tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7947876209847850662024-03-13T11:12:07.674-04:00thoughts from the front porch...random ~ yet somehow connected thoughtsJasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-48414290953773976252010-03-21T06:52:00.002-04:002010-03-21T07:28:52.545-04:00Social ImaginaryI am reading a book by James K. A. Smith entitled "Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation". Part of what he is discussing in this section is what causes us act and make decisions the way that we do. He states that "what we think about is just the tip of the iceberg and cannot fully or adequately account for how or why we make our way in the world. There's something else and and something more rumbling beneath the cognitive that drives much of our action and behavior." He calls this "Social Imaginary". Another author, Charles Taylor, defines this as "the way ordinary people 'imagine' their social surroundings, which is not expressed in theoretical terms, but is carried in images, stories and legends."<br /><br />More from Smith:<br /> <blockquote>A social imaginary is not how we think about the world, but how we imagine the world before we ever think about it; hence the social imaginary is made up of the stuff that funds the imagination -- stories, myths, pictures, narritives. Furthermore, such stories are always already communal and traditioned. There are no private stories: every narrative draws upon tellings that have been handed down (traditio). So the imaginary is social in two ways: on the one hand, it is a social phenomenon received from and shared with others; on the other hand, it is a vision of and for social life -- a vision of what counts as human flourishing, what counts as meaningful relationships, what counts as "good" families, and so forth.</blockquote><br /><br /><br />So, that being said, the logical question is: How are we helping our children form their "social imaginary"? What stories, narratives, etc are we sharing to create this? We have been given our children for a short time and it is critical for us to help them build this "vision of what counts as human flourishing, what counts as meaningful relationships, what counts as "good" families, and so forth." <br /><br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-54235542432584194162009-10-22T20:26:00.002-04:002009-10-22T20:34:01.979-04:00More words from Dallas Willard...From <span style="font-style: italic;">Revolution of Character</span>:<br /><br />Concretely, we live in the kingdom of God by intending to obey the example and teachings of Jesus. This is the form that trust in him takes. It does not take the form of merely believing things about him, however true they may be. Indeed, no one can actually believe the truth about him without intending to obey him. It is a mental impossibility. To think otherwise is to indulge a widespread illusion that now smothers spiritual formation among professing Christians.<br /><br />The idea that you can trust Christ for the hereafter but have no intention to obey him now is an illusion generated by a widespread unbelieving "Christian culture." In fact, you can no more trust Jesus and not intend to obey him than you can trust your doctor and not intend to follow his or her advice. If you don't intend to follow the advice, you simply don't trust the person.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-16700526612534035952009-09-29T10:28:00.001-04:002009-09-29T10:31:46.377-04:00Why don't we change?I was on my way home from small group Sunday night thinking about the fact that making a change in just about anything is difficult. Careers, city in which you live, friends, schools, behaviors….whatever it is, change is not easy. I remember several years back hearing something like the following: “people are not willing to make change until the pain of their current situation outweighs the perceived pain of the change” – this was related to the sales process. I believe this relates to change in general. <br /><br />In this case, I was thinking about change in behaviors. If you want to lose weight, you need to change your diet and put some effort into working out – or as I have been know to say “close your mouth and get on the treadmill.” If you want be more productive at work, you need to make some change to the little behaviors such as time management. But what about changes of a spiritual nature? What if we want to live the life that we are told about in John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Do we continue going on living life as we always have expecting to magically have our life “to the full”? There’s a saying that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing you’ve always done but expecting different results”. It is going to take change.<br /><br />Why was I thinking about change coming back from small group? Because we are going through Francis Chan’s “Crazy Love” and he calls us to read and the DO something about it. So when the tough question is asked “how is your life different as a result of reading this chapter” – the common answer is, “it’s not”. Why is this?? Pride? Laziness? Fear? Self-sufficiency? Comfort?Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-23698419705188989942009-02-22T06:44:00.002-05:002009-02-22T06:48:54.040-05:00Prayer: legalism, duty, lifeThis is from a blog that I read regularly (http://theologica.blogspot.com) ....<br /><br /><p> <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2008/3468_Put_in_the_Fire_for_the_Sake_of_Prayer/">John Piper</a>:</p><blockquote>But the hard truth is that most Christians don’t pray very much. They pray at meals—unless they’re still stuck in the adolescent stage of calling good habits <em>legalism</em>. They whisper prayers before tough meetings. They say something brief as they crawl into bed. But very few set aside set times to pray alone—and fewer still think it is worth it to meet with others to pray. And we wonder why our faith is weak. And our hope is feeble. And our passion for Christ is small. <p>And meanwhile the devil is whispering all over this room: “The pastor is getting legalistic now. He’s starting to use guilt now. He’s getting out the law now.” To which I say, “To hell with the devil and all of his destructive lies. Be free!” Is it true that intentional, regular, disciplined, earnest, Christ-dependent, God-glorifying, joyful prayer is a duty? . . . Is it a discipline? </p> <p> You can call it that.<br /></p><ul><li>It’s a duty the way it’s the duty of a scuba diver to put on his air tank before he goes underwater.</li><li> It’s a duty the way pilots listen to air traffic controllers.<br /></li><li>It’s a duty the way soldiers in combat clean their rifles and load their guns.<br /></li><li>It’s a duty the way hungry people eat food.<br /></li><li>It’s a duty the way thirsty people drink water.<br /></li><li>It’s a duty the way a deaf man puts in his hearing aid.<br /></li><li>It’s a duty the way a diabetic takes his insulin.<br /></li><li>It’s a duty the way Pooh Bear looks for honey.