Merry Christmas!

The birth of Jesus - Luke 2 - The Message

1-5About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

6-7While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

An Event for Everyone

8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."
13-14At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

15-18As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

19-20Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!

That's Christmas...

Like this british short film about the true meaning of Christmas. Makes me a bit "home sick" for the UK really.

That's Christmas (Short Film) HD from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.

Embryo of Hope

Found out today that a job that I thought was going to come through, didn't.   The waiting is frustrating and seems to make no sense really.  I know I'm qualified for each of these "near misses" so I'm not sure why a role hasn't come up yet. 

There are moments when hope seems so hard to come by.  It feels like employment will never happen, even when I know full well it will.  It always does....

In the meantime, I'm hanging on to hope.

Cheryl Lawrie at Hold this Space has a great advent post that brilliantly describes what that's like...

http://holdthisspace.org.au/an-embryo-of-hope/

Mary Did You Know?

Another one of my favorite Christmas songs.  Haven't heard this Clay Aiken version before, but this video is beautifully done.

Incarnation

God’s revelations are always pointed, concrete, and specific. They are not a Platonic world of ideas and theories about which you can be right or wrong, or observe from a distance. Divine Revelation is not something you measure or critique, but Someone you meet!

All of this is called the “mystery of incarnation,” enfleshment or embodiment if you prefer, and it reaches its fullness in the incarnation of God in one ordinary-looking man named Jesus. God materialized in human form, so we could fall in love with a real person, which is the only way we fall in love.


Richard Rohr - Adapted from Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality, p. 17

Magnificat

Mary's Song - Luke 1:46-55


And Mary said:

"My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

even as he said to our fathers."

Psalms 148 Reflection

I put this video (my first) together after reading Psalms 148 during a daily advent reading time.
Working on the project became my meditation time on the wonders of creation that we enjoy.

Some creative and generous friends allowed me to use their images and music.  Special thanks to Erin, Mark, and Andy!!

Advent Conspiracy

My brother called me last night to ask me what I wanted for Christmas.  I told him, really I don't want anything.  I'm trying to get rid of things, not bring more stuff in the house.
He came up with the perfect solution and said he would send me a gift certificate so I could get stuff for my "projects"! 

This coming up year, we have a goal of distributing 120 backpacks full of school supplies to kids in New Mexico and I'm also going to begin a campaign to get 100 sleeeping bags out to homeless people across the nation (more on that later). 

His gift card will go towards purchasing backpacks, school supplies, or material for bags and will help support people in need!  Best present he could have come up with by far!

Fits right in with what the Advent Conspiracy is all about...

Tis the season of joy....and sorrow

For many of us, there's sorrow, as well as joy, in this winter season.

I spent this past weekend in Houston with family mourning the passing of my Uncle Mike.
I haven't really sorted out all the emotions I'm feeling yet.  These kinds of family events are a mixed bag of emotions.  I'm sad because he's gone and because his family is hurting so much at the same time, I'm grateful and happy I got to see my cousins after 13 years.  I'll miss talking with my uncle this year and hearing him wish me Merry Christmas. 

Today would have been my Dad's 81st birthday. Later today, my mom and I will go put flowers and a wreath on his grave to remember him.   Being with this particular part of my family, made me realize just how much he's missed too.

This year, as I'm intentionally practicing advent, I've become much more aware of what it means to wait.  Waiting is painful and exciting at the same time.  Another mixed bag of emotions. 

As Christams Eve and Day approaches, it makes me more aware of the loved ones that are no longer here to celebrate with us.  It makes me sad while at the same time happy I'm waiting to welcome home those who still are.

This year, be aware of those around you that may be grieving a loss.

Offer them some comfort and hope.

From the writings of the late John O'Donohue, poet and scholar, in Eternal Echoes:
------------------

                               A Blessing

May you know that absence is full of tender presence and
   that nothing is ever lost or forgotten.
May the absences in your life be full of eternal echo.
May you sense around you the secret Elsewhere which
    holds the presences that have left your life.
May you be generous in your embrace of loss.
May the sore well of grief turn into a well of seamless
  presence.
May your compassion reach out to the ones we never hear
   from and may you have the courage to speak out for
   the exclueded ones.
May you become the gracious and passionate subject of
   your own life.
May you not disrespect your mystery through brittle
   words of false belonging.
May you be embraced by God in whom dawn and twilight
   are one, and may your belonging inhabit its deepest
   dreams within the shelter of the Great Belonging.

Emmanuel - Amy Grant

One of my all time Christmas favorites

The O Antiphons

http://www.catholicsun.org/2009/december/14/o-antiphons.html

3rd Sunday of Advent

Today's reflection is from the Church of England's online advent calendar Whywearewaiting.com.

Be sure to scroll down a bit to see the reading and the challenges for the day.

CS Lewis Xmas and Christmas

“Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus,” by C.S. Lewis

And beyond this there lies in the ocean, turned towards the west and north, the island of Niatirb which Hecataeus indeed declares to be the same size and shape as Sicily, but it is larger, though in calling it triangular a man would not miss the mark. It is densely inhabited by men who wear clothes not very different from the other barbarians who occupy the north western parts of Europe though they do not agree with them in language. These islanders, surpassing all the men of whom we know in patience and endurance, use the following customs.

