"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.
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