Who would have thought a ridiculous little link could cause so much drama? Seriously, it’s been phenomenal how many people have responded to the Crush Calculator. With over 40+ catches I am pleased and ready to move on. Some of you still want an apology and I really would say a big sorry… but I’m just not that sorry. C’mon, it’s just a little crush. Quite honestly I am flattered to have made the crush list of so many; Laurel, Jenn, Beth, Mary, Erin, Jessica, Michelle, Sara, Megan, Bac (that was a surprise) and even Annie. I am flattered. I feel the love people.
I have never gone this long without posting. It has partially been due to the busyness of the Christmas season and what that means for a not-for-profit, and partial due to the disaster of upgrading to OS Tiger. (it caused a few headaches and brain aneurisms.)
“I love Christmas! It’s my favorite.” (Insert Elf-like-Will Farrell voice over.) This year I have fallen in love afresh with the Christmas story. I dragged my small group through the Christmas story from a new perspective. As told by Real Live Preacher. (whose blog is always a refreshing dose of beauty. I love this dude…in that purely bro like love).
Despite the joy of a house full of people on Christmas day, the madness produced by Catch Phrase and good wine, the craziness of an overflowing dishwasher, all the fire trucks in the city coming to our apartment and a PS2 given to us as a Christmas gift, I have still really, really missed my family this Christmas. I spent hours talking on the phone into the early hours of the morning. Both family in the UK and family in Zambia and South Africa gathered to be together..... all but allan. It’s tough… I haven’t seen any family in more than a year and a half and it’s been 2yrs since I saw my mom and more than 4yrs since I saw my Papas (grandfathers). I tell you folks, if you have a chance to see your family often, love them well coz as messed up as they are… I promise you, you’d still rather BE WITH excited nieces as they SHOW you their Christmas gifts over hearing them rattle off a list on a bad phone connection. Family is awesome. Family is treasure. Cherish them! Love them... and tell them you do.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
Just a Crush or Real Love?
This is surprisingly accurate! I was pleasantly surprised! Check it out.
Click here: "The Crush Calculator"
Also...Iron and Wine, with Calixico, live is soooo incredibly awesome! Yes, I was bewitched body and soul!
Click here: "The Crush Calculator"
Also...Iron and Wine, with Calixico, live is soooo incredibly awesome! Yes, I was bewitched body and soul!
Friday, December 09, 2005
The Kingdom of Heaven is like…
I have been thinking and reading so much about the Kingdom of Heaven. No…not the movie, the actually Kingdom of God that Jesus spoke of more than any other single topic. It is not a fluffy dream of us living up in the sky, strumming away on our celestial harps. I am more and more convinced that it is now, it is here, it is already but not yet. I see its effect, or more so lack of effect, everyday in the lives and even in the eyes of us seeing blind followers.
In my own heart I feel the rare puzzle pieces of this grand vision of the Kingdom slowly but supernaturally falling into place. I also see the conflict the call to the Kingdom is causing when it rubs up close with our sophisticated lives. Life as we know it in the land of “me and mine” does not gel well with the life of the Kingdom. Over and over again I see this conflict wreak quiet havoc in the lives and lifestyles of friends of mine as they wrestle with God over the big questions of their lives. Not being able to put a finger on it we call it "being in the trenches of the Christian life" and walk on. The way of this Kingdom is a tough message that is counter culture and definitely counters Christian pop culture. It is so misunderstood and confrontational that no one can speak of it without sounding like a hypocrite. I share it as a hypocrite.
The message of the kingdom is perhaps the hardest pill to swallow when we begin to comprehend what it demands of our lives. The swoops and turns of a high-speed rollercoaster can be compared to understanding and then living this Way. It is dramatically beautiful and thrilling if we choose not to fight it. It is confusion and misery for the child of God who stomps and pouts against it.
The Kingdom of God today calls us to radical whole life discipleship. It speaks of total death to self and complete surrender. (…how I wish I could be free of true but sold-out Christian verbiage.) Death to dreams, desires, wants and wishes.
Marketing influence and global consumer culture owns the people of God. It has swallowed, consumed and devoured us. We half-heartedly follow. At best, with poor motivation or a temporary fit of “getting back on track” we attempt to serve Him. Now and again we have an “exceptional worship experience.” But soon go back to the well-worn rut we were just in.
