"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. " John 15:1-7
Last night the Young Adult group gathered at my house. After the ice cream sundaes we had a fantastic discussion (seriously almost 2 hours) and as we were ending, one of the group read John 15. For most of the group, the image of the vine being pruned stood out. What hit me were the words "abide in me".
The last week has been a week of introspection. I've been contemplating relationships, my job, where I put God in life, my successes and failures and so much more. At the beginning of the week, I met with someone who has been acting as a kind of spiritual director in my life and he asked a series of questions that brought me to the edge of tears. I spoke aloud words that I've hidden pretty deeply inside and know that they are just the top layer of stuff that needs to be worked through. It's been that kind of a week. In the midst of it I've felt pretty alone too. Admittedly, part of that is my own doing but not all. And then the words last night "abide with me".
God's been on the back-burner of life lately. I've been going through the motions, been putting a lot of energy into other places and haven't given God much nor have I allowed God to give me much. I don't like myself when that happens. I don't like the me that appears when God gets too little.
Abide with me...I'm pretty sure that in the midst of a group of people, who have become a bright spot in life, God did a little talking last night.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
For Meggie
As promised...The Muppets. For more videos go to The Muppets Studio on YouTube. For now, enjoy The Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody (Original Version).
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Pondering
It's 11:15pm. I just got home a 1/2 hr ago. I left home at 10:45am. 12 hour day anyone?
Everyday I hear high school and college youth complain about how long they have worked. "Oh man, I had to work 10-5 yesterday", "Man, I put in 8 hours today", "dude, it was such a long workday, I worked 5 hours". Can I just say, I have no compassion. I really don't. 10, 11, 12 hour days are normal in my world. Not to mention, I feel fortunate to even have a job right now...and the way the church is going financially, that might not last for long. Tonight I sat at a table with 4 young adults. 3 of those young adults have graduated from 4-year universities. 1 has multiple degrees and all 3 are having trouble finding jobs. The 3 of them each have temporary/seasonal jobs that pay pretty crummy. They are grateful for employment. The other one has a pretty full-time job that has been steady for years. I know he works hard but sometimes when he complains about working, I just want to bop him upside the head and say "snap out it!" (with the whole accent thing that Cher had in that movie). I'm grateful for my job.
That said, I wrote a bio today for a new blog ring that I'm a part of. As I was talking about my job, I realized that the passion that I have found in Disaster Recovery Work is something that I would be willing to follow if that's what God asked me to do. Helping others find hope, helping groups help others, organizing trips for youth groups to help others, I love that. I really, really love that.
The question that comes to mind, though, is am I willing to follow God no.matter.what. Even if it's not to that type of job. Am I willing to trust God's leading? Even if it takes me far away from the home and people that I love? That's the question on my heart these days.
Everyday I hear high school and college youth complain about how long they have worked. "Oh man, I had to work 10-5 yesterday", "Man, I put in 8 hours today", "dude, it was such a long workday, I worked 5 hours". Can I just say, I have no compassion. I really don't. 10, 11, 12 hour days are normal in my world. Not to mention, I feel fortunate to even have a job right now...and the way the church is going financially, that might not last for long. Tonight I sat at a table with 4 young adults. 3 of those young adults have graduated from 4-year universities. 1 has multiple degrees and all 3 are having trouble finding jobs. The 3 of them each have temporary/seasonal jobs that pay pretty crummy. They are grateful for employment. The other one has a pretty full-time job that has been steady for years. I know he works hard but sometimes when he complains about working, I just want to bop him upside the head and say "snap out it!" (with the whole accent thing that Cher had in that movie). I'm grateful for my job.
That said, I wrote a bio today for a new blog ring that I'm a part of. As I was talking about my job, I realized that the passion that I have found in Disaster Recovery Work is something that I would be willing to follow if that's what God asked me to do. Helping others find hope, helping groups help others, organizing trips for youth groups to help others, I love that. I really, really love that.
The question that comes to mind, though, is am I willing to follow God no.matter.what. Even if it's not to that type of job. Am I willing to trust God's leading? Even if it takes me far away from the home and people that I love? That's the question on my heart these days.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
BP Oil Catastrophe
This email wound up in my inbox at work:
"Just an update to all of our Pearlington fans. As of today there is no oil in the Pearlington area or along the Mississippi shores or wetlands. Hancock Co. and several of our affiliate non-profits have begun developing a volunteer plan and collecting names of groups and individuals who may want to volunteer to come down and help with the clean up should the spill reach MS shores. If anyone is interested in responding (should the need arise) let me know. A command post has been set up at the boat launch on Hwy 90 and the Pearl River. the Corp, Coast Guard and National Guard are monitoring the river and mouth to the Gulf at this time.
"Just an update to all of our Pearlington fans. As of today there is no oil in the Pearlington area or along the Mississippi shores or wetlands. Hancock Co. and several of our affiliate non-profits have begun developing a volunteer plan and collecting names of groups and individuals who may want to volunteer to come down and help with the clean up should the spill reach MS shores. If anyone is interested in responding (should the need arise) let me know. A command post has been set up at the boat launch on Hwy 90 and the Pearl River. the Corp, Coast Guard and National Guard are monitoring the river and mouth to the Gulf at this time.
Best to all,
Tom D. M2M"
When I was in Mississippi in December we bought fresh caught from the Gulf shrimp for Christmas Eve Dinner from one of the local fishermen. It was such a great dinner, even after the cleaning the shrimp. What happens now? What happens to the beautiful coastline of the Gulf? What happens to the people who make a living or, even more profound, get their sole source of food from the waters of the Gulf? This is so much bigger than an oil company losing money.
Found this website today...the map is what caught my attention. Check it out for yourself.
