Chancey3w's Xanga

Monday, June 13, 2005

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:32:27 GMT

Well, whod'a thunk it? I'm BACK!!! IF my name was Johnny Carson or a pscytsophrenic named Jack Nicholson i'd say, "Here's Johnny!" But i'm not and I'm not that cheesy. Or, i guess I am.

It is crazy that when it gets busy we tend to gloss over all things contemplative. I don't really know why this is. I am an avid journal writer. Plus i do xanga to boot. When my mind gets jumbled and all the thoughts scooting through there get hard to manage, i write. And, just like the Pensieve in Harry potter my mind is calmed and I am able to think clearer and more objectively. So, why is it that when I get "Too busy," i forget my own therapy? Ah, well, the point is I have taken it up again.

I was thinking. For some weird reason, I have always desired the monasatic life. Not in the brown tunic, chanting, and loving bugs type thing, but in the serious way. You know, you spend your time reading, writing, thinking, praying (talking and contemplative prayer) working with your hands, doing acts of Christian service; this is your life.

But alas, this culture will not allow it. We must work to pay off our debt. So we do. But is there a way to live a type of new monastisism. This being that you do all those things every day, you read, you write you think, pray, and spend time in contemplative prayer, and Christian service. When you work, ie. Jamba Juice, this is your work for the day. I guess this is what I signed up for when I became a follower of Christ, it is just that i need to truly dedicate myself to all these things.

Monday, May 09, 2005

Mon, 09 May 2005 03:00:40 GMT

It is funny when you feel like you run out of things to write about and instead you just live life. Sometimes i get caught up in, what I fell like, is more talking and less doing. I always talk about trusting God, but when it comes to me actually doing it it gets a little uncomfortable. For instance, a lot has went on since last april. I graduated college, left 2 churches, moved 6 times (CRAZY), and worred more than I should. Just when i hit the end of my rope and desperatly cry out to God, he provides. He did. Just another way that He proves His faithfulness to me (2 Tim 2:13) and why i will serve Him the rest of my life.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Wed, 27 Apr 2005 17:08:35 GMT

Ok, so that last post kinda sucked. You win some. You loose some. But while on the topic of doing ministry, has anyone thought of a new innovative way of doing church services? I have heard of some cool ones involving things like having the band play from the back while the focal point during singing is some sort of projected images on a screen. Or having services in complete silence having people meditate and contemplate different things around the room: crosses, flowers, lighting candles for different prayer requests, having a bunch of scripture flashing around the room. You know, stuff like that.

I am of the mindset that we can use ancient disciplines in our modern (or post-modern =-)) lives. Things like the Jesus prayer, or the Centering prayer, prayer beads, days of silence and solitude.

What do my friends in the Xangopolis think?

Monday, April 25, 2005

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 11:05:04 GMT

I was reading through last years journal and found some pretty interesting entries. What I found most entertaining is how sarcastic I can get sometimes. Imakamelaugh!!!!

Anyway, here is one I found that I thought some people would find interesting

_________________________________________________________

I have heard people say that Children's ministry is going to be in the next few years what Youth Ministry was in the early to mid nineties. Children's ministry is about to take off.

It makes sense. SHould we just send our children off to learn "Bible Stories" from an underpaid, (Or no pay at all), burned out, overworked volunteer? Of Course not!

It seems that we might actually be making progress in reaching our world. It use to be a "Staunch Adultism" where we don't change our methods but keep doing things that worked, or never did work, for our parents. But Children's ministry and Youth Ministry is forcing many of us in a different direction. Reason being is the very essence of what Children and older students are about. Youth culture changes RAPIDLY. We, therefore, must change with it. Adopt and Act. Look, listen, learn, adapt, act.

Slowly but surely youth ministry mindsets will take over. Due to the people with oldschool mentalities dying off or they will actually see that our methods work. Either way, I see this Youth ministry mindset being used to minister to adults.

It is said that if we do not reach someone by the age of 18, statistics are aginst us reaching them with the truth about Christ. I think, however that this stat is about people and methods of what i said earlier, "Staunch Adultism." If we neve adapt and change our methods why should people be reached by the Gospel. They won't connect with it. Half the time i don't conect with peoples methods. Do we not care enough to present a relavant message?

Because of teh YMIN mindset this stat will change redically in the next ten to twenty years. The reason being because of teh lessons learned from adapting and acting. More people will come to Christ in their 20's, 30's, 40's, etc. than ever before! It is not going to be because parents, society, or anything else programmed them this way but because we got over ourselves and they connected to Christ.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 21:26:53 GMT

tears stream down my face
like contrails in the sky
telling the world of my sorrow inside

That pretty much sums up my weekend.

