Sunday, September 21, 2008
AC
Well, the new site is up and running...things will piece together over the coming weeks and months more and more but it's definately a go to check out. As a result, I will no longer be posting to this site. Check out http://agapecommunities.org and join the conversation. Jon Green is spearheading the front and the site will have my blogs as well as a cornucopia of thoughts, video, fun, etc. from a collection of peeps. There's also updates and info on both the AC in OKC and KC.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Revealing
"In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles brusied by a lady in black
And I held my toungue as she told me
"Son fear is the heart of love"
So I never went back"
-Death Cab For Cutie "Follow You Into The Dark"
"But time is on your side
It's on your side now
Not pushing you down and all around
It's no cause for concern
Come on, oh my star is fading
And I see no chance of release
And I know I'm dead on the surface
But I am screaming underneath
And time is on your side
It's on your side now
Not pushing you down and all around
No it's no cause for concern
Stuck on the end of this ball and chain
And I'm on my way back down again
Stood on a bridge, tied to a noose
Sick to the stomach
You can say what you mean
But it won't change a thing
I'm sick of the secrets
Stood on the edge, tied to a noose
You came along and you cut me loose
You came along and you cut me loose
You came along and you cut me loose."
-Coldplay "Amsterdam"
"What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out.
The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light.
He came to his own people but they didn't want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves.
No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day."
John 1 (The Message)
I've been captivated by those phrases lately. "He made them to be their true selves". So many times we aren't aware of all of the clothes and things we've acquired over the years to make us think we need to get value or acceptance or status or image or whatever. Most of us wouldn't know what to say if asked "What's on your heart these days? What do you dream about?" Passion...life...love...all of these things flow from the relentless self-aware pursuit of those questions. When's the last time you dreamed? Maybe it's the blood-thinners, I'm not sure(he he), but I've been dreaming again. Who are you? Don't tell me what you do (job, parent, social status, husband, wife)...tell me who you are...how you believe (or hope) God sees you....who....are....you? We get so entrenched in life that we forget how to really live...don't we. It matters to discover that. To reveal what's God's always known and is waiting for you to discover. It's a beautiful thing to become who you are.
"Take these hands
Teach them what to carry
Take these hands
Don't make a fist
Take this mouth
So quick to criticise
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss
Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn
Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean."
-U2 "Yahweh"
I got my knuckles brusied by a lady in black
And I held my toungue as she told me
"Son fear is the heart of love"
So I never went back"
-Death Cab For Cutie "Follow You Into The Dark"
"But time is on your side
It's on your side now
Not pushing you down and all around
It's no cause for concern
Come on, oh my star is fading
And I see no chance of release
And I know I'm dead on the surface
But I am screaming underneath
And time is on your side
It's on your side now
Not pushing you down and all around
No it's no cause for concern
Stuck on the end of this ball and chain
And I'm on my way back down again
Stood on a bridge, tied to a noose
Sick to the stomach
You can say what you mean
But it won't change a thing
I'm sick of the secrets
Stood on the edge, tied to a noose
You came along and you cut me loose
You came along and you cut me loose
You came along and you cut me loose."
-Coldplay "Amsterdam"
"What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out.
The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light.
He came to his own people but they didn't want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves.
No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day."
John 1 (The Message)
I've been captivated by those phrases lately. "He made them to be their true selves". So many times we aren't aware of all of the clothes and things we've acquired over the years to make us think we need to get value or acceptance or status or image or whatever. Most of us wouldn't know what to say if asked "What's on your heart these days? What do you dream about?" Passion...life...love...all of these things flow from the relentless self-aware pursuit of those questions. When's the last time you dreamed? Maybe it's the blood-thinners, I'm not sure(he he), but I've been dreaming again. Who are you? Don't tell me what you do (job, parent, social status, husband, wife)...tell me who you are...how you believe (or hope) God sees you....who....are....you? We get so entrenched in life that we forget how to really live...don't we. It matters to discover that. To reveal what's God's always known and is waiting for you to discover. It's a beautiful thing to become who you are.
"Take these hands
Teach them what to carry
Take these hands
Don't make a fist
Take this mouth
So quick to criticise
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss
Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn
Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean."
-U2 "Yahweh"
Monday, September 8, 2008
"The God's Aren't Angry" AC Thursday Nights
This Thursday Night we're starting a 3 week series based off the dvd teaching of Rob Bell entitled "The God's Aren't Angry". Here's the details.
What: AC Series "The God's Aren't Angry"
When: Thursday Nights (3 Weeks Starting This Week) 7 PM (Snack and Coffee @ 6:45)
Where: Henry's Home (14606 S Alden St, Olathe, KS 66062)
View Larger Map
Where did the first caveman or cavewoman get the idea that somebody, somewhere existed who needed to be worshipped, appeased, and followed?
And how did the idea evolve that if you didn't say, do, or offer the right things, this being would be upset, agitated, or even angry with you?
Where did religion come from?
Video, Processing, Discussion, Music, Teaching, and Coffee will encapsulate the nights of this series. Anyone is welcome to dive into the community and conversation.
