Happy 1st Birthday Mr Bubba Bo Jangles!!

Today we celebrated Caleb Andrew's 1st Birthday! Even though his birthday was a week or two ago he got to indulge in some cupcakeness of the red velvet persuasion. He loved it! It was a good time to celebrate his birth and this last year. He's almost walking as the norm now. He crawls when he has to. He says words like DADA and Momma and tttthhhhhhppppp like this :-p
Lots of fun! We had a great time celebrating with his cousin Billy who just turned 2. So it was a lot of fun with a lot of family!

not the will be but the NOW!

I'm reading a book called The Way of all Flesh" which is an interesting book. It however got me thinking that there are times in life where I feel God will be working in, through or even near me. As I started thinking more about it, the coolest part in-fact, is that it's not this distant far away thought that God "will be" moving, no...God is moving in, through and even near me. If my life were a book this would the most exciting part the now, this moment and every moment that follows it for in these moments are the adventure of entrusting every step into the hands of God Almighty...now.

ThanksAversary!

This last Thursday was Thanksgiving. A time where we as a country are to give thanks to the One and Only God for all the blessings we've received. I always wonder how people in the country who don't believe in any god do on this day. Do they get mad because they don't want to be thankful? Do they just thank their friends and family? I can't identify with that group because I have a relationship with the Most High. I'm not sure how it's even possible that He'd care, but He does. I know that it's because He did everything to save me from myself and the evil that surrounds, but why would Love, for what I see so often as worthless, love this? I can't answer that one...I can just be extremely thankful and I am. As a bonus reminder of God's great, infinite and amazing love is the fact that my wife and i got married the day after Thanksgiving one year ago today(11.28.08)!! He lets me see His face in Hers and lets me see His love for me through her. His forgiveness by her too. I see a greater picture of who God is and how much He loves be through His Servant who loves me deeply and for that I am expressionlessly thankful as I celebrate this new Holiday for my wife and I dubbed: Thanksgiving Anniversary or ThanksAversary

His Peace!!

Joshua Tree

Did you know if the text of the New Testament were written in Hebrew and then translated into English we'd know Jesus the Christ as Joshua the Messiah? I've always thought about this when going Joshua Tree every Easter Break in high school. I started my real journey as a Christian there in that desert place and the name took on a new significance for me. I know it now as Joshua's tree...Jesus' cross. Since I became a Christian there near Easter, where we celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death, it's nice to have a place to point to when times go nuts. Every morning and afternoon i'd climb rocks to take in the view, knowing God made it, made me, made the stars I'd see at night and the people surrounding me at the camp, i knew that i could point to what He showed me there. I was just thinking about this place tonight and was reminded again of the wind against my face as I stared off the rocks into the distant lands of the horizon, painting a picture for what still is to come as I rely on my Life, my Friend and my God!

What would the neo-reformers think??

Reading James (who's half-brother was Jesus the Christ and who's name was probably either Judas or some form of Joseph and was changed to James later by the King James version as a variant) who can come off abrasive but always the better for it, I read the verses...

"14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
19You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.
24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead


What do you think....

If i have faith and love that doesn't have love in action is my faith worth anything?
Am I doing what God would do if I just merely believe, even if I have a great doctrine?
Who's more Christ-like the one who acts or the one who talks?

I'd really love to read your opinions...everyone and anyone! The more the merrier!!

:-)

Thin Places...

"Thin Places"- Has nothing to do with dieting. It's an idea that I came across when I was reading I BECAME A CHRISTIAN AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT By Vince Antonucci. He talks about seeing God in the unexpected places; flickers of God's handy work. He says in the book that he gets the idea of the ancient Celtics held that there were places and times where the veil between Natural and Supernatural was the "thinnest". He says, "When you're in a thin place you are able to catch a glimpse of God, and it becomes easier to sense His presence." He goes on to give examples of watching a movie and your heart clenches up or a sunset causes you to stop and to say "thank you" and so on. For me it's usually when listening to music. There are words or phrasings that draw me to the Divine One or they reflect His love, grace, forgiveness, mercy or justice. The other day there was a song called SEAN by Stavesacre I was listening to what was said:

"Come on out – it's only rain
Don't you miss how it feels on your skin?
Come on out – it's only rain
I like how it feels on my skin
It feels clean
So come on out"

For some reason I couldn't help thinking of some of my friends who shut themselves inside, which isn't always literal. usually it's more of the idea of either not becoming like those "outside" or afraid of being hurt by others or circumstances on the outside. This song took me to a thin place where we as people wish we could escape the messy, wet world we live in and in not engaging the world around us we can become sullied by our own underdeveloped longing for connectivity. We sit in the mire we've created instead of letting God and/or others to help us clean up. Those who stay "inside" may not get "wet" but they also don't get cleaned! At least this is the thin place where the song took me. I hurt for friends who refuse to "come on out" to feel the rain on their skin to be made clean once more. I just get sad when I think about it.

So what are your "thin places"? It could be a place you go that helps thin the veil or it could be a time or event or what have you. I want to hear about it. Maybe we could be strengthened by what we read here from each other!

His Peace,
-mark-

Some funny for fun

These were funny and so i thought i'd post them for your enjoyment also....

This is for those who think worship is getting too mainstream:


Things you should NEVER say to your wife:



And last but not least this song is a bible story about a bible character from the bible: