The Invasion

After an inspiring sermon by the grenzian today at Vintage, I was really feeling the hope and love that we can pass on through our lives to others. I am so thankful for our church and for the people that work so hard to keep it going, and keep loving people no matter what. Now more than ever in our world is the time that we need to start acting more and more like Jesus, loving no matter what the cost, living simply so that others may simply live, taking care of those who need the encouragement when no one else will give it to them. Taking off our own masks to show people who we really are and in turn, how alike we all really are, how we all have similar thoughts and we all go through similar situations no matter who we are.

I WILL NOT COMPLY

One: With the waging of war.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the legalization of murder.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the slaughter of innocents.
All: We will not comply.
One: With laws that betray human life.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the destruction of community.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the pointing finger and malicious talk.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the idea that happiness must be purchased.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the ravaging of the earth.
All: We will not comply.
One: With principalities and powers that oppress.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the destruction of peoples.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the raping of women.
All: We will not comply.
One: With governments that kill.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the theology of empire.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the business of militarism.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the hoarding of riches.
All: We will not comply.
One: With the dissemination of fear.
All: We will not comply.
I Will not comply.

This is a Litany from " Jesus for President" -by Shane Claiborne

I feel that these are things that the church in America needs to be thinking about if we truly are wanting to live out the message of loving your neighbor as your self, and enemy love. Do we really believe that we are under Gods security, that he is in control? Why do we keep striving to create our own security outside of God?
I know that this is something that I have to keep reminding myself, that what I create here without God-"moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal."

TRADE AS ONE

Lets all try and TRADE AS ONE...

I LOVE THIS MUSIC VIDEO

wonderful music video, I stole from Brian McLaren's
blog http://www.brianmclaren.net/. Thank you Brian.

"THE LAST WORD"

I am currently engrossed in N.T. Wright's book
"The Last Word"
Scripture and the Authority of God-Getting Beyond the Bible Wars.

He has made me think a lot about our history and how we should go about reading the Bible,
I recommend it if you can stomach the scholarly writing style he uses.
He has taught New Testament studies for 20 yrs at Cambridge, McGill, and Oxford universities.

THANK YOU.......

Today I drove to NWACC and I was just amazed at the beautiful creation that was shining in all around me. I had left home and forgot my sun glasses, the sun was just blinding me and I was getting frustrated, I think that we all can connect with that feeling. But I had to just stop myself and take a moment, and reconnect to God and his creation and then I felt such a peace come over me. I started to see everything fresh again and looked to the massive amazingness (I know its not a word but its the closes I can get to demonstrate my feelings) of all creation. I feel so thankful in some ways to science, because it helps me comprehend the amount of harmony that has to be achieved for the Earth to sustain its orbit around the Sun, spin on the same axis that the atoms that we are composed of spin on, and not to mention the incredible timing that this all takes so that plants can grow and produce. There is so much that is happening right here and right now, that I can't even comprehend. But yet it all puts me at peace, helping me know that there is a Creator working here among us, coxing us on the right path if only we can stop fussing once and awhile and "be still and know that he is Lord."

PERPLEXED...

Well a day or two ago I happened to spot a bumper sticker that said "When the Democrats took Congress the average cost of gas was: $2.40" this was surrounded by McCain, Palin stickers. I was perplexed, what was the owner trying to get across...That the Democrats caused the gas to rise? I think that this reflects more toward Republicans, seeing as how gas is now down(which also has to do with the sharp down turn of the economy). I thought this was comical so I had to share it.

Beginnings

Well, this is my first post, I guess let me explain my title, I know that I have many logs in my eye's and I want to let that be known...I have opinions on things and life which I plan to let loose here, but I also hope this will be a place people can come and respectfully challenge me on those thoughts and ideas. Jesus is at the center of my life, he and his upside down kingdom has screwed my life all up. I never thought that I would be a christian since I was young or at least not one like the ones that were visiable to me, but then I started to dig into christ and he reveled what I belive is the heart of christ, the things that I have belived my whole life, that life is love and God is love. So please enjoy and post on...As for personal stuff concerning me, I live and love in Winslow Ar, with my amazing family(my wife, Candice, sons Sol, 9, and Arlo, 3, and daughters Ivy, 8, and Aley, 5)