tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-365981642012-01-13T06:59:42.994-06:00Undone.A fitting description of life lived following Christ -- not finished, taken apart...you pick the metaphor.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.comBlogger3351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-75295054522687271822010-12-13T09:28:00.000-06:002010-12-13T09:28:39.778-06:00I have migrated. Using something new...
http://bwo2312.tumblr.com/
shorter form blog, updates, etc. Feel free to follow along there!
So long for now...brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-37005988633285888762010-12-01T09:31:00.000-06:002010-12-01T09:31:15.612-06:00Rediscovered "My Utmost for His Highest" during the move; the online version became my morning devotional as all my books were in assorted boxes stacked about the old house. Yesterday's reading was particularly...teeth-rattling? The jist was that when we try to be overly 'humble' -- as in, "Oh, I cannot POSSIBLY do that because I'm not that good/worthy/mature...", we are in essence insulting brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-72603216368141674602010-11-28T08:37:00.000-06:002010-11-28T08:37:30.631-06:00And so it begins...
I love the Christmas season, starting with Thanksgiving. The food, family, the turn of the mood as we celebrate Thanksgiving and set our eyes on Christmas. The season of Advent in the church is a good one; nothing like hearing Advent tunes sung by a choir. I love the joy of the programs, the kids, the church decked out in lights and trimmings. There is something a little brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-9645587046726446042010-11-03T13:36:00.000-05:002010-11-03T13:36:30.594-05:00Haiti ten months later...
This blew my mind. So many beautiful people living in such ruin. Be thankful for the so-called 'chaos' in our own lives, as I would imagine none of us could begin to understand the reality of life there. And pray, like crazy.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-68703263531637947802010-10-13T19:19:00.000-05:002010-10-13T19:19:18.307-05:00For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
- Philippians 2:13
I am reminded of this as I write in a moment of silence at the Z; 7:15 pm having gone through 9th graders and memory work, and dropping a 10 min talk on Sr. High students on the responsibilities we have in relationships with one another. I think back on where I have been in the last hour brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-58468488171781995762010-10-11T10:18:00.000-05:002010-10-11T10:18:25.741-05:00So I suppose this could be the end of a semi-self imposed, lack of things to say, general apathy about the whole blog thing today. Or maybe not. The lack of things to say part is pretty much true; I think after surviving a quarter of Greek that BLEW my mind and getting things at the Z off and running, each time I considered writing I found myself uninspired. Maybe mental let down? Maybe just brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-65557217754914549132010-09-07T21:49:00.000-05:002010-09-07T21:49:01.960-05:00In Jesus' name, day 2.
Nothing super profound today. Thinking about how I treat people working around me -- Target this evening. I wonder how often someone goes out of their way to bless them -- to be kind, rather than to treat them as a transaction. When you consider interaction with others in Christ's name, for His sake and glory, it puts a different spin on it. I hope that a smile, kind brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-5226541045672563382010-09-06T21:44:00.000-05:002010-09-06T21:44:03.774-05:00All things done in Christ, pt. 1
So the adventure begins...today at Hey!Good Cookies in Spirit Lake, IA. Went in for a treat and cup of coffee; found ourselves waiting in line. Not a big deal, especially here and in the morning. The time passed -- 10 minutes, to be exact. There were 3 behind the counter; not one greeted us; only one looked in our direction. One worker walked past us, took abrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-29273433219159864772010-08-25T09:25:00.000-05:002010-08-25T09:25:21.066-05:00Interesting observations regarding the faith of our teens
Scot McKnight will be blogging through the book mentioned in the link. I tend to agree with the 5 theses proposed...how about you?brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-49654731016962121892010-08-15T07:38:00.000-05:002010-08-15T07:38:37.967-05:00This article is based on another from USA Today. Both exciting and frightening at the same time. However, it is
Confirmation of some things I've been thinking for some time.
Take some time to read this.
Need some music to challenge your soul...and rock your mind!brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-39847278891730082552010-07-28T08:21:00.000-05:002010-07-28T08:21:52.849-05:00Short and sweet today. From an article in the NY Times this morning about the disipation of the oil slick in the Gulf that appears to be disappearing more rapidly than expected:
"The winds from two storms that blew through the gulf in recent weeks, including a storm over the weekend that disintegrated before making landfall, also appear to have contributed to a rapid dispersion of the oil."
I brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-36603723298738659422010-06-25T07:55:00.000-05:002010-06-25T07:55:15.681-05:00I'll be in Estes Park, CO starting tomorrow for a week of service and fun with 17 Sr. High students and some rock-star adults. Follow all the fun at:
summitserve2010
Our theme revolves around Micah 6:8 -- Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly. The rallying cry for the week:
Do Hard Things.
Pray for safe travels, good weather, unity in the team, and for an experience of Jesus that will change brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-20265127235299950872010-06-13T07:57:00.002-05:002010-06-13T07:57:23.130-05:00Talking about 'Unstoppable Prayer' today at the Z. Here are my suggestions for helping your prayer life become unstoppable!
5 ways to amp up your prayer life!
1) Write it down!
