"i count it as an absolute certainty that in paradise, everyone naps. a nap is a perfect pleasure and it's useful, too. it splits the day into two halves, making each half more manageable and enjoyable. how much easier it is to work in the morning if we know we have a nap to look forward to after lunch; and how much more pleasant the late afternoon and evening become after a little sleep. if you know there is a nap to come later in the day, then you can banish for ever that terrible sense of doom one feels at
Excerpted from How to be Idle by Tom Hodgkinson (HarperCollins; 2005).
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
napping in paradise
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
new tunes
good tunes to enjoy if you're in the market for getting rid of any accumulating loose change ...
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
evangelism's purpose
"Our concern in evangelizing people is not just to 'save their souls', but to restore the image of God to its proper functioning in all of life, to the greater glory of God." (Excerpted from Created in God's Image by Anthony A. Hoekema / Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986; p. 99.)
journal entry one
i was sitting in 16-F, but i moved. the couple sitting next to me were very nice, but my changing seats would afford them some valuable room for their beautiful baby girl sitting on her daddy’s lap. she started crying. she looked at me. i smiled. she’s stopped crying and smiled back.
the guy next to me is an interesting character. i don’t know if i should be amused or afraid. hardly the GQ type, that is his reading selection for the flight. dressed in jeans, a celery-green tee and a yellow baseball cap, he came across a fragrance sample he must have liked. out of the corner of my eye i watch. he openes up the fragrance flap and proceeds to wipe the sample off on his shirt.
true spirituality
“This is our calling,” Francis Schaeffer wrote in True Spirituality . “This is part of our richness in Christ: the reality of true spirituality, the Christian life... It is not to be practiced in a dull, ugly way; there is to be a thing of beauty, observed by those within [the church], and those outside. This is an important part in preaching the gospel to the humanity still in rebellion against God; but more than this, it is the only thing that is right on the basis of the existence of the personal God and on the basis of what Christ did for us in history, on the cross. And having come this far, true spirituality—the Christian life—flows out into the total culture.”
great find
so ... wandering through wal-mart, i'm looking for soap and find this. i was going to settle for being amused by it, but andrew chucked it into my basket and i thought, "why not?" a day later, i'm sold. it goes on thin and smooth, not thick and greasy like most. after it soaks in it feels like i'm not wearing anything. perfection. leaving my skin feeling like silk, it's now my favorite. none of this over-rated and expensive victoria secret crap. get me my farmer's cream and i'll be happy.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
johnson family
the whole johnson family together for thanksgiving ....
erika, becky, danielle, andrew, greg, emma, matt, rachel, sandra and luke
Friday, November 17, 2006
continuity
mere change is not growth. growth is the synthesis of change and continuity, and where there is no continuity there is no growth. - C.S. Lewis, They Asked for a Paper
Cultural Influence
Perceptions Matter ...
How are American evangelical Christians perceived by nonbelievers? Should we care?
For many nonbelievers, Christians are the greatest single obstacle to Christian belief. We are genuinely offensive to them -- sometimes this is because of their biases, often it is because of their experiences.
There is little about our contact with nonbelievers that they would readily affirm as life enhancing and a beacon of goodness. Instead, we are avoided at all costs.
We tend to put off those who found Christ most attractive, and appeal to those who Christ most commonly criticized: somehow we have gotten it backwards. Peter asks, "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?" (1 Peter 3:13) We need to take an honest look at our perception problem. Christians cannot expect widespread cultural influence until we change the general opinion nonbelievers have of us.
We need to pay close attention to how we are stereotyped. Of course, these stereotypes are unfair. Obviously, there are exceptions. However, the blame game gets us nowhere, and teaches no lessons. Until Christians face up to how we are perceived, and address the failures for which we alone are responsible, our neighbors will have few reasons to heed our lives and little motive to listen to our words.
