tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21435285365385199812011-09-22T11:36:57.631-04:00guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.comBlogger1581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-4271972007649746472010-12-25T21:01:00.002-05:002010-12-25T21:04:09.340-05:00hope you have enjoyed the advent blog as much as me...<br /><br />MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!<br /><br />nancy is riding with me to ft pierce in the a.m.<br /><br />i am preaching a new year's message entitled LETTING GO...<br /><br />then, off to PA...up I-95 [hopefully NO blizzard]...<br /><br />we are looking forward to seeing our northern family...<br /><br />HAPPY 2011...<br /><br />blessings!!!<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-427197200764974647?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-86539387401136411562010-12-25T18:58:00.002-05:002010-12-25T21:01:05.872-05:00christmas eve...<br /><br />i was to be off from work...<br /><br />running some errands...<br /><br />buying some gifts...<br /><br />chilling...<br /><br />but, a request from a patient...<br /><br />"is there any was we could renew our wedding vows on friday???"<br /><br />"could you please do it???"<br /><br />i called and asked nancy's permission for a couple of hours to "work" [yes, i am getting smarter as i age!!!]...<br /><br />we met at 3 pm at the chapel at the melech hospice house...<br /><br />everything went beautifully...<br /><br />we ended with a sweet time of communion...<br /><br />sealing the deal -- once again..."<br /><br />the primary caregiver [the patient's wife] was thrilled...<br /><br />"this was the most beautiful thing ever...it touched me so deeply...i don't know how much longer we have, but this will make the end of our journey even more special..."<br /><br />it was worth it...<br /><br />another KAIROS moment...<br /><br />have a blessed christmas eve...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-8653938740113641156?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-33321047622425599872010-12-23T20:01:00.002-05:002010-12-23T20:12:05.565-05:00from Fr Richard Rohr...<br /><br />"When the Scriptures are used maturely, and they become a precursor to meeting the Christ, they proceed in this order:<br /><br />They CONFRONT us with a bigger picture than we are used to, 'God’s kingdom' that has the potential to 'deconstruct' our false worldviews.<br /><br />They then have the power to CONVERT us to an alternative worldview by proclamation, grace and the sheer attraction of the good, the true and the beautiful [not by shame, guilt or fear which are low-level motivations].<br /><br />They then CONSOLE us and bring deep healing as they 'reconstruct' us in a new place with a new mind and heart."<br /> <br />[adapted from Preparing for Christmas with Richard Rohr...]<br /><br />Christmas Eve is almost upon us...<br /><br />Blessings!<br /><br />Guy<br /><br />We are going to the contemporary Christmas Eve Service [CONNECTION] at Palm Ceia Presbyterian Church...can't wait!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-3332104762242559987?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-86935381949338233222010-12-23T19:58:00.002-05:002010-12-23T20:01:48.808-05:00greetings...<br /><br />check out this short message from Henri Nouwen as he reminds us about the importance of "Active Waiting" especially during Advent...<br /><br />"Waiting is essential to the spiritual life. <br /><br />But waiting as a disciple of Jesus is not an empty waiting. <br /><br />It is a waiting with a promise in our hearts that makes already present what we are waiting for. <br /><br />We wait during Advent for the birth of Jesus. <br /><br />We wait after Easter for the coming of the Spirit, and after the ascension of Jesus we wait for his coming again in glory. <br /><br />We are always waiting, but it is a waiting in the conviction that we have already seen God's footsteps.<br /><br />Waiting for God is an active, alert - yes, joyful - waiting. <br /><br />As we wait we remember him for whom we are waiting, and as we remember him we create a community ready to welcome him when he comes." <br /><br />from Bread for the Journey...<br /><br />blessings...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-8693538194933823322?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-71377676748006668392010-12-21T20:32:00.002-05:002010-12-21T21:41:36.278-05:00greetings!<br /><br />jeep and i only did 4 miles today...<br /><br />the good news -- i hit 260 this a.m.<br /><br />down 55 pounds...<br /><br />60 more to lose...<br /><br />PTL!!!<br /><br />some have asked me what i have been doing...<br /><br />i began by reading three books by Dr Dean Ornish the renowned cardiologist who specializes in reversing heart disease through lifestyle [and the Rice Diet and the Duke Diet]...<br /><br />from these resources, i established the following...<br /><br />1. reduce my fat intake to less than 10-20 grams per day [this means no meat, no fried foods, no grease, etc]<br /><br />2. reduce my salt intake to 500-1000 mgs per day...<br /><br />3. reduce my sugar intake severely [drink water]...<br /><br />4. exercise at least 1 hour per day [walking]...<br /><br />5. the last component which i will add in january is basic strength training with a bowflex to build / tone muscle...<br /><br />6. pray for God's strength when I crave BBQ and want to binge...<br /><br />7. be very intentional and journal EVERYTHING i eat...<br /><br />i have been FAITHFUL not to cheat and it has worked...<br /><br />blessings!!!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />i pray for your success as well...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7137767674800666839?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-73273817849720125412010-12-20T21:51:00.002-05:002010-12-20T22:26:31.443-05:00ms sadie lives in the 'hood...<br /><br />deep in the hood...<br /><br />the kind of place that looks better in the dark but you can only go there in the broad daylight [safely]...<br /><br />her family is poor...really poor...like generationally impoverished...<br /><br />their living quarters double as a family-run childcare center...<br /><br />most of the time little kids are running all around...with energy...with joy...<br /><br />ms sadie is old...really old...and her room is right there in the action of it all...<br /><br />her ebony skin is weathered...stretched tight...<br /><br />she only has a couple of teeth left...way in the back...<br /><br />she is mostly skin and bones...emaciated...<br /><br />she had a stroke a few years ago and has been declining ever since...<br /><br />she babbles...but, it is nonsensical...<br /><br />she smiles...it is beautiful, but mostly vacant...<br /><br />she is bed-bound...she is at home but nobody is really "home"...<br /><br />as of late, her slow decline has turned into a plunge...<br /><br />she is speeding downward fast...<br /><br />she is "actively dying" in hospice-speech...<br /><br />the water is swirling in the drain...just about to disappear...<br /><br />sadie's daughter is one of life's real angels...she is so faithful...<br /><br />her care for her mom is impeccable...<br /><br />"i wish i could do more for mama..."<br /><br />"it ain't hard to care for her...what will i ever do without her???"<br /><br />she is holding on...tightly...with a death grip...<br /><br />but, ms sadie is struggling to die...<br /><br />the end is near...<br /><br />better call the hospice chaplain...<br /><br />so, last week the daughter shows me in...takes me through the kids to sadie's room...<br /><br />i just sat there...<br /><br />read scripture...<br /><br />prayed...<br /><br />sang hymns [very quietly -- ha! ha!]...<br /><br />i lingered...no hurry...<br /><br />listening...<br /><br />i heard God speak as clearly as i ever had...<br /><br />"it is her time..."<br /><br />"i am about to take her home..."<br /><br />"my arms are open..."<br /><br />"it is time to let her go..."<br /><br />"i think you should talk to her daughter..."<br /><br />really God???<br /><br />why me???<br /><br />"just do it guy..."<br /><br />so. i did it...<br /><br />a long heart to heart with a clinging daughter...<br /><br />i waxed eloquent...<br /><br />quoted henri: "the greatest gift a family can give their loved one at the end is to release them...let them go...bless them to go home to God..."<br /><br />i wasn't sure i got through...<br /><br />i gave it my best shot...<br /><br />we prayed...<br /><br />i left...<br /><br />then, the daughter left and went to the florist...<br /><br />she bought a bouquet of live flowers...<br /><br />spring-time looking flowers...<br /><br />living, colorful flowers...<br /><br />easter flowers maybe???<br /><br />a veiled expression of her hope of the coming resurrection???<br /><br />she brought the living bouquet home...laid it on her mama's chest...wrapped her limp hands around it...<br /><br />and had a talk with mama...<br /><br />"i love you, and i want you here with me...forever..."<br /><br />"but, the preacher says God is ready for you..."<br /><br />"i thinks so too..."<br /><br />"so, i bless you...go on home...i release you to Jesus..."<br /><br />"goodbye..."<br /><br />she walked out of the room...<br /><br />within moments, i get a call...<br /><br />"sadie is dead...the family is asking for you..."<br /><br />the power of release...<br /><br />the power of letting go...<br /><br />the beauty of loving God with an open hand...NOT a clenched fist...<br /><br />what do we need to let go???<br /><br />have a good evening...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />isn't it amazing that God shares his sovereign decisions with us???<br /><br />it is his call...he makes the final decision...he is in control...<br /><br />but he gave sadie's daughter a chance to participate...to work through it...surrender...<br /><br />she opened her hand...God welcomed sadie into his open arms...<br /><br />what an awesome God!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7327381784972012541?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-31340363672661173842010-12-19T09:14:00.001-05:002010-12-19T20:48:24.041-05:00Greetings...<br /><br />A great Advent Sunday...<br /><br />Spent some time in Plant City on the farm [along with Jeep]...<br /><br />We cut some firewood in the cold drizzle...<br /><br />So glad now...we have an awesome fire in the fireplace...<br /><br />I LOVE IT!!!<br /><br />Check this out...<br /><br />From SABBATICAL JOURNEY by Henri Nouwen...<br /><br />"I think that we have hardly thought through the immense implications of the mystery of the incarnation. Where is God? God is where we are weak, vulnerable, small and dependent. God is where the poor are, the hungry, the handicapped, the mentally ill, the elderly, the powerless. How can we come to know God when our focus is elsewhere, on success, influence, and power? I increasingly believe that our faithfulness will depend on our willingness to go where there is brokenness, loneliness, and human need.<br /><br />If the church has a future it is a future with the poor in whatever form. Each one of us is seriously searching to live and grow in this belief, and by friendship we can support each other. I realize that the only way for us to stay well in the midst of the many 'worlds' is to stay close to the small, vulnerable child that lives in our hearts and in every other human being. Often we do not know that the Christ child is within us. When we discover him we can truly rejoice."<br /><br />AMEN!!!<br /><br />Guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-3134036367266117384?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-60135410833539085852010-12-18T20:45:00.002-05:002010-12-18T21:02:12.785-05:00check out this new song...<br /><br />i heard it last week when i was down south on way FM...<br /><br /><br />"Blink" by REVIVE...<br /><br /> <br />"Teach me to number my days<br /><br />And count every moment<br /><br />Before it slips away<br /><br />Take in all the colors<br /><br />Before they fade to grey<br /><br />I don't want to miss<br /><br />Even just a second<br /><br />More of this<br /><br />It happens in a blink it happens in a flash <br /><br />It happens in the time it took to look back <br /><br />I try to hold on tight but there's no stopping time <br /><br />What is it i've done with my life? <br /><br /> <br />It happens in a blink <br /><br />It happens in a blink <br /><br /> <br />When it's all said and done <br /><br />No one remembers <br /><br />How far we have run <br /><br />The only thing that matters <br /><br />Is how we have loved <br /><br />I don't want to miss <br /><br />Even just a second <br /><br />More of this <br /><br />It happens in a blink it happens in a flash <br /><br />It happens in the time it took to look back <br /><br />I try to hold on tight but there's no stopping time <br /><br />What is it i've done with my life? <br /><br /> <br />It happens in a blink <br /><br />It happens in a blink <br /><br />It happens in a blink <br /><br />It happens in a blink <br /><br /> <br />Slow down <br /><br />Slow down <br /><br />Before today becomes <br /><br />Our yesterday <br /> <br /><br />Slow down <br /><br />Slow down <br /><br />Before today becomes <br /><br />Our yesterday <br /> <br /><br />It happens in a blink it happens in a flash <br /><br />It happens in the time it took to look back <br /><br />I try to hold on tight but there's no stopping time <br /><br />What is it i've done with my life? <br /> <br /><br />It happens in a blink it happens in a flash <br /><br />It happens in the time it took to look back <br /><br />I try to hold on tight but there's no stopping time <br /><br />What is it i've done with my life? <br /> <br /><br />It happens in a blink <br /><br />It happens in a blink <br /><br />It happens in a blink <br /><br />It happens in a blink"<br /><br />awesome!!!<br /><br />merry Christmas...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />still on call tonight until 8 am...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-6013541083353908585?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-31178644311186366622010-12-17T22:16:00.002-05:002010-12-17T22:32:00.336-05:00jeep and i just finished 5 miles...<br /><br />a very long friday...<br /><br />and, i am on 24 hour on call tomorrow...<br /><br />bummer!<br /><br />but, the good news...<br /><br />weighed 262 this morning...<br /><br />down 53 pounds...<br /><br />PTL!!!<br /><br />only 62 more to go...<br /><br />i have a story i want to tell about death and "letting go"...<br /><br />the spiritual and inspiring story of ms margaret from this past week...<br /><br />maybe tomorrow...<br /><br />i am "done" tonight...<br /><br />blessings!<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-3117864431118636662?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-44042970463664902992010-12-16T22:12:00.002-05:002010-12-16T22:19:46.973-05:00Greetings...<br /><br />Hope to be back on track tomorrow...<br /><br />Life has been too busy -- I am too tired...<br /><br />I am calling Jeep and we are headed to bed...<br /><br />Tomorrow...<br /><br />Love ya all!!!<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4404297046366490299?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-13131479772374941872010-12-16T22:07:00.002-05:002010-12-16T22:12:30.816-05:00More thought-provoking words from Henri Nouwen...<br /><br />"Is everybody finally going to be all right? Are all people ultimately going to be free from misery and all their needs fulfilled? Yes and no! Yes, because God wants to bring us home into God's Kingdom. No, because nothing happens without our choosing it. The realisation of the Kingdom of God is God's work, but for God to make God's love fully visible in us, we must respond to God's love with our love.<br /><br />There are two kinds of death: a death leading us into God's Kingdom, and a death leading us into hell. John in his vision saw not only heaven, but also hell. He says: 'The legacy for cowards, for those who break their word, or worship obscenities, for murderers and the sexually immoral, and for sorcerers, worshippers of false gods or any other sort of liars, is the second death in the burning lake of sulphur' (Revelation 21:8). We must choose for God if we want to be with God."<br /><br />I choose abba!!!<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-1313147977237494187?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-21649889284007637042010-12-16T22:04:00.002-05:002010-12-16T22:06:39.482-05:00Good News from Henri Nouwen...<br /><br />"Often hell is portrayed as a place of punishment and heaven as a place of reward. But this concept easily leads us to think about God as either a policeman, who tries to catch us when we make a mistake and send us to prison when our mistakes become too big, or a Santa Claus, who counts up all our good deeds and puts a reward in our stocking at the end of the year.<br /><br />God, however, is neither a policeman nor a Santa Claus. God does not send us to heaven or hell depending on how often we obey or disobey. God is love and only love. In God there is no hatred, desire for revenge, or pleasure in seeing us punished. God wants to forgive, heal, restore, show us endless mercy, and see us come home. But just as the father of the prodigal son let his son make his own decision God gives us the freedom to move away from God's love even at the risk of destroying ourselves. Hell is not God's choice. It is ours."<br /><br />Blessings!!!<br /><br />Guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2164988928400763704?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-13722678484093398072010-12-13T20:55:00.003-05:002010-12-13T20:59:09.704-05:00a BIG THANKS to glenn davis for this henri nouwen quote...<br /><br />i believe the last sentence kinda summarizes my current life philosophy...<br /><br />"more and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. <br /><br />it is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. <br /><br />still, it is not as simple as it seems.<br /><br />my own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. <br /><br />it is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. <br /><br />but I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them..."<br /><br />WOW!!!<br /><br />let's live this one...<br /><br />blessings!!!<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-1372267848409339807?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-17059302557976035902010-12-12T17:57:00.002-05:002010-12-12T18:07:55.641-05:00greetings!<br /><br />back home from ft pierce...<br /><br />drove across the state and met the cold front...the winds were violent...<br /><br />great to see jeep and the fam...<br /><br />james is home from lee u for the holy days...<br /><br />i had such a blast at trinity...i love those folks...<br /><br />and, was privileged to have breakfast with mark and brian summerall...<br /><br />even better, they hung around for church...<br /><br />a closing thought from yesterday...on fruitfulness...<br /><br />fruitfulness is at least two-fold...<br /><br />it is about fruit in mission...<br /><br />it is so critical to bear fruit that will last...<br /><br />i want 2011 to be my most fruitful year yet relating to ministry...<br /><br />but, it is also about character...<br /><br />the fruit of the holy spirit being continually birthed in our lives...<br /><br />so we become more and more like jesus...<br /><br />this is top shelf for 2011 -- surrendering even more to the spirit so the life and character of christ become manifestly evident in my life...<br /><br />i am so excited...<br /><br />filled with anticipation...<br /><br />and hope...<br /><br />looking forward to fruitfulness in 2011!!!<br /><br />have a great week!!!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />tomorrow a.m. is weigh-in -- please pray i will hit my goal of 265 -- that would mean 50 pounds down -- only 65 to go...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-1705930255797603590?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-13840795502063758002010-12-11T20:42:00.002-05:002010-12-11T21:12:28.735-05:00good evening...<br /><br />i am at the sleep inn, ft pierce...<br /><br />great lunch with bill hobbs at waterway cafe...<br /><br />great supper with glenn davis at pf chang's...<br /><br />buddha's stir-fried vegetable feast with tofu was heavenly!!!<br /><br />time for a blog and then finish a sermon [along with a trip to the hotel treadmill]...<br /><br />blog thought first...<br /><br />jeep can tell time...<br /><br />he has an uncanny ability to KNOW when it is time for me to come home from work...<br /><br />but, although he can tell time...<br /><br />he cannot yet understand explanations as to why i sometimes run late...