The fam & I are off to Frankfurt - & would appreciate your prayers - for health, safety in travels, favor with the people & good connections for all of us.
Blessings to you & see you soon!
scoey-d
The day after thanksgiving means that there is not much to do but eat whatever grub is leftover from the feast the day before, and watch episodes from Season 1 of Stargate SG-1. We're (ok, I'm) not really into shopping or crowds, so I have about as much desire to go find some great deals at the mall today, as I would to go play in the shark tank at Sea World wearing a halibut swimsuit. (Translation: not very much desire to shop)
I believe that my inactivity today has helped with digestion of the mass quantities of nourishment that were consumed - esp. the cheesecake that was O So Good, topped with cherries to boot. Frog-eye salad. Fruit & yogurt parfait. Stuffing with gravy. Good times.
25 November 2005
This is my dog - yes I have a dog, & he is a lab puppy born in June, so he's bigger than his photo shows...
His name is Moby Richard, partially after the techno master, partially after the book of a remarkable similar name written by Melville...
Why Moby Richard? Because my kids didn't think the other would be appropriate.
22 November 2005
Not a George Michael song. Pondering Galatians 6:7-10 - still. Asking:
At what point does the concept of "liberty" or freedom in the life of the Christ-follower merely become a license for compromise and sin? How close to the edge can I stand, still believing that somehow, someway, I'm "strong enough" to not be adversely affected by the behaviors, thought patterns, & entertainment choices I indulge in?
Is it possible that the longer I stand close to the edge, the less likely I am to be able to really tell if I'm in a spot of danger? I think this may be the case, as desensitization often results from repeated exposures (frog in the kettle, foot in the ice-bucket...)
maybe this is where the being open to another person's insight into my life would be helpful, as what has become normal for me might be truly seen as a destructive & deadly habit, pattern, practice by someone who is not as "used to" death-(sin) defying behaviors.
How can I nurture an attitude that is open to input from others & doesn't respond in a 'counter-attack' of self-justification when somebody points out my pet behavior/indulgence?
At what point does the concept of "liberty" or freedom in the life of the Christ-follower merely become a license for compromise and sin? How close to the edge can I stand, still believing that somehow, someway, I'm "strong enough" to not be adversely affected by the behaviors, thought patterns, & entertainment choices I indulge in?
Is it possible that the longer I stand close to the edge, the less likely I am to be able to really tell if I'm in a spot of danger? I think this may be the case, as desensitization often results from repeated exposures (frog in the kettle, foot in the ice-bucket...)
maybe this is where the being open to another person's insight into my life would be helpful, as what has become normal for me might be truly seen as a destructive & deadly habit, pattern, practice by someone who is not as "used to" death-(sin) defying behaviors.
How can I nurture an attitude that is open to input from others & doesn't respond in a 'counter-attack' of self-justification when somebody points out my pet behavior/indulgence?
15 November 2005
I've been reading in Acts 26, which details Paul's incarceration & the many times he was called before kings and judges to give account of why he was under persecution. It got me to thinking about the following:
Trials of many kinds, for Paul, included:
Physical - shows up in beatings, suffering, grueling travel
Mental - being mocked, rejected, & despised by those closest to his heart
Spiritual - opposition of the devil, thorn in the flesh
Actual - standing trial, held in jail for years, even though no crime was committed
Still, all of it happened to point people to God, & to get the message of the good news out & about & throughout the Empire. Maybe it was easier for Paul to take because he knew it was coming - the first interaction he had with Christ was in Act 9 where he discovered how much he would suffer for the name of Jesus... maybe it was because he grasped the fact that living on purpose for Christ, regardless of the pain required to do so, was well worth it...
It seems like Paul could have avoided his imprisonment & at least some of the suffering, (Acts 21:10-14) but chose instead to go on with his God-given mission, enduring "trials of many kinds" because of the promised prize at the end of his race.
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Trials of many kinds, for Paul, included:
Physical - shows up in beatings, suffering, grueling travel
Mental - being mocked, rejected, & despised by those closest to his heart
Spiritual - opposition of the devil, thorn in the flesh
Actual - standing trial, held in jail for years, even though no crime was committed
Still, all of it happened to point people to God, & to get the message of the good news out & about & throughout the Empire. Maybe it was easier for Paul to take because he knew it was coming - the first interaction he had with Christ was in Act 9 where he discovered how much he would suffer for the name of Jesus... maybe it was because he grasped the fact that living on purpose for Christ, regardless of the pain required to do so, was well worth it...
It seems like Paul could have avoided his imprisonment & at least some of the suffering, (Acts 21:10-14) but chose instead to go on with his God-given mission, enduring "trials of many kinds" because of the promised prize at the end of his race.