If we are ever to convince another person about the rightness of our position, we must first seek common ground. This was Paul's strategy in his address on Mars Hill. We share a common humanity with every other person. The Manichean impulse to see reality in black and white terms fails to reflect either the depth of sin or the extent of grace. The media prefers polarities -- stark contrasts, simplistically positioned against one another. We do well to avoid situations where the nature of the medium makes finding common ground unlikely. It is far better to share a cup of coffee with a person with whom we disagree, than to put ourselves into a public debate with him before a live audience.
We will never reach those most in need of the gospel if we position ourselves as their intellectual foil or political enemy. Our methods must be incarnational as well as our theology. We must be "with" and "along side", instead of "against" or "opposed to", if we are to model Jesus to others.
If we are ever to convince another person about the rightness of our position, we must first accept disagreement without a judgemental attitude. As soon as we resort to judgment in tone, words, or deeds, we close the opportunity for influence. As Jesus clearly outlined, judgment reaps only judgment (Matthew 7:1-5).
We would do far better to always speak of those with whom we disagree as if he or she were in our immediate presence. When we speak in the abstract or to our own constituency, we do little to further mutual understanding.
Those who speak harshly about persons who are involved in homosexual behavior, for example, would do well to befriend such a person. Having a name and a face in mind does much to moderate one's rhetoric.
We must learn to disagree agreeably ....
(Selections from the article "Preconditions of Cultural Influence" by David John Seel, Jr.)
How are American evangelical Christians perceived by nonbelievers? Should we care?
For many nonbelievers, Christians are the greatest single obstacle to Christian belief. We are genuinely offensive to them -- sometimes this is because of their biases, often it is because of their experiences.
There is little about our contact with nonbelievers that they would readily affirm as life enhancing and a beacon of goodness. Instead, we are avoided at all costs.
We tend to put off those who found Christ most attractive, and appeal to those who Christ most commonly criticized: somehow we have gotten it backwards. Peter asks, "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?" (1 Peter 3:13) We need to take an honest look at our perception problem. Christians cannot expect widespread cultural influence until we change the general opinion nonbelievers have of us.
We need to pay close attention to how we are stereotyped. Of course, these stereotypes are unfair. Obviously, there are exceptions. However, the blame game gets us nowhere, and teaches no lessons. Until Christians face up to how we are perceived, and address the failures for which we alone are responsible, our neighbors will have few reasons to heed our lives and little motive to listen to our words.
If we are ever to convince another person about the rightness of our position, we must first seek common ground. This was Paul's strategy in his address on Mars Hill. We share a common humanity with every other person. The Manichean impulse to see reality in black and white terms fails to reflect either the depth of sin or the extent of grace. The media prefers polarities -- stark contrasts, simplistically positioned against one another. We do well to avoid situations where the nature of the medium makes finding common ground unlikely. It is far better to share a cup of coffee with a person with whom we disagree, than to put ourselves into a public debate with him before a live audience.
We will never reach those most in need of the gospel if we position ourselves as their intellectual foil or political enemy. Our methods must be incarnational as well as our theology. We must be "with" and "along side", instead of "against" or "opposed to", if we are to model Jesus to others.
If we are ever to convince another person about the rightness of our position, we must first accept disagreement without a judgemental attitude. As soon as we resort to judgment in tone, words, or deeds, we close the opportunity for influence. As Jesus clearly outlined, judgment reaps only judgment (Matthew 7:1-5).
We would do far better to always speak of those with whom we disagree as if he or she were in our immediate presence. When we speak in the abstract or to our own constituency, we do little to further mutual understanding.
Those who speak harshly about persons who are involved in homosexual behavior, for example, would do well to befriend such a person. Having a name and a face in mind does much to moderate one's rhetoric.
We must learn to disagree agreeably ....
(Selections from the article "Preconditions of Cultural Influence" by David John Seel, Jr.)