- keep a record of your prayers in a journal
- post a white board in the kitchen
- use sticky notes and post them where you’ll see them
2) Use pre-formed prayers!
- Follow the Lord’s Prayer
- The Daily Prayer (http://brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-86185635627817504552010-06-10T09:34:00.000-05:002010-06-10T09:34:21.716-05:00This is a fascinating read for a Thursday morning. Sort of what I spoke about at Redeemer last week Sunday, only much deeper, and probably more concisely. The author is one of our professors at Bethel.
Hope of heaven -- God comes down
Enjoy!brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-8230858235014312722010-05-18T09:46:00.000-05:002010-05-18T09:46:59.085-05:00One of the most poisonous of all Satan's whispers is simply, "Things will never change." That lie kills expectation, trapping our heart forever in the present. To keep desire alive and flourishing, we must renew our vision for what lies ahead. Things will not always be like this. Jesus has promised to "make all things new." Eye has not seen, ear has not heard all that God has in store for brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-31653681513466634482010-05-04T11:41:00.000-05:002010-05-04T11:41:38.831-05:00Study as Worship
I live in a weird tension right now. I have always love to read, ever since I was a young lad. Anything, really. Dinosaurs, adventure stories, moving into pop culture magazines and Jesus books as I grew up. I still love to read; however, as a student, the reading has taken on a serious and fairly mentally taxing nature. It sounds as though I am complaining -- indeed, it canbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-6555444230941181812010-04-28T21:10:00.001-05:002010-04-28T21:15:20.238-05:00A Great Awakening.
So I've been a little sporadic in my writing of late...lots in my head swimming about in a rush of due dates for school, Greek nouns and endings and gobbledygook, Church History trivia, kids schedules, various work-related things to keep straight and put out on time (which has at moments been an EPIC FAIL)...some things in the past few days that have been pretty profound.
I brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-26250233734110488552010-04-14T10:03:00.000-05:002010-04-14T10:03:10.131-05:00Today.
Boasting About Tomorrow 13Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"— 14yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." 16As it brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-46243089365063052242010-04-13T09:53:00.000-05:002010-04-13T09:53:07.379-05:00Sometimes it helps to laugh at yourself.
Youth Pastor Scorecard
According to my own scorecard, I miss legendary status by 6 points. Ah well.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-18821260938703449692010-04-10T08:26:00.000-05:002010-04-10T08:26:30.439-05:00Resurrected Life.
I was struck driving to school yesterday at how alive the neighborhood was. Brilliant blue sky, fluorescent green grass, red cardinals singing their lungs out, kids walking towards Monroe Elementary, flowers starting to pop out of the earth. Life is all around, and it is breaking out in a big way. This week we have tried to focus on living the Resurrected Life -- basking in brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-17814616092802397582010-04-01T10:02:00.000-05:002010-04-01T10:02:39.868-05:00Thursday, Maundy Thursday's thoughts.
This is a pretty big day in my faith-life. This was the day a lot of years ago that I went to a Thursday night service in advance of hanging out with friends, and at that service I saw the Last Supper visually re-enacted. Something clicked. I sat there thinking..."this is it. This is what I've been missing. This is the thing I have been looking for..."brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-45967648380271100892010-03-29T12:01:00.000-05:002010-03-29T12:01:32.705-05:00The fig tree, the church, and when to say when.
Directly following the Triumphal Entry in Matthew's account of Jesus, he tells the story of a fig tree. Jesus passes by, is hungry, and looks for fruit. Finding none, Jesus curses the fig tree and it withers up. Later on, the disciples see the tree and are amazed that it indeed withered immediately and ceases to bear fruit. Jesus teaches them brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-65098501873510115492010-03-28T13:41:00.000-05:002010-03-28T13:41:13.411-05:00Would you be willing? Would I? Bottom line...if we say we love and follow Jesus, we better be willing to.
John Piper (author, pastor, theologian) and his congregational letter explaining his leave.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-48177868950191684552010-03-22T11:02:00.000-05:002010-03-22T11:02:52.193-05:00Florida bound. The first few hours were dark, rainy, and dreamy. 3:30 am we left Des Moines, headed further south and further away than any of us had been. And I prayed. As my family slept, I spoke to Jesus about the van, the weather, the road, my alertness, the trip, the dreams...Each hour on the hour we talked. Morning broke, and the fam joined in. All the way to Nashville, all the way tobrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-62113638566954646842010-03-03T10:39:00.000-06:002010-03-03T10:39:01.015-06:00"God gave us the miracle of congregation the same way he gave us the miracle of Jesus, by the Descent of the Dove. It was a miracle that didn't look like a miracle, a miracle in the form of the powerless, the vulnerable, the unimportant -- not so very different from any random congregation we might look up in the yellow pages of our telephone directories" (25-26).
Eugene Peterson, Practice brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-91159724953852021242010-03-02T09:50:00.002-06:002010-03-02T09:52:12.488-06:00Tuesday's thoughts...
Chilean Earthquake and unexpected effects.
Interesting read from today's Register.
