tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76981779282056665882024-03-12T21:19:19.234-07:00Is It Just Me?This is a blog about whatever I want to talk about today.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7698177928205666588.post-25258939779632668132018-01-02T19:34:00.000-08:002018-01-02T19:38:00.259-08:00The joy of...Joy!"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3.<br />
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"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12<br />
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"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philipians 4:4<br />
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"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22<br />
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"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the Earth." Psalm 100:1<br />
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I could go on. There are likely hundreds of references to joy in the bible. Many of them seem to make little sense: Consider it joy when you face trials? Rejoice in suffering? Joy is something we rarely talk about in religious circles these days. We love to talk about whatever the sin de jour is, or which translation of the Bible is best. We spend hours scouring the scriptures for slivers of truth we can use as a weapon the next time we debate this or that. We really like to cling to verses that provide a crutch for our belief about a certain subject. <br />
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We often forget about the invaluable byproduct of salvation that is JOY! Religion has always got to be so serious, solemn, melancholy. How in the world do we miss out on the Joy?! It's everywhere in the holy scriptures. From Genesis to the Revelation, there's an undercurrent of joy. In good times: rejoice. In sad times: Rejoice! When things are boring: REJOICE! But why don't we talk about joy? I'm guessing our spiritual lives are likely somewhat devoid of joy much of the time. At a minimum, the needle on our joy gauge is dangerously close to the E. <br />
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We just completed another season of holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, (insert your favorite here). During this season we have tried to remember to exercise our "Joy Muscles" as we celebrate all those things for which we are thankful, especially the birth of our Savior. Unfortunately, many of us will pack up our "Joy Muscles" along with the Christmas tree and all the decorations, not to be seen for another 11 months or so.<br />
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How does this relate to Isabella? Well I'll tell you. Better yet, I'll show you.<br />
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There's a lot of joy in car building. There's a fair amount of suffering too, if I'm honest. However, there's nothing like the first time that engine fires up after all that work. That's my dad, Johnny, in the video. He was instrumental in helping me get Isabella going. As a fact, that's another HUGE source of joy to me: getting to work on stuff with my dad. This will be something I'll remember as long as I live. What you don't see in this video is my eyes welling up and me dancing like a fool at the first firing of that engine. This was October of 2016--2 years after Isabella's arrival. That's a lot of long, dirty afternoons, late nights, frustrating failures, and countless attempts at solving little problems here and there to get to this point. It was at this point that I realized this thing MIGHT ACTUALLY WORK!<br />
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There's not much that tops that as far as car building is concerned. Of course, this is nothing like watching your beautiful wife bring a baby into this world, or a first date, a first kiss, or whatever you can remember from your wedding day. But, it's pretty awesome, non the less. <br />
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The only thing I can think of that can top it is...well, I'll show you.<br />
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Yep, that's the first time she moved under her own power. And, to my wife's surprise, stopped under her own power too. :) That was the best moment so far in this journey. Why? because so many things had to come together for this to work: it meant that all that time we spent rebuilding suspension, steering, brakes, electrical, fuel delivery, cooling, transmission, charging...it all worked! To boot: WE made it work. We accomplished something.<br />
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Ok, Andy, you say...It's easy to be joyful when things are going right. What about that "Rejoice in suffering" part? Well,, I'd say you didn't see the 3 hours we spent trying to figure out why that dang motor wouldn't fire, or the motor oil puked all over the road and driveway, or the rear end that broke welds and folded up on us. There were lots of issues for sure, but the joy of watching that thing finally fire for the first time was worth a thousand bad days!<br />
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I think maybe that's the point of the scriptures as well. I think we all know it's easy when things are going well. It's not hard to rejoice when the boss says "atta boy or atta girl'." When your kids behave in public, piece of cake! But to rejoice when you've lost a loved one? You're kidding, right? Even when there's not enough $ in the account to pay all our bills? YES! That's what we're to do! You know why? Because all this stuff is temporary. We need to rest in the promise that God loves us and will provide for us and care for us, ESPECIALLY in the rough patches.<br />