Thursday, November 09, 2006
pinholes
"My personal life may be crowded with small, petty incidents, altogether unnoticeable and mean; but if I obey Jesus Christ in the haphazard circumstances, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God." - Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
romania pics
in the garden with my coffee at the ywam base in cluj-napoca, romania
clock tower in sighisoara, romania
orthodox church in sighisoara, romania
the catholic church downtown cluj-napoca
ashleigh and erika checking out the view of the city
ashleigh and erika at the lake in the heart of cluj-napoca
Thursday, October 19, 2006
romania news
a sincere apology for my absense in writing, but since i've been in romania internet time has been a little hard to come by. but here's an attempt at a short summary of what i've been up to lately ....
i arrived in romania october 1st, after 31 hours of travel, exhausted but grateful to be off a plane and on the ground again. our team of eight women are staying at the ywam base in cluj-napoca, in the northwest part of the country. the base is just outside of the city and we're in what would be likened to the suburbs. there are little family farms surrounding us and the countryside if beautiful. the neighbor brings his cow over to mow our backyard ....
some of our ministry activities have been .... bringing food and groceries to some homes of needy families (had some amazing conversations there); picking up garbage along the dirt road that runs in front of the base; visiting some children's homes for kids that are in high risk situations (parents are in jail, there is drug/alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, etc); teaching english in a couple of high school classes; some cleaning projects here at the base; touring around the city and getting our cultural education in; prayer walking at some important and influential points in the city; cleaning the office building of a crisis pregnancy center; and we'll be going to a village from the 26th - 30th .... hopefully staying in a house with heat but we don't know that yet for sure. it's been in the 30s overnight and daytime highs usually in the mid-50s. we'll be spending time with the kids in the village probably, teaching english, talking about God and maybe helping them harvest their potatoes. :) should be fun!
we've been having some really incredible base intercession/worship times with the team here .... times when we've felt like God has given specific words, prayers and Scriptures to be prayed over the romania base leaders and their students .... really touching heaven and hearing God's heart for this place. we've been so welcomed and accepted into their family here and worship/intercession times have just made us even closer as we pray for them and worship next to them. their love for God runs so deep and their wisdom and trust in God humbles me every day. they've walked some hard roads and their faith challenged but they remain unshaken. they walk in obedience as God gives them strength. they've inspired and encouraged us all.
we're all safe and well, but the colds have been making their rounds. one of our team members (karen, the nurse) got really sick and this morning when we were waking up it sounded like there was a man in our room. poor girl ... her voice isn't doing so well. but it makes us laugh, so it can't be too bad. she's sitting right behind me as i type (we're at an internet cafe) so i shouldn't write anything too terrible about her. :) (and she says hello :)
anyhoo, that's my attempt at keeping you semi-updated on what i'm doing. hopefully i can write again, but i won't promise anything. i return to the states november 5th and then fly back to mn about a week later. thank you all again for your prayers. it makes such a big difference in what we're doing. blessings, hugs and kisses, erika
i arrived in romania october 1st, after 31 hours of travel, exhausted but grateful to be off a plane and on the ground again. our team of eight women are staying at the ywam base in cluj-napoca, in the northwest part of the country. the base is just outside of the city and we're in what would be likened to the suburbs. there are little family farms surrounding us and the countryside if beautiful. the neighbor brings his cow over to mow our backyard ....
some of our ministry activities have been .... bringing food and groceries to some homes of needy families (had some amazing conversations there); picking up garbage along the dirt road that runs in front of the base; visiting some children's homes for kids that are in high risk situations (parents are in jail, there is drug/alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, etc); teaching english in a couple of high school classes; some cleaning projects here at the base; touring around the city and getting our cultural education in; prayer walking at some important and influential points in the city; cleaning the office building of a crisis pregnancy center; and we'll be going to a village from the 26th - 30th .... hopefully staying in a house with heat but we don't know that yet for sure. it's been in the 30s overnight and daytime highs usually in the mid-50s. we'll be spending time with the kids in the village probably, teaching english, talking about God and maybe helping them harvest their potatoes. :) should be fun!
we've been having some really incredible base intercession/worship times with the team here .... times when we've felt like God has given specific words, prayers and Scriptures to be prayed over the romania base leaders and their students .... really touching heaven and hearing God's heart for this place. we've been so welcomed and accepted into their family here and worship/intercession times have just made us even closer as we pray for them and worship next to them. their love for God runs so deep and their wisdom and trust in God humbles me every day. they've walked some hard roads and their faith challenged but they remain unshaken. they walk in obedience as God gives them strength. they've inspired and encouraged us all.
