Daydreams

From the LOTH blog: "Also, I imagine the family can expect hefty hospital bills in the near future. If you feel led to help meet this need then Dan has asked that you consider buying his book direct from the publisher. You see, Dan himself survived 3 liver transplants and that is quite a testimony itself."

Pleas consider buying Dan Parkins' book, Daydreams through this link. It is an excellent way to be a blessing to this family, whose son Samuel is in the hospital and needs our prayers, as well as being blessed or blessing others through Dan Parkins' book.

Please Pray for Baby Samuel

I became aware of this little baby last night via an email and on Facebook. Please pray for him! The family's story and faith is quite touching, and truly, God can do miracles! Please join me praying for Baby Samuel. To follow his journey, please check out the blog post HERE.

With God There Is Joy

"Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads" (Isa. 35:10). Since ancient times in the Christian church, acedia - sadness of the heart, resignation - has been considered a mortal sin. "Serve the Lord with gladness!" (Ps. 100:2 RSV), urges the Scripture. For this, our life has been given to us, and for this, it has been sustained for us to this present hour. The joy that no one can take from us belongs not only to those who have been called home, but also to us who are still living. In this joy we are one with them, but never in sadness. How are we supposed to be able to help those who are without joy and courage, if we ourselves are not borne by courage and joy? What is meant here is not something made or forced, but something given and free. With God there is joy, and from him it comes down and seizes spirit, soul, and body. And where this joy has seized a person, it reaches out around itself, it pulls others along, it bursts through closed doors. There is a kind of joy that knows nothing at all of the pain, distress, and anxiety of the heart. But it cannot last; it can only numb for a time. The joy of God has gone through the poverty of the manger and the distress of the cross; therefore it is invincible and irrefutable.

D. Bonhoeffer, page 362 I Want to Live These Days With You

(Bold emphasis my own)

Frighteningly Wonderful

I now own a new bike. I've not had a new bike in 16 years. I think we paid 300 dollars for my Specialized Mountain Bike when we lived in Seattle, and that bike got a lot of use there, since I did not have a car. I even had panniers so I could do carry home groceries on my bike. (Obviously I had no kids then!) We lived on Queen Anne Hill, not too far up, luckily, and later on another hill near Green Lake. I loved my bike.

This summer, after watching David and a friend do a half ironman, I decided to do a sprint triathlon. My friend, who was watching her husband also do the half IM, also decided to do one, so we are training together. She's better than I am, but very encouraging and sweet, and most of all, she keeps me from giving up, and I hope I am encouraging to her as well. I joined a gym and we've been swimming. I really can't run but we've walked and tried to run. I'm sure I'm holding her back in that area...... she can run! The next thing was bike. So last week I took a spin class that made me re-think getting a new bike but just 2 days after that class..... guess what I own?

A new road bike.

And not just any new bike; one that is way better than someone like me deserves. Carbon fiber. Mavic wheels. Clip in pedals..... ah, clip in pedals. I'm scared of them! I'm scared of tiny thin wheels. I felt nearly invincible on my mountain bike and on this bike, I'm so frightened!

So for now, it sits in the house, on a trainer. I spend about an hour a day on it, trying to get used to it. There's a part of me that wants to leave it safe in the house..... in perfect condition, not a speck of dirt on its pure white frame, no nicks, dings or scratches, and yet I know that would be a waste. It was designed to go outside and be used, not sit in perfect condition inside with no risks.

Sometimes I think it really would be easier to take no risks even in life. I don't want to get dinged up, scratched or bruised. I don't like doing things wrong, saying the wrong things, or just being open...it is a risk. And yet, isnt' that how God designed us? To be in community. It might be more risky, it might even hurt and get some scratches and bruises, but isn't it worth it?

Someday I'll have to take my bike on the road. I hope I enjoy it. It might even take some time to enjoy it, get comfortable and confident and familiar on it, but supposedly its also thrilling. I hope so.

