So, while cleaning the stairs leading up to the St. Joseph statue, I had a wonderful reflection moment.

While looking at the stairs, filled with pine needles, and the immense height, which seemed never ending, I was wondering if I had gotten myself into something bigger than I could take on.  The first 5 or so stairs weren’t so bad, but as I ascended the stairs, they each had more and more pine needles.  The drizzle began to come down a little harder, and the cool wind picked up.  Once I reached about midway, I realized that there was a step that was made of three planks of wood.  I turned back, to look downward and realize the long way that I had come, and the progress I had made in the short time.  It made me remember the past couple of years and all the time that I had spent in ministry with the Hispanic Young adults, and all of the challenges and difficulties, all of joys and wonderful times.  It reminded me of my vocational journey and all of the work God has done in me so far, to clean me, and prepare my own path. 

I turned back to the rest of the stairs, which stilled seemed like such a long way up.  I thought of heaven and my journey, and found a connection between the stairs and myself.

In working my way up the stairs, taking patient care of each step and the way in which I cleaned it, I thought of how God has put in so much care and patience, and love into molding and cleaning and preparing me for this journey.

As I got higher and higher up, the steps were harder and harder to clean.  I figure, God is giving me a heads up on what I can expect in my journey.  But also received great consolation in the fact that, all of the steps, which I cleaned in the beginning strengthened and prepared me to clean the steps on the top.  So, in all of this time, I learned some truly valuable insights into myself. 

There are a few things I must always do:  learn and grow as I go along, taking with me the fond memories of joy and gladness and strenghthening myself by the grace of the Holy Spirit with the moments that challenge me;  look back and always remember the road I have already walked, to give me strength and guidance for the road ahead; NEVER forget to turn around, and not dwell on the past but hope with faith, in the future; and always pray for the grace of perseverence so that while looking ahead I do not become overwhelmed or afraid of what might come, but go forward with the faith and hope that God has prepared me and will continue to prepare me until I reach Heaven. 

We must keep our focus, I must keep mine, and you must keep yours, set our sights on Heaven and learn from every experience we have, that God is ALWAYS preparing and teaching us in ways unexpected.

I would have never guessed that a simple act of cleaning stairs would have turned into a meditation and personal encounter with God.

This is supposed to be a sonnet, but I don’t think I got the meter quite right.  I didn’t try too hard   In fact a lot of it doesn’t even technically rhyme, and its not amazingly and beautifully poetic….I even used a word that apparently doesn’t exist…but I just had stuff I wanted to say, so I did

I feel You calling, stirring, begging me

These things inside me ache and groan for You

I’m challenging all that I once called free

Cause what is freedom without knowing You?

At times I close my eyes and feel a stir

There’s so much more desire that I need

This life goes on; a feelingless big blur

I want to think of You just like I breathe

I feel You calling; “will you come away?”

I hate the way my head feels in this world

In my confusion, hear what I would say

I want to live in love with my good Lord

Behold something I don not want to fear

Just knowing You and growing ever near

I have been working on a project using JQuery in a webpart, communicating with a .NET webservice. To do so, I had to figure out how to call a standard .NET webservice from jQuery – the answer exists all over the internet, but nobody had really tidied it up and presented something easy to follow.

Here’s the jQuery javascript to call a webservice;

function call_xml_webservice(ws_method,ws_data, fn_callback){
  $.post(WS_URL + "/" + ws_method,
    ws_data,
    function (data) {
      fn_callback(data);
    },
    "xml"
  );
}

Note that WS_URL is a public variable in this case – declared higher than the scope of the function.

So, the next issue is how to consume the data. To explain this, you need to imagine a typical .NET webservice method;

// declare a person class...
public class Person {
  public string Firstname = "";
  public string Lastname = "";

}

// webservice method to get the people
[Webmethod]
public List<string> GetPeople(){
  private List<Person> People = new List<Person>();
  Person person = new Person();
  person.Firstname = "Jonathan";
  person.Lastname = "Beckett";
  People.Add(person);
  return People;
}

This is all fine – but how do you call the webmethod, and then consume the return data in jQuery javascript back on the client? Like so…

function get_people_callback(xml){
  $(xml).find("ArrayOfPerson").children(function(){
    alert( $(this).find("Firstname") + " " + $(this).find("Lastname") );
  });
}

function get_people(){
  call_xml_webservice("GetPeople",{},get_people_callback);
}

This post is really intended as a reminder for myself in case I don’t use any of these techniques for a few months. If it’s useful for others, it’s all good

Meditations in Romans : 2 :  Living in the Plan

Rom  1:1,2 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God– the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures

I sometimes wonder how many of us really have a sense of being part of God’s great master-plan.  I get the impression, as I listen to people, that few of us genuinely have a sense of being part of something bigger, of having a real sense of destiny.  Yes, we do in church services perhaps, when God is clearly speaking, but in the day to day humdrum of life, the pressures of twenty-first century living seem to squash that sense.  Maybe we need Paul to remind us about this.