we're all safe and well, but the colds have been making their rounds. one of our team members (karen, the nurse) got really sick and this morning when we were waking up it sounded like there was a man in our room. poor girl ... her voice isn't doing so well. but it makes us laugh, so it can't be too bad. she's sitting right behind me as i type (we're at an internet cafe) so i shouldn't write anything too terrible about her. :) (and she says hello :)
anyhoo, that's my attempt at keeping you semi-updated on what i'm doing. hopefully i can write again, but i won't promise anything. i return to the states november 5th and then fly back to mn about a week later. thank you all again for your prayers. it makes such a big difference in what we're doing. blessings, hugs and kisses, erika
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
departure
it's 9:31 pm and i leave with my class in the morning for two weeks of stateside outreach. we meet together to load the vans at 5:00 am, pack lunches and pray and then head out at 6:00. we'll drive ALL day and spend the night at a ywam base in nashville. then another day of being sardines in a moving vehicle before we get to washington dc. we'll spend a week there interceding for our country, leaders, judicial system, abortion laws, etc. taking our cues from Isaiah 62:6, "on your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves ..." we'll be splitting our team up throughout the week to cover 24/7 prayer shifts, around the clock prayer watches. God has been speaking some very specific words of revival to His church and it is our desire to meet with Him in prayer to invite Him to breath fresh fire into america. i'd invite you to join us as we pray for God's purposes to be accomplished and new revelation to be brought to His people of His heart and mind for revival in america.
after that week we'll be heading to chicago for a week of urban outreach, learning about the various cultures and religions right around us. we'll be visiting temples, mosques and other places of worship, learning about the spiritual strongholds in our cities and spending time in intercession. we'll be practicing how to be sensitive to what's happening in the spiritual realm so that we can be more effective in spiritual warfare, as we pray for our communities.
i'm really looking forward to heading back north again for a little while, as the midwest is caribou-land (coffee) and i've been missing it dreadfully. the small things in life are usually the most missed when absent.
after two weeks of stateside outreach ..... whoohoo - ROMANIA!! i can hardly contain my excitement to finally be going to this country i've been praying about for a couple of years. our departure date is september 30 and we'll be overseas until november 5. your prayers are always so appreciated as my team prepares to go. i hope to post again when i have more specific prayer requests to pass along. thank you for reading, caring and praying.
another prayer point is my fundraising for romania. my tuition is now paid, but i still have yet to cover all my expenses for romania. i still need about $2250 to go. so if any of you would pray about whether or not God would have you support me with a a one-time gift i would be very appreciative. thank you for praying! - erika
after that week we'll be heading to chicago for a week of urban outreach, learning about the various cultures and religions right around us. we'll be visiting temples, mosques and other places of worship, learning about the spiritual strongholds in our cities and spending time in intercession. we'll be practicing how to be sensitive to what's happening in the spiritual realm so that we can be more effective in spiritual warfare, as we pray for our communities.
i'm really looking forward to heading back north again for a little while, as the midwest is caribou-land (coffee) and i've been missing it dreadfully. the small things in life are usually the most missed when absent.
after two weeks of stateside outreach ..... whoohoo - ROMANIA!! i can hardly contain my excitement to finally be going to this country i've been praying about for a couple of years. our departure date is september 30 and we'll be overseas until november 5. your prayers are always so appreciated as my team prepares to go. i hope to post again when i have more specific prayer requests to pass along. thank you for reading, caring and praying.
another prayer point is my fundraising for romania. my tuition is now paid, but i still have yet to cover all my expenses for romania. i still need about $2250 to go. so if any of you would pray about whether or not God would have you support me with a a one-time gift i would be very appreciative. thank you for praying! - erika
Monday, September 04, 2006
scavenger hunt
the school of evangelism girls did a scavenger hunt for small group. good times. we needed a pic by an unlucky piece of roadkill. a has-been, as it were. this one happened to be a skunk, which kindly left some of its aroma as something by which to be remembered.
our school leader is from canada. here we were required to pay homage to the stone that graces the front of his home.
one final group shot with stu, our "fireman".
