I'd covet any or all of you praying this prayer for me:
Thanks!
A Prayer about Therpeutic Words.
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18
Dear Lord Jesus, I love words. I especially love the way you use words to bring me healing… wisdom… joy… encouragement… freedom… and hope. You will never shame me with words. You will never manipulate me with words. You will never hurt me with words. You alone have the words of life…
My prayer is so simple today, yet so necessary. Grant me greater stewardship of my words. Jesus, as you speak to me, please speak through me. It’s humbling to realize that you, who created the world with words, are pleased to bring healing to others through my mouth. It’s equally scary to realize I’m am capable of bringing a lot of decay and destruction by the same mouth.
Every day, in every conversation, I prove the reality of the proverb which teaches that words have the power of life and death (Prov. 18:21) I also remember you teaching me that my words are simply a reflection of what is filling my heart. Indeed, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)
SO, rather than just ratcheting up some will power to have done with all drivel, reckless words, gossip, flattery, inanity, irritation, coarse jesting, excuse-making, confidence-breaking, too many words, and many more expressions of death-speak… Jesus, fill my heart with your beauty and bounty.
So fill my heart with the truth, goodness and riches of the gospel that… more often than not… the first and greater percentage of syllables out of my mouth will bring healing, not harm. May my mouth overflow with words season with grace because my heart has been more fully filled with your grace. So very Amen, I pray, in your name and for your glory.
HT: Scotty Smith
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Because it's a beautiful day. . . .
The blogs seem pensive and angry today. . . I'm a little bit of both. . . just alot of details needing attention . . my speciality. :)
So, because of that, and because it's a beautiful day today, God is on the throne, and I'm a blessed man. . . way beyond my wildest dreams. . . . . Let's enjoy some little kid hilarity with the most viral video of all time, apparently:
Why don't you become the 200 millionth (and 1) viewer: (enjoy some outstanding auto-tune work on the 2nd one):
Love the British accent!
So, because of that, and because it's a beautiful day today, God is on the throne, and I'm a blessed man. . . way beyond my wildest dreams. . . . . Let's enjoy some little kid hilarity with the most viral video of all time, apparently:
Why don't you become the 200 millionth (and 1) viewer: (enjoy some outstanding auto-tune work on the 2nd one):
Love the British accent!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Camp Vegas
In addition to encountering death this week (see previous post), we've encountered alot of brokenness with couples we know. It's hard for me to not just get angry at folks,. . . . my past has alot of this kind of brokenness in it, and so I have a bit of quick trigger on some of these issues.
"Camp Vegas" doesn't help (anyone else sick of this one??) . From the makers of the ubiquitous "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", we get more morally bankrupt advertising. Now, I'm not expecting an ad campaign from Las Vegas to be spiritually edifying or anything. The writers are brilliant advertisers, to be sure, and I wouldn't expect much different.
But, since this is my blog, and since I'm a little angry about it this week, I'm going to let everyone in on the secret at what you'll find, should you attend "Camp Vegas", (not Las Vegas in general. . .but the stuff that they're selling). This is top secret stuff, the only place to find out what you get there is if you look at the best-selling book in the history of the World, written by the Author of Time and Space, and given to the wisest person who ever lived. If you had trouble finding it, here you go:
"Camp Vegas" doesn't help (anyone else sick of this one??) . From the makers of the ubiquitous "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", we get more morally bankrupt advertising. Now, I'm not expecting an ad campaign from Las Vegas to be spiritually edifying or anything. The writers are brilliant advertisers, to be sure, and I wouldn't expect much different.
But, since this is my blog, and since I'm a little angry about it this week, I'm going to let everyone in on the secret at what you'll find, should you attend "Camp Vegas", (not Las Vegas in general. . .but the stuff that they're selling). This is top secret stuff, the only place to find out what you get there is if you look at the best-selling book in the history of the World, written by the Author of Time and Space, and given to the wisest person who ever lived. If you had trouble finding it, here you go:
Proverbs 5:3-9 (New International Version)
3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave. a]">[a] 6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.8 Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,9 lest you give your best strength to others
and your years to one who is cruel,
Proverbs 7:22-27 (New International Version)
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways
or stray into her paths. 26 Many are the victims she has brought down;
her slain are a mighty throng.27 Her house is a highway to the grave, c]">[c]
leading down to the chambers of death.
Proverbs 9:13-15 (New International Version)
13 The woman Folly is loud;
she is undisciplined and without knowledge.14 She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city, 15 calling out to those who pass by,
who go straight on their way.