<br /></li><li>It’s a duty the way pirates look for gold. </li></ul> <p>I hate the devil, and the way he is killing some of you by persuading you it is legalistic to be as regular in your prayers as you are in your eating and sleeping and Internet use. Do you not see what a sucker he his making out of you? He is laughing up his sleeve at how easy it is to deceive Christians about the importance of prayer. </p> <p> God has given us means of grace. If we do not use them to their fullest advantage, our complaints against him will not stick. If we don’t eat, we starve. If we don’t drink, we get dehydrated. If we don’t exercise a muscle, it atrophies. If we don’t breathe, we suffocate. And just as there are physical means of life, there spiritual are means of grace. Resist the lies of the devil in 2009, and get a bigger breakthrough in prayer than you’ve ever had.</p></blockquote>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-87240991053906276692008-12-29T07:11:00.002-05:002008-12-29T07:22:59.139-05:00Jesus as "The Way"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSXP5EEK_E-up0RzqwbSS1Ss6l0mWErrwXohFFm0tUg-tbVQMUku08ViZz-fZ45XckEt7ZLXyNfgWQ8LMSSze533HLMmtxhkwk7j9v3gpb-LVL1G8zL9T1QjAROzd0q5MGv-M3Egmoqlc/s1600-h/walking.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 82px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSXP5EEK_E-up0RzqwbSS1Ss6l0mWErrwXohFFm0tUg-tbVQMUku08ViZz-fZ45XckEt7ZLXyNfgWQ8LMSSze533HLMmtxhkwk7j9v3gpb-LVL1G8zL9T1QjAROzd0q5MGv-M3Egmoqlc/s320/walking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285186263573162610" border="0" /></a><br />I just started reading "The Jesus Way, a conversation on the ways that Jesus is the way" by Eugene Peterson. Just in the introduction, I found this quote:<br /><br /><blockquote>Here is a text, words spoken by Jesus, that keeps this in clear focus: "I am the way , and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). The Jesus way wedded to the Jesus truth brings about the Jesus life. We can't proclaim the Jesus truth but then do it any old way we like. Nor can we follow the Jesus way without speaking the Jesus truth.<br /><br />But Jesus as the truth gets far more attention than Jesus as the way. Jesus as the way is the most frequently evaded metaphor among the Christians with whom I have worked for fifty years as a North American pastor. In the text that Jesus sets before us so clearly and definitively, the way comes first. We cannot skip the way of Jesus in our hurry to get the truth of Jesus as he is worshiped and proclaimed. The way of Jesus is the way that we practice and come to understand the truth of Jesus, living Jesus in our homes and workplaces, with our friends and family.<br /></blockquote>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-47097983877737967412008-10-15T08:40:00.003-04:002008-10-15T08:56:43.885-04:00living it out...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm78my0x7pEGtsQmxR3qyd0SFgufwH5lo7eptfP9_YAUPmMfhcX1_XmKtWIcpHker6fFzWQMVGS3z1G_kegqhL5ZhsGcnKTthJ4MQCKLL5kvYVkCJWJoK7ixdKPQkp-pXMaoOxnAZ2n6tq/s1600-h/jesuscross.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm78my0x7pEGtsQmxR3qyd0SFgufwH5lo7eptfP9_YAUPmMfhcX1_XmKtWIcpHker6fFzWQMVGS3z1G_kegqhL5ZhsGcnKTthJ4MQCKLL5kvYVkCJWJoK7ixdKPQkp-pXMaoOxnAZ2n6tq/s320/jesuscross.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257363388944181986" border="0" /></a><br />I'm wrestling with the words of Soren Kierkegaard....<br /><br /><blockquote>The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church's prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.<br /><br /><br /></blockquote>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-70691554544857896172008-10-07T04:10:00.002-04:002008-10-07T04:13:55.253-04:00walkingI was struck once again by the words of 1 John 2:6<br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote> "whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."<br /><br />do i really do this?Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-84296635519060655642008-07-17T07:29:00.004-04:002008-07-17T07:41:56.754-04:00prayer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WVZZgpEkyvJy8An1hQHTD5A44xZ2eFMHR-8VlABw6w0BO-3z5sXR-_d6nNJROd_7CtkitzYAdxeX0gLQ-18OsNJj9jo5WaWQNku_n2heZjTmJi77GSwrCV2IWBHLpOyM-AbpXlsjlOOu/s1600-h/prayer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WVZZgpEkyvJy8An1hQHTD5A44xZ2eFMHR-8VlABw6w0BO-3z5sXR-_d6nNJROd_7CtkitzYAdxeX0gLQ-18OsNJj9jo5WaWQNku_n2heZjTmJi77GSwrCV2IWBHLpOyM-AbpXlsjlOOu/s320/prayer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223946760157670594" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1mSWmzI_sFJR-9u6r1UsVlt1ntO8FWkt_AydINPgUQ0cgWcg7AroUPelNlYqJ7Cu-1JK0bNXsXc99JoS2Ltcm14-3qCEGVhBXW60304ZZTUD0FBrsnBD5jaCVI4bEFNHmdVEFTmUePbd/s1600-h/prayer.jpg"><br /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I have been known to tell some people that prayer is something that I am terrible at.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">It seems weird to think of someone that has been a follower of Jesus since he was seven years old to have a ba</span><span style="font-size:100%;">d prayer life….but it’s true.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Most </span><span style="font-size:100%;">days I am lucky to have spent some time talking with God a little before my head hits the pillow.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I think it has to do with the fact that I never made it part of my “routine”.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I have my Bible sitting on my desk to make sure that I see it first thing when I wake up.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This is a physical reminder to read the word.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I have medicine that I take daily --- I have to set it next to the coffee maker to make sure that I take it, otherwise I will forget.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I have my son tell me to put on my seatbelt when we are in the car because I never made it a habit --- he is my reminder.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I walk into the house after being on the road and put my keys, wallet, and phone in my office so I do not lose them…..this is my routine.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Unfortunately, I never had any habit or routine when it came to a prayer life.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Honestly, I don’t know if I have ever been taught or told <i style="">how to pray</i> or make it a habit.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">It is something that is just assumed or expected that you do as a follower of Jesus.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">That’s all well and good, so how am I supposed to “pray without ceasing” as I am told by Paul?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">One day, a month or so ago, I was working as I often do at a local bookstore.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">They provide free internet and I purchase cinnamon tea from them in return.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I decided to take a stroll through the book store and a book caught my eye --- “In Constant Prayer” by Robert Benson.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Knowing that I have issues with being able to pray like I’d like to, I decided to purchase the book to see what I could get out of it.