A special shout out to Carlos Whittaker, Ragamuffin Soul who somehow found me in the vastness of the internet (two Riverside, CA "children" blogging our journeys with Jesus) and blogrolled me as someone he reads every day.
Wow.
I’m honored Carlos! Especially knowing that a busy musician/worship pastor/husband/father has many other things he could be doing with his time.
May all that you do for the Kingdom, and every place your feet land be blessed and consecrated for God’s most amazing purpose.
I found this blog, Being Real with Ourselves by following a link from my stats report. Neal Christopher is a pastor at a church called Sandals in my high school hometown of Riverside.
I really like the title of his blog. It just struck a cord with me the moment I first stepped "into" it. So often in my life I have not been real with myself! How can I be real with others if I can’t even be so with the one human being who knows me inside and out — ME?
And if I can’t be real with me, how can I be real with God? If I’m hiding from myself, who knows all (or at least most) of my secrets (some I’ve hidden so well, I no longer "remember" them) but is biased and subjective enough to always see things "my way" —if I can’t be real with such a biased audience, then of course I’m going to hide from the One, the only One, who can see all of me, who knows my every thought before I do, and knows even the secrets I’ve hidden from myself, and Who is not subjective and biased, but Just and Righteous.
"Being Real With Ourselves." I want that. I want that kind of community. I’m trying to be that now. It’s hard to break a lifetime habit of running. But I like the freedom I experience when I stop running and just get real.
You’ve got all things suspended
All things connected
Nothing was forgotten
Your love was perfect
You are Healer and
You know what’s broken
We’re not a mystery to you.
Mended – by Nathan and Christy Nockels
I started reading Randy Elrod’s blog shortly after he started it. He sent out an email to all of us serving with the People’s Church media team. I hadn’t checked in there in a while, but today I did. I found an incredible article he’s written about Leading by Blogging. Check it out. Here’s a few snippets that most resonated with me.
Through my blog, not only my paid staff, but also my lay ministers, and even my entire church body can begin to understand my ethos… This medium also promotes a new kind of community. The post-modern generation understands and utilizes this tool. They may not know the word blog… yet, but they certainly know about Xanga or MySpace. These are in essence blogging communities and interactive spaces that promote discourse and knowledge. Enabling and allowing comments to each of your blog posts gives opportunity for this type of interactivity. It is a new type of community that the next generation understands. This medium is a Ânon-linear communication tool that is fluid enough to be attractive to the post-modern culture.
Blogging also develops writing and communication skills. Anything done on a consistent basis will prove beneficial, and if your blog is to be read, daily posts are a must! This discipline has greatly enhanced my confidence and growth as a leader and communicator.
Just discovered Mosaic-LA is now in the Podcast game. Check it out…. Mosaic Podcast.
PS — The link find is thanks to Tony Sheng, and apparently built by Lon. Thanks guys! You keep me more updated on my home church than they do! 🙂
It’s 10pm and it’s still 71 degrees outside. I love the South!!
I’m on my porch, enjoying the evening and reading friends’ blogs. I’ve also been watching a couple of lightning bugs float around the trees in the (small) forest a few feet from my porch. Last night, coming home from Mosaic I drove through Ellington natural preserve. As I came across the long field that separates the preserve from civilization I saw literally hundreds of twinkling lights — fireflies blinking and dancing in the moonlight.
I love this place. It’s so magical. Everywhere I look, at every time of day, there is something beautiful to grab my attention and arrest my soul. Trees with all manner of flowering buds, streams running under canopies of green speckled with sunlight, ponds and small waterfalls, fireflies, thunderstorms, rocky hillsides, log cabins and tudor-style homes sitting side-by-side, an amazing diversity of people — the old country folk, the aspiring musicians, true-blue artists, Indians (not the native American kind, though I’m sure they’re here too), Latinos, African-Americans, Moroccans, Ethiopians, Iraqis, Thai, Greek and Egyptian. And then there are the immigrants…. 🙂
God is good to me. He gives me so much and seems to expect nothing in return. Last night it was the firefly field. Today is was good friends and good conversations. Tomorrow it will be a sunrise… and who knows what else.
I’m glad He loves me. I feel like the luckiest, most blessed woman in the world.
I’m currently reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. So many people had recommended it so highly that I must confess, I was rather skeptical. If so many people liked it so well it was bound to mean I wouldn’t. Not that I’m anti-society or anything… just that, for some reason, I tend to not find appealing things that others, especially fellow believers, do.
At any rate, I’m enjoying it. I wouldn’t say it’s the best book ever, or that it’s life-altering. I think its more encouraging in a literary sense than anything. It says that people just telling their story is good enough to get published. You don’t have to have it all figured out and wrapped up in a bow to get your story told. It’s okay for it to be a work-in-progress, as all authentic stories are.
Donald Miller writes very much like my roommate, Adria. Here’s a sample of Blue Like Jazz that I just read:
"Then what?" Tony asked, sort of laughing.
"Penguin sex."
"Penguin sex?"
"Yes. Penguin sex. Right there on television. I felt like I was watching animal porn."
"What was it like?" he asked.
"Less than exciting," I told him. "Sort of a letdown."
"So what does penguins having sex have to do with belief in God?" Tony asked.
"Well, I am getting to that…."
