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
Thursday, December 25, 2008
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!
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!
"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!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
I love Thanksgiving. I may even love it more than Christmas (although it's extremely close). It's usually time spent with family without the stress of wondering if they're going to like the gifts you get them.
This Thanksgiving I'm stuck in Washington while most of my family is in Tennessee. While I miss them, I'm also excited about what today holds for me. I get to celebrate this holiday with a couple of friends that feel like family. None of us have done a large part in helping make the Thanksgiving meal before so this should be very interesting. Hopefully, nothing will get burnt :)
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
This Thanksgiving I'm stuck in Washington while most of my family is in Tennessee. While I miss them, I'm also excited about what today holds for me. I get to celebrate this holiday with a couple of friends that feel like family. None of us have done a large part in helping make the Thanksgiving meal before so this should be very interesting. Hopefully, nothing will get burnt :)
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Top Three Tuesday
It's just a dancin' kind of week...
1. Dorky Christian dancing. You wonder what the world has against Christians sometimes, and then you watch something like this. If you watch nothing else, fast forward to the guy's solo dance in the middle.
2. Evolution of Wedding Dance. If they'll let me do something like this at my wedding, I think my life will be complete :)
3. Nickelsville. It's a community of Seattle homeless people currently encamped a couple blocks from my house that I have great respect for. If you're not from Seattle, it helps to know that the mayor of Seattle is Greg Nickels (think Hoovervilles from the Great Depression). Oh, and to keep with the dancing theme, we had a little 'foot fun' at the Nickelsville Benefit Concert last weekend.
Toodles!
1. Dorky Christian dancing. You wonder what the world has against Christians sometimes, and then you watch something like this. If you watch nothing else, fast forward to the guy's solo dance in the middle.
2. Evolution of Wedding Dance. If they'll let me do something like this at my wedding, I think my life will be complete :)
3. Nickelsville. It's a community of Seattle homeless people currently encamped a couple blocks from my house that I have great respect for. If you're not from Seattle, it helps to know that the mayor of Seattle is Greg Nickels (think Hoovervilles from the Great Depression). Oh, and to keep with the dancing theme, we had a little 'foot fun' at the Nickelsville Benefit Concert last weekend.
Toodles!
Monday, November 17, 2008
And Life Still Goes On
My word of the week is 'powerless'. You want that used in a sentence? How 'bout "I feel powerless to fix the problems I see in the world."
I've been silent in the blog world lately because I've been processing some complex emotions. Usually, my method of processing is ranting on here about what I think. The thing is that ranting on here does little good for me or, on my best day, the twenty people that read this.
Here's what's been making me feel powerless this week without my usual commentary:
1. Seeing street preachers with signs in the middle of downtown Seattle yelling at people that they're going to hell.
2. Realizing that college ministry may not be a top priority for the people that make the big decisions.
3. Reading this article about a recent vote by the Georgia Baptist Convention.
4. Fully understanding a profound statement one of my students made. "The world system should hate us, but the people should love us. Currently, we fit in with the systems, but the people hate us."
5. Seeing the people and country I love deal with death, economic downturn, sickness, and sin.
John Mayer and I have been on the same page for a while. We've both been waiting on the world to change. I'm tired of waiting though. I want to roll up my sleeves and make something happen. But what can I really do?
What can we do?
I've been silent in the blog world lately because I've been processing some complex emotions. Usually, my method of processing is ranting on here about what I think. The thing is that ranting on here does little good for me or, on my best day, the twenty people that read this.
Here's what's been making me feel powerless this week without my usual commentary:
1. Seeing street preachers with signs in the middle of downtown Seattle yelling at people that they're going to hell.
2. Realizing that college ministry may not be a top priority for the people that make the big decisions.
3. Reading this article about a recent vote by the Georgia Baptist Convention.
4. Fully understanding a profound statement one of my students made. "The world system should hate us, but the people should love us. Currently, we fit in with the systems, but the people hate us."
5. Seeing the people and country I love deal with death, economic downturn, sickness, and sin.
John Mayer and I have been on the same page for a while. We've both been waiting on the world to change. I'm tired of waiting though. I want to roll up my sleeves and make something happen. But what can I really do?
What can we do?
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Top Three Thursday
These are the top three questions that are occupying my mind these days and some of the conclusions that I've come to.
1. How many more times can I read the words 'God is in control' in relation to Obama's victory from Christian articles on faith and politics without losing it completely? I have nothing against reminding people that God is really in control of everything (becuase He is), but it's like the Christian world is just now realizing it. Or they're scared out of their minds because they think an Obama administration is the signal that the end of days is here and they need something to cling to. I never once read an article where it said "George W. Bush is president, but that's okay because God is in control." If McCain had been elected, would we be reading the same kinds of articles? If the answer is no, what does that say about how deeply Christians have gotten into bed with Republican politics?
2. What does it mean to truly be pro-life? I think that a lot of Christians, and people in general, are pro-birth but not really pro-life. It's starting to really bother me. Being pro-life is not just about saving the life of an unborn child. It's about saving the life of everyone. It's about lowering the number of deaths per 1,000 for children under 5 by making sure they have adequate nutrition. It's about lifting people out of poverty and providing training to those that need it so they can do more than just get by until they die. It's about extending grace and second chances at life, even to those that do heinous acts because Jesus would not give up on them and they are not beyond redemption. Being pro-life is fighting against so-called 'death with dignity acts' that really say that we no longer value the lives of the sick and elderly. Ultimately, it's about adopting a 'womb to tomb' philosophy of life.
3. Does Jesus really have a PR problem and do we really need to do anything about it? That may not be the best way to ask this question and get at the answers I want, but that's the stage it's in right now.
Thank you for paying attention to today's soapbox version of Top Three Thursday. Feel free to comment away.
Toodles!
1. How many more times can I read the words 'God is in control' in relation to Obama's victory from Christian articles on faith and politics without losing it completely? I have nothing against reminding people that God is really in control of everything (becuase He is), but it's like the Christian world is just now realizing it. Or they're scared out of their minds because they think an Obama administration is the signal that the end of days is here and they need something to cling to. I never once read an article where it said "George W. Bush is president, but that's okay because God is in control." If McCain had been elected, would we be reading the same kinds of articles? If the answer is no, what does that say about how deeply Christians have gotten into bed with Republican politics?
2. What does it mean to truly be pro-life? I think that a lot of Christians, and people in general, are pro-birth but not really pro-life. It's starting to really bother me. Being pro-life is not just about saving the life of an unborn child. It's about saving the life of everyone. It's about lowering the number of deaths per 1,000 for children under 5 by making sure they have adequate nutrition. It's about lifting people out of poverty and providing training to those that need it so they can do more than just get by until they die. It's about extending grace and second chances at life, even to those that do heinous acts because Jesus would not give up on them and they are not beyond redemption. Being pro-life is fighting against so-called 'death with dignity acts' that really say that we no longer value the lives of the sick and elderly. Ultimately, it's about adopting a 'womb to tomb' philosophy of life.
3. Does Jesus really have a PR problem and do we really need to do anything about it? That may not be the best way to ask this question and get at the answers I want, but that's the stage it's in right now.
Thank you for paying attention to today's soapbox version of Top Three Thursday. Feel free to comment away.
Toodles!
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