January 25th, 2012
uummmmm, hello?? Mirror?? Come on now…North Dakota is looking pretty good for vacation this year :/
(Source: sup3rficial)
Reblogged from January 25th, 2012
Things I Don’t Understand:
Things I don’t understand; Rev Jesse Jackson… you make money in keeping racial tensions alive, you cloak divisive rhetoric in calm slippery words, and you invoke the name of Rev Martin Luther King, yet you do nothing to further his dream, which as I understand it was to make all men (and women) equal, that we live in a country that does not see color…so why do you keep crying “race” every time your mug gets on a TV somewhere? Isn’t it possible that sometimes an “issue” is simply a “human issue”? Can a problem exist because we are people in general? I can’t help but wonder every time I hear you speak, would our country be so divided if people like you, of every color, were simply ignored? What if every time you stepped off a plane you were met be a crowd of all colors that said, “No thank you.” How can a person with the title of “Rev.” be so incredibly divisive - yet present it as though your doing the African American community a favor? You do accomplish one thing, for me anyway…I pray that God will soften my heart, that I will truly identify and let go of any biases I may have based on anything other than the behavior I witness. Then I pray that God will give me a forgiving heart, eyes and words of grace, and words of restoration.
Posted: 5 days ago
January 18th, 2012
No title…
I’m not really sure who reads what’s on this thing…I get asked a lot of “why” questions; I guess it comes with the territory of my career, a pastor for those that don’t know. The thing is, I honestly don’t have answers for most of the people that ask. Sure, I can answer the occasional Bible-based questions that are pretty standard, but what I can’t answer are the “Life-questions”. For example, “Why did this happen?” “Why me?” and other similar type questions, receive from me a sheepish, “I don’t know.” Should I? I mean, am I SUPPOSED to know and have the answer in some meaningful way for each of those that ask?
While this kind of struggle exist in some part for everyone, every once in a while we get the privilege of meeting a person that seems to be completely at peace with such questions. I currently have the privilege of knowing several of these kinds of people. These people, and believe me are, truly rare. Though a lot of people try, mostly that piece is an exterior facade. A lot of people know Nadine and Charlie, they are hard to ignore because of their generosity, constant smiles (singing and whistling from Charlie), and the ever-present desire of Nadine to put everyone on a bike. But to really know Nadine and Charlie is to know two people that do not ask the “why” questions about them selves. A lot of people know Nadine and Charlie, but I bet there are very few who can articulate that they have not often, if at all, have heard either of them ask the proverbial “life-question”. To put it simply, they are not complainers.
A couple of years ago, a lady in a store somewhere remembered that another lady stopped in with a little boy that just happened to LOVE all things bikes. One day out of the blue, that bike store lady called to give my son the opportunity of a life time - to go out and hang out and ride with some real-life BMX pros!! She remembered the lady with the kid, found the number, and called. From that day to this, I have learned that Nadine (and now Charlie) are two of the most self-less people I think I have yet to meet. So, I say all that to say this…the only answer I have in this life is like the Priest in the movie Rudy said; “There are two things I’m sure of…1. There is a God, and 2. it’s not me.” I can add a third thing I know, God has blessed me and my family with the privilege of friendship of Charlie, Nadine, and all their kids!
True strength of character is the person that can honestly admit that they can not do life on their own, everyone needs help. I believe in my friends. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe God wants us to pray for each other regardless of whatever circumstance we and our friends find themselves. Fears come and fears go. To be able to to say “Today I’m content” is an astounding statement because so few of us can say it AND mean it.
Today, Nadine and Charlie have a long day ahead, so do their boys. If you believe in prayer, would you be willing to pray for them? For strength mostly, I guess. They did not ask me to write this, and Nadine will tell you to pray for her boys…indeed, always a Mom.
Posted: 1 week ago
November 10th, 2011
Freedom
Freedom. What does that word bring to your mind? Do you think of politics? The “Arab Spring”? Taxes? Some religious definition? For many of us, “freedom” is nothing more than an academic exercise in arguing. What is true freedom? At this point I will lose a lot of people, but I believe a true understanding of what freedom really is, is found in the person of Jesus. Yes, I had to go “there”; to a religious-churchy place…this is a blog on a church web-page after all…
Reading the book “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand (also wrote Seabiscuit) gives a whole new prospective on freedom. The book is the account of the Olympic runner Louis Zamperini and his WW II experience in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. More than that, it’s the story of how Louis became free from the horror of his own memory. The book does not bash the Japanese, quite the opposite, it tells of the incredible bravery of two towns that joined forces to erect a moment to the fallen, very moving.