Proverbs 6:25-27 (New International Version)
25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes,26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?
Have fun at Camp Vegas Loafy!
A LOST afterlife vs. the Christian's blessed Hope.
I have never watched an entire episode of LOST. I never really got into the show. Last night, with Jody off doing important things like prayer vigils and meeting with friends. . . . I decided the best use of my time was to watch the finale of LOST whilst following the Suns/Lakers online. Yes, I thought that through.
I had mediocre expectations. I'm not a fan of self-important anything, much less self-important T.V. shows (which there might not be a bigger example than LOST). So, I wasn't dissapointed.
What I got was a 2 1/2 hour episode of "The Ghost Whisperer", thankfully, without Jennifer Love Hewitt. (hey oh!)
I know there are many nuances and side stories that they were "wrapping up" with this show. LOST viewers may cringe at my simplifying of the whole thing. I'm sure it was wonderfully intricate. The story I saw had alot to do with dead souls "looking for peace" and a purgatorial-like existence for all involved.
Now, there is a diversity of belief about purgatory amongst those who read this blog,. . . . but I think I'm pretty safe in saying that no one believes purgatory will be like THAT. So, my comments are not about the real beliefs of purgatory, but about LOST's purgatorial archipeligianness. (thank you, thank you. . I"ll be here all week. . . )
All of the characters on the show had already died, apparently. . .and were waiting for peaceful rest. (can we get Ms. Love-Hewitt on the phone?) They find it in a funeral home with a stained-glass window representing all the major world religions. . . subtle.
I"m not looking for LOST to give an orthodox Christian view of the afterlife or anything; the church doesn't need LOST. But, the writers definitely represented A view of the afterlife, one that is, apparently very popular among t.v. writers.
Christians believe that to be "absent from the body" is to be "present with the Lord". There are no tormented spirits in some barren waiting place, (or desert island, or random church), searching for someone to "lead them home", etc. . . . Now, there is some detail involved with the 2nd coming of Christ and where everyone will be at that point, and what that will look like. (not enough time) But, suffice it to say, Christians will be "with the Lord".
I"m reminded of this wonderful truth today as I sing at a funeral for friends. John Ringoen met a tragic death this week, and our family has spent extended time with his family, walking and mourning with them. However, John Ringoen is not LOST, nor wandering about, nor needing anyone to lead him anywhere. John is home. He is with his Savior. We're celebrating that reality today, not hoping for a more restful afterlife. See, John is more alive today than he ever was. Everything makes sense to John, today. Reality has come home to roost for him. . . forever.
John's family have been deailing with this fairly publically, and sharing alot of bible verses, great memories, and hope with all of us. It's funny that some have thought John's family needed to "get mad" and not run so quick to God's Word in a tragic time such as this. To be sure, mourning will affect all of us in different ways, and we should all be patient and caring for one another. But, as Christians, we don't "mourn like those who have no hope", we know this story, we know how it ends, we know where John is today. It doesn't mean we're not sad or angry, or both. But, it does mean that we can hold onto things. It does mean we can be hopeful and encouraged at a funeral, and it does mean that we can run to our Bible and have definitive answers.
I"m looking forward to celebrating John today, but more importantly, celebrating that Jesus conquered death for us, a "sting-less" death for us as Christians. And, I won't be looking for any spirit guides or praying for more "rest" for John. He is with Jesus today. Maranatha, come quickly Lord Jesus.
(for a more detailed look at what the church can take away from LOST, check out Jared's blog today)
I had mediocre expectations. I'm not a fan of self-important anything, much less self-important T.V. shows (which there might not be a bigger example than LOST). So, I wasn't dissapointed.
What I got was a 2 1/2 hour episode of "The Ghost Whisperer", thankfully, without Jennifer Love Hewitt. (hey oh!)
I know there are many nuances and side stories that they were "wrapping up" with this show. LOST viewers may cringe at my simplifying of the whole thing. I'm sure it was wonderfully intricate. The story I saw had alot to do with dead souls "looking for peace" and a purgatorial-like existence for all involved.
Now, there is a diversity of belief about purgatory amongst those who read this blog,. . . . but I think I'm pretty safe in saying that no one believes purgatory will be like THAT. So, my comments are not about the real beliefs of purgatory, but about LOST's purgatorial archipeligianness. (thank you, thank you. . I"ll be here all week. . . )
All of the characters on the show had already died, apparently. . .and were waiting for peaceful rest. (can we get Ms. Love-Hewitt on the phone?) They find it in a funeral home with a stained-glass window representing all the major world religions. . . subtle.
