Bruised reeds and smoldering wicks...

I am learning that we are all, to a greater or lesser extent, living with our wounds. The pain surfaces from time to time: at moments of crisis, when provoked by anger or simply when we choose not to hide behind the facade anymore. As believers, we have an obligation to imitate Jesus. In Isaiah 42, he is described as one who would not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick. In other words, one who does not treat the wounded with harshness but tenderly speaking into them the Word that helps bring stability to their lives.
That is our calling. It is the calling of the Body of Christ. Make us tender towards one another!

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Rainy Days and Mondays...

I've learned over the years never to make any life-altering course changes on a Monday. It seems that the second day of the week invariably brings me down to earth, no matter to what heights we soared the day before. For every mountaintop there is a corresponding valley and it is in the valley where I uncover my true mettle, the authenticity of my experience and my ability to handle the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' as Shakespeare so eloquently put it. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," so, right now I'm asking God for faith to stand and continue to stand whether or not I can see the outcome already assured.

Back to work...

It's a New Year and it's back to work and back to school. Time to reawaken desire and drive and rediscover the passion for teaching and enriching lives! It's always tough after the Christmas holidays to get back in the swing of things. It's not that I make a lot of New Year's resolutions, I merely struggle with the need to do something other than eat and watch movies!!
January is going to be hectic, February is going to be frantic, and by March I shall be ready for the burst of Spring. By the way I have successfully negotiated the use of 05 on my date writing. Everyone else is still writing 04. Maybe that's a hopeful sign.

On a more serious note...

The latest news from Asia following last week's Tsunami is pretty bleak. This overwhelming catastrophe puts our petty, media driven, self-absorbed lives into pretty stark perspective. As a pastor and teacher I am challenged to reassess my own theological reasoning in the area of suffering, tribulation and escatology. The events of 9/11 are nothing compared to this.
Check out http://www.christianmediaresearch.com/cmc-12.html to read an excellent article on the subject of Catastrophic Christianity.

What I got....for Christmas that is...

Click to see my list....

"Tolkien turkey"

We have just come to the end of a full and enjoyable Christmas Day. We've talked to family in California and England; we've feasted on lamb and ham and mince pies with brandy butter (only once a year...) and finally we've just watched "The Return of the King - extended edition" (4 hours and 10 minutes worth). Tolkien's epic reminds us of the battle we are involved in and return to after the joy of the season. He also reminds us that it is in the small hobbit-sized acts of goodness and character that the battle is won and that 'greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.'

It's beginning to "sound" a lot like Christmas...

Last night, our church together with some other friends, went carol singing. This was a tradition in England that was a big part of the run-up to this wonderful season. Somehow, the sound of carols being sung outside a home draws the spirit of Christ ever closer to that house. We left the church in a caravan of vehicles, armed with bells, guitar and shaker and before the night was over we had visited seven individual homes, a nursing home and the foyer of our local WALMART to bring some christmas cheer. I lost my voice but all agreed that carol singing is a wonderful tradition that brings joy to the ears and hearts that hear it. "We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!"

In the Swing

We're having two Christmas parties today for our day and night students and tonight we've been singing carols and having a great time.
Also tonight one of our students came in just to tell us that she had passed the writing test on the GED and how excited she was. It makes all the effort worthwhile when you see the fruit of your labors....As I said to her,"That is the best Christmas present you could have given me!"

Christmas Music

I'm listening to more Christmas music this year than ever before. There has been an increase in the number of holiday-specific releases over the last few years. Many are little more than attempts to 'cash in' on the current popularity of the artist and consequently the music performed is pretty lightweight. I have highlighted a couple of releases that I think are worthy of mention. "Bethlehem" by Brian McKnight stands out by virtue of the amount of original material as well as the breadth of the styles contained therein. The only downside to the experience is to realize that since this CD was released in 1998, Brian's marriage has ended in divorce...which tends to nullify certain of the sentiments he expresses on the album.
"Christmas Worship" by John Tesh surprised me, because I had felt that John's new 'worship' direction deprived us of his undoubted original composing skill which had graced his earlier recordings such as "AVALON" and "ONE WORLD". However his foray into modern worship has allowed his skill as an arranger and adapter of other works to come to the forefront. The result is an extremely well performed and arranged selection of christmas favorites as well as two of the best 'new' christmas songs in years, "This is your gift" and "Without You".

Counting down the days...

