A Sabbath Story.
Monday afternoon, Megan came downstairs from an unusually long nap. [full disclosure dictates that I remind the reader that it is highly unusual behavior for Megan to take naps] So she wakes up from her nap and comes downstairs to find Eli and I having a pretty merry 'ol time. She looks out the kitchen window. "Jim," she asks, "did you clean the deck?" "Yeah, mom," Eli replies, "Dad cleaned the deck. I helped him." "Yeah," I said. Mumbling, I also mentioned how I did the dishes and picked up around the house. "Wow," says Megan, "you've been busy." To which I reply: "If you can't do what you want to do, at least do what you need to do."
The Pool Party
Jim, Megan, Eli, Esther, Eden and Olive
29 April 2008
Gym Pool! Gym Pool! Gym Pool!
so i got this email from a friend of mine earlier today. its funny. its also a little self-edifying, but hey, its my blog ...
jim,
kids got into their bathing suits this morning for some reason and got all amped up to go swimming (their own agenda).
of course, we told them it was too cold to go swimming, but they know there's a pool at the YMCA where [my wife] works out sometimes. They call it the gym pool.
so they're jumping up and down in the kitchen and chanting "gym pool! gym pool! gym pool!"
say it out loud a couple of times, for yourself.
I've tried and it works!
jim,
kids got into their bathing suits this morning for some reason and got all amped up to go swimming (their own agenda).
of course, we told them it was too cold to go swimming, but they know there's a pool at the YMCA where [my wife] works out sometimes. They call it the gym pool.
so they're jumping up and down in the kitchen and chanting "gym pool! gym pool! gym pool!"
say it out loud a couple of times, for yourself.
I've tried and it works!
25 April 2008
Chocolate vs. Vanilla Ice Cream
So Megan and I had the opportunity recently to fly to Houston. We went as part of my responsibilities on the Vineyard's Church Planting Task Force. I love to fly. Megan hates it. Megan's an introvert. So cramped airplanes are not her thing. But partly to ease her nerves, and partly because she's wanting to be more free in sharing about the life she's found in Jesus, Megan totally struck up a conversation with the woman who sat down next to her in the aisle seat. The woman was dressed conservatively, in business-type attire, carrying an umbrella and a straw hat - the kind you'd see in the movies that people would wear when harvesting in the rice patty. So Megan strikes up a conversation with this woman, telling her all about where we're going and why, etc. The other woman is very interested.
Meanwhile, I'm wrapping up the last pages of Anne Rice's second installment in her historical fiction of Christ's life: The Road to Cana. As I finished the last page, I began to cry. Here I am at cruising altitude, having a moment with Jesus. I'm looking out the window in awe of how awesome Jesus is and how he changes our lives. Of how he heals people and radically alters our destinies. Of how he rewrites stories. I mean, he's Jesus, and this is worship.
And from somewhere deep inside my moment with Jesus, I hear the woman next to Megan say, "You know, I, too, am part of a religious group. Perhaps you've heard of it, its called _____." It was, of course, a group that probably all of us have heard of, but out of respect, I'll leave it to your imagination. As soon as I heard that, I knew my moment was beginning to end. And as I sensed Megan looking for help with the many questions the woman was now starting to help, I said goodbye to my moment and slowly worked my way into the conversation. And wouldn't you know it? After about five (5) minutes, Megan nonchalantly pulls out a book and her journal and she proceeds to totally check out of the conversation, leaving the rest to me!
To be honest, I didn't really feel like this conversation. I wanted to be back looking out the window with Jesus. But because of my love for Jesus, I stayed talking to my new friend. And if you know me at all, you know how much I love to answer questions. And you know how hard it is for me to ignore comments like, "Well, we all know that one of the big things Martin Luther discovered, coming out of the Dark Ages, was that the Trinity was wrong, and that's one of the big reasons he nailed those Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the church at Wittenberg." At that point I actually gave her my business card, wrote my email on it and asked her to find documented evidence of that and email it to me.
I was enjoying myself after all, even if it wasn't exactly what I felt like doing. But there was a problem. You see, I never came equipped with an "inside voice." If you get me excited on a plane for three hours, this can be a problem ... you get the picture.
So it was right about this time that the guy across the aisle from my new friend turns to the guy he's been talking to and says, "Oh no! They're talking about religion. That's like saying, "I like chocolate ice cream. And you like vanilla ice cream. But you should like chocolate!! Its all a matter of preference. Let's stick to science and things we can prove and know are true." Then they laughed and carried on.
