Currently Listening Some Devil By Dave Matthews see related

A day of antibiotics and duke getting beat!!!

Unfortunately I am off work for 2 days due to my present illness. It sucks but hey I am watching Duke lose with my sister and James and it rocks so it makes up for all the sickness.

Not much has changed really just working and such. Work got a little crazy because they fired my boss so my job got a little more hectic. I still love it though.

Well I am home for the next few days with nothing to do so if your bored email or heck just call my number is 740207 7566. I know you're not supposed to put your number on the interent but who cares.

Later people. Don't be strangers.

Currently Listening Horse of a Different Color By Big & Rich see related

Well, I can't believe but I am actually updating after only a 3 day break. Not much is happening around here just working and such. Although, my niece is in from Georgia and she is absolutely beautiful. Yes, I spoiled her for Christmas but there is nothing like hearing her say that I am her favorite uncle. It warms my heart. I just wish we could hang out all the time. She is five and absolutely smart! I am ashamed to admit it but I lost to her in Memory and I even played by the rules. I pray for her all the time that she could come live with us here in a Ohio. I would love it if you all prayed for her as well. Her name is Skylar and she deserves better than being away from us. Enough said.

I was reading the opening of Genesis, the Creation story and something struck me and I have been thinking about it since Monday. I will write more later on it but here is the idea. He spoke everything into existence...except us. He made the preparations and then instead of speaking to us into existence he breathed the breath of life.

Any thought's?

Currently Reading Messy Spirituality By Mike Yaconelli see related

This weekend was the first chance that I got to actually sleep in and wouldn't you know that God had me up at 6:24 just so I could read and pray. I guess he knew that it would be a crazy Christmas season and that might be the only time I get with him. Who knows?

Well, I read Psalm 51, the Psalm that David wrote after his affair with Bathsheba. It's such a broken prayer to God. Nothing really stuck out to me about the wording or anything like that in particular...just his brokenness. I desire that kind of brokenness. Maybe that's why he was the man after God's own heart. Either way the broken prayer is such an amazing passage, one in which I can relate well with. I just hope I never become to proud to ask for forgiveness.

To be alive is to be broken, to be broken is to stand in need of grace.

Currently Listening On And On By Jack Johnson see related

A lot like Dust?

SO here goes a feeble attempt in which I will try to draw my thoughts together from the last 2 days in which the process of Lectio Divina has brought to my mind.

“You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust…”- Psalm 1:4 (The Message)

In my feeble mind I am picturing a vast area of nothing by dry dirt, perhaps a vacant field, and as the wind picks up such arises a dust cloud. Dust clouds were called mini-tornado’s when I was a young age. We used to try and run into them when we saw them.

Dust is an interesting parallel for the psalmist to describe the wicked and I can think of a few thoughts that I wholeheartedly feel describe people of religion. Yes I said religion. I also know that maybe the psalmist did not mean people of religion but I feel that the word wicked is some what open for interpretation. Also, these are my thoughts like them or not, not matter here. Here is what I have felt God sharing with me as I find people of religion (lukewarm) being those spit out of his mouth. (Is there a worse form of wickedness?)

1. Dust serves no purpose. Nor do people of religion. For as much as I am concerned they take up way too much room in our sanctuary’s. By this I don’t mean that I am in now way concerned with room for the sinner in the sanctuary as much as I am concerned with people who feel that their Christian Duty is to make sure they pew never moves. They do nothing in a sense and their only sense of purpose surely has nothing to do with loving God or loving others. Enough on this…you get the idea.

2. Dust is easily moved by outside circumstances. So aren’t people of religion. When hell comes…and it will…these so called religious pillars shatter because their faith is built in their attendance, appearance, and acts. Not in God. Just as dust is moved easily by the wind so is a religious person easily distraught by the sinner who comes in with long hair, tattoos, earrings, and of the opposite color. What a pillar is he/she that they can’t even extend Christ’s love because they smell and aren’t dressed properly!?!

3. Dust is dry. So isn’t religion. Give me something real please!!! Not this God has not moved in ten years, the spirit doesn’t condone dancing, when he takes a bath Jesus will love him religion. I want the good stuff, right where the spirit is moving! How fun really is it to see some one hear about how God can move? Not to fun if you ask me…but what is fun is to see people for the first time to experience true forgiveness. Especially when it’s a hobo in a shelter who hasn’t had a bath for a year…I guess I should stop soap boxing.

THERE IS HOPE for people living religiously rather then relationally. What is that hope? I hope that one day the master will spit on the dust, stir his finger, make mud and rub it on the blind mans eyes.

I apologize for lack of scripture but the words spoken are not meant to be preached to a congregation as much as it is just “thoughts for Joe to always remember as to not become religious.” However, the 3 points would make a heck of an outline but I don’t feel God leading me that way at this point. Maybe he will lead you and if you develop a good outline fire it my way so I can keep it for down the road. Peace and chicken grease people.