The simplicity of the definition and the visual demonstration is outstanding. If we can just agree top start here we would be headed in the right direction.
I have to say thanks to James Nahrgang for pointing out this video on my friend Brad Andrews’s blog.
This was laid heavy on my heart after some quiet time of reflection on a plane last night and felt compelled to share.
By what right do I receive the love of God or the sacrifices that were made by Jesus? Â I am not worthy or deserving of that which I am to receive or will gain from the relationship I have with Christ. Â I have and thankfully receive mercy that is freely given though I deserve death and punishment. Â Haven’t I Â participated in the rebellion against the throne? Haven’t I denied him by not humbling myself completely to his teaching and turning from my sin? Â Can’t I claim the name Judas, but I was given the name Son, Bride and Beloved. Â I am treated as a son, celebrated for returning home and not shunned for my betrayal or banished for my treachery. Â I have received compassion and forgiveness without reason or conditions that is unfathomable. Â I do not receive what is deserved because of the infinite mercy of God. Â God’s shows us His goodness and compassion by confronting my suffering and guilt through compassion, mercy. Â His mercy is great enough to cover any pain that hurt my spirit man, but I have to be willing to accept it. Â I must not only accept His mercies, but believe and live within it. Â To not live knowing that God is compassionate and kind and offers mercy to me is to short change your relationship with the Him and to not value His sacrifice.
Though I have earned banishment I will enjoy communion with God.
Yeah…. It is a gumball, but not just any gumball. This morning my son followed me downstairs as I prepared to leave for work. I was already running late, but it was obvious he needed a few minutes with me before I left for the day. He told me in short order about his evening having dinner with his Grandmother and a trip to the candy store. He asked me if I had seen his bag of candy, because he had something for me in it.  Now in that bag was Jelly Bellys, rock candy and a big green gumball.  If you know me you know I love Jelly Bellys and if you know Connor you know he has a fascination for gumballs.  So, I was expecting that he would be handing me some Jelly Bellys, but he beamed from ear to ear and pulled out the big green gumball.  He went on to tell me how he picked the gumball out for me, because he thought I would like it and he missed me. He reached out and handed me the gumball and said, eat it.  But I couldn’t eat it at that moment, because it became a reminder of my son’s love and how he missed me when I was at work and not around.  I carried that gumball in my pocket all day and it has reminded me that my most important job is  a father and to be there for my son and my daughters.
An interesting or maybe I should say concerning stat for 2009 is the percentage of divorces citing Facebook in the decree. I don’t think Facebook deserves the whopping 20% of the mentions or blame.  I personally believe that parties start grasping for ammunition and ways to hurt their spouse in divorce proceedings.  What I do believe is that Facebook makes a permanent public record of much of the behavior that happens in a generally more passive manner or within the hidden heart of man.  Do not get me wrong, I do think that the tool can lead to or make improper behavior easier, but the true issue is the heart of man.  Consider the casual conversation with coworkers or quick phone conversations; do they have any sense of flirting or sexual tension? My point is; often, much what happens on Facebook happens between men and women in professional, civic and social settings, but are fleeting moments that are not thoroughly placed under examination.  Consider this, would you be comfortable with your spouse hanging at a bar daily with singles, former significant others and prowlers looking for an opportunity to encroach on their life?
I would suggest that you use great caution with all networking tools, not stop using them. They can make you vulnerable to people that you might normally avoid or not see in your day-to-day life and they provide a perceived secret place to do some “harmless” flirting. Be wary and open with your spouse as to prevent any acts of betrayal of trust.
Article on Facebook and Divorce Stats http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/6857918/Facebook-fuelling-divorce-research-claims.html.
This post is long overdue, but as many of you know by now is that Mitch made it to Cultivate and Story. It was made possible by the generosity of people that decided to assist someone that they didn’t even know.  It was amazing how quickly people reacted to call for help to make the trip a possibility for Mitch. Within 90 minutes of my initial posting the necessary funds had been pledged.  Within 36 hours Mitch was able to purchase the airline tickets to make the flight form Denver to Chicago. The majority of those giving to Mitch were also attending Cultivate and/or Story or they were within some form of ministry position like Mitch.
This event opened my eyes to that fact that people are willing to help, but many times are not sure where or how to help. Here are some thoughts on asking and motivating others to help.
It was a great learning experience and glad I was a part of it.
Next week the Cultivate Conference will be taking place October 27th in Chicago at Park Community Church. I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn from some of the most talented and influential leaders in ministry communication. Cultivate is designed for those that are responsible for influencing how churches communicate. This conference will focus on collaborative development of content and new delivery ideas. It will be made up interactive work sessions that allow you to work through ideas and challenge your way of thinking with others.
On the following day, October 28th in Aurora at the Paramount Theater there will be Story. Story is a first-of0its-kind experience for communicators. This event will allow those in attendance to have the opportunity to experience and learn from some of the most effective communicators of the Gospel. Story is sure to change the way we communicate in ministry. This is another great opportunity that I am being blessed with the opportunity to experience and learn from.
All that being said I am looking to assist a brother to make his way to Cultivate and to Story. Mitch Bolton had planned to make the trip from Colorado to the Windy City, but funds fell short. Many of you will know him as @muntz on Twitter and his #iphonepicoftheday. What I would like to do is see if we can assist him in raising the money necessary to purchase him a flight from Denver to Chicago. Mitch is in a communications role at his church and this would be a valuable opportunity.
I am looking for assistance in raising the necessary $250 to $300 to get him a round trip airline ticket. I will ensure that he is picked up at the airport and has a place to stay when in town, as well as pitch in the first $50. We need to make every effort to have raised the money no later than Friday, October 23rd at 5pm. This will give me enough time to coordinate with Mitch on the available flights and pray that tickets do not clime to high. Please help get Mitch to Cultivate and Story.
