Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to my family, friends, and readers across the US and the world. May His peace and joy reign in your hearts today and the upcoming year. Below is a song that I've been listening to a lot lately. Enjoy!

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know You would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here

To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me

And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life

"I Celebrate the Day" by Relient K

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Top Three Tuesday

OK. Today's top three isn't going to be as fun as usual. It's more of me thinking out loud. Although, I do have to say that if I was writing a fun top three today the Rusty Pelican Cafe in Wallingford would definitely make the top of the list. If you live in or near Seattle, you should definitely check it out :)

So, it's the season for making life decisions. So here are my top three choices.

1. Attend a seminary affiliated with my denomination. If I attended the seminary in North Carolina, I would probably get my M.Div in Collegiate Ministry. If I went to the one in Louisiana, it would probably be a M.Div in Urban Ministry. Pros: 1. It's a cheap-ish education in something that I enjoy. 2. I would be closer to home. Con: I feel like I'm selling my soul in some respects.

2. Go to school at Truett (Baylor's seminary) in Texas. If I went down this road, I would try to get a dual M.Div/MSW degree. Pro: Truett is more aligned with what I believe at the present time. Cons: 1. One word: Texas. 2. I'd have to sell more than my soul to afford this place.

3. Stay in Seattle for another year. I have the option to keep my job for another year. It would be a very different experience, though, since the group I work for decided to restructure the way we do ministry. Pro: I'd be able to help keep a program running that I helped to build. Con: I don't feel very qualified.

Well, there they are. The top three roads I could take.

Toodles!

Friday, December 5, 2008

'Tis the Season

Happy 100th post! I started this blog last December to keep my family and friends in Tennessee up to date with my life and offer my thoughts on different issues. I was looking back on my first post and I saw a Donald Miller quote I think about a lot. In some ways, it has been the theme of this blog and of my life in general in Seattle.

"It's interesting how you sometimes have to leave home before you can ask difficult questions, how the questions never come up in the room you grew up in, in the town in which you were born. It's funny how you can't ask difficult questions in a familiar place, how you have to stand back a few feet and see things in a new way before you realize that nothing that is happening to you is normal."

Anyway, it's fitting that this post is about an event that reminds me that I'm part of something beautiful, but not entirely normal. Tonight, we decorated the house for Christmas. I had a great time and did than my share of smiling and laughing. I know it's not exactly like being there, but I took some pictures so you could get an idea of the holiday cheer that we spread around. Enjoy!