Here's a glimpse for you.
What: AC Series "The God's Aren't Angry"
When: Thursday Nights (3 Weeks Starting This Week) 7 PM (Snack and Coffee @ 6:45)
Where: Henry's Home (14606 S Alden St, Olathe, KS 66062)
View Larger Map
Where did the first caveman or cavewoman get the idea that somebody, somewhere existed who needed to be worshipped, appeased, and followed?
And how did the idea evolve that if you didn't say, do, or offer the right things, this being would be upset, agitated, or even angry with you?
Where did religion come from?
Video, Processing, Discussion, Music, Teaching, and Coffee will encapsulate the nights of this series. Anyone is welcome to dive into the community and conversation.
Here's a glimpse for you.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Craziness
First of all thanks so much to many many of you for your thoughts, prayers, help, food, texts, calls, visits, etc. during the last week. Amazing to be doing life with so many of you guys in a variety of ways and avenues.
I was coming back from OKC Sunday and my right calf/leg felt tight and hurt. I didn't think much of it...just thought cramp, or muscle strain. It'll go away tomorrow. Woke up Monday and it didn't go away. It was worse. Went to work early and was stretching it a good bit to get the "muscle strain" out. Told Greg, my supervisor, I think it would be good to take an extended lunch and head to the walk-in clinic to see what's up and get muscle relaxers or something. Went there...doctor checked it out...said it could be a strain or pull...could also be a blood clot...needed to rule that out. So I went to get a sonogram. I was waiting in the waiting room...of course...to see what was up...no worries at this point. Tech calls me in to the talk to the doctor. "That's weird" I thought. He told me that I had a blood clot behind the right knee and would be admitted immediately. Wow. "Okay, I'll get admitted and then we'll be good to go Tuesday or something." He said the main dr. would be waiting for me in the registration area. I walked over there and he was running down.
Moments of clarity are what a lot of people call them. You never know when they happen. You never know when you'll hear words or see something that leaves you in tears, or makes you reevaluate everything, or leaves you more determined about your life and heart, or leaves you incredibly grateful. Sometimes you can feel it coming on. Most of the time you know it after the fact.
Dr. McGinnis met me in one of the registration booths. He asked the registration lady to leave b/c he needed to talk with me now. Doors closed.
"Do you know what's happening to you?"
"I know I have a blood clot behind the right knee."
"Do you know how serious that is and could be?"
"Not really"
"Do you know who Derrick Thomas is?"
"Yep" (He was a great defensive player for the Chiefs that died tragically and quickly a few years ago.)
"This is how he died."
"Are you saying I could die from this?"
"If not treated...yes"
I've never had someone tell me anything like that before. Maybe you have. Maybe most of you have. I never have. Never been admitted to the hospital. Never had an IV. Never broke a bone. On and on. Wanna know the first thing that came to mind? This may seem obvious, but it's an incredibly deep thought. "I really don't want to die." I've rarely felt more certain about something in my life. It's a really powerful thing to, in your depths, realize that. At least, it has been for me. I feel like I'm really starting to live and pursue the things on my heart more than ever. I love my wife...incredibly. Love my relationships. Community of friends and family. Job....most of the time...he he! The depth of that realization is pretty strong. To ask, "Do I really want to live?" For some, it's tough to answer that honestly just from a physical life perspective. "I wanna live, I don't wanna die." For some, it's tough to answer that from a emotional and relational perspective. "Life not working for me...I'm dying on the inside...I want to really live life!" Whatever the place for someone. It matters to be honest about the answer. It's powerful to be honest about the answer. It has been for me.
"Well, I know I don't wanna die! So I'll do whatever you tell me to do."
"You will likely be fine because you came here. Who knows what might have happened if you hadn't. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Completely."
I can't think him enough for being so laser with me. I appreciate that with people so much. The threat is for the blood clot to break off and then shoot up the vein to either the heart, lungs, or brain. In either case, if the clot is large enough, it's likely fatal. So I was admitted. My routine over the next few days consisted of 2 stomach shots a day along with oral blood-thinners, which I'm still on and will be for the next 4-6 months. No more stomach shots...woo-hoo! I got released from Olathe Med Thursday afternoon. Right now, I'm sitting on my couch...leg extended and resting...preparing to head back to work Wednesday. It's 11:30 as I write this...on Monday...1 week ago...you get the picture...crazy. There you go. You may find value in this. Maybe not. I just thought I would share. Again, thanks to so many of you for your visits, conversations, food, gifts, texts, etc. Nina, thanks so much for helping Raegen and I out last week in a moment's notice...you are a great friend. So many others of you that are on this journey together. Thanks. It matters. You matter.
"Mack, if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again."
-taken from "The Shack"
"Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true
But you and I know what this world can do
So let's make our steps clear that the other may see
And I'll wait for you
If I should fall behind
Wait for me."
-Bruce Springsteen "If I Should Fall Behind"
"I don't want you to die."
