"In the alternative model, it is not only Bob and Mary's issue when the babies are born. It is an issue for the whole church. The congregation takes on some of the responsibility because their identity and life is that of persons-in-community. So perhaps a couple of people go around early each morning to bathe the babies so Bob and Mary can have some time together over breakfast. Or someone offers to take Bob to work for a few months so that on the way Bob can sleep or read his Bible, or they can pray together because Bob is not getting much chance to do these things at home. Bob and Mary may not be as involve in the church meetings, but they are more involved then ever inthe life of the community." (from the chapter entitled "Why Community?" in the book Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
twins in community
"In the alternative model, it is not only Bob and Mary's issue when the babies are born. It is an issue for the whole church. The congregation takes on some of the responsibility because their identity and life is that of persons-in-community. So perhaps a couple of people go around early each morning to bathe the babies so Bob and Mary can have some time together over breakfast. Or someone offers to take Bob to work for a few months so that on the way Bob can sleep or read his Bible, or they can pray together because Bob is not getting much chance to do these things at home. Bob and Mary may not be as involve in the church meetings, but they are more involved then ever inthe life of the community." (from the chapter entitled "Why Community?" in the book Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Lady of Reckless Abandonment
(quoted from another book, "Learning to Be A Woman") - "A woman is not born a woman. Nor does she become one when she marries a man, bears a child and does their dirty linen, not even when she joins a women's liberation movement. A woman becomes a woman when she becomes what God wants her to be."
"How do you know if you have broken your alabaster box at the feet of Jesus? Such a decision will be reflected in reckless abandonment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ."
"Take your alabaster box, with your body, soul, and dreams, and entrust them to Jesus. when He is your Lord, you can joyfully walk in the path of life that He has for you."
**(called the "washbasin," / "washpot" (Ps. 60:8)(108:9)
Does your commitment to Jesus cause those around you to seriously consider whether Jesus is Lord of their lives?...
Choose right now to put mediocrity behind you; courageously determine to pursue Jesus with your whole heart, soul, and mind. As a single woman, this is the perfect moment to establish a radical relationship with Jesus and remove any tokenism from your Christian walk.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
200 stolen (from Mr. C) questions
Elaine
199. I was born:
December 17, 1983 @ Blodgett Memorial Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan (at 11:09am)
198. I am:
an adopted child of the living God, a student, a teacher, a daughter, a sister, a friend, an auntie to all my friends' babies, and learning something new (or several things!) daily...
197. My cell phone is:
capable of sending random blank text messages to certain people (rather then messages with crucial information that i think i was sending...)
196. My eye color is:
greenish-hazel
195. My shoe size is:
women's: 10.5 or 11 men's: 9ish (because i have wide feet. LAME! )
194. My ringtone is:
Big House by Audio A. I recorded it from the computer... speakers ;)
193. My height is:
5 feet, 4 and three quarters inches. given I am barefoot and not slouching.
192. I am allergic to:
kitties (if they are unclean or hair-shedders - but i still likes them!), tree pollen (as I discovered in Arizona! boo.), ragweed, and men. I think I may also be allergic to romance novels that have nothing to do with Christ... *shudders*
190. I live in:
a house with my family (for now) in my old bedroom since I was about 15...
189. The last book I read:
finished? "Betrayal" by Jeanette Windle. VERY GOOD. :-) Currently reading? Several... ;)
188. My bed is:
blankety. lots of blankets. I sleep like a taterpiller...
187. Are you happy with your life?
yes :)
186. Last person to send you a text message:
amyconklin!
185. Ever smoked a cigarette:
only those pretend candy ones that get dust everywhere. haha.
184. AIM or MSN or Yahoo:
google chat, skype, and aim. depending if someone is on any of those and wants to trade voices or letters...
183. Do you email:
of course, but i PREFER hand-written snail....
182. How is the weather today:
moist. and there are leaves all over the ground everywhere. it is neato-keen.
181. Do you have your wisdom teeth:
in my mouth? no.... in a box? ....yes. haha.
180. Ever been to Disney Land:
no... and i could have gone, too! hmmm... someday maybe when i grow up i will go.
179. My favorite holiday is:
Resurrection Sunday!
178. The perfect date:
I've always been partial to anything in May. that's usually when things start acting all green (at least in mitchigin...) OH ... the other kind of date, I would say - is a leader who has done his research and planned something Spontaneous that is adaptable to change depending on weather and mood. bua haha. possibly involves throwing o shooting things, or playing with Play-Doh.
177. The last three cds I bought:
Shai Linne's Storiez and Atonement, and Philip LaRue, I think.
176. Last song that made you cry:
a lot of LaRue's songs make me cry. not really.
175. Who is your favorite cousin?
Lesley and Melissa are my close-in-age cousings. . . :) and we grew up relatively close. Melissa's really far away up in Ishpeming now. boo...
174. Who is your favorite road trip bud?
Lester!
173. Who are you IMing right now?
Ryan was clarifying his confusion about Skype. . . a few minutes ago.