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So remember, without the bad times, the good times wouldn't be as good. Let's try and exercise our "Joy Muscles" for more than just a couple of months in 2018. Who knows, a little more joy in our lives might do us some good.<br />
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Keep wrenching! (or whatever you do in your hobby).<br />
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Andy<br />
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P.S. If you have something to share concerning Joy, I'd love to hear from you. Ideas on how to have more joy would be especially appreciated. Or if you just want to share something joyful in your life, please comment. I'd love to share in your joy.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7698177928205666588.post-33383364990411853192017-12-11T20:11:00.000-08:002017-12-11T20:11:22.342-08:00Life Gets Messy Sometimes"Life gets messy sometimes", I say as I dip into the bag for another scoop of oil absorber (kitty litter-esque stuff). Seems like no matter how hard we try, we still make a mess! We put buckets down on top of plastic sheeting, and yet, there it is--a huge puddle of oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, or coolant. Right there on my nice, smooth (and slippery-when-wet) concrete floor. What's a boy to do? Life does, indeed, get messy sometimes.<br />
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Due to our fallen world, messes are inevitable. Even if we have the best intentions, we can still choose our words or actions poorly and hurt the ones we love. Recently, I said some things to my beautiful wife in the spirit of honesty and intimacy, but wound up using some wording that did not communicate that spirit very well. My intention was to state that I was concerned, but hopeful about our situation. It came across as something very different. She was hurt, and I was left trying to explain myself, still not doing a very good job of it. <br />
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Our churches are not immune to this fact of life either. Many a soul has been damaged by a well-intentioned word from a believer who truly cares about the eternal destination of the receiver. In fact, the church is just a bunch of fallen, imperfect souls trying to get it right. Very rarely are we capable of such feats. That's where the good news of the Gospel comes into play: GRACE. <br />
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The book of Romans is quickly becoming my favorite book of the Bible. It is full of "meat and potatoes" wisdom concerning theology and the basics of believing. One of my favorite sections is Romans 5:6-8 It reads: You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.<br />
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Let that last part sink in for a moment...I'll wait...<br />
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Ok, that's long enough. "While we were still sinners..." Not: "After we got our crap together" or "We finally got our ducks in a row, then Christ died for us." While we were still sinners... Doesn't that speak to something beautiful? God loved us enough to offer the ultimate sacrifice, even when we didn't want it or think we need it. <br />
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How can we put that into practice? Quite frankly, I'm not 100% sure. I'm working on it. Maybe it's being more tolerant of those around us who don't have it all together. Maybe giving the guy/girl who just said or did something I don't understand the benefit of the doubt instead of being so quick to judgement. Maybe it's as simple as keeping my big mouth shut. I think it has something to do with loving people where they are (kinda like God did) instead of waiting for them to meet my standards first. <br />
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I'd love to hear from you: How can we put this teaching into practice? What does that look like? What kind of freedom should that knowledge give us? Please leave a thought in the comment section if you feel comfortable.<br />
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A quick update on the mess: I think I'm finally done making messes on my garage floor as far as Isabella is concerned. However, I just bought another 40lb back of oil absorber for the CRUSTang. I would have thought I'd learned from my other project. Apparently not. This one might actually be worse! <br />
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Kinda like my spiritual life :) Messy. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7698177928205666588.post-51011139672298110572017-11-21T19:30:00.001-08:002017-11-21T19:30:52.423-08:00A good foundation goes a long way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, like I said in my last post, I got this truck in pieces. The first real task I undertook was to get the Chassis started. A truck's chassis is very important. In fact, it's the very foundation upon which you build. It has to be sturdy, capable of taking some pretty serious abuse. It has to be straight so that all the additions will fit right. It has to be square, for the same reason. I wanted to be sure this truck would be something that would last a lifetime. </div>