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Conviction.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">That’s what I got out of it.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This book is about the use of liturgical prayer in our daily lives.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Taking time to pray at several hours of the day like the fathers of our Church (big “C”) did back two thousand years ago.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">This practice actually started way before them and goes on today --- except for the protestant church that seems to have done away with it a few hundred years back.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In this book, “In Constant Prayer” a quote caught my eye.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">It is rather lengthy, but worth it.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Note:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">at one point, the author speaks about the “Daily Office” which is reference to praying certain liturgical prayers.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The quote is as follows:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="georgia"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><blockquote style="font-family:georgia;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">“We make grocery lists and honey-do lists.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We set our alarm clocks, and we program our TiVos.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We have automatic deposit and automatic draft, and we make sure we are planning for that glorious day when our children grow up and go off to college or go off to somewhere else (anywhere, if need be).</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">If we are going to move, we do our homework before we buy a house; if we are going to travel, we sort through Priceline; if we are working toward some big event at the holidays, we put a checklist on the refrigerator.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We would not dream of trying to do anything in our lives that really matters to us, where it is large or small, without</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">making a list or two or twenty-seven, and checking it twice a day.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I have noticed a curious phenomenon.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">One of the few things that we are reluctant to make lists about and do research about and have a row of boxes to tick off about are the things that have to do with our spiritual lives.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I don’t know why that is.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We say that our spiritual life is important to us.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Sometimes we will even go so far as to say that it is the part of our lives that is the most important to us.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We also say, at least we say about everything else that matters to us, that if we do not writ it down, we will forget to do it.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We say that if we are going to make sure something is done and done well, we need to make a plan so nothing gets missed and nothing gets forgotten.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The place we are least likely to make such a plan is when it comes to our spiritual lives.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We would not dream o f being this way about anything else.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Then we go back to a retreat or some such event a year later and realize we are being drawn to the same things again, and so we make the same promises again to God and to ourselves.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Then we go home and do not make a plan again, and we look up one day and realize that we have moved no further along again.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">We are unwilling, it sometimes seems to me, to leave anything in our lives to chance except the way that we live out our lives in communion with the One who gave us life in he first place.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">It seems odd to me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I have spent enough time over the years writing and talking and retreating and studying and teaching, dare I say it, about and around and over and through and inside and out of the practice of the daily office to know at least this much:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">to pray the office is to anchor your life of prayer somewhere between the daily and the divine.”</span></p></blockquote> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Well, if it wasn’t enough for the Spirit to convict me of my lack of prayer life, Robert Benson sure did.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I haven’t yet finished the book, but I do plan on purchasing a “daily prayer” book and making it a part of my life.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I hope to make prayer as daily as my coffee, medicine or other routines that I have.</span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-37102072169071217102007-10-15T04:59:00.000-04:002007-10-15T05:09:13.188-04:00be hospitable...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlU_9W4d6SorxNbfXTAiNixSKIBTfyXm8xIyAXv1KtwqL6V2MOi3SYDHNoiiNzocFtv9QTnhCEttyXO41UDNinyxZwkMtByN0DE7Olp1DMAWBueVcTZjK7PNPO35JpsUZAgoORsnZEEPt/s1600-h/hospitable.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlU_9W4d6SorxNbfXTAiNixSKIBTfyXm8xIyAXv1KtwqL6V2MOi3SYDHNoiiNzocFtv9QTnhCEttyXO41UDNinyxZwkMtByN0DE7Olp1DMAWBueVcTZjK7PNPO35JpsUZAgoORsnZEEPt/s320/hospitable.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5121487742366972818" border="0" /></a><br />I was reading an article this morning that was quite challenging. The article focused on the practice of showing hospitality --- not just "entertaining". Check out a quote from it below and tell me what you think.<br /><br /><blockquote><span class="articlesviewarticlebody"> In earlier issues of the <em><a class="center" href="http://www.biblical.edu/pages/resources/missional-journal.html" target="_blank">Missional Journal</a></em> I have discussed the need for us to speak the good news <u>and</u> embody it. In a culture of alienation, hospitality becomes a powerful means of incarnating the truth that God in Christ has welcomed us. Christine Pohl, in what is arguably the best book on the topic, writes: “In hospitality, the stranger is welcomed into a safe, personal, and comfortable place, a place of respect and acceptance and friendship. Even if only briefly, the stranger is included in a life-giving and life-sustaining network of relations. Such welcome involves attentive listening and a mutual sharing of lives and life stories. It requires an openness of heart, a willingness to make one’s life visible to others, and a generosity of time and resources” (<em>Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition</em> [Eerdmans, 1999], p. 13).