"That the most beautiful thing anyone's ever said to me"
-taken from "V for Vendetta"
I was coming back from OKC Sunday and my right calf/leg felt tight and hurt. I didn't think much of it...just thought cramp, or muscle strain. It'll go away tomorrow. Woke up Monday and it didn't go away. It was worse. Went to work early and was stretching it a good bit to get the "muscle strain" out. Told Greg, my supervisor, I think it would be good to take an extended lunch and head to the walk-in clinic to see what's up and get muscle relaxers or something. Went there...doctor checked it out...said it could be a strain or pull...could also be a blood clot...needed to rule that out. So I went to get a sonogram. I was waiting in the waiting room...of course...to see what was up...no worries at this point. Tech calls me in to the talk to the doctor. "That's weird" I thought. He told me that I had a blood clot behind the right knee and would be admitted immediately. Wow. "Okay, I'll get admitted and then we'll be good to go Tuesday or something." He said the main dr. would be waiting for me in the registration area. I walked over there and he was running down.
Moments of clarity are what a lot of people call them. You never know when they happen. You never know when you'll hear words or see something that leaves you in tears, or makes you reevaluate everything, or leaves you more determined about your life and heart, or leaves you incredibly grateful. Sometimes you can feel it coming on. Most of the time you know it after the fact.
Dr. McGinnis met me in one of the registration booths. He asked the registration lady to leave b/c he needed to talk with me now. Doors closed.
"Do you know what's happening to you?"
"I know I have a blood clot behind the right knee."
"Do you know how serious that is and could be?"
"Not really"
"Do you know who Derrick Thomas is?"
"Yep" (He was a great defensive player for the Chiefs that died tragically and quickly a few years ago.)
"This is how he died."
"Are you saying I could die from this?"
"If not treated...yes"
I've never had someone tell me anything like that before. Maybe you have. Maybe most of you have. I never have. Never been admitted to the hospital. Never had an IV. Never broke a bone. On and on. Wanna know the first thing that came to mind? This may seem obvious, but it's an incredibly deep thought. "I really don't want to die." I've rarely felt more certain about something in my life. It's a really powerful thing to, in your depths, realize that. At least, it has been for me. I feel like I'm really starting to live and pursue the things on my heart more than ever. I love my wife...incredibly. Love my relationships. Community of friends and family. Job....most of the time...he he! The depth of that realization is pretty strong. To ask, "Do I really want to live?" For some, it's tough to answer that honestly just from a physical life perspective. "I wanna live, I don't wanna die." For some, it's tough to answer that from a emotional and relational perspective. "Life not working for me...I'm dying on the inside...I want to really live life!" Whatever the place for someone. It matters to be honest about the answer. It's powerful to be honest about the answer. It has been for me.
"Well, I know I don't wanna die! So I'll do whatever you tell me to do."
"You will likely be fine because you came here. Who knows what might have happened if you hadn't. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Completely."
I can't think him enough for being so laser with me. I appreciate that with people so much. The threat is for the blood clot to break off and then shoot up the vein to either the heart, lungs, or brain. In either case, if the clot is large enough, it's likely fatal. So I was admitted. My routine over the next few days consisted of 2 stomach shots a day along with oral blood-thinners, which I'm still on and will be for the next 4-6 months. No more stomach shots...woo-hoo! I got released from Olathe Med Thursday afternoon. Right now, I'm sitting on my couch...leg extended and resting...preparing to head back to work Wednesday. It's 11:30 as I write this...on Monday...1 week ago...you get the picture...crazy. There you go. You may find value in this. Maybe not. I just thought I would share. Again, thanks to so many of you for your visits, conversations, food, gifts, texts, etc. Nina, thanks so much for helping Raegen and I out last week in a moment's notice...you are a great friend. So many others of you that are on this journey together. Thanks. It matters. You matter.
"Mack, if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again."
-taken from "The Shack"
"Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true
But you and I know what this world can do
So let's make our steps clear that the other may see
And I'll wait for you
If I should fall behind
Wait for me."
-Bruce Springsteen "If I Should Fall Behind"
"I don't want you to die."
"That the most beautiful thing anyone's ever said to me"
-taken from "V for Vendetta"
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
William Paul Young speaking at Mariner's Church
Really really great stuff from the writer of "The Shack". Particularly him sharing his story. Enjoy.
http://www.marinerschurch.org/theshack/av/index.html##
http://www.marinerschurch.org/theshack/av/index.html##
Dr. Paul Fitzgerald-Living Loved
Paul is a friend and sojourner and a formative voice in this community of conversations and gatherings. Great stuff on his blog. Check out the recent post.
http://pauldfitzgerald.typepad.com/graceconnexion/2008/08/post.html
http://pauldfitzgerald.typepad.com/graceconnexion/2008/08/post.html
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Live Music "Crack"
A bit of John Mayer
A bit of R & B (Chris Brown)
Country (Brad Paisley)
Boys @ Men "Water Runs Dry"...great lyrics...here's a sample...
"Now..Now they can see the tears in our eyes
But we deny the pain that lies
Deep in our hearts
Well maybe that's a pain we can't hide
'Cause everybody knows that we're both torn apart
Why do we hurt each other?
Why do we push love away?"