Perhaps that was what marked out Paul from the rest of us, for a reading of Acts reveals a man utterly dedicated to the big plan and purpose of God. But what about here; what about in these first two verses of Romans, before we read into the depths of this book?  We pondered on him being a servant yesterday.  As we move on we see him telling us, his readers, that he has a calling.

We talk about missionaries having a calling. We sometimes talk about nurses, doctors or teachers having a ‘calling’. It’s a vocation, we say, a calling, otherwise we probably wouldn’t do it. Paul’s ‘calling’ was to be an apostle. Now depending on where we come from in the church, we may have different feelings about apostles, but for the sake of these verses we need only focus on Paul.  To the Corinthians he asked, “Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?” (1 Cor 9:1) For him at that time, the criteria for being an apostle was that you had met or known the Lord and were able to testify to him, and that the fruit of your ministry proved what you were – there were churches in existence because of you!

When you have a calling you are set apart TO something – to be a missionary etc. – but you are also set apart FROM other things.  If you are set apart TO one thing, it means you are set apart FROM a lot of others things, the things others are called to.  It is in fact a separating off to something and a leaving other things behind.  Elisha is a good example in the Old Testament of this happening: “Elijah went from there and found Elisha …. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. … He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate.” (1 Kings 19:19-21).  Elijah did this as a result of an instruction from the Lord and Elisha recognised this as a calling which meant that he would leave his present occupation and go and follow Elijah to do whatever God gave them to do.

Thus we find Paul telling us that he has been “set apart for the gospel of God.” His role as a servant of Jesus was, in fact, to serve Jesus as an apostle and go and take the Good News about him, produce converts, and form them into visible expressions of the Church.  But of course this wasn’t some latter day emergency fall-back plan of the Lord’s because all else had failed with Israel. No, this was an outworking of His plan that He had spoken about, “through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures”, i.e. throughout the Old Testament.

In fact we can go further.  A number of times in the Bible we find references to God’s plan that had been brought into being even before He has created the world.  The apostle Peter, referring to Jesus wrote, “God chose him for this purpose long before the world began.” (1 Pet 1:20).  Paul himself wrote to the church at Ephesus, “Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ.” (Eph 1:4) and to Timothy he wrote, “that was his plan long before the world began—to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 1:9).  Thus God planned for each of us to find salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, even before sin came into the world.

Yet, it goes even further.  Paul wrote, “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10).  Our being ‘born again’ (Jn 3:3) is a work of God (see also Jn 1:12,13) and we have been brought into Sonship because of the work of Christ on the Cross and been empowered by God’s Spirit to be new beings who are to express the love and goodness of God through our lives.   How He does this is unique to each one of us for He has gifted us with grace uniquely (Rom 12:6). He has given us the gifts, talents and abilities that we have, and we use them as we live out these lives expressing His love and goodness.

This is the ‘calling’ that each Christian has. Some He calls to be leaders, some not. Some He calls to very clear and distinct ministries, others not,  but whoever we are, we ARE part of His master plan and He has a specific part for us to play which becomes gradually revealed to us as we let Him teach us through His word and guide and empower us by His Spirit.  With Paul, we are in God’s plan. We may not have realised it or we may have forgotten it, but we are!   Live in it and enjoy it!

Knowing When to Call an Audible in Life!

An audible is when a change is made to an original plan.  In life we should have the ability to change a plan spontaneously when needed. 

Click the following Link for Scott Epp’s Video Column on “Knowing when to call an audible.”  For all the football fans out there I think you’ll enjoy the football footage and the example I use from the quarterback’s perspective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqrkJLzmLig

Here are 4 examples of audible:

1) You are in a marketing job and have a plan to mail out thousands of copies of your advertisement but just before you send them out you find that your competition has mailed out an advertisement that is very similar.  By staying with the plan you risk producing something that may look like a copy to your potential clients and it may backfire on you.  You may want to “Call an Audible” and change your advertisement or make a new plan.

2) You and your spouse may be camping in the wilderness and while you are there you are told that a grizzly bear is in the area.  You may want to “Call an Audible” and change your plan and find a new camping spot or even continue your vacation somewhere else.

3) You have a big sale at your store on the weekend and your delivery company has made a mistake and your stock will not be at the store for the sale.  You may want to “Call an Audible” and change your sales structure and advertise other products or you may be able to creatively find a way to still advertise your product even though it will not be delivered until a future date.   