Banquet or Concert Hall?

Bifrost Arts from josh franer on Vimeo.

"I think it is important that we urge our congregants not to think of the worship service as a concert hall, as a time that we come to receive something, but to think of our worship services as a banquet hall, where we come to participate in something together."

Music is important. Several weeks ago, I came across a cute, humorous video that was a satire on Church Planting that rang a bit too close for comfort for some of my church planting friends! In it, he especially makes the point of how important a worship leader is.... because music is important!

I like to think that music isn't that important; indeed, it is not my favorite part of church, nor would I even choose a church based on worship style, but it does make a difference. Plus, it is easy for me to say that because the church I attend provides wonderful, beautiful music that is "authentic" and draws people in to worship. (Unfortunately the music pastor is also a church planter in another city, so he's our interim worship pastor.... when he leaves, we'll miss him, as he's not only provided great new songs and arrangements, but also is a integral part of our community and we all love him and his family) Anyways, all this to say is: my worship pastor is good and so is the worship team. I'm sure if I had a bad worship team or pastor I'd realize more fully how important it is!

Too often, I go into my church not as a participant, but as an observer. I listen to the music, rarely do I sing (but that is changing!) I don't want to have a "concert hall" mindset; I want to feast on the banquet and participate in praising God instead, not just consuming beautiful music. LIkewise, I'd rather my worship team also view it that way.... not mere performance, but an entering into communion with God. It seems that when they are, I also want to be there too.

How important is music in the church? How important is it to you? What do you think of churches that hire professional musicians to come and provide a top-notch worship experience? Do you think only Christian musicians should play in church? Do you think a really good worship band is necessary to attract and keep people at a church? Do you think it will draw in outsiders who don't know Christ?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Spinning in Circles

I shouldn't have gone tonight. I was supposed to go to a Spin exercise class with 2 friends but they both had to bow out at the last minute leaving me with a dilemma: To go or not to go?

I wanted to go. I had anticipated it all week... but I was scared to go by myself.

I've never felt comfortable at a gym. I'm not strong, I'm not thin and I'm so far from perfect it is scary. I always feel that everyone else is perfect. I also hate going in to an environment where I know I'm going to fail.

So.... not sure why I still went tonight.

I nearly left....I was so out of place and knew nothing. The stationary bike was configured for someone else and I did not even know how to change it, and even if I did.... I had no idea what "ideal" looked like. My heart was pounding even before the class began. Happily, a woman from my church was there too, and even warned me that Dan's class was difficult.

That's the other part. I wasn't sure if it would be easier or harder to attend a class that was lead by my pastor, but the time worked for me (I had looked into another spin class my friend Kristin attends). I realized I was scared to go to any class and I had to get over that fear so what better than attend this class?

I was wrong, and yet..... it was okay. I just went in knowing that I knew nothing. I knew I'd be horrible at it..... and I was. I felt like I was going to throw up. I couldn't do anything Dan called out to do.... in fact, I was told that I should just do what I can at my own pace. (said after there was NO WAY I could stand up and sit down and stand up while cycling) So I did the best I could..... even though it was pitiful and I wanted to stop.

There's a part of me happy that I went tonight... alone. It was difficult just going through the doors. I did something that was uncomfortable and something I'm horrible at..... and I survived. I was dripping in sweat wanting to die, but I at least tried.

I'm supposed to get a bike this Christmas, but after today's spin class I joked to David to skip the bike and get me an iPad. It was tough, and I really don't think that a person like me will ever be fit enough to do a triathlon or even endure a spin class. Friends tell me that it will get better but seriously..... I don't believe them. I've never been sports oriented.... and I really do think that I should stick to the things I'm good at.

There's just one problem....I really do want to at least get fit... even if I'm really awful at it.

The Journey

The Journey of the Magi by T.S. Eliot

"A Cold coming we had of it.
Just the worse time of year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp

The very dead of winter.
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times when we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities dirty and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wineskins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.