172. Who's the last myspace page you looked at?
I have not a clue. I only get on THERE about once every three months.
171. If you could have a baby at the same time as someone else, who would it be?
if I coul PICK? Kelli or Christee, or someone that is near to my age in the same city that can tolerate me, but at this rate, it's going to be Quentin's wife... hahaha.
170. What did you do yesterday?
made Christee go mall-walkin' with me, crocheted some christmas presents, watched "The Visitor" and "17 again" and got frustrated with the prophet Isaiah.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
142. Love at first sight?
yes... I love to love on people. hehe.
141. Luck?
y charms? yes. they are tasty. Luck, though, is a "no."
140. Fate?
only in plays.
139. God?
yes, and someday everyone willll...
138. Aliens?
i AM one...
137. Heaven?
yes . . .
136. Hell?
yes. :(
135. Ghosts?
sure
134. Horoscopes?
re: believe = put trust in, A = no.
133. Soul mates?
my shoes and socks usually match. Hopefully if God has a man for me, he plans on sticking around. Therefore he has to be my left foot. . .
WHICH IS BETTER:
129. Hugs or Kisses?
depends on my mood. Hugs are good for comfortation, kisses are good to share love. I love getting kisses at church (even though I'm still getting used to it! hehe)
127. Phone or Online?
in.. person. seriously, why is this not an option. boo.
126. Red Heads or Black Hair?
I um... don't get it. I like everyone that has a head, whether it is hairy or not.
125. Blondes or Brunettes?
i like both. . .
124. Hot or Cold?
i am warm-blooded, i like cold drinks, and i like hot drinks too.
123. Summer or winter?
fall! sweatshirts = amazing!
122. Sun or Rain?
lots of sun with a body of water in the distance. And then a thunderstorm.
121. Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate times infinity!!
120. Night or Morning?
morning when i feel productive, night when i am frisky.
119. Oranges or Apples?
apples with a book
118. Curly or straight hair?
mine is teh best - it can be both, depending on humidity and curling irons (as a straightener). i like people that aren't ashamed of their hair (or lack thereof)
LAST TIME I:
101. Saw someone I hadn't seen in a while?
all the time, ha.
100. Cried in front of someone:
a few weeks ago i think. i cry easier these days. meh!
99. Grew:
apparently some time in college. haha.
90. Who is the ditsiest person you know:
i don't know.
89. Who makes you laugh the most:
many people. God has blessed me with many silly friends. hehe.
87. The last movie you saw:
The Visitor *SEE IT.
82. The thing I don't understand:
calculus and women.
80. The most unsatisfactory answer I've ever received:
well i am a selfish human bean so to me, many answers are unsatisfactory, but by far the worst is "I can't..." from a student who obviously CAN. (boo)
79. The things I plan on doing this summer are:
taking classes, finding places to do practicum, hopefully driving to see some new babies slash old people (on road trips!), finding a job (because schools aren't open in the summer for subbing, usually...)
74. The thing I'm looking forward to most:
That Day.
73. The thing I'm not looking forward to doing:
grace and truth types of confrontation. The truth part is harder for me to "get out."
72. Today:
could be it!
71. This summer:
past? was GREAT. future? ihavenoidea!
70. This week:
is almost over! He is risen!
62. The person who knows the most about me:
Jesus. and then maybe my Christee and Kelli. or Tracie...
61. The person who can read me the best is:
Mel is a reader. boo!
60. The most difficult thing to do is:
let guys lead in friendships, especially when they are still learning (as am i). meh!
54. First time you had a crush:
like 5th grade. grrr.
52. Last time someone said what you were thinking:
Connie before Bible study when we were chillaxin. haha.
51. What is your dream job:
teeeechur n mummy
49. First job:
babysitting, delivering the Advance. Then Red Hot inn (meh!)
46. I hope:
on occasion, to be married some day with a dozen wee things
45. The best smell in the world is:
men's cologne when a man walks by (haha). Or turkey.
44. The person that makes me cry the most:
God
35. Florida or Hawaii:
Mexico?
33. My favorite piece of clothing:
jeans!! (boo teachers having to look "professional!" )
32. My favorite sport is:
to watch - basketball. to play - carpetball. haha.
30. My friends are:
also family. :)
29. My computer:
gets dusty.
28. The school I go to:
right now is "Grand canyon university" - back then, was MSU..
22. The all-time best movie is:
Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version that is 6 hours longish)
21. The all-time best thing in the world is:
the incarnation of Christ.
20. Last thing you ate:
maybe some moon toast.
19. The most annoying thing ever is:
the sound of chewing ...
18. The most annoying person you know is:
that one person. haha. i don't know.
17. I lose all respect for people who:
give up too soon.
16. The movies I have cried at are:
Life is Beautiful, Up, The Notebook, The Passion of the Christ, Flicka. haha. I don't usually cry at movies.