4) In football quarterbacks will have a play that they’ve called in the huddle.  Sometimes he will get a gut feeling, see the way the defense is lined up, sense the defense will blitz him (rush him) so he may want to ”Call an audible” and change his plan.  The quarter back will have a sign or an audible command that he shouts out so his team mates know there is a change in the plan.  The quarterback may run with the ball when he originally planned to throw it or he may hand off the ball to the right instead of to the left etc. Some of the best plays in football are when the quarterback “Calls and Audible” and makes a spontaneous play that allows his team to score.  If he had not called the audible he may have lost the ball, thrown an interception or got sacked (defense tackled him behind the line of scrimmage.)

 This Weeks Reflect and Apply

Reflect on a plan that you have now.  Think about some of the challenges that you are facing around your plan.  What are some possible audible that you can call?  Now think of some of the ways that you can “Call an Audible?” Are there ways that you can change your plan.   

Joy for the Journey: Staying Cool in the Heat

At the Culinary Institute of America, students move fast and move precisely. Indeed if you don’t, you either miss your deadlines, ruin your cooking, antagonize your customers, or you get your hands chopped like a piece of meat.

These are foodies who love what they do. That’s why they are there. Nonetheless, it’s a pressure cooker in the classroom-kitchen. This is no child play: they cook to please!

Not all the students have had experience in this kind of high-pressure situations. One 25-year old student named Nick was a former Navy SEAL. “One of the requirements to be a SEAL is to swim 50 meters completely underwater. If you think, ‘I can’t breathe!’ then your muscles will tense and will use up more oxygen. The strategy is to relax and you will make it to the other end.”

Staying cool in the heat! How do you do that? I know I often react to the pressures of life with so much anxiety that I have to consciously breathe in and breathe out. Yes, I forget to breathe when my eyes are staring at the elephant size pressures of life.

Yesterday, my friend Helen told me about her twin daughters who have just started college in September. It’s now November – the heat is going up. Homework and mid-term examinations are piling up. More homework and more examinations are coming. Finals are then just around the corner. Her daughters called home and said, “I don’t know if I could do this!”

There is the heat of life when you’re doing what you love, like cooking at the Culinary Institute of America. There is the heat of life when you’re starting college. There is also the heat of life when you’re looking for employment and your savings are dwindling fast. These pressures of life do not come at our request; they come any time and all the time. We cannot change the circumstances of our lives but we can train our mental and emotional muscles so they are strong for the challenge. Toughmindedness, as they call it.

How do you stay cool in the heat? Ironically, I can stay cool only when I begin to acknowledge that I have no control over my life or my specific situation. Then I turn over my anxiety to God and ask him for wisdom for handling the pressure boiler. As I proceed to do what is humanly possible, I continue to remind myself I am not the one in control. Then I give thanks to God for all the blessings he has given me in the past and commit myself to trusting him for provision for me.

The image in this blogpost is attributed to BH Expeditions on www.flickr.com

In living in a country like America, we have unique opportunities that many other countries simply do not offer their people. Here, rich or poor, you can affect your destiny; you can change your circumstances! This is the profound reality of going to college or trade school. All I want to do is create opportunities for people, young and old, to live in their purpose and calling. Do what you love to do. The days of working in a job you hate for 25 years are over- the new dawn has come.

Read this article and ask yourself, what could you do with your life? How much more can you be in the world?

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Two years ago, I took a trip to India over summer break. I expected to experience new adventures and see famous sights. What I didn’t expect was to live in an underprivileged neighborhood in Southern India.

Nothing could prepare me to see how these people lived.

The people there lived in abject poverty. The homes were made of garbage, plastic and sticks. Every meal was filled with bugs and consisted of a handful of rice. There were no beds; we slept on the ant-infested floor. The children were uneducated and dirty. They bathed in a polluted lake nearby. The kids got up early and worked on chores all day. I didn’t know how these kids could possibly live knowing that their futures were right here in the same village.

One night, I saw all the kids going to an open field. I decided to tag along. The kids had been given a treasure some months ago from a visiting pastor, and it became their prized possession: a soccer ball.

Every night, they came together to forget about their problems and play. They were laughing, smiling and cheering. Gone were the weary, sad faces; they were in their own world now. Nothing in the world mattered except this game. It wasn’t about winning or losing; it was about getting away from the problems of poverty for an hour and being with a treasure that made them all feel rich.

As the slowly came to an end, the kids trudged back to their homes with smiles, prepared to go back to reality, but knowing that their treasure was waiting for them for the next night.

Becca Mathew, 16, is a student at Stevenson High School in Chicago. Becca won $100 for this article.

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You too can win money for your talents! Let me show you how!

w a i t i n g . .

..

every ring my heartbeat rise hopping it is YOU.. </3

w a i t i n g . . .

..

all i need is a call..