I"m not looking for LOST to give an orthodox Christian view of the afterlife or anything; the church doesn't need LOST. But, the writers definitely represented A view of the afterlife, one that is, apparently very popular among t.v. writers.
Christians believe that to be "absent from the body" is to be "present with the Lord". There are no tormented spirits in some barren waiting place, (or desert island, or random church), searching for someone to "lead them home", etc. . . . Now, there is some detail involved with the 2nd coming of Christ and where everyone will be at that point, and what that will look like. (not enough time) But, suffice it to say, Christians will be "with the Lord".
I"m reminded of this wonderful truth today as I sing at a funeral for friends. John Ringoen met a tragic death this week, and our family has spent extended time with his family, walking and mourning with them. However, John Ringoen is not LOST, nor wandering about, nor needing anyone to lead him anywhere. John is home. He is with his Savior. We're celebrating that reality today, not hoping for a more restful afterlife. See, John is more alive today than he ever was. Everything makes sense to John, today. Reality has come home to roost for him. . . forever.
John's family have been deailing with this fairly publically, and sharing alot of bible verses, great memories, and hope with all of us. It's funny that some have thought John's family needed to "get mad" and not run so quick to God's Word in a tragic time such as this. To be sure, mourning will affect all of us in different ways, and we should all be patient and caring for one another. But, as Christians, we don't "mourn like those who have no hope", we know this story, we know how it ends, we know where John is today. It doesn't mean we're not sad or angry, or both. But, it does mean that we can hold onto things. It does mean we can be hopeful and encouraged at a funeral, and it does mean that we can run to our Bible and have definitive answers.
I"m looking forward to celebrating John today, but more importantly, celebrating that Jesus conquered death for us, a "sting-less" death for us as Christians. And, I won't be looking for any spirit guides or praying for more "rest" for John. He is with Jesus today. Maranatha, come quickly Lord Jesus.
(for a more detailed look at what the church can take away from LOST, check out Jared's blog today)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Some Basketball Thoughts. . . .
It's been long enough.
So, there's an annoying trend in the NBA postseason this year of "turning it on for the playoffs". A handful of teams had mediocre regular seasons, leading many to believe that they would be done early in the playoffs.
Well, someone forgot to tell the Spurs, Lakers, and Celtics. We're headed for another Lakers/Celtics finals which should be a good one this time. Basically the Lakers are just tougher now, and won't be as easy for the Celts as they were in 2008.
But, back to the point. . . . this just shows that we need a shorter regular season. I like some of the recent ideas I've heard of a 60 game regular season, with a play-in tournament for the 8 seed in each conference, and equal "back to backs".
This would eliminate tanking for the bad teams in the league, becauase they'd be trying to play-in to the playoffs and the extra revenue therein. Also, teams couldn't hide like the Celts/Lakers this year and shlog through the season, because there'd be less games to do so. And, most importantly, there'd be no more of the terrible back to backs (or both teams would be participating in a back to back, so as to make it equal) which cause the most blowouts, no shows, and awful games during the season.
Yes, some of this is my own pride. . . I thought I had a pretty good read on this season, and didn't see the Lakers or Celtics making it as far as they have. I was wrong, but I was also right because neither team showed us anything in the regular season that would make us think they had this run in them.
(side note: Some of you know that I am a big Shaq fan. So, for years I followed the Lakers very closely. They perfected the "turn on switch for the playoffs" to an art form. Especially in 2001 when they went 58-22 or something and then went 15-1 in the playoffs (the one loss being in the finals when Allen Iverson beat them in overtime). They were absolutely unstoppable, they swept 3 50 win teams in those playoffs, the Spurs, Blazers and Kings. I didn't like the "switch" then, and I don't like it now. It's just too much for any athletes to handle. . . 82 games plus playoffs, plus back to backs. I heard Commissioner Stern say in a podcast that the teams "have 12 players last I checked" and so they should just play more guys more minutes to help with rest, etc. . . This is bad reasoning. If the league will continue to expand, (which is already has too many teams, we need some contraction), there will be even more of a watered down talent pool. I don't want to see the 11th and 12th man on the court in crunch time, . . this is the NBA. . . . alas)
All that to say, it will be a great Finals, because both of these teams are great defensive teams. I think the Lakers have the edge because of home court, and because Gasol, Odom, Bynum, etc. . will not be bullied by the Celtics as Lebron, Vince Carter, and Dwight Howard have been. Wow, those teams in the East need to turn in their man card. This is getting ridiculous. It's not like the Celts are the 90's bad boys or anything. No one is throwing anyone to the ground or adopting a "no layup rule". Man up Orlando! It's too late, though. Boston broke their will.