15. Last phone call:
me mum
14. TV shows you watch:
on tv? nothing. on my computer because we have no channels on our tv? Teh Office, Parks and Rec, Grey's Anatomy, 30 Rock. . .
13. Last friend you hung out with:
Christee Marlene Vosburg
12. I want to be:
a mom! haha. or... able to understand Isaiah.
11. The worst pain I ever felt:
maybe when my wisdom teeth were out, but that was actually kind of fun.
9. My room is:
kinda grungy looking. the paint color is.. very Joey.
8. My favorite celebrity is:
I like Brian Regan and Adrian Brody and Mr. Bean. haha.
7. My top person on MySpace:
i don't know. i don't go!
6. My favorite color is:
green lately, and Blue (and navy blue more lately).
5. My weakness is:
thinking
3. Who broke your heart:
me; also, a few people that want nothing to do with Jesus.
2. Things that make you feel great are:
me mum and little brothers! music! revelation! crochet! learning languages! socks! hoodies! the smell of fire! caffeine!
1. If I could do one thing to change the world, it would be...
Crochet on trees. and signposts. haha... or be more genuine about who He is.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Isaiah is annoying me at the present. . .
Monday, October 19, 2009
eharmony
The students are sitting at their desks, working on copying a Hallowe'en Poem onto a piece of paper. Sam finishes early, and starts pestering other students. I walk over to see if I can find something for you to do.
me: yup (if one can count a junior high romance...)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
He DELIGHTED in me.
Monday, October 12, 2009
walking (on the path of) the gospel
Getting into God’s Stride: from My Utmost (October 12th) for His Highest, Updated Edition
“Enoch walked with God …” (Genesis 5:24).
The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight (see John 1:35–37 and 3:30). It is painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him—it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God, there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride, but once we have done so, the only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself. The individual person is merged into a personal oneness with God, and God’s stride and His power alone are exhibited.
It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways. It was said of Jesus—“He will not fail nor be discouraged …” (Isaiah 42:4) because He never worked from His own individual standpoint, but always worked from the standpoint of His Father. And we must learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now—get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose."
Of course, as a human, we tend to forget. . .
But God knew this, and gave us some neat verses to remind us: Among which is my favorite (though convicting) passagette in Hebrews:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven. 3Think about all he endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you don’t become weary and give up. 4After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
5And have you entirely forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his children? He said,
“My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you,
and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you.
6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes those he accepts as his children.”
7As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? 8If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children after all. 9Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever?
10For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness. 11No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
12So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. 13Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong. - Hebrews 12:1-12 New Living Translation (I know, new wording! But sometimes it's good to see/hear/read the Old Words in a new voice....
In other words, tonight was good. Very good. A smaller group of people gathered at Rob and Connie's for the Therefore Bible Study, and overall it was very encouraging. The topic? Circumcision and confusing people, to start. Wherever His chosen gather, though, there is just ... something. What a gift, this fellowship: true fellowship is only able to happen when two or more people let God "in" on their conversation (in the Olde English "conversation" = way of life; and in the modern-day useage of "conversation" = discussion, talkin, et cetera.)
And the last little bit - though not so Little - of Galatians 2 is a great reminder that it's not Us who has to worry, who has to be good all the time, who has to do the Living.
If one can say, "I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. . . I am crucified with Christ,
Nevertheless I live (apparently a kindergärtner can spell this word because it is a compound word made from (at least) three (3) words!) ... it is Christ who lives in me, then
yet not I, BUT Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh i live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, & gave Himself for me...
And we worry. ...
God forbid that we should so easily cast Him aside from our meditations and ponderings.
Make our hearts clean, Abba, so we can carry Your Word in our souls more effectively.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
*Meditate on what Jesus says, everything that Jesus says...
Selection from page 77, authored by Edmund P. Clowney, in the section entitled "The Unchanging Christ"
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
my answer
"i will say this: the Gospel may be simple in that it is possible for one to give a slight definition in X number of words, and therefore easy to "remember" but outside of word count, it is (un)fathomably ridiculously mysteriously whoa."
The above won me the "I'm learning to use logic better award" from Mr. Derek Anderson (ha ha ha ha), who unwittingly provoked me to think for myself and was patient enough with me as I grappled with attempting to understand his logic regarding the Gospel.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
How do you memorize very long lists?
This is basically something you will remember the rest of your life, whether you want to or not: "IP-MAT" (the five phases of mitosis: interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telephase).
Example? "This is the song that never ends..."
Repetition is the key to learning, however, this wouldn't work while driving (for most people). . . ;)
Just go gansta for a few minutes and come up with a slammin' rhythm. It helps to have a younger sibling interested in percussion... *him, her, he, or she...
6. Group according to various parts / factors. Then, memorize the groups.
You can group depending on punctuation, (commas, semi-colons) or possibly on opposites / related words.
So, my question is to you, how would you group / list the following List of Grossness, as it shall be referred to from here outward? Would you use one of the above methods, or do you have something that's "tried and true?" I'm
*from Romans Chapter 1, KJV. . .