<br /><br />Particularly important for modeling the gospel is hospitality directed to those living on the margins—the poor, the handicapped, the infirm, the immigrant. Jesus actually warns against throwing parties for friends, family, or rich neighbors. Such hospitality may have more the character of commercial exchange than of gift. Instead he counsels inviting those who cannot themselves repay. In this, he says, “you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:14).<br /><br />I will be the first to admit that such hospitality is a challenge to western Christians. Most of us have little contact with people on the margins. We are often too concerned with our own safety and security to provide a safe place for others.<br /><br />The busyness of life also diverts most of us from effective missional engagement. The practice of hospitality is quickly experienced as an intrusion: “It requires one to stop a busy, demanding routine for a period of time and focus attention on the stranger for the sake of the stranger. . . . It is an act that forces us to confront how our lives are driven by agenda and by demands that push away any relational encounter with another” (Alan Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk, <em>The Missional Leader</em> [Jossey-Bass, 2006], p. 157).<br /><br /></span><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top" width="100%"><p class="articlesviewarticletitle">The Missional Congregation: Practicing Hospitality</p></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="http://www.allelon.org/articles/images/shim.gif" border="0" height="1" width="5" /></td> <td colspan="2" align="left"><p class="articlesviewarticleauthor">by David Dunbar</p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-72766486811392998022007-09-26T16:15:00.000-04:002007-09-26T21:36:06.056-04:00an insightful poem...I've been doing a fair amount of reading, thinking and praying lately. In my reading, I came across the below poem. It really struck me as insightful. What do you think?<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""></i></p><blockquote style="font-family:arial;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style="">When my brothers were too young to be wise</i><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">When my brothers were too young to be wise<br />But too old to name things creatively,<br />They invented a game called:<br />Let’s take turns jumping off Tom’s roof<br />And throw the cat after the person who jumped.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""> </span>At least they took turns…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>Later, when my brothers were too young to be wise<br />But old enough to put their scientific knowledge to use,<br />They played a game called:<br />Let’s pour gas over this giant pile of weeds<br />And then light it on fire.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""> </span>At least the doctor said<br /><span style=""> </span>That their eyebrows will grow back…<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Later, when my brother was old enough to be depressed<br />But too young to know how to cope,<br />He would play a game called:<br />Let’s go to Tom’s house and do a lot of drugs<br />And drink all his step-dad’s beer.<br /><span style=""> </span>At least there was that one English teacher<br /><span style=""> </span>Who asked if something was wrong…<br /><span style=""> </span>But what could you say?<br />We are so poorly equipped to deal with these troubles,<br />And there are so few doctors of the soul these days…<br /><span style=""> </span>What is there to do?<br />I know some people who fight it all their lives,<br />Kicking against the goads till they bleed to death.<br />Others, like Dad, ignore it,<br />Thinking that hard work, sunshine, and<br />The passing of time will resolve it.<br />Still others, like Mom, ostracize and cast blame<br />By leaving condemnatory, evangelical polemics taped<br />To your bathroom mirror.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">But now my brothers and I are old enough<br />To begin to be wise,<br />Yet still young enough to climb the cold roof<br />To talk and to smoke.<br />So I will play a new game with you called:<br />Let’s get together and bear one another’s burdens.<br /><span style=""> </span>At least I will not laugh at your pain,<br /><span style=""> </span>I will not try to fix your problems,<br /><span style=""> </span>I will not ignore your suffering<br /><span style=""> </span>Or condemn you with my piety…<br />I will simply lie here next to you in the cold<br />While we breathe our smoky prayers to God.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-- Raeben Nolan</p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-77338286158176711912007-09-19T21:45:00.000-04:002007-09-19T22:01:37.155-04:00turning around...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmdjTz4isKE7_mGaIVwhbJFRIPMeT-qB_Sf7IUIoJXlpmWchG89AJvnxm-BkMnehVNeDF_99UGwuFV2nu34VYCEhNwEqbkIXs_H6TdPiQBevDBzxn-JFViiCFBSke5N1wRrvOCkhaBE9G/s1600-h/turn+around.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmdjTz4isKE7_mGaIVwhbJFRIPMeT-qB_Sf7IUIoJXlpmWchG89AJvnxm-BkMnehVNeDF_99UGwuFV2nu34VYCEhNwEqbkIXs_H6TdPiQBevDBzxn-JFViiCFBSke5N1wRrvOCkhaBE9G/s320/turn+around.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112100127218623730" border="0" /></a><br />"To repent means to turn around, to stop what you're doing and do the opposite. To repent means that even though you used to assume one thing was true, you now know it's wrong -- all wrong -- and you will now believe and act upon something totally different. Repent is a good, strong word, full of hope and new beginnings. In the context of Jesus' kingdom, repent is an invitation to another world, another life, a way of being that was supposed to be all along and can be now......<br />.....Repentance means that we choose to agree only with God's perspective. That He alone is God and He alone understands the blatant ways in which our own hearts deceive us. Evil that we will never notice exists in us and around us.... To repent is to say to God: "I'm blind. I don't see, but I want to. Please show me Your heart in everything."<br /><br />Quoted from "This Beautiful Mess" by Rick McKinleyJasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-30481087420023598842007-07-02T08:12:00.000-04:002007-07-02T08:57:22.783-04:00Finally....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_5HvPM6Qug6QjnU6YDMGEI4K2nzQ1PjIKtuK_2wQQC3DBmT7iBr8Cixg-ZvkDpVMdUkxDfpvTtL_rZczzLJeCNznRpwf65HP4IG8aN4beBkjyQMQIYqwAJozecYbJE6YAa_65ohvBmI7/s1600-h/07+06+29+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_5HvPM6Qug6QjnU6YDMGEI4K2nzQ1PjIKtuK_2wQQC3DBmT7iBr8Cixg-ZvkDpVMdUkxDfpvTtL_rZczzLJeCNznRpwf65HP4IG8aN4beBkjyQMQIYqwAJozecYbJE6YAa_65ohvBmI7/s400/07+06+29+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082576717628178946" border="0" /></a><br />The time has finally come and the process is over. Alena is ours and we are back home. We honestly wondered if we would ever get to this point. It has been a 1.5 year journey.