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
the romania girls
(back row) jenni, erika, ashleigh, karen alyssa
(front row) jessica, stacy, vania
our team (led by stacy and vania) heads to romania september 30 and will be in the city of cluj-napoca for five weeks. your prayers would be much appreciated by all of us as we prepare to go. we'll be ministering in a variety of ways ... homeless and well to do, children and elderly, village dwellers and urbanites ... and flexibility will be critical. pray for perseverance, compassion, spiritual sensitivity, creativity, strength, physical protection, good health and that we'll represent Christ accurately, modeling His love and compassion as He did. pray for finances to come through for each of us and that the details and logistics of our trip will come together in a timely manner. thanks for your prayers!
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
melting
so our air is out. the wing of our dorm where my bedroom happens to be lost a/c a couple of days ago. the temp in my bedroom reads 93.
the lobby area (where the air still blessedly works) for the last couple of nights has played host to one, giant, slumber party of girls.
they promise us they'll have it fixed today. my fingers are crossed.
the lobby area (where the air still blessedly works) for the last couple of nights has played host to one, giant, slumber party of girls.
they promise us they'll have it fixed today. my fingers are crossed.
Monday, August 14, 2006
dorm clean-up
one saturday a month the base has a clean-up day. the three of us had garbage can duty. what fun. rewarding, if nothing else. helps keep the possums away!
Monday, August 07, 2006
destination unknown
so finally, after weeks of waiting, our ywam soe (school of evangelism) class now knows our teams/destinations for outreach. it has been an exercise of patience, being held in suspense this long. normally we find out by the third week of class. we are now in our sixth. arggg. but the agony is over.
the options of romania, india and washington dc were presented in class this morning and we were given 10 minutes to pray about it and see what God said. God spoke and the teams were finalized. i am on the romania team, which happens to be an all girls team of seven, including our leader. nice. very nice. two of my three current roomies are also on my team, which will be mucho grando fun.
our whole class leaves september 14 for a week in washington dc where we'll be doing lots of intercession at the capitol and supreme court steps and prayer walking around the city. then we head to chicago for a week of classes in mapping out spiritual strongholds of a city. we'll visit various places of worship throughout the city (mosques, temples, churches, etc) and learn what the prominent spiritual influences of the area are. should be challenging and fun, learning to be more sensitive to the spiritual realm and praying for the light of truth to enter these dark places.
then we head to our various outreach destinations (me, to romania :) for five weeks of ministry. the romania team will be based out of the city of cluj-napoca, which is in the northwestern part of the country. we'll be helping with building renovations at the ywam base there, hanging out at dumps to minister to the homeless kids there, helping out at Living Alternatives (a home for unwed mothers), prayer walking and working their ywam staff conference, among many other things.
now our teams will be able to meet together to pray and focus in on what it is that God has in store for us while we're on outreach. it's all so exciting!! i love this stuff. good times.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
snow cone tongues!
fourth of july celebration with ywam girls. nothing like a cool tasty beverage on a hot summer night.
Monday, July 31, 2006
?
