Lately, I will admit, I've been reading a lot. Mainly to distract myself from the things going on around me. My counselor would call it a coping mechanism, I call it getting by. I've read some great Christian fiction, even some great nonfiction...a lot of "fluff" to put things into perspective. Until now, while at my local library in Collierville, I picked up The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning thinking I could add to my list of distractions. For those of you who have read it, I can almost hear you laughing, because you know that I am no longer distracted, but thinking. While I am only at the beginning of the book, I had to share this passage that just jumped out at me.
"The Good News means that we can stop lying to ourselves. The sweet sound of amazing grace saves us from the necessity of self-deception. It keeps us from denying the though Christ was victorious, the battle of lust, greed and pride still rages within us. As a sinner who has been redeemed, I can acknowledge that I am often unloving, irritable, angry and resentful with those closest to me. When I go to church I can leave my white hat at home and admit that I've failed. God not only loves me as I am, but also knows me as I am. Because of this I do not need to apply spiritual cosmetics to make myself presentable to Him. I can accept ownership of my poverty and powerlessness and neediness."
For most of my Christian life, I was basically taught the "great prosperity gospel" if you are a good girl and do the right things He will bless you. What an awakening I have had. I've seen first hand how messed up life can get, and still see the blessings and the grace and mercy that He has given me.
Thank you Lord for letting the the past few months be a distraction, and forgive me for them. It appears that it is time to get down to business. I'll wait for your direction.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Being Pushed out of the Nest
A couple of weeks ago, Jim and I were sitting outside in our backyard one morning. I had just returned from my morning walk, finished my quiet time, and we were having coffee, wondering why Bradley (our early bird) wasn't awake yet. While we visited and read over the morning paper, we heard this strange sounding thump. It was loud enough to raise me out of my comfy chair to see what had caused the noise. As I looked around, Jim found the culprit....a baby bird. We looked up and saw the nest in our tree and this poor bird on the ground, because he obviously hadn't figured out what he was supposed to be doing with the wings he was given.
I have been thinking about that bird lately. For those of you who know us well, know that life here has been...well, interesting here to say the very least. But in reality, I was that little bird, who hadn't quite figured out what needed to be done with the beautiful wings that God gave me. Almost a year ago when He gave me a shove out of my nest, I hit the ground pretty hard. But, just like the bird, I have learned to rely on what He has given me and pressed forward. In the months that followed, I grew stronger in Him, not realizing what the future held. But when Hurricane Life hit from every side imaginable, I was able to stand in Him....in the nest that I had made on my own, letting my Heavenly Father be my guide and companion.
My point is this: we are all in our own little nests of comfort. Some of us need to be pushed out like I did, but now, I can honestly say I am ready to jump out and spread my wings when I am told...no it isn't always easy or fun, but it is so rewarding to follow Him.
I have been thinking about that bird lately. For those of you who know us well, know that life here has been...well, interesting here to say the very least. But in reality, I was that little bird, who hadn't quite figured out what needed to be done with the beautiful wings that God gave me. Almost a year ago when He gave me a shove out of my nest, I hit the ground pretty hard. But, just like the bird, I have learned to rely on what He has given me and pressed forward. In the months that followed, I grew stronger in Him, not realizing what the future held. But when Hurricane Life hit from every side imaginable, I was able to stand in Him....in the nest that I had made on my own, letting my Heavenly Father be my guide and companion.
My point is this: we are all in our own little nests of comfort. Some of us need to be pushed out like I did, but now, I can honestly say I am ready to jump out and spread my wings when I am told...no it isn't always easy or fun, but it is so rewarding to follow Him.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Living Hope resource sharing Idea!
I have been thinking about this for a while now and have shared with several friends lately. I thought I would put the idea in a post and maybe get some feedback. I have found that there are many in our LH family that have needs and others have excess resources. How can we bring the two together more effectively?
I was thinking that we could work to set up an online community of sorts for LH. Not just an online bulletin board type website, but an actual community site. One with discussion forums, links to ministry resources, and a place to post a need for a service resource that you are in need of ( garden tools, tiller, auto repair tools, ect) or you could post a service that you are willing to provide in an effort to build relationships. An example of the later would be something like, “I am very skilled at organization and workspace optimization. I would like to share this skill with some you by spending time getting to know you and your family by while helping you become more organized.”
It could even be something as simple as “ I have a Gas Dryer in my garage and it is here for anyone that needs it.”
What are your thoughts on how we could do something like this?
I was thinking that we could work to set up an online community of sorts for LH. Not just an online bulletin board type website, but an actual community site. One with discussion forums, links to ministry resources, and a place to post a need for a service resource that you are in need of ( garden tools, tiller, auto repair tools, ect) or you could post a service that you are willing to provide in an effort to build relationships. An example of the later would be something like, “I am very skilled at organization and workspace optimization. I would like to share this skill with some you by spending time getting to know you and your family by while helping you become more organized.”
It could even be something as simple as “ I have a Gas Dryer in my garage and it is here for anyone that needs it.”
What are your thoughts on how we could do something like this?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Doesn’t take much for a Kid!
Today I had the day off to spend mostly with my five year old son Bradley. The day started with me asking him “what do you want to do with dad today”. His reply,” It doesn’t matter as long as I get to spend it with my best pal !” Wow, that felt great.