<br /><br />so, at the right time [when i should be home]...<br /><br />he stands at the door...<br /><br />staring out...<br /><br />waiting...<br /><br />and waiting...<br /><br />and sometimes waiting longer...<br /><br />but then comes that moment...<br /><br />the one he has been waiting for...<br /><br />i pull up, get out, activate my car alarm...<br /><br />and it beeps...<br /><br />HE GOES WILD!!!<br /><br />his waiting has paid off...<br /><br />what he has anticipated is almost reality...<br /><br />his hope for my homecoming is fulfilled...almost...<br /><br />as i climb up the front steps, i watch my buddy...<br /><br />his whole body is doing the wave...<br /><br />from nose to tail...<br /><br />his little nub of a tail is moving at hundreds of miles per hour...<br /><br />he is prancing around as if the floor is just too hot for him to stand on...<br /><br />what a welcome...<br /><br />eager anticipation...<br /><br />unbridled excitement...<br /><br />living hope...<br /><br />advent is about this kind of moment!!!<br /><br />anticipating the fresh coming again of the Christ child in our lives this Christmas...<br /><br />excitement about Abba's greatest gift to humanity -- his unique son Jesus...<br /><br />hope that the truth of Christmas makes ANYthing and EVERYthing else in this challenging [and sometimes crappy] world OK...<br /><br />no, better than OK...<br /><br />the hope of Jesus is MORE than enough for us to live, to die and then to live forever...<br /><br />there is this same kairos moment latent within this parable...<br /><br />as we look toward a new year...<br /><br />2011...<br /><br />there is the possibility that the soil of our heart will be healed...<br /><br />hard hearts can be softened...<br /><br />shallow hearts can be deepened...<br /><br />crowded hearts can be focused...<br /><br />when GOD performs this miracle...<br /><br />when HE heals our heart...<br /><br />the fertile soil cries out...<br /><br />with anticipation...<br /><br />with excitement...<br /><br />with hope...<br /><br />for FRUITFULNESS!!!<br /><br />not just for addition...<br /><br />but multiplication...<br /><br />100 fold increase...<br /><br />the release of the good news through our lives to the world is viral...<br /><br />it spreads like an epidemic...<br /><br />an epidemic of hope...<br /><br />what about me...and you???<br /><br />what fruit are we anticipating in our lives in 2011???<br /><br />what fruitfulness are we excited about in 2011???<br /><br />what hope sustains us as the new year soon dawns???<br /><br />anticipation...<br /><br />excitement...<br /><br />hope...<br /><br />for fruitfulness...<br /><br />sweet dreams...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />i can't wait to see jeep tomorrow afternoon when i get home!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-1384079550206375800?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-22792877441968199522010-12-10T22:42:00.002-05:002010-12-10T23:02:17.845-05:00good evening...<br /><br />i am headed to south FL early in the a.m.<br /><br />visiting close friends on sat...<br /><br />preaching in ft pierce on sunday...<br /><br />i promise to get back on track tomorrow...<br /><br />love you all!!!<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2279287744196819952?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-28727674842198577902010-12-10T22:41:00.000-05:002010-12-10T22:42:31.644-05:00oops...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2872767484219857790?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-44709799212735602612010-12-08T19:47:00.002-05:002010-12-08T21:02:35.666-05:00greetings!!!<br /><br />number 1...i got a text from one of my most brilliant and creative friends today...<br /><br />i love him...all of him, but especially his mind...<br /><br />what a blessing he is...<br /><br />i will quote his brilliance...<br /><br />"i thought a lot about the hard heart and the ideas of watering the soil...<br /><br />the image of a water balloon expanding as it fills up, from a hard raisin heart to a juicy grape heart...<br /><br />i am praying for that kind of refreshing expansion to the hard areas of my heart..."<br /><br />i join him in this prayer...<br /><br />what an image!!!<br /><br />wish my old brain worked like this!!!<br /><br />i am so proud of you JS...<br /><br />i am thankful god has allowed me to sow seed into your life...<br /><br />so glad we are sharing the journey together...<br /><br />number two...i have been thinking of valuing the simple...<br /><br />over the complex...<br /><br />over the crowded...<br /><br />over the competitive...<br /><br />soren kierkegaard once said that "purity of heart is to will one thing..."<br /><br />ben haden said "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing..."<br /><br />the main thing is jesus...<br /><br />loving him...<br /><br />receiving his love...<br /><br />loving others who love him...<br /><br />and loving those who are yet to love him...<br /><br />the main thing is NOT...<br /><br />religious skubala...<br /><br />prominence, prestige and popularity...<br /><br />gorging the false self...<br /><br />glittering toys and stuff...<br /><br />pleasure as our god...lust as our idol...<br /><br />the weapon we need is simplicity...<br /><br />not the easiest option in today's cultural press...<br /><br />we will have to be a riptide...<br /><br />going against the flow of our prevailing culture...<br /><br />number three...i love my patient mr w...<br /><br />i have been given the privilege to serve him in jesus name for over 2 years...<br /><br />blessed to meet his most basic needs...<br /><br />food...<br /><br />clothes...<br /><br />blankets...<br /><br />tv...<br /><br />companionship...<br /><br />a couple of weeks ago, i saw his right foot for the first time in two years...<br /><br />gross out...<br /><br />his sock had not been off for well over two years...<br /><br />we have no clue when he had his last bath...<br /><br />not lately...for sure...<br /><br />when i came by a couple of fridays back, he was pulling dead skin off his foot -- there was a whole big pile of yucky skin stacked on his floor...<br /><br />i was worried...his foot looked hideous...<br /><br />i contacted the nurse...<br /><br />she went by, with a tech, to check out his right foot -- and maybe even his left one...<br /><br />they had to cut the sock off his left foot...<br /><br />a layer or two of skin came off with the socks as they peeled them off...<br /><br />his feet were cracked and infected...<br /><br />he needed antibiotics...<br /><br />he needed care...TLC...he needed cleansing...<br /><br />he needs ongoing soaks for a couple of weeks [which he will get]...<br /><br />he needed new socks [which he already has]...<br /><br />he needs LOVE...<br /><br />i am so happy for the way my hospice team lavished love on mr w...<br /><br />BUT, my hope is still very future-oriented...<br /><br />mr w is a child of abba -- he is royalty...<br /><br />he doesn't look it...<br /><br />or smell it...<br /><br />his hideous flat in the hood does not look it...<br /><br />BUT, the kingdom will come for mr w...<br /><br />he is one of the least of these that jesus will present with honor to abba...<br /><br />one day, he will live like the royal heir that he truly is...<br /><br />and, so will we...<br /><br />i can't wait!!!<br /><br />it really is pretty "simple", isn't it???<br /><br />later...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4470979921273560261?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-50946663312272800512010-12-07T20:19:00.002-05:002010-12-07T21:06:14.381-05:00greetings!!!<br /><br />back to our soil discussion...<br /><br />maybe i have been hesitating on this one because it is MY challenge...<br /><br />oh well, here goes...<br /><br />"other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants..."<br /><br />"the seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature..."<br /><br />there are times the seed of intimacy with jesus takes deep root in my life...<br /><br />intimacy is the focus of my existence...<br /><br />it is THE thing...<br /><br />consuming...<br /><br />captivating...<br /><br />sweet...<br /><br />MORE than enough...<br /><br />BUT, there are other times when Jesus has to compete...<br /><br />my heart is CROWDED...<br /><br />the competition within is fierce...<br /><br />worries, anxieties and panic...<br /><br />riches, toys and materialism...<br /><br />pleasures, whims and off-limit pursuits...<br /><br />there is a price to pay for a crowded heart...<br /><br />the cost is devastating...<br /><br />we keep on living, but we do NOT fully grow up...<br /><br />maturity eludes us...<br /><br />little or no fruit...<br /><br />certainly no fruit that lasts...<br /><br />we are tired...<br /><br />spiritually exhausted...<br /><br />the battle within rages incessantly...<br /><br />just going through the motions...<br /><br />the competition for our passion and focus never quits...<br /><br />fatigue crowds out fruitfulness...<br /><br />the crowded heart...<br /><br />is there hope for the confused and scattered soil???<br /><br />how do we zero in on our first love once again...<br /><br />a great question for tomorrow...<br /><br />blessings...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />stay warm tonight!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5094666331227280051?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-81048610272228772382010-12-06T21:42:00.002-05:002010-12-06T21:49:33.396-05:00it is SO COLD...<br /><br />it is SO COLD my fingers are not working...<br /><br />it is SO COLD i just want to go hide under the covers til morning...<br /><br />with jeep!!!<br /><br />i am going to hide under the covers and celebrate advent by looking for jesus in my dreams...<br /><br />NO -- i am not wimping out -- i am serious...<br /><br />have a great night...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />stay warm...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-8104861027222877238?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-49145170932416984952010-12-05T21:50:00.002-05:002010-12-05T21:53:56.562-05:00good evening!<br /><br />the THIRD DAY concert was awesome tonight...<br /><br />to quote Mac Powell of third day: "this ain't a show, this is a church service..."<br /><br />better than most any church service i have ever been in...<br /><br />jeep and i are turning in...<br /><br />good night...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4914517093241698495?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-43498793470729110032010-12-05T00:28:00.002-05:002010-12-05T00:43:05.270-05:00i am so tired...<br /><br />josh, jeep and i went to the farm in plant city today -- to visit my parents...<br /><br />and to cut some firewood...<br /><br />for us...<br /><br />and for my parents...<br /><br />i brought back a whole truck load...<br /><br />jeep didn't work much BUT he did have a blast...<br /><br />wish you could have seen him playing with the cows -- so funny!!!<br /><br />now, a thought before snoozing...<br /><br />for advent, in addition to reading the bible, i am also reading a new author -- howard thurman...<br /><br />mr thurman was the spiritual mentor to dr martin luther king...<br /><br />i am reading a collection of his devotional thoughts entitled "40-day journey"...<br /><br />i love this pericope...<br /><br />"god is here...god is in this place...and, we can find him in the simple experiences of daily living, in the normal ebb and flow of life as we live it..."<br /><br />let's not miss him in the "simple" places of our existence...<br /><br />have a great sunday tomorrow -- the second sunday of advent 2010...<br /><br />i am looking forward to the tampa underground...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />how is your reflection going on the soil types of our hearts???<br /><br />this next one -- the CROWDED heart is really speaking to me...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4349879347072911003?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-68024910076292421152010-12-03T20:25:00.002-05:002010-12-03T22:58:12.115-05:00thank god it is friday!!!<br /><br />it is about 10 p.m. -- pretty cool, but not as cold as last night...<br /><br />jeep and i just finished our daily 3 miles...<br /><br />maybe we will celebrate the weekend by doing 4 or 5 miles on saturday and sunday...<br /><br />i am at a BARRIER of 270 pounds [down from 315 since september] -- i must do something to break through -- my goal is 269 by monday a.m.<br /><br />that will leave me ONLY 69 pounds to lose [to reach my goal of 200 by september 2011]...<br /><br />oh well, one day at a time sweet jesus...<br /><br />tonight, we consider the SHALLOW soil...<br /><br />"other seed fell among rocks. it began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture..."<br /><br />"the seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. but since they don't have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation..."<br /><br />what leaves us with a SHALLOW heart???<br /><br />depth of soil demands a faith of the head, the heart and the hands -- a life characterized by sharpness of intellect, the fire of spiritual experience and the commitment to serve others with god's love of another kind...<br /><br />the head alone is inauthentic...and SHALLOW...it gets lost in theory and puffed up with arrogance...<br /><br />the heart alone is inauthentic...and SHALLOW...it gets lost in bizarre behavior and can lose touch with [withdraw from] the very world the father so deeply loves...<br /><br />the hands alone are inauthentic...and SHALLLOW...they can lose sight of salvation by grace alone and lose intimacy with jesus through compulsion to "fix" everything for god... <br /><br />sometimes OUR works make it more about us than about god -- NOT!!!<br /><br />in my opinion, much of our temptation in christianity is to be extreme -- to be out of balance in the areas we most gravitate towards -- we seldom commit fully to all 3 Hs...<br /><br />our thing is usually seen as THE thing...<br /><br />we are taught this [unfortunately] by our faith traditions from our very earliest ages because they often believe and teach that THEIR deal is really the ONLY deal...<br /><br />maybe it would be better for all of us to love each other [and our heritages] and LEARN from each other...<br /><br />we could learn so much from the catholics -- especially the franciscans -- about service...<br /><br />we could learn so much from presbyterians and baptists about valuing theology and studying the word...<br /><br />we could learn so much from pentecostals and charismatics about worship and hearts set aflame with intimate love for god...<br /><br />maybe we should embrace the creative tension [i hate the word balance] between head, heart and hands -- pursuing each rather than just our "pet" that strokes our comfort zone...<br /><br />the only thing we should be totally radical about is loving god [as father, jesus and spirit] with all our heads, hearts and hands... and loving those who already know jesus and loving those who are yet to love jesus...<br /><br />we are recognized by our LOVE!!!<br /><br />time to leave the SHALLOW behind -- the call is to depth...<br /><br />soil [and hearts] that have the fullness to GO THE DISTANCE...<br /><br />i am in -- fully in...<br /><br />will you join me in this journey to wholeness, fullness and depth [substance]???<br /><br />have a great weekend...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />anyone else headed to the Third Day concert at the Sun Dome on sunday p.m.???<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-6802491007629242115?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-19222644822565187002010-12-02T21:03:00.002-05:002010-12-02T21:47:37.825-05:00it is cold tonight...<br /><br />jeep and i just finished 3 miles...i was shivering...he was full of spunk...<br /><br />what did YOU come up with re: a fix for the HARD soil???<br /><br />let me know -- OK???<br /><br />i would love to hear from YOU!!!<br /><br />i have three suggestions, but first, a reality check...<br /><br />i cannot "fix" my hard heart -- that is a God thing...<br /><br />a work of the Spirit...<br /><br />i must cooperate, BUT i canNOT make it happen...<br /><br />it is God who "fixes" my sin and brokenness...<br /><br />first suggestion -- sometimes, with tough love, God must break up / crush / pulverize the hardened soil of our heart...<br /><br />he uses a wide variety of plows -- each tailored to our personal need[s]...<br /><br />suffering...<br /><br />sickness...<br /><br />brokenness...<br /><br />the honest confrontation that comes through authentic friendship within biblical community -- we need a few people who really do love us enough to tell us the WHOLE truth [with committed love]...<br /><br />disappointment...<br /><br />our own personal "gethsemane" -- our "place of crushing"...<br /><br />remember -- God always acts in LOVE, even when our searing pain seems overwhelming...<br /><br />his work is always redemptive, never destructive!!!<br /><br />my prayer is that at the end of our "gethsemane", we will join Jesus in his prayer, "not my will but yours be done..."<br /><br />suggestion two -- sometimes it is "watering" that softens the HARD soil...<br /><br />maybe through cleansing tears...<br /><br />maybe through the river of the Spirit...<br /><br />maybe through the refreshing waters from Jesus...<br /><br />we must have the former and latter rains...<br /><br />moisture works wonders in our dry and hardened heart...<br /><br />finally, HARD soil needs enrichment -- fertilizer -- nutrients...<br /><br />from worship music...<br /><br />from the word...<br /><br />from intimate talks with Jesus...<br /><br />from meditation and reflection...<br /><br />from deep sharing with godly friends...<br /><br />spicing up our hardened heart...<br /><br />a final word for the evening...<br /><br />SURRENDER!!!<br /><br />in the end, it all comes down to surrender...<br /><br />opening our clenched fist and fully releasing our life to God...<br /><br />totally...<br /><br />completely...<br /><br />fully...<br /><br />relinquish control...<br /><br />surrender!!!<br /><br />love ya!<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-1922264482256518700?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-42841288372882966132010-12-01T19:23:00.002-05:002010-12-01T20:11:36.725-05:00greetings...<br /><br />hope you were able to read -- and reflect on -- the parable of the soil...<br /><br />remember our guiding question for the next few days: "what does the soil of our heart look like???"<br /><br />how healthy is our internal being???<br /><br />what soil type best characterizes our spirit as we begin the advent journey???<br /><br />"some seed fell on a foodpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it..."<br /><br />jesus explained: "the seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the evil one come and steal it from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved..."<br /><br />what makes hard soil???<br /><br />what makes a hard heart???<br /><br />maybe one reason is that the footpath has so much traffic -- all the activity packs the ground tight...<br /><br />maybe our heart gets hard because we have "heard it all before" -- we have become so overexposed that the seed seems to have little power -- we are hardened and looking for something new, novel and different...<br /><br />or, maybe it is just the opposite -- the path is so hard because it is impermeable and we just don't really care about what God says...<br /><br />there is almost no traffic in the realm of the spirit...<br /><br />we have so little hunger for the voice of Jesus...<br /><br />and, the evil one is so committed to stealing the word away...<br /><br />plus, the seed is vulnerable as it lays undetected, unwanted and unprotected on the hardened ground -- so many things can come along and squash it...<br /><br />how welcoming is the soil of our heart???<br /><br />how much do we treasure the voice of Jesus???<br /><br />how receptive is the soil of our spirit???<br /><br />final thought...<br /><br />what can "fix" hard soil...the hard heart???<br /><br />would love to hear your thoughts...<br /><br />i will share mine tomorrow on day 5...<br /><br />blessings!!!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />we have a fire tonight -- what a blessing!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4284128837288296613?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-86822878998240888632010-11-30T19:33:00.002-05:002010-11-30T21:02:00.937-05:00good evening...<br /><br />i had a "divine appointment" while sitting at the king corona cigar bar in ybor city last night...<br /><br />[i was drinking UNsweet cafe con leche...NOT cheating!!!]