The Kingdom requires no more compartmentalized lifestyles. 5 minutes in the morning with Jesus and an hour and half on Sunday is simply unacceptable. How did “the Game” on Sunday become a consideration over glorifying the God of eternity with His people? This neo liberal “good life” dream leaves us with less time for God, less time for prayer, less time for scripture, less time for compassion and so the seed of the kingdom dies in our hearts. Secretly our minds dwell on ways of getting ahead in the suburbs, getting ahead in our careers, getting all the cool stuff. The way of the Kingdom is a call to a much more radical whole life faith instead of doing the suburban dream with a vengeance and working in a little church around the edges. It’s more about making a difference than a dollar. It is simply not possible to sustain a Gospel lifestyle pursuing these things. Life decision #1 is not where you work, nor where you live, not even whom to marry. No, life decision #1 is, “How does God want to use my life to make a difference for the Kingdom” and in light of that we should make all of these other decisions.
The hope of the church is to rediscover in scripture what we are on the planet for. And it definitely isn’t about getting a piece of the pie. If we cannot supply a more compelling dream of this Kingdom than we are lost. We need to go back to the Bible and rediscover the Kingdom of God. Not just as theology but as an alternative cultural dream to the American dream. The two cannot be married. Why are we trying to mix oil and water and expecting fire and passion? We need to find out what the good life really is, this life “more abundantly”.
God, please give us a revelation of “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
In my own heart I feel the rare puzzle pieces of this grand vision of the Kingdom slowly but supernaturally falling into place. I also see the conflict the call to the Kingdom is causing when it rubs up close with our sophisticated lives. Life as we know it in the land of “me and mine” does not gel well with the life of the Kingdom. Over and over again I see this conflict wreak quiet havoc in the lives and lifestyles of friends of mine as they wrestle with God over the big questions of their lives. Not being able to put a finger on it we call it "being in the trenches of the Christian life" and walk on. The way of this Kingdom is a tough message that is counter culture and definitely counters Christian pop culture. It is so misunderstood and confrontational that no one can speak of it without sounding like a hypocrite. I share it as a hypocrite.
The message of the kingdom is perhaps the hardest pill to swallow when we begin to comprehend what it demands of our lives. The swoops and turns of a high-speed rollercoaster can be compared to understanding and then living this Way. It is dramatically beautiful and thrilling if we choose not to fight it. It is confusion and misery for the child of God who stomps and pouts against it.
The Kingdom of God today calls us to radical whole life discipleship. It speaks of total death to self and complete surrender. (…how I wish I could be free of true but sold-out Christian verbiage.) Death to dreams, desires, wants and wishes.
Marketing influence and global consumer culture owns the people of God. It has swallowed, consumed and devoured us. We half-heartedly follow. At best, with poor motivation or a temporary fit of “getting back on track” we attempt to serve Him. Now and again we have an “exceptional worship experience.” But soon go back to the well-worn rut we were just in.
The Kingdom requires no more compartmentalized lifestyles. 5 minutes in the morning with Jesus and an hour and half on Sunday is simply unacceptable. How did “the Game” on Sunday become a consideration over glorifying the God of eternity with His people? This neo liberal “good life” dream leaves us with less time for God, less time for prayer, less time for scripture, less time for compassion and so the seed of the kingdom dies in our hearts. Secretly our minds dwell on ways of getting ahead in the suburbs, getting ahead in our careers, getting all the cool stuff. The way of the Kingdom is a call to a much more radical whole life faith instead of doing the suburban dream with a vengeance and working in a little church around the edges. It’s more about making a difference than a dollar. It is simply not possible to sustain a Gospel lifestyle pursuing these things. Life decision #1 is not where you work, nor where you live, not even whom to marry. No, life decision #1 is, “How does God want to use my life to make a difference for the Kingdom” and in light of that we should make all of these other decisions.
The hope of the church is to rediscover in scripture what we are on the planet for. And it definitely isn’t about getting a piece of the pie. If we cannot supply a more compelling dream of this Kingdom than we are lost. We need to go back to the Bible and rediscover the Kingdom of God. Not just as theology but as an alternative cultural dream to the American dream. The two cannot be married. Why are we trying to mix oil and water and expecting fire and passion? We need to find out what the good life really is, this life “more abundantly”.
God, please give us a revelation of “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
Friday, December 02, 2005
How Rich Are You?
It's pay day today. Always a lovely day for a poor little rich boy like me... but I like thinking globally, so how rich am I ? Well I found out;
I am in the top 4.62% richest people in the world!
There are 5,722,608,695 people poorer than me!
Click Here to find out how rich you are.
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