Absence Makes The Heart...

I sit here thinking about relationships and community after reading a truly challenging bit of writing concerning the life of St. Francis of Assisi. I am struck by the reality of how disconnected and disjointed our society is and how seemingly okay we are with that reality. Of course, we want friends. Of course we want people to know who we are. Or do we? Do we want real friends? Do we want people to really know us? Do we want to really know others?

We find ourselves safely communicating behind veiled cyberspace, instant messages, tweets, texting and email. It's almost awkward to meet someone face to face for the first time. Why? How far have we come or truly gone that we do not know how to truly interact and be in relationship with others? We have come to a point where parents text children from the next room that it is time for dinner. We have come to a point where face to face interaction seems to be more of an inconvenience than an exciting interaction of sharing life with another.

We have heard it said many times about lovers and friends: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Why? Is it because it's safe? Is it because when we are distant or absent we can rely on surface joy and excitement to distract us from deeper issues or the phobia of getting too close?

Murray Bodo in his book, The Way of St. Francis, says this about living the life of the Gospel of Jesus Christ following in the path of St. Francis of Assisi:

"Life among the 'lepers' is always madness to those for whom respectability is holiness and safety is the norm. True poverty, of spirit is never in safety but in the risk of looking for God where God said he was to be found, among the least of his brothers and sisters...Nor is there pride in this choice, because in making such a choice you experience most of the time only helplessness and ineffectiveness as an instrument of healing and wholeness; and God seems so far away, so remote from where God said he would be. And the number you can embrace is very limited because of the emotional drain of loving those who are broken; and you are caught up in the dilemma of closeness and distance,problems of what kind of intimacy is proper and what is not, something you do not have to face if you love humanity en masse but never get close enough to become involved with the pain of another."

It's probable that most of us are not reaching out to the "leper" or the "least of these" and maybe for some of us that is easier than those who are in our families, our homes, churches, businesses, etc. We like distance, and absence makes the heart grow fonder because there is safety in distance and absence. When we are distant and absent there is no risk of someone getting to know us on the deepest levels. There is no risk of someone seeing us at our worst. There is no risk in losing a relationship when I can put on the front that portrays the me I want someone to see. Is that truly a relationship? Is that truly sharing life? Is that what we truly want or what we have settled for?

I believe that it is time that we stopped putting up the front. I believe it is time that we took the risk to love and be loved - to love and be loved not because of the front that we portray but rather to love and be loved in the midst of our brokenness, darkness and frailty; to love and be loved when we are not at our best; to love and be loved when we have been betrayed or been the betrayer. It is only then that we can experience what it truly means to be in relationship; it is only then that we can really say that KNOW someone or that we are truly KNOWN.

I don't know about you, but maybe it's time I took time and the risk to KNOW and be KNOWN.

Fondness for someone perhaps is only true and honest when we are fond and loving of another, not when we are absent or distant, but when we are close and sharing in the joys, pains, defeats and victories with another.

The UNbalanced Life...

It's been a couple weeks since I have posted and hope that everyone has enjoyed a great Thanksgiving and holiday with their families and/or friends. I must say that I enjoyed the quite eventful trip to visit my family. Some of you may be asking if it was eventful because of my family. Well, of course every trip to see my family somehow turns out to be eventful due to the boisterous and out spoken family that we have. Although it is quite common to hear a "passionate" conversation pertaining to politics or religion during the holidays, it was my brother's observation that, "Hey, we didn't have a fight about religion or politics!" Success! So if it was not the debate around the passing of cranberry sauce and turkey that made the trip eventful, what was it?

Upon visiting a friend of mine, I had my bag stolen out of my parked vehicle. In said bag was my laptop, external hard drive, bible, three books and various other small items. Three years of school work, sermons, pictures, videos, music, etc. all gone in a second. My response: at first annoyance with myself for not taking my bag with me as is my usual habit; second, laughter!

Laughter?! When I have told people about this unfortunate set of occurrences and I laugh while telling them, I am looked at with a puzzled look and normally told, "I'm glad that you can laugh about this." To be honest I don't know how I've been able to laugh about such an occurrence until I began reflecting and talking with a friend of mine about life and what it means to love Jesus and be a member of the present and future Kingdom of God.