<br /><br />i was studying some notes for a class over at the tampa underground...<br /><br />you know me -- i was pretty focused on my task -- intensely preparing...<br /><br />as i was sitting at this table adjacent to a nice man from west FL -- he started a conversation...<br /><br />i sensed god was up to something...<br /><br />there are times when the "interuptions" of life ARE the main point...<br /><br />this was one of those kairos moments -- a timely time...<br /><br />so i put my notes aside and had a delightful conversation with CS about what was going on in our hearts -- what was REALLY going on deep inside...<br /><br />some testing of our hearts...<br /><br />checking out the health of our internal "soil"...<br /><br />what's REALLY going on inside my secret place???<br /><br />this all started for me a couple of weeks back while riding the train to NJ...<br /><br />[a real blast -- i love trains!!!]<br /><br />late at night, bouncing along in the dark, i could not sleep, so i got out my bible...<br /><br />i read the parable of the sower...<br /><br />a real misnomer for me -- it is really the parable of the SOIL [not the sower]...<br /><br />jesus is always the SOWER -- the SEED is always his word and his person -- the SEED of intimacy and relationship...<br /><br />he keeps coming to us -- offering himself to us -- wanting to fully invade our innermost regions...<br /><br />never satisfied with just the religious -- or the external -- he craves spiritual intimacy -- he wants to "know" us and be "known" by us...<br /><br />the variable is the SOIL...the environment...<br /><br />four different soils...four different environments...<br /><br />the HARD soil...a HARD heart...<br /><br />the SHALLOW soil...a SHALLOW heart...<br /><br />the CROWDED soil...a CROWDED heart...<br /><br />the FRUITFUL soil...a FRUITFUL heart...<br /><br />i kept reading this parable of jesus...over and over and over...<br /><br />in matthew 13...<br /><br />in mark 4...<br /><br />in luke 8...<br /><br />i sensed god speaking a couple of things to me...<br /><br />first a question for ME -- which soil type describes MY HEART right now...<br /><br />some heart and soil testing was in store for me as advent rolled around this year...<br /><br />secondly, i was to share this thought and ask this question of MY family as they are all gathered for thanksgiving...<br /><br />as the servant leader of the family, i was to ask each of them to test their hearts -- "where are you right now???"<br /><br />but, i didn't know that there would be MORE...<br /><br />a conversation, and challenge, to CS...<br /><br />now, for you...<br /><br />will you join me in this reflection over the next few days???<br /><br />i would enjoy our journey together...<br /><br />please read the storyline from one of the gospels...<br /><br />pause and reflect...<br /><br />let's look at each of the four soil types over the next few days in our advent meditations...<br /><br />OK???<br /><br />blessings...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />YES, Jeep and i made three miles again today...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-8682287899824088863?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-75828130129562452362010-11-29T22:01:00.002-05:002010-11-29T22:11:15.174-05:00good evening...<br /><br />just finished 3 miles walking with Jeep...<br /><br />a lap before work [in the dark]...<br /><br />and two laps after work [in the dark]...<br /><br />Jeep is such a blessing -- he will NOT take NO for an answer when it comes to walking!<br /><br />i can be so lazy -- he is really helping me...<br /><br />i am so thrilled to have lost 45 pounds...<br /><br />but it frightens me to think of 70 more to go...<br /><br />guess i must just take it one day at a time...<br /><br />maybe all of life works better that way...<br /><br />let's take each day one day at a time...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />why is this so hard to do???<br /><br />maybe it is because we want to "hold on" to control...<br /><br />surrender is so hard, BUT it is the key...<br /><br />let's live with an OPEN HAND...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7582813012956245236?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-32994707013568497592010-11-28T20:33:00.002-05:002010-11-28T20:43:42.008-05:00I am so thankful for this past week...<br /><br />For Nancy...<br /><br />All three boys [and Courtney] were home for the week...<br /><br />What a blessing...<br /><br />We had such a great time together...<br /><br />Thanksgiving dinner including my parents...<br /><br />A morning fishing trip with my dad [and Matt and Josh] -- we caught 30 speckled perch...<br /><br />Enjoying Jeep [and his two cousins Mac and Ty from Miami] -- three Boxers are a handful...<br /><br />Eating well throughout the whole week...<br /><br />Exercising every day...<br /><br />Yes, I maintained my new vegetarian lifestyle [except for a trace of oysters Courtney used in making the awesome stuffing]...<br /><br />No meat since September...<br /><br />As of today -- 45 pounds lost [hopefully never to be found again]...<br /><br />One of my foci for Advent will be pursuing more weight loss -- I still have 70 pounds to go...<br /><br />PLEASE pray for me...<br /><br />More later...<br /><br />Welcome to Advent 2010...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-3299470701356849759?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-24258084603536954452010-04-02T23:49:00.002-04:002010-04-02T23:56:35.547-04:00greetings!<br /><br />this is my easter gift from jesus...<br /><br />wow...<br /><br />yes, this is true...<br /><br />it really happened TODAY...<br /><br />a moment frozen in eternity for my patient jennifer -- and for me...<br /><br />enjoy...<br /><br />please thank god along with me as well!!!<br /><br />i am sending it out to my underground family too...<br /><br />"Jennifer became a patient of hospice on 13 September 2009…<br /><br />48 years old… Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver… Acute hepatitis C…<br /><br />Terminal – less than a year to live…<br /><br />She looks very “old”…<br /><br />I guess Jennifer has “earned” her way into hospice – a lifelong drunk and drug abuser… Complete with a lifetime of shattered relationships and broken dreams scattered along the way… An infamous party animal…<br /><br />She is poor… A county-assisted cremation…<br /><br />Not a whole lot to show for what should be half a life…<br /><br />Upon admission, she was asked if she would like to see a hospice chaplain…<br /><br />“Hell no, I don’t need another damn preacher pointing their finger at me and preaching at me about what a worthless piece of humanity I am – I’ve heard that enough…”<br /><br />Guess she had only met one kind of Christian…<br /><br />Her primary care nurse assured her that our team chaplain [me] was pretty “irreligious” and didn’t even seem like a “real minister”… I took that as a compliment…<br /><br />She balked for a moment, but then reluctantly agreed to my visits… I started going every month beginning in October… At first, she really tested me – guess she was “proving me”… Waiting to see if I would pull out my gospel finger and fire away at what was left at her self-esteem… Checking to see what kind of “love” I was marketing…<br /><br />Slowly, but surely, a friendship began to form… We shared a deeper honesty… We began to open our hearts to one another…<br /><br />In March, Jennifer confided: “Guy, I am scared to die…”<br /><br />I could sense the Holy Spirit at work in both of us… I am hopeful… Kinda excited…<br /><br />God spoke to me about visiting Jennifer on Good Friday…<br /><br />I dropped by about 10:15 a.m. – it was a miracle – she was up and finally answered the door…<br /><br />“I only have a few moments to visit Guy – I was hurting so bad – had to get up and take some morphine – as soon as it starts to work, I am going back to sleep – OK?”<br /><br />I was so grateful for a few moments…<br /><br />I was shocked when I walked in and sat down – she had declined so much in only one month… I leaned toward her…<br /><br />She showed me her “elephant legs” – so swelled up! They were red and stretched so tight… They were “weeping” liquid right through her skin…<br /><br />She looked 10 months pregnant! Her abdomen was so bloated… Her body was so toxic – her liver is shutting down… The whites of her eyes are yellow – so is her skin…<br /><br />Lately, she will go for days without being able to sleep… Her eyes looked so empty… A faraway stare…<br /><br />She was drinking a PBR [Pabst Blue Ribbon]… Her beer of choice…<br /><br />I took a deep breath and gathered my “gut”…<br /><br />We plunged into some small talk – but not for long… Jennifer stunned me… A direct shot…<br /><br />“So Guy, what do you think happens after we die?”<br /><br />This was no test – this was a true quest – the real deal… She was all ears… Listening…<br /><br />We had a God moment – a moment frozen in time – a moment of clarity… Connection… It was holy and sacred… I could literally feel God in her cluttered little house… Surreal…<br /><br />Thank God for the thoughts in my blog the last few days during Holy Week… Guess the Spirit knew just what I needed… And yes, he does bring stuff to our remembrance at just the right “kairos” moment…<br /><br />I talked about forgiveness – release from all guilt and shame… I talked about heaven – a spiritual home… I talked about a loving God – who welcomes his children with open arms… I talked about eternity – never again having to say goodbye! I talked about a new body – one that would never decay, decline or die… I talked about LIFE the way God always intended for it to be…<br /><br />I talked about Good Friday… And Easter Sunday…<br /><br />About giving up… And about hope…<br /><br />About betrayal and rejection… And about love of another kind that never gives up…<br />About death… And resurrection and life…<br /><br />Jennifer is “Good Friday” in so many ways… So broken… Such suffering… Pain so deep…<br /><br />Could Resurrection Sunday really be just around the corner for her???<br /><br />Silence… Extended moments… A fruitful pause…<br /><br />“Guy, it all sounds good – I would love to believe it – but I’m a piece of crap – look at me – it is probably true for others, but NOT me… No way God can ever love me…”<br /><br />More silence…<br /><br />I moved toward her… I looked deep into Jennifer’s eyes… I felt a “rush”…<br /><br />“Jennifer, I don’t know everything – maybe I don’t even know much – but I do know one thing and I know it without a single doubt – GOD LOVES YOU! I am sure about this – maybe it is surprising, but it is true truth! God loves you just like you are… You are his beloved child… When he looks at you, all he feels is tenderness and acceptance – LOVE!”<br /><br />“And all God wants is for you to receive his love and respond back…”<br /><br />“Guy, I feel a little strange right now… I feel broken and humble – I really need God… I feel warm – like his love may be real – and for me… Like I am ready to respond – can I have a relationship with God?”<br /><br />“Yes Jennifer – can I preach to you for a moment?” [She smiled…] <br /><br />“Look at my clenched fist… When we live our lives with a clenched fist and seize control of our lives – it is all about us – no room for God… Not good – we often mess things up…”<br /><br />“Like I have?” [She looked down…]<br /><br />“Like we all have Jennifer!”<br /><br />“Now look at my open hand… I have released my life to God – it is all about him – he is God and I am not… With an open hand, I can now receive grace from him…”<br /><br />“Are you are ready to unclench your fist – and open your hand to God?”<br /><br />“How’s that for a short sermon…”<br /><br />“You didn’t even ask me for money…” [She chuckled…]<br /><br />Another quiet moment…<br /><br />“Guy, are you saying that I need to turn the reins of my life over to God?”<br /><br />“Yes Jennifer…”<br /><br />“Guy, I am ready -- will you help me pray?”<br /><br />“You got it…”<br /><br />I moved closer… I took her hands in my hands… We felt the tender breath of God…<br /><br />We prayed…<br /><br />We asked for forgiveness – we released the past – we surrendered the future – we asked God to fill the NOW moment and keep filling it – to “take the reins” from now on – forever… We even thanked God for the “stuff” of life that brought humility – for the brutal wall that got her attention and turned her around – for the kindness of God that welcomed her home… We asked for resurrection power to birth new life in her wasted frame… We asked for God to give her his life before she died…<br /><br />The Good News – Easter Sunday invading Good Friday…<br /><br />Jennifer was crying…<br /><br />“Guess God opened up the waterworks – he’s clearing out my nose – is it OK to cry?”<br /><br />“I hope so – cause I’m crying too…”<br /><br />She was ready for a nap… What a hug… She walked me out…<br /><br />I made it to the Scion – I was weeping as I drove away…<br /><br />Another moment… A “kairos” moment… A resurrection moment…<br /><br />Jennifer is now alive – really alive – the life of God is now a reality in her – FOREVER!!!<br /><br />And I was there – I feel so small – God is so big – thank you Lord for “kairos” moments that change us for all eternity…<br /><br />Happy Easter 2010!!!<br /><br />Guy<br /><br />See you at the Centro Asturiano…"<br /><br />keep praying for me...<br /><br />i live for these moments...<br /><br />i will pray that god will bless you with "kairos" moments as well...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2425808460353695445?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-82205319680489763522010-04-01T22:47:00.002-04:002010-04-01T22:54:24.376-04:00greetings...<br /><br />i am sitting here in the living room crying...<br /><br />this blog came alive tonight...<br /><br />Jeep thinks i must have lost it...<br /><br />hope it touches my undergroound family -- and YOU -- the way it stirs me...<br /><br />enjoy...<br /><br />"I prayed to receive Jesus in my heart one night when my Mom and I were saying our goodnight prayers at the farmhouse in Plant City… I was young – really young – I don’t think I had even started school yet… So I honestly can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a follower of Jesus [or at least on the journey]…<br /><br />But I can remember the very day when the reality of the resurrection came alive – fully alive – to me… It was a surprise – a shock – it was a revelation – an awakening… Not in church… Not in seminary… Not at a conference…<br /><br />It was almost 50 years later in my spiritual journey… Holy Week two years ago… At a rundown trailer on the outskirts of Claire Mel… In a dingy and depressing little bedroom that seemed a lot like a prison cell… The TV was always blaring – it numbed the mind and took away the pain of thinking… The smell was memorable…<br /><br />I had been visiting David for about a year…<br /><br />An Assembly of God kid who loved Jesus and believed in heaven – in fact, he was living for heaven – it was the bright spot in his drab pseudo-existence… He was in his mid-20s and dying… Dying a slow and suffocating death from Lou Gehrig’s disease [ALS]…<br /><br />I watched death crawl up his body – starting at his feet – paralyzing him as the disease raged to the north… It took his feet – he could no longer walk… It took his legs – he could no longer stand… It took the muscle control of his bowels – 20something sporting a diaper… It took his stomach – food lost its appeal… I watched David fading away into eternity with every visit…<br /><br />Death was slowly creeping up his body…<br /><br />It was getting really serious by the spring – the disease had set its sights on his lungs… David was struggling to sit up – it was becoming a challenge to breathe – every breath was a battle – a consuming labor… The days were numbered – it wouldn’t be long now… You die when you can’t breathe anymore…<br /><br />So I showed up to see David on Holy Week two years ago… <br /><br />I 'crawled' into his cell… He turned the TV down… We started to chat… He wanted to talk about heaven – he smiled and said that he was 'dying to get there' – we chuckled… The disease had not destroyed his sense of humor… Even small victories are a thrill…<br /><br />Then it happened…<br /><br />I suddenly said something I can never take credit for [cause I’m just not this bright] – it was a 'kairos' moment – a God moment – an encounter with the holy – we had a moment suspended in time where we were both fully present in the present – face-to-face with the Lord…<br /><br />'David, did you know there is something even better than heaven?'<br /><br />'Now Chaplain Guy, I ain’t too sure about that – what could be better than heaven?'<br /><br />'Well, you are going to heaven – but you will have a brand new body – a spiritual body just like Jesus!'<br /><br />The pause seemed almost eternal… I could see a tear forming… Then a smile – a radiant one that transformed his whole face…<br /><br />'Chaplain Guy, I am going to heaven with a brand new body – NO MORE ALS BODY FOR ME! I will be able to walk – to run – to jump – no more limitations…'<br /><br />'Yes David, you will have "a resurrection body that will never decline, decay or die"’! [quoted from NT Wright in Surprised by Hope]…<br /><br />'NO MORE ALS BODY!!!'<br /><br />I suddenly got it!<br /><br />I was looking at 'Good Friday' – a human being gripped by suffering – a beloved son of the Father who was enduring the curse of sin, sickness and a fallen existence…<br /><br />The agony of Good Friday… The unspeakable tragedy of suffering… The short-term victory of darkness and death… A work of redemption yet unfinished…<br /><br />Good Friday…<br /><br />But, Easter Sunday will soon dawn!<br /><br />It may be Friday but Sunday is coming!<br /><br />Beyond the darkness is the light! Beyond the night is the dawn! Beyond death is life! Beyond the comma of defeat is the exclamation point of resurrection! Beyond defeat is sweet victory! Beyond the incomplete is fulfillment and perfection! Beyond the cross and grave is the empty tomb – JESUS IS RISEN!<br /><br />Easter Sunday came soon for David… <br /><br />He couldn’t get his breath. His body betrayed him. ALS won for the moment. He died…<br /><br />But now he lives… He is filled with the very breath of God… He is in heaven… He has a brand new body… No more decline, decay or death… ALS has no power over him… No more goodbyes – cause eternity is forever – with Jesus!<br /><br />Maybe today is like a Good Friday in your life – a rough spot…<br /><br />Do not lose hope – Resurrection Sunday is dawning very soon…<br /><br />It was on Good Friday that Jesus boldly proclaimed: 'IT IS FINISHED!' [John 19.30]<br /><br />Paul knew the power of the resurrection: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? How we thank God, who gives us the victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our risen Lord!' [1 Corinthians 15.54-57]<br /><br />'David, I am looking forward to seeing you again – NO MORE ALS BODY…'<br /><br />I finish tonight with tears of joy – I will never forget this moment – this 'kairos' revelation when the resurrection became reality for me… More than a doctrine… More than history… More than a confession… SPIRITUAL REALITY!!!<br /><br />And it is still just that real…<br /><br />Thank you for sharing this journey with me during Holy Week – see you Sunday!!!"<br /><br />i hope i never "get over" this moment...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-8220531968048976352?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-12435032530043803712010-03-31T23:56:00.002-04:002010-04-01T00:01:05.880-04:00greetings...<br /><br />just finished my thought for tomorrow for the tampa underground community...<br /><br />and for YOU!!!<br /><br />"His name was John…<br /><br />He was dying…<br /><br />He was old as dirt – about 90 or so…<br /><br />But he was still charming…<br /><br />Steely blue eyes that danced when he talked – and flirted – with the nurses…<br /><br />And he was always flirting with the ladies…<br /><br />He still had his sense of humor…<br /><br />His full head of silky gray hair gave him a distinguished air…<br /><br />He had been a politician in his earlier life up north – he was a gracious gentleman…<br /><br />I think he used to sell ice to the Yankees in Maine during the wintertime [ha! ha!]…<br /><br />He was a favorite of the hospice staff – especially the women…<br /><br />John was my patient – then he became my friend – we developed a rapport…<br /><br />One day as the journey was winding down – our chat turned more serious…<br /><br />'John, what do you think happens after you die?'