Dear God January 7, 2009
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A lot of people are hurting right now. The economy is worse then anyone is willing to admit, and so are the hearts of so many. You have enriched my life in countless ways. Our children are healthy. My marriage is aged well beyond our years, and more fulfilling then I ever thought possible. Our ability to pay our bills is increasing, where so many others are decreasing. Our daily drama load has been next to nothing. On top of all of that, You have allowed us to see You in so many places, people, and events around us.
I am not worthy.
Friends and family look at us from the outside, and are compelled to wonder what we have that they don’t.
It’s You!
Even though we have made so many mistakes, you continue to forgive us and bless us. I hope that the people around us draw closer to you. Not so that they can pay their bills, but so they can feel what I feel right now. I feel like I am being courted by You. The almighty God of all creation. Forever sovereign, warden to the lightning and earthquakes, keeper of all life, giver of all love.
Broken little pathetic me, who cries at the thought of such a God; as would want me, who can add nothing to You. I can give you nothing that you don’t already have, yet you chase after me. How can there be so much love? I can’t even comprehend, in my broken body or my broken mind, ever loving that much. How can you not grow weary of my stupid mistakes and my selfish desires? I try to justify myself, yet you await me with the ultimate justification… love. What can I do in return, except be undeserving.
As minimalistic as it may be, all I have is my gratitude and praise, so… thank You Jesus!
Never, Forever, and Always January 5, 2009
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When you are a kid, the summer lasts for a year, and the year lasts for a day. I remember being a kid just waiting to grow up. My sister and I used to mark the doors with our height to keep track of how big we had grown. My sister was always tall and lanky, and I was always short and fluffy. I remember thinking I would never grow to be as tall as my sister.
Then one day about a year and a half later I went to mark my height, and I was just above one of my sister’s marks. I decided on that day that I knew how long never was… it was about a year and a half.
Some time later I gave my heart to a boy, and we said that it would last forever. And for a very long time I thought it would. Then about three years later forever ended. I remember thinking that I now knew exactly how long forever was,…and it was twice as long as never.
After that I was still young and fearless to a fault. I thought to myself that I would always be wild and spontaneous, no matter whom I met or what I did. I had finally found myself. About two years later I had my first child. At that point I realized I now knew just how long always was as well… it was somewhere between never and forever.
In thinking about how I had some insight into the world and what people meant when they said the words forever, never, and always, I soon realized I would forever be a mommy, and my life would never be the same again… and I would always be thankful that I knew that.
Observations… January 5, 2009
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People can be so uptight. Why is it that people, no matter who they are or where they come from, find the need to argue about minuscule things?
People place their own prisons around themselves. They fill their lives with drama and dissension until they are at the breaking point. There is a wonderful line in a movie I once saw that said “Guilt is like a bag of bricks, all you gotta do is set it down.”
Now let me tell you what I have been reflecting on…
- Life is as hard as you make it + a little extra, so why make it hard?
- Smiles are free
- People are mean, but nobody likes a mean person
- If you love what you have, you will have what you love
- Everyone has faith, its what they have faith in that differs
- Only enter into a relationship with a list of what you can give, not receive
- The value of a life is measured by the people who measure themselves by you -from The Bucket List
Joel’s letter September 2, 2008
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There are several things to remember when praying in a public setting:
1. Prayer is not a speech with a hidden agenda; it is a direct request to God for help. Therefore, it demeans prayer to use it to get points across to an audience other than God. My prayer was my request to God and an invitation for the people of all faith traditions that our country welcomes to join me in it.
2. Prayer in public is not a tool of evangelism, but it has a tone that will set the stage for evangelism by taking people from where they are in their faith (Acts 17:22) and making possible follow up conversations. I am hearing accounts from many Christians who were in the stadium (including my wife) who had conversations with non-Christians that resulted in Kingdom progress. I have many responses from non-Christians saying, in essence, “Thank you for including us in the prayer, I thought evangelicals only cared about scoring points for their faith. You made me think you cared enough about me that we could have a conversation.” And I have also received responses from non-Christians who thought it was wrong for me to say “In Jesus’ name” because I had the microphone and those are the words that rang out through the stadium and resounded throughout the convention as many Christians scattered throughout the crowd voiced “In Jesus’ name” as well.