As I was in my car driving today a brief devotional thought by a well known minister came across the airwaves of my car. The point of the thought was that in life it is not necessarily about elimination but about moderation in certain activities in life. The example used by this certain speaker was the purchase of expensive coffee during one's work week. I must say that I was feeling somewhat guilty as I was soon going to be heading to a particular coffee shop known to be a little more expensive than making it at one's home. I must admit that when given the idea that moderation was OK I had a sense of relief about my plans.

Why do I talk about moderation in my purchase of coffee and how in the world does that relate to the theft of my personal property? I think that this idea of moderation or balance in life drastically impacts priorities and more importantly impacts the way in which I view what it means to be a follower or disciple of Jesus Christ and to be part of the Kingdom of God.

In our world I think it is very common to hear people talking about balance and priorities. It's about finding balance in work and play. It's about finding balance in ones personal and social life. It's about finding balance in the busyness of ones already hectic schedule. It's about finding a balance between spending time for myself and the giving of myself to others. It's about finding a balance between my day to day life and the life I live for Jesus as an active participant in the Kingdom of God.

I believe this idea of balance to be an enemy of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:37-39)

As I read this scripture I must say it's a hard teaching. Many times I have heard this teaching expressed with an air of balance mixed in. It's about a comparison game. It's a balance with my family on one hand and God on the other. It's as though as long as the balanced is tipped just enough in favor of God then I am somehow good enough and have another box checked off in my pursuit of heaven. It is my thought that it is not about tipping the scales in favor of God in such a manner that I have placed a couple more counterweights into God's balance as to raise my attention to Him slightly above that of the other people in my life.

I propose that this passage in Matthew along with others (Luke 9:23, Galatians 2:20, Galations 6:14) make a case that the life of a disciple is about "divine IMbalance". Jesus does not say that if we give 52% of our time to Him and 48% of our time to our family that we are good to go. Jesus does not say that if we are willing to give Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday to Him that we are safe from the pull of the enemy. Jesus does not ask that we simply get smacked across the knuckles for His sake. No, Jesus calls us to take up a cross. Jesus invites us to walk the journey set before Him - the way of sacrificial love - a sacrifice unto death. In other words, Jesus is asking for EVERYTHING! This doesn't sound like balance to me.

What if the life of a Christian is to be marked by absurd wastefulness (in the eyes of the world) of their affection, resources, time and energy in worship to Jesus Christ? What if the life of the Christian is to look unbalanced to the rest of the world due to the amount of time we spend caring for others? What if it is actually true that when we lose our lives for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Gospel and the Kingdom of God, we will actually find true life?

Perhaps when we are willing to live a life that gives everything to God, for the sake of His Kingdom, our lives will look balanced to the rest of the world? What if it is true that when all of our affections, intellect, and passion are focused upon Jesus Christ and Him glorified that the rest of our lives will fall into divine balance due to our first priority of divine imbalance? Is this not one of the paradoxes of the Kingdom of God and the message of Jesus Christ? Maybe when we have, what looks like an absolute waste of our lives, given every part of ourselves to Jesus Christ the world will see what real life looks like. Maybe the world will see that when we love God fully we supernaturally love our families better. We supernaturally love our friends better. We supernaturally love our neighbors and coworkers better. We supernaturally love our enemies and those who try and oppress us. Maybe we would be better workers, business people, students, coworkers, politicians, finance managers, janitors, moms, dads, brothers and sisters.

Rather than trying to play a bargaining game with God about how much balance is in our lives; rather than trying to bring our lives into balance through some form of strength and intestinal fortitude; rather than trying to manage my time, resources and personal life better through self help books and positive thinking; perhaps we should spend more of our emotional, intellectual, and spiritual energy on the only ONE worthy of it - Jesus. Then laptops, hard drives, books and coffee seem to lose their importance. Perhaps the most balanced life is the one most divinely imbalanced first.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Galations 2:20)

All You Need Is Love...