Midday Prayer (Thanks Jesus Creed )
Heavenly Father, in you we live and have our being:
We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight.
brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-51886166839835121752010-03-01T11:31:00.000-06:002010-03-01T11:31:58.273-06:00Stuck in the mental mud today. I have a project due mid-March in which I explore an issue facing our modern church, read up and analyze said issue from the historical perspective, and then comment on where the church should go/do/be in light of history. NO IDEAS! Any help out there?
here are some fun and interesting links and things occupying my space today:
Short thought on a great author/brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-61679822656651864022010-02-23T11:27:00.000-06:002010-02-23T11:27:56.931-06:00Reading a tremendous book by Eugene Petersen called "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places" of late. He writes beautifully, and his love of the created world speaks deeply to my heart as he describes the richness, beauty, and intensity of God's presence in the things He has made. Indeed, Christ 'plays' -- is active, evident, breathing, screaming out to us -- in all things around us. The section brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-16478951025837006992010-02-15T11:07:00.000-06:002010-02-15T11:07:20.789-06:00The post below sums up something I've been thinking about for a while. I always chuckle when I get asked, 'what are you going to do when you graduate? Are you going to get your own church? Where are you going to go?', because pre-seminary, during, and post-sem (God willing), I am planning on staying put. I feel pretty strongly that this is my field -- my role might shift, my responsibilities brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-9453557518413197332010-02-14T06:47:00.000-06:002010-02-14T06:47:14.218-06:00Creation Is Unapologetically WILD
If you have any doubts as to whether or not God loves wildness, spend a night in the woods . . . alone. Take a walk out in a thunderstorm. Go for a swim with a pod of killer whales. Get a bull moose mad at you. Whose idea was this, anyway? The Great Barrier Reef with its great white sharks, the jungles of India with their tigers, the deserts of the Southwest brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-30175667321664853932010-02-01T09:39:00.000-06:002010-02-01T09:39:58.847-06:00http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100201/ap_en_ot/us_super_bowl_ad_megachurch
Interesting...this could be perceived in a variety of ways; my initial reaction is "creative, fun, and really outside the box". I am confident some will be offended by something of this nature...but it begs the question -- how do we get the message out there? There is room for all manner of delivery methods; I am brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-84116196288123150602010-01-27T10:32:00.003-06:002010-01-27T10:32:00.588-06:00Got a startling reminder this week; somehow, my computer contracted a nasty little bug from Facebook; it then started replicating and sending out messages to my contacts. If you opened the link, you discovered that it wreaked havoc with your computer. In my case, it started opening pop-ups every ten minutes or so; followed by a video chat box that would open and reveal semi naked people. That wasbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-54371570038594530242010-01-24T08:58:00.000-06:002010-01-24T08:58:28.464-06:00"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders."
- Deuteronomy 33:12
This is one of my favorite pictures from our summer trip to Colorado.
This was taken after a hike (rather strenuous, I might add) to a place called Bible Point; it overlooks the Y camp and the Estes Valley. Brady, Emy, and I headed upbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-59375488692446357542010-01-13T09:55:00.000-06:002010-01-13T09:55:29.130-06:00I think the gravity of this event just hit me a moment ago…oh my. We are so lucky to live where we do; we face our share of natural and man-made disasters, but thinking of Haiti and the inability financially to recover from an event of this magnitude with any sort of timeliness…the very thought is heart-rending and overwhelming. What can we do here in snowy central Iowa? Send money, sure; mourn brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-38688726641316337402010-01-06T14:42:00.000-06:002010-01-06T14:42:52.698-06:00He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
This verse from Colossians has provided me with so much to consider through the years. I find myself praying this verse in times of trouble, leaning on it when everything around me seems out of control, and hearing it reverberate around my head when something happens that seems entirely too conincidental to be an accident. It is brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-62329908119810732592010-01-04T13:56:00.003-06:002010-01-04T14:09:22.679-06:00Sitting in church yesterday; the oldest coming off an overnight, some lack of sleep throughout winter break, and general 'being 9 and knowing everything and it is Sunday in church what can Dad do to me' fun. She brought cookies for the siblings to eat in church, which disintegrate upon touch and crumble into frostingy chunks that grind into clothes and pews and carpet with ease. I am not opposed brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-67114309312569348372009-12-24T21:46:00.003-06:002009-12-24T21:48:59.698-06:00A truly glorious evening, day really. Watched The Nativity Story...love the shepherds and the depth of the Gift as portrayed in the film...so cool to see the story come to life! Church @ Zion was beautiful -- dark, reflective, joyous...so much energy and good will; loved the cookies and cider, the music, the OUTSTANDING dinner for staff and support folks, and the love that was so evident in ourbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-64886613493857506012009-12-22T14:15:00.002-06:002009-12-22T14:23:18.072-06:00My spirit has rejoiced in God, My Savior.How does this look, practically speaking? Talking this morning about how the Christmas season is flying by, and how there seems to be an undercurrent of melancholy surrounding it. Is it