It's just about two weeks until Christmas and already the strain is beginning to tell! Each year poses new challenges... The pressure of the commercialism, the rising tide of excitement at home, keeping within a budget!
The hardest part of the season is maintaining a focus upon the real meaning of the season and allowing the natural sequence of the advent calendar to guide our journey into this most blessed and holy time.
You almost have to make a conscious choice to turn off the TV and retreat, to simplify, simplify, simplify!

Money can't buy you love or keep it....I guess...

NEW YORK — Money — not even $149 million — can't buy you love.
Juan Rodriguez , who collected the huge windfall in the Mega Millions lottery last month, is now on the outs with his wife, the New York Post reported Saturday. Iris Rodriguez wants a divorce from her husband of 17 years, and she filed the paperwork just 10 days after Juan bought the winning ticket on Nov. 19.
Iris Rodriguez is seeking a portion of her husband's huge lottery check, the Post said. Rodriguez, 49, opted to take his winnings in a single lump-sum payment of $88.5 million before taxes.
Although the couple appeared together at a news conference after Rodriguez matched the winning numbers, his wife had previously given him the boot over his financial difficulties. Rodriguez had filed for bankruptcy a month before his lottery win, and court papers showed he had just 78 cents in a savings account and owed $44,000 to creditors.

I guess that the Beatles were right after all! This is a made for T.V. movie if I ever I saw one. Better yet, some one needs to turn this into a musical comedy. The damage that lotteries have done to the work ethic and the notion that thrift and hard work are the keys to success have been replaced by players clubs at Casinos and a trip to the local convenient store for a powerball ticket or two. Meanwhile families continue to struggle to put food on the table and at the same time are consumed with the hope of quick riches. We all struggle to some extent or the other with lure of the American Dream, but lately many have sought to take a short cut. Paul reminds us in the New Testament that an athlete only wins the prize when they compete according to the rules....and as far as God is concerned, the rules have not changed!

We're definitely not in New Jersey...

We had the pleasure of attending the local High School Show Choir Christmas concert tonight.
It was a mixture of singing and dancing, well done considering the talent pool available in a small Mississippi town. There was also neat blend of the sacred and the secular with mentions of both Jesus and Santa Claus.(In fact Santa Claus was played by one of my church members!)
However in other parts of the country, for instance - New Jersey..... The religious theme would have been conspicuously absent while in Denver; no religious theme ( aka christianity) is permitted in their 'Holiday' parade!
What 'Holiday' do they imagine we are celebrating anyway? As our teenagers are prone to say...."Duh!!"
Visit Mississippi......... where we still pray "in Jesus' name" at ball games.

Online shopping.

I'm doing a lot of my Christmas shopping online this year. Over the past couple of years I have purchased Musical instruments, digital recorders, manufactured CD's and jewellery from websites. I have had little problem and have been impressed with the quality and speed of service. I'm grateful of an alternative to long check-out queues and lack of variety in local small town retailers. Also not having to spend a fortune on gas to travel to either Memphis or Jackson (100+ miles away) means that I have more money to spend on that special gift.
Maybe you haven't tried online shopping yet....Go on have a go!

A movie that moves me

courtesy of jnthnmoore

Thankful for...

I'm thankful for:

A family to love and a family who loves me...
A job I enjoy...
Having a job...
A musical ear....
The power of choice....
The power of Faith...
A appreciation of art and literature...
My health...
Friends...
Brothers and Sisters in Christ...
An opportunity to serve....
A sense of humor...

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Players and fans exchanged punches in the stands in one of the worst NBA brawls ever..

O.K.! Enough already......We have taken our addiction to sports and fame to an all time low. It's time for some honest to goodness criminal charges to be filed, with jail time and heavy fines levied. Maybe then and only then will pro-athletes get the message that they don't necessarily have to be role models but they do have to obey the normal rules of civilized behavior. It's time for the Commissioners of the various pro sports to take charge.

My favorite CD to listen to ...at the moment!

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Margaret Hassan....just a thought

"Marines found the mutilated body of what they believe was a Western woman on a street in Fallujah recently but the body has not yet been identified, although it is believed to be that of Hassan."
Two lines from a news report about an aid worker who devoted many years of faithful service to the Iraqi people. This woman spoke out against the invasion and gave her life to helping children. She was brutally used by the insurgents and the sound of Arab outrage has been deafening! How come?
Is it because for many of the male dominated Arab media she was only a woman, thus not worthy of consideration? Or maybe it is simply that to address the overwhelming brutality of what is happening everyday in Iraq would necessitate them confronting their own demons of centuries old abuse and degredation of women.....just a thought....