"For God so LOVED the WORLD that he gave his one and only Son, that WHOEVER believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

I'm sitting in one of my most frequented places on the planet...my local Starbucks after a pretty long couple of days. I'm on my second Americano today which can only mean that my heart is working overtime due to the amount of caffeine and that I am exhausted enough to have felt that a second Americano was necessary. Amidst the craziness of the past couple of days I have found myself thinking about - LOVE.

I just received a CD that is a compilation of four great musical artists and on the front cover, is the word "LOVE". The main track on the CD is "All You Need Is Love". A pretty famous song but also a statement of great truth. But the question that is running through my mind is what do I do with the love I have been given or received? What kind of love is this? Romantic? Brotherly? Godly?

My first thought and belief is that if I could grasp God's love for me and would in turn love God, then both the way I love romantically or in relationship with my "brothers and sisters" would be more complete and more appropriately understood. With this as my main idea it would only make sense to explore what kind of love is this Godly kind of love? What does it mean? What does it look like?

On Sunday, I had a student say that they didn't believe that love existed outside of the love that he knew and experienced within his family. The kind of love, he explained, that was based upon a deep connection, that, when tested due to negative action, still existed because they were family. This got me thinking. Although I disagreed that love didn't exist outside of this relationship, it sparked the thought process about connection, as he called it, within family and Godly love (love in its greatest form).

Using this familial form of love as a picture of what Godly love looks and functions like I was led to think about how that translates to the whole world. After all, the Gospel of John states that God so loved the WORLD. If I claim to love God and Jesus has commanded me to love others as well, should I not also love this way? What does that look like? What did Jesus teach about love?

If familial love is about connection and loving those within your family even when they disappoint you, hurt you, curse you, betray you; and if this kind of love is a great picture of what Godly, unconditional love looks like then there is a statement made by Jesus that blows my mind and in turn, based upon another teaching of Jesus, challenges me to the core.

First, Jesus statement on the cross could be seen as a commentary on family and the Kingdom of God. Jesus, while dying on the cross, looks down to one of his disciples and to his mother, Mary, who is standing at the foot of the cross weeping and broken. The Gospel of John describes this moment saying: "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, 'Woman, here is your son,' and to the disciple, 'Here is your mother'. From that time on, this disciple took her into his home."

Is it possible that in this moment Jesus is teaching something about what it truly means to love when you are part of the Kingdom of God? Is it possible that Jesus was teaching that in the Kingdom of God it isn't about shared DNA or chromosomes that makes one related or family, but rather, we are to see everyone as family? It's as though Jesus is exploding the boundaries and understanding of family by shifting the paradigm from DNA and chromosomes to each human being because they all share the Divine imprint from the very beginning of time. Furthermore, if Jesus was to see each person through the lens that everyone was to be loved unconditionally, as evidenced by His death on the cross, shouldn't we too live with this kind of love seeing each person as our brother or sister regardless of shared DNA or not?

This thought stretches my mind, however, this thought challenges the very core of the practice of my life when Jesus teaches us the following.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven...If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48)

If Jesus explodes our view of family by extending it to all, and this familial love is a paradigm for what Godly love is, AND Jesus is telling us to LOVE our ENEMIES, is it possible that Jesus is saying that we are to treat our ENEMIES as we would our FAMILY with absolute unconditional love? How about perfect STRANGERS?

This absolutely blows my mind.

If we loved this way how would that change the way we view the conflict in Iraq? How would this impact the way we view and interact with the homeless man who asks us for our loose change? How would this impact the way that we interact with our boss or coworker? What if we no longer saw people as enemies or strangers, acquaintances or even friends, rather we saw them as FAMILY?

I've heard people say that only God can love this way. I would have ask, then why would Jesus teach us what he has? Perhaps it's because Jesus believes we can and it is the only natural response of a life that claims to love God.

If "all we need is love", it may do us some good to change the way in which we view love - not emotion, affection, or a chemical reaction of the brain but instead the deeply rooted connection and spiritual discipline that finds it's origin in the God whose very nature is LOVE.

iJesus - The Personalization of Jesus

"We have shrunk Jesus to the size where He can save our soul but now don't believe He can change the world." - Anonymous

So here it goes...confession time. In the world that is absolutely obsessed with technology, including myself, I have to admit that I am just not that cool. I DON'T OWN AN IPOD. I know, I know...where have I been? The ironic thing in all of this is that almost all of the music that I own is found upon ITunes on my PC...which is another issue for me. I am a PC but must admit that I would like a Mac. At this point some of you are wondering why you even began reading or should be at all interested in this...I promise I have a point.

