missionary2america's Xanga

Sex and downpayments

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:39:36 GMT

Sex and down payments. Signatures and marriage. Separation and foreclosures. Defaults and divorce. Optionally, add alcohol to reduce the intoxicating effect. Blend it into a fine paste and feed it to your babies. It tastes like America and we feed it to generation after generation. We elect leaders to change the recipe but they can't - only we can. Do you want less government? Help a friend or neighbor in a holistic way so they don't need government aid. Your calling is to change the world around you using the same method Christ did. Speak truth and lay down your life to change it, and do not major in the issues you are not willing to lay down your life to change.

Counseling by presence, example, and interaction

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:37:40 GMT

Stephanie has begun counseling a teenager in the 5th ward as part of Jim and Janie Allen's "Up" ministry and as part of completing her counseling studies at college of biblical studies. The stories of how this "counseling" relationship is unfolding are amazing and very encouraging to me -- they remind me of Jackie Pullinger's "Chasing the Dragon." It is anything but the normal sitting in a room talking scenario - it has become counseling by presence, example, and interaction in this teenager's unusual and often harsh, theatrical, and stark daily life. She still counsels verbally, but with a lot more impact because of how God is orchestrating the circumstance.

My Favorites

Sat, 30 May 2009 13:25:55 GMT

Take it to the Cross

Getting Past the Labels

How I miss my Home - (God's Heart for Christian Addicts)

How to Eat Cheetos Without Dirty Fingers

Are you showing your True Colors?

What we do to good looking people

Self Discipline I Might Be Better Off Without

Fast Political Change is Worthless

IKEA to buy GM

Mon, 18 May 2009 22:11:49 GMT

IKEA announces plans to buy GM, make domestic automobiles more affordable ...

... some assembly required.

I Could Not Do What I Am Doing Without Stephanie

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:36:06 GMT

Ya know, I couldn't do what I do, the way I do it, if it weren't for everything Stephanie does. She is so helpful, supportive, and sweet. She takes care of so many things for me! I am hugely blessed and very grateful to have her in my life.

So much of what she does, she does alone, when no one is watching. So, while people often see what I do, hardly anyone sees the amazing number of things she does for me, day after day. Some people have a hired personal assistant, executive assistant, administrative assistant, etc. for this ... and they'll often say they're worth every penny. I have Stephanie. If I had a personal assistant I'm sure they'd want to talk about a raise every once in a while. Every once in a while Stephanie wants to talk about something too ... and you know what it usually is? "What can I do to make your day go better? What can I do to reduce your stress? What can I do to help keep things running smoothly for you? What can I do to help you feel happier in life?"

This after 17 years of marriage.

OK, I'll stop bragging. Every once in a while, the amazement just hits me and I figured I'd blog about it this time.

Great Blog Post

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:29:09 GMT

Great blog post by a friend of mine here.

Are you awake?

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:02:47 GMT

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the
violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for
about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was
calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of
them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician
playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then
hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman
threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him,
but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he
was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother
tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist.
Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning
his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other
children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed
for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal
pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over,
no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best
musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever
written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a
theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the
Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste
and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace
environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop
to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best
musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many
other things are we missing?

Rabbit Vs Snake

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:04:24 GMT

Make sure you hear the commentary too.

Rabbit Vs Snake - A funny movie is a click away

Marriage and Sacrifice - processing likes and dislikes

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:19:27 GMT

A friend of mine asked a question about processing the likes and dislikes between them and their significant other in a pre marriage relationship. I like to suggest processing those in light of the possibility of a marriage relationship. I found it to be a very thought provoking question and decided to post my answer here.

Here are some things to keep in mind. First, I think one must face every attribute of the other that one does not like, and consider that the other is under no obligation to change even one of these things. One could be "stuck with" every one of those attributes for the rest of one's life, and one is making a commitment to LOVE the other despite every one of the attributes.

Secondly, one must keep in mind that by the time one has been married to the other for, say, 15 years, the other will probably mostly not even be the same person any more. The other might lose many of the traits one likes, and pick up many new ones one does not.

With those two things in mind, I offer the following: one can only enter into such a relationship fully prepared to sacrifice deeply, and often, and to love unconditionally for life. I have found such a life long commitment to unconditional love to be the most defining and pronounced growth and maturing element in my christian walk. I believe God has used this relationship to make me twice the man I would be without it.

The good news: experiencing this commitment in each other, as it flies in the face of selfish culture's values, increasing in value with every hardship and sacrifice, has brought a greater joy than we could ever have imagined when we started out.

One more piece of good news: it seems that, after 15 years, one can become quite endeared to some of the very attributes in the other that one found most annoying at the beginning. Sometimes one must simply experience some of the other's attributes over time, to appreciate their amazing long term value.

Someone You Know Needs A Shoulder and a Hand

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:31:45 GMT

As destructive as Ike was, no one I know was killed or injured during Ike, not even from improper generator usage or contaminated water. Praise God we were all spared! It could have been so much worse.

I hope all my friends are looking for opportunities to work with God in comforting and helping those who are experiencing any kind of loss or emotional distress from Ike. At a time like this, you know someone who needs some extra care and concern. God is there with that person. Where are you?