In the rack...

I heard a few great stories the other day. Here is one...

My friend, who I won't name, had been caught up in the wrong crowd since the age of 13. He slowly became more and more consumed with people's approval and being accepted. It eventually effected, his adult life, his job, his wife, and those closest to him.

He went jail for a little while or as he called it "the rack." There he learned that trusting the wrong people to accept you could have dangerous consequences. He eventually felt isolated in his cell. He felt like no one could help him. At night he would toss and turn, with his heart physically aching, almost like a panic attack. Sweating and fearing for his life...

One night it got to be more than he could bare. He wrestled emotionally and physically in pain and fear. Finally, out of desperation he said "God you are going to have do something, you are the only one who I can turn to I need you." As he finished his desperate prayer, he said it was like God took his physical hands and reached down massaging his heart.

His heartbeat calmed, the sweat subsided, the fear became peace, and the pain became comfort. He had a full experience with God, emotionally, physically and mentally. He had felt God, change his life.

He was Redeemed...

Thanksgiving Hugs

I'm really not into themed post, but seeing as this is more of a journal of personal thoughts, I guess that is just another contradiction in my life.

We had thanksgiving with family. Not my immediate family but my wife's family. It great to be with them. It is such a bigger family then I'm accustomed too. We only had like 25 people this year and they acted like the house was empty.

It is funny because I'm at the point with Erin's family where I have been accepted. They know what I do for a living. They know who I root for in sports. They know I'm not a country boy like most of them. But what they don't know is whether or not to hug me. I'll be honest I'm a hugger. I go in for the real deal every chance I get. It never fails that I guess wrong too. Some people I'm not sure like hugs so I try to be respectful, but I would hug a random stranger if they'd let me. With Erin's family though I feel accepted and loved I'm still shakey on hugging status.

It is amazing to me that the church often works the same way. We do a great job of helping and knowing a few facts about people. We might even share a meal with people. But there is always a "hugging status" that we don't want to infringe upon. And then there are some people like from the town I'm from who come in hugging like junkies looking for hugs from who ever will awkwardly suffer through the experience.

I believe the ability to know when to give "hugs" comes from the spirit. I had a friend tell me we don't tap into that enough. I agree. What if we looked at people and ask God's spirit to give us a message for a certain relationship. What if we tapped into the light that needed to be shined on a person at that very moment of "to hug or not to hug." I love that Erin's family and church didn't give a prerequisite to joining the family except to come through the Father.

This might be a little more metaphorical than needed to be, but the holidays will do that to yah. I would like to look at people as an opportunity for the spirit to work and move and breathe.

God's Kingdom

Well the other night while my wife was here. I planned on making this profound political statement about how we need to re-think our yelling and haughty ways and revisit 1st Peter 2. It was going to talk about how the end all isn't coming if your guy doesn't get elected and that a lot of people feel like there isn't a moral candidate and they shouldn't be criticized for not voting. I was going to follow it up with a nice comment about how voting on one issue is still supporting the entire agenda of candidate.

And last but not least conclude with, "no matter who gets elected, it can't be as bad as Nero(emperor that burned Christians and others at the stake for fun). And God reminded them then, like he remind the religious leaders and zealots of his day that God's kingdom is not here on earth and if it was everyone would know. To sum it up with a contemplative phrase I would have put something like this..."How bout rather than yelling and screaming about the right choice; we be "as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves" or "humble and gentle bearing with one another in love" OR better yet like the man who "though hurled insults at him, tore his clothes, and spit on him and beat him, he said nothing"

Satan uses half truths and I feel, we fell for another one politically. "1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." (just cuz it's true doesn't make it less slanderous) Both sides get caught up in this venomous and angry arguing and last time I checked that verse ends with "of any kind."(small or large/true or untrue) As the Church and I mean that for all Christians not just a particular denomination, we have to give up this sense of entitlement. It is killing our country and it is killing our families. And it is killing our church.