Freedom. For Louis Zamperini it is not a word for academic discussion on past slavery, current day politics, or whatever else we may use the word for. For Louis, freedom is the result of him honoring a commitment he made to God while floating in the middle of the ocean for almost a month. Unlike many, Louis fulfilled that promise, “God, if you get me out of this, I will give you my life.” Little did he know just how profoundly that in-the-heat-of-the-moment promise would change his life. It didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen – profoundly! It’s almost difficult to believe, to be honest, but it did; and Louis Zampirini is still alive today because of that fulfilled promise. Freedom, what does the word really mean for you?
Posted: 2 months ago
September 20th, 2011
God’s Way?
While reading an adventure novel I think I stumbled on a perfect example of faith. The author, Chris Kuzneski, has the hero of Sign Of The Cross, say, “… the preposterous often turns out to be the most profitable.” Now, if that doesn’t sound like God’s way of doing things, then maybe you haven’t read the Bible, or just simply haven’t paid attention while you read.
We’re coming to Palm Sunday and Easter. When was the last time you actually thought about the whole religious side of Easter – I mean really thought about it? Jesus, the One and only Son of the living God, dying a torturous and incredibly painful death of me… is it possible to fully absorb that reality and not be somewhat knocked off your feet? When you combine Jesus’ death and resurrection with the Christmas story; a pregnant virgin, an accepting husband, a very long journey (two actually), and attempted murder – the whole idea seems absolutely preposterous! But that’s the way God chose to do it.
There are other examples of God doing things in preposterous ways. Remember the story of Joshua conquering the city of Jericho? They were to conquer the city by walking around it in complete silence seven times, and then simply shout. Shouting to win a war sounds a little preposterous, yet it was definitely profitable. Moses and the burning bush? Abraham, Samson, and what about David vs. Goliath? All preposterous, illogical, against the odds, yet very profitable outcomes.
What about Jesus leaving the responsibility of changing of the world in the hands of twelve of the most ordinary guys you could possibly find? If that’s not a preposterous idea, I don’t know what is – yet it has been extremely profitable and generations of people have been changed in profound ways for thousands of years.
Back to the whole Easter thing, God choose a preposterous way to restore you and me to Himself; back to life the way it was designed to be – free. That’s the profit, it’s not money, it’s your freedom, its life (not the action of living – but really experiencing life). What a preposterous act so that you could profoundly profit – have you?
Posted: 4 months ago
September 9th, 2011
9-11 Memorial
9-11; it’s been ten years. Hard to believe that defining event was ten years ago; a decade has passed. The little kids in that class room with President Bush that day, are Seniors in High School. Over the years everything that can be said about that day, the days leading up to it, and all the days and events since has been said a hundred times. So, what do we say now? Ten years later, is there anything left to say? Is there anything left to do? All the “sermonizing” in the world will accomplish nothing. All the political posturing and political correctness has done little except make everyone paranoid to speak. So, we here at Rose City Church of the Nazarene do the most effective thing anyone can do - we choose to pray. We pray for all that remain, all that lost family, friends, and co-workers. We pray for all our national leaders. We pray for peace. In doing that, we find and choose to live in and with a endless hope. We firmly reject the hopelessness that is verbalized by so many. We believe in God. We believe that peace is possible. And we say with firm conviction, and humble hearts; may God truly bless America.
Posted: 4 months ago
August 22nd, 2011
Who Is Jesus?
Who is Jesus? Such a simple question; when typed into a Google search it returns more than four hundred million returns. When you start to read some of those returns, they range from openly evangelistic to open hostility against the entire notion of Jesus. Some claim that Jesus the man, the human being simply never existed and is nothing more than a myth made up for the purpose of a “religious figure”. Many web sites, books, churches, and individuals believe Jesus to be the Son of God that came in human form for the express purpose of saving the human race. Having grown up in “the church,” I’ve always found the words “being saved” rather interesting. As an adult with a lot of years of study, I have a pretty good idea of what most people mean. But I can’t help but wonder if the church’s language is one of the reasons for the fierce resistance to Jesus that we experience.
Put another way, we (the church) believe that Jesus came to save us, and a large part of that saving is from ourselves. Selfishness has a very high price tag. That said it really doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the resistance to the question, who is Jesus? To be honest, I find the ducking, dodging and open hostility kind of puzzling. If your answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” is “Nothing,” or “Not much,” then what’s the big deal? Why is there so much energy to prove he didn’t exist and so much “negative passion” against the whole notion? I could be wrong, but had I not grown up in the church, just the level of resistance alone would make me want to look into it (or him). I find it interesting that all the people that so passionately deny Jesus don’t seem to realize that their resistance is sort of “proof” that there is (or was) something to this question.
That “something” will always be the center of the century’s long debate on Jesus. But it is also that “something” that each of us has to reconcile in the question, “Who Is Jesus?” Don’t be fooled, even Jesus’ disciples didn’t get a pass on this on.