because the season has seemed shorter, due to a late Thanksgiving? Is there a sadness due to the economy, etc? Is the joy of the season overshadowed by the impending winterbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-79922347446399924102009-12-21T10:32:00.002-06:002009-12-21T10:36:40.859-06:00The angels and love.Week 4 of Advent...how this is flying by, friends! Oh my...wishing we could slow time down this week (might be able to with the help of Blizzard '09 v. 1.2)...so much we have not done to prepare our hearts for what is to come! The joy of the season, the hustle and bustle, all of it has been tremendous and beautiful but is going way too quickly for me. The angels. What an brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-2570854728755225012009-12-17T12:52:00.002-06:002009-12-17T12:52:42.042-06:00http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDOO3FvGsZ4In the midst, sometimes it is fun to laugh and take a look at the lighter side...brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-5172893709778104502009-12-15T14:49:00.002-06:002009-12-15T14:53:24.782-06:00So interesting to me to consider the shepherds in the story; history tells us they were untouchable, the ones hired to do the work but banned from the temple and worshipping with the masses. They lived in the fields with the sheep, sleeping on the ground, searching for the lost ones, caring for the injured, protecting them from the wild beasties that sought to eat tasty sheep in the night. Theybrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-74531771676359902552009-12-14T14:43:00.002-06:002009-12-14T14:54:30.422-06:00Shepherds, joy, and God showing up.So begins the third week of Advent (at least Sunday marks the third Sunday of Advent, I think...I get a little foggy on the dating of church things sometimes.) The third week is the Shepherd week -- the candle representing the sharing of God's love with the world (insert unloveable/untouchable, etc.) and joy. This is a good one, I think. This time of year we brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-14570846125236147352009-12-07T14:11:00.002-06:002009-12-07T14:17:35.926-06:00Peace.Week 2 of Advent; the theme (near as I can find?!?) is peace. Last week it was hope; the season of Advent being one of preparation and longing, the waiting for something greater. So this week it is peace.Peace is something our world lacks, a lot. Notice as you drive around town; watch the people in other cars. Sometimes you'll see smiles; sometimes blank looks; often, you'll see a brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-72651214992030297892009-12-04T16:21:00.000-06:002009-12-04T16:23:35.160-06:00Waiting...in traffic.Waiting...at the store in line.Waiting...for the van to get done at the dealer, and finding out that the fix is not a warranty one.Waiting...for my family to come home and the weekend to commence.Waiting...for the pizza to be done so we can eat!Waiting...for jammies and warm covers and rest.Waiting...for Jesus to continue the moulding and shaping process.Waiting...for me to brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-18675614245951946952009-12-01T20:55:00.002-06:002009-12-01T21:01:14.835-06:00I read Job yesterday; I gotta say, I really enjoyed it. I was struck by the tone of Job -- in his questions and grumping at God, he makes some pretty stout demands. In fact, he gets real cheeky in various spots; the thing that came through was that in the midst of his frustration and angst, he is asking some very real questions with the expectation of answers. At the end of the book, God brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-19461271269718357342009-11-30T15:04:00.002-06:002009-11-30T15:07:39.906-06:00Waiting.Advent has begun; the season of expectation, waiting, that kind of thing. Funny how we do this to God -- we ask, pray, plead, expect, and then fail to wait for an answer. So much of dealing with the Almighty takes place in still, quiet moments; yet, when it comes down to it, we expect (or I do, at least) to see the Show -- miracles, voices, angel choirs proclaiming His answer. Thing isbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-88561549305865829652009-11-23T09:31:00.002-06:002009-11-23T09:43:55.502-06:00The Blessings of Busy.Something jumped to mind last week as we made one of our trips to dance practice or church or the store. Seems to me that when people ask how I have been, or what is new, the first response is usually "Things are crazy!" or "We've been running a lot!" or something of that vein. I think I have written here and elsewhere about wearing busy as a badge and how we use that to brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-66090591279610560672009-11-17T10:52:00.002-06:002009-11-17T10:55:56.547-06:00Reading this week about the 'Psalms of Lament'...essentially psalms that express anger with God about something. These are psalms to do not often find their way into the everyday church service; the language can be rough, emotional, raw. Frequently, we find ourselves in church very stoic -- we revere God, we love Him, but emotion may not play much role in it. And, we then transfer this onto God brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-10968585279755538232009-11-11T11:04:00.002-06:002009-11-11T11:12:12.452-06:00Doing something.Good conversations of late. A comment online cemented the deal with regard faith, life, and action. The quote went something like this..."The church in North America is obsessed with learning, not so much with doing. Let me be bold enough to do what it is I have learned." Good morning conviction. How are you?We read about prayer, we sit and listen to wise minds and prophets speak brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-64865942935360084542009-11-11T10:57:00.000-06:002009-11-11T10:58:20.105-06:00This is a super cool thing I stumbled upon today. http://www.d365.org/todaysdevotion/Wow.