In the middle of winter when fogs and rains most abound they have a great festival which they call Exmas and for fifty days they prepare for it in the fashion I shall describe. First of all, every citizen is obliged to send to each of his friends and relations a square piece of hard paper stamped with a picture, which in their speech is called an Exmas-card. But the pictures represent birds sitting on branches, or trees with a dark green prickly leaf, or else men in such garments as the Niatirbians believe that their ancestors wore two hundred years ago riding in coaches such as their ancestors used, or houses with snow on their roofs. And the Niatirbians are unwilling to say what these pictures have to do with the festival; guarding (as I suppose) some sacred mystery. And because all men must send these cards the marketplace is filled with the crowd of those buying them, so that there is great labour and weariness.

But having bought as many as they suppose to be sufficient, they return to their houses and find there the like cards which others have sent to them. And when they find cards from any to whom they also have sent cards, they throw them away and give thanks to the gods that this labour at least is over for another year. But when they find cards from any to whom they have not sent, then they beat their breasts and wail and utter curses against the sender; and, having sufficiently lamented their misfortune, they put on their boots again and go out into the fog and rain and buy a card for him also. And let this account suffice about Exmas-cards.

They also send gifts to one another, suffering the same things about the gifts as about the cards, or even worse. For every citizen has to guess the value of the gift which every friend will send to him so that he may send one of equal value, whether he can afford it or not. And they buy as gifts for one another such things as no man ever bought for himself. For the sellers, understanding the custom, put forth all kinds of trumpery, and whatever, being useless and ridiculous, they have been unable to sell throughout the year they now sell as an Exmas gift. And though the Niatirbians profess themselves to lack sufficient necessary things, such as metal, leather, wood and paper, yet an incredible quantity of these things is wasted every year, being made into the gifts.

But during these fifty days the oldest, poorest, and most miserable of the citizens put on false beards and red robes and walk about the market-place; being disguised (in my opinion) as Cronos. And the sellers of gifts no less than the purchaser’s become pale and weary, because of the crowds and the fog, so that any man who came into a Niatirbian city at this season would think some great public calamity had fallen on Niatirb. This fifty days of preparation is called in their barbarian speech the Exmas Rush.

But when the day of the festival comes, then most of the citizens, being exhausted with the Rush, lie in bed till noon. But in the evening they eat five times as much supper as on other days and, crowning themselves with crowns of paper, they become intoxicated. And on the day after Exmas they are very grave, being internally disordered by the supper and the drinking and reckoning how much they have spent on gifts and on the wine. For wine is so dear among the Niatirbians that a man must swallow the worth of a talent before he is well intoxicated.

Such, then, are their customs about the Exmas. But the few among the Niatirbians have also a festival, separate and to themselves, called Crissmas, which is on the same day as Exmas. And those who keep Crissmas, doing the opposite to the majority of the Niatirbians, rise early on that day with shining faces and go before sunrise to certain temples where they partake of a sacred feast. And in most of the temples they set out images of a fair woman with a new-born Child on her knees and certain animals and shepherds adoring the Child. (The reason of these images is given in a certain sacred story which I know but do not repeat.)

But I myself conversed with a priest in one of these temples and asked him why they kept Crissmas on the same day as Exmas; for it appeared to me inconvenient. But the priest replied, “It is not lawful, O stranger, for us to change the date of Chrissmas, but would that Zeus would put it into the minds of the Niatirbians to keep Exmas at some other time or not to keep it at all. For Exmas and the Rush distract the minds even of the few from sacred things. And we indeed are glad that men should make merry at Crissmas; but in Exmas there is no merriment left.” And when I asked him why they endured the Rush, he replied, “It is, O Stranger, a racket”; using (as I suppose) the words of some oracle and speaking unintelligibly to me (for a racket is an instrument which the barbarians use in a game called tennis).

But what Hecataeus says, that Exmas and Crissmas are the same, is not credible. For first, the pictures which are stamped on the Exmas-cards have nothing to do with the sacred story which the priests tell about Crissmas. And secondly, the most part of the Niatirbians, not believing the religion of the few, nevertheless send the gifts and cards and participate in the Rush and drink, wearing paper caps. But it is not likely that men, even being barbarians, should suffer so many and great things in honour of a god they do not believe in. And now, enough about Niatirb.

Advent Reading Dec 11th

Psalms 25:1-5

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.

No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.

Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

Human Rights Day Prayer

We pray for those who have been exiled from their native land, refugees, who have been forced to leave behind their heritage and possessions, their families and their friends, and those who have had to begin life anew in a foreign culture and among strangers.

Lord, let justice run down like rivers.

We pray for those who are discriminated against on grounds of their race or sex, who offer the gifts of their presence, culture and personality, but find them despised or rejected.

Lord, let justice run down like rivers.

We pray for those who at this moment are being tortured in their bodies or in their minds because of the convictions they hold so dear, that their pain may be eased and that the peace of God may bring them release even in the midst of suffering.

Lord, let justice run down like rivers.

We pray for all rulers and those who hold positions of authrity in the state and in all the powerful institutions of our society that they may use their power for good and not for evil, that the rights of men and women may no longer be abused.

Lord, let justice run down like rivers.

We pray for all whose basic needs for food, shelter, clothing and healing are not met.  Stir up the consciences of peoples and governments, to re-arrange the world's unjust systems; teach us all to live more simply, that others may simply live.

Lord, let justice run down like rivers.