<br /><br />'Well Guy, that’s pretty simple – I know just what happens… I die – they stick me in a box – then chunk me in the ground – then worms eat me – it’s all over at that point after I become worm food…'<br /><br />I was shocked… Really shocked… He was so sure…<br /><br />John was a reasonable, intelligent and reflective man – not an idiot or a moron…<br /><br />I had never thought of him as worm food…<br /><br />And yet his end-of-life 'hope' seemed so lame…<br /><br />In fact, I was missing the hope altogether…<br /><br />And John is not the only one…<br /><br />So many people are anticipating a less-than-glorious future as worm food…<br /><br />There must be hope… There has to be more… MUCH MORE!!!<br /><br />I am not exactly sure what that MORE is [and I tend to be afraid of those who already know-it-all about the end times – I usually run the other way from these modern day Gnostics] – but I do want to suggest a couple of thoughts on this Maundy Thursday…<br /><br />First, I believe there is something beyond this life – this life simply is NOT all there is…<br /><br />I believe that 'something' is very personal – a welcoming home by a loving Father on the other side of the 'valley of the shadow of death'…<br /><br />Maybe an image is even better than many words of explanation…<br /><br />Henri Nouwen expresses the mystery beyond in this way: 'Dying is a gradual diminishing and final vanishing over the horizon of life. When we watch a sailboat leaving port and moving toward the horizon, it becomes smaller and smaller until we can no longer see it. But we must trust that someone is standing on a faraway shore seeing that same sailboat become larger and larger until it reaches its new harbor. Death is a painful loss. When we return to our homes after a burial, our hearts are in grief. But when we think about the One standing at the other shore eagerly waiting to welcome our beloved friend into a new home, a smile can break through our tears.'<br /><br />Worm food? Not so much!<br /><br />A personal welcome awaits the beloved children of the Father – God is the One standing on the other shore – we will finally be home in a way we have never been before…<br /><br />It is at this point that real life – life the way God has always intended it – bursts forth for all eternity…<br /><br />There is NOT nothingness…<br /><br />There is something to look forward to – something to live for!<br /><br />Secondly, I believe that what we are doing right now counts – really counts – not just for now, but for the future as well…<br /><br />I love 1 Corinthians 15 – especially verses 50-57 – but until last year I never could figure out why Paul included verse 58. It did not seem to fit for me… I actually wondered if it might have gotten misplaced – maybe it belonged somewhere else…<br /><br />'So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless [or in vain]…'<br /><br />What does this have to do with all his talk of the resurrection???<br /><br />Consider this…<br /><br />It is a mystery, but the power of the resurrection is so awesome that it means our work for the Lord counts today – for sure – but is also futuristic…<br /><br />It is paid forward in ways beyond our comprehension into the kingdom to come…<br /><br />Our lives and missions really do matter!<br /><br />Laying everything on the line is no waste – it is what we are created for!<br /><br />YES, it really counts – in this world and in the coming kingdom!<br /><br />That pumps up my enthusiasm – how about you???<br /><br />So, let’s GO FOR IT – let’s make a difference now and forever!!!<br /><br />Guy<br /><br />By the way, I also shared with John a third thought as well – the hope of a brand new body – but that’s another story and is for tomorrow…"<br /><br />more later...<br /><br />my eyes are heavy [and Jeep is ready for bed]...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-1243503253004380371?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-19755608833264425132010-03-31T22:29:00.002-04:002010-03-31T22:34:23.089-04:00greetings...<br /><br />hope you had an awesome day...<br /><br />here is my devotional thought i wrote for the tampa underground community...<br /><br />"I just turned 51.<br /><br />It was a great birthday – they really do seem to get better as you get older… At least that has been my experience the last couple of years… Maybe I am finally growing up? Maybe I just like myself better? Maybe I finally realize that I am the beloved of my Father [and nothing else really matters]…<br /><br />I got some neat gifts, but one of my favorites was a book from Jennifer… I liked the book, but it was even better that she wrote a personal note in it – way cool… She said I was her “favorite chaplain” – that felt really good [but I’m not sure how many chaplains she knows?]… <br /><br />Since Jennifer gave me this book – Theirs Is The Kingdom: Celebrating The Gospel In Urban America – I decided to actually read it… Very soon…<br /><br />Have I told you how much I hate dentists? <br /><br />Until my last toothache from hell a couple of weeks back, I had successfully avoided going to a dentist for 17 years – NOT VERY SMART! I do not recommend it…<br /><br />So, there was a very long list of stuff the dentist needed to do to me – mostly penance for years of inattention – stuff like a root canal, fillings, resurfacings, etc. and etc. I am sure the bill will cover his office rent for at least a month – ouch…<br /><br />When you get to be 51, things start to wear out – like your teeth – and other stuff I can’t remember right now…<br /><br />Last Monday was the root canal – the first installment of pain… I was scared – like really scared… It bugged me all day on Palm Sunday – I had trouble sleeping on Sunday night… I woke up Monday and wanted to go to work – yes, I was that scared…<br /><br />I got to the office before 8 a.m.<br /><br />I knew I would have to wait and wait and wait… So I took my prized book – the gift from my friend… I finished the whole book while I was waiting and waiting and waiting… I read in the waiting room… I read in the exam room… I was still reading when the dentist finally entered… I just kept reading while he was arranging all his tools of torture…<br /><br />I was in the chair – I had already been needled – THANK GOD for pain meds… I could no longer feel the whole right side of my face – even my ear was numb… Then, there was this quote from Robert Lupton that literally jumped off the page…<br /><br />'But the church has no future. We have only the present. In this present moment we must spend, lavish and give away our tomorrows for the sake of the kingdom today. In short, we must die. Today. That is the only way to save our lives. The church is called to live at Golgotha. If perchance tomorrow morning we discover that our depleted spirits have a new supply of energy, that the emptied offering plate is full once again and from sacrificial dreams whole new dimensions of life have burst forth, then we will begin to understand something of what the resurrection is about. On the other side of death, each death, stands our risen Lord. And he beckons us…'<br /><br />Easter is coming this Sunday…<br /><br />But the resurrection is a reality 24/7 EVERY day…<br /><br />Be on the lookout TODAY – let’s take note of “what the resurrection is about” in the flow of our lives and missions throughout Holy Week and beyond…<br /><br />Maybe it has something to do with the “other food” Brian talked about last weekend…<br /><br />Are we hungry – really? Are we eating the missional manna? Are we feasting on Jesus?<br /><br />Maybe the reality of the resurrection means that there is always sufficiency and abundance in Jesus – when our trust is in him alone…<br /><br />Maybe we really don’t even discover the deepest meaning of the resurrection until we risk – go beyond our own capacities and comfort zones…<br /><br />What about us – YOU and ME – what are we willing to risk for the kingdom NOW???"<br /><br />Guy<br /><br />"By the way, have you made your list and begun to ask your friends to “come and see” Jesus this Sunday at the Centro Asturiano – 'we have only the present' so let’s just do it!"<br /><br />hope you are having an awesome holy week...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-1975560883326442513?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-78255317268704349342010-03-30T20:31:00.002-04:002010-03-30T20:35:06.461-04:00greetings...<br /><br />the following is day 2 of my devotional thoughts for the tampa underground community as we journey toward easter together...<br /><br />so glad you are with us as well!!!<br /><br />"My family has a new white Boxer puppy named Jeep – and yes, with all humility, he is one of the most handsome dogs in canine history. He adds such joy to our lives… Jeep would love to meet you – he wants everyone to be his fan!<br /><br />Jeep has not been able to attend a Crucible at the tampa underground – I guess there are reasonable limits on inclusivity [ha! ha!]… Maybe when we have an outdoor Crucible in the future???<br /><br />Last Saturday night, our crew attended Crucible, so we were free on Sunday morning – Palm Sunday…<br /><br />What a blessing after 25+ years of being a pastor…<br /><br />So, Jeep and I decided to go worship at Rivercrest Park on Palm Sunday morning. It was glorious – I love overcast weather [weird huh?]. We walked four laps and then we sat down in the clover on the bank of the Hillsborough River.<br /><br />God was there…<br /><br />And he was speaking…<br /><br />So I took some notes for us on my phone – here goes…<br /><br />Spring has arrived. The trees were alive with green – many and varied shades of green. There were signs of growth all throughout the park as far as we could see. And there was pollen – loads of it…<br /><br />Only the dead trees were barren [and boring]…<br /><br />God was speaking to me about growth. <br /><br />Now is a season for living things to grow – there were unmistakable signs of growth everywhere. Green leaves… Pollen… More pollen… Did I mention pollen? Spring is so beautiful – new growth bursting forth is so appealing, so engaging and so appropriate. Living things grow – it’s just part of being alive…<br /><br />Not all the growth looked the same – individual trees each had their own color – their own shade of green. Yet they were all growing – at least, all the living ones. Dead trees don’t turn green with growth – they just stand there dead and wait to fall over… Every shade of green had its own beauty – its own loveliness – its own spring magic…<br /><br />So what???<br /><br />There is a rhyme and reason to the liturgical calendar – Holy Week is ALWAYS in the spring! Easter is ALWAYS in the spring! The season that explodes with growth, fruitfulness and LIFE – ALL creation is a willing and enthusiastic witness to the power of Holy Week and the centrality of Resurrection Sunday…<br /><br />So how is it with us – with you and me?<br /><br />Are we spiritually green with growth and fruitfulness – both in our character and in our mission? Growing in the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Growing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Is there clear and unmistakable evidence that we are fully alive? Are we bursting forth with the life of Jesus for all to see and enjoy? Are we an authentic witness of the Resurrection? Are we able to celebrate the growth of others – even when it may be a different hue of green – even when it may not look just like us? Or, do we find it too easy to spiral into condemnation of others who are growing, but may not be growing just like us – are we open enough to embrace their difference?<br /><br />One more thought as we were leaving [Jeep was getting bored with solitude – he is still a youngster]…<br /><br />While enjoying a final view of the river, I heard God remind me that he made the river flow – there was no need for me to push the river – he could handle the flow just fine. I think he meant the Hillsborough River AND the river of my life – another way of him gently reminding me that he is God and I am not!<br /><br />I opened my hand right there by the river and released the control of my life once again to God – life always works best when I am living with an open hand… Not sure why I keep on grasping it so tightly and so frequently – guess I am still on the journey toward trust and release…<br /><br />Is your hand clenched today – or, is it open?<br /><br />Opening your hand releases control to God and it leaves us in a posture of receiving so that God can fill our open hand with his sufficiency…<br /><br />A better way to live…"<br /><br />have a blessed holy week...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />thank you for your prayers for my root canal -- i am doing OK...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7825531726870434934?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-71189477022313580462010-03-29T12:34:00.002-04:002010-03-29T12:42:50.633-04:00greetings!!!<br /><br />well, this morning was the root canal...<br /><br />it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be...<br /><br />makes me wonder why i hadn't been to the dentist in 17 years???<br /><br />dr graddy was A-OK...<br /><br />i was almost hoping it would be worse so it might diminish my appetite for a few hours -- no such luck -- ha! ha!<br /><br />the following is a reflection i wrote for my spiritual community -- the tampa underground [www.tampaunderground.com] -- as we prepare our hearts for easter worship next sunday...<br /><br />hope you enjoy it...<br /><br />"Today, we begin our journey together toward Resurrection Sunday…<br /><br />The authenticity of our celebration depends on the preparation of our heart for Easter worship…<br /><br />Our first step begins with a reflective question from Franciscan Richard Rohr: when have I consciously chosen to move downward in my life?<br /><br />His thoughts are searching and provocative…<br /><br />'I am going to direct you today toward the great parabolic movement of descent and ascent described in Philippians 2:6-11, the second reading on Palm Sunday. Most consider that this was originally a hymn sung in the early Christian community, and certainly an inspired one on many levels. The hymn artistically, honestly, but boldly describes that “secret hour” when God in Christ reversed the parabola, when the upward movement preferred by humans became the downward movement preferred by Jesus. It starts with the great self-emptying or kenosis, that we call the Incarnation in Bethlehem, and ends with the Crucifixion in Jerusalem. It brilliantly connects the two mysteries as one movement: down, down, down into the enfleshment of creation, into humanity’s depths and sadness, and finally into identification with those at the very bottom (“the form of a slave”) on the cross. Jesus represents God’s total solidarity with, and even love of, the human situation, as if to say, “Nothing human is abhorrent to me.” This is what we walk through together in this, our great Holy Week.'<br /><br />This is a “riptide” thought – it goes totally against the prevailing flow of our culture…<br /><br />What about us – you and me this Holy Week?<br /><br />Have we followed Jesus in this powerful “reversal of the parabola” – have we exchanged the upward mobility obsession of our culture for the embrace of the downward mobility of Jesus?<br /><br />What are some of the things we must personally “self-empty” if we are to become missional agents of the Incarnation in our city?<br /><br />Let’s do an agape [love] check in our hearts – are we living and loving as if “nothing human is abhorrent to me?”<br /><br />I still have a way to go – how about you?<br /><br />That’s why I am so glad we are on this spiritual journey TOGETHER…"<br /><br />more tomorrow...<br /><br />love ya!!!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />tomorrow may be better -- i may be full of vicodin -- ha! ha!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7118947702231358046?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-84220887521938939782010-03-28T09:34:00.002-04:002010-03-28T09:57:22.916-04:00greetings!<br /><br />technically, today marks the end of the lenten season...<br /><br />it is palm sunday...<br /><br />40 days removed from ash wednesday...<br /><br />it has flown by...<br /><br />it has crept by...<br /><br />it is gone...<br /><br />how has this time span impacted us?<br /><br />spiritually?<br /><br />now, the beginning of holy week...<br /><br />time for the "creasters" to get out their sunday best...<br /><br />[creasters are those who faithfully attend worship ever christmas and easter...]<br /><br />time to make plans for easter...<br /><br />new clothes...<br /><br />family gathering plans...<br /><br />where will the kids stalk the eggs?<br /><br />who has the best jesus "show" for the weekend...<br /><br />where is the most audacious production...<br /><br />who will give the best gifts?<br /><br />who will spend the most for the delight of the consuming "community"?<br /><br />and, almost as an afterthought...<br /><br />it is easter sunday...<br /><br />it is resurrection sunday...<br /><br />easter is all about jesus being raised from the dead...<br /><br />physically...<br /><br />miraculously...<br /><br />eternally...<br /><br />or, will this true truth get lost in the celebrations of the other stuff???<br /><br />maybe our preparation this week will free us to keep the main thing the main thing...<br /><br />althought the lenten blog ends today with this entry...<br /><br />[by the way, THANK YOU for reading and for your encouragement throughout the journey...]<br /><br />i plan to blog through holy week...<br /><br />[hope you will hang with me...]<br /><br />i want my heart to be ready for next sunday...<br /><br />and yours too...<br /><br />from henri nouwen...<br /><br />reflecting on the "path of waiting"...<br /><br />"passion is a kind of waiting - waiting for what other people are going to do. <br /><br />jesus went to jerusalem to announce the good news to the people of that city. <br /><br />and jesus knew that he was going to put a choice before them: will you be my disciple, or will you be my executioner? <br /><br />there is no middle ground here. <br /><br />jesus went to jerusalem to put people in a situation where they had to say "yes" or "no". <br /><br />that is the great drama of jesus' passion: he had to wait for their response. <br /><br />what would they do? <br /><br />betray him or follow him? <br /><br />in a way, his agony is not simply the agony of approaching death. <br /><br />it is also the agony of being out of control and of having to wait. <br /><br />it is the agony of a god who depends on us to decide how to live out the divine presence among us. <br /><br />it is the agony of the god who, in a very mysterious way, allows us to decide how god will be god. <br /><br />here we glimpse the mystery of god's incarnation. <br /><br />god became human not only to act among us but also to be the recipient of our responses.<br /><br />. . . and that is the mystery of jesus' love. <br /><br />jesus in his passion is the one who waits for our response. <br /><br />precisely in that waiting the intensity of his love and god's is revealed to us."<br /><br />can you feel the love???<br /><br />HAPPY PALM SUNDAY!!!<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-8422088752193893978?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-23098116444806017222010-03-27T15:54:00.002-04:002010-03-27T18:11:20.945-04:00greetings...<br /><br />our micro church on sunday pm is reading donald miller's new book...<br /><br />"a million miles in a thousand years"...<br /><br />pretty cool story...<br /><br />it is about the process of turning don's life story into a movie...<br /><br />writing a story line...<br /><br />editing...<br /><br />establishing a message...<br /><br />here are five thoughts...<br /><br />miller: "the saddest thing about life is you don't remember half of it. you don't even remember half of half of it. not even a tiny percentage, if you want to know the truth..."<br /><br />have you ever tried to stop and remember...<br /><br />maybe make some lists...<br /><br />i know i just lost some of you -- ha! ha!<br /><br />a list of your ten most important decisions...<br /><br />your ten most strategic friends...<br /><br />your ten happiest moments...<br /><br />your ten saddest moments...<br /><br />your ten milemarker events [standout moments] to this point in your life...<br /><br />miller: "the thing about trying to remember your life is it makes you wonder what any of it means. you get the feeling life means something, but you're not sure what. life has a peculiar feel when you look back on it that it doesn't have when you're actually living it..."<br /><br />the spiritual masters claim that one's life is shaped and formed by a very small number of extremely strategic events...<br /><br />ben johnson calls them "milemarker events"...<br /><br />if you looked back at your life now...<br /><br />with an eye toward discerning what it means...