Everyone is Looking For You

"Everyone is looking for you!" Surely you can relate to that. At work, at home, at church, aren't there times when everything seems to come down on you? Now this is a tremendous opportunity. I mean, if Jesus really wants to launch his ministry, increase sales, expand his audience, this sure looks like the chance to do it. What does he do? He leaves. He walks away. Everyone is looking for you! Oh, really... then we'd better leave. It cracks me up. Wendell Berry might have been writing of Jesus when he said, "His wildness was in his refusal -- or his inability -- to live within other people's expecatations." We are just the opposite; our entire lives are ruled by the expectations of others, and when we live like that, the heart is always the first thing to go. -- Awaking the Dead by John Eldredge, p 215-216.

I just finished the book Awaking the Dead. Wow. It really spoke to me. The last book that did this was Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship. Awaking the Dead may change my life. Seriously. I really want to start a small group to discuss it.

Other books that were this powerful to me? Christianity for Modern Pagans by Peter Kreeft. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Tolkien.

I wish my life went on and on.

Nice Looking

This website, Welcome to Colony 320, has a design that appeals to me. I know whenever I want to redo a web, I look around to find something appealing. I'm not an artist so I have to steal (borrow) to some extent.

Friday Five

the friday five:

1. What vehicle do you drive? 1991 Toyota Camry with almost 200,000 miles on it. And 1995 Mazda MPV which has a terminally ill engine. Sweet.

2. How long have you had it? The Mazda since ??? 1999. The Camry since 1996??

3. What is the coolest feature on your vehicle? The Mazda has theatre lights which means they fade off slowly when the doors close. The Camry has a better radio. Also that they are fully paid for.

4. What is the most annoying thing about your vehicle? That I own them.

5. If money were no object, what vehicle would you be driving right now? A really reliable used Toyota pickup.

Starting Line or Finish Line?

From Sept/Oct 2003 NetResults.

Brian McLaren was asked, "What is the evangelistic mindset of Christians today?"

Our faith has become obsessed with how to get to heaven without loving God or loving our neighbor. Faith is not about crossing a line; it's about getting started on a lifelong path. We've turned the starting line into a finish line, as if in crossing that line they are completed in the faith when in fact, they're just starting. Jesus called for his disciples to be fishers of men. Today people like their fish, but they want them scale, gutted, filleted, and fried before they have to deal with them. They don't want the ones flopping in the bottom of the boat or swimming in the deep water.

I love book lists

This is from jordoncooper.com

A couple of you asked what I would recommend on the ordination process. Here is my list

Making Sense of Church by Spencer Burke
Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren (I bet that suprised some of you)
The Emerging Church by Dan Kimball
Adventures in Missing the Point by Tony Campolo and Brian McLaren
A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren
Liquid Church by Pete Ward (that should mess some people up)
Birth of the Chaordic Age by Dee Hock
Soul Tsunami or Carpe Manana by Len Sweet
Contemplative Pastor and the rest of the series by Eugene Peterson
The Cluetrain Manifesto
Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida
Affluenza
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Emotional Day

It's an emotional day. Not sure exactly why. Relationships are a little stressed around me. Danelle and I have never been closer though. I read at Coop's that David Hopkins and his wife are expecting! I read David's blog now and then. I like it and I don't. But it keeps drawing me back. It will be interesting to see how a child will affect David's life and views.

I was sorting through the kid's drawers this morning. Danelle is working every day, so I'm home with the kids three days a week. It is strange that I feel a ton more productive working around the house then I do for the church. My job with the church is more in the idea realm. That is a hard realm to feel productive. Anyway, I was moving all the kid's shorts and tank tops out of their drawers and felt a surge of emotion. No tears but it was close. In a way, it was a good feeling. It was a feeling of the depth of what we have in our family.

Blogger Quiz

Are You A Blogaholic?:

"52 points is in the 51 through 80 precent
You are a dedicated weblogger. You post frequently because you enjoy weblogging a lot, yet you still manage to have a social life. You're the best kind of weblogger. Way to go!"