the paradox of "my life"

I've been reading Hebrews 11-12 for the past few weeks.

I don't know if I should be excited or convicted, but it lit a fire under me. It's like I've never heard the message before. It all seems so new to me.

The great cloud of witnesses; the great people that came before us; the pioneers of the faith. They united together under the banner of God, and their lives call us to unite.

Check out 11:39-40

Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lived of faith not complete apart from ours.

Our faith is not my faith. I am not an island. I am not on my own. I am part of a community of faith. a community that I am responsible to and for. A community that I am accountable to. A unified body with a unified mission. Apart from the community I am not whole; am not complete; am missing something; am not me.

How does "my" life fit in to the vision of the Christ. I guess it doesn't. Only a life surrendered to him can fit into his vision. My life is not my own. It belongs to Christ. It belongs to the community.

My Life: a paradox

think about it

complaining

A pastor that I admire once said: If you have a problem with this person, and a problem with that person, and a problem with this other person, then maybe your the problem.

Makes me think.

If I get frustrated or irritated with something or someone, can it be justified? can I get frustrated or irritated? Am I free to do that? Is that part of the the deal when Christ came to set us free?

Can compassion ever run out. Should it? Mine is low. Christmas break took alot out (several reasons). Is it possible to be full of compassion for someone for so long despite how they treat you. to take all their abuse and still look at them with love and hope that they will see and receive your love freely. Is it possible to be full of compassion for those people, but then have the source of that compassion, the Father, cut it dry?

I can't figure out if it's me being petty, or the Father saying "ok, Jason, you'd taken it long enough, they've had every opportunity to see it, now it's time to step back, hand them over to their evil desires and move on."

I'm really tore up about this. Prayer would be needed.

Thanks for the compassion in reading this. I receive what I am unable/unwilling to give. You are being Christ to me.

everything is new again...even his mercies

We arrive back in Kansas on Thursday night from our visit to the maritimes with the DeRoche Family. It was good to be home.

As our plane took off from Halifax and ascended into the afternoon sky, I once again was gripped by God's confidence in his creation. He has given us everything.

I am always amazed when I fly, that such a large, heavy hunk of steel, loaded with several people, can fly.

As the distance between us and the ground grew, I found myself pondering on a crash. I know it's back luck to think of such things, but there I was thinking about it. I wasn't afraid. I looked around the plane and wondered if there were others thinking the very same thing. I wondered if they felt the same peace as I.

That being the context, I sit here reflecting on a good friend...a great friend...a blessing from the Father.

4 years at Bethany. The first being very trying, I'm sure. But still she remains faithful. Still she pursues greatness. Still she thirsts for righteousness.

I too thirst, which tells me I have not been drinking from the fount of living water.

Lor/Mitch...I miss coffee and Jesus. I remember the day we sat down and I realized that you got it. My heart lept. My soul rested easy.

Good times. God Times.

I feel new again...bathed in fresh mercies

...another reason why Canada is a great place...

http://www.thetoque.com/030429/hockeymobile.htm


follow this link. This is the lenghts the Canadian Governement will go to ensure the preservartion of our culture.

oh Canada!

all about Jesus...

The Christmas story. What kid, who has somewhat grown up in the church, hasn't heard the Christmas story of the shepherds watching their sheep by night, the magi travelling from afar bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, the angels proclaiming the good news and peace on earth...

It's a great story, even if we stick to those parts...

But there's more...so much more...

I met with Mark Puett this past week as we teamed up to prepare our lessons (props to Amy Rasmussen and Surf City for the model). Mark lit a fire under me and we started to talk about why this night was such a big deal.

For thousands of years, since Genesis chapter 3, the people of God had been waiting for their Messiah (expected deliverer), for Immanuel (God with us). Imaging waiting that long for something that you not only want, but desperately need.

That night, the night the Word became flesh, had been anticipated for. People had waiting and waited for their Christ to arrive. Their's was a life without Jesus, without an ambassador to the Father.

We are so spoiled. We have always had Jesus. We have always lived in a world where the veil is torn.

What are we anticipating? What "big night" are we waiting for?

The Jews played the waiting game, waiting for their savior to come and free them. We wait for his return, but we don't play the waiting game. We do not sit idle, looking at the sky, wondering when he will return. We keep busy. We "never tire of doing what is right" (2 Thess 3:13). We "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matt 28:19).

I'm anticipating the harvest. We work the fields with diligence. We prepare, we pray, we invite, we pray, we minister and we pray. We sow the seeds into the hearts of the people and hope that the soil is good.

I'm anticipating the harvest.

calling on CSI fans/freaks

In a few weeks, we're holding a lock-in for our 5th & 6th graders. the theme they picked was a CSI night. So my thought was to do something like a nurder mystery, but make it like an episode of CSI.

I need ideas for:

the crime
the victim
the suspects
the evidence

let the brain juice flow friends..

give me what you got..

thanks

our desire to be known

Someone once said to me we, as people, desire to know and be known.

I've been reflecting on that today.

On Thursday I experience my very first Kansas "ice day". In a Kansas winter, it's warm enough during the day to melt all the snow and ice, but right around supper time, the temp drops and all this fresh water freezes into a clear sheet of ice. I, with my newly purchased minivan, was exiting our church parking lot, broken traction, slid down the inclined parking lot, smashing into the curb causing, oh over $2500 in damage. My very first insurance claim ever! Congrats are in order.

Now this isn't an overly traumatic experience. In fact it wasn't that bad, except for the deductible I need to pay. But there is this thorn in my side, a compelling feeling to share this experience with people in my life. No one has asked “hey where’s your van?”, or “been in any interesting accidents lately?” I just offer up the information.

I’m starting to see that pattern in my life. I freely offer up information. I once thought my motives for doing so what that I so hated it when people withheld information (since info is power), that I decided that I would not do that to people…make them wonder what’s going on. And that may be part of it, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s because of my desire to be known.

Is that why I surround myself with people all the time? Is this the motivation for writing books, or giving lectures, or even blogging?

If I share less, I protect myself, I get that. The more everything hangs out the more it will get stomped on. I learned that this week with the “Canadian” in America.

Where is the balance of being guarded and being open? What’s the line between being transparent but not letting them see everything?

John Symonds used to say: “Let them know you have feet made of clay, but don’t let them see your feet.” He never said how this is accomplished. I wonder if it truly is.