10 November 2005
An excerpt from Kyle Lake's last sermon read at his funeral.
"Live. And Live Well. BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now. On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.
If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE. Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.
If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash well.
Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed. If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all… because soon he’ll be wiping his own.
If you’ve recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And Grieve well. At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift."
"Live. And Live Well. BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now. On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.
If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE. Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.
If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash well.
Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed. If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all… because soon he’ll be wiping his own.
If you’ve recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And Grieve well. At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift."
08 November 2005
Some questions just don't come with an easy answer - looking at the death of Kyle Lake (see previous post,) I've been struggling to attempt to wrap my brain around it. No good. Can't do it - maybe I don't need to.
I'm praying for his wife & kids - that when they go to church, it's not just associated with the place husband/dad died, but is a place where wholeness & completeness can be found in Christ; that the waters of baptism will be a place of new life, & leaving the old man behind.
Enough for now. You are God in heaven, and here am I on earth, so I'll let my words be few. paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 5:2
Once I was young, now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken, nor seen their children begging for bread Psalm 37:25
Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-- this is God, whose dwelling is holy Psalm 68:5
I'm praying for his wife & kids - that when they go to church, it's not just associated with the place husband/dad died, but is a place where wholeness & completeness can be found in Christ; that the waters of baptism will be a place of new life, & leaving the old man behind.
Enough for now. You are God in heaven, and here am I on earth, so I'll let my words be few. paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 5:2
Once I was young, now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken, nor seen their children begging for bread Psalm 37:25
Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-- this is God, whose dwelling is holy Psalm 68:5
02 November 2005
I know that water & electricity don't mix - but from personal experience, its not like that is what you're thinking about while doing a baptism... the life-change that is represented, the joy of the new birth symbolized in baptism, that's what is at the forefront of thought, that & sharing the moment with loved ones. Plus, a microphone doesn't "seem" electrified... it breaks my heart.
Pastor electrocuted while performing baptism
WACO, Texas (AP) -- A pastor performing a baptism was electrocuted inside his church Sunday morning when he adjusted a nearby microphone while standing in water, a church employee said.
The Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was stepping into the baptistery as he reached out for the microphone, which produced an electric shock, said University Baptist Church community pastor Ben Dudley.
Water in a baptistery usually reaches above the waist, said Byron Weathersbee, interim university chaplain at Baylor University.
Lake was pronounced dead at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, nursing supervisor Pat Mahl said. The woman being baptized apparently had not stepped into the water and was not seriously injured.
Pastors at University Baptist Church routinely use a microphone during baptisms, said Jamie Dudley, the wife of Ben Dudley and a business administrator at the church.
"He was grabbing the microphone so everyone could hear," she said. "It's the only way you can be loud enough."
About 800 people attended the morning service, which was larger than normal because it was homecoming weekend at nearby Baylor University, Dudley said.
Lake had been at the church for nine years, the last seven as pastor. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer, a 5-year-old daughter and two 3-year-old sons.
At a remembrance attended by about 1,000 people Sunday night at First Baptist Church, Ben Dudley told the UBC congregation that they would move forward as a church.
"I don't know how, when, why, where or what's going to happen, but we will continue as a church in the community because that is what Kyle would have wanted," he said.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Pastor electrocuted while performing baptism
WACO, Texas (AP) -- A pastor performing a baptism was electrocuted inside his church Sunday morning when he adjusted a nearby microphone while standing in water, a church employee said.
The Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was stepping into the baptistery as he reached out for the microphone, which produced an electric shock, said University Baptist Church community pastor Ben Dudley.
Water in a baptistery usually reaches above the waist, said Byron Weathersbee, interim university chaplain at Baylor University.
Lake was pronounced dead at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, nursing supervisor Pat Mahl said. The woman being baptized apparently had not stepped into the water and was not seriously injured.
Pastors at University Baptist Church routinely use a microphone during baptisms, said Jamie Dudley, the wife of Ben Dudley and a business administrator at the church.
"He was grabbing the microphone so everyone could hear," she said. "It's the only way you can be loud enough."
About 800 people attended the morning service, which was larger than normal because it was homecoming weekend at nearby Baylor University, Dudley said.
Lake had been at the church for nine years, the last seven as pastor. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer, a 5-year-old daughter and two 3-year-old sons.
At a remembrance attended by about 1,000 people Sunday night at First Baptist Church, Ben Dudley told the UBC congregation that they would move forward as a church.
"I don't know how, when, why, where or what's going to happen, but we will continue as a church in the community because that is what Kyle would have wanted," he said.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
01 November 2005
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