We pray for the nations of the earth that you in your mercy will save them from their folly and humankind from its sin, that people will be set free from vindictiveness and fear, that forgiveness will replace revenge, that none shall be in bondage to another and none shall hold another country in contempt, and you alone will be worshipped all over the earth.

Lord, let justice run down like rivers.

Do you have room?

Today's advent offering is a free down load from my friend Chuck Elmore called "Do you have room?"
I met Chuck and the guys from his band on my latest journey to the UK. He is the youth director at New Life City in Albuquerque, a church my buddy pastors. Had a great time hanging around with them on a mission trip this summer.
The photo on the banner of the site is one I took of Chuck in a 11th century church graveyard. The lighting was amazing and the day was spectacular. One of my favorite places we visited.

While you're on the site, have a listen to some of his other songs and enjoy.

Advent Story - part 2

The 2nd part of the Room28ministries series

Advent Story

Really well done and creative advent video from Room28Ministries

Matins - John O'Donohue - Eternal Echoes

              

                            I.

Somewhere, out at the edges, the night

Is turning and the waves of darkness

Begin to brighten the shore of dawn.

The heavy dark falls back to earth

And the freed air goes wild with light,

The heart fills with fresh, bright breath

And thoughts stir to give birth to colour.

                           II.

I arise today

In the name of Silence

Womb of the Word,

In the name of Stillness

Home of Belonging,

In the name of the Solitude

Of the Soul and the Earth.

I arise today

Blessed by all things,

Wings of breath,

Delight of eyes,

Wonder of whisper,

Intimacy of touch,

Eternity of soul,

Urgency of thought,

Miracle of health,

Embrace of God.

May I live this day

Compassionate of heart,

Gentle in word,

Gracious in awareness,

Courageous in thought,

Generous in love.

15 sites for Creating your own Products

List from Mashable of 15 sites where artists, photographers and creative types of all kinds can use to create products from their work.

Create away!

Art of the Nativity

Some beautiful paintings of the nativity scene.

Art of the Nativity

The Justice Project - book review

For my first book review for Viral Bloggers, I read “The Justice Project” edited by Brian McLaren, Elisa Padilla and Ashley Bunting Seeber.

The book is a compilation of essays from 35 authors. The variety of voices and perspectives is by far the major strength of the book. Men and women from many different countries and ministry groups contributed towards answering “What is Justice?” from a mostly Christian perspective.

Since there are too many essays to review individually, I thought I’d focus on just two:  Richard Twiss’ “Reading the Bible Unjustly: How Has the American Church Read the Bible Unjustly” and “Just Perspectives: How Can We Become Just Global Citizens?” by Ashley Bunting Seeber.

Richard Twiss, a Native American, works in Washington but I particularly liked his essay for the insight it provided into some of the issues of my Native Alaskan friends and family.

Twiss’ tells of the history of the colonizing of America which led to European people “viewing Native people through the lens of Scripture, [they] people saw idolaters who were spiritually deceived, lost in rebellion, and hell-bound. While it is true that all peoples and cultures are stained by sin and the rejection of the Creator’s path of beauty, and desperately need reconciliation to God, it is also true that European enlightenment thinking colored their understanding of Scripture that manifest destiny and biblical mission became indistinguishable; one appeared the same as the other.”

His essay is a strong reminder to work with culture groups to find ways they can express their Christianity through their own cultural norms, instead of insisting it be replaced with “church culture”.

I think this book would have benefited from some more practical examples of how to live justly. A better balance of pragmatism and theory would have made the book more complete for me. It does a tremendous job of explaining what justice is and why we should care, but doesn’t often enough tell us how.

One exception was “Just Perspectives”. Seeber tells about some of the interactions she’s had with various cultures outside of the US. She goes on to provide a list of 10 practical things we each can do to make sure we, as US citizens, make for better global neighbors. Some of these ideas can be done in your own hometown and include: eating new ethnic foods, helping refugee families settle in, read news from other perspectives, pray the news, and help your children learn geography.

Overall, I think the book provides a broad view of people’s thinking on Justice, with well written, thoughtful essays. It’s a good reference book for a study on the subject of the biblical aspects of justice, but is not a how-to handbook.

God of the waiting

Love this beautiful advent prayer from Cheryl Lawrie, Director for Spirituality, Culture and Context in the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania   She blogs at hold this space. 
---------------------------------------------

god of the waiting
for worship next week in Port Phillip prison

 Not all anticipation is hopeful,
and not all waiting is good;
so we pray for those for whom this season brings only despair.

We pray with those here in prison who long
for a decision from the parole board
for any news from a lawyer
for a phonecall from a loved one that never comes:

God of the waiting, turn anxiety into peace.

We pray with those we know who long
for a diagnosis and healing
for death
for life:

God of the waiting, turn fear into joy.

We pray with those in the world who long
for bombs to stop
for gunfire to cease
for wars to end:

God of the waiting, turn hatred into peace.
We pray with all who long
for arguments to be stilled
for a new way to be made clear
for justice to be made real:

God of the waiting, turn dread into love.

And we pray for those of us who no longer wait,
because our dreams have been shredded by the razor wire that surrounds us,
our hopes lie crumpled under the weight of systems and structures,
and our courage has been mocked by the reality of life:

God of the waiting, can you wait for us?
In this Advent, turn our despair into hope.

Amen.