<br /><br />The trip to Russia, the ten day stay, and the return trip went very smoothly. We hit a couple of speed bumps along the way, but God made sure it didn't delay the process. Our agency (ABC Adoption out of Kansas) has two representatives in Russia that are very special ladies. Natasha and Nadya took fantastic care of us and treated us like their own children. We will forever be grateful to them. There are many stories from the trip that I am sure I will write about in future posts.<br /><br />Now on to Alena. We couldn't have asked for a better child. Alena is a true gift from God. She has a very pleasant demeanor and rarely cries. When i say rarely cries, i really mean rarely cries.....on the 20 hour trip back from Moscow, she cried a total of about 30 seconds --- then we figured out that she had to go to the bathroom. She is adjusting well to the new home and boys already. The boys really love her and enjoy entertaining her.<br /><br />It's good to be back and we look forward to what God has in store for us as she grows. Thanks for all of your prayers along the process, God did make the path smooth.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkP6cVYYe6ipyg0oUN09Xn0gXXL5TfNKhJ_CkZffcM6ACH17-vQpukHcq_MUZ2at0Eu7mo33Psoq-IvEnbo1G-QPvz8zFMYeac-DzsR01891x8JWcaOfGEKAxACjcFBnHrNo6HcRVoyWTR/s1600-h/07+07+01+004.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkP6cVYYe6ipyg0oUN09Xn0gXXL5TfNKhJ_CkZffcM6ACH17-vQpukHcq_MUZ2at0Eu7mo33Psoq-IvEnbo1G-QPvz8zFMYeac-DzsR01891x8JWcaOfGEKAxACjcFBnHrNo6HcRVoyWTR/s400/07+07+01+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082577275973927442" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNIiC9utF3HLDQnuDu1YjQ2ulTngsNj6xEX3OZeC5cccqujS0lA-WdSjjCiBxx-VjPdTlbh-k7vTcXlu8JzTkr49vSskDUxmbVqpc2YjJeX7s-f_x6WG2ZjdoBTDX2z5Nx9ERITSC655O/s1600-h/07+06+26+016.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNIiC9utF3HLDQnuDu1YjQ2ulTngsNj6xEX3OZeC5cccqujS0lA-WdSjjCiBxx-VjPdTlbh-k7vTcXlu8JzTkr49vSskDUxmbVqpc2YjJeX7s-f_x6WG2ZjdoBTDX2z5Nx9ERITSC655O/s400/07+06+26+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082582683337753122" border="0" /></a>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-53973752206932670602007-06-06T23:22:00.000-04:002007-06-06T23:52:27.436-04:00up and down...tonight i went to see my dad. it was late, about 8:45 or so when i showed up. he was in his room laying in bed messing with the tv channels. i walked in and his face absolutely lit up. he was so happy to see me....this made me feel really, really good. <br /><br />he wanted to go for a walk as we normally do and so we went downstairs and outside. we sat outside on the bench and talked for about an hour. <br /><br />dad was so happy to see me until he finally realized that i wasn't taking him home tonight. once he realized this he was quiet and solemn. he told me he just wants to go home to fort wayne. i reassured him that i do not want him to stay there any longer that he has to, but we have to wait for the doctor to say it is ok. he told me that this makes him depressed. he feels helpless and alone.<br /><br />this makes me sad.<br /><br />i am not sure what it is, but i think tonight i just realized how much my dad means to me and how much i hate to see him in this condition. i know it sounds weird that i just realized this, but it just really hit me tonight. i miss my dad.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-56872913064904662612007-04-30T08:47:00.000-04:002007-04-30T08:56:40.348-04:00prayer...I have found a fantastic daily prayer to get my day started off right. It is from "Victory of the Darkness" by Neil Anderson:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />Dear Heavenly Father, I honor you as my sovereign Lord. I acknowledge that you are always present with me. You are the only all-powerful and all-wise God. You are kind and loving in all your ways. I love you, and I thank you that I am united with Christ and spiritually alive in him. I choose not to love the world, and I crucify my flesh and all its passions. I thank you for the life that I now have in Christ, and I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may live my life free from sin. I declare my dependence upon you , and I take my stand against Satan and all his lying ways. I choose to believe the truth, and I refuse to be discouraged. You are the God of all hope, and I am confident that you will meet my needs as I seek to live according to your Word. I express with confidence that I can live a responsible life through Christ who strengthens me. I now take my stand against Satan and command him and all his evil spirits to depart from me. I put on the whole armor of God. I submit my body as a living sacrifice and renew my mind by the living Word of God in order that I may prove that the will of God is good, acceptable, and perfect. I ask these things in the precious name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />I find this to be a great reminder and level set for the day....Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-31075868177188332392007-04-25T22:36:00.000-04:002007-04-25T22:50:31.320-04:00time and generosity...Quoted from "The Rest of God" by Mark Buchanan:<br /><blockquote><br />Generous people have more time. That's the irony: those who sanctify time and who give time away -- who treat time as gift and not possession --- have time in abundance. Contrariwise, those who guard every minute, resent every interruption, ration every moment, never have enough. They're always late, always behind, always scrambling, always driven. There is, of course, a place for wise management of our days and weeks and years. But management can quickly turn into rigidity. We hold time so tight we crush it, like a flower closed in the fist. We thought we were protecting it, but all we did was destroy it.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />i can't help but think of Jesus when i read this quote. he was very often interrupted and lived with the mindset that "people matter". i want to be more like this.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-35867371318170735202007-03-21T08:54:00.000-04:002007-03-21T11:27:03.470-04:00emails and cell phones and IMs, oh my!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCP71kRNP1Maj-X8fRHkCbYevjRXHT9mVcwUOH9Qjp43vxcRn-RSc-hM2_BZGvNX5k0Acrb7ZoPkIjk5SE9nIw9tw0IG2CxOISf1Go5O7CyDe88YToFfO5CL2xdm5EGtWbHhDacaaUfgbs/s1600-h/DRINKMILK.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCP71kRNP1Maj-X8fRHkCbYevjRXHT9mVcwUOH9Qjp43vxcRn-RSc-hM2_BZGvNX5k0Acrb7ZoPkIjk5SE9nIw9tw0IG2CxOISf1Go5O7CyDe88YToFfO5CL2xdm5EGtWbHhDacaaUfgbs/s400/DRINKMILK.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044369924062983026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />i am a very large user and abuser of technology. i love the convenience that comes with being reached anywhere, being able to reach anyone all the time, being able to just shoot off a message to convey a thought or idea. i use email, cell phones, and IMs each and every day.<br /><br />with all of the convenience and availability comes a cost however. i am becoming increasingly aware of the fact that these good things, like anything else in life, can become abused and overused. i have often been proud to call myself a "man of moderation". i like to keep things balanced and not too extreme. if i am not careful, the very good things in life can become bad things just due to excess use and misuse.