I desire to own an IPod and a Mac. I desire to have the newest IPhone but must also admit that I'm not willing to change cell phone providers. I confess all of this to reveal a problem in my own life - personal convenience.

As I was reading the Gospel of John again today I came upon the end of chapter one and read through chapter 2 and found myself with a couple of thoughts and some questions.

At the end of chapter 1 we meet Nathanael, a Jewish man who would become a disciple of Jesus. Nathanael was skeptical of Jesus at first when he learned that Jesus was from the town of Nazareth, even to the point of asking the famous question or more so a bold statement: "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" (v. 46) It is after Jesus tells Nathanael of his, Nathanael's, previous whereabouts, that Nathanael believes. Jesus says to Nathanael after this moment: "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that." (v.50)

In chapter 2, we are introduced to Jesus first public miracle according to John - the turning of water into wine. When I read this account it made me laugh. The whole story begins with, in my opinion, a pretty humorous exchange between Jesus and his mother. They are at a wedding reception when they run out of wine. I can only guess that one of two things were in play. Either there were many people at the party and the Wedding Planner should be fired or they had plenty of wine and plenty of people drinking it. In either case, the wine was gone and the party was not over. In steps Mary. She tells Jesus of the issue at hand and Jesus responds with the statement: "Woman, with all due respect, why do you involve me?" Mary's response turning to the servants: "Do whatever he tells you." In other words, Jesus, you're still my son and this is not a conversation and you WILL do what I ask you to. Jesus does. Look at Jesus being such an obedient child.

After the miracle takes place and everyone is astounded that the best wine is being served at the end of the party, there is a statement that is deeply related to my main point here. John 2:11 says this: "What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples put their faith in him."

Just as Nathanael who believed after Jesus' statement of his previous whereabouts and this miracle at the wedding of the year, those who see the miracles of Jesus choose to believe.

Although I do believe that early century Jews had a more communal faith it is fairly obvious that there is still something in the hearts of human individuals that has not changed throughout history - we still want life to be about fulfilling our personal desires.

John MacArthur says: "The true gospel is a call to self denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment." As I was reading this Gospel and spending time reflecting upon how this impacts or should impact my life as a disciple of Jesus, I came to ask the following question that pertains to the initial quote above by Anonymous. Have we so personalized the Gospel of Jesus Christ, more specifically the person of Jesus, for my own benefit to the detriment of the true nature of the Gospel and it's mission to bring the Kingdom of God to earth, here and now?

In a society convinced of its need for greater modern and convenient technological conveniences, we have produced IPods, laptops, microwaves, hot pockets and drive thru windows. Is it possible that we have allowed this mentality of instant personal gratification to tarnish the true nature of the Gospel by making Jesus so personal at the expense of the call to impact and change the world around us? Do I believe in Jesus because it benefits me or because I see that Jesus calls me to a different way of life that can change the world by using someone as finite and fallible as myself? Is Jesus like my IPod, comfort and entertainment at the push of a button?

I believe that although Jesus desires and knows us personally, Jesus does not exist for my own personal fullfillment. It was not His mission to fulfill my life in such a way that can be reduced to material wealth, educational prowess, positional authority, and/or technological advancement for the sake of efficiency.

What I find to be amazing about the Gospel is that although I may find fulfillment through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, fulfillment comes not through the miracle of water into wine, healing of disease or lack of discomfort; rather, fulfillment comes through the indwelling and gift of God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, what amazes me is, in my fulfillment in the indwelling of God Himself, it moves me to look out into the faces and eyes of others. It is one of the paradoxes of the kingdom. As I am fulfilled personally it moves me to love others through communal thought and activity.

Perhaps it is time to enter into the mission of Jesus to redeem and restore all of creation back to its Creator and to return the IJesus model back to the manufacturer.

