well, guess I shouldn't make fun of other friends that neglect entries for a while. Ok, go ahead and give it to me in the comments...I'll take it.
No excuse, just a reason...we're right in the middle of a major remodeling at our church to make housing for the YWAM families and other full time (or "mostly time")church workers. It's gonna be cool and nice to live right here at the church.
We'll be building all this month and a bit of the next. Pray for us.
No excuse, just a reason...we're right in the middle of a major remodeling at our church to make housing for the YWAM families and other full time (or "mostly time")church workers. It's gonna be cool and nice to live right here at the church.
We'll be building all this month and a bit of the next. Pray for us.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Part of a great company
I am Adam
Barefoot on the fresh Spring ground
Nothing but possibility in front of me
I am Moses
After freedom comes
The hard work of walking into the unknown
I am Joshua
Without my mentor
Fearful but determined
I am David
A reluctant leader
Full of poetry and fight
I am Jeremiah
Mourning for possibilities lost
Not giving up
I am Nehimiah
Making space to rally around
Not afraid to pick up a hammer
I am Joseph
Quietly accepting
That I can make a home for God's coming kingdom
I am Peter
Can't keep my mouth shut
For good or for ill
I am less than I want
I am more than I admit
I have a friendship with God
Barefoot on the fresh Spring ground
Nothing but possibility in front of me
I am Moses
After freedom comes
The hard work of walking into the unknown
I am Joshua
Without my mentor
Fearful but determined
I am David
A reluctant leader
Full of poetry and fight
I am Jeremiah
Mourning for possibilities lost
Not giving up
I am Nehimiah
Making space to rally around
Not afraid to pick up a hammer
I am Joseph
Quietly accepting
That I can make a home for God's coming kingdom
I am Peter
Can't keep my mouth shut
For good or for ill
I am less than I want
I am more than I admit
I have a friendship with God
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Little is big.
When a group gathers at my house, we like to talk about big things...religion, philosophy, theology and politics and how they all relate to one another. There is much dissatisfaction with the way things are in America among my friends. Many of us are weary of not knowing who to believe in the media and political arenas. Some have given up voting, others feel it a moral obligation to vote but feel it makes no difference and still others are passionate with hope that we can make a difference. When I think about war, powers at work and the game of politics I get overwhelmed.
Our last heated discussion led me to think that America is just too dang big! There is this pressure to change society...to make a difference on a national and global scale. To do something really huge. But in the end, I can’t do that. It’s too big. Most people don’t even have time to work for change...at the end of an 8 hour work day, you just want to be home resting with your wife and kids. Poverty, war, violence, drugs, gangs, global sex slave industry, abuse of political power, corruption, hunger, aids crisis, the uneducated, street kids, orphans, religious persecution and a hundred other things fade into the realm of “someone else’s problem”. It’s so big and I’m so tired and I just want to be a good Dad or Mom or student or something...
Then I read this great article by Chris Haw in the Prism e-pistle. Here’s a piece of it...
“I cannot talk about big concepts such as "changing the world" or "making a difference" apart from the tiny, mundane and seemingly ineffective actions of helping others heal. In other words, I'm wondering if healing acts can be anything but small, loving, and personal. Leo Tolstoy rings through my head, competing with the cacophony of militarism, globalization, and the calls to somehow stop them altogether, crying out, "everybody wants to change the world, but nobody wants to change themselves."
He is part of a little house like ours in Camden, NJ. It’s a small group of people living together and trying to love a neighborhood. And I think, this is where it’s at. If we’re all doing something, what we can do, where we are at, the world will change.
Perhaps just a little extra effort and sacrifice...sposoring a child through world vision or compassion international, giving up a couple of hours in the week to volunteer at something, supporting a missionary or heck, a career change and being a missionary! Maybe you can’t be president but you can be on city council or go to the meetings and speak up. You may not be able to change the plight of the poor third world farmer but you can grow your own garden or shop the farmers market or buy coffee fairly traded (they sell it now on the internet, save mart and starbucks...look for “fair-trade certified”). You may not be able to change the environment but you can recycle and compost and buy in bulk and waste less. You may not be able to close sweat shops but you can look for union made labels or shop at the thrift store first.
Little, done by a lot of people, turns into big. Changing yourself changes the world.
Our last heated discussion led me to think that America is just too dang big! There is this pressure to change society...to make a difference on a national and global scale. To do something really huge. But in the end, I can’t do that. It’s too big. Most people don’t even have time to work for change...at the end of an 8 hour work day, you just want to be home resting with your wife and kids. Poverty, war, violence, drugs, gangs, global sex slave industry, abuse of political power, corruption, hunger, aids crisis, the uneducated, street kids, orphans, religious persecution and a hundred other things fade into the realm of “someone else’s problem”. It’s so big and I’m so tired and I just want to be a good Dad or Mom or student or something...
Then I read this great article by Chris Haw in the Prism e-pistle. Here’s a piece of it...
“I cannot talk about big concepts such as "changing the world" or "making a difference" apart from the tiny, mundane and seemingly ineffective actions of helping others heal. In other words, I'm wondering if healing acts can be anything but small, loving, and personal. Leo Tolstoy rings through my head, competing with the cacophony of militarism, globalization, and the calls to somehow stop them altogether, crying out, "everybody wants to change the world, but nobody wants to change themselves."