what's a bored, sweaty, procrastinating-from-homework, mid-20's aged girl supposed to do when she's craving ice cream at 9:00 at night? quickly rid herself of all defenses and succumb to the inner urge. but first, take a quick walk to ease her guilty conscience .... and then .... shamelessly indulge.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
pillows and popsicles …
my list of thank you’s to God includes Caribou coffee, toothbrushes, Brazilian flip-flops, smiles & kisses, sun & rain, the smell of cut grass, falling snow, slushies, blankets, graham crackers and milk, fans, blank paper, empty cups waiting to be filled with lots of tasty possibilities, full gas tanks, fingernails & eyelashes, Pedro the Lion, sun-ripened oranges, fall colors, Frank Lloyd Wright, hot springs, fjords, pickled herring, Christmas & lefse, Carola, the Bible, wiggling toes, subtle winks, trash bags & toilet paper, clean water, C.S. Lewis, testimonies, friends, friends’ kids, friends’ kids antics, kissing owies, dripping icicles, fireplaces, wrestling brothers, off-key singing & bad hair days, MN State Fair mini-donuts & cheese curds, Lake Harriet & Summit Ave, raw cookie dough, a relationship with Jesus …
Friday, July 28, 2006
seasons and the glory of nature
i can’t help my affections for nature as it is God’s own stamp of workmanship and mastery … the testimony of His care and attention to detail. the complexity and interdependence of nature and eco-systems reminds me of His ability to work all things together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. when i walk in the woodlands i hear His contented sighs of delight and approval floating on the winds and i see the twinkle of enjoyment in His eye as it bounces off the leaves. as i spend time enjoying the beauty of nature i see more of His nature, His character, His heart and His mind … nature cries aloud and testifies to His glory!
i cannot see breath-taking, fiery colors of Fall without feeling the sweet breath of His whispers on my face, telling me the secrets of His architecture and design and His tender, sweet words of love for me …
then there’s the quiet, calming falling of snow on the frozen earth, mesmerizing me into a cocoon of peace and rest … hibernating in His affections, snuggling into His tenderness, keeping warm together in the passions of His love …
the slow, sure rising of the sun … His invitation to me to walk with Him another day … a tender Lover promising me His companionship and friendship, extending His hands to me as He promises His surety and constancy …
the eager freshness of spring … bubbly laughter of melting creeks, a sleepy earth stretching and awakening to a new season … hints of warm whispers on the breeze, murmurs of new life on the move … melting snow turning from drips to torrential rivers, washing out the old and ushering in the new … rumors whispered through the treetops of fresh beginnings and new seasons… opportunity to live again and learn lessons of growth, entering new stages of understanding and revelation … a watering and nourishing of the soul for the works He is equipping me to do …
the heat and intensity of summer … vibrant colors … what once was dead is now alive, thriving in the nourishment of the dirt, once frozen as earthen stone … a season of discipline and growth under the intense and watchful eye of the sun … a season of hard work before the rest of winter and the peaceful slumber it brings …
and a new cycle begins … similar to ones before but waiting to tell its own story. each season bringing new tales waiting to be told, of doubt and faithfulness, pain and ecstasy, death and life. one life dying so another, better one may take its place.
nature. the truth of God’s character as told through the most unsuspecting storytellers -- flowers and leaves, dirt and rocks, waterfalls and creeks, mountains and mole hills, shooting stars and lightning, rain and snow, sun and moon and you and me.
i can’t help my affections for nature …
i cannot see breath-taking, fiery colors of Fall without feeling the sweet breath of His whispers on my face, telling me the secrets of His architecture and design and His tender, sweet words of love for me …
then there’s the quiet, calming falling of snow on the frozen earth, mesmerizing me into a cocoon of peace and rest … hibernating in His affections, snuggling into His tenderness, keeping warm together in the passions of His love …
the slow, sure rising of the sun … His invitation to me to walk with Him another day … a tender Lover promising me His companionship and friendship, extending His hands to me as He promises His surety and constancy …
the eager freshness of spring … bubbly laughter of melting creeks, a sleepy earth stretching and awakening to a new season … hints of warm whispers on the breeze, murmurs of new life on the move … melting snow turning from drips to torrential rivers, washing out the old and ushering in the new … rumors whispered through the treetops of fresh beginnings and new seasons… opportunity to live again and learn lessons of growth, entering new stages of understanding and revelation … a watering and nourishing of the soul for the works He is equipping me to do …
the heat and intensity of summer … vibrant colors … what once was dead is now alive, thriving in the nourishment of the dirt, once frozen as earthen stone … a season of discipline and growth under the intense and watchful eye of the sun … a season of hard work before the rest of winter and the peaceful slumber it brings …
and a new cycle begins … similar to ones before but waiting to tell its own story. each season bringing new tales waiting to be told, of doubt and faithfulness, pain and ecstasy, death and life. one life dying so another, better one may take its place.