II Timothy 2:11-13 could almost be labeled as a disclaimer for Christian faith.  If we stick with Christ we will die and yet live, and will reign with Him.  If we disown Him, He will disown us.  If we lose faith, we’re on our own.  What?  No, that’s not how it reads.  He will remain faithful because He cannot go against His own nature.  He is faithful and will always remain as such.  We, on the other hand, are fickle, following our own fancy.  We give up when we think there’s too much opposition, even when we know it is right to continue.

Jesus, along with His disciples faced some pretty strong opposition in His day.  He had it coming from political fronts, from religious fronts, and yes even from His friendship fronts.  He was nearing the end of His stay here on Earth and was preparing His friends for His departure.  He knew what was right and had purpose enough to complete the task.  It’s at this point where Peter pulls Him aside and implies that Jesus is mistaken ion this line of thought and he’d better straighten up.  Jesus was not deterred, even by a well meaning friend.  He kept at the task God had placed in his heart and mind to do.  He remained faithful to the call.

We too, have a choice to remain faithful in those tough times.  Even when our friends or family are telling us we’re headed the wrong way, God is faithful and longs for our faithfulness.  You might even be thinking about “Honor your father and mother…” and other scripture that tells us to listen to the counsel of the wise.  This is where your relationship with the King is of utmost importance.  You need to be so close to His confidence that you will be able to recognize the truth from the messages that would steer you away from keeping the faith.  If you ask, seek, and knock, He will always answer, show you the way, and open the right door.

Woo yay! I can officially announce that I am back for regular blogging after an extremely long hiatus, depression is funny that way.

My life has been turned upside down, which is pretty obvious from my last post, but I’m pleased to say that things are looking up for Pepper! I’ve gone from suicical to hopeful in two months, that’s quite impressive. Perhaps one is bipolar?

I’ve been discharged from hospital, I see a psychologist every week, I have a social worker that comes to my house to check that I’m still alive and I’ve dropped out of university! The most impressive of that list being that I’ve finally mustered the balls, after hitting rock bottom, to do something for me with a “fuck what everyone else thinks” attitide, and I think it could be the best decision I’ve ever made.

It was too soon for me to be back at university, I went back a week after I’d been discharged from hospital. It was horrible, as soon as I got back I felt like nothing had changed, I could feel myself slipping. It was horrible, I really didn’t want to go back to hospital. The people in there were disturbed, well, most of them. There were a few nice people. I met a lovely suicidal lesbian that was also a herion addict.

So I decided to take action, for once in my sad little life. I did something for me, to make myself feel better, and I do. I’ll be moving back home with my parents at christmas. I’ll still have to pay rent for my student house although I won’t be living here, the joys of trying to break a tenancy agreement, but that’s only a financial repercussion. What is money at the end of the day? Just bits of paper and metal.

For a while now I’ve known that my calling is to become a funeral director, and I’m going to make it happen. I’ve been looking at universities that offer qualifications in mortuary science and death & society. There are only two institutes in the whole of the United Kingdom that offer such courses. I won’t be going there for a long time though. I’d like to gain some professional qualifications first and to do this I would need to secure a job in a funeral home. I’ve approached a local business and I am awaiting their answer with regard to work experience. I just want to help people at the worst time of their lives. I want to be there for them. I want to be woken up at 4am by a griefstricken person and reassure them. I want to be on call 24 hours a day, every day of the year. I want to support people. That’s all I want.

Below are two posts that provide strong Biblical evidence that suggests the Biblical concept of Christian “Calling” has primary reference to “Naming” rather than a summons or invitation:

Brian Abasciano on Calling

Klein, William W. “PAUL’S USE OF KALEIN: A PROPOSAL”

Joy for the Journey Comes Through Unchained Hope

At the Brandywine Valley Museum we visited over the weekend, I noticed a very large painting done by Andrew Wyeth, an accomplished painter in his own right and also the son of the painter, J.C. Wyeth, who became famous for his illustrations for Stevenson’s Treasure Island.

In this large painting, Andrew Wyeth portrays three dogs inside a stone mason room. All three of the animals were chained. The owner chained these dogs all day long and they were allowed to run free only when they were out hunting for raccoons. One of dogs was sleeping in the background. The second one extended far beyond the left side of the portrait so the chain was taut. The third one was sitting upright quietly but his eyes were very expressive. He looked as though he had a lot going on in his mind.

This very large painting, which measured about seven feet tall, moved me in such powerful ways I felt compelled to write about it.

The three dogs lost their freedom because the owner held them in captivity. They were not able to be the animals God had created them to be because they were chained – unable to run, play, catch mice, or protect small children. They had been so conditioned to being passive that they were quite habituated to “chained” living as their way of life.

This portrait is a portrait of my life and the life of so many. The difference between the dogs and us is this: we have chained ourselves to the posts so we are unable to become the persons we are created to be and to fulfill the purpose we have been given.