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-64401133161657172432009-11-10T14:39:00.002-06:002009-11-10T14:47:27.819-06:00The colors of late are vibrant. The trees, the sky, the way the sun lights up the land -- everything seems brighter and yet softer...I've always been fond of fall and the way the sun affects things as the angles of light change. Even at high noon, the light is warmer and softer. I love being out all times of year; fall is definitely my favorite. Running this morning along the river on the brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-81845254655636942292009-11-04T14:55:00.002-06:002009-11-04T15:10:40.950-06:00Drinking the morning brew at work today; grabbed my Zion mug and went to the coffee pot. On the way, I realized I had some coffee funk in the bottom from yesterday's consumption. In fact, there were a few rings around the cup at various levels showing where I had let the cup sit a bit with said beverage inside; much like the various layers of rock strata in the Grand Canyon, you could brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-13116281042088597572009-10-21T12:22:00.000-05:002009-10-21T12:23:00.320-05:00Living this week in Old Testament land, 1 and 2 Chronicles. Long, in depth, tough read for me. Hard to stay focused. My friend Ray, via class post for this week’s readings, shared thoughts about the fact that God’s faithfulness kept King David’s line alive even though many of the guys in his family tree that became kings were, shall we say, less than reputable. God had a plan, He had a way, brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-57253569816606423712009-10-13T11:44:00.002-05:002009-10-13T11:58:31.406-05:00People are going to be attracted here by Your great reputation... -- 1 Kings 8 (The Message)Solomon is praying during the dedication of the temple built to be God's earthly dwelling. This is sandwiched in the midst of his words, which are filled with prayers for forgiveness and asking God to hear their words. Solomon notes, in light of all he is asking for, that people will come from far away brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-56549235649846673542009-09-30T13:18:00.000-05:002009-09-30T13:19:36.610-05:00Listen. Pretty simple, right? I feel like I’ve done a bunch of talking lately. Today, no words are coming. The flow has been stopped, now it is time to listen. Prayer has been flowing around the building like crazy the past few days; I’ve spent more time in silent and vocal prayer the past 48 hours than I can remember doing for some time. Now, this afternoon, I feel compelled to listen. Listeningbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-50080772383178108342009-09-28T09:23:00.003-05:002009-09-28T09:27:23.102-05:00Prayers and how-tos...God rocked my feeble world yesterday (again) through one Bill Vaswig. His clinic on prayer has stirred something in me that has been awakening for some time. I see and sense God calling me to something significant in my life of prayer -- maybe not this whole healing bit (maybe, though...) -- the sense is that He has opened a door in my life w/ regard to prayer and freeway brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-33785098191829284802009-09-25T12:30:00.002-05:002009-09-25T12:34:12.371-05:00Is the Era of Age Segmentation Over? Out of Ur Conversations for Ministry LeadersPosted using ShareThisTake a peek @ this short article...sound off! What do you think?brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-7249323395532222792009-09-22T11:45:00.002-05:002009-09-22T11:58:49.197-05:00Jesus v. the Old TestamentWe starting trying to do family devotions a while back; grab a book or better yet the Bible, read, and discuss! Now our conversations on theology and such are limited by the workings of tired minds and distractions such as "Dancing with the Stars", but I am amazed at what our babies will pick up in the process of reading. Something else...I usually steer towards the brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-86399026653467310002009-09-14T21:05:00.001-05:002009-09-14T21:06:26.362-05:00I am a big fan of the spiritual formation process. One thing that brought me to ministry and to Zion was the chance to do some spiritual formation stuff -- being part of the deepening and growing of faith in people's lives. Investing in relationships and pushing others to grow. Instructing and teaching youth (and maybe even adults) in spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, journalling, old brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-25708053154248740252009-09-11T12:21:00.001-05:002009-09-11T12:54:05.391-05:00Been wrestling with this idea for some time, as we seek to make our confirmation (whatever that really is these days...) better, more relevant, and impacting the faith of our kids for the long run. Thing is, I'm not sure that 'confirmation' -- the process of kids coming Wed. night, we play a game, give a 20 min message about something and do our best to relate it back to Jesus, and then give thembrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-20241690972159707502009-08-26T09:48:00.002-05:002009-08-26T10:02:36.119-05:00For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks...I tell you that people will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. Jn 12:34, 36-37Heavy. I have felt the weight of words, decisions, and responsibilities of late. Not that I am saying or doing things of brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-47386096657104636912009-08-24T22:33:00.003-05:002009-08-24T22:35:23.364-05:00I am curious...there seems to be a lot of spiritual activity of late. God has been moving in some noticable ways @ the Big Z; conversely, there appears to be some opposition (here it comes!), ie: darkness and funky spiritual stuff happening as well. Are you all seeing this/feeling this/experiencing this? I generally don't like to come off as that guy, looking for the devil behind every potted brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-91351336580718024782009-08-24T11:35:00.003-05:002009-08-24T11:36:36.176-05:00Yahhhhhh!!!!! Rally Day is 6 days out. Church yesterday was Phenomenal. My head is full of swirly details and balls being dropped and such. Jesus is great and may His power be sustaining this week.