<br /><br />could you write your life's story with ten bullet points...<br /><br />ten strategic events...<br /><br />ten milemarkers...<br /><br />can you see the flow more clearly???<br /><br />can you make sense out of it???<br /><br />can you discern the meaning???<br /><br />miller: "not all the scenes in my life have been pleasant, though, and i'm not sure what god means with the hard things..."<br /><br />what do you think god is doing with the "hard things"...<br /><br />what is the meaning of suffering...<br /><br />YOUR suffering???<br /><br />miller: "we were about to explore my same old places in a way that might make them feel new...dream it all up again. everybody wants to go back, man. everybody wants to make their life right. we get to edit your story so it has punch and meaning. that has to be an incredible feeling..."<br /><br />WOW!!!<br /><br />if you could edit your life at this juncture...<br /><br />how would you do it?<br /><br />what would you change?<br /><br />what would "making it right" look like???<br /><br />miller: "it is all about the story...in a pure story there is a purpose in every scene, in every line of dialogue. a movie is going somewhere. that last line rang in my ear like an accusation...without story, experiences are just random..."<br /><br />what about your story...<br /><br />the narrative of your life...<br /><br />is it going somewhere???<br /><br />where is it going???<br /><br />are your current experiences "fitting" into your story line???<br /><br />how???<br /><br />is this a struggle for you???<br /><br />join me in reflecting...<br /><br />blessings!!!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />let me be the first to wish you a HAPPY PALM SUNDAY in the morning!!!<br /><br />Holy Week is here...<br /><br />Easter is in sight!!!<br /><br />But then again, the Easter experience is a 24/7 reality for the children of God!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2309811644480601722?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-42530106087204969222010-03-26T22:33:00.002-04:002010-03-26T22:53:26.171-04:00greetings...<br /><br />i used to have so much energy on friday night...<br /><br />party time...<br /><br />fun time...<br /><br />go out and about...<br /><br />but that was then...<br /><br />now is now...<br /><br />i am so tired on friday night...<br /><br />all i want to do is veg out...<br /><br />and hit the sack...<br /><br />i would not have even walked today when i finally got home...<br /><br />but there was jeep [our boxer pup]...<br /><br />standing at the door looking for me...<br /><br />with that look in his eye...<br /><br />his tail wagging...<br /><br />his whole body was doing the doggie wave...<br /><br />how could i say no to him...<br /><br />i survived the walk -- barely...<br /><br />now it's nap time...<br /><br />for about 8-9 hours...<br /><br />PTL!!!<br /><br />but, before i sign off...<br /><br />listen to richard rohr...<br /><br />"spiritual life is a matter of becoming who you truly are...<br /><br />it's not becoming catherine of siena...<br /><br />or some other saint...<br /><br />but who YOU are...<br /><br />it sounds easy enough...<br /><br />but being who you truly are is work, courage and faith..."<br /><br />in my early days...<br /><br />i tried to "copy" my spiritual heroes...<br /><br />be like billy graham...<br /><br />be like wayne lee...<br /><br />be like floyd mcclung...<br /><br />be like bill hybels...<br /><br />be life mark rutland...<br /><br />just be like someone spiritual and successful...<br /><br />but that armor never fits...<br /><br />so glad i am free of that mindset...<br /><br />free to be me...<br /><br />to be the me HE wants me to be...<br /><br />that is truly spiritual...<br /><br />to be the real me...<br /><br />there is only one of me...<br /><br />there is only one of you...<br /><br />god made us unique...<br /><br />god made us special...<br /><br />god made us to be fully ourselves...<br /><br />the point is discovered in the becoming...<br /><br />wanna join me on the becoming journey???<br /><br />let's just do it!!!<br /><br />TOGETHER!!!<br /><br />nighty night...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />remember that sunday is palm sunday...<br /><br />the beginning of holy week...<br /><br />let's prepare our hearts...<br /><br />easter is on the horizon...<br /><br />and that makes ALL the difference...<br /><br />JESUS IS RISEN!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4253010608720496922?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-56915342008835341022010-03-25T20:52:00.002-04:002010-03-25T21:40:45.615-04:00greetings!<br /><br />i am on call tonight for LifePath Hospice...<br /><br />from 5 pm until 8 am...<br /><br />we provide 24/7 service to our patients and their families...<br /><br />to do so in the spiritual care area...<br /><br />we chaplains split on call duties...<br /><br />usually around 3 per month...<br /><br />hence, i am staring at the phone...<br /><br />praying it does NOT ring...<br /><br />i do NOT want to go out tonight...<br /><br />i really want to go to sleep!<br /><br />not feeling very spiritual...<br /><br />but, i have promised myself to TRY to have at least one spiritual thought every day of lent...<br /><br />so here goes...<br /><br />oops...<br /><br />still blank...<br /><br />i will try again...<br /><br />maybe i need a walk outside?<br /><br />a big hug from Jeep?<br /><br />a nap?<br /><br />or, i could pray???<br /><br />be right back........................................................................<br /><br />got a kiss from the Jeepster...<br /><br />here is my thought...<br /><br />in fact, this thought has been occupying my mind for several weeks now...<br /><br />a book idea i am working on...<br /><br />would you PLEASE give me some input???<br /><br />here is the basic thought and outline...<br /><br />the book would be about MOMENTS...<br /><br />aha MOMENTS...<br /><br />MOMENTS where i learned from my patients...<br /><br />MOMENTS where my mind and heart have been expanded...<br /><br />MOMENTS where god showed up in simple homes in the inner city...<br /><br />MOMENTS...<br /><br />playing off the the greek word KAIROS...<br /><br />KAIROS is one of two greek words for time...<br /><br />the other is CHRONOS...<br /><br />they are very different...<br /><br />CHRONOS is about the passing of time -- common time...<br /><br />seconds become minutes...<br /><br />minutes become hours...<br /><br />hours become days...<br /><br />you get the idea...<br /><br />KAIROS is about timely time -- propitious MOMENTS...<br /><br />life-changing MOMENTS...<br /><br />i am continually amazed at how god keeps showing up in these surprising and enriching MOMENTS...<br /><br />KAIROS MOMENTS...<br /><br />i want to learn to seize these moments...<br /><br />i want to make the most of every one of these moments...<br /><br />i want to fully live in these moments...<br /><br />and allow them to shape my ministry and life...<br /><br />MOMENTS...<br /><br />check out colossians 4.2-6...<br /><br />i love verse 5 where it encourages us to live wisely in this world and "to make the most of every opportunity..."<br /><br />MOMENTS...<br /><br />i am working on a top 12 list of my most meaningful moments over the past fours years as a hospice chaplain...<br /><br />MOMENTS like...<br /><br />a hope-full moment...<br /><br />a peace-full moment...<br /><br />an angry moment...<br /><br />a lonely moment...<br /><br />a fear-full moment...<br /><br />a still moment...<br /><br />a shocking moment...<br /><br />a helpless moment...<br /><br />a wasted moment...<br /><br />a silent moment...<br /><br />an uncomfortable moment...<br /><br />a revelatory moment...<br /><br />each essay would be constructed around a specific vignette...<br /><br />with a real person [anonymous of course]...<br /><br />an encounter of presence...<br /><br />what do you think???<br /><br />would love your input...<br /><br />love ya!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />could i take your order for one of the books???<br /><br />ha! ha!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5691534200883534102?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-10374320913494411642010-03-24T20:43:00.002-04:002010-03-24T21:29:42.655-04:00greetings!!!<br /><br />i made a couple of joy-filled visits this week...<br /><br />THANKS to you!<br /><br />a friend in TN felt led to send two boxes of medium shirts for mr harris...<br /><br />really nice shirts...<br /><br />IZOD...<br /><br />Polo...<br /><br />the good stuff...<br /><br />i gathered the shirts in my arms...<br /><br />walked to the door...<br /><br />knocked...<br /><br />when mr harris came to greet me...<br /><br />he was so excited!<br /><br />he grabbed the shirts...<br /><br />started looking through them...<br /><br />what a smile...<br /><br />he could feel the love...<br /><br />all the way from TN...<br /><br />i could feel the love...<br /><br />god wrapped his arms around mr harris and hugged him...<br /><br />with a compassionate gift of clothing...<br /><br />love in action...<br /><br />now he won't have to wear the same t-shirt every time i come to visit...<br /><br />a friend in our sunday night group...<br /><br />gathered a couple of big bags of women's clothes...<br /><br />i was off to ms richardson's apartment...<br /><br />i walked up the stairs and knocked on the door...<br /><br />ms r was babysitting one of her grandbabies...<br /><br />then, she saw the bags...<br /><br />what a smile...<br /><br />she tore into the bags...<br /><br />totally thrilled...<br /><br />totally thankful...<br /><br />totally loved...<br /><br />the message came through so clearly...<br /><br />THANK YOU for being such clear messengers of love...<br /><br />mr harris has been deeply touched...<br /><br />so has ms richardson...<br /><br />jesus is pleased as well...<br /><br />matthew 25 in action...<br /><br />i am so proud of YOU ALL...<br /><br />thanks for sharing the journey...<br /><br />we can make such a difference -- TOGETHER!!!<br /><br />shalom...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />by the way...<br /><br />mr harris still needs 2-3 pairs of size 31 waist pants...<br /><br />ms richardson still needs 8.5 size shoes...<br /><br />let me know if god speaks to you...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-1037432091349441164?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-40481075875015430922010-03-23T20:29:00.003-04:002010-03-23T22:03:58.950-04:00greetings!<br /><br />i was reading the words of THE VISION again tonight...<br /><br />words that have appeared on the walls of 24/7 boiler rooms [prayer rooms] all across the globe...<br /><br />it has become the battle cry of the world-wide prayer movement...<br /><br />what a blessing to me...<br /><br />what do you think???<br /><br />"So this guy comes up to me and says 'what's the vision? What's the big idea?' <br /><br />I open my mouth and words come out like this… <br /><br />The vision? <br /><br />The vision is JESUS – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus. <br /><br />The vision is an army of young people. <br /><br />You see bones? <br /><br />I see an army. <br /><br />And they are FREE from materialism. <br /><br />They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.<br /><br />They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.<br /><br />They wouldn't even notice.<br /><br />They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the west was won.<br /><br />They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. <br /><br />They need no passport.. <br /><br />People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.<br /><br />They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.<br /><br />What is the vision?<br /><br />The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. <br /><br />It makes children laugh and adults angry. <br /><br />It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. <br /><br />It scorns the good and strains for the best. <br /><br />It is dangerously pure. <br /><br />Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.<br /><br />It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games. <br /><br />This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.<br /><br />A million times a day its soldiers choose to loose that they might one day win the great 'Well done' of faithful sons and daughters. <br /><br />Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. <br /><br />They don't need fame from names. <br /><br />Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: 'COME ON!' <br /><br />And this is the sound of the underground<br /><br />The whisper of history in the making<br /><br />Foundations shaking<br /><br />Revolutionaries dreaming once again<br /><br />Mystery is scheming in whispers<br /><br />Conspiracy is breathing…<br /><br />This is the sound of the underground <br /><br />And the army is discipl(in)ed. <br /><br />Young people who beat their bodies into submission. <br /><br />Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms. <br /><br />The tattoo on their back boasts 'for me to live is Christ and to die is gain'.<br /><br />Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. <br /><br />Winners. <br /><br />Martyrs. <br /><br />Who can stop them ? <br /><br />Can hormones hold them back?<br /><br />Can failure succeed? <br /><br />Can fear scare them or death kill them ? <br /><br />And the generation prays like a dying man with groans beyond talking, with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and with great barrow loads of laughter!<br /><br />Waiting. <br /><br />Watching: <br /><br />24 – 7 – 365. <br /><br />Whatever it takes they will give: <br /><br />Breaking the rules. <br /><br />Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide. <br /><br />Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. <br /><br />The advertisers cannot mould them. <br /><br />Hollywood cannot hold them. <br /><br />Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries. <br /><br />They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside. <br /><br />On the outside? <br /><br />They hardly care. <br /><br />They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide. <br /><br />Would they surrender their image or their popularity? <br /><br />They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. <br /><br />A throne for an electric chair. <br /><br />With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days, they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them. <br /><br />Their DNA chooses JESUS. <br /><br />(He breathes out, they breathe in.)<br /><br />Their subconscious sings. <br /><br />They had a blood transfusion with Jesus. <br /><br />Their words make demons scream in shopping centres.<br /><br />Don't you hear them coming? <br /><br />Herald the weirdo's! <br /><br />Summon the losers and the freaks. <br /><br />Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes. <br /><br />They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. <br /><br />Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden. <br /><br />And this vision will be. <br /><br />It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon.<br /><br />How do I know? <br /><br />Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. <br /><br />My tomorrow is his today. <br /><br />My distant hope is his 3D. <br /><br />And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great 'Amen!' from countless angels, from hero's of the faith, from Christ himself. <br /><br />And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner. <br /><br />Guaranteed."<br /><br />from peter greig...<br /><br />awesome!<br /><br />have a great night...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />let's LIVE THE VISION!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4048107587501543092?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-26919379809951645392010-03-22T21:30:00.002-04:002010-03-22T21:45:19.764-04:00greetings!<br /><br />i just spent almost an hour updating my shelfari bookshelf...<br /><br />two thoughts...<br /><br />what an idiot i must be for it to take this long...<br /><br />but, i got it done...<br /><br />yea god!!!<br /><br />maybe there is hope for the techie deprived after all...<br /><br />what do you think of the new shelf???<br /><br />today, i made my first hospice visit to an inmate in the falkenburg road jail...<br /><br />pretty interesting...<br /><br />our patient, who is supposed to have six months or less to live...<br /><br />got five years in the state pen last week...<br /><br />he was from NY...<br /><br />in typical northern vibratto, he talked about how "backward" the south is...<br /><br />"so backwoods, country and redneck down here..."<br /><br />i bit my tongue [until i had very little left -- ha! ha!]...<br /><br />if the north is so superior, wonder why he moved here???<br /><br />i only thought it, never said it...<br /><br />he was from the nation of islam...<br /><br />a follower of farrakan...<br /><br />i listened and learned...<br /><br />it was an interesting visit...<br /><br />not as much connection as i had hoped for...<br /><br />but i tried...<br /><br />sometimes it happens...<br /><br />sometimes it does not...<br /><br />but, we did end in prayer...<br /><br />and then, in shocking fashion...<br /><br />mr b.s.s. asked if i would continue to pray for him...<br /><br />i agreed...<br /><br />maybe more happened than i thought???<br /><br />god is so good...<br /><br />his grace should never surprise me...<br /><br />blessings!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />off to bed -- i am still recovering from a weekend of birthday celebration...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2691937980995164539?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-65145836390146697092010-03-21T16:33:00.004-04:002010-03-21T16:52:49.862-04:00greetings!<br /><br />church was awesome...<br /><br />the tampa underground rocks...<br /><br />ricky -- you did an awesome job today...<br /><br />so proud of you!!!<br /><br />KAIROS [our micro church that provides LifePath Hospice volunteers for the poorest zip codes in our city] met after crucible [our morning worship service]...<br /><br />it is so encouraging to see people with such a heart for compassionate ministry...<br /><br />this is matthew 25 in action!!!<br /><br />we have three active members...<br /><br />we have several folks ready to do the required training...<br /><br />PLEASE help us pray for 12 active members by the end of 2010...<br /><br />maybe you are interested???<br /><br />we will train you...<br /><br />we will release you into ministry that really makes a difference...<br /><br />we will mentor you...<br /><br />we will support you throughout the whole process...<br /><br />let me know if you are interested...<br /><br />now, off to our "fireside chat" bible study...<br /><br />matt left to go back to miami...<br /><br />he took the two older boxers...<br /><br />jeep is sad...<br /><br />but very tired...<br /><br />he is snoring on the couch...<br /><br />court is staying in tampa this week on assignment...<br /><br />james flies out in the a.m. [early]...<br /><br />it has been THE BEST weekend...<br /><br />what a great birthday...<br /><br />more tomorrow...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />check out colossians 4.2-6 -- our theme verse for KAIROS...<br /><br />our byline is "making the most of every moment..."<br /><br />want to see more???<br /><br />check out www.tampaunderground.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-6514583639014669709?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-42132289195653261612010-03-20T13:18:00.002-04:002010-03-20T13:26:30.056-04:00greetings!!!<br /><br />my birthday celebration continues today...<br /><br />breakfast with our nuclear family...<br /><br />a late lunch involving my parents at leeroy selmon's...<br /><br />watching the dogs play and fight...<br /><br />now...<br /><br />some thoughts from richard rohr...<br /><br />"this deep gazing upon the mystery of divine and human suffering is found in the prophet Zechariah in a very telling text that became a prophecy for the transformative power of the victims of history, and for those who identify with them.<br /><br />he calls Israel to 'look upon the pierced one and to mourn over him as for an only son,' and 'weep for him as for a firstborn child,' and then 'from that mourning' (five times repeated) will flow 'a spirit of kindness and prayer' (Zechariah 12:10) and 'a fountain of water' (Zechariah 13:1; 14:8).<br /><br />i believe we are invited to gaze upon the image of the crucified to soften our hearts toward God, and to know that God’s heart has always been softened toward us, even and most especially in our suffering. <br /><br />this softens us toward ourselves and all others who suffer...