Each of the chains represents a long litany and a wide variety of habits, perspectives, and thought patterns that can incapacitate us and miniaturize our vision. Here I am just scratching the surface of this litany:
• Procrastinating because of fear of failure, success or mistakes;
• Journeying through life as if I am an island and I don’t need anyone in the world;
• Believing that if no one else joins me in a new idea, a new vision, or a new project, then I must not involve myself;
• Being arrogant about my own abilities and knowledge so I cannot accept suggestions and advice from my elders;
• Nursing my bitterness and resentment about past hurts so the hurdle becomes higher and higher;
• Giving up at the early encounters of barriers to success;
• Constantly being distracted by the small pleasures of life so I lose sight of the big and the important;
• Seeing obstacles instead of opportunities at every turn;
• Isolating myself from God and from community so I become my ultimate and only authority;
• Coping with life’s hard knocks through self-destructive or unproductive coping methods;
• Being blind to the consequences of my actions and decisions of the moment;
• Running away from a project, a responsibility, or a calling because it is perceived as “hard”;
• Refusing to listen to myself, to ask the hard and penetrating questions of my purpose, my gifts and abilities, my personality, and my resources;
• Being stuck in traditions: this is the way I’ve always been so this is the way I’ll always be;
• Failing to see my important role in and contribution to this world community: I am created for a purpose not just for my actualization, fulfillment and satisfaction but also for the betterment of the world community.

I cannot exhaust the list of chains we subject ourselves to as we journey through life, but I can confidently conclude this: I am the only one who can set me free from being chained. The way to set me free is through unchained hope: the hope that God has promised to continue to work in us and with us, to bring me, a work-in-progress, to perfection.

The image in this blogpost is attributed to DH Bass on www.Flickr.com.

The call of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-13) into God’s mission takes a shape similar to that of Moses. In the calling of Moses we noticed several elements of the call narrative: the revelation of God, the motive of God expressed, the commission of God, the objections of Moses, God’s reassurance, and God’s signs. Notice these same following elements in the call of Isaiah.

Revelation. Dated to the year that King Uzziah died (ca. 742 BC), Isaiah has a visionary experience that brings him into the very presence of God.

In vivid detail, the text paints the visions for us: the throne, God’s robe filling the temple, doorposts and thresholds quaking, smoke filling the temple and multi-winged angelic beings, calling to one another in antiphonal worship:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Objections. To this revelation of God, Isaiah can only respond that he is doomed; in contrast to God’s holiness, Isaiah can only confess that he has unclean lips and that he lives among unclean people.

Reassurance. In response to this confession, one of the angelic beings takes a coal from the altar and touches Isaiah’s lips to symbolize that God had taken away his sin, thus qualifying him to accept God’s mission.

Commission and Motive. Here the Lord asks, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” To which Isaiah, cleansed, can now say, “Here am I. Send me!” His mission is to preach to a people whom Isaiah knows will not listen to him. They will not repent, but God will send Isaiah anyway as a sign that God has not given up on his people.

Signs. While there are signs associated with Isaiah’s mission (see Isaiah 7), I think it is fair to say that for the people of Judah, Isaiah is the sign. Isaiah is to preach to a people who will not listen and he is to do it until God says otherwise (see Isaiah 6.11-13).

Isaiah was to serve during a time of pruning … until there is nothing left but a “holy seed” left as a “stump” in a wasteland. What starts out as an amazing revelation of God concludes in Isaiah being given a very difficult job

While Isaiah cannot make the people come to God, his mission serves a signpost pointing the way back to God. Sometimes, our ministry is just like this. The successes seem far apart and the defeats come more often than we think they should. Yet, in the midst of that we assent: “Here am I! Send me!”

It’s a myth that people often repeat- “Guys just don’t know how to use their phones!”

This. is. false.

Some men prefer to speak in person, or don’t really like using the phone as much as other forms of communication. But, men know how to answer and return calls.

Think about it. You say your man is TOO busy to call? Too busy to call and say, “Hey baby I’m too busy to talk but I promise I’ll get back to you when I’m not, probably tonight or tomorrow. I love you. Bye” That takes about 1 minute provided that the girl understands this and says, “Hello? Okay, I love you. Be safe/work hard/don’t stress out. Bye.”
Please. Most of us stand in front of the vending machine and try to pick between m&m flavors longer then that.

Look, men who are constantly busy and working LIKE to take minute moment breaks to be happy. &if he was into you, guess what? You’re a bright spot in his day! Hearing your voice should be enough to relax him slightly, especially if he’s having a stressful and busy day. This would be one of those days he would NEVER be too busy to call, because he honestly wants to be happy for a few moments.

FIVE BULLSHIT EXCUSES MEN GIVE ABOUT CALLING

, when it really just mean that they just aren’t into you.