What Christmas is all about

Waiting for the Savior

Advent is a time of waiting for the savior, a time to acknowledge that a savior is needed.

A savior is needed because something is wrong with the world. The whole created order is not functioning as God intended, not living into its fullness. Humanity is not living out its calling to be stewards of all creation and to be part of a society that places the other before the self, and recognizes God as the giver of all things. This problem is cosmic in scope.

A savior is needed because we cannot fix it ourselves. Constantly distracted by our own desires and ways of life we cannot see our own need and the need of the world. We are too busy with life…earning, collecting, hoarding. Too busy to slow down and see the signs that help is needed. Even if we paid attention our first response would be a sense of helplessness. The struggles are so many, the difficulties so large. I can see why we would be paralyzed by those things that we actually see in the world.

Hurrying to Christmas is not what is needed. What the world needs is for the Christian community to stay alert and proclaim the need for a savior. And so, we proclaim:

+ A God who breaks into history to provide for its redemption.
+ The continuing need to resist injustice, oppression and evil in whatever forms they present themselves.
+ That creation continues its groan for the day of salvation.

In Advent we wait in hopeful expectation of God’s in-breaking for the healing of the world. We depend on God’s help to help us “stay the course” and we depend on each other as a community of faith to continue discerning and calling each other to accountability, keeping one another watching, seeking and actively rehearsing the realm of God in the world.

God has brought, is bringing and will bring salvation to the world. We wait in that hope and in waiting we realize that Advent is a “wonderful time” after all!

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rest of the article is here

Get back to basics for improved composition

Good tips here for better photographic compostion.

Cotton Patch Christmas

From the Cotton Patch Bible by Clarence Jordan

1. When Jesus was born in Gainesville, Georgia during the time that Herod was governor, some scholars from the Orient came to Atlanta and inquired, "Where is the one who was born to be governor of Georgia? We saw his star in the Orient, and we came to honor him." This news put Governor Herod and all his cronies in a tizzy. So he called a meeting of the big time preachers and politicians, and asked if they had any idea where the Leader was to be born. In Gainesville, Georgia," the replied, "because there's a bible prophecy which says:

'And you Gainesville, in the state of Georgia,
Are by no means the least in the Georgia delegation;
From you will come a governor,
Who will wisely guide my chosen people.' "

7. Then Herod called in the scholars privately and questioned them in detail about the exact time of the star's appearance. And he sent them off to Gainesville with this instruction: "Go and find out the facts about the child. Then tell me what you've learned, so that I too may come and honor him." They listened to the governor and left. And you know, the star which they saw in the Orient went ahead of them until it came and stood above the place where the child was. (Just looking at the star flooded them with great happiness.) So they went inside the house and saw the baby with his mother, Mary. They bowed down and honored him, and opened the presents they had brought him–gifts of jewelry, incense and perfume. And having gotten the word in a dream not to revisit Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

13. After they had checked out, the Lord's messenger made connection with Joseph in a dream and said, "Get moving and take your wife and baby and highball it to Mexico. Then stay put until I get word to you because Herod is going to do his best to kill the baby." So he got right up, took the baby and its mother and checked out by night for Mexico. He stayed there until the death of Herod. (This gave meaning to what the Lord said through the prophet: "I summoned my son from Mexico.")

16. Then it dawned on Herod that he had been duped by the learned men, an he really blew his top. He gave orders to kill all the babies in Gainesville and thereabouts who were under two, on the basis of the schedule which he had obtained from the scholars. (Then the saying of Jeremiah the prophet was given meaning:

"A noise is heard in Ramah,
Great weeping and anguish;
Rachel is grieving for her children
And there's no consoling her,
Because she has lost them.")

19. Now when Herod passed away, the Lord's messenger contacted Joseph in Mexico by a dream. "Get moving," he said, "and take the child and his mother and return to the South, for the people who were trying to take the boy's life have died."

21. So he packed up and took the child and his mother, and returned to the South. He heard that Herod's boy Archelaus was governor of Alabama and so he was scared to settle down there. He was given instructions in a dream to go on over into south Georgia to the city of Valdosta. (This gave meaning to the prophet's word: "He shall be called a Valdostan.")

The Coming of the Lord is Near

Christine Sine's blog is here.
ht: jonnybaker

The time of waiting has arrived

Like many people, I'm in a time of waiting in my life:

Waiting for a job
Waiting for my nephew's visit
Waiting for direction
Waiting to see the family I've missed for so long
Waiting for my Ukrainian friends to arrive in The States
Waiting for the new baby in my extended family

All of these things I'm waiting for are good things, things I'm looking forward to having happen and will celebrate when they do.

Advent, the time christians begin the new year, is also a time of waiting.  It's a season of remembering how the world waited for so long for a saviour and of looking forward to his return.   Millions of Christians all over the world celebrate this time together. This year, I'll be joining them by posting here daily.

In an effort to slow down enough to pay attention, I'll be making daily postings of images, links, songs, and texts. Hopefully, you'll take some time each day away from the hustle and bustle that is Christmas, to be absorbed into the story in a real way.


Prayer:
Intimate God,
we yearn for the light of your coming
and the warmth of your embrace;
focus our hearts on the truly important
and keep us centered on that still point, Jesus our Emmanuel,
who is alive with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever. Amen.


Readings for the day:
Psalms 50:1-6
Zechariah 14:4-9
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-31

There is no "more" to read....