<br /><br />today we experience it in grief. <br /><br />grief, like few other things, allows us to open our hearts to the pain of others, and even to our own deep pain. <br /><br />almost like nothing else... <br /><br />grief is often God’s medicine for people who are otherwise closed down."<br /><br />well, think jeep and i may take a afternoon nap before dinner...<br /><br />everyone else is out and about for awhile...<br /><br />jeep is babysitting his old man -- ha! ha!<br /><br />shalom...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />ready for the fifth sunday of lent???<br /><br />let's prepare our hearts...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4213228919565326161?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-4560999939863899762010-03-19T17:41:00.002-04:002010-03-19T23:04:09.492-04:0051...<br /><br />a happy birthday for me...<br /><br />great day at work...<br /><br />ended my day with mr williams...<br /><br />nancy fixed him some beef stew...<br /><br />it tasted sooooooooooooooooo good...<br /><br />i bought him some biscuits from church's chicken...<br /><br />he was so happy...<br /><br />but he is not breathing well at all...<br /><br />i am worried...<br /><br />not sure what i will do when he dies???<br /><br />off at 5 today -- what a miracle...<br /><br />supper with the whole crew in ybor...<br /><br />rockin' sports was awesome...<br /><br />good food...<br /><br />way too much...<br /><br />was even better to have everyone at the table together again...<br /><br />back home to 33603...<br /><br />a glass of red wine...<br /><br />a crackling fire in the old fireplace...<br /><br />a wife of almost 30 years...<br /><br />three boys [and a great daughter-in-law]...<br /><br />three beautiful boxers...<br /><br />jeep and his two "cousins"...<br /><br />enduring basketball [for the kids]...<br /><br />zac brown band and jimmy buffet...<br /><br />together on cross roads...<br /><br />so cool!!!<br /><br />just chillin' as a family...<br /><br />now that is really spiritual!!!<br /><br />and a priceless birthday...<br /><br />THANK YOU for all your prayers and blessings for my day...<br /><br />have a great evening...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />wish i had some strawberry shortcake tonight...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-456099993986389976?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-24591015287864924072010-03-18T21:32:00.002-04:002010-03-18T23:29:35.523-04:00greetings!<br /><br />i will be 51 in a few minutes...<br /><br />life is good...<br /><br />i am happier than i have ever been...<br /><br />i am finally starting to age more gracefully...<br /><br />guess there is hope for anyone -- even YOU [ha! ha!]...<br /><br />50 was the best year yet...<br /><br />i am hoping 51 is more of the same...<br /><br />i want to do some more reflecting on last night...<br /><br />especially as it relates to pastoring...<br /><br />which i have spent over half my life doing in some form or another...<br /><br />i think i am still a pastor...<br /><br />my flock is just "different" as a hospice chaplain...<br /><br />80+ families spread throughout the city...<br /><br />guess my "sheep" are pretty scattered...<br /><br />i am finally getting to pastor some of the folks i always tried to reach in the church...<br /><br />the church "drop-outs"...<br /><br />the ones who never showed up to begin with...<br /><br />those who gave up on the institution...<br /><br />those who abandoned religion...<br /><br />they really didn't have an interest in coming to my church...<br /><br />now, i go to them...<br /><br />in their homes...<br /><br />they are plugging back in...<br /><br />to spirituality...<br /><br />to faith...<br /><br />to god...<br /><br />simply and honestly...<br /><br />reflecting on some of the stuff that oozed out of my gut last night...<br /><br />an old friend questioned whether i really ever had "important person" syndrome as a pastor???<br /><br />i was actually wondering about that very thing after i wrote what i wrote last night...<br /><br />in one sense -- NO WAY!!!<br /><br />everyone was always important to me...<br /><br />as my phone message used to say [stolen strategically from bill hybels]...<br /><br />"you matter to god and you matter to me as well!!!"<br /><br />this was and is true...<br /><br />usually the people who felt they were the least important mattered the most to me...<br /><br />i have always had a bias for the lost, the least and the last...<br /><br />i sometimes struggled to "please" those who thought they were really important...<br /><br />the rebel in me wanted to bring them down to size...<br /><br />let the hot air out of their inflated ego...<br /><br />oh well...<br /><br />my least favorite trait in human beings is arrogance...<br /><br />but that's another story...<br /><br />people always mattered to me -- still do...<br /><br />so why am i happier and more fulfilled now than when i was a senior pastor???<br /><br />i have been ruminating on this all day...<br /><br />three thoughts...<br /><br />1. leadership expectations...<br /><br />when i became a senior pastor and the churches started getting bigger...<br /><br />i caved to "common wisdom of the day" expectations...<br /><br />stuff i was told at the church growth conferences...<br /><br />[not all bad -- not being critical here -- i am grateful for my opportunities -- for instance, i am still a fan of willow in many ways...]<br /><br />things like...<br /><br />do the things that only you can and should do...<br /><br />we pay you to do the point leadership stuff...<br /><br />act important -- you are our senior pastor...<br /><br />delegate the small stuff [i thought this was the FUN stuff]...<br /><br />dress the part...<br /><br />act the part...<br /><br />why won't you park in your parking place???<br /><br />here is my best thought...<br /><br />over the years, i got really weary of this stuff...<br /><br />this skubala...<br /><br />leadership expectations like these made me UNCOMFORTABLE in my skin...<br /><br />the wrong armor...<br /><br />it just never fit...<br /><br />i could not figure out how to get off the leadership merry-go-round for too long...<br /><br />i wanted to be a different kind of leader...<br /><br />visiting in homes...<br /><br />holding people's hands in the hospital...<br /><br />getting an ear ring and tatoo [never did -- yet...]<br /><br />hanging out in coffee shops -- and bars...<br /><br />engaging the campuses [even though students are poor and don't pay the bills]...<br /><br />being ecumenical...<br /><br />breaking racial barriers...<br /><br />dipping up food in the line at the shelter...<br /><br />valuing the poor...<br /><br />being missional here -- not just globally...<br /><br />sometimes i succeeded...<br /><br />sometimes i didn't...<br /><br />but being a pastoral riptide...<br /><br />going against the prevailing flow...<br /><br />wore me down...<br /><br />wore me out...<br /><br />stole my joy...<br /><br />and almost got my soul...<br /><br />but, my soul is healthy again now...<br /><br />2. leadership is for teams not point people<br /><br />i "felt" this one while i was a senior pastor...<br /><br />we went to a teaching team approach even though it was the senior pastor's job to preach almost every week...<br /><br />skubala...<br /><br />we were always "fed" better by the variety of gifts in our teaching teams...<br /><br />i am so glad to see this biblical reality "coming of age" in the emerging church...<br /><br />after all, god gave people gifts to his body...<br /><br />apostles...<br /><br />prophets...<br /><br />evangelists...<br /><br />pastors...<br /><br />teachers...<br /><br />APEPT leadership...<br /><br />each unique gift is critically important to the leadership whole...<br /><br />at moments, yes, i was a visionary [apostolic]...<br /><br />i had my prophetic outbursts...<br /><br />i love hanging with seekers...<br /><br />i can teach a little bit...<br /><br />but, all of these "drain" me just a little...<br /><br />i am a pastor...<br /><br />wish i could have been a PASTOR on a biblical APEPT team...<br /><br />i am juiced now...<br /><br />because i am a hospice pastor...<br /><br />a care-giver...<br /><br />a spiritual care giver...<br /><br />a chaplain...<br /><br />i wanted a team...<br /><br />i needed a team...<br /><br />maybe i was just a little before my time???<br /><br />3. is bigger really better?<br /><br />i always wanted a mega-church...<br /><br />not sure why...<br /><br />maybe it was buying into the system...<br /><br />you will know you are successful in serving the lord when over a 1000 people are coming to your church...<br /><br />really???<br /><br />when i arrived...<br /><br />preaching to about a thousand in three weekend services...<br /><br />it grew so impersonal...<br /><br />who are these folks???<br /><br />i want to know them...<br /><br />maybe this whole paradigm needs to be turned upside-down [not just "shifted"]...<br /><br />maybe real ekklesia moves from small to large [personal]...<br /><br />not large to small [cells as an afterthought]...<br /><br />maybe what happens in micro churches and simple churches is THE real deal...<br /><br />after all, it was that way in the primitive church in the NT...<br /><br />i can still remember the day i told nancy i was done with the mega-church deal...<br /><br />[please do not hear critical here -- i am speaking for me...]<br /><br />told her i would rather move back to tampa and be a greeter at wally world...<br /><br />than keep trying to fit in a mold that was wrong for me...<br /><br />god blessed me with this hospice job...<br /><br />my life is now invested in personal ministry...<br /><br />in personal mentoring...<br /><br />in doing the fun stuff [that only "grunts" were supposed to do]...<br /><br />what a joy!!!<br /><br />no, i am not a BIG shot...<br /><br />maybe i never was...<br /><br />maybe i was just doing the best i could with what i had at the time...<br /><br />maybe i was just growing...<br /><br />growing in understanding WHO i was...<br /><br />growing in becoming WHO god created me to be...<br /><br />growing up...<br /><br />maybe it is a perspective you just don't get until you are as old as dirt...<br /><br />like 51...<br /><br />blessings!!!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />jeep is snoring here on the couch...<br /><br />soon matt and court will be here -- around midnight -- along with mac and ty [our other two boxers] -- jeep will be so thrilled [and so will the rest of us]...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2459101528786492407?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-64522105802062301972010-03-17T20:26:00.002-04:002010-03-17T22:36:28.725-04:00greetings...<br /><br />i went to see mr price at the end of the day today...<br /><br />he was sitting by himself in the family room of the trailer in 33619...<br /><br />there were people all around him...<br /><br />his daughter...<br /><br />his grandkids...<br /><br />his family...<br /><br />but he was in his own little world...<br /><br />disengaged...<br /><br />he seemed glad to see me...<br /><br />we left the "family room" and went back to his bedroom...<br /><br />we settled in...<br /><br />started to talk...<br /><br />but, he just didn't seem "right"...<br /><br />i wondered what was up...<br /><br />so i asked...<br /><br />"what's wrong?"<br /><br />"i am so lonely...<br /><br />i wish i would have never moved down here to FL...<br /><br />i am so alone that it hurts..."<br /><br />we talked a little about family dynamics...<br /><br />then he said...<br /><br />"i would rather sit in here -- in my own room -- by myself...<br /><br />than be ignored by everyone out there...<br /><br />the kids don't talk to me...<br /><br />my daughter has changed -- she is so distant...<br /><br />she cashes my check...<br /><br />but doesn't give me my allowance anymore..."<br /><br />"i am so lonely...<br /><br />it hurts...<br /><br />wish i had never moved south..."<br /><br />then i realized who was missing...<br /><br />his little dog...<br /><br />[a real nuisance and menace...]<br /><br /><br />"where is your dog"<br /><br />he teared up...<br /><br />"while i was on a five-day respite at the nursing home...<br /><br />so my daughter could get some rest...<br /><br />they gave my dog away...<br /><br />he is gone...<br /><br />they said he won't be coming back...<br /><br />i miss him so much...<br /><br />he was always right here with me..."<br /><br />"i am so lonely...<br /><br />it just hurts..."<br /><br />mr price is not alone in his loneliness...<br /><br />i am convinced it is one of the biggest "curses" of growing old...<br /><br />being overwhelmed by loneliness...<br /><br />feeling left out...<br /><br />like the third verse of an old gospel hymn...<br /><br />[remember, we always sang verses 1, 2 and 4...]<br /><br />like a fifth wheel...<br /><br />being the odd person out...<br /><br />alone...<br /><br />and hurting...<br /><br />hurting so badly...<br /><br />that one just wants to die...<br /><br />are there answers???<br /><br />let me reflect on a few from my experience...<br /><br />1. a pet...<br /><br />i cannot tell you how angry i got when i found out that his family had given his dog away...<br /><br />it almost made me want to believe in hell again...<br /><br />2. solitude...<br /><br />the spiritual practice of sitting and listening...<br /><br />you probably think i am crazy on this one...<br /><br />but, i am not...<br /><br />those who are skilled at solitude truly experience god's presence...<br /><br />a perpetual presence...<br /><br />am abiding presence...<br /><br />a faithful presence...<br /><br />we are never alone when we are connecting with god...<br /><br />3. redefining "success"...<br /><br />i used to be so important that i only had time for big stuff...<br /><br />i was a good leader...<br /><br />as i was taught, i did the big stuff that ONLY I could [or should] do...<br /><br />no time for holding hands [even when people were dying]...<br /><br />no interest in listening to the marginalized [like mr price] babble about his loneliness...<br /><br />there was no place in my carefully massaged schedule for "down time" or "non-productive time" [with the little people of the world]...<br /><br />i was important...<br /><br />and busy...<br /><br />bullcrap...<br /><br />i was wrong...<br /><br />really wrong...<br /><br />jesus shows up in some of the simplest things with some of the most insignificant people...<br /><br />a new way of looking at success...<br /><br />4. the paradox of time...<br /><br />we americans have more time-saving gadgets than almost anyone in the world...<br /><br />but we have less time...<br /><br />never time just to hang out...<br /><br />or talk with old people...<br /><br />or let mr price tell the same stories about driving semi trucks for years...<br /><br />or have a too-long dinner with a friend...<br /><br />or drink java on the front porch...<br /><br />two-thirds world folks have more time for this kind of stuff...<br /><br />but we know that they are not really productive [?]...<br /><br />maybe they are just smarter than we are...<br /><br />my patients only have six months to live...<br /><br />very limited time...<br /><br />not much at all...<br /><br />you and i...<br /><br />we have time...<br /><br />much more time...<br /><br />or do we?<br /><br />my patients actually have MORE time for what really counts than we do...<br /><br />wasting moments with friends...<br /><br />doing a whole lot of nothing with family...<br /><br />playing with a dog...<br /><br />reflecting on death...<br /><br />forgiving the harsh people in their lives...<br /><br />remembering...<br /><br />listening to god...<br /><br />so, who really has time...<br /><br />it is a paradox...<br /><br />5. angels...<br /><br />some angels are people...<br /><br />like LPH volunteers...<br /><br />like the folks from the KAIROS micro church...<br /><br />busy people...<br /><br />who are NOT too busy to visit with dying people who have time on their hands...<br /><br />like jimmy...<br /><br />like ileana...<br /><br />like ricky...<br /><br />jesus celebrates YOUR investment in the secret places...<br /><br />he sees your heart...<br /><br />he knows the difference you make...<br /><br />and so do i!!!<br /><br />i am not alone as i write tonight -- jeep is snoring on the bed next to me...<br /><br />what a great friend...<br /><br />plus, i can feel you -- out there in the blogosphere -- we are together...<br /><br />thanks for your partnership...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />by the way, THANK YOU..<br /><br />from my plea last night for help...<br /><br />medium shirts are coming in from TN...<br /><br />women's clothes from another one of my micro church families...<br /><br />an offer of help from NC...<br /><br />WOW!!!<br /><br />i am touched...<br /><br />THANK YOU!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-6452210580206230197?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-63791768854968333852010-03-16T22:28:00.002-04:002010-03-16T23:10:31.117-04:00greetings!<br /><br />i am amazed at the needs of the people i visit in the inner city...<br /><br />real needs...<br /><br />desperate needs...<br /><br />basic physical needs...<br /><br />very basic...<br /><br />food...<br /><br />clothing...<br /><br />shelter...<br /><br />these people are terminally ill -- they are dying...<br /><br />and they have so little...<br /><br />many times, not even the basics...<br /><br />they are dying in dire physical need...<br /><br />sometimes it is overwhelming...<br /><br />so this year, in our planned giving, we budgeted $50 per week for immediate compassion...<br /><br />see a need -- meet a need...<br /><br />seizing every possible moment for blessing in jesus' name...<br /><br />today was an overwhelming day of need after need after need...<br /><br />i burned my whole $50 allowance for the week -- TODAY...<br /><br />not sure what i will do for mr williams on friday...<br /><br />well, i do know -- i can use my lunch money for the rest of the week...<br /><br />it started with mr harris...<br /><br />a 43 year old dying of cirrhosis of the liver...<br /><br />yes, he "earned" his illness...<br /><br />but he has been clean and sober for almost six months now...<br /><br />yea god!!!<br /><br />but his liver is done...<br /><br />he moved out of his house and his landlord won't let him have his clothes...<br /><br />james [my son] is going to try to find him some jeans and shirts tomorrow...<br /><br />i asked james to see what he could get for $20...<br /><br />maybe at goodwill...<br /><br />he wears a size 31 pants...<br /><br />he wears a medium shirt...<br /><br />do you happen to have any clothes this size you would like to give away???<br /><br />no pressure -- just an opportunity...<br /><br />then to ms richardson's...<br /><br />she has no food in the house...<br /><br />she asked for some water and yogurt to get through the week...<br /><br />i had $30 tucked away in my wallet...<br /><br />so, i gave it to her to buy some food for her and her daughter and grandbaby...<br /><br />she also needs clothes...<br /><br />does anyone have any...<br /><br />large blouses???<br /><br />size 8 dresses???<br /><br />size 14 pants???<br /><br />size 8.5 shoes???<br /><br />no pressure -- just an opportunity...<br /><br />mr berry was OK [except for the fact that he is dying of cancer]...<br /><br />and he had just received a reduction in his food stamps...<br /><br />but his family had made up the difference...<br /><br />he had food to eat...<br /><br />he was so grateful to them -- and to god...<br /><br />he had an appointment with the food stamp folks to ask why he had been cut to $49 per month for food???<br /><br />ms pantzis was OK...<br /><br />just lonely...<br /><br />really lonely...<br /><br />and bored...<br /><br />nothing to do and all alone...<br /><br />and scared...<br /><br />scared to die...<br /><br />she was wondering what it would be like to be confined in the box???<br /><br />at leaast she had food...<br /><br />how???<br /><br />her husband is still working as a paint and body tech at 83 years old...<br /><br />yes, i did say 83!!!<br /><br />her house almost made me yak...<br /><br />she is confined to a chair...<br /><br />she has 3 dogs in the house...<br /><br />they had used the bathroom all over the floor...<br /><br />my shoes literally stuck to the floor as i walked in...<br /><br />the smell was almost too much...<br /><br />i almost lost breakfast...<br /><br />then to mr mcclaskey's...<br /><br />he was so short of breath...<br /><br />he could hardly breathe...