So since my wife isn't here to proof this...I apologize ahead of time. and if you didn't like what I wrote then read these articles...I had these thoughts before I read them, but they say somethings that at least makes you think about things, even if you don't agree with them.

http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200811060245/OPINION/811060307 and this one http://www.patrolmag.com/times/922/how-shall-we-then-vote

shaken grace?

What happens when your grace gets shaken, when confidence is nowhere to be found? What happens when you look at God and ask why? What happens when you can't fall on your face anymore? What happens when approaching the throne seems pointless?

Mike Cope compared it to child bearing with something at the end far greater than now. Paul says it is but a light affliction in comparison. I just feel like it is a rut. What do you think it is? I'll pray for you if you pray for me...just kidding, I'll be praying for anyone who can relate to that feeling of "what can I do, I suck".

A Quickie or short post...

Bad drivers tick me off. And so do people who say, "My luck I'd be the one that _____(insert:some ridiculous thing that wouldn't happen in a million years to anyone, let alone the self absorbed person saying it.)" I also hate when I have a screw driver and the screw keeps slipping or moving making it impossible to get the thing started. I really can't stand when you move something so it won't fall, and you don't move it quite far enough, causing it to fall none the less. I can't stand at churches when we ask people to stand up. Then clap for them for helping with something. (It sounds bad but a lot of people believe that your right hand shouldn't know what your left hand is doing. And I think it puts people in an awkward situation and if they knew you were going to do that they probably wouldn't have stood up.) I get real mad at cliche Christian, sayings! I believe in a God of Wonder beyond all majesty and we try to some him up in a catch phrase. AHHHH.

All these things, no matter how in the right I am and how much you may agree with me, are foot holds for a graceless bitterness that makes God seem cheap and confined to a box.( I hate so much to see him in a box). God forgive us for only giving circumstantial grace rather than, the "continually cleansing" grace that you have offered us.

A Train Whistles Just Like Before...

The night's still and most are tucked away,
When it falls to the ending of a day.

Hoping and praying it passes through without a sound,
knowing it always tries to stay in town.

the same old sound, a memory can't repay
I heard it long ago and not so far a yesterday

It sheds its sound to all who hear.
most of which come with fear.

It isn't hope that makes it ill,
but anticipation in the still

So hearing things that've gone before
remind us now of hope ignored.

the light comes and the sound fades
but we've all known less days

To sing his praise and ask of him
to show us now what might have been.

And as he says so many times
It's not to know for any mind.

but a promise of whats to come
a father a spirit and the son.

Return with a different call
For one to answer, every, all.


a poem I found, I usually don't like rhyming stuff.

Tattoo Theology

A lot of people have tattoos now a days. They aren't as "alternative" as they use to be. I attribute it to the "Rockstar Mentality" that has swept America and the WORLD(that was said in a movie voice-over voice) I love tattoos, bad ones make me laugh and good ones are truly works of art. I'm not a fan of barbwire or cartoon characters, but realize for some people it works.
I don't prescribe to the "it has to be meaningful philosophy", nor do I think it is a good Idea to randomly get tatted-up. Here are few that I like, more for artistic reasons but none the less, I like them.

I want to get one like the "Tree of Life".
























I'm not into spiders but this might be the best Tattoo ever. It is so realistic.

















And I love the dimensional detail in this Trinity Symbol!















Obviously I don't understand people prescribing to the Levitical law against tattooing. Unless they still follow that diet or clean themselves regularly according to the same guidelines. We need to quit judging people on appearance.(I know I do) I write off people who wear "frat straps" or "croakies," I judge people who I feel aren't as "progressive spiritually" as I am, or dismiss those who don't educate themselves politically. My friends can tell you there are many more shallow examples of my judging the general population. Getting to know people is so much more fun than judging them. Allowing people to be who they are is something more than allowing a behavior or an appearance. It is providing an environment in which they feel safe express themselves. There is a lot of imperfection out there, that flows well below skin deep. A tattoo to me says, "there was a point in my life where I was here, and I chose to remember it this way."

So if I get the guts to get my tattoo one day, feel free to judge, but let me know in a loving way of your disapproval.