A bit of Coldplay
Finally...Muse
A bit of R & B (Chris Brown)
Country (Brad Paisley)
Boys @ Men "Water Runs Dry"...great lyrics...here's a sample...
"Now..Now they can see the tears in our eyes
But we deny the pain that lies
Deep in our hearts
Well maybe that's a pain we can't hide
'Cause everybody knows that we're both torn apart
Why do we hurt each other?
Why do we push love away?"
A bit of Coldplay
Finally...Muse
Sunday, July 20, 2008
DC Parsons Pool Party!
3 P's woo-hoo! Anyway, this Wednesday night we're meeting at the Rich Parsons "Project" (no relation to Alan, that I'm aware of) for a night of swimming, grilling, games, and conversation. Anyone is invited as always. We'll get rolling at 7. We'll provide the burgers and hot dogs. You bring your own drink and a side to share (chips, pasta salad, something along those lines). Good deal. Bring any games as well. We'll likely have washers and wiffle ball along with the swim front. Directions to the Parsons abode can be found below.
View Larger Map
View Larger Map
Anymore
"When I told you I was yours,
I was yours.
In this life you're the one place I call home
In this life you're the feeling I belong
In this life you're the flower and the thorn
You're everything that's fair in love and war"
-Switchfoot "Head Over Heels (In This Life)"
"Captain: Out there is our home. Home AUTO, and it's in trouble. I can't just sit here and do nothing. That's all I've ever done! That's all anyone has ever done on this blasted ship.
AUTO: In space we will survive.
Captain: I don't want to survive, I want to live!"
-from the movie "WALL-E" (which is phenomenal incidentally)
"Where the Spirit of God is there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces are being transformed."
-Paul to the Corinthians
"The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, "Look, here it is!' or "There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you."
-Jesus to the religious leaders of the day
It's a fascinating paradox really. I've had so many conversations with people and read so many things that describe the level of frustration with the church institution(s). On the other hand, I've experienced so many people who are asking deeply spiritual questions and believing in God and the message of Jesus. The fact that "The Shack" is #1 New York Times bestseller tells the story there. So many people are sensing something more.
I've come to believe that every person on the planet was created to know they're loved...they're accepted...and they're valuable. Intrinsically loved. Completely accepted. Uniquely valuable. The majority of the population of planet Earth tries to pursue and acquire those things....often from each other...at the expense of others often. A belittling remark. A shaming stare. An unforgiving heart. An explosion of anger. That's why I think the message and heart of Jesus is central to the way life's supposed to be. The way he interacted with people. He openly welcomed the social outcasts. The people the religious system of the day shamed and excluded. He openly chided those religious leaders who were giving God a bad name. I'm coming to believe that the heart of the message of Jesus was and is "You don't have to hide anymore." You're loved. You're accepted. You've valuable...as you are. You don't have to play the game.
The truth is that there aren't many safe places around. There aren't many places where you can be honest...experience love...experience acceptance..understand value. Unfortunately, the top unsafe place on most people's list would likely be the church. Rightfully so, in many cases.
There was a case of a pastor and well-known evangelical leader a few years back that was confronted with news from a gay prostitute that the pastor, despite all of his bashing the lifestyle throught the years, was actually "hooking up" with the prostitute periodically and doing cocaine. After multiple denials, the pastor admitted that everything the prostitute had said was true. He was asked to step out of his position at a prominent church in Colorado and pursued healing. The unfortunate reality for him and for so many in various avenues isn't that those "hook ups" happened, although it does cost a lot of pain, it's that he had created a culture that would not be safe for the shame and pain of his life.
We need more safe places. I happen to believe that's the way things should be. Safe people create safe places. Safe simply means a place where every persons' story is valued. Our arms open wide to others to the degree that we believe God's arms are open wide to us...in the depths of us...do we believe that?
'"The darkness hides the true size of fears and lies and regrets,' Jesus explained. 'The truth is they are more shadow than reality, so they seem bigger in the dark. When the light shines into the places they live inside you, you start to see them for what they are.'
'But why do we keep all that crap inside?' Mack asked.
'Because we believe it's safer there. And, sometimes, when you're a kid trying to survive, it really is safer there. When you grow up on the outside, but on the inside you're still that kid in the dark cave surrounded by monsters, and out of habit you keep adding to your collection. We all collect things we value, you know?'
This made Mack smile. He knew Jesus was referring to something Sarayu had sadi about collecting tears. 'So, how does that change, you know, for somebody who's lost in the dark like me?'
'Most often, pretty slowly,' Jesus answered. 'Remember, you can't do it alone. Some folks try with all kinds of coping mechanisms and mental games. But the monsters are still there, just waiting for the chance to come out.'
'So what do I do now?'
'What you're already doing, Mack, learning to live loved. It's not an easy concept for humans.'"
-taken from "The Shack" by William P. Young
"In this life I'm stubborn to the core
In this life I've been burning after more
We both know what these open arms are for
You're everything that's fair."
-Switchfoot "Head Over Heels (In This Life)"
You don't have to hide anymore.
I was yours.