<br /><br />he was waiting on a visit from a LPH resource associate who was going to help him to apply for foodstamps...<br /><br />i asked him if he had been eating...<br /><br />no not really...<br /><br />not eating well...<br /><br />not eating very often...<br /><br />we are out of food...<br /><br />i am about out of money [since i can only be trusted with so much cash at the time --ha! ha!]...<br /><br />i give him a $5 bill and five $1 dollar bills...<br /><br />his whole face lit up...<br /><br />he promised to pay me back...<br /><br />i told him it was a gift from jesus -- no need to pay me back...<br /><br />god would return it to me -- somehow...<br /><br />he said he could feed the whole trailer cheeseburgers tonight...<br /><br />it was so little, but he was so thrilled...<br /><br />the room in his trailer in claire mel city was so dirty, i almost lost my lunch...<br /><br />no wonder he can't breathe...<br /><br />i closed my day at ms harris place...<br /><br />my emotions were done...<br /><br />i don't think i had much left to give...<br /><br />i didn't feel all that great about what i gave to this family at the end of the day...<br /><br />i felt empty...<br /><br />she could not talk...<br /><br />cancer of the larynx...<br /><br />her voicebox had been removed...<br /><br />i really don't know how much she was in need...<br /><br />i was out of it by now...<br /><br />my tank was on E...<br /><br />please pray for me tonight...<br /><br />i need a filling up...<br /><br />and i need to win the lottery...<br /><br />more to give away...<br /><br />ha! ha!<br /><br />thanks for listening...<br /><br />please help with the clothing if you can...<br /><br />BUT NO EXPECTATIONS...<br /><br />the fork is in me -- i am done...<br /><br />good night...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />there will be more grace available for tomorrow...<br /><br />i am sure of it...<br /><br />god's buffet of grace never runs out...<br /><br />it is fresh every morning!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-6379176885496833385?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-30129700000837005542010-03-15T22:35:00.002-04:002010-03-15T22:40:26.185-04:00greetings...<br /><br />want to know what happens when you don't go to the dentist for over 15+ years???<br /><br />no, you don't...<br /><br />i did go today...<br /><br />had not been since cartersville days...<br /><br />had to go...<br /><br />a BAD toothache...<br /><br />i was there for 3 hours...<br /><br />and, that is only the first installment...<br /><br />my mouth still hurts...<br /><br />it is not easy to have spiritual thoughts when your mouth hurts this bad...<br /><br />think i am going to bathe my mouth and gums in oragel...<br /><br />and hit the sack...<br /><br />my prayer tonight is simply and honestly...<br /><br />HELP LORD!!!<br /><br />blessings!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />thanks for your grace tonight -- and for your prayers...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-3012970000083700554?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-40116999292637573222010-03-14T21:27:00.002-04:002010-03-14T21:42:27.932-04:00greetings...<br /><br />back home in tampa...<br /><br />wonderful weekend...<br /><br />but i am dead tired...<br /><br />it was great to see the fam...<br /><br />james is home from lee u...<br /><br />i am so proud of him [and his brothers and court as well]...<br /><br />great to see nancy...<br /><br />and jeep -- we wore ourselves out playing and walking...<br /><br />he also went to home church tonight for a meet and greet...<br /><br />a thought before i close out the night...<br /><br />what is the greatest enemy of faith?<br /><br />many would say doubt...<br /><br />i used to think so...<br /><br />not any more...<br /><br />doubt is a problem for sure...<br /><br />but it is too cerebral -- a mind thing...<br /><br />we try and educate our way into greater faith...<br /><br />it hasn't worked...<br /><br />i am convinced the greatest enemy of faith is FEAR...<br /><br />that is gutteral...<br /><br />that is deep...<br /><br />it is a faith destroyer...<br /><br />but, perfect love is supposed to drive out all fear...<br /><br />how?<br /><br />maybe the antidote for fear is the PRESENCE of God...<br /><br />perfect love -- maturing love -- growing love...<br /><br />is about realizing and celebrating the presence of the lord...<br /><br />god never leaves...<br /><br />god never forsakes...<br /><br />god never abandons...<br /><br />god knows us completely...<br /><br />and still loves us totally...<br /><br />awareness and internalization of that brings the experience of intimacy...<br /><br />love of another kind...<br /><br />god's faithful and forceful presence...<br /><br />living in this secure reality...<br /><br />we feel and experience our way out of fear through relationship...<br /><br />a gut thing [not a mind thing]...<br /><br />living in his presence...<br /><br />brings courage...<br /><br />and trust...<br /><br />and faith...<br /><br />have a blessed week...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4011699929263757322?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-84767598871858698262010-03-13T20:47:00.002-05:002010-03-13T21:16:38.749-05:00good evening...<br /><br />most of us have an idea what the Church is...<br /><br />with a big C...<br /><br />but what about the church...<br /><br />with a little c...<br /><br />the local and visible expression of the global and invisible reality...<br /><br />what makes a church a church???<br /><br />authentically???<br /><br />i spent last night and all day today with my friends at trinity EPC in ft pierce trying to answer that question...<br /><br />not for the whole world...<br /><br />just for them...<br /><br />as a spiritual family...<br /><br />what does it take for them to be a true church...<br /><br />a "successful" church...<br /><br />we tried to approach this question from the "gut"...<br /><br />not just the brain...<br /><br />we prayed...<br /><br />and prayed...<br /><br />really prayed...<br /><br />we craved a word from the Lord...<br /><br />we needed to hear from god...<br /><br />we did!!!<br /><br />here's what we heard together as we listened...<br /><br />as brian would say, the ecclesial minimum is clear...<br /><br />for trinity to be a church, three realities must be present...<br /><br />WORSHIP...<br /><br />lifting up jesus...<br /><br />in many and varied ways...<br /><br />the sacraments...<br /><br />the word...<br /><br />music...<br /><br />lifestyle...<br /><br />our whole being worshiping jesus!<br /><br />it may be a boombox, not a praise band...<br /><br />at least for now...<br /><br />but with hearts overflowing with praise and worship...<br /><br />COMMUNITY...<br /><br />the core group of about 12 at trinity...<br /><br />really loves each other...<br /><br />in the words of acts, they "strengthen and encourage" one another...<br /><br />they have a passion for doing life together...<br /><br />and what is even better...<br /><br />they have identified this sense of "belonging" as one of their gifts as a body...<br /><br />AND they want to give this gift away to others who are lonely and rejected...<br /><br />to those feeling they do not belong...<br /><br />the spiritually homeless...<br /><br />MISSION [service]...<br /><br />trinity got honest...<br /><br />"this is where we are missing it!"<br /><br />true confession is the key to change...<br /><br />and moving forward with god...<br /><br />WE WILL MISS MISSION NO MORE!!!<br /><br />they purposed to each one be more missional as christ followers...<br /><br />in their personal lives...<br /><br />AND...<br /><br />to open their hearts to pursue a god-given mission TOGETHER...<br /><br />since i was the youngest person in the room, they decided to focus on the elderly...<br /><br />it is who we are...<br /><br />so let's make it a blessing...<br /><br />focus on widows and widowers...<br /><br />especially those in nursing homes...<br /><br />the lonely...<br /><br />the abandoned...<br /><br />the forsaken...<br /><br />"what if we did sunday worship at a local nursing home and included the patients???"<br /><br />we could hold their hand...<br /><br />we could visit with them...<br /><br />we could invite their families to all worship with us...<br /><br />we could pass on our gift of love, belonging and community to them...<br /><br />we could serve them in jesus' name...<br /><br />success would be measured by faithfulness, not just numbers...<br /><br />faithfulness to...<br /><br />worship jesus...<br /><br />share community...<br /><br />pursue mission...<br /><br />doing so with the right heart will bring fruit...<br /><br />spiritual growth...<br /><br />and numerical growth...<br /><br />if the people can't come to us, let's go to them...<br /><br />i feel good...<br /><br />time well invested...<br /><br />thank you god...<br /><br />i am so proud of my friends at trinity!<br /><br />well, time to get a sermon together for the a.m.<br /><br />and, i am already losing an hour tonight...<br /><br />enjoy the 4th sunday of lent tomorrow...<br /><br />blessings!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />the sunset was so beautiful here tonight down the atlantic inlet looking west...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-8476759887185869826?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-5529816815382750712010-03-12T22:08:00.002-05:002010-03-12T23:01:52.870-05:00greetings!<br /><br />i love road trips...<br /><br />like the one this afternoon from tampa to ft pierce...<br /><br />why?<br /><br />the open road...<br /><br />driving in a rainstorm...<br /><br />i love rain and wind [and lightning and thunder]...<br /><br />listening to brian preach for awhile...<br /><br />listening to worship music for awhile...<br /><br />miles and miles of confessing my sins [ha! ha! -- the drive to ft pierce is not that long for me to get my confession in]...<br /><br />knowing i am getting close to my destination when i am in range of way-fm in palm beach county...<br /><br />my favorite station...<br /><br />SILENCE...<br /><br />long periods of silence...<br /><br />solitude...<br /><br />conversations with myself...<br /><br />and with god...<br /><br />then a phone call as a special blessing tonight from yee haw to vero beach...<br /><br />it was a kairos moment...<br /><br />a word from the lord for me...<br /><br />about trusting my spiritual "gut" and not just my brain...<br /><br />did you know that there are just as many neurotransmitters in the gut...<br /><br />as there are in the brain???<br /><br />the hebrews knew it...<br /><br />easterners know it...<br /><br />they trust their "gut"...<br /><br />a place to hear and "feel" god...<br /><br />a deeper knowing in one's "knower"...<br /><br />greeks opted for the brain...<br /><br />westerners focus on the mind and logic...<br /><br />the christian faith seems to have been hijacked along the way...<br /><br />what was once a faith of the "gut"...<br /><br />became a religion of the brain...<br /><br />i am convinced we lost much in this unfortunate transition...<br /><br />so tonight...<br /><br />i went internal...<br /><br />into my gut...<br /><br />asking the holy spirit to fill me and overflow me...<br /><br />i asked for "rivers of living water to gush out of me"...<br /><br />and keep gushing...<br /><br />in my youth, i was ashamed of my pentecostal roots...<br /><br />so many kooks...<br /><br />granolas [fruits, flakes and nuts]...<br /><br />church was just plain weird at times...<br /><br />so i rejected the gut and pursued the mind...<br /><br />and kept pursuing the mind...<br /><br />i wanted a reasoned faith...<br /><br />something respectable...<br /><br />BUT, there was [and is] something authentically real to the gutteral realities of my pentecostal roots...<br /><br />maybe i had to become a presbyterian in order to feel at home as a pentecostal...<br /><br />i do know that the cold cerebralism of presbyterianism is death...<br /><br />and a quite painful one at that...<br /><br />i want the life of the gut...<br /><br />of the spirit...<br /><br />and, i can have that fullness without the freakishness of pentecostalism on bad religious steroids...<br /><br />i want the reality...<br /><br />not some tired and worn out tradition...<br /><br />by the way, i love presbyterians and pentecostals -- just making a point for me...<br /><br />so what happened tonight???<br /><br />i was a little shocked...<br /><br />something in my gut broke loose during our prayer on the phone...<br /><br />yes i was watching and praying -- no wrecks...<br /><br />tears burst forth...<br /><br />a prayer language poured out...<br /><br />peace invaded my spirit [that had been in turmoil for hours as i had tried to get out of tampa]...<br /><br />i felt courage for the opportunity of the weekend at ft pierce...<br /><br />i felt "warm" within...<br /><br />so cool...<br /><br />i am asking god to empower me to follow him...<br /><br />with all my gut...<br /><br />and with all my mind...<br /><br />and with compassionate and serving hands...<br /><br />what about you???<br /><br />i am in ft pierce now...<br /><br />i can see the water from my hotel room...<br /><br />wish nancy was here...<br /><br />and jeep...<br /><br />i did figure out how to connect with the internet...<br /><br />bet you are surprised...<br /><br />jamming to way-fm...<br /><br />relaxing on the balcony...<br /><br />watching the night lights glimmer on the intercoastal...<br /><br />yea god!<br /><br />goodnight...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />nancy and josh -- please give jeep a BIG HUG for me...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-552981681538275071?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-85130324092094824532010-03-11T19:00:00.002-05:002010-03-11T20:10:43.229-05:00greetings!<br /><br />a friend sent me the following as a reflection on yesterday's entry...<br /><br />thank you donald...<br /><br />"from angry conversations with god...<br /><br />a conversation between a counselor and a counselee:<br /><br />rudy: it’s a horrifying gift to see yourself as you really are.<br /><br />susan: i got the horrifying part. what’s the gift?<br /><br />rudy: you know how much god loves you. not because you’re good, but because you’re his. and now you know what you need to change. [page 220]<br /><br />excellent...<br /><br />today i was reflecting on something my friend M.E. said last night in his testimony...<br /><br />at his gradualtion from his six-month sobriety program at the salvation army...<br /><br />he said one of the most important things he learned in the program was to "shut up and listen..."<br /><br />great wisdom...<br /><br />part of my journey over the past four years has dealt with the wisdom of listening...<br /><br />the old two ears one mouth parable...<br /><br />guess god knew what he was doing...<br /><br />i love what nouwen says...<br /><br />"to listen is very hard, because it asks of us so much interior stability that we no longer need to prove ourselves by speeches, arguments, statements or declarations... <br /><br />true listeners no longer have an inner need to make their presence known... <br /><br />they are free to receive, to welcome, to accept...<br /><br />listening is much more than allowing another to talk while waiting for a chance to respond...<br /><br />listening is paying full attention to others and welcoming them into our very beings...<br /><br />the beauty of listening is that, those who are listened to start feeling accepted, start taking their words more seriously and discovering their own true selves...<br /><br />listening is a form of spiritual hospitality by which you invite strangers to become friends, to get to know their inner selves more fully and even to dare to be silent with you..."<br /><br />here's a haunting thought...<br /><br />how many people do you know "who dare to be silent with you"???<br /><br />thank you nancy!<br /><br />i remember the story of the desert father who was hosting a very important religious leader from rome...<br /><br />the entire time the religious luminary was visiting in the community, the old desert father said absolutely nothing...<br /><br />he remained silent...<br /><br />when the dignatary left and returned to rome, some of the younger monks in the community were indignant...<br /><br />why didn't you edify the important visitor from rome with your wise conversation?<br /><br />the old sage simply said...<br /><br />if he was not edified by my silence, there is no chance he would have been edified by my much-speaking...<br /><br />wish i was that wise...<br /><br />i think it is proverbs that reminds us that it is better to keep our mouths closed and let people wonder about our wisdom, than to open our lips and confirm to all who listen that we really are fools...<br /><br />'nuff said...<br /><br />good night...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-8513032409209482453?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-27295503324690376112010-03-10T21:10:00.002-05:002010-03-10T22:16:20.855-05:00greetings...<br /><br />i first met M.E. last summer...<br /><br />he stumbled in drunk to the hub [at the tampa underground]...<br /><br />he was directed to my class on spiritual formation...<br /><br />it was exciting...<br /><br />straight off the street...<br /><br />living behind a building in ybor...<br /><br />drinking beer all day...<br /><br />choosing not to bathe...<br /><br />a pretty rough dude...<br /><br />he was NOT a compliant student...<br /><br />he tried to take over the class...<br /><br />he scared some of the summer interns...<br /><br />but, he was there...<br /><br />with us...<br /><br />i was thankful...<br /><br />he and i had a word after class...<br /><br />"M.E., i want you here -- in this class -- but do NOT come again drunk..."<br /><br />"respect me and i will respect you -- OK???"<br /><br />it began a friendship...<br /><br />he came almost every week...<br /><br />he engaged the material...<br /><br />at times he was right on...<br /><br />he surprised me with his insight...<br /><br />he really applied himself...<br /><br />he began to grow...<br /><br />he really added to the class...<br /><br />then, the summer institute was over...<br /><br />i tried to stay in touch with M.E. at the weekend services...<br /><br />but, suddenly he was missing...<br /><br />i was so worried...<br /><br />did he leave the city?<br /><br />was he back on the street?<br /><br />did he fall off the wagon?<br /><br />was he drinking again?<br /><br />was he MIA for good?<br /><br />then, i got an invitation this week...<br /><br />i was invited to a graduation tonight at the salvation army center in north tampa...<br /><br />M.E. was graduating from the six month arc [adult rehab center] residency program...<br /><br />six months clean and sober...<br /><br />six month living in biblical community...<br /><br />six months toward the beginning of a brand new life...<br /><br />AWESOME!!!<br /><br />did i go?<br /><br />you bet!<br /><br />there was M.E...<br /><br />in a suit and tie...<br /><br />clean and all slicked up...<br /><br />a picture of joy...<br /><br />i cannot express just how proud i felt...<br /><br />i had feared the worst...<br /><br />god had blessed us with the best...<br /><br />about 10 or so members of the underground family were present to cheer for M.E.<br /><br />we were all so proud...<br /><br />i am so glad to be a part of a spiritual family like this...<br /><br />matthew 25 in real life...<br /><br />M.E. is staying on in the program...<br /><br />he is serious about this new life in jesus...<br /><br />did i mention that i am so proud of my friend?<br /><br />blessings!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />it was also cool to see a second underground guy just beginning the program this last week -- please join me in praying for R.P.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2729550332469037611?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-30227126041183499722010-03-09T20:41:00.002-05:002010-03-09T21:19:46.903-05:00greetings!<br /><br />we are over halfway home for the 40 days of lent...<br /><br />two things on my mind tonight...<br /><br />[1] revisiting one of my greatest breakthroughs in my growing up and recovery...<br /><br />it was over a year ago now...<br /><br />my spiritual director confronted me with a question...<br /><br />in front of god and everybody...<br /><br />right in the middle of one of my whining sprees about failures in love...<br /><br />my failures in loving...<br /><br />the failures of others to really love me...<br /><br />the church confusing me about the really good news of god's radical and unconditional love...