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I began with a thorough (by my standards, anyway) inspection of the chassis. It was placed on jack stands and really studied. Any rust or corrosion would have to be addressed. Any stress cracks or bent beams could mean catastrophic failure after the truck was put back together. Fortunately, I found the chassis to be in excellent shape. The front end graft of the 1978 Volare front suspension appeared to be well-executed. All that was left was some cleaning, some paint, and a rear end. After that, we had a good foundation on which to begin our build. Was it perfect? No, but we'll get into that in another installment. </div>
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Man, look at that stance in the third picture...</div>
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The parallel in scripture is an easy one: Matthew Chapter 7, verse 24. In this section of Matthew, Jesus has kind of been laying some teachings down concerning judging others, seeking God, narrow and wide gates, true and false prophets, etc., and concludes his teaching with the following statement: "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." </div>
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We also know that another man built his house on the sand and that did not go so well for him.</div>
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You see: I could have just started adding suspension, wheels, tires, a cab, engine, bed, etc. to this machine without inspecting my chassis. Heck, it might have even gone ok. But what if I did so and did not ensure that I had a firm foundation onto which I could build? What if the chassis was not straight? What if there was a stress crack somewhere? What if a structural component had rusted through? Eventually, catastrophe would strike! How would I feel if I spent hundreds of hours piecing this thing back together only to find out the body didn't fit together correctly? I can tell you, I'd be super mad! Heck, I might even abandon the project. (hmm, that's another topic perhaps, as well). What if there was a stress crack? One good goose from the souped up motor and the frame could actually break. At highway speed, in a truck with no seatbelts and a big honkin' metal dash...I don't like to think about it.</div>
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So, how do we ensure that our spiritual life has a good, strong chassis? Like my last post, I think it's pretty simple--not always easy, but simple. First, we need to get ourselves back in the Bible. Studying God's word is a sure way to ensure we have a strong foundation. </div>
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Prayer is another great way to ensure a strong foundation. Speaking with our heavenly Father is a very important spiritual discipline that helps strengthen our relationship with God, and helps to keep us accountable.</div>
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Attending a corporate worship service with other believers is also important for a strong foundation. Paul makes it clear that we are all diverse members (or parts, if you are still in mechanic mode) that work together to form the body of Christ. We're not all the same, we perform different functions, but are necessary for the body to function properly. Just like in our truck here, if a part is missing (or broken) the truck doesn't work!</div>
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I don't think I can stress too much that in order to have that strong foundation we must always come from a position of "Love God with all you have" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you ask me, that's a great place to start. There are many other things to learn as a follower of Jesus, but the most important is to approach everything in Love. </div>
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Anyway, I would like to encourage you to examine your spiritual chassis. Are there some weak spots, rusty spots, some areas that need straightening before you can continue your build? The great thing is we have the Master Mechanic who can help us fix these things so that we can get ourselves on the road (hopefully the narrow road. I know, silly parable pun).<br />
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Now, go be like me and without too much forethought buy a rust bucket to work on. You'll thank me the first time you take her around the block! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7698177928205666588.post-40629492499711181012017-11-12T14:16:00.000-08:002017-11-12T14:16:23.850-08:00Finding God in a Rusty RelicSo, I've been thinking about some things for a while concerning the similarities between following Jesus and working on cars. In this series of blogs, I'll attempt to share with you my thoughts as they've occurred to me over the past 3 years of revitalizing "Isabella". Much like trying to model our lives like Christ, working on cars and trucks is a process that takes time, effort, determination, study, perserverence, and on and on. One thing that I've noticed is that no matter how hard we work, the outcome is never really perfection.<br />
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Some of the topics we'll cover include (Not necessarily in this order):<br />