I wanted to do something really special for him. I thought about a lot of things, the park, The Children’s museum, The Zoo. I pondered it all for a while but decided that we should stay home s
ince our budget is very tight these days. We actual ended up just playing in the water in the back yard for four hours. After about an hour or so again I started thinking, I should go to the store and buy my little guy a pool. Instead he was just as happy (as you can see below) with a laundry basket lined with a trash bag and a spray park, made from old hose parts. We had a blast.
ince our budget is very tight these days. We actual ended up just playing in the water in the back yard for four hours. After about an hour or so again I started thinking, I should go to the store and buy my little guy a pool. Instead he was just as happy (as you can see below) with a laundry basket lined with a trash bag and a spray park, made from old hose parts. We had a blast. When we were getting ready to come in the house he said,” that was the best water park ever! Thanks for playing with me dad.” As I have been thinking about the events of today, the commonality between my reaction to Bradley’s request, and my/our reactions to God requests hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought, how often we try to read the right books, sing the right songs, give the proper amount, and build the grandest church, when just like my son, the only thing that the God of the universe wants to do is spend some time with us, just where we are and an just as I am. 
Mat 10 :13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
My thoughts on intentional community in a suburban context.
OK, so here goes…. I hope this is not to deep for my first post to our new blog… but after discussing this with others in our church community I thought I would put it in writing.
I read a recent post by Al Hsu, the author of The Suburban Christian (I am planning to get the book and read what more he has to say) but the post confirms much of what I feel the Lord is compelling me to have a better understanding of. That is, the issues of new suburban poverty. To me this poverty is even more insidious (I know big word) because of the way that our suburban context hides the poverty, isolates people in their poverty and leaves people in despair in ways somewhat different than in urban contexts. I would even argue that these new forms of poverty are taking over the suburbs as thousands have been talked into sub-prime mortgages and various other enslavements(car, Education Debt) which leave them with little or no money for other necessities despite having a suburban home to live in.This subarban context of poverty has been drawing my attention to the importence of a church structure in the suburbs where poverty is not dealt with through another program. Unlike in the Memphis inner city, where people mostly wear their brokenness on their sleeve, the suburban culture of respectability (or the myth of respectability, I should say(I lived it for a while) throws up walls that not only hide ones own suffering, but allows others a convenient means by which to avoid the uncomfortable feelings of seeing our neighbors suffering. People won't know or come to such a program in the suburbs. And the programs will not address anything but short term needs (which is necessary but not sufficient to be called God's true justice). I have felt the need to find ways of becoming a communities of justice in the suburbs,just as my friend JR said the Neo-Monasticism folks have been pioneering in the inner cities. It will look much different in the suburbs for the cost and structure of the burbs is completely different. Yet to me intentional suberban communities are just as important: communities that seek and teach the ways of simple living, loving people, sharing peace and restorative justice to those caught up in the cycles of suburban impoverishment and enslavement.
The last of my two cents on this…. I firmly believe that, especially in the Western Evangelical church, our future as authentic Kingdom building communities is inseparably linked to the marginalized in our society whatever that context might be. I found this quote from Lilla Watson, a Murri Aboriginal woman that sums it up a bit for me:"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time... But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."
There are other people writing on this stuff . I think this is an important discussion to have in our Living Hope comunity. Any thoughts on what ways can intentional community in the burbs take up some of the same principles as neo monastic community in the urban contexts?
I read a recent post by Al Hsu, the author of The Suburban Christian (I am planning to get the book and read what more he has to say) but the post confirms much of what I feel the Lord is compelling me to have a better understanding of. That is, the issues of new suburban poverty. To me this poverty is even more insidious (I know big word) because of the way that our suburban context hides the poverty, isolates people in their poverty and leaves people in despair in ways somewhat different than in urban contexts. I would even argue that these new forms of poverty are taking over the suburbs as thousands have been talked into sub-prime mortgages and various other enslavements(car, Education Debt) which leave them with little or no money for other necessities despite having a suburban home to live in.This subarban context of poverty has been drawing my attention to the importence of a church structure in the suburbs where poverty is not dealt with through another program. Unlike in the Memphis inner city, where people mostly wear their brokenness on their sleeve, the suburban culture of respectability (or the myth of respectability, I should say(I lived it for a while) throws up walls that not only hide ones own suffering, but allows others a convenient means by which to avoid the uncomfortable feelings of seeing our neighbors suffering. People won't know or come to such a program in the suburbs. And the programs will not address anything but short term needs (which is necessary but not sufficient to be called God's true justice). I have felt the need to find ways of becoming a communities of justice in the suburbs,just as my friend JR said the Neo-Monasticism folks have been pioneering in the inner cities. It will look much different in the suburbs for the cost and structure of the burbs is completely different. Yet to me intentional suberban communities are just as important: communities that seek and teach the ways of simple living, loving people, sharing peace and restorative justice to those caught up in the cycles of suburban impoverishment and enslavement.
The last of my two cents on this…. I firmly believe that, especially in the Western Evangelical church, our future as authentic Kingdom building communities is inseparably linked to the marginalized in our society whatever that context might be. I found this quote from Lilla Watson, a Murri Aboriginal woman that sums it up a bit for me:"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time... But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."
There are other people writing on this stuff . I think this is an important discussion to have in our Living Hope comunity. Any thoughts on what ways can intentional community in the burbs take up some of the same principles as neo monastic community in the urban contexts?
Friday, July 11, 2008
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