Let's Play Monopoly...or My Way of Ministry is Better

When I told the kids we'd play a game of Monopoly somehow the message a couple of them received was "Mom wants to play a game let's chose one". Since my whole goal was just to spend time with them I didn't really care about which game (though since my kids are old enough to beat me in Monopoly I like the challenge, even if they trade all their property to get Boardwalk when Park Place hasn't been landed on yet...) Anyway, my 5 year old says she wants to play "Money Matters for Kids". Fine. It's not as long Monopoly and I could spend more time on the house. Then the 9 year says "Noooo". Then 7 year old wants to play "Uno Attack". Again, fine with me. The 10 year old says okay but the 5 year old is sobbing. I just wanted to have a little fun with the kids and look what I've done!
Is this how God feels when He says, Come! We say yeah! We'll do it this way. He didn't that, but that's fine with Him, He just wants to be with us. But then someone else says no, do it this way. Then someone else says you're both wrong do it this way and pretty soon feelings are hurt and God is just sitting there thinking forget it... if you don't want to, you don't have to! And by the way if you do want to play the game, you better stop crying because that ruins eveyone's day.

Telling Your IC pastor your leaving

We just had our pastor and his wife over for dinner and explained a little bit of how we believe God is leading us to "plant" a house church. I think it went very well. They seem supportive and of course concerned that we stay connected with believers. They asked when we are going to start and my husband diffused the question with "We sort of already have... with the relationships we're building."
It was hard to face them but in reality the hard part was only in our minds of what could've happened. I'm sure the enemy would've liked to sowed seeds of mistrust and bitterness but through Jesus we were able to "lay our cards on the table". Thank you, Father!

Reflections on an overcast, anxious afternoon...

Dinner guests tonight. "Important" guests that we want to feel welcome, to like us and feel blessed because they came. Children who'd think stringing the dinning room and kitchen with orange yarn is the funnest thing they've done in a week, a large stinky goat who decide take up residence on our front porch, and a small baby who cries if I'm laying down beside her... I think I'm going to round the kids and beat them in a game of Monopoly.......

Nothing new... except I'm a little smarter

I configured my own web server tonight... the php and mysql run FFLLAAWWLLEESSLLYY! Yeah! I didn't think I could do it... Daryl didn't either and tried to take over... sweet guy ; ).

I have no profound thoughts tonight. They were all sucked out of my brain by this mind candy of a book I read yesterday. "The Guardian" by Nicholas Sparks. I wouldn't run out and pay money to read this book but if it comes your way free and you have some time on your hands it's a very predictable but easy to read romance/thriller book.

Dante's Inferno Test

Results are no surprize to anyone that knows me....
The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Extreme
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	High
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very Low
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	Very Low
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Low
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Very Low

Take the Dante Inferno Hell Test

Cute things my kids say:

Zach (age 2): Looking at the watermelon on the counter Wow! Huge 'mato (tomato)!

Zach:After his sister puts socks on him Can't see feet!

Ah, I'm Back...poor lonely blog

Yes, she was deserted for almost a week poor blogly.

We were in Colorado for a few days. The memory of the beauty pierces my soul... such majesty are those mountains! How delicate the green valleys and glimmering pools. Oh to reach out and touch those white mountain caps. Being in the valley and seeing the grass up close is nice and fingering the snow tells my brain to wear gloves. But pulling over off the highway to see at once the glory of the peaks and the danger of the valley... this is fear... a holy fear. Perhaps to me this is why we never see our lives all at once. We aren't yet capable of comprehending the whole picture without the fear of falling through the crack in the ancient world.

What shall we do with the drunken sailor?

A drunk sailor. He can't pull he weight or do his job, he interferes with the people doing their job and he just might throw up on your shoe. You're stuck with him on a boat until you dock. When the sea is calm and there's not much to do you might just avoid him. But when the storm is on the horizen you want to depend on him... but you can't.

A pastor that isn't a good preacher, doesn't really seem to like people and administrates the church into oblivion... Way hay and up she rises, Earl-eye in the morning...

Women in "church" leadership=Potty Talk

My real thoughts never before put into digital format about women in church leadership. This is my postmodern thinking at finest....
Since there are many rabbits we could chase here like what is church and what is leadership, lets settle on something broad and unesoteric-- church meaning an institutional organization with a CEO pastor/preacher "in charge", vp deacons and a "board" of elders.... leadership being the preacher/pastor, deacon, elder and on these is a bestowed "authority which I do not know much about...
Anyway, I think it's so funny how our church will put women in leadship positions but instead of calling them "Children's Pastor" they are the "Children's Director". A woman has never in fourteen years given the weekend sermon... I noticed, yes. Should it be different, I don't know. Since I really don't see what the Sunday service has to do with following Christ I guess it really doesn't matter. Paul says he doesn't allow women to have authority over men. But does he allow men authority over women? What is authority anyway?
My vision is for a church where the true leaders are the servants. People who aren't seen but felt. The mothers nursing the babies and wiping bottoms.... aren't these the leaders? The men changing diapers for both babies and the elderly.... aren't these the leaders?
When Paul describes the Body of Christ he says that some parts we display and other parts we cover. They are all important. A body without anus is full of .... Yet this is a part we cover but couldn't live without it. We could live without teeth but this part of the body is washed, professional cleaned and will cost more than a new paint on your car to maintain each year. And how we judge people by their oral hygene! So all this to say the leaders/"important people" may not be the people we see up front in a Sunday service or the people listed on call this week.