- Life is Messy<br />- We all make mistakes<br />- Perfection is unattainable<br />- Failure is inevitable <br />- Almost anything can be repaired with enough time and effort<br />- It's all about heart (engines)<br />- Brains don't hurt, too (electrical)<br />- Don't forget to stay grounded (electrical)<br />- Brakes are essential<br />- Steering your life towards God<br />- Improving can be overwhelming<br />- Once the "Big Stuff" is fixed, there's more work to do (the little stuff).<br />- Appearance isn't everything.<br />- A good Chassis goes a long way (firm foundation)<br />- Where the rubber meets the road (action)<br />- Staying "cool"<br />- Having the right tool makes a huge difference!<br />- the best laid plans of mice and men (the windshield saga).<br />- The sweet taste of victory<br />- Body parts (Paul's analogy)<br />- Work is easier (and more fun/fulfilling) with friends<br />- Setbacks and pain are inevitable (the case of the hole in the glove (and hand)).<br />- Fuel is essential.<br />
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So let's start where all good stories should...the beginning.<br />
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I've always loved mid-50s Ford pickups. As a kid, my dad drove a '54 F100 we called "Isabella". We decided when I was in high school that we should "improve" her by adding independent front suspension a reliable engine, and better rear end. 25 years later, that truck was still in pieces in my back yard. In 2014, we decided it was time to get serious about our "job" (kind of like how we can putt around with our faith until we finally get "serious"). One night, my dad called and said he'd found a '56 F100 in my hometown that was set to go to auction. We agreed that it would be a good source of parts for Isabella's revitalization. $500 later (a steal), our project was on its way to Monett.<br />
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She arrived in quite a state: a frame with no wheels/tires, the old rear end, a '78 Volare front suspension, and all the sheet metal was stacked in the bed. I stood there, astounded at the work that lay before us. Here's what she didn't have: No engine, no transmission, no brakes, no wiring, no steering column, no interior, no bed floor, no wheels, no tires, you get the picture. It was that moment that I realized I had bitten off quite a big bite!<br />
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It reminds me of that feeling we can get when we first realize that we are sinners; that moment when we realize that there are many things in our lives that cause distance between us and the lover of our souls. We see all the greed, lust, pride, (insert your favorite sin) that lies within us and we realize that if we are to truly follow Jesus, we're going to have to address these things and try to rid our<br />lives of them. It's easy to get overwhelmed and so we get lost just trying to find a place to start. Truth is, it doesn't really matter where we start...as long as we start. Sure, the process will be easer if we start from such and such place and move on to the next step in the process, but any progress is movement in the right direction! Truth is, like Isabella, we're all broken. We need to find a way to <br />put ourselves and our lives back together. P.S. It's worth noting that we can't always do the work ourselves. Sometimes we need the help of our friends. Sometimes we can ONLY do it with God's help! Sometimes we can do NOTHING, and we have to give it all over to Jesus. The trick is knowing what we can and can't do. I guess that comes with trial and error (as well as a not-insignificant amount of pain).<br />
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Sometimes we see the work in front of us and get lost in the details, the steps, the overwhelming amount of work. It can seem like there's just no way to do this. Reminds me of the exchange in Matthew 22 between Jesus and the Pharisees who tried to trap Jesus by asking "Teacher, which is <br />the greatest commandment in the Law?" He replies, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it-Love your neighbor as yourself. ALL the Law and the Prophets hang on these two<br />commandments." When I get overwhelmed by all the work I have to do on myself, I try to remember that Love is the answer. If I am operating from a place of love, my life and actions will be in line with those of Jesus. I will not mistreat another from a position of Love. I will not disrespect,<br />Lust after, covet, or otherwise injure another when I operate from a position of Love. Simple, yet difficult.<br />
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I hope you can come along with me on this journey of self-discovery. Heck, maybe you'll learn something about yourself along the way. Maybe you'll even want to take on a project that seems WAY outside of your skill level as I have. Maybe you'll be inspired to just fall in love with a cool classic automobile. Maybe you'll fall in love with the creator of the universe. Who knows?<br />
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Here's a couple of pictures of Isabella right after she showed up. I wish I had some of her still on the trailer...it was truly overwhelming.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7698177928205666588.post-27362171719408900302012-07-12T20:30:00.001-07:002012-07-12T20:33:35.249-07:00Me and Isabella<div><p>So, on July 4th I brought my first love home with me.  Her name is Isabella.  She's 58 years old, very curvy, and wears layers of "make-up".  I've attached some pictures for your viewing enjoyment.  I will be periodically updating this blog to mine and Isabella's progress.  Tonight I sanded her right front fender.  Making a little progress.