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-2475592495143101272009-08-09T09:06:00.003-05:002009-08-09T09:16:58.236-05:00Mammas (and Daddies), don't let your babies grow up to be...Dumb adults. We are at the top of Rocky Mountain National Park, the signs CLEARLY saying "stay on the trail" as you will damage fragile plant life. Also, "pick up your trash" signs...what do we see? Adults and kids tromping all over the tundra. Chip bags, and other assorted trash on the trail sides. Ugh. I had a grumpy National Park brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-36358602275889281882009-08-04T15:36:00.002-05:002009-08-04T15:38:54.871-05:00Vacation...I know it seems like all summer has been vacation for me, but this is the real deal/truly gone/family week long Clark Griswold family vacation. Leaving later tonight, doing battle with the lovely state of Nebraska on the way west to the Rockies of Colorado. My soul is being pulled there like a magnet! Anyhoo...not planning on updating this blog in efforts to not do 'work' much on brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-16541787351985951322009-08-02T09:49:00.002-05:002009-08-02T09:52:39.111-05:00Baptisms are so cool. My friends Tony and Carlie had their son baptised today. I've always really enjoyed watching baptisms; I believe something miraculous goes down. Parents make promises before God and church, church makes commitments to help raise this baby, and God shows up and does what He does. Cannot fully explain it, but there is something very cool about the entire deal. It feels brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-3198282829264443732009-07-29T13:56:00.002-05:002009-07-29T14:04:33.277-05:00Transcendence and Immanence. There are 2 seminary words for you, harkening back to my third quarter freshman year, Systematic Theology I. I have been thinking for some time about the image of God in the Old Testament -- big, powerful, holy, creative...the God you don't mess with. There is a sense as I read about Him, then look the sky and ponder what He has done, and imagine what it must be brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-50474497861406209802009-07-26T08:18:00.003-05:002009-07-26T08:20:00.082-05:00Today begins the reconstruction process (I suppose.) Intensives are always an amazing thing -- 2 weeks of scholastic immersion that speaks to the heart as well, then you get shotgunned back into the real world. This last 2 was interesting to say the least, and now I'm glad to be home and ready to hit the ground running.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-45137782163593763502009-07-19T08:16:00.002-05:002009-07-19T08:27:17.668-05:00I was not sure why I felt drawn to the word 'undone' for the title of this here blog when I picked it. I'm seeing so much personal significance in it now...most recent event -- went to David Crowder last night at Church of Hope. I dig Dave and the boys because what they do is so fresh and innovative musically, they write really smart lyrically, and their songs by and large are about Jesus and whobrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-92130004254888074822009-07-15T18:42:00.002-05:002009-07-15T18:46:52.917-05:00UndoingThat is what seminary is all about -- the routine dismantling of what you know, and the slow reconstruction of what you thought you knew with new stuff added in. I love it. This week it Henri Nouwen, learning about ministry and spiritual formation and intimacy and all sorts of good stuff. The days are long in that they are free-flow discussion based around 5 books we read in the weeks brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-46767452749905012742009-07-09T21:10:00.002-05:002009-07-09T21:16:42.803-05:00Holy spaces, holy places.I've long been intrigued by the writings of spiritual gurus I admire; many of them speak of prayer for extended times, journals full of fervency, and places that have become holy. I can name a few places that I would consider holy for me (a bridge near Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp; all of Ingham Lake Camp; the mountains around Estes Park)...I wonder, does this idea extendbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-3682965559035004392009-07-08T12:28:00.002-05:002009-07-08T13:09:08.656-05:00Sacrifice is the most important activity of formal worship in the Old Testament period.This statement blew my mind today. Sacrifice was a formal act of worship; Jesus sacrifice was the greatest act of formal worship we can comprehend. So how does sacrifice play into our worship now? Is it in the amount we give, how we sing, the time we commit to Sunday service? What do we sacrifice with brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-80980145449009105582009-07-07T20:50:00.002-05:002009-07-07T20:55:22.169-05:00So often I settle for less. Looking at this pic, some kids dear to my heart reading scripture on a mountainside, I am convicted at how frequently I reach for anything but the Bible. I also know that faith operates so far outside the confines of our American understanding of relationship with Jesus that entails a set quiet time, certain amount of prayer, and maybe some journalling or music or brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-4806614102987029072009-07-06T13:44:00.003-05:002009-07-06T13:51:34.472-05:00Let's talk disconnections and connections. New dryer at the house; it is a gas appliance. I do not like to monkey with gas lines, connections, etc. So at the point of purchase, we set up Sears to do the install. Pros show up, haul out old unit, bring in new. 10 minutes of time, hooked up and we can dry clothing again. Fast forward 3 hours; Kari goes home, and natural gas stench meets her at the brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-57084713929460503662009-07-01T11:21:00.002-05:002009-07-01T11:31:25.417-05:00This year, the average American will spend more time with their computer than their spouse.- International Business News, 2009 study.We are losing our connections, our intimacy, our relatability? How does this impact the way that we do relationships with each other, with God?Things to ponder.