nature. the truth of God’s character as told through the most unsuspecting storytellers -- flowers and leaves, dirt and rocks, waterfalls and creeks, mountains and mole hills, shooting stars and lightning, rain and snow, sun and moon and you and me.
i can’t help my affections for nature …
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
so ... we just found out where we'll be going for stateside outreach. we leave september 14 for a week in chicago and then we'll head to washington d.c. for a week! we're all very excited to see the capitol (some for the first time) and i'm really excited to be in the midwest for a while again. i've missed it. texas is nice, but it's not the northland! :) after our two weeks in the states we'll head to our various foreign outreach destinations on october 5. after a month overseas we return to texas for debriefing week and then head home! i should be back in minnesota november 14. good times. until then, lakeville can await the return of the caribou coffee fiend.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
silence
sometimes it’s a good thing, signifying contentment. other times it forewarns of a storm brewing. as people grow in various relationships they learn to decipher the different kinds of silence and how to respond.
but how do i react when it seems God has stopped talking? when His silence is deafening? i’ve slowly begun to realize that it’s possible to be at that place where His silence is no longer threatening but a sign of true intimacy. it’s been said that a sign of true friendship is when silence between two people ceases to be awkward. how much truer should this be in my relationship with God? when it seems like He's not speaking to me do i panic, questioning my salvation, fearing that just maybe He doesn't love me as much as He used to? oh, to be in a place where i can be so confident in my standing with Him that I can rest in Him, even when He's quiet. there’s a place of learning that this silence isn't always a bad thing but a different dimension of relationship. when silence is scary it proves lack of faith. doubt and fear begin to be the roadside signs where there is shallow understanding of real love.
in retrospect i'm grateful for those seasons of silence I’ve walked through. the lessons learned have been so valuable. but if i'm completely honest with myself they were scary times. i wondered if i was "spiritual" enough to hear from Him. i doubted His love for me. i questioned His faithfulness. i challenged His character.
and i don't want to wonder ever again. this life was never meant to be wandered through but walked with faith and confidence. we know that our salvation was God's initiative towards us out of His deep and agonizing passion for us, an affection that never fades with time or circumstance. such a mystery. such a beauty.
should i not trust His intimate affections? should i not press in even harder through the silence? even when married couples have seasons of quiet and sparks get doused momentarily, their love remains constant. silence does not alter a state of existence. similarly, God’s character and intentions for me are constant and pure, even when He’s quiet in His love. sometimes His silence is the best expression of His tenderness.
but how do i react when it seems God has stopped talking? when His silence is deafening? i’ve slowly begun to realize that it’s possible to be at that place where His silence is no longer threatening but a sign of true intimacy. it’s been said that a sign of true friendship is when silence between two people ceases to be awkward. how much truer should this be in my relationship with God? when it seems like He's not speaking to me do i panic, questioning my salvation, fearing that just maybe He doesn't love me as much as He used to? oh, to be in a place where i can be so confident in my standing with Him that I can rest in Him, even when He's quiet. there’s a place of learning that this silence isn't always a bad thing but a different dimension of relationship. when silence is scary it proves lack of faith. doubt and fear begin to be the roadside signs where there is shallow understanding of real love.
in retrospect i'm grateful for those seasons of silence I’ve walked through. the lessons learned have been so valuable. but if i'm completely honest with myself they were scary times. i wondered if i was "spiritual" enough to hear from Him. i doubted His love for me. i questioned His faithfulness. i challenged His character.
and i don't want to wonder ever again. this life was never meant to be wandered through but walked with faith and confidence. we know that our salvation was God's initiative towards us out of His deep and agonizing passion for us, an affection that never fades with time or circumstance. such a mystery. such a beauty.
should i not trust His intimate affections? should i not press in even harder through the silence? even when married couples have seasons of quiet and sparks get doused momentarily, their love remains constant. silence does not alter a state of existence. similarly, God’s character and intentions for me are constant and pure, even when He’s quiet in His love. sometimes His silence is the best expression of His tenderness.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Friday, June 30, 2006
C.S. Lewis wrote, “I call upon Him in prayer. Often He might reply (I think He does reply) ‘But you have been evading Me for hours.’”