He is part of a little house like ours in Camden, NJ. It’s a small group of people living together and trying to love a neighborhood. And I think, this is where it’s at. If we’re all doing something, what we can do, where we are at, the world will change.
Perhaps just a little extra effort and sacrifice...sposoring a child through world vision or compassion international, giving up a couple of hours in the week to volunteer at something, supporting a missionary or heck, a career change and being a missionary! Maybe you can’t be president but you can be on city council or go to the meetings and speak up. You may not be able to change the plight of the poor third world farmer but you can grow your own garden or shop the farmers market or buy coffee fairly traded (they sell it now on the internet, save mart and starbucks...look for “fair-trade certified”). You may not be able to change the environment but you can recycle and compost and buy in bulk and waste less. You may not be able to close sweat shops but you can look for union made labels or shop at the thrift store first.
Little, done by a lot of people, turns into big. Changing yourself changes the world.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Faith=Risk
I’ve got to stop getting life changing advise from soda bottle caps! If you will recall, my first journal entry on the old site was about a soda bottle cap telling me to start a journal...so I did. I started this fine web journal that I love doing...although, I must admit that I feel a lot of pressure to post but not so much anymore since my friends, Aaron, Terry, Aimee and Jaime don’t feel the need to post at all lately.
Last week, we watched “Riding Giants” a good film by Stacy Peralta (of Dogtown and Z-boys). It’s about big wave surfing and the men who pioneered riding...er...the..um..giants. Anyhoo...I would recommend it. It’s a fun documentary. The question I ask when I watch these “extreme sports” people is if I am missing a bit of what they have? What is this element that makes people want to try the seemingly impossible? I don’t think I have that piece. Or do I?
One of the stories is of a kid who noticed big, 30 foot waves breaking off the coast of Half Moon Bay, California. He loved surfing and had never tried surfing big waves. He tried to get a friend to go along but no one would try it with him. So he paddled for 45 minutes and surfed these monsters in treacherous, cold water. He did this all by himself for 15 years until the big wave surfing community found out.
What a challenge! If these guys can be that passionate about surfing, how many more other, more important issues in the world are there to lose your life pursuing. Some people actually die surfing these big waves. How much more is there to die for?
The call to follow Christ is a call to death. To lay down your life for your friends. Another thing that struck me about these guys is their willingness to die rescuing one another from a bad wipe out. But our laying down our lives can include but does not always mean actual death. I must lay down my life...lay down what I want to do and the things I feel important to serve the needs of others.
I felt such a challenge by this film that I wanted to show it to our little youth group. We talked afterward about what we want to do with our life and what we want to try that seems impossible. Several shared in the group and most shared one on one after. We talked about risk and dreams and reaching out for the impossible. Then Charlie bought me a soda from the grocery across the street, on the cap it reads, “Without risk there can be no pleasure.” What a wise little bottle cap. Someone told me once that faith = risk. As the song writer said, “If my reach doesn’t go beyond my grasp, then what’s a Heaven for and for what do I ask?”
The best inheritance I can leave my boys is to live a life of faith and watch God come through for us in ways we would have never guessed unless we took the risk of trusting Him. We do have that bit in us, we all do. The part that can look at the impossible and if you take the chance, have the ride of your life.
Last week, we watched “Riding Giants” a good film by Stacy Peralta (of Dogtown and Z-boys). It’s about big wave surfing and the men who pioneered riding...er...the..um..giants. Anyhoo...I would recommend it. It’s a fun documentary. The question I ask when I watch these “extreme sports” people is if I am missing a bit of what they have? What is this element that makes people want to try the seemingly impossible? I don’t think I have that piece. Or do I?
One of the stories is of a kid who noticed big, 30 foot waves breaking off the coast of Half Moon Bay, California. He loved surfing and had never tried surfing big waves. He tried to get a friend to go along but no one would try it with him. So he paddled for 45 minutes and surfed these monsters in treacherous, cold water. He did this all by himself for 15 years until the big wave surfing community found out.
What a challenge! If these guys can be that passionate about surfing, how many more other, more important issues in the world are there to lose your life pursuing. Some people actually die surfing these big waves. How much more is there to die for?
The call to follow Christ is a call to death. To lay down your life for your friends. Another thing that struck me about these guys is their willingness to die rescuing one another from a bad wipe out. But our laying down our lives can include but does not always mean actual death. I must lay down my life...lay down what I want to do and the things I feel important to serve the needs of others.
I felt such a challenge by this film that I wanted to show it to our little youth group. We talked afterward about what we want to do with our life and what we want to try that seems impossible. Several shared in the group and most shared one on one after. We talked about risk and dreams and reaching out for the impossible. Then Charlie bought me a soda from the grocery across the street, on the cap it reads, “Without risk there can be no pleasure.” What a wise little bottle cap. Someone told me once that faith = risk. As the song writer said, “If my reach doesn’t go beyond my grasp, then what’s a Heaven for and for what do I ask?”
The best inheritance I can leave my boys is to live a life of faith and watch God come through for us in ways we would have never guessed unless we took the risk of trusting Him. We do have that bit in us, we all do. The part that can look at the impossible and if you take the chance, have the ride of your life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)