I am currently working on a method to take donations online, but do not want this to hold us up. Here are few current options:
If in the event that the funds are not raised in time or airline tickets get too high I will refund every dollar received.
DC Deli Pulled Pork PoBoy
My family and I were camping last week in Door County and Monday happened to be a rainy day, so we decided to hit a local restaurant for lunch. After we drove into Sister Bay and walked around the marina we ended up at DC Deli for a quick lunch. We chose it because we wanted a sandwich and it was labeled a deli, but it also helped that it was next to the local confectionery and I had a sweet tooth that needed some comfort. We were immediately greeted with a smile and allowed to seat ourselves. The service from the time we entered the door until we left was friendly and attentive, which always earns huge points in my eyes, especially with 3 kids. As we went through the menu I was told about the specials, of which the first item was a Pulled Pork PoBoy. The server, Candice, told me the sandwich consisted of house-smoked pork, slaw, tomatoes, and Creole Mayo on a French baguette with Fries. I was hungry and it sounded great, so I went for it along with a local Wisconsin beer called Spotted Cow. When the food arrived the PoBoy was beautiful and thankfully made the way pulled pork should be made, dry not drowning in sauce. The pork was smoky, tender, and had a generous serving of coleslaw that was sweet with a little bitter bite, just the way I like it. This sandwich was what all should strive to be, perfect! If you happen to get to Door County, go to Sister Bay and stop in DC Deli, it is well worth the trip.
Door County Deli
Door County Deli
531 Bayshore Dr., Sister Bay, WI
920-854-4514
TripAdvisor Website
Crap! Now I am hungry for another one.
When I learned that Patrick Swayze died it put me in a funk. I am not a Swayze fanatic, though I did love Red Dawn and many of his other movies. What did happen is that his death triggered a lot of memories of the death of my Dad. Dad also died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 53 on September 12, 2002. The similarities in Swayze’s death and my Dad’s have caused me to reflect upon his life and remember how much I miss his counsel. He was diligently there and willing to assist in anything that I may need his assistance in resolving. Currently, I am working through some big decisions that will affect my family and others and his ear and words would have been a great comfort. I guess I was wallowing in my self-pity and needed something to reset my thinking. Well it came from my daily reading as defined by YouVersion (http://www.youversion.com/) on my BlackBerry during my commute. It included Luke 7, which demonstrates that Jesus did and does have compassion for our situation. H is empathetic and is moved to meet us in those moments. I must remember that the same compassion He showed the widow He will show me and we are to show to other.
To say that the funk is gone would be a lie, but things do look clearer.
” Such grace is costly because it call us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost the life of his Son: “ye were brought with a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”- Costly Grace by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I had received some awesome encouragement during men’s group and wanted to give an old-fashioned praise report. We were discussing Job and as we tend to get sometimes intense and not always careful on our volume. A man walked up and asked if we had an open chair to which few of answered, yes. He introduced himself as Frank and explained that his family was in the car, but wanted to join us and asked the time and interval we met. It was really encouraging to have some confirmation that this group could have a positive influence on others, but also that our often loud moments discussing scripture where not offensive.
My old men’s group got back together for the first time in 11 months on Saturday, August 15th after I stepped down from leadership of the group. We decided to meet at the location where the group was meeting 5 years ago when I first joined, Panera Bread in Oswego. It was an encouraging seeing 10 of the 15 guys I invited showed up to get this started once again. This group of men has been through ups and downs and has come back together as though we were always there and had never stopped. I realized this group had really become more than a bunch of guys who meet to discuss the topic of the week or because a church encouraged us to meet regularly to experience community.  We are a group of men from many different churches, if we attend at all, that has and is experiencing real community and not a pulpit buzzword. We have actually grown into each other’s lives and dare I say it have grown to be brothers.
I am looking forward to the early Saturday mornings, once again.
I keep finding myself in conversations discussing what is to come, promises of heaven, and the certainty of hell. The subject is something that I am all too familiar with and have been more than eager to jump right in the middle of it with my absolutes and practices rebuttals. This has came all too easy, with my years of absoluteness and closed minded training that I received in a Christian denomination that’s focus was on health, wealth and having all the answers. I can’t tell you how many times that I have been through Revelations 21 and marveled as a child the descriptions that were derived on the materials and architecture of heaven. As I’ve grown older and my faith has matured to the point that I believe I can say it is my own I have come to believe that so much of the conversation around heaven and hell is an exercise in missing the point.
Let me be clear that I do believe it is natural and I myself enjoy wondering and discussing what it may be like one day. But, should our focus be on the wonder of heaven or the absolute destruction of hell? I am inclined to say no. I believe the Gospel teaches us to focus on loving God and people. Our hearts and actions should be focused on bring heaven to the earth now and bless people around us now. Shouldn’t our consuming desire is to serve our God, Love God, and serve those that He loves, which is tough, because that is everyone. If we could set our minds on these things wouldn’t our lives be complete? Wouldn’t heaven become no less important, but no the focus of our existence and allow us to invest in our responsibilities now? Shouldn’t heaven be a bonus and the real prize is true fellowship with our Lord Jesus? When I stop and think that I have been chosen and pursued by God to be in relationship with Him I am not sure what Heaven is or Hell is really matters any more.
I am a broken man that follows Christ, a devoted husband that loves his wife, father of 3 incredible kids, and Emerging Reformer with a desire to do something to impact and positively change people around me.
Twitter: @cyriljones
AIM: BorgCom
eMail: gospelpimp@gmail.com