Everything you never wanted to know and less....

Well I learned a lesson yesterday... never write weird blog entries thinking you can change them later because that will be the day you internet connection goes down and you can't edit anything....

Oh well. Here's an interesting site http://bookcrossing.com I think I'll try it. Apparently you "release" a book or "hunt" for a book.

Off to "church" we go

If we ARE the church why are we GOING to church?
What is this place that is directed by one man with a gift for pastoring?
How much work does it take to put on these productions every week?
Can a women have the gift of pastoring if she doesn't have a penis?

The questions I could ask.... but we're running late for "church" how can we run late for something late we ARE?

Being a part/member of an Institutional Church

We're pondering the necessity or value of being a member or some part of an "institutional church". By "institutional church" I mean the Sunday centered, pastor leader, building="house of God", children separated from parents during worship services type "church". We have a vision of people loving God, using their gifts, loving each other gathering whenever, wherever, often without the exclusion of the young, old or disabled. The church we join as members and go to on Sunday seems about as related to our vision as asking "What is the value of joining a bowling team when my vision is downhill skiing?" There's some overlap... my bowling team might want to join me on the slopes.... Perhaps some of the Sunday people would be interested in becoming whenever, whereever people... But mostly we need to do what God wants us to... which is.... hmmmm Becoming a Jew to the Jew and Greek to the Greek..... how?

Better to be on the corner of the roof..... yeah, Daryl's Blog is up!

To Sara:

Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great 31st b-day! and at least 69 more!

When's Daryl going to get his blog going?...... it's been over 24 hours now!

Last week's sermon at Sierra Vista Community Church
"When You're Overwhelmed" (What to do when... Part 1)

*Let go of the need to control the situation
God's plan is:
-->Often different than your plan
-->Often more painful then your plan
-->Always bigger than your plan

*Let others help you out

*Let God give you strength
Where to find strength:
-->by praising God for His goodness
-->By meditating/thinking about God's Word

Here's an Online Bible

And now for something completely different...
I just cleaned off a "hot spot"-- thanks Flylady! My nightstand/husband's desk/baby's changing table was piled high... if read this before you see it, be sure and notice Daryl!

The Inner Ring Chapter Summary
"The Weight of Glory"-- In the essay The Inner Ring, Jack (as C.S. Lewis preferred his friends to call him-- I hope I'm not offending my mentor by considering him a friend) analyzes, as only he can, the social desires to be a part of what's going on-- being on the inside, being one the guys or "in the know". My favorite lines in this chapter: "Of all passions the passion for the Inner Ring is most skillful in making a man who is not yet very bad do very bad things." and "Until you conquer the fear of being an outsider, an outsider you remain" and "As long as you are governed by that desire you will never get what you want." Go Jack!

Online Spiritual Types Test
Here's a fun test: SPIRITUAL TYPES TEST

This is my result:
You are a Sage, characterized by a thinking or head spirituality. You value responsibility, logic, and order. Maybe that's why you were voted "Most Dependable" by your high school classmates. Structure and organization are important to you. What would the world be like without you? Chaos, that's what! Your favorite words include should, ought, and be prepared. What makes you feel warm and fuzzy? Like Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof it's tradition! tradition! tradition!
Because you love words, written or spoken, you enjoy a good lecture, serious discussions, and theological reflection. Prayer for you usually is verbal. You thrive on activity and gatherings of people, such as study groups. Sages on retreat likely would fill every day with planned activities, leaving little time for silence or solitude.

We need Sages for your clear thinking and orderly ways. You pay attention to details that others overlook. Sages make contributions to education, publishing, and theology. You often are the ones who feel a duty to serve, give, care, and share with the rest of us.

On the other hand, sometimes you seem unfeeling, too intellectual, or dry. Can you say "dogmatic"? You may need to experience the freedom of breaking a rule or two every now and then. God's grace covers Sages too, you know!

Later that Day
Okay. This blog will not interest everybody and perhaps nobody. But that's okay. It's my place where I can think outloud.

I'm currently reading "The Weight of Glory" by C.S. Lewis. I will give a brief summary of each of the chapters as I re-read them and allow them to "soak in". Have you ever had that feeling in reading a particular author that they say in one sentence more than a thousand pictures? Elizabeth Elliot, George MacDonald, G.K. Chesterson, C.S. Lewis and Philip Yancy are authors that craft words with such power that I must "soak". I'll occasionally come to a phrase where I must put the book down and just be very still for a little while....

Well, off to start dinner while the baby naps....

First Post
Well, I'm finally getting with the program and setting up my own blog... Daryl? Your turn.