I decided a few weeks ago to get a new template on my blog so I searched around online until I found one I liked. Loaded it up and 1/2 of it was in spanish!
Trying to get back to a "normal" template was ummm interesting. Many versions later, I've got this simple form from Blogger and it's working pretty well.

Except....

for the "read more" line on EVERY post. I can not figure out how to remove it. So, in the meantime, my apologies to anyone who wanders by here and clicks on it only to find there's no "more" there to read.

I'll remove it as soon as I figure out how.

Jump Start on Change

Most people write resolutions for New Year's. I do mine on my birthday, which is coming up in the next couple weeks. I figure it's a new year for me, so why not?!

This year, I'm getting a bit of a jump start and joining up with a bunch of other folks over at Ragamuffin Soul on the 30 day holiday health challenge.

For the next 30 days my goals are:
Physically - loose 10 pounds and get back on my daily meds (hate them!)
Spritually- do a study on the word "hope" and then memorize a verse a week about that topic
Relationally - Hand write christmas cards (should have mentioned I'm also going to actually mail them this year too)and ask 2 people I don't know very well out for coffee.

I'll be keeping track of my progress here.

Muppets sing Bohemian Rhapsody

This is all over the internet this week so I figured it ought to be here as well.
Good fun....

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody @ Yahoo! Video

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I have much to be thankful for:

• A renewed relationship with "family" I hadn't seen in 10 years.  Now they are part of my daily life again and a huge hole in my heart has healed.
• Although we lost an aunt I dearly loved, the rest of us have been healthy this year.
• New friends in England and Ukraine from my trip out there.
• A great visit with old UK friends this summer
• Not just one, but 2 places to worship where I feel loved and accepted
• A break from work and yet I've been ok financially
• Had a fantastic time taking art classes.  Was pleasantly surprised when my instructor said I would have gotten an "A" if I'd chosen to take the class for credit. 
• Great friends both online and in the 3D world
• Fantastic time with my brothers and their wives this fall
• My nephew is in college and having a great time

LIFE IS GOOD!!!

Tilt Shift

This looks like a fun way to shoot.  I'm not great with tools and making things, but I bet even I could do this one.  May have to give it a go and see what kind of images I can get out of it.




ht to gozmodo.com

R.I.P. Governor King

Today New Mexico is saying goodbye to 3 term governor Bruce King.   He was one of my personal heroes.
My dad was in the NM Mounted Patrol which meant he worked alot of public events.  Whenever Bruce King was around, my dad would take me up to say hello and shake his hand. 
Governor King always said the same thing "and who's this pretty little girl?"...every time!
He had a way of making every person that he met feel special and welcomed.
Former president Clinton spoke the eulogy today and did a good job summarizing the Governor's wit, charm and hospitality. 
New Mexico was lucky to have such a good leader for so long.

Thanks for all your years of service Governor!

Project365 on Flickr

This is today's Project365 entry on Flickr. 
The idea is to take one photo a day and upload it on Flickr.
It's a pretty fun project so far.
I like the way that the ShakeIt application on my iphone captures neon.
This Fat Tire sign is hanging up at the local pizza place where I had lunch today.
More here

Quotable Quotes

“On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of the conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake some day and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.” - Annie Dillard

Global Fund for Women

Global organization that distubutes grants to women all over the world. So far has given out more than $71 million.
More info here

Letting Go

Spiritual life is always about letting go of unnecessary baggage so that we’re prepared for death’s final letting go. That can only happen if we’re willing to know that our protected self-image is not the deepest me. Our passing personas are important and a good part of the journey and they even help us to taste moments of the Great I Am that is God. But there’s so much more.

Finally, like the great Paul, we can all say, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ living in me” (Galatians 2:20). My deepest me is always God.


Richard Rohr

TEDLive India

Watching the first ever live streaming of a major TED event from India.
You can watch it here for the next couple days

http://ted.indiatimes.com/

Quotable Quotes

Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, negotiated a peace treaty or cured a disease. Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry. Fear never saved a marriage or a business. Courage did that. Faith did that. People who refused to consult or cower to their timidities did that. But fear itself?? Fear herds us into a prison and slams the doors. - Max Lucado

iphone phun

Shot this image of a local bank building with the "shakeit" application, then tweaked it with the new Photoshop Mobile from Adobe. Used the saturation and Vintage blur effects. Really like the graphical feel of this image.

MeetUp.Com

The other day a friend and I were at a local coffee shop just hanging out. We got to talking about a game I played recently called "PIT" and how much fun that was.
Next thing you know, we were talking about how fun it would be just set up some games there in the coffeeshop and start playing them.

As we were talking about the logistics of doing that, we looked over at the "hospitality room" and no joke, there was a sign out front that said "Boardgame meet up tonight" :-O

It was so funny! We went over and talked with the group about what they were playing and how we could join in. They told us about meetup.com and i got signed up.
Going to play with them on Friday night.

Can hardly wait!

Have any of you ever done anything with any meetup.com group?
What were your experiences?

Really??!

Was talking with a friend tonight about how much I don't want to be in the same industry I've been in for the last few years, but want to do something more "meaningful".
He pointed me to the IT group at Wycliffe Bible Translators. They have loads of IT related positions and I'm going to follow up with them over the next two weeks to see if anything might come of it.
Just the thought of not having to be in healthcare right now sounds like a relief. It's not the work itself I don't like, it's the fact that I've been in the same area for so long and am ready to give something else a chance.