When I heard this, two things went through my mind. First, I thought, "Is my faith really the same as an ice cream preference? Is that what you think? Really? Really? I mean, come on, for many people, and not just fundamentalist Christians, their faith is the governing understanding of their life, guiding major decisions and their sense of identity and the world. Is that really the same as a dessert preference?" Second, I found myself getting very sad that I had offended him, and even more, that I had made Jesus seem small in his eyes. I excused myself from my conversation with the woman and visited the restroom. I apologized to Jesus and then committed to trying to connect with this guy and even maybe apologize to him for having an "insider" conversation in a way that diminished Jesus.
I did come back to my seat and finish the conversation with Megan's seat neighbor, sometime while zigzagging over Texas. We even got to pray with her. Turns out her mother was very ill, which is why she was flying to Houston, and she let us pray for her mother to be healed by Jesus.
I also got a chance to connect with the Ice Cream guy. While I was wrapping up the one conversation, I heard him talking about how he liked to play Dungeons & Dragons. Having played myself, once upon a time, I asked if it was true that the founder of D&D had died, as I had heard. It was true, he replied, maybe a little surprised. We then talked about our favorite fantasy novels until we landed. I never did apologize, but I do think he had a glimpse that maybe not all Christians are as weird as he thought.
And it turns out he wasn't the only one listening. The guy directly behind Megan had been partly sleeping for much of the plane ride, eyes closed, yet open just a slit. He was clearly listening in. I thought I caught a hint of it at a few points. We landed and docked and that's when everyone does that "hurry up and wait and stand up even though there's no where to go" thing. Well, when we did that, he immediately, but casually, started to ask me about a number of Christian authors and what I thought, etc. Turns out he led a men's group in his local church and was in the process of thinking through lots of new ideas and was curious to know more about the Vineyard.
All in all it was an active plane ride! I still haven't heard anything about the Ninety-Five Theses, but I'm hopeful that Jesus touched this nice young woman's mother.
Meanwhile, I'm wrapping up the last pages of Anne Rice's second installment in her historical fiction of Christ's life: The Road to Cana. As I finished the last page, I began to cry. Here I am at cruising altitude, having a moment with Jesus. I'm looking out the window in awe of how awesome Jesus is and how he changes our lives. Of how he heals people and radically alters our destinies. Of how he rewrites stories. I mean, he's Jesus, and this is worship.
And from somewhere deep inside my moment with Jesus, I hear the woman next to Megan say, "You know, I, too, am part of a religious group. Perhaps you've heard of it, its called _____." It was, of course, a group that probably all of us have heard of, but out of respect, I'll leave it to your imagination. As soon as I heard that, I knew my moment was beginning to end. And as I sensed Megan looking for help with the many questions the woman was now starting to help, I said goodbye to my moment and slowly worked my way into the conversation. And wouldn't you know it? After about five (5) minutes, Megan nonchalantly pulls out a book and her journal and she proceeds to totally check out of the conversation, leaving the rest to me!
To be honest, I didn't really feel like this conversation. I wanted to be back looking out the window with Jesus. But because of my love for Jesus, I stayed talking to my new friend. And if you know me at all, you know how much I love to answer questions. And you know how hard it is for me to ignore comments like, "Well, we all know that one of the big things Martin Luther discovered, coming out of the Dark Ages, was that the Trinity was wrong, and that's one of the big reasons he nailed those Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the church at Wittenberg." At that point I actually gave her my business card, wrote my email on it and asked her to find documented evidence of that and email it to me.
I was enjoying myself after all, even if it wasn't exactly what I felt like doing. But there was a problem. You see, I never came equipped with an "inside voice." If you get me excited on a plane for three hours, this can be a problem ... you get the picture.
So it was right about this time that the guy across the aisle from my new friend turns to the guy he's been talking to and says, "Oh no! They're talking about religion. That's like saying, "I like chocolate ice cream. And you like vanilla ice cream. But you should like chocolate!! Its all a matter of preference. Let's stick to science and things we can prove and know are true." Then they laughed and carried on.
When I heard this, two things went through my mind. First, I thought, "Is my faith really the same as an ice cream preference? Is that what you think? Really? Really? I mean, come on, for many people, and not just fundamentalist Christians, their faith is the governing understanding of their life, guiding major decisions and their sense of identity and the world. Is that really the same as a dessert preference?" Second, I found myself getting very sad that I had offended him, and even more, that I had made Jesus seem small in his eyes. I excused myself from my conversation with the woman and visited the restroom. I apologized to Jesus and then committed to trying to connect with this guy and even maybe apologize to him for having an "insider" conversation in a way that diminished Jesus.
I did come back to my seat and finish the conversation with Megan's seat neighbor, sometime while zigzagging over Texas. We even got to pray with her. Turns out her mother was very ill, which is why she was flying to Houston, and she let us pray for her mother to be healed by Jesus.