3. Christians must not be afraid to be the Truth in the midst of other religions. Truth will always win, but it will be constrained if we “insist on our own way” of approaching the universality of Christ. John 14:6 is true; how some can realize that Truth must come from a broader conversation than “my God is true; your god is false”.
4. I did not ask people to pray to another god; I asked them to finish a prayer according to their faith tradition. This may be a small point linguistically, but it is a huge point theologically.
5. Creating an environment where people can cooperate without having to compromise their core beliefs will eventually win more people to Christ than pronouncing Christ over them at the end of a prayer.
6. As I said in worship, to protect the integrity of “in Jesus’ name”, the person praying must make sure that either a) He or she is only emphasizing their own ending to the prayer, as Donald Miller did when he ended “I pray this in Jesus name” or b) He or she does not misrepresent people that they have asked to join them in prayer. That would be taking the Lord’s name in vain.
I could go on from here, but you get the idea. As you may imagine, I prayed long and hard before feeling like God had given me the precise words for this prayer. I believe that He in His sovereign way will use it to bring people to Himself.
I also hope that you will see the mention of other religions as an opportunity to lift up the one true God, not as a threat to His universality.
With appreciation and blessings,
Joel
I am so proud of my pastor… August 29, 2008
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Pastor Joel recently went to give the benediction at the Democratic Convention
I would like to say that Joel received many opposing views about his acceptance of this offer. In a church service that I attended Joel said that he is going because they asked him to come pray. He is not endorsing the democratic party, he is going to pray for them. Jesus prayed for sinners and saints alike, and I am so proud that Joel decided to follow His example, instead of being bullied out of his decision.
Below is a transcript of the benediction, which obviously still upholds Joel’s moral beliefs.
We are all here to devote ourselves to the improvement of this country we love. In one of the best traditions of our country, would those of you who are people of faith join me in asking for God’s help?
Almighty God, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us a reverence for all life. Give us a compassion for the most vulnerable among us. The babies. The children. The poor. The sick. The enslaved. The persecuted. For all of those who have been left out of the advantaged world.
Give us a zeal to clean the environment we have polluted while we create an economy where everyone who can work can have a job. Help us to honor those who defend our country by working harder and smarter for peace. Help us to counter those that incite fear and hatred by becoming people who are informed and respectful and are known for the principles and projects that aim higher than merely our own group’s benefit.
Guide Barack Obama and all of our leaders to be agents of your will and recipients of your wisdom. And grant that all of us citizens will continually do our part to contribute to the common good so that we can truly love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
Now I interrupt this prayer for a closing instruction. I want to personalize this. I want this to be a participatory prayer. And so therefore, because we are in a country that is still welcoming all faiths, I would like all of us to close this prayer in the way your faith tradition would close your prayer.
So on the count of three, I want all of you to end this prayer, your prayer, the way you usually end prayer. You ready? One, two, three.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
When I heard Joel’s benediction my heart filled with pride for his accomplishment of showing the love of God, despite the ’status’ of those who invited him, or those who would be listening.
Mobile Cam August 29, 2008
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Anyone else creeped out by America watching the outside of the Anthony house? Are we hoping to see them try to carry the body out of the back yard in the middle of the night or something?
BarCamp Orlando 08 April 6, 2008
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Ok, so I went to DEVDAY at BarCamp today. There were some very interesting topics, and the speaker board filled up fast. I would have liked to see a more interactive setting. I tend to be more hands on, and I would have loved to see people with some demo systems set up for barcampians to look at. Also, the lighting in the bars was a little too little. It made for a distracting setting, and lots of people were paying more attention to their laptops then the presentations. The food was good, although we refrained from standing in the massive line, and ate early. The rain held off for most of the morning, which was a pleasant surprise. Most of all, I enjoyed the time with my hubby!