<br /><br />one problem with the constant use of the technologies mentioned here is the "always on" mentality. as i become more aware that God calls us to live in rhythms that he has set forth (i.e. work six days, rest one) i realize that i am never really "off". i always have my computer and/or cell phone in very close proximity -- likely on my lap. this is not God's design.<br /><br />one other issue that is very dangerous is the lack of full human interaction. we are told by experts that somewhere around 90-95% of our communication is non-verbal. if this is the case, we have the propensity to be misunderstood by our electronic messages. there are absolutely huge benefits to being able to communicate electronically, however, there are certain situations that may not be appropriate. i am convinced that God designed us to connect at deeper levels than we do. part of the reason that we do not is we are relying on 5-10% of our communication process that he has given us --- using electronic methods to communicate rather than face to face.<br /><br />so, don't be concerned if you try to reach me sometime (likely a Sunday) and i don't answer my cell phone and don't respond to your email. also, if you hear me say "let's get together over coffee", you'll understand that i am trying to work with God's help to apply what he is laying on my heart.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-31952866044670508922007-03-02T10:03:00.000-05:002007-03-04T14:42:37.984-05:00Our Russian Princess<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80CnauXPdqIZdwRYWMJvsNwy7v-GzPNnOl3neOOETnP9QA06Ka81Kv-PN9yq1aWKNDSZRHKMCobMJTJ_TMgWLIZG4jjxrx2otar7onFGaMRaE3iqfdyIyXkic0sfLkjfSNX7P2FIzdjui/s1600-h/alenaface.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80CnauXPdqIZdwRYWMJvsNwy7v-GzPNnOl3neOOETnP9QA06Ka81Kv-PN9yq1aWKNDSZRHKMCobMJTJ_TMgWLIZG4jjxrx2otar7onFGaMRaE3iqfdyIyXkic0sfLkjfSNX7P2FIzdjui/s400/alenaface.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037343840407248514" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Alena Katerina Svetlana Maley</span><br /></div><br /><br />We've just returned from "trip one" of a two trip process to adopt our daughter. She is a precious 17 month old girl from Ivanovo, Russia. We will be making a second trip to in May to bring her home. We are very excited that God has allowed us the privilege of going through this process. The fact that it mirrors the process of us being able to become adopted children of God is amazing. This is shown in the verses:<br /><br />Rom 8:15-17<br />(15) So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family--calling him "Father, dear Father."<br />(16) For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children.<br />(17) And since we are his children, we will share his treasures--for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgcgjNqCIrOG_g3qLLewENe-gcRsLq_ADTWlNsG1yxTU-zAP9JwhgTFl7Nhu9PMt9KaKKidGg3h_0Xswo2WWxWFs6GtCHJUr-mJUmJ0Xj7Cnz9riW6w20GOD9FEGSyx7hsezAxUcr6bb0/s1600-h/all.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgcgjNqCIrOG_g3qLLewENe-gcRsLq_ADTWlNsG1yxTU-zAP9JwhgTFl7Nhu9PMt9KaKKidGg3h_0Xswo2WWxWFs6GtCHJUr-mJUmJ0Xj7Cnz9riW6w20GOD9FEGSyx7hsezAxUcr6bb0/s400/all.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037364859977195154" border="0" /></a><br />The trip to Russia was a good experience. We look forward to being able to bring her home and make her part of our family. We appreciate your prayers and support.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMxyegdvnTScJnXMUYJXiHcXHELK4QHq_3Kf3Fc8mAaEPhIb3QKwfYgootNRE0-vWAk7-TdE_dhnFTyAqOq1XPoLdfXfKKrSER-mEZ9epWANH_UAANe2gOHobpwnJQ_C0mHEznCY1Luqd/s1600-h/standing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMxyegdvnTScJnXMUYJXiHcXHELK4QHq_3Kf3Fc8mAaEPhIb3QKwfYgootNRE0-vWAk7-TdE_dhnFTyAqOq1XPoLdfXfKKrSER-mEZ9epWANH_UAANe2gOHobpwnJQ_C0mHEznCY1Luqd/s400/standing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037371375442583202" border="0" /></a>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-74049596154668228072007-01-31T23:20:00.000-05:002007-01-31T23:25:31.839-05:00Time...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7nYEEKku6bvKZBfgjZG__mtrElYG38oHFNNH4cAAVuK7NGWcoTq0Ddx0NybCgB0mPDf4bWrjMYwEosJyfjrBhrcdUPPvFfjj90YEHLQxSnOyIjFoa268qQzVWCm60ZwMvdBbQZYYsaRf/s1600-h/clock.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7nYEEKku6bvKZBfgjZG__mtrElYG38oHFNNH4cAAVuK7NGWcoTq0Ddx0NybCgB0mPDf4bWrjMYwEosJyfjrBhrcdUPPvFfjj90YEHLQxSnOyIjFoa268qQzVWCm60ZwMvdBbQZYYsaRf/s320/clock.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026417085816200322" /></a><br /><br /><o:p></o:p>Time is something often talked/quoted about; <span style=""> </span>“Look how time flies”,<span style=""> </span>“Time is just standing still”, “I’m just killing time”, “time is of the essence”, etc, etc, etc….i’m sure you can come up with more. <span style=""> </span>I’m always blown away how it is human nature to look back in the past and wish we would have “spent” our time differently in situations. <span style=""> </span>Often I find myself doing this….sometimes it is deeply disappointing. I may look back at a day and wish that I spent more time cherishing the moments with my wife and children. <span style=""> </span>I may look back at the week and wish I would have spent some of my work time more appropriately. <span style=""> </span>I may wish I would have taken the time to work out or play basketball. <span style=""> </span>Most often, however, it goes back to wishing we had spent more quality and quantity time with the ones we love. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Most people that take the time to read here likely know what is going on with my dad. <span style=""> </span>He has had an accident and has been in a coma for the last 12 days. <span style=""> </span>Things have been pretty stressful because it has been an emotional roller coaster through the whole process. <span style=""> </span>If you want more details about what is going on, go <a href="http://jim.maleyboys.com/">HERE</a>. <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As I think back over the last couple of months, I recall several times that I really stopped to enjoy my dad’s time and company. <span style=""> </span>He often likes to show off his knife collection and decided to do so for the 5<sup>th</sup> or so time to me. <span style=""> </span>At first I remember thinking, “I’ve already seen all of these, what is he thinking”; however, there was another voice that said, “enjoy your time with him”. <span style=""> </span>Boy, I’m glad I listened to the second voice.<span style=""> </span>I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him tell me about his Case, <st1:place st="on">Sheffield</st1:place>, Buck, etc, etc, etc…<span style=""> </span>I recall another conversation that I was able to have with dad on the way to the hospice center where my grandfather had passed away. <span style=""> </span>It was a 30 minute ride each way, and I remember thinking how sweet of a time it was. <span style=""> </span>He told me about how proud he is of each of us kids and how he loves my kids (his grandkids) to death. <span style=""> </span>He was just beaming when he spoke of my kids.