</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wjN40JGB66rPOBmLFryPkoD1NndePHuRE02-o8NXa0eogNV779eXcWeYK2JQhI6R9LDuWkct-_p0E8s4G-1ehtcaVQV2aEPrhLqBC3gmU8mWfPyR6WST7DyuApBywRD9-t_b2oqTcx0E/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1jY4gOe2FqPNa3dJuroZeIBJZ45lkoKgxjAxHS1wCRv4q1eGIV15LP6bQ8TtaSeIW6W4BMJWRQvRhFDCjn2GHu9-9RIEGoatvhHrAiy22fCxx_cPhDXuUoQwmVqI4zwGzVibC_p_czI9/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV76Ve93JoG0nbgGHTI3Id7xE87-rcQz7Y5CQ6-yPIAvEZCG89VYjoxwr6ErcptGa_vGDGFGv4jN-Sm7_yFuz9VSteXk_x0D8grdYTcy6aUZU1_V2ysCn6eNhESfdu0zEucXpWE0ByVlPi/' /><br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6PfA0sLqKuSCzBzFPuGxjkLuwwhCxuqO7omdFwNTadDB6NVini2VGzcnTMJ7SjucChPcyNhaqs9YDTzQPpkUsQXDsZrQF_QmTqVY3Lvs_xOwu63V1mRlnsMv-ln12ktnwFmkgTxC6AHO/' /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7698177928205666588.post-2782803608811490632011-02-24T21:39:00.000-08:002011-02-24T21:39:27.936-08:00Unpacking Camino: Part 2Because it is very late and I need to get some other stuff done, this will be a short one. I just want to reflect for a moment on the impact of knowing you are being prayed for. My heart is never so touched as when I know that someone has been praying for me--especially when I realize that there are numerous people, many of whom I've never even met, praying for me. The warmth shown to me and my fellow viajeros this past weekend is unmeasurable. So, if you have been praying for someone, be sure and let them know. Their knowing may accelerate the effects of your prayer, and may inspire them to pray for you or someone else as well.<br />
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If you are reading this, I have said a prayer for you. I pray that God touches you in just the way you need to be touched. I also pray that you will be blessed by having friends and family who pray for you by name on a regular basis.<br />
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Des Colores!<br />
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AndyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7698177928205666588.post-5062944911018659972011-02-21T21:04:00.000-08:002011-02-21T21:04:49.323-08:00Unpacking Camino: Part 1I've just returned from a journey. More accurately, I've just begun a journey. This past weekend I attended Camino at my church and was bombarded day and night with many emotions. Over the next few days I will be unpacking my experience publicly because apparently I'm a masochist. As a side effect, I hope that you can look to my experience and maybe see a little of yourself. Or, perhaps, you will gain from this in some way. Or, you might get a little dark satisfaction at my spiritual "squirming." Whatever the case may be, sit back and enjoy...<br />
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This weekend was truly the first weekend in which have had (read "taken") the time to do some serious soul searching and self reflection in at least a year. I'm guessing, though, it's been more like five. The thing that most likely keeps me from doing so on a regular basis is that I often do not like what I see.<br />
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If you are black, white, red, yellow, too skinny, too fat, too short, too tall, not religious enough, too religious, not good looking enough, too good looking, not intelligent enough, too intelligent, too quiet, too boisterous, too gay, too straight, too somewhere in between, too rich, too poor, too ambitious, too lazy, drink too much, or don't drink enough; chances are, I have said something hurtful to or about you at some time--all while feeling just wonderful about myself.<br />
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Problem is, those of us "churched" people sometimes get a little too good for our own good. We say to ourselves, "I attend regularly, sing all the right songs, serve on the right committees, and give the right amount of time/money." What we don't see is that while we're sitting there patting our own backs, thinking we're all that, Satan is whispering "Amen" in our little ears, while people around the world are struggling with serious issues like Cancer, Addiction, Abuse, the Death of a Loved One, and a myriad other hurts.<br />
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So, here comes the first of several public apologies that I imagine will be issued over the coming days. To God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit: I am sorry for neglecting to love those around me in the way you have asked me to, and for failing to reflect the love you have for each of us. To all the previously mentioned folks above: I am sorry for neglecting to love you in a way that reflects the true love that our Creator has shown US ALL! I hope that my thoughtlessness, ignorance, and, at times, down-right meanness has not been a stumbling block for you. If it has, I owe you a second, deeply-felt apology as well.<br />
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If you are reading this and saying to yourself, "What is this fool talking about?" I'm grateful. Either you have an immense amount of Grace, or you've been lucky enough to have somehow missed an attack from me.<br />
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I pray that this feeling of utter humility stays with me for more than just a few days. As Christians, we are called to show the world what GOD looks and acts like. I hope not another person looks at me and says, "God must be a judgmental, smug, prideful little man." If that is the case, I will have truly failed my God.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7698177928205666588.post-69585859730540215212011-01-02T18:08:00.000-08:002011-01-02T18:08:01.749-08:00A year of ChangeIs it just me, or did a lot of things change in 2010? I mean, the year started out all normal like, with the usual changes: socks, bed sheets, underwear, trash bags, etc. Then, in March, a change came that set a tsunami of changes into motion.<br />