The Good, the Bad, and the Dross March 28, 2008
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There have been some wonderful things that have come out of 9-11. One of those things is the heightened appreciation for our men and women who serve our country, both at home, and abroad. There are, however, some very foolish things that have become of America since 911.
1. Never in my life have I seen more people with the audacity to take another human being’s life into their hands at the mercy of a gun. Did we only decide, after 911, that the only way to beat the people who are responsible for this is to join them?
2. I have also never seen such a focus on violence form the media. I understand that on 911 your ratings were the highest that they have ever been in history, but do we really want to try to recreate this even every day of our lives?
3. Never have I seen so much focus on hate. Through a combination of the fear of the unknown, and the events which shook this nation, people have turned to hate, in a futile attempt to understand the mentality of those individuals who are responsible for this monstrosity. CONGRATULATIONS in your intimate understanding of hate…. what good does that do?
4. I have also not seen so many indecisive, insecure, and down right spineless people in my life. We, America, used to stand for BRAVE, just because you don’t understand, or just because you are afraid, or just because you are now uncomfortable, that does not mean you should cease to stand up for what is right. If we are in a fight between good and evil, what are you doing letting the evil ones go with out consequence or protest?
5. I have never seen so many selfish people. Since when is it ok to see people doing and committing evil acts, and to just look away? What if it was your child? What if it was your business? Your life savings? What if it was you and everyone just stood by and watched it happen?
6. In my lifetime I have never seen such prejudice in America. Now I am not old enough to have lived through the battles and struggles of slavery. I do, however, have interracial children, and I have been a victim of prejudice for my interracial relationship. I have signed an application for an apartment, and when my boyfriend showed up to sign it, the apartment was mysteriously rented already. In spite of our down payment. I have been asked to leave, and followed in stores, and even pulled over for suspicion because I was with a man of another race.
But this takes the cake! Since when does everyone with a middle eastern heritage become an enemy. Do we really have to re-live the mistakes we have made as a country without any regard to learning from our past? Come on people! Are we, as a race so stupid that we can’t learn that hate doesn’t work?
It is only fear that leads to hate. Fear for your life, fear of the unknown, fear of being afraid forever. I find this faithless in an unquestionable, unacceptable manner. Faith…
Ok, so where are our spiritual leaders, who are suppose to raise the faith of God’s people? Well, they are writing self help books on how to become wealthy the biblical way. Which is just another pacifier to the real problem. People do not like the world we live in. People are not comfortable in their lives, because there is the knowledge that someone may ruthlessly take it away at any minute. And instead of fighting evil with good, they are becoming evil to cope with the “evil world syndrome.”
I understand, I live in this world too! However, more bad does not make anything good. Goodness can not come from the heart of any man or woman, for there is no goodness in humanity. That is not even a question, anyone could see that. Everyone, given the right situation, would forsake all others to preserve themselves. Why?
Why fight so hard to remain in a world that is so full of evil, and yet refuse the only goodness in this world? For those of you who don’t know me I am a Christian. I happen to be one with bias, because I have actually read the book professing the Christian faith in its entirety.
Now, imagine this, you take a 9 year old child, and you put him on an island with no one else, and only a bible, and food and water. Do you think that child, after reading the bible in its entirety, would hold the same principles that the average Christian does today. I say no. That child would be more Christ like then any other, however, ignorant in the evil of a man’s heart (relatively speaking). So if being exposed to the evil of a man’s heart changes the heart of a believer, then what protection d we have?
Here is where the responsibility of the spiritual leaders comes into play. There are instructions in the bible which are given explicitly for the purpose of protecting your heart and mind from evil. So why is no one teaching this to the believers? Because it is not a “pleasant” subject to think that evil is real. People would rather become slightly evil, to justify the evil in their hearts, and call evil committed a mutation of normal, instead of what it truly is. The surrender to the evil of a man’s heart. People are not willing to admit that evil comes from within man.
If the world existed, and the only thing missing would be the human race, would there be evil? Could there be evil? Is not evil something that exists solely in the heart of man? Now there are negative and positive forces, science will prove that, but in the authority that was given man, from his (as a race) creator, evil can not proceed without a host if you will. So, man is the host of evil. This is why I say it is in man’s heart. With no host, evil dies.