1. But he’s been traveling a lot!

Look, when a man is really into you, he wants to spend time with you. &if you see him less then once a week, you can bet he’ll want to talk to you every other day or so, especially when he can’t physically see you. Hell, a guy who REALLY REALLY loves you will probably call you EVERY DAY.
With the new and improved internet, there are a million ways to reach others for pennies. Are you worth that 5 dollars he will spend to use skype and call your cell and just say hello, i’m safe, good night? He WANTS TO HEAR YOUR VOICE if he loves you. Think about it. Your voice should make him smile, ESPECIALLY if he’s in a foreign place with strange languages and people everywhere.

2. But he’s got a lot on his mind.

Yes, honey, and shouldn’t you be one of them? This excuse is NOT OKAY when he “forgets” to call you.. say, to tell you he can’t make it to your pre-planned date because he and the boys decided to play a game of football. Any event scheduled beforehand. If he has a lot on his mind and he calls you half an hour later then you were expecting, then it’s understandable. But NEVER think that this excuse is okay (with the exception of real emergencies. Like 911 omfg I/someone I love is going to die).

3. He never calls on time (like weeks later).

Yes, people constantly say things they don’t mean or forget. So if he doesn’t call when he promised? Well, you should be with a guy who MEANS what he says to you.

4. Maybe he just hates the phone and I love it. We’re different.

Okay, space is good in a relationship. Actually, it’s crucial. However, even if he hates talking on the phone, if YOU love it, he should compromise a little, if only to make you happy. You love chatting for hours everyday, he grunts monosyllables only when his ferrari dealer calls. Example of a compromise? He’ll answer the phone when you call, especially if you two see each other less than once a week. You, however, will limit your convo’s to 15 minutes (or whatever you two agree on).

5. But he’s a very important person (and has no time for me).

I don’t think I really even NEED to say much on this, but here’s a pretend letter that some of you might be thinking about writing to me.

Dear Sophii,
You’re retardedddd. I am dating this super important director that makes tons of money and is really hot! He is never available, because he’s super busy, and sometimes has no reception for hours! But, I put up with it because I know he’s just doing it for me. Why do you make us all sound like needy little clingers?

Men are never too busy to call, especially if it’s calling to get what they want (except bootycalls. He’s not into you, he’s into the service you provide his dick).

BEING TOO BUSY IS A LOAD OF CRAP.

He might be too busy to go over to your place and watch a 2 hour movie with an hour of cuddling and sex time. But he will NEVER be too busy to call and say, “I’m going to be home late,” “I’m busy RIGHT NOW but I will call you -within a reasonable amount of time.. say, 2 days?-”

How to know if a guy is into you…
1. You won’t stare at your phone praying he’ll call.
2. You won’t check your messages constantly hoping he texted.
3. You won’t hate yourself for calling him when your gut feeling is screaming no.
4. You WILL be treated as respectfully as any customer is treated.

Think about it. If the rapist/murderer is allowed a phone call once a day to his lawyer, why aren’t YOU given the same right with the man who “loves” you?

in my findings today i discovered this. thought i would share.

written on a piece of notebook paper were the questions,

what do i like to do?

what do i want to do with my life?

what makes me come alive?

visions?

dreams?

here is was my answer:

music. to permeate a culture. forerunner. visionary. one that sees purpose. youth (15-25). church. worship. one that carries influence. give life and excitement. challenge youth. bring simplicity back. teaching from life. youth ministry. restoration.

for the record, these still apply. and for the record, i’m still trying to make them apply.

Do you provide help to friends? do people often ask you for advice on a particular issue of expertise? Have you considered this as a service? If so might you be an Entrepreneur?

What is the sole purpose Why you would/have started your business?…

All these questions and more are answered in the video below

It has been a crazy busy week.

Monday I had to go to the head office of the company I work for a couple of meetings.  The office is an hour and three-quarters from home.  I got back home in time for a quick supper and then drove to my class an hour and a half in the other direction.

Tuesday, I flew to Edmonton to do software training for a number of staff members there.  The trip allowed me to have supper with my daughter and her husband.   I enjoy teaching and my students were keen and appreciated the fact that I had come to them from so far away. The second day of the trip included a stop at one of our customers, a Hutterite colony.  That experience may be the topic of a future post.

Thursday at midnight, I arrived back in Toronto.  The company was putting on a dealer appreciation weekend at the airport hotel starting on Friday afternoon, so, I just stayed in town.  J got a ride with one of our local dealers and joined me on Friday evening.  From the company’s perspective, the weekend was a success.  I had to address the group a couple of times about my area of responsibility, which went well.    One fellow wondered if maybe I spoke in church from time to time since my delivery reminded him of the way his grandfather used to deliver sermons .