"This whole gospel is truly good news for the poor, and it is the foundation for a social revolution that has the power to change the world. And if this was Jesus' mission, it is also the mission of all who claim to follow Him. It is my mission, it is your mission, and it is the mission of the Church." (Richard Stearns, The Hole In Our Gospel)

Back to the Blogosphere!

It has been almost three years since my last post on this blog but I thought it about time that I begin pouring out my heart and thoughts for the glory of God.

God has been doing some amazing things in my life over the past few weeks. I can't really begin to get into all the details for that would be boring and take up too much time for those who would choose to read this blog. However, as I reflect on the past few weeks I can sum up what is deep within my heart and soul...that something that burns deep within you and can't remain silent...I want to be so in love and filled with the presence of God in the Holy Spirit that my life looks absolutely insane to the rest of the world!

I have always been a reader and have come to grips with my "geekdom" as I like to call it. But recently it's as though I have been reading a new book almost every week. Part of my reading has been the Bible but I have found that it is easy to find myself reading other books other than scripture. However, as obvious as this may be, when desiring to not only believe but to live out the Kingdom of God, it is necessary to read the Gospels. Now that all of you have been absolutely blown away by such truth (note my sarcasm)...today I decided to sit and begin reading through the Gospels again. Recently I started reading more sections of John and so I decided to begin with the Gospel of John.

Becoming More Like John the Baptizer

Today as I was reading the Gospel of John I was challenged by the picture of John the Baptizer (Baptist). There's just something about the character and nature of John that struck deep into my soul. For some of us we know that John was the cousin of the Jesus of Nazareth. We may know some of the characteristics of John the Baptist that made him look quite crazy and insane to...camel hair clothing, while eating wild honey and bugs (Bear Grills isn't the only one!). Although I have visions at times of looking that crazy for the sake of God there is something more that stuck out to me about John - it truly was all about Jesus and not about him!

John 1:6-8 says: "There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was NOT the light; he came only as a witness to the light." (NIV, emphasis mine)

Although I fully believe as Jesus preached in his "Sermon on the Mount" that we are to be "salt and light", I also fully believe that in John we see that it is not about us being the source of light ourselves. Rather, we are to point to the source of all light and His name is Jesus (John 1:4). A crude metaphor may be a flashlight and realizing that we are not the batteries or the bulb that produces the light. No, instead we are the metal casing, that without the infilling of the power and the source would be nothing but scrap. It is only when we are filled with the power and presence of the true light that our fragile, finite human selves can be that which God intended - to be salt and light; witnesses to the amazing work of God in Jesus Christ!

When approached by Jewish leaders, John was asked outright whether he was the Messiah and freely confessed he was NOT (John 1:20). It is a common conversation, I have found among pastors and Christian leaders, concerning a kind of "Savior" complex. A complex in which the pastor or Christian leader feels some temptation or unreasonable expectation to be the savior of their people and the problems of the world. I believe we should take much more of the position of John the Baptist who said of himself: "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness. 'Make straight the way for the Lord'" (John 1:23).

Allow me to clarify. I do not believe that our job is to open our mouths wide about the Gospel and Good News of Jesus Christ; the power of redemption and salvation by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus - and simply leave it at words. Instead I truly believe that it is our only truly faithful response to the work of Jesus and His teachings to be about bringing the Kingdom of God here and now...to this earth at this time. However, simultaneously, it must be the point of our lives and words to point to the true Savior and the true Messiah; the true Light and His name is Jesus.

Are we supposed to proclaim the Gospel through words or actions? The answer is...YES! It's not either/or - it is both/and.

My prayer is that as I desire to draw nearer and nearer to Jesus Christ and be more and more transformed into the image of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, that I would always remember that I am not the source of the light but rather have the opportunity to point others to the true source of that light - Jesus.

May we have the attitude and heart of John the Baptizer pointing to Jesus proclaiming Him as Savior and Messiah with the dawning of the Kingdom of God here, now and in the life to come!

