BART!

D'oh

Working in a new community

I am having the pleasure of working with the deaf teen community. I am the stranger in the strange land. I have a hard time communitcating and I am the slowest one in the room. But the people that surround me in my learning are loving and generous in giving.

Reaching back...

I pulled the R. Mullins out of the cd shelf today. The World as Best as I Remember It, vol. 1 & 2. Man, some good stuff. If you are looking for some good story telling, you really can't beat it. Let us sit around this thought for a bit:

hello old friends
there's really nothing new to say
but the old old story bears repeating
and the plain old truth grows dearer every day
when you find something worth believing
that's a joy that nothin could take way

or

two full grown men in a huddle of kids
and they're trying to help them to believe
what is too good to be real
but is more real than the air they breath
and it's Wally and the Beaver, David and Johnathan
it's the Love of Jesus puttin on the flesh and bone

Centralia WA

Roy Gardner
Centralia Massacre
Santa Lucia

This is a small list of people we learned about and places we went to while exploring the town of Centralia WA. Amazing as it may seem it is not just a collection of outlet stores on the way to Portland. We didn't take any pictures, and if we had, I don't own a digital camera, so I wouldn't have shown them to you anyway. The hotel was boarding house style, and our room had a king size bed, and more importantly, no kids calling in the next room in the morning. All in all, a wonderful escape for a night.

Just a short trip...

Centralia is not always what I have thought of as a destination. There are some outlet stores, but when my parents are not spending the money, I am not all that interested in going. However there is a hotel/restaurant that has come highly recommended and we have baby-sitting. Yea!

Halo v. Jesus

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.

I am beginning to have a crisis of conscience.

This summer, next fall...

I am currently trying to decide what will happen in just a few months for the summer. Right now I am pretty sure that we will be going on a 1/2 day boating trip, a baseball game and a water ski day (this from a person who hasn't played a game of baseball since he was 10. And from a person who tries to avoid recreational water use at all costs.)

Next fall is coming so soon. Several months back I thought about going through the gospels as the guiding subject matter. I don't really have any other ideas.

Three...I have started to explore the posibilities of overseas work, including MCYM (Military Community Youth Ministry). But this last thought is a further away reality. Maybe a couple of years out. I wouldn't mind going just about anywhere in the world right now.

Ahhhhhhh!

King of the Hill

A true state

All this flashy rhetoric about loving you. I never had a selfless thought since I was born. I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through; I want God, you, all friends merely to serve my turn. Peace, reassurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek, I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin; I talk of love- a scholar's parrot may talk Greek- But self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.

cs lewis

Notebook entries

I keep a book of notes with me, where I enter small bits of information. Once in a while I will share some of these notes, here is the first post:

The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails and was at rest.

How many books can someone read...

I am currently reading Bonhoeffer's "Cost of Discipleship" after finishing "The Jesus Creed". I am begining to doubt the usefulness of so many books.

More almost Jesus junk

I am reading "The Jesus Creed" by Scot McKnight. The idea is this: Jesus' guiding thought is the Shema with the small addition of Love your neighbor as well. Not bad and the basic idea is useful. Unfortunately McKnight continually uses the phrase "Jesus Creed" and it has started to remind me of the pray of Jabez. Scot doesn't make the claims that Wilkerson made but the feeling is the same. The book is a quick read and some insightful observations of life in the jewish community. It is worth a read, but I expect some backlash.

pre-(S)kool

Jesus es mi amigo

A bid for world peace, or tourism or just cool pictures

Paris Daily Photo and its ilk have become a daily web visit for me. I get to visit the world one picture at a time with locals, the best type of tour guide, and it rocks. This is the first time I have had a desire to get any sort of digital picture taker. I want to join the family.

My church

I was thinking about where I worship. It isn't in the four walls of my local church. Nor do I spend much time alone with a bible or prayer book in meditation. But, I can be found at least four times a week at a house of the bean, behind a computer or book. I will be soaking in the light of a LCD display or printed page and the spare minutes that I have been given. What does this say? I have some ideas, but for now it is something for me to think about.

Spending some time catching up on things I missed.

There is only so much a person can listen to, read, and watch while a decade is passing, by. Right now I am trying to catch up on some of the movies and music. REM and Silence of the Lambs are the two that I am currently consuming. Next on the list will be Tommy boy. Now I might get some of the jokes that people over 30 keep saying. I don't know if I will every be able to stomach Seinfeld.

Perfidy

I learned a new word while reading with my daughter: Perfidy. This book we are reading has a moving description of forgiveness as well. If you have the time "The Tail of Despereaux Tilling" is a worthy read.

Materialism, Technolust, and Lent

For better or worse I have started to keep a shoping list of big ticket items that have been rolling around in my head. The list includes things like a Mountain Smith bag, Utility Kilt, replacement engagement ring (really this is for my wife to get for me) and other "stuff". Along with this, I would like to have a computer (laptop) at my house again. It isn't just me, the Mrs. would like one too. There is a feeling, in my gut that these might be some of the things that so easily ensnare.

We were bedding down for the night and I was explaining that I would not give up the coffee shop habit for lent, becasue it was made at the last minute and not thought out. My dear one, shot back with a smile, "Yea, we wouldn't want to sacrifice something useful. who wants to give up wifi?" Ouch, it is going to take all "40" days to get over that one.

Silence, blogging and coffee filled Holy Spirit.

Last Saturday I went to half the Core. It is a training for youth workers produced by YS. It was underwhelming. Chap Clark, the speaker, spent the time barking out enthusiastic youth pastor catch phrases. The great revelation this year was "passion." Students have it and we need to nurture it and direct it. Wow! I wonder if we could have a youth pastor/worker meeting where we talked about Jesus, not as a means, but the end (and the beginning for that matter.) We would mention the kids as the after thought, but Christ would be the heart beat. We would learn concepts like Christology and hermeneutics, and what to do with them, not to put us to sleep but to give us understanding and wisdom. But I am dreaming, this must be done, it seems alone or in smaller groups, like sharing a secret. Then doubt and fear catch us as we walk out of the door. But then marketing catches up and the game is over.

Prophets from across the pond and tight blue jeans.

I like jeans.
I like my wife in jeans (cords too, but that is a different post.) She's hot.
I like the beatles. There is an ipod somewhere that contains my sound-track.
I will have to find it.




Martha my dear though I spend my days in conversation
Please
Remember me martha my love
Don’t forget me martha my dear

Hold your head up you silly girl look what you’ve done
When you find yourself in the thick of it
Help yourself to a bit of what is all around you
Silly girl.

Take a good look around you
Take a good look you’re bound to see
That you and me were meant to be for each other
Silly girl.

Hold your hand out you silly girl see what you’ve done
When you find yourself in the thick of it
Help yourself to a bit of what is all around you
Silly girl.

Martha my dear you have always been my inspiration
Please
Be good to me martha my love
Don’t forget me martha my dear.