The roads we travel

I was reading my bible today and couldn’t help, but think about the different roads we travel on through life.  There’s so  many…too many to name, though we all know them so well.  In my mind these roads should be like highways:  long and  straight, fast and easy to travel down.  But my experience leaves me with the belief that this roads are more like intersecting paths meandering through a dense jungle with no road signs or mile markers to follow.  Just a compass pointing in a direction and a gut feeling you’re on or not on the right one.

Some roads we travel are pleasant filled with the brilliant colors and breath taking scenery of life and love.  While others are dark and dreary, full of twisty and treacherous turns, against the back drop of ominous hills looming in our near present future.

We ponder turning back, but realize we’ve come to far to turn around.  And even if we did, we’re not certain we’d find our way back to the place we began this journey.  Even less certain are we that our memories of that place are true, real.  And so we trudge on with hope, optimism and faith, our determination renewed.  We find strength again in our feeble arms and weak knees and so we march on.  Firmly placing one foot in front of the other.  Keeping one eye focused on the road before us and the other on our weary fellow travelers scattered along the wayside.

“Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.  Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed”  Heb 12:12-3 (Prov. 4)

I hate voicemail…

Is it just me or does anyone else hate voicemail?

Stranger in a strange land

What do you think of last nights episode of Lost?

Here’s what I thought…

First – Show Related Stuff

So we learned the others only work on the Island and live on the same one as the losties. Makes sense, didn’t we think that all along?

Interesting interaction with Ben/Julia/Jack. Definitely some romance hinted at between Jack and Julia.

Jack’s Mark – “He walk among us, but is not one of us”. Big question here. What is being hinted at? Is Jack going to live among the others for a while in the remainder of this Season. Is this the real meaning Isabelle hinted to?

What’s going to happen between Kate and Sawyer? Obviously Kate’s choice wasn’t going to be that easy. Whether it’s remorse for sleeping with Sawyer or remorse for leaving Jack. Kate still is torn. (And will always be I’m sure). It will be interesting to see what happens if Jack and Julia do get involved. How will that dynamic affect Kate?

Interesting peak into the community life of the others. The appearance by the stewardess and children. The trial of Julia. The dialogue between Carl and Sawyer/Kate.

Second – Big Ideas / Themes I took away from the show.

The writers seemed to be drawing my attention to a us/them, in/out, others/losties idea. (i.e. Guy in Jack’s cell talking about killing people “Why would we do that?”, Ben discussing Julia with Jack “She’s one of us”, Jack being kicked off Island after crossing the social barrier). We always want to put people in categories or groups don’t we? Think back to high school: nerds, jocks, bandsies, burnouts, etc… But sometimes lines get blurred and it’s not easy to see who belongs where and in which group. Good guys don’t always wear white and bad guys don’t always wear black. To me, there has been the hint all along that the others are not the bad guys. We see ourselves in the losties so we naturally feel they are the good guys, maybe we will be forced to see some of the ugliness in our own lives through the stories of the losties and how they relate with the others.

Being marked…. Again made me think how quick we want to label people. Julia’s marking made me think of The Scarlet Letter of Hester Prin. Labels can be bad things. She (Julia) was not proud of her mark, though she might not have regreted the decision. Jacks mark, was it good or bad? Sometimes we struggle with who we are? What’s the difference between the mark’s. One of choice? One of destiny? One good? One bad?

40 Days of…Lint?

Not being Catholic, I can honestly say I don’t know much about Lent.  The season, the celebration, the traditions, etc…  To me lint is the stuff the sticks to your clothes or gathers in the dryer.

I didn’t even realize today was the beginning of the Lenten season until I read about it on several blogs accross the blogosphere.  Still don’t know much about it, but I came accross several post that I thought were interesting today that got me thinking about the way I will approach this lenten season.

1.  On the way to the cross

Talks about struggling with Jesus.  Interesting idea that’s easy to believe, Mary & Peter struggling with the idea of the suffering servant/crucified messiah.

Question:  Are we too hard on ourselves as Christians 2000+ years after the cross?  Do we think that we should have everything figured out?  Do we think that we shouldn’t struggle with Jesus?  I took comfort in the fact that Mary and Peter struggled with Jesus and I admit, I do too.