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This little change was a job change. I'd been employed as a loan officer at that particular bank for 9 years. I was very happy with where I was, but something came along, and I just had to see where it would take me. Well, one thing led to another and this initial change led to a change in my routine. I changed the people I worked with, and the way I worked. I also had to leave my house by 6:30 to be at work by eight. My one-way commute changed from 20-30 minutes to a whopping hour-and-a-half! This change led to a change in automobiles as my old Santa Fe had 170k miles on it. After 6 months of this daily commute (not to mention the hefty fuel bill) something had to change. So... we bought a home in Wentworth, MO. This resulted in our need to change addresses, utility providers, etc. Once we got moved up here, we had to change churches, as it was a little difficult for our entire family to be ready for our hour-and-a-half commute to our old church. This meant changing the friends we hang out with on a daily basis. Now that we're Missourians, we have to change our drivers licenses and the tags on our cars. We've changed the restaurants we frequent, and the places we shop. We've changed our bank accounts. We've changed the way we heat our home (wood furnace vs. propane), and the way we cook our food (electric stove instead of gas range), and the way I record (smaller studio :( ).<br />
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"Sounds a little overwhelming", you say? A bit. Quite a bit. Ok, a lot. But, these changes have been good for us and, though I'd sometimes like to, I won't complain. I know there is a reason and a purpose for all of this change.<br />
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Some things, however, will not be changing. For example, our phone numbers. We have Vonage, so no change there. :) Our love for each other--Not changing unless it's for the better. And last, but certainly not least, our status as Razorbacks! Not gonna change. On Tuesday night, I'll be watching with bated breath to see if Mallet and Co. can show Ohio State who THE University is. Woo Pig Sooie!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7698177928205666588.post-34513868566507706712010-11-08T17:48:00.000-08:002010-11-08T17:48:14.643-08:00The Church I AttendIs it just me, or does it seem that those of us who go to church get kind of a bad rap today? Some people look at Christians as judgmental, intolerant, even hateful. Well, I want to clear up a few things about the church I attend:<br />
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The church I attend views ALL people as God's children--Loved as they are.<br />
The church I attend feeds the hungry in my community.<br />
The church I attend doesn't agree with everything you do, but loves you anyway.<br />
The church I attend is free of judgement. After all, we ALL fall short.<br />
The church I attend will not turn you away because we disagree with something you've done or said in the past.<br />
The church I attend believes in the word of God and it's ability to change lives.<br />
The church I attend believes in open hearts, open minds, and open doors.<br />
The church I attend believes that different people worship in different ways, and that's ok.<br />
When there's a disaster, the church I attend is one of the first on the scene offering assistance to any and all in need.<br />
The church I attend knows we don't have all the answers, after all, only one perfect person ever existed.<br />
The church I attend welcomes all who desire to come and know God, regardless of race, sex, color, age, marital status, or level of so-called perfection.<br />
The church I attend strives to make a positive difference in its community instead of condemning from behind its closed doors.<br />
The church I attend embodies Christian love.<br />
The church I attend provides forgiveness, love, and grace.<br />
The church I attend knows that nothing YOU can do can get you to heaven--the work has already been done, by God's only son, on the cross of Calvary.<br />
The church I attend is awesome.<br />
I am a United Methodist, and I love my church.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7698177928205666588.post-82161186847264551992010-11-08T17:10:00.000-08:002010-11-08T17:10:00.695-08:00Common Crooks EP Release PartyIs it just me, or are teenagers more talented than ever? What do I mean? I spent a wonderful Saturday night watching some rocking bands that, I'm amazed to say, are totally made up of kids in high school! When I was in high school, we could barely get enough people in town to put together a decent band. At this show, there were THREE acts, all by high schoolers, that were world's better than any band I was in in high school (or, for the most part, college). I love seeing this, and can't wait to see where they end up. If you get a chance, spend some time time watching your local teenagers rock out. You won't regret it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUa-a94vZ6p0s-8OVV0CLvhMdJbBLq_MYmJxUQbY8MhREEed7iJH5i0Urg9TxBwPOh1axeoyxSqrfCUQQpqu-zH3gwxZJ_G1vhLTN7ncSv_Lsf6qnRvjAlOe7WMfHCF4jrobsvLMl0b6p4/s1600/IMG_4321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUa-a94vZ6p0s-8OVV0CLvhMdJbBLq_MYmJxUQbY8MhREEed7iJH5i0Urg9TxBwPOh1axeoyxSqrfCUQQpqu-zH3gwxZJ_G1vhLTN7ncSv_Lsf6qnRvjAlOe7WMfHCF4jrobsvLMl0b6p4/s320/IMG_4321.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Furious G.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0