Posted: 5 months ago
August 16th, 2011
Immigration - get it right, please…
Immigration - when did Immigration go from an issue of national security of The United States of America to being all about hating Mexicans? What? Are we really seriously calling people who want the law followed, racist? So, when “you” cross in to Canada to illegally by hash (pot) as many young Americans do, is the arresting officer a racist? Or is he simply upholding the law? If you get back across the “line” into the U.S. high and get arrested, is that officer a racist because he/she upheld the law? Absurd, you say? Indeed! So, it is with our current Immigration discussion - but only as it applies to the Southern border. Oh yea, and to anyone claiming to be Muslim. We have forgotten the law. Those annoying things that govern any society, that strive to maintain order, and yes, sometimes get abused and used as weapons against people. The Law. I wasn’t aware that we had the option of ignoring it. Unless, of course your a politician or are coming up from Mexico. There I said it. No, I’m not a racist. I love the Mexican culture, and as an American citizen I welcome any and all LEGAL immigrants. But why am I branded a “racist” because I want ILLEGAL immigration stopped? Do I not have the right to want all reasonable laws followed? I have many Hispanic friends, been to parties, and have been warmly and lovingly welcomed by many Hispanics - that is not at issue. The Law. Someone said I have to walk in their shoes to understand. I respectfully disagree. As a taxpayer who pays 1/3 of my annual income to health insurance, cannot get my son covered because some Dr somewhere wrote “asthma” in his chart, have to be careful what I buy, eat, cut coupons, drive old cars, scrimp and cut every possible corner to pay for gas, food, and utilities…who is walking in MY shoes? My son breaks him arm and I literally wait hours in the ER because illegals are using it as a Dr’s office - yes, it is true. I truly wonder who needs to walk in whose shoes? I have no real proof, but from what I hear there are tens of thousands of people in the exact same boat as me - struggling. Frustrated. To be clear - NOT at the illegals, at the government that is taking my hard earned money and giving it, in large sums, to people that according to the law, should be on their way home, to whatever country they came here from; illegally. We have Political Asylum for those that are persecuted. I watch my city flagrantly violate Federal Law to set up illegal immigrants (NOT “undocumented workers” because they do NOT pay taxes - that is a lie) with illegal jobs. What? I listen to politicians make NO sense. President Clinton makes Regime change (in Iraq) a matter of U.S. law. Nearly every Democrat supported that move. A Republican President (Bush) followed that law and the very same Democrats went nuts demanding impeachment. For following the law? What? Immigration. It is a matter of law, period. The question is not where they are from, or what color is their skin. The question is to US - are we going to follow our own law? If not, we now MUST ask what other laws are we willing to ignore. We find ourselves in a very dangerous position of now playing “life-boat”, when we should have been following the law. If you’ve made it this far, anyone that knows me knows I’m not a racist. But the way people react to this issue while at the same time ignoring the realities of struggling legal Americans is astounding.
Posted: 5 months ago
August 6th, 2011
Questions…
Questions; ever had the experience of a kid you don’t know ask a barrage of personally intrusive questions without ever stopping? You look at the oblivious parents with a pleading look for help, and it goes right over their head. The only thing possibly more annoying than the kid is when an adult, that has no sense of personal boundaries, does exactly the same thing as the annoying kid! We all face a multitude of questions every single day. From what we wear to what we do for the rest of our lives; is all the result of questions that we have asked ourselves.
There are a lot of questions that many of us desperately try to avoid; questions of character, belief, and deeper ones about the kind and type of life that we want versus the life we actually have. These are defining questions. Which pair of shoes I wear is rarely a “defining moment”, whereas my actions (or lack thereof) in accordance with what I say I believe, is a defining moment. But this isn’t about what you do or do not do, it’s about the questions.
The kind and type of questions we are willing to ask ourselves is the single greatest determining factor in the quality of our lives. Superficial questions = superficial life with no real meaning. So, what are the meaningful questions that lead us to a deeper, meaningful life? The current series Five Questions That Will Determine Your Destiny looks at the main characters in the process of Jesus’ birth and the questions they had to face; they are the same questions that face us today.
Posted: 5 months ago
July 14th, 2011
GROW UP, PLEASE….
Can our President and Congress please GROW UP?!? I mean, seriously…are these adults or Middle Schoolers (no insult intended to my Middle school peeps - you could probably get the job done). STOP trying to “win” for your stupid politics and actually consider the American people! They can’t solve anything because they are all so stinkin’ rich, they know NOTHING of everyday life in the REAL world.
Posted: 6 months ago
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If you are interested in what comes from my brain (good luck), you can find it here. I think I have "enabled" the ability for people to respond or give an opinion. Please be nice and respectful to everyone that posts. I hope everyone contributes, and please be patient as I learn how this works.
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