The company I work for is very secular, yet, they like to try to cover all the bases with their dealers and have in the past offered a prayer prior to meals.  Other companies that I have worked for have not done this.  Interestingly, I, the newest employee at the management level, am the one asked to say grace.  How that happened is a bit of a mystery, because, prior to the first time I was asked, I had not really talked much about my faith life.  This time, the prayer allowed for a “mini sermon” since the master of ceremonies invited me to the front to “bless the meal”.  I had the opportunity to point out that while I would ask for a blessing, it was actually God who would provide the blessing.  My words were appreciated by the practicing Christians in the room.

Interesting how God gives opportunities where none are expected.

Got home around noon on Sunday after most of a week away.

It is of great importance that I continue to study. This has historically been a great passion of mine and a means by which God has spoken to and transformed me. Therefore, I am attempting to resurrect this sacred practice through the use of this blog. I figured it would be wise to start with something simple and easily agreed upon: how about Romans?

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This particular letter was written by the apostle Paul sometime around the year A.D. 57 to the church in the Roman capital. It is easily his most lengthy and systematic work, particularly in regards to Christian theology and doctrine. In addition, it serves as one of the most controversial books in the entire Bible as it addresses a wide range of topics that modern Evangelicals remain divided on. While I have been greatly influenced by numerous passages of this book, I have not studied it in its entirety with any sort of depth.

So, to this end I set my sights. It will, without a doubt, be an incredibly long and arduous process. At the very least it should keep me busy for the next year or so. Here we go!

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,

Beginnings of books are always significant and Romans is not an exception. For anyone who has ever attempted to write anything, they would understand how important open words really are. They, in a sense, set the entire tone and rhythm for what follows. Perhaps it would be helpful to use the analogy of troops in the military beginning a long march. The opening words of any work of writing are much like the cadence or step established in the opening phase of the march. It is this pattern that dictates the overall direction and course of the event. In the same way, introductions to writing create the frame by which the following content is to be interpreted and then applied.

Here, in the beginning of Romans 1, Paul stays true to this practice.

First, he begins by establishing the means by which God’s message is being delivered to God’s people: himself. More specifically, he uses the title “servant of Christ Jesus.” Living in the 21st century United States, most people are far removed from the ideology of what servitude actually was. Perhaps modern thoughts are drawn to the image of a maid or butler busying themselves about in a home of great magnitude. The image found here in Paul’s opening words exists in a context entirely different than the one just described. This word for “servant” (doulos) was also used for “bond-servant” (as found in the NASB) or even “slave.” This title should not conjure up the idea of someone whose vocation is that of making the lives of others easier. Rather, it establishes the totality of Paul’s devotion to Christ for to be a slave or bond-servant in that culture was to give up one’s full identity. If you became the servant in someone’s household, you were, in a very real sense, their property.

Therefore, Paul establishes that he is the means by which God has chosen to make this message known. The following chapters are not the result of human ingenuity, clever rhetoric, complex philosophies, or anything of the sorts. For Paul, in few words, informs the recipients of this letter that he is not his own. Instead, he is the messenger of Christ Jesus.

Secondly, Paul establishes the authority by which he brings this message. His apostleship was not the result of human democracy or his charismatic personality, but he was “called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” It becomes very evident that this was no mere hobby of the apostle, but the effective calling of the living God. Of great significance is the notion of Paul’s being “set apart,” which is better understood in the context of his conversion experience as recorded in Acts 9:1-19 and then interpreted by his statements in 1 Timothy 1:15-17. Not only was Paul chosen to be the vessel of making the Gospel known to the Gentiles, but his life would be an example of the Gospel’s working and effective power unto all who would believe.

Thirdly, there is an overwhelming emphasis on God’s initiation in all things. Notice the language in these opening verses as Paul is “called to be an apostle,” “set apart for the gospel of God,” which was “promised beforehand through [God's] prophets in the holy Scriptures.” Regardless of one’s theological position on the subject of God’s sovereignty and human will (which will be discussed in great depth in the later chapters of the book), there is, in this text, and undeniable exclamation point on God’s causative role. However one chooses to define these phrases, they will ultimately end at the conclusion of God bringing them to be. In many ways, this reiterates the authority of the apostle, whose calling is now understood to be the result of God’s initiation.

Fourthly, he moves from the means by which God has spoken (himself) to the object he is speaking about: the Gospel. It is this message that was “promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.” Moreover, it is the Gospel which will serve as the main subject for the remainder of the letter. Therefore, God has initiated this whole work from the calling of the apostle Paul to the object of his calling, which is none other than the very Gospel, by which he was initially saved.

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That is going to be the first installment of this ongoing work. I know two verses does not seem like much (and it really isn’t), but I have to ease myself back into this form of thinking. God willing, I will continue in the next few days.

The suggestion for today is to acknowledge and express thanks for those who have improved the human condition – for humanity in general and for myself in particular.