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Sat, 09 Apr 2005 17:32:34 GMT

New Found Loves

What is the premise of new love? I do not find that they are things we harp on, day and night, trying to figure them out. I understand now that when it comes to small, subtle loves that they do not come from painful trials or contemplatice exercises. They just come about. Routine if you will. One day while strolling along, long lost in thought, you see a picturesque person sitting on a park bench reading Charles Dickens and you think, "I wonder if that book is any good?" So, out of pure curiosity you buy it, read it, and love it. You then pick up another book, this time by a different author. A year goes by and now you wouldn't know what to do with yourself if you did not have a book in hand.

WIth my hustle and bustle lifestyle I don't know how I even find time to read much less just spend time with my dog. Once again, however, routine has settled in and taken controll. Somehow, by the Grace of God i think, I have turned small things like taking her outside to do her business into something much more. These necesities, routines, have turned into events that I look forward to; not to see business being attended to but because now a 2 minute exercise has turned into a 30 minute walk. This routine I now find theraputic, fun, and highly entertaining. In fact, last night, Cali (that's my dog) and I were walking with Chili (My old roommate whom i use to regularly have to walk as well...he he he) and Cali bolts after a poor, helpless little bunny like a bat out of hell! There was no stopping her, so, as the saying goes, "If you can't beat them, Join them." Join her I did. We chased our prey for a solid minute of dead sprint. We lost, but man we sure held our own.

What i am saying is that, in my daily life, I wonder what routine i am overlooking, or neglecting, that could be something tremendously exciting. We all have these little jewls in our life yet we never see them. I need to open my eyes more.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Sun, 03 Apr 2005 03:23:47 GMT

I write my deepest fears,

things I loath, things I do not want to be,

upon private paper hoping no one sees.

But alas, see they will.

And when they do, for all men's fears are found,

two eyes will show more eyes and all will know me.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Tue, 29 Mar 2005 23:04:43 GMT

Don't you hate it when instant gratification fails you? Honestly. I went to buy a book at the place that is suppose to have every book in the world, Barns and Noble, and not only did they not have it, NONE OF THEM IN THE WHOLE METROPLEX HAVE IT! So, if you have "Improvise" by Mick Napier, please let me know where you bought it.

From now on, I dedicate my life, my well being, my first born son, in order that Borders will prevail over this fallen Bookselling Tycoon. "Borders, here I come!"

Oh, and has anyone ever read "House of Leaves?" I heard it was amazing. Let me know.

Monday, March 28, 2005

Mon, 28 Mar 2005 22:03:40 GMT

I LOVE BRIENNA...

SHE IS MY FAVORITE PERSON...

SHE IS SO AWESOME....SOO SOOOO AWESOME.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Tue, 22 Mar 2005 13:46:25 GMT

Saints are often known by their eccentricities. Two for example: Saint Francis of Assisi talked to animals and purposfully became a beggar. Mother Theresa hugged the dying, filthy, outcasts. Most people sit in this moment of history and judge them as untouchable fables of long ago, when in reality they know nothing about the time period, the circumstances, and the events that made the saints the way they were.

In reading a book on St. Francis G. K. Chesterton writes that the life of a Saint is a Challenge to the modern world. (That being the very selfish, industrial, buisness, money driven, politically slanted Church.) I want to take that step further and say that the life of a saint is a model to the Post modern world (The Church and world that is Relational, experience craving, truth seeking, information overloaded, rebellious against "big" anything, except Starbucks of course, rebellious against "they way things have always been done" mentality,). Saints like Francis and Mother Theresa loved with a love hardly ever matched. They gave their lives to an idea. An idea that a single person was more important than saving face. An idea that giving of their time and possesions and love was more important than the all mighty dollar. An idea that said that this world could not hold them and they were going to do what they thought was right. An idea that in turn ended up in helping millions and impacting lives still today.

Now, post modernism, or post christian, or whatever you want to call it, is out there. It is truly hard to define. We are on the edge; the begining. This may sound like a cop out, but it is true. Is it hard for a person drenched in "Modernity" to live a life of a Saint? Probably. Is that bad? No. They must have controll. They must have their lifeless litergy (whether that be Catholic or Assemblies of God. Yes the AG does have liturgy). They must have their business, industrial type Church. It is what is drilled in their heads. But Post moderns see the model of St. Francis and jump at the idea. He left everything knowing that God was in controll, not him. (WHat truly is controll? Is it the mechanistic type controll that we received from the industrial revolution? Or is it sometihng else entirely?) He lived out a model the Christ laid before HIm. He breathed life into words that, just on a page, are meaningless. Instead of supporting a building or a corporation he focused on individuals.

This is a rant, I know. All i am saying is that we need to take a look into lives of those who have gone before us. Understand what they are all about. Take the lessons we can learn and apply them. Who knows, we might even be inspired.