So why would something, being evil, want to destroy its means to survive?
I don’t believe it does. I believe man kills, and dies because of its union with evil. Because God does not want evil to survive, therefore, when Adam ate the fruit, “he would surely die.” Now just let that soak in for a minute…
If we are tired of killing and evil, why do we turn to evil in retaliation? Does it not lead to our death? Does anyone deny that hate breeds evil?
If man (as a race) is inherently evil, from the fall of Adam, who is teaching us how to be good? Is becoming wealthy in worldly desires good? The bible says it is hard for a rich man to get into heaven. So why do people want to be rich? Because they think it will save some heartache and pain perhaps?
No man woman or child will escape this world without enduring great pain and suffering, even Jesus.
The reason we are all uncomfortable in this world, is because people no longer look at ultimate success of a man as the complete refining of one’s self. We have all become like Job’s friends. We blame the good things and the bad on each other, and ourselves. We are unwilling to see the good in things. We no longer look within our hearts, we now rely on our goodness to be shown by something outside of ourselves.
Let me explain using a parable as Jesus did…
A refiner’s fire is a fire that is so hot that it causes any metal being heated upon it to be separated from the dross that is within it. The liquid metal gets heated up, and the impurities rise to the surface, whereupon the silversmith then removes the dross. As more dross is consumed or removed, the refined metal is purer, more precious to the Refiner. When the metal is pure, the Refiner can see his reflection in the metal.
So, we are the metal, God is the refiner, and the fire is God’s will. The dross is the evil of man’s heart. God’s will can be to afflict us with evil, for th sake of our refining process. Or God’s will can be to cool us down, and give us the goodness of His water (the Holy Spirit).
My point is this. If we, as a race, as a country, America, are being heated up to just before a boil, why are we holding on to the dross which we are supposed to give up? Why are we resisting the purity of our selves? Is it because we don’t understand the process?
I leave you with this…
Isaiah 33
15 He who walks righteously
and speaks what is right,
who rejects gain from extortion
and keeps his hand from accepting bribes,
who stops his ears against plots of murder
and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil-
16 this is the man who will dwell on the heights,
whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.
His bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail him.
Doom or Boom? March 17, 2008
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You know one of the major financial icons for the past 65 years, Bear Sterns, announced that it would sell its shares to its rival JP Morgan at $2 per share. This time last year their stock was traded at an average of $160 per share. Bush was immediately involved, which resulted in a .25 drop in emergency funding rates for financial institutions. Global markets plunged Monday, with Tokyo’s Nikkei index off nearly 4 percent and major European indices down about 3 percent. Bush has warned against the effects of excessive government intervention as a reflection of the 1929 depression, which left the country in ruins. Despite warnings from President Bush, the Fed approved a cut in interest rates. The wide spread diminished world economic market has more then a few individuals nervous. Will the next decade hold the fall of our monetary systems? Will we be tossed into a neanderthal method of value association, or will this be the dawn of a new and economic equalizing age? Stay tuned….. for Doom or Boom!
Lindsay
New Avenue January 28, 2008
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It has been a little over a month since I decided to work full time with my husband, and take care of my kids on the side. I have found my calling. I have no regrets about leaving the corporate grind. I love every minute of it. I often wondered how I would fill my time, but I am more productive since I quit my old job, then I have ever been before. I recommend to everyone to quit their jobs and enjoy their lives! (seriously).
I am learning to play the guitar, which has served as yet another love interest my husband and I can share. I also have time to read, which I haven’t done since in school (when I had time to myself). My family has taken up the hobby of roller skating. To my surprise, my husband enjoys it as much as I do. I can’t imagine why women wanted to continue working after the war was over (?) I have never been more at peace. I know I am exactly where I should be, regardless of my education. I am not saying women shouldn’t work, but the prospect of a family business is sweeter then one would imagine. God is good, and His way is full of joy and peace.