Today is known in the United States as ‘Thanksgiving Day.’ Here in Australia we know no such day – something which could be seen as both a good thing and a bad thing. Good, in that it is not another day commercialised and bad, in that there is no particular day for acknowledging our gratitude to those that have improved our lives, etc.

But why do we need a particular day for this – can we not be thankful and express our gratitude on a daily basis? I think we can. I am not calling for a false expression of gratitude and thankfulness, but that which is real and true – surely we can all find something to be thankful for? I know it isn’t hard for me to find plenty to be thankful for throughout each day.

A response to reading ‘365 Ways to Change the World,’ by Michael Norton

Isaiah 6:8-9 “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And he said, “Go and say to this people.”

God reveals in his Word that each of us have been created for a specific purpose (Ps 139:13-16). God has given you unique wiring, gifting and passions to compliment the unique calling he has created you for. Unlike what the world teaches, the bible teaches us that our calling is not our decision but our discovery. Abraham didn’t decide to become the Father of many nations, he discovered that it was God’s call and will to do so. The same goes for Moses, David and Isaiah.

On your journey of discovery you must distinguish between your vocation and your calling. The Apostle Paul worked as a tentmaker, church planter and teacher in his vocation but his calling was to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Your vocation may be as a teacher, chaplain, parent or business executive but your calling is far bigger than just a vocation. Convergence is when your vocation, past experiences and calling become aligned as one and the greatest fruit of your life is seen at this point.

I’ve learnt that before a divine call can live, some things must die. Isaiah had to be cleansed and set apart for him to receive his divine commission to be a prophet to Israel. In the same way pride and the works of our flesh must be removed from our lives for the divine call to come alive and breathe.

A divine call will also be accompanied by a conviction that heaven has spoken. Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall we send and who will go for us?” The only call that God will honour is the call from the throne room of heaven. One of the most important abilities we must develop is the ability to hear God’s voice. Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David and Jesus all survived and flourished in their ministry by their capacity to HEAR GOD!

There is no greater key to walking in your call than to hear God clearly and obey boldly whatever the cost!

A conviction that heaven has spoken must be accompanied by a response of availability. Isaiah responded to God by saying, “Here I am! Send me.” The call of God goes out but it often falls on deaf ears because we are too pre-occupied with small ambitions. Give up your small ambitions and come change the world. Be available for the call of God.

A response of availability must include a willingness to leave a place of familiarity. God said to Isaiah, “GO..” Are you available to go wherever, whenever God asks you to, to do whatever God wants you to do? When God called me to plant a church it required me to leave a place of familiarity – familiar people, surroundings, mindsets and experiences. It was difficult but it has been worth it. Leaving familiarity isn’t always geographical. For most of us it is attitudinal and relational. There are certain attitudes and relationships we need to leave behind to fulfill what God has called us to.

Lastly, a divine call will commission you with a voice for this generation. God said to isaiah, “Speak to the people…” Nothing will move until you speak to it. We are not called to merely echo all the voices of the past but to be a prophetic voice, present-tense, in our generation today. We’ve got to open our mouths and speak the gospel out, not just do good works. Walk in your divine call!

Lead the Change!

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If your haven’t read Numbers 14:17-19, you might want to.  That’s what spurred this post.

I have to tell you that when I read today’s reference I thought, “Well, that’s nice.”  I had to go back and read the whole chapter to see the context of today’s passage.  After doing so, my attitude jumped from that’s nice to “That is awesome!”  Here we have a prime example of how God works with us to establish His will and purpose within the hearts and minds of those who follow Him.  He has just let Moses know that the disobedient, whiny, complaining, and traitorous Israelites are about to be struck down with the plague, ending in their deaths.  Moses responds by praying today’s passage.  He’s prays with skill and stealth, using scripture (Ex. 34:6).  God answers Moses’ prayer by sparing the people immediately, but lets him know that not one of the whiners’ families would enter the Promised Land.

Regarding prayer, some think it’s just a positive thought, and others almost can’t move a muscle without praying first.  Why is there such a broad spectrum of ideas?  Well, simply put, prayer is one of those things that requires faith.  The old “certain of what we do not see” from Hebrews 11 is evident in prayer.  Prayer is talking and listening to God.  You may be most aware of the talking to part, but the listening to God is something a bit more out there.  Am I capable of hearing Him speak?  Does He still speak?  Does it really matter?  In answer to all of these, YES.  God indeed listens to us and speaks to us regularly.  Too often we’re distracted and don’t hear Him, but yes He speaks.  In fact, He longs for open conversation with you and me.  He wants us to draw so near to Him that we can’t help but hear His voice.

Take some time to talk to Him, and to listen to Him.  The more you do it the more chance you’ll have of working out His will in your life and those around you, just like Moses in today’s scripture.