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-41583524409504885932009-06-30T11:45:00.002-05:002009-06-30T12:09:17.758-05:00Fear and intimacy.Starting a new book this week by Henri Nouwen; the opening chapters discuss the link between fear and our lack of intimacy with God. What I have gathered thus far is that Nouwen believes that because we live in culture of 'what if's', and we exist in a perpetual fear of things that might happen, we are conditioned by that fear and it extends into nearly every aspect of our brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-79720673063890536232009-06-22T14:48:00.002-05:002009-06-22T14:54:47.806-05:00Harsh...Reading Exodus today; what an epic story of salvation, obedience, and love. Israel experienced God's intimacy -- presence, leading, provision -- yet, they grumble and stumble and wish for what they once had. I missed this until today -- after Moses is on the mountain, they make the golden calf. They worship; Moses comes down. They drink the remains of the idol; then God commands Mosesbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-6778450035979864092009-06-20T11:57:00.002-05:002009-06-20T12:04:06.055-05:00Farmer's Market Jesus GuySo we are at the market this morning; right in front of Spaghetti Works is a guy on a stepstool. His shirt says Jesus Saves; his Bible has 'Holy Bible' in red tape on the outside. His words were something along the lines of "Religion does not save...there will be lots of religious people in hell...little old grandmas who were nice to everyone, they'll be there..." We brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-51511418409597094492009-06-11T11:34:00.002-05:002009-06-11T11:42:00.494-05:00The best hour of the week...We are in the midst of staff planning for the upcoming year. Right now. PJohn just made this comment -- "our goal ought to be that people WANT to be here (the big Z) on Sundays. This ought to be the best hour of the week." What a great comment, what a great goal. My kids love church. They like to be here, they ask about coming, they enjoy Sundays and Wednesdays.brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-66459305858043667022009-06-09T11:51:00.001-05:002009-06-09T11:56:28.399-05:00How do kids (or adults?) who are surrounded by more abundance than in any other generation in history of humanity take seriously a Messiah who said, "I have been anointed to preach good news to the poor?"- Rob Bell, "Jesus Wants to Save Christians"Thoughts?brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-19019104850544949282009-06-08T10:01:00.002-05:002009-06-08T10:17:32.985-05:00According to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. - Psalm 51I know a thing or two about blotting out. I am a spiller. Chronic. I should not wear white, especially dress shirts, as they always end up with stains. I lean against stuff, spill what I am drinking, brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-38499029843130585832009-06-03T11:17:00.002-05:002009-06-03T11:25:52.464-05:00A portion of my 'undoing' this week has been this verse from Psalm 131. "I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me." False humility? Maybe. Selling myself short on the 'lets' ponder great things' front? Probably. But here is the thing - The more I learn about faith, the closer I draw to Jesus, the less I truly understand. The more I try, the deeper the brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-58013107670933532972009-06-01T13:39:00.002-05:002009-06-01T13:45:32.139-05:00New beginningsI heard a wise man say last night that it is not often you get to re-invent yourself; when you have the chance, you better take it. So here we are...May was a crazy month with all sorts of endings, beginnings, and changes both happening and on the horizon. I feel like it is appropriate to begin again with a fresh format and new direction with this as well. Hence the new title, brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-10783705051118580362009-05-05T10:53:00.002-05:002009-05-05T11:21:19.794-05:00I loaned a copy of "The Joshua Tree" by U2 to one of our youth a few weeks back. That album impacted my life, and holds a top 5 position to this day were I to find myself having to choose only 5 albums to keep. I was expecting life change in him, too...his comment: "It reminded me of Michael W. Smith." Hmmmmm....not what I expected or hoped for. I was incensed. Hurt. Devastated. I do not brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-50665450857416073742009-04-29T08:59:00.002-05:002009-04-29T09:05:49.135-05:00Tonight I'm speaking to our 7/8 kids and the Sr. Highers to gather for Wed. night stuff. It is a year-end sort of message, the ultimate 'so what?' deal. I'm basing my talk on Ephesians 2:4-10 (check it out!), and the jist of what i'll be saying is this -- the cross accomplished for us these things: forgiveness, given by an act of great love, even though we are dead in our sin; salvation, brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-30238009169150108862009-04-23T08:02:00.002-05:002009-04-23T08:06:59.777-05:00I've been trying to read 1 Peter this week. The theme in chapter one speaks of inheritance -- the benefit of sonship and a handing down of something of value due to family ties. I love how Peter puts it -- living hope, a looking forward to the rich blessings that God keeps for His people. These things are to be kept in mind as we endure the struggles and hardships of the everyday. I am brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-71616765223730734982009-04-22T22:20:00.002-05:002009-04-22T22:22:45.414-05:00Tonight I experienced a chorus of prayers -- our littlest ones all were moved to pray out loud at the end of worship. We had a minimum of 5, some praying at the same time. Sweet voices thanking God for their families and their dogs and siblings and for church (way to go, Brady!). I think that made God smile. It sure did me. may we experience faith and life the way our babies do...with brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-72231719550697837662009-04-16T13:12:00.002-05:002009-04-16T13:16:59.263-05:00"It is true, the Lord has risen." Luke 24:34Now what? Imagine what it must have been like post resurrection for the 11, the women, the world around them. The fabric of reality had been shredded (at least how they experienced it), the miraculous had occured and continued to occur among them. What He said was true, and thereby making EVERYTHING He said true. All the stuff about kingdoms, brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-27021807244105312492009-04-15T10:39:00.001-05:002009-04-15T10:41:32.898-05:00I