Also, ran into a guy on a shuttle bus the other night after my CA trip. He's the managing editor of a car magazine that's produced in my town. It was one of those weird conversations where alot of information is exchaged in a very short amount of time, but there's lot of meaning behind it. For some reason, I asked him if he knew anyone that needed a Project Manager and he said "yeah, we do, but we can't pay you"
I told him that might not be a problem, cause I'm trying to learn graphic design and maybe we could work something out. Bought a copy of the magazine at the local Borders tonight and I'm going to contact him this week as well. Who knows...my life is so weird lately that this may just be the way I move into a new field.

Can't hurt to have the conversation....

weed

Took this shot with my iphone "shake it" application at the beach in California. This weed, with the foggy ocean as a background, really captured my attention. I could have stayed shooting it for another hour except my friends just didn't "get" how mysterious these shots would be. There was something beautiful in the shapes and the "feel" of the landscapes as the fog covered most of it.

U2 livestreaming concert

U2 Live Stream

From a technical perspective, this is the most exciting thing ever! Perhaps up to a billion people across the planet watching one band live in concert.
Amazing times we're living in!

Did you watch?
Why or why not?

tale of 2 churches

Trying to decide which of 2 churches to call "home".

I feel a connection to both and both have some great features to them.
One has a pastor with over 35 years of bible teaching. he does a great job of explaining the story of the bible and I love listening to him.

The other, a distance away, has only a couple years of pastoring, but he's got a generous spirit that amazes me every time I'm around him.

The first guy's church is local, vibrant and welcoming. They make a real effort to speak words of kindness and optomisim. The second guy's group seems to have a spirit about them of judgementalism and cynisism about each other. Guy A's group likes to hang out with each other, whereas the other group seems to have a bad habit of talking behind each other's backs.

I have lots of stuff in common with the first group and nothing in common with the second.

My heart feels like being with the first group. My head tells me to go with the second.

Hard decision

100 Best Logo Tutorials

100 Best Logo Tutorials

ht:Ross Hagen

Ooze tv interview with Diana Butler Bass

I'm currently reading a book by Justo Gonzalez called The Story of Christianity. It's pretty light weight, just barely introducing themes and characters before moving on to the next topic. But, it has reawaked my interest in the subject. I was a religious studies minor in college and quite enjoyed my history classes in particular.

Just watched TheOOZE.TV interview with Diana Butler Bass. She has a new book out called The People's History of Christianity. It looks like a pretty good easy read as well so I'm going to check it out. I enjoyed the interview and look forward to checking out the book.

Loony Bin Art

Just ran across this site and love the art she does here.

Loony Bin Art

Enjoy!!


ht:Naked Pastor

Change

For the last several months, my life has been full of change. Change of attitude, change of beliefs, change of direction and change of behavior.
It's an odd thing really because it's not always dramatic or easily seen on the outside. But inside, almost every step has been taken with fear. Not really fear of the step itself, but fear of the step after that. If I go visit someone at the hospital today...what am I going to have to do tomorrow? Visit someone at prision?
Then what??

I've been praying alot (another change) lately about just where my career should go and where my life should go. I think the answer is just to do the next thing...just be faithful to the thing that comes up next and do that. Eventually, I'll sort out what the path was.

I think this gapingvoid cartoon describes it pretty well though it's sometimes hard to remember.

Quotable Quotes

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Dale Carnegie


This has become my motto as I start the process of looking for work again.
The last year has been full of so many changes in my attitude towards money, my role as a contributor to a community and learing to trust other people and I guess ultimately God for my provision.
Although I would love to be working in the non-profit field in some form, I don't think the timing for me is right. There's some ways that I think my income can go further and do more good if I'm contributing to some other people's lives with it.
It's not about tithing, but about being a contributing member of a community that I'd come to understand is important.

I feel motivated this time, not just by the fear of becoming skint, but also by a desire to make an impact in the world through not only volunteer time, but monetarily as well.

Before, I was motivated by always trying to move up in my career. Take on harder and harder roles to prove myself somehow. Now, I just want to work, make money and pour it back into the groups I support. Kingdom economics I suppose some would say...

Box

This cracked me up because I know so many people like this.
found here: Naked Pastor

Pray for Baby Seth

Please pray for 5 month old Seth, child of my friends Oden and Sam Fong.
Seth is having problems with his liver and needs a liver transplant.
You can find out more about his story here at his mom's blog here.

Quotable Quotes

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~ Marrianne Williamson

R.I.P. Mr. Cronkite

Don't waste your life

I don't normally like rap music, but I really like this song.
Totally impressed by how fast this guy can say the lyrics really!
Plus I like the beat.

Christmas in July??

Check it out! Today I went to lunch with my mom and while we were eating, Santa and one of his elves decided to eat there too!!
It was great fun as just yesterday I had the following conversation on my Facebook page:

Status: "Christmas at Los Cuates" (that meant I was eating at a local resturant and having both red AND chile.
My freind Kevin: In July?????
Me: You can have christmas every day in New Mexico.

Then......the very next day.....Santa shows up. How the heck fantastic is that???

On the Road Again!