<span style=""> </span>This makes me happy.<span style=""> </span>He told me that he knows that he hasn’t done all the right things in his life, but he really loves the Lord. <span style=""> </span>I am thrilled that I got this “time” with my dad.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Time is a funny thing.<span style=""> </span>We use it up like it is unlimited. <span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, it is not.<span style=""> </span>There is a limit to the time we are given and every week that goes by, we have spent 168 hours doing something…..was it worth while? <span style=""> </span>If the thing that God has always wanted most is “relationship”, did I spend my time building it with him and others?<span style=""> </span>With dad in the place that he is right now, I sure do think a lot more about time – and the lack thereof. <span style=""> </span>I just hope that this isn’t a temporary reflection that I lose sight of after all of the drama.</p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-50089403446308150932007-01-16T15:07:00.000-05:002007-01-16T15:46:55.807-05:00about me..So, it looks like blog tagging is making it's way around. I have been tagged by my brother-in-law <a href="http://freekick.wordpress.com">mike crawford</a> so i have to write five things that you probably don't know about me. This will likely be difficult since there are probably only two people in the world that actually read my blog and they know much about me. Anyway, here goes:<br /><br /> 1) I had a nose job in college. Yes, it's true, extreme makeover style. Actually, my college roommate, dave hoffman, broke my nose during an intramural basketball game.....I had to have surgery, so they made me a new man :)<br /><br /> 2) I once had a dog named peaches when i was a very young child. my dad thought it was possessed so he had it put to sleep...that had to do some long term damage to me.<br /><br /> 3) Lynnette (my wife) and I will have been together for 20 years this September 17th. i think that i am finally starting to understand her...barely (no fault of hers, i'm just dense)<br /><br /> 4) I once got in trouble (grounded for a month) in high school for putting a brown paper bag of dog poop on a girls porch and lighting it on fire. the idea was to have the people stomp out the fire and get their feet dirty....great plan eh? anyway, evidently, i was seen leaving the crime scene and was called by the parents of this girl at my home....needless to say, my parents weren't too excited...<br /><br /> 5) I got to go to Korea for work once....for 2 days....I got to go to Brazil for work once....for 2 days....If i could do it over again, i'd push the issue and get a couple of extra days because the travel time to each of those places was longer than the stay.<br /><br /><br />Well, that's enough about me. Hope you learned something. You can now go check out the following guys, as they have been tagged:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.thelongbrake.com">Josh Longbrake</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://designedbyeh.com/byrdblog">Kelly Byrd</a>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-80718943496027094592007-01-10T12:57:00.000-05:002007-01-10T13:18:02.818-05:00thinking back..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7P20ga7iID7IG2Y6AjtTVyOdWS9FjZ8hsYrwH1C9Sd9JndbXqIexua9Z9zc8mW9JHQ-oq9Fh-wmzMeuR5_s_XmoA-FC3RBNSaSarXFc3Br13eLOFTqIfPZqMkt1NZTjRwYbpVW-KkRHa/s1600-h/tub.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7P20ga7iID7IG2Y6AjtTVyOdWS9FjZ8hsYrwH1C9Sd9JndbXqIexua9Z9zc8mW9JHQ-oq9Fh-wmzMeuR5_s_XmoA-FC3RBNSaSarXFc3Br13eLOFTqIfPZqMkt1NZTjRwYbpVW-KkRHa/s320/tub.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018467727659706018" /></a><br />I received a flier in the mail today that had pictures of a student from Blackhawk Christian School (my old school)that passed away in 1992 of leukemia. His name was Greg Hindle and his passing had a pretty profound effect on the school. The flier was a reminder of the "Gregory E. Hindle Memorial Endowment Fund". I was glad to get it as i didn't even know it existed.<br /><br />One of the pictures in this flier showed Greg sitting in a bathtub at school (fully clothed of course). Those of you that read this that are from BCS in the "old days" remember the significance of the bathtub. For those that aren't aware, one of our teachers -- Tom Cashen -- had an old bathtub in his room. We as students were allowed to sit in it occasionally as he read books from C.S. Lewis to us. <br /><br />Tom had a profound effect on me an many other students.<br /><br />He consistently encouraged us to LIVE OUT what we believed, not just believe it.<br /><br />He would do things like come into class with his robe, slippers, messed up hair and coffee while acting out how he wakes up in the morning and opens the Bible. This visual still sticks with me today --- i have also taken on the habit of rising early to open the Word largely do to this. <br /><br />Tom figured out long ago how to connect with kids and "LIVE OUT" his faith in the workplace. He used to be the driver's education leader and used that as a forum to connect with kids in the car. He still connects with kids today -- not in BCS -- but in the public school system. He has been a great encouragement to me and I hope to be the same to others.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-67912509656989443782007-01-01T07:35:00.000-05:002007-01-01T07:36:14.765-05:00routine, study, change...Holiday breaks can be the best of times and the worst of times. I often find myself getting out of my typical routine and therefore spending less time with my savior. You would think that the “extra” personal time would turn into quality/quantity time with God, but it never seems to. Over the past couple of days, I have been reflecting on how little time I actually spend studying and pondering the words of God. This reflection makes me sad. <br /><br />Like any other logical man, I started thinking about what the cause of this is so I can fix it. So what did I come up with? Well, two things came to mind that need to be addressed. 1) things and circumstances are taking up mindspace with the absence of “meditating day and night on His word”; and 2) spiritual disciplines in my life have gone down the toilet. Specifically, the disciplines of mediation, prayer, and solitude are what I am referring to. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that #1 is pretty reliant on #2. <br /><br />Evidently it isn’t enough that God is pressing this issue on my heart heavily over the past couple of days…..I show up at church and Mitch (one of our teaching pastors) talks about wisdom and how to get it. In his message he talks about submitting our intellect or mind over to the thoughts of God. Once again (he does this several times a year) he encourages us to read a chapter of proverbs per day, a chapter in the NT and three in the OT….I guess God is trying to get my attention. <br /><br />What I really want to do is study His teachings daily and dwell (meditate) on them throughout the rest of the day --- this will address both of the above issues…I know that I don’t want to make it about how much I read that day or getting a checkmark on my “biblical checklist”, but I do know that there is something about the steady, constant, disciplines of meditation, prayer, and solitude.