If you know what someone needs, it does not mean that you love them. But if you love someone, then you know what they need.

So a pirate walks into a bar, sits down and orders a drink. The bartender can't help but notice that the pirate has a rather large steering wheel from a ship in his pants. Curious, he gives the pirate his drink and says "Do you know you have a steering wheel down your pants. The Pirate looks at the bartender and replies "Arrg me know, it drives me nuts!"

and speaking of driving me nuts, lets talk about church signs...potentially the best way ever discovered to share the story of God and his love and grace with people, even better than just having relationships with people.
Some of my favorites include:

Wal-Mart isn't the only saving place!

God's web pages is never down when accessed by prayer

Jesus has myspace reserved in heaven

Our church is heir conditioned--it's cool to be a child of God

You can't be a good egg forever--you must hatch or go bad.

Snowmen fall from heaven unassembled.


Okay, you have to be kidding me. These are short, catchy, and really cheesy. Are people turning in droves to visit the church that is clever enough to make faith seem cute. I actually found a book, titled '701 Sentence Sermons: Attention Getting Quotes for Church Signs......VOLUME 3' Why was this successful enough to make at least three volumes? And even more sadly is this is just brushing the surfuce of misdirected efforts.

What Is This Time For?

It is amazing how much my perspective has changed when instead of asking "What time is it?", I now am asking "What is this time for?"

--thought from 'The Rest of God' by Mark Buchanan

God didn't send us a doctrine to learn, or a religion to live, or a philosophy to debate...He sent us a brother to love, a madman to trust, a servant to serve and a mystery to embrace.

prophets yell because
their hearts are on fire.

they scream at the world
trying to wake us up.

they can't help it.
after all,
God is in their throats.

-stephen james

"A woman's heart should be so close to God that a man has to seek God to find it."

mmmm hmmm. that is all i have to say about that. Well actually all someone else had to say about that, but I'm not really sure who said it. Probably that Anonymous guy, he says a lot of things.

God in the dying

I often wonder, "Where is God in places like Rwanda, Sudan, Concentration camps, the slums? Why is he not there?" Then I remember that God resides in His temple... which now is me and I understand why God may not seem to be there. . . because here I sit.

goodness to the world

Jesus, when dealing with evil in people's lives would focus on calling them toward something rather than away from something. Instead of blatantly pointing out obvious errors (sins) he would rather show them how life could be. This was how he brought out the goodness in each person and in turn brought goodness to the world. That is another reason why so many people were initially attracted to him.

politics, peacemaking and war

first of all, I'm sorry for those whose hopes i let down on the title and the potential for wonderful alliteration.

now...
perhaps the two sides of the coin are not always all the options. maybe we get caught up on thinking we know what is right and what is wrong and we miss out on the liberating, life giving, and better (screwed the alliteration again:) way...the third way. I am starting to see how Jesus and his teachings often presented this third way. A way to not vehemently oppose or support such radical, what seems 'black and white' issues that faced the people in that day. The third way was often the way to expose the evil while still allowing room for the evil to turn. A most difficult way which seems to be rooted in a deep love and respect for humanity, all humanity.

wonder?!

perhaps the greatest power next to love. for wonder prompts worship. and we were created for worship.

Stuff your eyes with wonder ... live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. -- Ray Bradbury

Some 'Christians' 'goal' in life is to persuade people to believe in Christ. That wasn't Jesus' aim and should not be ours. Our purpose should be to bring 'Shalom' (peace, restoration, wholeness) because of Christ to people. AND it is only through Christ that Shalom can come.

stillness

There are time in my life when 'life' seems to make the most sense. It seems that everything is clear, I think clearly, can make the wisest decisions and my purpose and meaning is crystal clear. Those moments are usually late at night before I go to sleep, during long car rides by myself and after times of worship. The one thing that all three of these have in common is stillness. I am consciously aware that I am in God's presence and I am still. I have discovered that there is something deep to stillness, something intimate. Be still and know that he is God. I have found that to be true. It is in those moments that I truly know, down to my core, and when you know that He is God, life makes sense. It is difficult to describe, but stillness will do a better description than I could ever do.

Simple Clay Pots

We are described as clay pots, simple, maybe even oddly shaped or cracked clay pots. And in those clay pots is placed the most valuable treasure in all the world. It isn't placed in a well guarded vault, or in some tightly locked chest and buried under a thousand feet of dirt. And on top of that, this treasure is also the power of God. . . . . . . . the power of God. . . . . .the Power of God! IN CLAY POTS! It seems ridiculous. Absurd. Ludicrous. But that is the way for others to experience this treasure.

My mind is blown once again.

Sacredness of the Kiss

Last night I sat down to study and on the Television were some Will Farrel SNL skits. In one skit him and Chris Kattan kiss, (a rather long and messy one). My random brain began to think about 'a kiss' and what it means. It seems that our culture is beginning to lose the sacredness of a kiss. While the skit was purely for laugh I realized that to a lot of westerners, a kiss is now just a kiss, almost like a brown paper bag is just a brown paper bag. When I lived in Central Asia, men and women that were friends greeted each other with a kiss. It is a sign of affection, and as awkward as it sounds, there was a specialness that the kiss brought. It showed trust and endearment. I feel that when we just give the kiss away, like our culture has saturated us with, it loses most meaning and might as well be a handshake. There will be meaning in my kiss.

All that to say, I like kissing and I'm probably not going to kiss you.......unless. . . .