So, there's an annoying trend in the NBA postseason this year of "turning it on for the playoffs". A handful of teams had mediocre regular seasons, leading many to believe that they would be done early in the playoffs.
Well, someone forgot to tell the Spurs, Lakers, and Celtics. We're headed for another Lakers/Celtics finals which should be a good one this time. Basically the Lakers are just tougher now, and won't be as easy for the Celts as they were in 2008.
But, back to the point. . . . this just shows that we need a shorter regular season. I like some of the recent ideas I've heard of a 60 game regular season, with a play-in tournament for the 8 seed in each conference, and equal "back to backs".
This would eliminate tanking for the bad teams in the league, becauase they'd be trying to play-in to the playoffs and the extra revenue therein. Also, teams couldn't hide like the Celts/Lakers this year and shlog through the season, because there'd be less games to do so. And, most importantly, there'd be no more of the terrible back to backs (or both teams would be participating in a back to back, so as to make it equal) which cause the most blowouts, no shows, and awful games during the season.
Yes, some of this is my own pride. . . I thought I had a pretty good read on this season, and didn't see the Lakers or Celtics making it as far as they have. I was wrong, but I was also right because neither team showed us anything in the regular season that would make us think they had this run in them.
(side note: Some of you know that I am a big Shaq fan. So, for years I followed the Lakers very closely. They perfected the "turn on switch for the playoffs" to an art form. Especially in 2001 when they went 58-22 or something and then went 15-1 in the playoffs (the one loss being in the finals when Allen Iverson beat them in overtime). They were absolutely unstoppable, they swept 3 50 win teams in those playoffs, the Spurs, Blazers and Kings. I didn't like the "switch" then, and I don't like it now. It's just too much for any athletes to handle. . . 82 games plus playoffs, plus back to backs. I heard Commissioner Stern say in a podcast that the teams "have 12 players last I checked" and so they should just play more guys more minutes to help with rest, etc. . . This is bad reasoning. If the league will continue to expand, (which is already has too many teams, we need some contraction), there will be even more of a watered down talent pool. I don't want to see the 11th and 12th man on the court in crunch time, . . this is the NBA. . . . alas)
All that to say, it will be a great Finals, because both of these teams are great defensive teams. I think the Lakers have the edge because of home court, and because Gasol, Odom, Bynum, etc. . will not be bullied by the Celtics as Lebron, Vince Carter, and Dwight Howard have been. Wow, those teams in the East need to turn in their man card. This is getting ridiculous. It's not like the Celts are the 90's bad boys or anything. No one is throwing anyone to the ground or adopting a "no layup rule". Man up Orlando! It's too late, though. Boston broke their will.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Jared Wilson
I would recommend to anyone, Jared Wilson's blog, gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com. He's a real thoughtful guy with a heart that the Evangelical church would return to gospel centrality. Here's a great piece from today. I used to wonder about the stuff in this piece, because I didn't understand how Bill Cosby wasn't a Christian. (my dad had yet to introduce me to his stand-up work in the 70's) Hey, Cosby's the greatest dad to ever be on t.v.!! :)
Check it out.
And, thanks everyone for checking my bounceback email . . . Didn't you feel loved and affirmed after receiving it? I thought so.
By the way, I won't know how many of you responded because I'm not checking that email account (he he). provi8950@gmail.com is the summer email.
Tough day 2 of the sabbatical. I have some friends going through some crazy hard stuff, and I have a courageous wife who whilst speaking the truth often gets branded a "judger" by people. Alas, . . .apparently "honesty" is no longer a word that has any meaning. It's either "accept everything I do" or "judge" . . .no place for tough love these days. Thanks Jody, for pressing on and loving people enough to be honest. It's certainly saved my life from many a pang.
Check it out.
And, thanks everyone for checking my bounceback email . . . Didn't you feel loved and affirmed after receiving it? I thought so.
By the way, I won't know how many of you responded because I'm not checking that email account (he he). provi8950@gmail.com is the summer email.
Tough day 2 of the sabbatical. I have some friends going through some crazy hard stuff, and I have a courageous wife who whilst speaking the truth often gets branded a "judger" by people. Alas, . . .apparently "honesty" is no longer a word that has any meaning. It's either "accept everything I do" or "judge" . . .no place for tough love these days. Thanks Jody, for pressing on and loving people enough to be honest. It's certainly saved my life from many a pang.
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