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-82437597868374647232006-12-20T14:15:00.000-05:002006-12-20T14:31:31.525-05:00patience...so there is this guy that is a customer of mine that really, really has issues. any time a problem comes up with his system, he sends scathing, mean, arrogant emails. if you happen to work in the IT field, you know his type --- bossy, rude, pompous, know-it-all network administrator that has no regard for anyone else's feelings. <br /><br />this week was no exception to his normal game plan. things did not go well with his support ticket and he sent an email just ripping everyone involved apart. in response to this, an email was sent to him asking to do his part in resolving the ticket since he wasn't so responsive to the requests of the help desk......boy, this went over well (can you feel the sarcasm?) he responded with yet another well crafted two page email that wasn't so nice. he even copied everyone you could imagine on the email all the way up to the chairman of the board....sheesh.<br /><br />so my gut reaction is to kick him to the curb. i mean, come 'on, what am i doing even giving him a moment of my time? then i hear the little voice in my head....maybe you have heard it before, maybe not. but i think we have a responsibility to do something about this little voice in our head....it was telling me to be a light to this guy in a really dark world. i'm not sure how this is gonna happen....on my own power, i think that i cannot do it, but it seems like i should.<br /><br />so my question is....how do i do this? what does it really look like to respond different than everyone else would respond? i pray for patience.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-21026857700428694642006-12-08T08:42:00.000-05:002006-12-08T14:14:56.625-05:00work hard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLaWyHGF6vkexf7DszaiEeyuiYwEf6zMotqCKfJJjhyLoX5SPXQZR0Fwa_sLMYb3MkOYL9ZVtw-0iKTojzyVQkCrcXPN9uIAgmkNKMjA_bW7b7CGH4mQzstNHI2tX9obyTZf2VLCGHl-S/s1600-h/workhard.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLaWyHGF6vkexf7DszaiEeyuiYwEf6zMotqCKfJJjhyLoX5SPXQZR0Fwa_sLMYb3MkOYL9ZVtw-0iKTojzyVQkCrcXPN9uIAgmkNKMjA_bW7b7CGH4mQzstNHI2tX9obyTZf2VLCGHl-S/s320/workhard.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5006236350284216610" /></a><br />today is one of those days that i stare out the window and have a hard time being motivated to do anything. do you ever have those days? it is cold outside, it is warm inside and it is the last day of the work week.... as soon as i start feeling this way, i am usually reminded of a writing in the Bible that says "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.."<br /><br />i need this reminder.....often. if i don't have it, i easily get distracted and move to doing things that aren't fruitful. i have placed the above picture as a reminder. i love the way that big ben is working with all of his might to stuff shaq. this is how i need to attack my daily work.<br /><br />back at it!!Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-63197866697763626362006-12-06T14:24:00.000-05:002006-12-06T14:27:52.674-05:00expectations....<o:p></o:p><br /><p class="MsoNormal">We all have them in one way or another.<span style=""> </span>I expect my children to obey me when I ask them to do something.<span style=""> </span>I expect to get a paycheck from the company that I work for. I expect that people will generally treat me the way that I treat them. Now, you are probably thinking --- “Jason, not everyone will treat you the way that you treat them.” And to that I say --- I agree.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Not all expectations will be met.<span style=""> </span>Quite often, my kids don’t obey me like I expect.<span style=""> </span>I have been fortunate enough to get a paycheck from my company, but that may not happen someday.<span style=""> </span>There are times that people do not treat me the way that I would expect to be treated either.<span style=""> </span>When these expectations are not met --- especially with people that are close to us, sometimes it hurts.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was told once by someone that I respect that you should “have very low expectations of people, and if they do perform, then you are surprised”.<span style=""> </span>I was also told by someone else that I respect that you should “have very high expectations of people and they will come through for you”.<span style=""> </span>I am trying to figure out the balance between having high expectations of others and potentially getting hurt vs. “expecting the worst and being happy if something else happens.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Poor communication of expectations can lead to problems.<span style=""> </span>If a mismatch in expectations occurs, often, someone gets disappointed.<span style=""> </span>Let me give you an example:<span style=""> </span>I have been in a sales call that the customer had the expectation that they would get a large upgrade to new product for FREE.<span style=""> </span>When I went into the meeting, I was expecting that if we show them the great features that they are getting to meet their needs, 10-15 thousand bucks was very reasonable to pay --- especially since it was way below what anyone else would pay.<span style=""> </span>They had their expectations based on their current reality that budget is tight as well as something that another sales guy told them.<span style=""> </span>If they had communicated their expectation was “free” it would have saved time and effort.<span style=""> </span>In this case, neither party is really a “winner” because expectations were not met on either end.<span style=""> </span>My whole point here is that communication of expectations ---- high or low is extremely important.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794787620984785066.post-1341807306952315272006-11-30T16:56:00.000-05:002006-11-30T17:19:03.818-05:00why the front porch....many of my days consist of sitting at my desk at home. this allows me the opportunity to look outside and gaze across my front porch. it's amazing how your mind can stray when you stare out the window. i often find myself thinking about things going on in my family --- immediate and extended; raising my kids, things going on at work, church, home group, finances, current book, etc, etc. <br /><br />my office is the place that i "own". this is my domain. others are welcome to come in, but when i want to read, think, work, pray, this is the place that i go. do you have a place like that? i love the fact that i can look out the window and stare at the nature that our creative God designed.<br /><br />in all of this straying of the mind, i've been doing a fair amount of thinking about what the person of Jesus is really like....what he did, said, thought -- who he hung with, ministered to, etc. but, that's the subject of another blog.....Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08261912183189979735noreply@blogger.com2