In this life you're the one place I call home
In this life you're the feeling I belong
In this life you're the flower and the thorn
You're everything that's fair in love and war"
-Switchfoot "Head Over Heels (In This Life)"
"Captain: Out there is our home. Home AUTO, and it's in trouble. I can't just sit here and do nothing. That's all I've ever done! That's all anyone has ever done on this blasted ship.
AUTO: In space we will survive.
Captain: I don't want to survive, I want to live!"
-from the movie "WALL-E" (which is phenomenal incidentally)
"Where the Spirit of God is there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces are being transformed."
-Paul to the Corinthians
"The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, "Look, here it is!' or "There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you."
-Jesus to the religious leaders of the day
It's a fascinating paradox really. I've had so many conversations with people and read so many things that describe the level of frustration with the church institution(s). On the other hand, I've experienced so many people who are asking deeply spiritual questions and believing in God and the message of Jesus. The fact that "The Shack" is #1 New York Times bestseller tells the story there. So many people are sensing something more.
I've come to believe that every person on the planet was created to know they're loved...they're accepted...and they're valuable. Intrinsically loved. Completely accepted. Uniquely valuable. The majority of the population of planet Earth tries to pursue and acquire those things....often from each other...at the expense of others often. A belittling remark. A shaming stare. An unforgiving heart. An explosion of anger. That's why I think the message and heart of Jesus is central to the way life's supposed to be. The way he interacted with people. He openly welcomed the social outcasts. The people the religious system of the day shamed and excluded. He openly chided those religious leaders who were giving God a bad name. I'm coming to believe that the heart of the message of Jesus was and is "You don't have to hide anymore." You're loved. You're accepted. You've valuable...as you are. You don't have to play the game.
The truth is that there aren't many safe places around. There aren't many places where you can be honest...experience love...experience acceptance..understand value. Unfortunately, the top unsafe place on most people's list would likely be the church. Rightfully so, in many cases.
There was a case of a pastor and well-known evangelical leader a few years back that was confronted with news from a gay prostitute that the pastor, despite all of his bashing the lifestyle throught the years, was actually "hooking up" with the prostitute periodically and doing cocaine. After multiple denials, the pastor admitted that everything the prostitute had said was true. He was asked to step out of his position at a prominent church in Colorado and pursued healing. The unfortunate reality for him and for so many in various avenues isn't that those "hook ups" happened, although it does cost a lot of pain, it's that he had created a culture that would not be safe for the shame and pain of his life.
We need more safe places. I happen to believe that's the way things should be. Safe people create safe places. Safe simply means a place where every persons' story is valued. Our arms open wide to others to the degree that we believe God's arms are open wide to us...in the depths of us...do we believe that?
'"The darkness hides the true size of fears and lies and regrets,' Jesus explained. 'The truth is they are more shadow than reality, so they seem bigger in the dark. When the light shines into the places they live inside you, you start to see them for what they are.'
'But why do we keep all that crap inside?' Mack asked.
'Because we believe it's safer there. And, sometimes, when you're a kid trying to survive, it really is safer there. When you grow up on the outside, but on the inside you're still that kid in the dark cave surrounded by monsters, and out of habit you keep adding to your collection. We all collect things we value, you know?'
This made Mack smile. He knew Jesus was referring to something Sarayu had sadi about collecting tears. 'So, how does that change, you know, for somebody who's lost in the dark like me?'
'Most often, pretty slowly,' Jesus answered. 'Remember, you can't do it alone. Some folks try with all kinds of coping mechanisms and mental games. But the monsters are still there, just waiting for the chance to come out.'
'So what do I do now?'
'What you're already doing, Mack, learning to live loved. It's not an easy concept for humans.'"
-taken from "The Shack" by William P. Young
"In this life I'm stubborn to the core
In this life I've been burning after more
We both know what these open arms are for
You're everything that's fair."
-Switchfoot "Head Over Heels (In This Life)"
You don't have to hide anymore.
"The Shack" Interview
William Paul Young wrote the best book I've ever read. I quoted it numerous times on this blog and at DC. Many of you have read it and found immense value in it. I'm not typically a viewer of the 700 Club but this interview was pretty good. Really great stuff on dealing with shame and "how we run to rebellion or religion when we don't understand how much we're loved". Check out William Paul Young's blog at www.windrumors.com.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Agape Communities
It's been a bit since I've posted on here...my apologies. Lots of stuff to talk about. As many of you know, I'm starting a new conversation/group of communities that I'm calling "agape communities". At the end of the day it's safe environments and outlets for people to process and pursue the reality of "God is Love". This will look like many evolving creative fronts. We've been having and will continue to have DC on Wednesday nights in Olathe (likely the name will be changed to AC at some point). We are pointing towards starting an AC in Oklahoma City in September. More details on that in the near future. There are also rumors of other environments in the creative process around the Olathe area. A blogsite will be up that will have my thoughts as well as thoughts from others in the community at large and links to ideas and musings. We're working on t-shirts as well that will reflect what we believe is the heart of the message of God in Christ. Also will be working on a litany of ideas and tools to help awaken to the "God is Love" front or help guide interested people to AC's where community is there in that capacity. It will also be an umbrella for creative outlets and ideas with like-hearted people. Lots more on this later. I'm looking at a meeting in late August to chat more, unveil more, and engage interested hearts in pursuing and creating. If you have q's or would like to grab coffee, partake of a Boulevard Wheat, or dance with a Cohiba Red Dot over conversation throw me a line at pbhl@yahoo.com. Exciting times.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Steve Jobs' Stanford Address
The post is quite lengthy but I think it's incredibly inspiring. It's the 2005 Stanford Commencement address. I'm a big fan of Steve Jobs on many levels but most of the reasons are encapsulated in this address.