2.  Ashes to Ashes…

Good perspective on the start of Lent from a Catholic.   Made me want to get serious about the lenten season.  Challenge to repent, commit to change, commit to following Christ.

“Remember man that you are dust and into dust you shall return.”

3.  “40 Days”

Interesting post.  Traditionally lent has been thought of 4o days between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday (Resurrection Day).  This post goes through the 11 times 40 days was mentioned in the Bible.  There’s a tendancy to try and force interpetations or ideas out of individual text and you can try that if you’d like, but there were some good ideas that popped into my mind relating to these scriptures and Lent.  The instances made me think of judgement, preparation, separation, testing,  repentance, anticipation.  All good ideas as we follow Jesus on his way to the cross (and empty tomb).

This question is primarily for non-catholics, but if any Catholics stumble accross this post I’d love to here your thoughs as well.

How do you celebrate (if that’s even the right term to use) the lenten season?

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

(From Book of common prayer aid)

Make your own Cola

Check out this post.

You can now make your own cola. How cool!

Even if you don’t want to make your own cola it’s worth reading the recipe.  I never realized how dangerous Cola was.  Several of the ingrediants on their own can cause some severe problems.  Pay special note to the caffine.

Favorite Praise & Worship Songs

I was listening to my Praise and worship playlists this morning, in need of a pick me up. And I started thinking about my favorite praise and worship songs. I tried making a list before writing this post, but it’s really hard. I find that my favorites are always changing, depending on what mode I’m in or what’s going on. There’s songs I love to sing and songs I love to listen to. There’s great songs I’m just tired of that I skip over. So, here’s an incomplete and inconclusive list of the songs I enjoy as of right now.

(UPDATE 11/19 – I get a lot of hits on this post daily so I figured I’d try to update it.  I’ve bolded songs I’ve recently started liking and left on the ones from my original posts.  If anyone has suggestions I’d love to read them.  I’m always looking for a new worship song)
All We Need – Charlie Hall

Nothing but the blood – Charlie Hall (Passion : How Great is our God)

Majesty – Charlie Hall (Passion : How Great is our God)

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) – Chris Tomlin (I’ve done this one with just an acoustic set twice in church and the congregation literally exploded.  Awesome song.

Everything Glorious – David Crowder

More than a friend – Jeremy Riddle (One of my favorites)

Beautiful News – Matt Redman

Fearfull and Wonderful Made – Matt Redman

When our hearts sing – Rush of Fools

For those – Rush of Fools (Awesome Song)

Before the throne – Shane and Shane (The Pages CD is Awesome)

Love Came Down – Soul Survivor (Ben Cantelon) 

God of Justice – Tim Hughes

Highest and Greatest – Tim Hughes

Marvelous Light – Charlie Hall

Devotion – Hillsong United

Lead me to the cross – Hillsong United

Join the Song – Vicky Beeching

The Wonder of the Cross – Vicky Beeching

Great is your glory – Vicky Beeching

You are the one – Dave Lubben

Not to us – Chris Tomlin

My Glorious – By Delirious (but I prefer the Chris Tomlin version)

Here I am to Worship – Tim Hughes

Blessed be the name – Matt Redman

God of Wonders – Third Day

Heart of Worhship – Matt Redman

Never let go – Matt Redman

Sending – Charlie Hall

Face Down – Matt Redman (Love singing in worship – But I skip it on my Playlist)

Fire Fall Down – Hillsong United

Came to my Rescue – Hillsong United

Salavation is Here – Hillsong United

Songs I listen to when depressed

All that I can say – David Crowder

Everything – David Crowder

Take My Life (Holiness) – Chris Tomlin

Knees to the Earth – Christy Knockels

Even though – By ? (it’s a vineyard song)

Breathing the breath – Matt Redman

Now my lifesong sings – Casting Crowns

Songs I listen to when I need some Joy

All the up tempo songs by Hillsong United.

Falling in love again

Valentines day. A day dedicated to the people (and things) you love. Yesterday did not disappoint, I was reminded once again of the things I love and why.

First….

Evangelicals, Divorce, Homosexuality

Check this out.  Great Post.

The first ones…

I came accross an interesting link on the New York Times website today, called “The First Ones”.  Recent Oscar nominees are asked which films had an impact early on in their lives.

Which got me thinking about the first movie I went to and the movies that’s impacted my life.