am seeing some shifts all across the board in how we are doing ministry. Some really good things, some things that are allowing us to connect with kids that may not seem significant to us, but make a huge difference to them. Example: spent a few minutes (literally) ‘conversing’ via text message with one of our youth who Jesus is grabbing a hold of in a big way. Through 4 messages filled brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-79475362696946892032009-04-08T14:58:00.002-05:002009-04-08T15:16:27.027-05:00Unfocused.That is the best word to describe me of late. Read a great book that has burned the idea of focus into my head. This little book tells the story of a man who did mission work in India; the people he worked with (this all took place in the early 1900's) were intrigued by Jesus. They wanted to know more about Him, they respected and love Him, and were open to listening for hours about brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-46998277408040515412009-03-30T14:30:00.003-05:002009-03-30T14:35:02.686-05:00Hope...it does not disappoint. This was a theme that developed through the weekend. I took some kids to Youth Encounter; our Friday night speaker talked about our need for hope in this world. The band that played talked frequently about hope and where it is found. Romans 5 talks about hope; that was our devotional for Friday night. We saw many that could use some hope. Desparately. My brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-65024498377702217442009-03-24T10:07:00.002-05:002009-03-24T10:14:09.902-05:00"Let them be part of your life in God -- that is ministering."- Henri NouwenRead this today as part of my morning routine; it comes from an article he wrote about taking a retreat, and during that retreat being asked to lead some devotions for a group of students. He was reluctant, as it was infringing on 'his time'. The abbot at the monestary told Henri that, after being a priest for 20 years,brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-73024453034982165392009-03-23T21:39:00.002-05:002009-03-23T21:46:32.354-05:00Creation Ethics...I started new classes today; one is Christian Social Ethics. Lots of big words and concepts; something blew my mind. It talked about Christian ethics, and how we struggle at times when labeled as such to apply them to non-christian things and people. The author of the essay re-named them 'creation ethics', as what holds true for humanity is that God's design, morally and brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-5177387263399273512009-03-18T11:20:00.002-05:002009-03-18T11:28:36.791-05:00We had the chance to go out for dinner last night with some friends. Went downtown, with the rest of Des Moines' for the day Irish population. Had an amazing dinner, and enjoyed some people watching. Very interesting...the kelly green and shamrocks were out in full force. It was as if, for one day, everyone was Irish -- someone had undertaken a huge mission to spread the love and convert brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-62911065267907907242009-03-09T11:38:00.004-05:002009-03-09T11:47:13.687-05:00The end of the journey...or just the beginning?
Cliche title, to be sure. This morning I finished up my final paper for my last quarter of Hebrew -- one year in the language, all done. That's one language down, one to go (Greek in '10). This has been amazing, challenging, maddening, consuming, and more fun than I expected. To go from learning basic vocab using a picture slide show to readingbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-10485272727248408262009-03-06T11:48:00.002-06:002009-03-06T11:52:38.381-06:00As a parent, I feel like I expect a lot from our kids. I know that at the end of the day, I'm raising kids with an eye on helping them become good adults. You know, responsible, caring, taking care of their business, being kind to others, caring about the world around them. I also know that come not only through empowering them and expecting them to contribute, but modelling. I talk about brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-56003098651970972952009-03-03T11:22:00.002-06:002009-03-03T11:33:07.557-06:00White as SnowU2 has a new album out today; "No Line on the Horizon". I'm an unabashed U2 geek; I remember hearing "Joshua Tree" for the first time and having my mind blown; watching "Rattle and Hum" about a million times and subjecting everyone close to me to it (sorry, Mom), and from that point I was hooked. Seeing them in concert a few years ago was the high point of my concert going life, and brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-38469780559015639322009-03-02T09:54:00.002-06:002009-03-02T10:00:18.612-06:00The Cross, ever before me...I've long been captured by a little book called "The Practice of the Presence of God", by a monk named Brother Lawrence. He was a kitchen worker at the monestary, and his responsibility was doing dishes. A quote that struck me today was this: "The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer. In the noise and clatter of the kitchen, while severalbrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-77025751351672045852009-02-28T08:38:00.002-06:002009-02-28T08:41:55.343-06:00The theme in this great little book by a guy I admire and respect has been Self. Yesterday, it was dying to self. Today it is self indulgence. As I cannot say it better, here is a great Saturday morning quote..."...there is no growth without pain, no integrity without self-denial, and neither is particularly attractive apart from the personal love of Jesus Christ."Happy Saturday...brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36598164.post-18290693012344056892009-02-26T14:49:00.002-06:002009-02-26T14:55:55.007-06:00Comfort.Lent has always held a special place in my heart. I've written on this before...this was the season when I realized my need and came to a place of faith in Jesus. I really enjoy church on Wednesday nights, the feel of being together (last night @ the big Z was amazing! Thanks, church, for the joy...), and the contemplative mood of the season. I suppose my faith is often contemplative,brenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04292554978925002657noreply@blogger.com0