'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says.
This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation.
Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list,got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5" deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copiedthe Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky - I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run thecompany with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. It was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me - I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept: No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. Thank you all very much.
"What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world (all that it has to offer) and forfeits his soul (who he essentially is and was made to become)."
-Jesus
'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says.
This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation.
Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list,got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5" deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copiedthe Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky - I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run thecompany with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. It was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me - I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept: No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. Thank you all very much.
"What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world (all that it has to offer) and forfeits his soul (who he essentially is and was made to become)."
-Jesus
"Light"ning
"That will be the time
That everything will shine
So bright it makes u colorblind"
-"Diamonds and Pearls" by Prince
"I got my first real six-string
Bought it at the five-and-dime
Played it till my fingers bled
It was the summer of '69"
-"Summer of 69" by Brian Adams
There was a fascinating display last week. I believe it was Thursday night...incredible storms. Very windy. Intense to say the least. I woke up the next morning and it seemed that everything was more alive. Leaves and grass seemed more green. The sky was radiantly blue. Clarity.
So many times, it can seem, I think, that the storm is everything. I don't pretend to know all of the dynamics of why things happen when they do and how they do. I have experienced seasons that seem very much like that storm.
Minutes seem like hours. It can't end quickly enough.
I've also experienced that colorful seasons...seasons of life, real life, seem much more breathtaking and lovely and timely and hopeful after the stormy seasons.
Hours seem like minutes. We don't want it to end.
Maybe you're in a really stormy season right now. It might seem like it's gone on forever. My prayer is that you know deep within you...it's just a season. Days of life and color and hope are a few pages away. It seems that we appreciate and value and embrace those days more after we've went through the stormy seasons.
Maybe you're in a really "lively" season right now. You are finding life and pursuing things that give you life and ultimately others. You've living the reality of "being" loved by God. It's a good season. Embrace it. Fully. Share with others. Give life. Give hope. Live loved.
"I know the wind's so cold
I've seen the darkest days
But now the winds I feel
Are only winds of change
I've been through the fire
And I've been through the rain
But I'll be fine
'Cause I've got faith of the heart
I'm going where my heart will take me
I've got faith to believe
I can do anything
I've got strength of the soul
And no one's going to bend nor break me
I can reach any star
I've got faith of the heart"
-"Faith of the Heart" by Rod Stewart (couldn't find an actual live video so here's the song behind clips of the movie "Homeward Bound")
Hilarious Bible Verses....
These verses are hilarious...if you have one to add...please leave in the comment section.
"Behold I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces."
Malachi 2:3
"Hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat they're own dung, and drink their own urine with you?"
2 Kings 18:27
Just a few funny ones to bring a smile to your face....hopefully.
"Behold I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces."
Malachi 2:3
"Hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat they're own dung, and drink their own urine with you?"
2 Kings 18:27
Just a few funny ones to bring a smile to your face....hopefully.
Friday, May 30, 2008
"1 Coin? Are You Serious?"
These really don't get old! Every time I see them..."funny for the masses!"
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
For Sale?
"She parks her car outside of my house and
Takes her clothes off,
Says she's close to understanding Jesus."
-"Round Here" by Counting Crows
"The first will be last and the last will be first."
-Jesus
"If Jesus came back and saw what's going on in his name, he'd never stop throwing up."
-Woody Allen
"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducess (religious leaders)"
-Jesus
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
-Jesus
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
-Jesus
How much of my life has been spent trying to acquire value? Identity? Love? Life? Acceptance? The crazy thing about the message of Jesus is that it speaks to the core of who we are as human beings and what we've created in a western culture. Our culture seems to say that you get value through your job...because of your kids...because you're married...because of what you own (house, car, assets)....because of...you get the picture. The message of Jesus speaks to a different reality. You have value because you are created and are a human being. You are loved and accepted, not because of your job...not because of working at a church...not because of your parenting skills...not because of what you own...not because of your spouse or family...you are loved and accepted because you ARE loved and accepted. That's God's "economy".
Have you ever met someone who wasn't impressed by people who were obviously trying to be impressive? Have you even met someone who was completely human and completely content in who they were? It's so foreign to most, if not all of us, to look at ourselves and others through the "valued and accepted" perspective, isn't it. It's so hard to believe for ourselves. How much energy has been spent in the pursuit of something that we've always had in God's economy?
Have you ever found yourself getting sleep...but not rest?