I also got a chance to connect with the Ice Cream guy. While I was wrapping up the one conversation, I heard him talking about how he liked to play Dungeons & Dragons. Having played myself, once upon a time, I asked if it was true that the founder of D&D had died, as I had heard. It was true, he replied, maybe a little surprised. We then talked about our favorite fantasy novels until we landed. I never did apologize, but I do think he had a glimpse that maybe not all Christians are as weird as he thought.
And it turns out he wasn't the only one listening. The guy directly behind Megan had been partly sleeping for much of the plane ride, eyes closed, yet open just a slit. He was clearly listening in. I thought I caught a hint of it at a few points. We landed and docked and that's when everyone does that "hurry up and wait and stand up even though there's no where to go" thing. Well, when we did that, he immediately, but casually, started to ask me about a number of Christian authors and what I thought, etc. Turns out he led a men's group in his local church and was in the process of thinking through lots of new ideas and was curious to know more about the Vineyard.
All in all it was an active plane ride! I still haven't heard anything about the Ninety-Five Theses, but I'm hopeful that Jesus touched this nice young woman's mother.
23 April 2008
Giving thanks
Oh, and can I say what a great time I had this past weekend! God did some cool stuff. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I saw lots of glimmers of God's Kingdom and got to taste again just how good our God is.
A close friend I hadn't spoken with in years called me out of the blue and we were able to talk. I saw evidence of God at work in bringing people to maturity. And there were loads of expressions of the Kingdom at our Sunday gathering. As one friend put it, he thought our church that morning was like "a light set on a hill." I think he might be right.
Thank you, Lord, for your marvelous gifts!
A close friend I hadn't spoken with in years called me out of the blue and we were able to talk. I saw evidence of God at work in bringing people to maturity. And there were loads of expressions of the Kingdom at our Sunday gathering. As one friend put it, he thought our church that morning was like "a light set on a hill." I think he might be right.
Thank you, Lord, for your marvelous gifts!
A Funny Story and a Plea for Help
So Megan and I went upstairs to get the girls this morning. The usual sounds of rowdiness descended from above - banging on the sides of the crib, babbling, calls for Momma and Dadda. But when we went into the girls' room, we found Esther pants off, diaper off, shirt mostly off (back behind her head), with a totally soaked sheet and mattress pad. Crazy. And funny. And that's what makes it great.
But seriously, here's the plea: best Meg and I can tell, Esther is pretty close/ready to be potty train. She shows high levels of interest, goes over to the bathroom and her potty when we think she's going potty, etc. Yet we're having trouble figuring how to actually potty train her in the midst of the Party, if you get my meaning. Any suggestions?
But seriously, here's the plea: best Meg and I can tell, Esther is pretty close/ready to be potty train. She shows high levels of interest, goes over to the bathroom and her potty when we think she's going potty, etc. Yet we're having trouble figuring how to actually potty train her in the midst of the Party, if you get my meaning. Any suggestions?
20 April 2008
Eden's Favorite Place
Is her seat when she's eating! that girl loves to eat. and she is starting to love to jabber and talk. very cute.
15 April 2008
The Keys to the Kingdom
I'm reading Dallas Willard's recent book, The Great Omission. It was recommended by a friend. In the section I read last night he talked about the "keys to the kingdom." This is a phrase from Matthew 16 in the Bible. There, Jesus gives Peter (and the other apostles, too) these "keys to the kingdom," after his declaration of Jesus' rightful identity. Dallas' point, and I think I agree, is that we tend to think of those keys in terms of control (especially in terms of others) - that I, or we, can control who can get in to the kingdom. I don't think this is all wrong - I need to think about it more. But he makes an interesting point ... that we should also understand the keys to be talking about our own access to the kingdom of God, and our ability to enjoy it. Think of it this way: if you're 16 and mom or dad gives you the "the keys to the car," the point isn't about you having the ability to control who gets in to the car, but about your ability to get into the car and drive it! It is the same with the keys of the kingdom that we followers of Jesus have been given.
So I'm starting (afresh?) to pray daily that I actually access this kingdom today. That I enter in. And maybe I can help others enter too. Which is why I'm also remembering daily that God is already at work as I step out into the world; and I'm asking God for help in recognizing where he's at work and the opportunity to join in. Meg and I have been trying this latter for the last couple of weeks with some interesting effect - lots of great conversations and the opportunity to pray for people on airplanes, in airports, at P.F. Chang's, etc. God is good.
So I'm starting (afresh?) to pray daily that I actually access this kingdom today. That I enter in. And maybe I can help others enter too. Which is why I'm also remembering daily that God is already at work as I step out into the world; and I'm asking God for help in recognizing where he's at work and the opportunity to join in. Meg and I have been trying this latter for the last couple of weeks with some interesting effect - lots of great conversations and the opportunity to pray for people on airplanes, in airports, at P.F. Chang's, etc. God is good.
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