what a fall!

So, because there is a small square of blank space on my wall on which I could hang another certificate, I decided to enroll in a master's of Christian service degree at David Lipscomb Univ, my alma mater. I flew to Nashville for the one week condensed class, and the professor also had to fly in from Dulles Airport. It was great! I love sitting around with others solving the world's social justice issues. Out of that one class alone, I hope to furnish speakers for future events regarding every current cause: creation care, sex trafficking victims, poverty, women's roles, international adoption, etc., etc.

Then there was the ZOE conference that was also very enlightening as I made contacts again with all those....past & present & future....who have applied for our ever present yet always changing Worship minister job. {It's only been three years, so who's complaining?} God gives us all strength in special ways. :)

Now we're up to the Holidays....it's time for our bi-annual talent show and we've had more entries than ever! And what interesting entries! I can't let the cats out of the bag, but the show is guaranteed to be varied & full of laughs.

Christmas Eve is going to very different, and very precious this year as well. I'm already feeling full of the holiday spirit as I wish each and every one of you much love and prosperity. My life is intensely blessed, and it is largely because of both my biological and church family. Thank you, God. And thank all of you for being who you are.

my dream

I was about to join an anger management group because I've been...well, basically in a state of anger lately. Maybe it's due to midlife crisis or some other malady; but I've noticed that both illogic and injustice can set me off pretty quick (and examples of both have been rather plentiful lately). But I still had enough sane thoughts to figure out that prolonged anger is neither healthy or helpful. So something had to be done. That was Saturday night.

Right before the alarm went off Sunday morning I had the most remarkable dream. I realize the symbolism of what I'm about to relate is super obvious....but it wasn't in my dream state. It was a rural setting and I, along with several others, had just come out some kind of place of business (post office?) and we were walking along a grassy area w/ trees. I was slightly unsure of the direction to go home but wasn't alarmed yet since my sense of direction is both nonexistent and dislexic, so I'm used to the feeling of being rather lost all the time. Anyway, over in some brush near the trees a group of animals (disturbed from us exiting the building) rose to their feet. The most obvious was a large male lion. I was so surprised to see him out of a cage. A man's voice behind me quickly said, "Everyone be still, no eye contact. No one run." So we all stood there, fighting our natural inclination to take off.

Next scene. Suddenly a lamb rose up and put his two front hoofs up on my shoulders and stayed there. I leaned in a bit to balance my weight with his, and could feel his breath and was aware of his heartbeat. This particular lamb was long and lean, and had straight white fur, by the way. Anyway, I remember thinking, "I believe a lion can go right through a lamb. I wonder if this lamb realizes that." But for all the lamb's alertness and steadfastness, I didn't sense panic. And he wasn't about to leave me. If the lion was going to get me, he was definitely going to have to go through the lamb first.

Then the alarm rang. So I still have some unanswered questions. I'm not sure why or how the lion was there, or why he wanted to kill. I only know one thing: the lamb loved me....and the lion did not.

And I'm not angry anymore.

more holy land...

In the souvenir shops there one can see, all on the same shelf, black veils and yarmulkes and beaded rosaries. I was standing in the middle of one architectually incredible cathedral, listening to a childrens' choir when suddenly over the loudspeaker came the call to prayer for the Moslems. It hit me how deep and urgent and necessary is every person's urge to try to connect with the Almighty. It is as insatiable as the appetite for food and water. Everyone scrambling to hear the voice of God...to be right with God...to be directed by God.

Yet, here in the same land, are the origins of three very distinct branches of religion...the tenets of which have been claimed as the reason for much bloodshed.

To answer the most common question; yes, I always felt safe. In Eygpt we had armed guard driving in front and in back of our convoy of busses on the way to the pyramid. And when we got close the Bethlehem, the Jewish guide had to hop off the bus and a Palestinian hop on to continue through the huge wall built around Jerusalem. And on the way back, Israeli soldiers checked every passport on the bus. But the Jews assured us there have been much fewer suicide bombers since the wall went up 3 years ago and to invite our friends to visit. So consider yourself invited!