It's so beautiful to see people who are aware of their "be-lovedness". The game doesn't work. You learn to see through it. You see how it impacts people. You see how it's impacted you. You see how things could be. You see how things are meant to be. God loves you...just as you are. God loves you...and accepts you...and values you...just as you are....where you are. Just....as....you....are. It takes repetition to internalize it. We get the other message all the time...all day...in all avenues...sometimes from so-called "God" avenues. If you know people who have learned and are learning to live in this reality...hang out with them...listen...be. There's a much cooler story unfolding all around us. May we learn to see.
"Round here we're carving out our names
Round here we all look the same
Round here we talk just like lions
But we sacrifice like lambs
Round here she's slipping through my hands
Sleeping children better run like the wind
out of the lightning dream
Mama's little baby better get herself in
out of the lightning
She says It's only in my head
She says Shhh I know it's only in my head"
-"Round Here" Counting Crows
"The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
-Jesus
Takes her clothes off,
Says she's close to understanding Jesus."
-"Round Here" by Counting Crows
"The first will be last and the last will be first."
-Jesus
"If Jesus came back and saw what's going on in his name, he'd never stop throwing up."
-Woody Allen
"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducess (religious leaders)"
-Jesus
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
-Jesus
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
-Jesus
How much of my life has been spent trying to acquire value? Identity? Love? Life? Acceptance? The crazy thing about the message of Jesus is that it speaks to the core of who we are as human beings and what we've created in a western culture. Our culture seems to say that you get value through your job...because of your kids...because you're married...because of what you own (house, car, assets)....because of...you get the picture. The message of Jesus speaks to a different reality. You have value because you are created and are a human being. You are loved and accepted, not because of your job...not because of working at a church...not because of your parenting skills...not because of what you own...not because of your spouse or family...you are loved and accepted because you ARE loved and accepted. That's God's "economy".
Have you ever met someone who wasn't impressed by people who were obviously trying to be impressive? Have you even met someone who was completely human and completely content in who they were? It's so foreign to most, if not all of us, to look at ourselves and others through the "valued and accepted" perspective, isn't it. It's so hard to believe for ourselves. How much energy has been spent in the pursuit of something that we've always had in God's economy?
Have you ever found yourself getting sleep...but not rest?
It's so beautiful to see people who are aware of their "be-lovedness". The game doesn't work. You learn to see through it. You see how it impacts people. You see how it's impacted you. You see how things could be. You see how things are meant to be. God loves you...just as you are. God loves you...and accepts you...and values you...just as you are....where you are. Just....as....you....are. It takes repetition to internalize it. We get the other message all the time...all day...in all avenues...sometimes from so-called "God" avenues. If you know people who have learned and are learning to live in this reality...hang out with them...listen...be. There's a much cooler story unfolding all around us. May we learn to see.
"Round here we're carving out our names
Round here we all look the same
Round here we talk just like lions
But we sacrifice like lambs
Round here she's slipping through my hands
Sleeping children better run like the wind
out of the lightning dream
Mama's little baby better get herself in
out of the lightning
She says It's only in my head
She says Shhh I know it's only in my head"
-"Round Here" Counting Crows
"The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
-Jesus
Post It Notes
Thought-provoking stuff from Dr. Paul Fitzgerald.
http://pauldfitzgerald.typepad.com/graceconnexion/2008/05/marriage---two.html
http://pauldfitzgerald.typepad.com/graceconnexion/2008/05/marriage---two.html
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Will The Real Friction Please Stand Up?
"And with all that love, he was completely honest. Yet even when his actions or words exposed people's darkest motives, they didn't feel shamed. They felt safe, really safe with him."
-taken from "So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore"
"And you're like a 90's Kennedy
And you're really a million years old
You can't fool me
They'll throw opinions like rocks in riots
And they'll stumble around like hypocrites
Is it just me or is it dark in here?"
-"No Pressure Over Cappucino" Lyrics by Alanis Morissette
Maybe it's a Teddy Bear
"I was so young."
Maybe it's a Bible.
Jill grew up in a very strict religious home. She knew more about what she couldn't do then what she could. Freedom? Freedom? It seemed to her that people that knew God actually knew very little about freedom. At least the people she knew that said they knew God. Her parents really didn't want to know her life. They didn't want to know the awkward conversations she had had with her church leaders that had nothing to do with God and were ridiculously inappropriate. They didn't want to know about her lifestyle or drug abuse. She knew what happened to people like her. Don't rock the boat...play nice...give them what they want. A smile. A nice dress. Pat answers. They also didn't know the depth of bitterness she had towards them and ultimately God for the whole thing. Everytime she saw the large Bible on the coffee table it triggered her. It still raged.
Maybe it's a watch
-"You never have time for me!"
Maybe it's a belt.
That sound still makes him jump. People wonder why he never wears one around his pants. When his pants are screaming "wear a belt!", 1 foot past his waist. How many times did it happen? Dad in his anger. Mom running to the bedroom in seeming indifference. On average, he figured, he was whipped 20 times each time...sometimes less...sometimes more. It started when he was 8...what do you do with that at eight years old? It continued on through high school. Until....he never saw love in his Dad's eyes. Never....when they were happening. He still has scars to prove the magnitude of them. He didn't know the state could do something about it. He didn't know it was wrong for his Mom to silently cry in the bedroom. She felt just as trapped as he did. He didn't know it wasn't right or normal. He didn't know he didn't deserve it. He didn't know it wasn't his fault. He didn't know he didn't deserve it. He didn't know. Deep down....it boiled. He still doesn't really know.