Leaving for England, Ukraine and Turkey on Weds. for an amazing opportunity that has presented itself.
Some friends from here in town are going over to preach/teach at a conference then do some ministry work in various parts of the country.
Since I have enough points for a free ticket, I thought I'd just go over to England when they did to have some people to pal around with. Also wanted to take the opportunity to meet a young man that's become a friend over the last couple years who is a missionary in Kiev. Thirdly, want to see a dear friend who was like a dad to me when I was younger. He's living in Istanbul which provides the perfect excuse for heading over there.

Looks like while I'm over there's going to be some chances to partner up with some people to be involved in ministry.

Spending 4 days with my friends from here who will be going down to Burnham-on-the-Sea and then over to Wales. Not 100% sure what we'll be doing there, just know I'm "part of the team" though, I'm quite sure how that happened. ;-). This is a pretty spontanteous group, so could be a wild ride.

On June 6th, looks like I'll be headed down to Maidstone near Kent to work at a children's festival. Sounds like great fun!!

Headed over to Kiev on the 12th where there may be yet another chance to work with kids who've just gotten out of school. My friend's group is having a day camp where the kids are taught all kinds of skills including English language skills and he's trying to arrange the chance for me to work there.

In Istanbul I'm hoping to be able to do a little sightseeing and explore the art, music and architecture of that city.

I'm scheduled to be back on the 19th...but to be honest, if the opportunity arises to stay. I'm doing it!

I'll be blogging the trip here for those interested.

Signs - Thematic Photography

This week's installment for Carmi's Thematic Photography series.
I've posted this shot before. It's a shot of an actual sign that we saw on a road trip through Northern France. It was just too good to pass up!
It's been my best seller so far and is always good for a laugh.

Sign

more here at Written Inc.

Sunday Funnies

After Graduating from High School, David moves away from home to study at University. One of his letters home reads:
Dear Father,
University i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply ¢an't think of anything I need, $o if you would like, you can ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.
Love,
Your $on.

After receiving his son's letter, the father immediately replies by sending a letter back.


Dear David,
I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.
Love,
Dad

Thematic Photographic

Decided to play along with the folks over at Written Inc. who are doing a weekly theme photograph. This is my entry for this week's theme "Yellow".

ht to Dennis

Sunday Funnies

Happy Mother's Day!!

San Fran Singer

Saw this fantastic singer playing out at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Loved his voice and he was gracious enough to let me video tape him. Pretty much my first video so I thought I'd post it here so you could enjoy the music too.

iphone phun

Last week I finally caved in and bought an iphone. So glad I did!
Mostly been goofing around with various photography applications, some of which are great fun.

So far, these are my two favorite images.
The first one my mom took of me at a local resturant. It was about the 15th photo she'd taken in about 5 minutes trying to get a good shot without moving or getting the blinding window light in frame. You can tell how excited I am by that point ;-)
Had a good time tweaking it in photoshop and actually think the finally image is a pretty good representation of where I am right now.



This next one is a picture of my mom taken with the "shake it" application. I love this shot! The application is great fun because it gives the look of a polaroid photo by shaking the phone till it's fully "developed". If you just wait, it works too, but shaking is more fun!

Hookers and Robbers

I so want to plan a liturgy with this as the song leading up to sharing communion.
It's the one thing frustrating about not being in the same state as the church you belong to. ;-)
Well...that and the fact that communion is not as big a deal to the guy that pastors the church as it is to me.
Iona community has a wonderful prayer that would go with this song. It was read at the emerging church conference. I'll have to dig it out and include it later.

Sunday Funnies

Fry and Laurie featuring Hugh Laurie singing his song about America

New Gear

I've gotten a couple new pieces of kit over the last couple weeks.

First I bought a "Flip" video recorder. So far, all I've managed to record is a couple seconds each of my mom being annoyed with me recording her, and a friend being annoyed with my recording her. Next step..the Oscars.
I really want to try this thing out for real doing "The One Thing" excerise from Facebook.
The idea is to find a wise friend, I have a few so that's easy, and ask them "If there were only ONE THING you could tell me, what would it be". I want to record their answer or have them write it down on a paper, which I can then photograph them with. I'm not quite sure yet which direction I want to take this.
I'm sure it would be a quite awkward moment for someone to be asked a question like that. I'd want to capture what they say, when they say it, but not intimidate them with a camera while they think. guess I'll just have to give it a go and see what happens eh?


Secondly, yesterday I finally caved in and just bought an iphone. Got a pretty good tax refund, so felt like it was ok to splurge a bit. Plus, I have some folks that call pretty regularly and do nothing but complain about how crap my old phone service was. Finally just got tired of all the whinging ;-) Tonight I get to load up my ipod and download some apps.

Any ideas of which ones I need?

I had a Dream- Susan Boyle

A few years ago a Welsh bloke named Paul Potts, wowed the audience at "Britian's Got Talent" when he opened his mouth and out came a beautiful operatic voice. This week, a 47 year old, unemployed Scot from near Glasgow had her chance to try out. Watch the reaction of the audience and the judges when she is speaking...and then again when she starts singing.

Even the hosts, Ant and Dec, are surprised!

Read the lyrics on the side to understand even more fully about the power of this performance.

Amazing!! Nearly 2.5 million views in a matter of days on Youtube.

What are you thinking/feeling after watching this?

Watch here

TheOoozeTv Launches

One of the main reasons I went to the emerging church conference a few weekends back was to hear Shane Claiborne.