It's amazing to me all that needs to be done and placed on the "to do" list when you transition. Thus far I've opened up a bank account, got a new cell number (which is kind of annoying now that I have to let everyone know it somehow!), got a new phone (not a priority but a fun toy), and began to cast a vision for ministry.
What's even more amazing to me is ministry! It's amazing how in one quick moment you can go from hanging out with a bunch of kids getting cake in the face and the next you have two students in a serious brawl, a student telling you some of the deepest darkest secrets of their life, another fight almost break out...and no sooner did you finish a message on respect and those very kids who were sitting there are the ones gossiping and disrespecting the adults around them! It's so much discouraging as it is confusing!
I think I'm finding that ministry is so volatile and can change at any moment! The people are great and you enjoy being with them...the next moment you can't believe what you are hearing or seeing and want to get away!
Thank God that ministry isn't about me and whether or not I have all the answers, techniques, styles, dynamics, etc. I just pray that as I strive to be faithful to God and allow God to use me as his vessel to share love, grace and mercy - in some way I pray for God's transforming presence and spirit to be real and evident in these lives (including mine)!
Grace and Peace!

I can't tell if I'm too much of an idealist and less of a realist - but I can't help but think that to be truly Christian is to be kind of absurd in certain areas. I'm sure you're wondering what I'm referring to...

Today I came into the church to work on my sermon and get things ready for Sunday's service. When I got in after checking my mailbox and seeing if I had any messages I noticed a couple who had wandered into the foyer of our office area. Our secretary went and met them and proceeded to bring them down to our compassionate ministries area. There they were able to find clothing and other things that they needed. The one woman was pregnant and the couple was obviously in need. It was great that we had the opportunity to be used in this sense. They were down in this area for a long period of time looking through much of what we had. I felt as though we were trying to rush them out because they were infringing on our time in the office. There was an air of anxiousness as the minutes continued to pass on.
They finished and we were able to give them some food and talk with them a little. The woman wanted to know our address so she could send pictures of her children when they were born. The reality is I felt as though as her and her husband hung around they wanted more and felt like we in the office felt like, "If we don't have too much eye contact and don't talk with them - they'll go away."
The couple needed a ride to the bus station. I offered and I took them. I truly felt as though the couple felt as though they had to act MORE "christian" or prove themselves so I didn't think less of them as I drove. As I dropped them off I was hit with a rush of questions and thoughts!
Why were we so anxious about having them at the church and taking more time than WE thought they needed?
When I got back, the conversation was about money and whether or not to give them money or anyone who comes for that matter! I learned they had problems in the past here at the church. I understand that we have to be good stewards of our money and resources but sometimes I wonder. I wonder if we use the word "stewardship" just as an excuse to be LESS generous! Would Jesus give them money? Would Jesus wish He had a social worker to ask the RIGHT questions? Or would Jesus use his last dollar to help that person out? I find myself wondering if the absurdity and scandal of the cross is truly softened by our American, westernized, version of Christianity? Jesus in an absurd display of generosity gave His life! Jesus, in a scandalous show of grace stopped a whole crowd from stoning an adulterer in the act! Why are we so afraid of this kind of absurd and scandalous grace and hospitality? What are we afraid of? Are we afraid of going broke? Are we afraid that we won't have enough for ourselves? Whatever happened to the absurd kind of trust that the Israelites were called to? When did we lose that kind of trust in the PROVISION and GRACE of God?
I'm not perfect by any means and I'm just as guilty today in my anxiety and uncomfort in this face of my neighbor in need. I will say this though. We were worried about the screening process and giving the "right" or "appropriate" resources. I will say this though...this woman today was willing to give us a picture of her children. Probably all she could really give as a sign of appreciation. Which offering was God more please with - her gift of a photo - possibly all she could give or our gift of some clothes and food that cost us nothing? I can't tell you how challenged I am by these thoughts. May I live out a Christianity that is so gracious, loving, daring, risky and scandalous that my life looks more like Jesus everyday! I'm sick and tired of a wimpy Christianity. Last time I checked the goal was to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Last time I checked those hands and feet were pierced. Christianity takes a faith and trust in a God who CAN make me like Jesus. Not by my effort but by God's Spririt! If that's an ideal...then I guess I'm guilty as charged as an IDEALIST!

PEACE ON THE JOURNEY