Maybe it's Money
"Is that all you care about?"
Maybe it's a picture frame with someone "lost".
>Luengele had lost 9 family members to AIDS....9 brothers and sisters...Nine!
>Tony lost his wife tragically.
>She lost her innocence and heart.
>He lost his job.
>They lost their children.
>Sam lost his home.
The picture in the frame is so much more than just a picture. Only they could really know how much that moment...that season...changed their lives.
Maybe it's "the bottle"
"Why does Joe drink so much?"
"I DONT HAVE A PROBLEM!"
Maybe it's food
What....are you holding onto?
It matters so much what we think about God and Jesus in these seasons in these realities of our lives. Is it safe? Is God really loving? Does He care? "Sometimes I might not hope He cares or knows about these things...most of the time...deep down...I hope He does. I hope what I hope about Him is true."
"You know, you don't have to live like this." He whispers
"I love you no matter what. No matter what."
How much pain and shame has been caused by that thing? What would it be like to trust that in someone else's hands? What would it be like to trust? That's where so many of us are at isn't is? If we trace the friction back...it leads to these moments often...or seasons. I don't know what you've done. I don't know what's been done to you. I don't know what you think about yourself. I know...I know...God loves you. Period. You...can...be...more...free. You can grow in the journey of that. Life is there.
"And may God bless you in your travels in your conquests and queries."
-"No Pressure Over Cappuccino"
-taken from "So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore"
"And you're like a 90's Kennedy
And you're really a million years old
You can't fool me
They'll throw opinions like rocks in riots
And they'll stumble around like hypocrites
Is it just me or is it dark in here?"
-"No Pressure Over Cappucino" Lyrics by Alanis Morissette
Maybe it's a Teddy Bear
"I was so young."
Maybe it's a Bible.
Jill grew up in a very strict religious home. She knew more about what she couldn't do then what she could. Freedom? Freedom? It seemed to her that people that knew God actually knew very little about freedom. At least the people she knew that said they knew God. Her parents really didn't want to know her life. They didn't want to know the awkward conversations she had had with her church leaders that had nothing to do with God and were ridiculously inappropriate. They didn't want to know about her lifestyle or drug abuse. She knew what happened to people like her. Don't rock the boat...play nice...give them what they want. A smile. A nice dress. Pat answers. They also didn't know the depth of bitterness she had towards them and ultimately God for the whole thing. Everytime she saw the large Bible on the coffee table it triggered her. It still raged.
Maybe it's a watch
-"You never have time for me!"
Maybe it's a belt.
That sound still makes him jump. People wonder why he never wears one around his pants. When his pants are screaming "wear a belt!", 1 foot past his waist. How many times did it happen? Dad in his anger. Mom running to the bedroom in seeming indifference. On average, he figured, he was whipped 20 times each time...sometimes less...sometimes more. It started when he was 8...what do you do with that at eight years old? It continued on through high school. Until....he never saw love in his Dad's eyes. Never....when they were happening. He still has scars to prove the magnitude of them. He didn't know the state could do something about it. He didn't know it was wrong for his Mom to silently cry in the bedroom. She felt just as trapped as he did. He didn't know it wasn't right or normal. He didn't know he didn't deserve it. He didn't know it wasn't his fault. He didn't know he didn't deserve it. He didn't know. Deep down....it boiled. He still doesn't really know.
Maybe it's Money
"Is that all you care about?"
Maybe it's a picture frame with someone "lost".
>Luengele had lost 9 family members to AIDS....9 brothers and sisters...Nine!
>Tony lost his wife tragically.
>She lost her innocence and heart.
>He lost his job.
>They lost their children.
>Sam lost his home.
The picture in the frame is so much more than just a picture. Only they could really know how much that moment...that season...changed their lives.
Maybe it's "the bottle"
"Why does Joe drink so much?"
"I DONT HAVE A PROBLEM!"
Maybe it's food
What....are you holding onto?
It matters so much what we think about God and Jesus in these seasons in these realities of our lives. Is it safe? Is God really loving? Does He care? "Sometimes I might not hope He cares or knows about these things...most of the time...deep down...I hope He does. I hope what I hope about Him is true."
"You know, you don't have to live like this." He whispers
"I love you no matter what. No matter what."
How much pain and shame has been caused by that thing? What would it be like to trust that in someone else's hands? What would it be like to trust? That's where so many of us are at isn't is? If we trace the friction back...it leads to these moments often...or seasons. I don't know what you've done. I don't know what's been done to you. I don't know what you think about yourself. I know...I know...God loves you. Period. You...can...be...more...free. You can grow in the journey of that. Life is there.
"And may God bless you in your travels in your conquests and queries."
-"No Pressure Over Cappuccino"
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