He is the first person to be featured on the launch of the new TheOoze.TV which is launched today!

Awesome!!

Check it out here:

http://theooze.tv/



more ooze here:

http://www.theooze.com/main.cfm

Emerging Church Conference

I'm finding myself in a really weird spot lately, having gone recently from totally pissed off at all things church related to attending the Emerging Church conference in Albuquerque (voluntarily) this weekend. And being excited about it!

How utterly bizzare.

Had dinner with someone who's known me for a rather long time, through all the "I can not stand church any more" to now where I'm "I'm going to this church, hanging out at this church function, doing this thing and that thing....". She just looked at me and said "What happened to you?"

Frankly, I had no idea what to say...so I just said "I have no idea, but something did" Still can't explain it, not sure if it'll last or it's just a "phase" but it's kinda awesome.

Weird as all get out...but awesome none the less. I keep thinking people are going to say "what's wrong with you?" and "how could you believe this or that?" and I'm not going to have an answer. Just....I don't know...I just believe it right now. I'm not angry any more, I'm not avoiding churches, even the one I really thought I'd avoid for the rest of my life because of it's charistmatic bent. I'm not signing up to be a member, that's for dang sure, but....I went to a service with them last week. And liked it....alot!

It's all the weirdest damn thing...all I know is something's different in the last couple months. And because I can't explain it, I know I have to pay attention to it.
and enjoy it.

All that to say, I'm totally excited about this conference this weekend!

OH YEAH!!!!!!!!

Happy St. Pat's

Had a grand time at the local, where they served great corned beef and cabbage, had green beer (I had Guiness) while a bagpiper played. It was a great time!

Been listening to the new U2 album, but like this song, so I thought I'd play it tonight.

Sunday Funnies

http://www.snorgtees.com/314ofsailorsarepirates-p-692.html?osCsid=be7e42031c752a7452410c0b6fb9d5ba

Quotable Quotes

“When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.”
- D.H. Lawrence

You have got to be kidding me!!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20090227/tot-uk-ryanair-toilet-1c89468.html


How much will it cost the airline to install these ridiculous things and who's going to guard the door to make sure everyone pays up?

Sheeeeesh!

Sunday Funnies

A programmer was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess."
He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.

The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week."The programmer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.

The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you and do anything you want." Again the programmer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.

Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess that I'll stay with you for a week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?"

The programmer said, "Look, I'm a programmer. I don't have time for a girlfriend -- but a talking frog, now that's cool!"

Quotable Quotes

"Sympathy is no substitute for action."
-David Livingstone, missionary to Africa

Not For Sale

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

Sunday Funnies

Heard this little song the other day and now it's stuck in my head. It's fun and lighthearted so I figured I'd post it here for your amusement.

Great send off

My aunt's service was wonderful!! I think she would have been very happy with how we celebrated her life and how much we enjoyed hanging out with each other. Many people in the family were involved in the service, either through speaking, singing, putting together the bulletins or slide shows. Many of her friends and neighbors spoke up as well and told how kind and hospitable she always was. She loved us all deeply and it was just the right thing, that we were the ones that said farewell to her the way we did...it was a service I'll always remember because it was so full of love.

One of my aunt's very dear friends sang this song at the end of the service. It was PERFECT and I only wish we'd had a recording of it because it was so beautiful and heartfelt. I truly think she captured what my aunt would have said to all of us...

Love Jesus and love one another....

Digging this song right now

My aunt died suddenly yesterday. I'm heartbroken and I'm going to miss her something fierce. Tonight's hard. Feeling like I'm grieving a whole lot more than just her passing. Feels like I'm crying out all the grief of the last 20 years or so...hurts like hell frankly.

A few years back, when I was living in Seattle, things got a bit rough. I felt like a lost little kid without direction about where to go next. My aunt sent me a little picture book with a CD of this song attached. It was a great gift and a true blessing (I don't use that word lightly) to me. Gave me hope when things looked pretty bleak...That's just how she was.

Damn, I'm going to miss her!!

Design, discovery and humor- TED Talks

This is a really interesting and fun TED talk by David Carson. Interestingly, he said he had no design training.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!!

You know that old guy in every one of your college claasses and drove you up the friggin wall? Oh come on, you know the one....He always sat right down in the front row, directly in line with the professor, interrupted the flow of the lecture, always answered EVERY freaking question, did 5x the amount of homework required and generally made an annoying nuisance of himself at every turn?

Yeah...THAT guy!

He's in my distance learning class now!!! and he's annoying the hell out of me!! If I have to read one more freaking comment of his I'll scream!

Shut up already!!!

whew...rant over.

Sunday Funnies

In honor of it being Burns' Night, thought I'd use a scottish joke this week.
----------
A very popular scotsman dies in glasgow and his old widow wishes to tell all his friends at once so she goes to the newspaper and says "I'd like tae place an obituary fur ma late husband" The man at the desk says "OK, how much money dae ye have?" The old woman replies "£5" to which the man says "You wont get many words for that but write something and we'll see if it's ok" so the old woman writes something and hands it over the counter and the man reads "Peter Reid, fae Parkheid, deid"

He feels guilty at the abruptness of the statement and encourages the old woman to write a few more things. The old woman ponders and then adds a few more words and hand the paper over the counter again. The man then reads "Peter Reid, fae Parkheid deid. Ford Escort for sale"