I was listening to a podcast today (big surprise, I know) from Mosaic (www.mosaic.com) about “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit. Eriwin was talking about poverty and how it causes you to horde food and things. I really identified with that – not because I have ever been in financial poverty. . .
I relate to hording trust, love, grace and empathy. Due to my childhood and the relational dynamics in my family I lived in relational poverty for half my life and continued to choose relational for the second half.
When you want so much to be loved, so much to have approval, so much to have grace exposed to you and then you experience one of those, as an oasis in a desert, you latch on to it. That act becomes an obsession that actually diminishes it as it is held in a case on the wall of my heart.
Since acts of love, grace, trust and empathy are kept in a trophy case that are only taken down to be cleaned every so often I find it difficult to release them to others and that makes me, at best, selfish.
What is the answer? I am still working on that. As a beginning, it is taking a big risk and trusting just one, may two people – really trusting them. That is my first task . . .
I just love it when I get to see how God has woven His truth into the world.
“… He know what he was doing when he gave me the Deluminator, didn’t he? He – well,” Ron’s ears turned bright red and he became engrossed in a tuft of grass at he feet, which he prodded with his toe, “he must’ve known I’d run out on you.”
“No,” Harry corrected him, “He must’ve known you’d always want to come back”
Isn’t this the story of man with two different perspectives?
1. God knew I would betray Him, that’s why he sent His Son, Jesus.
2. God knew that through all the storms, all the tempations, all the selfishness, deceit and struggles . . . we will always want to run back to Him; therefore He sent His Son so we might always have a way.
A brother and I were discussing love – how to do it – how to accept it. We failed to talk about what it is doing to us – until this morning when he emailed me to tell me what love was doing in him last night and this morning. It’s so good to be touched by the creator!
This is really happening, it is really happening all around the world (i had to say it twice because i just can’t believe there are people that would do this). People are starving, children are being sold into sexual slavery, women/men/boys/girls are wounded/hurting/dying/lost.
And they are being sold a “bunch of crap called gospel“.
Watch this video with a message from John Piper and see if you don’t want to defend those being sold this junk…
John Piper and the Prosperity Gospel
I listen to a number of podcasts as I commute to work on my bicycle. Sometimes I forget where I am and I have to go back and listen to the entry from the beginning – two or three times – just to make sure I did hear it correctly.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
- 2 Corinthians 4:8-10
This was the key verse in a sermon on Resilience (this is a direct link to the MP3) at Mosaic.
I was caught by this verse from the very beginning because I so often think on just these things…
I am pressed on every side
I am perplexed
I am persecuted
I am struck down
I am defeated …
Whoa!! Is that really how I see my life? Not always, but quite often, it is. I must have a pretty hard life right? Obviously, I don’t have a job or any means to provide for my family . . . what family, they’ve all betrayed me . . . I don’t even know why all this bad stuff happens to me…
What I just said is not true: I have a good job that allows me to provide for my wonderful wife and amazing four children whom I get to play with and share with most every day. I have a few great friends. Is everything peachy? No, of course not, I live in the same fallen world as everyone else.
It really comes down to where I focus. Do I focus on the “bad deal” I’ve gotten or do I focus on the “amazing gifts” I’ve been given? Do I focus on what I can’t do or on what God is doing?
With that slight change in attitude I find:
I am NOT crushed . . .
I am NOT in despair . . .
I am NOT abandoned . . .
I am NOT Destroyed . . .
I am NOT defeated . . .
Even through all of the pain and hardness of life I have victory because of Christ and even more. I have the privilege of carrying Christ crucified to the world, to all those within my sphere and even to be part of the “reveal” of Christ to those same people.
Not a bad deal if you ask me!
Mosaic is the church community where Erwin McManus (author of Soul Cravings & The Barbarian Way) serves as the primary communicator and cultural architect.
Mosaic is a community of followers of Jesus Christ, committed to live by faith, to be known by love, and to be a voice of hope. Most of their sermons are available through their podcasts along with many of their innovative videos.
Every once in a while something downright amazing happens in realm of sexual abuse, last month it happened and I thought you needed to know.
An anonymous member of True North Community Church in Port Jefferson Station, NH donated the entire jackpot prize of a
Ba-Da Bling scratch-off lottery ticket, worth $3 million
“The bulk of the first-year money, $102,225 after taxes, would go to
Love146, a New Haven-based charity that looks to end child sex
trafficking…”
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-lilott0828,0,5685374.story
What is Love146?
The trafficking and rape of children for profit is one of the darkest
stories on the planet. This physical, mental and emotional trauma
leaves children broken and scarred for life. Interventions for these
children are critical to their survival. This is why Love146 exists.taken from love146.org
For the story of Love146 go to the video page.
Hello all,
If you are reading this, then you happened to come here by accident…but since I don’t believe in accidents, (especially in relationships) you have most likely been brought here for some reason – a reason that you may not even know.
First of all, welcome. As you might have guessed this blog will be dedicated to a journey. What type of journey you might ask and that would be a great question. We will follow the author (me) on a journey towards healing from sexual, emotional and physical abuse and all the baggage that brings with it.
I first began actively dealing with the abuse in January 2007. Before that time I had dismissed the abuse and really only thought of it as you would think of a TV show – something horrible that happened, but disconnected from me. Honestly, I don’t understand all of the psycho-speak but I am told it is quite common.
I am currently trying to unpack my baggage and organize my thoughts. I will begin by sharing all that has happened since I started dealing with these events in my life (a “catch up” on the last year and 7 months). I have written much of it and need to review/rewrite parts and start some other posts as well. In addition to sharing my story, I will share different things God is doing in my life or thoughts, ideas, posts, podcasts, etc He brings my way.
While I get my thoughts together (and choose the perfect template) here are some places for you to visit:
MenOnPurpose – a place for men to be real with who God has created them to be.
lifechurch.tv – this is where my family goes to church, we love what we never thought we would