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
So ... it's been some time since I last posted, eh? Many apologies for the absence. But here we are, making a second attempt.
So what's new? Let me see ....
I finished my first training phase (Discipleship Training School) with Youth With A Mission -
I look forward to many hard classes of brain-stretching and mind-bending as we test our worldviews by the authority of Scripture, discerning Truth and listening to the heart of God. Building on the last phase of personal growth and freedom we'll be learning what evangelism is and why missions is so close to the heart of God, how to be effective bearers of His Truth and what the greatest needs are in the world in which we live.
So, I'm still in
Friday, January 27, 2006
Swan Wood Springs United Methodist Church - Amy's other home church. I've attended a few times and I love the people there. We are the youngest attendees there by 30+ years :) and they love having younger blood as part of their worship services. They have such a contageous passion for Jesus. They love Him and are so intentional about sharing Him with others. 
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgements are like a great deep.
Oh Lord, You preserve man and beast, how precious is Your lovingkindess, O God; and the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house and You give them to drink of the river of You delights; for with You is the fountain of life. In Your Light we see light.
Oh continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You; and Your righteousness to the upright in heart. (Psalm 36:5-10)
Oh Lord, You preserve man and beast, how precious is Your lovingkindess, O God; and the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house and You give them to drink of the river of You delights; for with You is the fountain of life. In Your Light we see light.
Oh continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You; and Your righteousness to the upright in heart. (Psalm 36:5-10)
Hosea is my favorite book of the Bible (well, next to the Psalms) ....
"... I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her ... she will sing there as in the days of her youth ..." (3:14,15)
Youth With A Mission is my wilderness. I've known it for a while, expecting this year to be a time of solitude with God; for Him to speak. I've never been terribly great at listening and I'm trusting that will change.
When God speaks of Hosea's prostitute wife (the image of Israel) He promises the wilderness not as a time of punishment, as it once was, but a time of renewal, of intimacy, of wooing and winning again a wayward bride back to Himself.
It shames me that what I most often expect from God are harsh words, pain and punishment - not the faithful lovingkindness He promises over and over. But He waits to have compassion on His children, to speak tenderly to them and to woo them again unto Himself.
I'm expecting God to break into my world. I've loved Him for the most of my life as best as I've known how ... but I know there's more. Much more. There's a growing, living, breathing intimacy He promises for the taking if we'll accept it. And I want it. More than anything. I guess I'm just not really sure how to get there.
I know for every question He has an answer .... and is excited to show us Truth. So this is my assurance - God aggressively pursues those He loves. And as I learn His character, I will learn how to pursue Him in return.
"I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord." (Hosea 2:19,20)
"... I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her ... she will sing there as in the days of her youth ..." (3:14,15)
Youth With A Mission is my wilderness. I've known it for a while, expecting this year to be a time of solitude with God; for Him to speak. I've never been terribly great at listening and I'm trusting that will change.
When God speaks of Hosea's prostitute wife (the image of Israel) He promises the wilderness not as a time of punishment, as it once was, but a time of renewal, of intimacy, of wooing and winning again a wayward bride back to Himself.
It shames me that what I most often expect from God are harsh words, pain and punishment - not the faithful lovingkindness He promises over and over. But He waits to have compassion on His children, to speak tenderly to them and to woo them again unto Himself.
I'm expecting God to break into my world. I've loved Him for the most of my life as best as I've known how ... but I know there's more. Much more. There's a growing, living, breathing intimacy He promises for the taking if we'll accept it. And I want it. More than anything. I guess I'm just not really sure how to get there.
I know for every question He has an answer .... and is excited to show us Truth. So this is my assurance - God aggressively pursues those He loves. And as I learn His character, I will learn how to pursue Him in return.
"I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord." (Hosea 2:19,20)
Friday, January 20, 2006
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