In Turkey, we had a cute young blonde guide who was proud to claim Turkey as the most progressive of all Islam countries. She had on a cute little outfit, and went on to tell us what the Koran ACTUALLY says about modest dress. "It says only to cover the sexual parts," she said, "so unless all those women (draped in black) thinking they're smokin' hot all over? Maybe they have Victoria Secret on underneath." It got a laugh, but illustrated the division upon division upon division in ALL religions. Lord have mercy.

go to the Holy Land

It's so great to have a real live image in my head next time I read "Capernaum", or "Sea of Galilee", or Jordan River, or "Ephesus" in the Bible. But my favorite things were walking the Via Dolorosa and the wailing wall. Did you know that the "Wailing Wall" (or Western Wall) is the last remaining wall of the great temple of Solomon? On the site is a huge Moslem Mosque now (no wonder the Jews pick there to wail). My eyes teared up too just standing in the crowd of the many women who were crying, rocking, and beating their chests. Then I looked over the fence and saw Dan being wrapped and cloaked (he told some Rabbi his mom had a little Jewish blood in her) so they adopted him quick. Apparently we can now move to Israel at any time, no questions asked. I'm not saying Israel doesn't have its economic problems~ and right now there is a very concerning drought going on (the Sea of Galilee is 18 feet below what it should be)~~but to see what they have accomplished in 60 years with an area & population similiar to the state of Maryland is simply amazing. I also loved visiting the island of Patmos where John wrote Revelation. Does anyone know somewhere in the Bible where Jesus told him that he would not die like the other disciples (who were martryed)? John must have lived to be 100 !
Ooops, gotta run....I'll tell more later.

Diaries of Darfur

I'm about to finish the Diaries of Darfur, and will now look for the documentary. The book is actually about their experiences of trying to make the film. I hear that the number of 26,000 children dying a day from hunger is now up to 29,000. And I still haven't gotten around to sponsoring a kid yet. The feeling of being overwhelmed is paralyzing. Plus the feeling of having failed in the past. At one time,we were sponsoring six. Please don't be impressed....even that is not much of a monetary sacrifice. Unfortunately, though, I never took the time to write back at all, much less encouraging notes. What kind of a sponsor is that?

Speaking of children, at one point I had filled out the paperwork for us to adopt kid #6....( a little girl from China), but then I thought maybe I should re-think it. I asked a friend from South Korea who was aghast that I would even question. "If you have a roof and food in the refridgerator, why would you even hesitate?" She asked. She went on to tell me of the heartbreaking story of when they were so poor in her childhood that they took her baby sister to the orphanage. Within a couple of weeks they couldn't bear it, so they went back (she was still there)...but that didn't make raising her on no resources any easier. Well, the roof and the food I can manage. It's that nurturing thing and resources such as time that I seem to run out of. How will God judge? Yes, I know His grace will cover even rich Americans. But, still.

thoughts from Willow Creek

I always see this on the wall when I go to the arts conference in Chicago:

"For most of us, the word broken means useless. Yet in the upside down world of God's Kingdom, broken can mean ready to be used---as when a soul is broken before God and yielded. A mosaic is a piece of art that begins with broken pieces and then turns into something beautiful. We are all God's mosaic, our brokenness crafted by his wise and skillful hand into a work of beauty."

Anyway, as always it was worth going to. Hillsong United gave a concert...I picked up on some great video ideas. It was a nice getaway.

Speaking of getaways, four of my children are backpacking across South America for the next month. You can assume that my prayer life will be consistent and intact during that time.

Galatians

I just read a book "The Hole in our Gospel" by the president of World Vision, Rich Sterns. So my new favorite quote is "We've drifted from being fishers of men to keepers of the acquarium" (actually Paul Harvey said that). Good quote, huh?

Anyway, the more I read the book of Galatians, the more I realize that Paul was not mad over circumsion. That was NOT the issue. In fact, it seems "the issue" (whatever it may be) is never REALLY the issue at all. Take for example, in past decades it might have been that we could have replaced the term "circumcision" w/ the terms "one cuppers" or "kitchens in churches buildings" or "worship leaders on staff." Someday it will be whether or not to have holograms to illustrate sermons points. Some will find holograms entertaining and distracting, others will find them enlightening and educational. There will, no doubt, be anti-hologram churches and pro-hologram churches. We will be beaming guest speakers in from Texas to plead for unity. The progressive churches will probably finally settle on one hologram inclusive service, and one without.
Face it, Paul's just mad at the folks who set themselves up to make whatever-it-is mandatory for the other side to agree with or else! It's just another example of folks trying to be God (once again!....our forever human sin...). It's so much easier, and much more of a power trip, to make and enforce rules for others and then judge them by their noncompliance than it is to accept God's grace. So read Galatians. Everytime it says "circumcision" (which we care nothing about today but they sure did back then), replace it with a current hot-button-topic, and see what Paul has to say to us today.