And on it goes.
Adria has a similarly dry wit and not only writes but verbally delivers these crazy one-liners and zingers with such understated tone you can’t help but bust out laughing. Then with her next breath she, like Donald Miller, will turn the tables on you and delve into the depths of the wisdom of God.
She is far too young to have this wisdom of her own accord. It has to be God’s, and she is His own human Little Dipper, plunging into the depths of Him and bringing out life-giving, drenching wisdom for all of us who are thirsty.
You need to read her latest entry, Rock and Roll Circus. For that matter, you need to read all her posts.
And watch for her name on the bookstore shelves. I believe someday soon she will give Donald Miller a run for his readers.
I haven’t written in a while because what I have to write about is not for public consumption. At least not yet. Some may never be.
I know some check in frequently to see how my life in Nashville is going. Some check in to see if I have anything brilliant to say (yeah, right). Some just stop by on their way to somewhere else. Whatever you’re reason for checking in, I’m glad you do. I just wish I had something readable to write for you. Instead I only have silence to offer. I hope you understand.
Here’s what I can say about the last week…. It came and it went. I did a lot but didn’t accomplish much. I cried a lot but still don’t feel any better for the venting. I thought about a lot of things, and delved into some very deeply but I still can’t put a tidy bow on anything.
Isn’t that the way life goes with everything.
I got a new job… but I don’t know yet how I feel about it. It’s with a health care company, which is not a place I ever thought about working — for a variety of reasons. I’ll be working there part time and at my old job part time for the next month or so. And then, if we like each other, I may take the job on permanently. I’ll keep you posted.
That’s about it. Except for the things not ready for primetime public yet.
Alex McManus. Friend. Mentor. Pastor. I owe much to him. He’s saved my sanity on many occasions with his sound wisdom and gracious heart. Not to mention his wife is the best friend a woman could ever have! She is amazing and I miss her deeply.
Alex has his own blog now. Look out world! He recently posted:
what a momentous and opportune moment for the gospel this is. can we step into this epic battle between western culture and islamic culture with the gospel of the kingdom in such a way that the beauty of christ covers the earth as the waters cover the sea?
who cares about being postmodern? followers of jesus come from the future where every knee bows and every tongue confesses that jesus is lord to the glory of God. it is towards that future that we labor.
Sometimes I think we get too wrapped up in the wrappings of our message and forget that people don’t need the wrapping, they need what’s inside. They need restoration with the God who made them. They need someone to lead them to Jesus, to help them connect with Him. Will I step up to the plate and be that person? Or will I let them die of spiritual starvation?
Being new to Nashville has been hard in many respects. I’m so used to an already established sphere of friends and influence. Here I have none. I have to build it all over again. I’m also used to working in a very "secular", non-Christian environment, which provided built-in relationships with those who don’t know Christ. Here I’ve worked in nothing but Christian environments. Very, VERY strange place to be first of all. Very weird for me. And also left me void of those relationships with nonbelievers. I’m so not a socialite, so I prefer to make most of my friends at work — or church. That just ain’t workin’ here. But, ugh, do I hate the idea of going "social" to make new friends.
But if I don’t…. who will starve spiritually because I haven’t? There are people here who need the same kind of relationship with God that I have. I know how they can get it. But if I don’t meet them, how can I tell them?
Is God the God of meeting people, of Divine intersections? Or am I the one who makes it happen? Where do I draw the line between "works" and "grace", between "the doing" and "the worshipping and being"?
People will always praise Mary in the story of Mary and Martha. But the truth is, in reality, they expect you to be Martha — and chastise those who aren’t. But what does God expect, really? Will He bring the relationships to me if I stay at His feet?
Oh, how I wish I knew.
You’re emails, comments, and phone calls have been such an incredible blessing. I am so blessed. I am loved deeply by people I love deeply.
Kat, you’re my angel. My life would not be the same without you. I’m so very glad you are my friend. I love you.
Wendy, I know you called. I was in my counseling session…. but afterward I crashed with the pain of the migraine. Just knowing you called lifted my spirits and encouraged my heart. You have proved your love and true friendship over and over. God bless you, my friend! I love you.
Thank you every single one who reads my ramblings. You bring me joy. You could spend your time many ways, yet you choose to stop in here and see what crazy thing I have to say today.
God is good.
Life is hard. It sucks big time sometimes. But God is always good. Even in the suckiest moments of life. He is faithful. He loves deeply, passionately and actively.
He gave me you. That is a great gift indeed.
I have thoughts simmering in my mind.
Like good Ethiopian coffee, they have to percolate till they’re just right. Then they’ll be ready for consumption. Often I don’t completely know what it is they are cooking up back there… I just know they are.
I know because I’m preoccupied… I’ll have these moments where the world will suddenly disappear and I’m staring at nothing while a thought will dominant my attention. Then it will fade back into the fringes of my mind again, to perk some more.
This sort of thing isn’t ideal when driving on an Interstate. Especially one as riddled with construction as I-40. One tends to come out of these stupors to find themselves nose-to-trailer-hitch with the back end of a semi. Not a fun place to be. But it does tend to wipe any residual sleepiness from the system (not to mention flushing a few other things out…).
Hopefully, some of these thoughts will be fully brewed soon. Then perhaps we can sit together and have a cup or two….