When I was in Mississippi in December we bought fresh caught from the Gulf shrimp for Christmas Eve Dinner from one of the local fishermen. It was such a great dinner, even after the cleaning the shrimp. What happens now? What happens to the beautiful coastline of the Gulf? What happens to the people who make a living or, even more profound, get their sole source of food from the waters of the Gulf? This is so much bigger than an oil company losing money.
Found this website today...the map is what caught my attention. Check it out for yourself.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Life
In dot form:
- Wednesday night Opinionated Friend, YL GalPal and I went out really late. Really, really late. Saw a movie and then drove YL GalPal to the airport...at 3 in the morning. It was fun to hang out with them, a good movie and a good reminder that I am SO not 20 anymore! Getting home at 5am meant getting about 4 hours of sleep. At one point the next day I was sitting at work and my eyes were crossing I was so tired. Would do it again...but with that cup of coffee at 11pm. :)
- Friday I went to leave the house in the afternoon. I had taken the morning to just breathe before focusing on writing the final paper for my final class for my Certificate in Youth Ministry. Housemates had left earlier in the day, so I locked the front door and headed to the garage...and found the garage door locked. There's no direct access to the house from the garage, so the garage entry door is outside the house. There's a lock on that door. It was locked. I peered through the windows and saw that the main garage door was down. My car was inside the garage. Are you tracking with me? It gets better. Inside the locked garage was my locked car with (drumroll please) my house keys safely tucked away inside. Yep. Locked out of the garage, locked out the house. Nice. I rescued my car but not without practicing some stealth moves. Fun.
- Friday night instead of heading to shop as originally thought I joined Yo Momma, G.G. and Fab Friend B for dinner and a movie. Good food, good conversation and a really silly movie. Yeah, nice end to the day.
- Saturday Yo Momma and I braved the crowds at the mall and went shopping. We have this Black Tie thing to attend in, oh 22 days and, well, my idea of getting dressed up is a nice pair of jeans and a pretty shirt. Not gonna work. In the first 2 hours I found a beautiful top that was over 75% off. YES! Yo Momma found her business attire (that's one of the nights) but decided against the dress that was so tight it left NO room to the imagination. We laughed a lot!
- And today, today I finished that paper. Tomorrow it's time to focus on Youth Sunday, songs for VBS at neighboring church and revamping my job description. Life goes on.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Passwords
This Internet age is requiring me to think
way too hard about the passwords I make.
There's passwords for emails
passwords for blogs
passwords for bank accounts
passwords for my job.
There's a password to log on to the computer
there's a password for the internet
a password for the website
a password for the copier...wait that's actually two.
It's no wonder when I go to log on someplace
I pause halfway through and ask, now which one is this?
My fingers know just how to type them in
but my brain, oh my brain is just swimming with them.
way too hard about the passwords I make.
There's passwords for emails
passwords for blogs
passwords for bank accounts
passwords for my job.
There's a password to log on to the computer
there's a password for the internet
a password for the website
a password for the copier...wait that's actually two.
It's no wonder when I go to log on someplace
I pause halfway through and ask, now which one is this?
My fingers know just how to type them in
but my brain, oh my brain is just swimming with them.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Finding hope
I've been spending a lot of time with "young adults" lately...those out of high school, maybe in college, maybe not, mostly without kids and generally under the age of 30. It's part of the change in my job in the last few months as we seek to help the young adults who graduate out of the youth program to remain connected to their faith. We have gathered every other Sunday or so and have been reading through a book on faith. It's been fascinating to listen to the conversation, to participate in the conversations without feeling the need to lead them anywhere. Awesome.
What I've come to appreciate is that they are all there, not because someone is forcing them to be there or because they feel obligated but because they genuinely want to gather, talk and explore faith. We aren't all on the same page but there is a mutual respect and understanding that we are there to encourage and not condemn, to listen but not argue, to learn from each other and not be dominated by one personality. It's been so refreshing to be a part of this group.
Lately, in conversations about faith with "adults" (those not categorized by the definition) I've found that there has been more complaining rather than encouraging, more arguing rather than listening, more dominating than mutual respect. With maturity and a longer lived life comes more experience and a jaded view of life and God. There's less hope, more well, more sarcasm for lack of the word I'm looking for. I've gotten to the point that I try to avoid the subject of faith with some in my life because I just don't want to hear it anymore. Really. I get that there is discontent, that life is hard, that God doesn't make sense at times but seriously, I believe that there is always hope.
So, I've decided that I'm gonna just hang out more with those in the "young adult" group and soak in their voices. I will listen to their views, talk about God and faith and soak in the hope that underlies the words that they are saying. In the meantime, I will be hopeful that those in that other group will influenced by these voices and find hope in faith and God again.
What I've come to appreciate is that they are all there, not because someone is forcing them to be there or because they feel obligated but because they genuinely want to gather, talk and explore faith. We aren't all on the same page but there is a mutual respect and understanding that we are there to encourage and not condemn, to listen but not argue, to learn from each other and not be dominated by one personality. It's been so refreshing to be a part of this group.
Lately, in conversations about faith with "adults" (those not categorized by the definition) I've found that there has been more complaining rather than encouraging, more arguing rather than listening, more dominating than mutual respect. With maturity and a longer lived life comes more experience and a jaded view of life and God. There's less hope, more well, more sarcasm for lack of the word I'm looking for. I've gotten to the point that I try to avoid the subject of faith with some in my life because I just don't want to hear it anymore. Really. I get that there is discontent, that life is hard, that God doesn't make sense at times but seriously, I believe that there is always hope.
So, I've decided that I'm gonna just hang out more with those in the "young adult" group and soak in their voices. I will listen to their views, talk about God and faith and soak in the hope that underlies the words that they are saying. In the meantime, I will be hopeful that those in that other group will influenced by these voices and find hope in faith and God again.
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