<br /><br />poor, poor, pitiful me...<br /><br />my laundry list came out...<br /><br />going down the list of those whose withheld affection or toxic love had hurt me...<br /><br />left me as damaged goods...<br /><br />i was wearing out that old tape...<br /><br />what i coulda done...<br /><br />what i shoulda done...<br /><br />what i oughta done...<br /><br />jim interupted me [thankfully]...<br /><br />maybe he was tired of hearing it...<br /><br />i was getting tired of rehearsing it [and never getting unstuck and moving forward]...<br /><br />"maybe you did the best you could with what you had to work with at the time???"<br /><br />"maybe everybody else did the best they could do with what they had to work with at the time???"<br /><br />"maybe..."<br /><br />could it be???<br /><br />i could leave the past behind...<br /><br />move to the present...<br /><br />live in the moment...<br /><br />focus on TODAY...<br /><br />maybe i was the best father i could be at that time...<br /><br />maybe i was using all the resources that i had at that time...<br /><br />maybe my dad was doing all he could do with what he had at that time...<br /><br />maybe i was the best husband i could be at that time...<br /><br />maybe i was using all the resources at my disposal at that stage in my development...<br /><br />maybe...<br /><br />so what???<br /><br />maybe i should move forward with...<br /><br />no excuses...<br /><br />no regrets...<br /><br />no shame...<br /><br />no guilt...<br /><br />no condemnation...<br /><br />for me...<br /><br />or others...<br /><br />making amends is right on...<br /><br />restitution is wise...<br /><br />saying sorry...meaning it...then moving on...<br /><br />moving on...<br /><br />a better dad...<br /><br />growing in love...<br /><br />a more grace-filled son...<br /><br />a better husband...<br /><br />growing in love...<br /><br />finally growing up at mid-life...<br /><br />not cursing what i have not been...<br /><br />but, developing new skills which will release me to be a blessing to others...<br /><br />making the most of what i am becoming...<br /><br />it is a better journey...<br /><br />note the following thought from nouwen on "reflecting god's perfect love"...<br /><br />"God's love for us is everlasting. <br /><br />That means that God's love for us existed before we were born and will exist after we have died. <br /><br />It is an eternal love in which we are embraced. <br /><br />Living a spiritual life calls us to claim that eternal love for ourselves so that we can live our temporal loves - for parents, brothers, sisters, teachers, friends, spouses, and all people who become part of our lives - as reflections or refractions of God's eternal love. <br /><br />No fathers or mothers can love their children perfectly. <br /><br />No husbands or wives can love each other with unlimited love. <br /><br />There is no human love that is not broken somewhere.<br /><br />When our broken love is the only love we can have, we are easily thrown into despair, but when we can live our broken love as a partial reflection of God's perfect, unconditional love, we can forgive one another our limitations and enjoy together the love we have to offer."<br /><br />no human love is perfect...<br /><br />all our best attempts are stained by our brokenness...<br /><br />let's move forward...<br /><br />making the most of who we are becoming...<br /><br />if i can do this [with help and support]...<br /><br />SO CAN YOU...<br /><br />[2] lessons from today...<br /><br />i will save this one for tomorrow...<br /><br />goodnight...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-3022712604118349972?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-79333392835084540742010-03-08T21:32:00.004-05:002010-03-08T22:11:13.156-05:00greetings!<br /><br />have i mentioned lately how much i love henri nouwen?<br /><br />can't wait to meet him in heaven...<br /><br />YES, i am sure he is there...<br /><br />he had his problems...<br /><br />but...<br /><br />so do i...<br /><br />do you have yours???<br /><br />thank god, it's not about our goodness -- it is about grace...<br /><br />grace greater than our capacity to screw it up...<br /><br />nouwen always seems to put into words the secret places of my heart...<br /><br />i have needed him over the past four years to take me to internal places where i really did NOT want to go...<br /><br />but where i most needed to go...<br /><br />he has been a welcomed candle giving a flickering, fragile flame to my spirit...<br /><br />chasing away entire rooms of stubborn and long-standing darkness...<br /><br />the holy spirit has used his writings to re-awaken my mid-life soul...<br /><br />given my childhood, i have spent most of my adult life asking God to expand my heart beyond prejudice...<br /><br />to give me his love of another kind that speaks a brutal and welcomed death to pre-judging...<br /><br />to become an authentically nonjudgemental presence in this world...<br /><br />check this out...<br /><br />"One of the hardest spiritual tasks is to live without prejudices. <br /><br />Sometimes we aren't even aware how deeply rooted our prejudices are. <br /><br />We may think that we relate to people who are different from us in colour, religion, sexual orientation, or lifestyle as equals, but in concrete circumstances our spontaneous thoughts, uncensored words, and knee-jerk reactions often reveal that our prejudices are still there.<br /><br />Strangers, people different than we are, stir up fear, discomfort, suspicion, and hostility. <br /><br />They make us lose our sense of security just by being 'other.' <br /><br />Only when we fully claim that God loves us in an unconditional way and look at 'those other persons' as equally loved can we begin to discover that the great variety in being human is an expression of the immense richness of God's heart. <br /><br />Then the need to prejudge people can gradually disappear."<br /><br />want to join me on this journey...<br /><br />let's walk into the wholeness of love together...<br /><br />shalom...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />my eyes are VERY heavy -- good night...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7933339283508454074?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-2638604582271395682010-03-07T22:04:00.003-05:002010-03-07T22:12:52.082-05:00good evening...<br /><br />we just got in from orlando...<br /><br />nancy and i spent the day with her sister kathy and her family who were in the area for vacation...<br /><br />a great visit...<br /><br />good food...<br /><br />deep sharing...<br /><br />heart connecting...<br /><br />when i got home, i saw this from henri nouwen:<br /><br />"In my own life I well know how hard it is for me to trust that I am loved, and to trust that the intimacy I most crave is there for me. <br /><br />I most often live as if I have to earn love, do something noteworthy, and then perhaps I might get something in return. <br /><br />This attitude touches the whole question of what is called in the spiritual life, the 'first love.' <br /><br />Do I really believe that I am loved first, independent of what I do or what I accomplish? <br /><br />This is an important question because as long as I think that what I most need I have to earn, deserve and collect by hard work, I will never get what I most need and desire, which is a love that cannot be earned, but that is freely given. <br /><br />Thus, my return is my willingness to renounce such thoughts and to choose to live more and more from my true identity as a cherished child of God."<br /><br />living in full security as a beloved child frees us to live with indomitable courage!<br /><br />be bold...<br /><br />blessings!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />Jeep is a wild man -- acting like a true two-year-old tonight -- guess he missed his long walk at the park today...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-263860458227139568?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-42798148793755731122010-03-06T18:11:00.002-05:002010-03-06T18:40:54.320-05:00day #18<br /><br />go Peyton Manning!!!<br /><br />my favorite #18...<br /><br />moving on...<br /><br />went to the farm today and cut firewood...<br /><br />hopefully my last truckload of the year...<br /><br />i love cool weather, but enough is enough...<br /><br />i hurried back to the city for an afternoon funeral...<br /><br />have you ever noticed how much human beings want to "belong"???<br /><br />more on that later...<br /><br />still reflecting on "conversion"...<br /><br />seems that conversion must have at least three components [as a beginning point]...<br /><br />[1] it has a "head" piece -- it involves belief, trust -- thinking and reflecting...<br /><br />it does matter what you trust in...<br /><br />believing that god is -- god is there [and here and everywhere] -- existence...<br /><br />believing that god is relational -- god loves...<br /><br />believing that god is personal -- god loves me -- god desires relationship with me...<br /><br />[2] it has a "heart" piece -- it involves intimacy, engagement and passion -- connecting with god and others...<br /><br />not enough just to believe [even if one believes correctly] -- there must be the experience of love...<br /><br />transformation happens when love happens -- love of god, of others and of self...<br /><br />[3] it has a "hand" piece -- it involves what we believe and what we experience relationally being lived out in service to others...<br /><br />conversion has a very practical side -- matthew 25 -- doing the stuff that jesus would do to the least, the last and the lost...<br /><br />god is not so awed by our head and heart UNLESS the hands are active in serving -- the proof is in the praxis!!!<br /><br />have you ever been to an elks funeral?<br /><br />i never had, until today...<br /><br />i don't want to say much -- some angry elk man may grab their antlers off their altar and come after me...<br /><br />no, i am not kidding...<br /><br />BIG antlers on the altar...<br /><br />let me just say that it was different...<br /><br />VERY different...<br /><br />all that being said...<br /><br />i walked into a real community...<br /><br />NO KIDDING!<br /><br />these people loved each other...<br /><br />they honored their fallen elk man...<br /><br />they celebrated his life...<br /><br />comforted his family...<br /><br />and each other...<br /><br />they ate together [or grazed???] after the service...<br /><br />i was hungry so i became an elk for a meal and grazed with them...<br /><br />they had a whole protocol...<br /><br />an elk charter...<br /><br />please don't take this as a negative...<br /><br />they seemed like a bunch of boys who had their very own treehouse...<br /><br />they wanted to BELONG...<br /><br />that is not weird or bizarre and unusual...<br /><br />elks are like all the rest of us in the sense that they too want to BELONG...<br /><br />communitas is a priority for us as human persons...<br /><br />and it is central to our conversion...<br /><br />i am no longer assured that this means that we all have to be part of a local church for this conversion thing to happen...<br /><br />BUT, we must be living and loving within a true biblical communitas...<br /><br />not only do we desire each other...<br /><br />WE NEED EACH OTHER!!!<br /><br />are you plugged into a place where you really belong?<br /><br />communitas is essential to our ongoing conversion...<br /><br />but i am sure that antlers are optional...<br /><br />let's walk this journey TOGETHER...<br /><br />pax...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />by the way, elks know how to graze -- the food was awesome...<br /><br />the memorial service was phenomenal as well...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4279814879375573112?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-13950008924009123532010-03-05T22:46:00.002-05:002010-03-05T23:05:18.413-05:00good friday evening...<br /><br />every day is a learning experience...<br /><br />we learn from people all around us...<br /><br />some are so "sharp" that we expect to learn from them...<br /><br />others are so "common" that we may wonder what "they" can possibly teach us...<br /><br />mentorship is always mutual [i am so glad floyd mcclung taught me that early on]...<br /><br />floyd always said that the unmistakable mark of an arrogant person is that they were no longer teachable -- they already think they know everything...<br /><br />he encouraged me, as a young dude [still pretty full of myself and probably some other stuff as well -- ha! ha!] -- keep on learning...<br /><br />everyday...<br /><br />in every way possible...<br /><br />from everyone god brings into your life...<br /><br />god teaches us through some unlikely vessels...<br /><br />my best lesson today came out of nowhere...<br /><br />i wasn't expecting it -- or prepared for it...<br /><br />it was from mr williams...<br /><br />he was struggling to breathe today...<br /><br />"guy, i can't get a deep breath right now..."<br /><br />only one week into his 69th year...<br /><br />after some small talk, i asked him about his spirit...<br /><br />how are you doing in your spirit today mr williams?<br /><br />i am doing great...<br /><br />then he said it...<br /><br />"i started today like i do EVERY DAY of my life...<br /><br />i asked jesus to guide my way...<br /><br />i want him to direct my steps...<br /><br />i want to walk in his ways...<br /><br />i want to please him...<br /><br />no side-stepping...<br /><br />no getting out of line...<br /><br />I NEED JESUS!"<br /><br />guess mr williams is much more spiritual than me...<br /><br />he is and was a fitting teacher...<br /><br />i stopped and wrote down his maxim...<br /><br />what wisdom...<br /><br />this sounds a lot like "conversion" to me...<br /><br />what do you think???<br /><br />blessings...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />who did you learn from today???<br /><br />let's be ready tomorrow and stay open for the wise gems that may be coming from god through some unexpected source[s]...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-1395000892400912353?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-45953238893918267832010-03-04T21:07:00.002-05:002010-03-04T21:38:13.165-05:00good evening...<br /><br />life gets so busy...<br /><br />life moves so fast...<br /><br />life seems like a whirlwind at times...<br /><br />how do we chill?<br /><br />how do we mash pause?<br /><br />how do we pursue what the spiritual masters call the practice of "slowing"?<br /><br />i got a lesson today...<br /><br />i visited deborah one month ago today...<br /><br />she was alert and oriented...<br /><br />she was sick, she had cancer...<br /><br />but she seemed "fine" for the time being...<br /><br />we were talking at a surface level during this last visit and then she opened up...<br /><br />"guy, i am afraid to die..."<br /><br />we went deeper really fast...<br /><br />we were making such great progress, but then she ran out of energy...<br /><br />"i am so tired -- can we pick this up next time?"<br /><br />sounded OK...<br /><br />ot would only be a month...<br /><br />so today was the day...<br /><br />but there would be no deep spiritual interaction today...<br /><br />what a change!<br /><br />deborah's breathing was so labored...<br /><br />she was struggling just to get her breath...<br /><br />she was semi-conscious...<br /><br />not alert...<br /><br />totally disoriented...<br /><br />the silence was deafening...<br /><br />broken only infrequently by an occasional unintelligible groan...<br /><br />it seemed she was saying "help me"...<br /><br />a prayer???<br /><br />what could i do???<br /><br />nothing...<br /><br />then god planted a thought...<br /><br />"spend an hour holding her hand..."<br /><br />doing nothing interactive...<br /><br />doing nothing "productive" as a board certified chaplain...<br /><br />doing nothing that would be noticed...<br /><br />just pray...<br /><br />just sing [very quietly of course]...<br /><br />just read the psalms...<br /><br />just comfort her when she groans...<br /><br />just chill...<br /><br />just wait...<br /><br />just "be there"...<br /><br />the first five minutes seemed like a year...<br /><br />i felt i had done everything i could in about ten minutes...<br /><br />OK god, really, 45 more minutes???<br /><br />i focused on her hand...<br /><br />holding it...<br /><br />returning an occasional squeeze...<br /><br />comforting her when she stirred...<br /><br />presence really does matter...<br /><br />well, i made it...<br /><br />one whole hour...<br /><br />my body had relaxed...<br /><br />my soul was at peace...<br /><br />my spirit felt connected...<br /><br />thank you lord for real-life lessons...<br /><br />i am much better for it!<br /><br />i wonder if deborah will live through the night???<br /><br />pax et bonum...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />i am still thinking about "conversion" -- what is it -- REALLY???<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4595323889391826783?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-50807035460428019972010-03-03T20:05:00.002-05:002010-03-03T21:03:15.370-05:00good evening...<br /><br />i sinned at lunch today...<br /><br />please don't tell nancy...<br /><br />i was sitting at a chinese restaurant in south tampa eating sesame chicken for lunch...<br /><br />not good...<br /><br />[but it sure tasted great...]<br /><br />i was sitting there reflecting on a richard rohr quote about "conversion"...<br /><br />i wrote in my journal: "what is conversion really???"<br /><br />wonder if it has anything to do with overcoming gluttony -- ha! ha!<br /><br />in the middle of it all, god redeemed my sinfulness...<br /><br />a homeless guy walked in and started begging the asian hostess for a cup of rice...<br /><br />"i am so hungry -- PLEASE!!!"<br /><br />she brought him a little container of rice...<br /><br />he was relieved...<br /><br />i heard god say to do something more...<br /><br />so i walked up and asked if he would like some sesame chicken...<br /><br />he broke out in a smile...<br /><br />a $6 investment...<br /><br />jimmy sat down at the table with me while they were preparing his food...<br /><br />as we talked, the lady at the table next to us had her leftovers packaged and gave them to him...<br /><br />he was from stone mountain GA...<br /><br />he had lost his job and was living on the street in south tampa...<br /><br />he was struggling with life -- and with god...<br /><br />not really "all there..."<br /><br />pretty angry...<br /><br />"how can you say that god really cares and watches out for us???"<br /><br />"i try to trust god, but i just got beat up by two guys on nebraska..."<br /><br />"where was god then?"<br /><br />i shared my thought that god is always around...<br /><br />in the good and in the not so good...<br /><br />sometimes bad stuff just happens...<br /><br />before it was all over, jimmy had a bag of food...<br /><br />he will eat for a whole day [at least]...<br /><br />i suggested that maybe his blessing might have come from god...<br /><br />he smiled...<br /><br />we hugged and he left...<br /><br />i blessed him...<br /><br />the richard rohr quote:<br /><br />"conversion, the movement toward the Lord, is a process of disenchantment with the ego, recognizing how truly afraid and poor it is. <br /><br />the only way people can ever be freed from their fears is to be freed from themselves...<br /><br />there is almost a complete correlation between the amount of fear in our lives and the amount of attachment we have to ourselves...<br /><br />the person who is beyond fear has given up the need to control or possess...<br /><br />that one says, i am who i am in god's eyes -- nothing more, nothing less...<br /><br />i don't need to impress you because i am who i am, and not who you think i am -- or who i think i am...<br /><br />in christ, you do not need the false self...<br /><br />you have faced the enemy once and for all and, guess what?<br /><br />it's YOU!"<br /><br />what is conversion???<br /><br />think i will reflect on that in the morning when my brain is fresh again...<br /><br />think i am done thinking for the night...<br /><br />blessings!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />i wonder if conversion has anything to do with feeding the hungry?<br /><br />maybe that is what jesus would do...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5080703546042801997?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-58932802574721744512010-03-02T21:40:00.002-05:002010-03-02T22:02:21.321-05:00greetings!<br /><br />Jeep just crawled up on the couch and laid down -- he is so handsome...<br /><br />i am amazed at how much i love this little dog...<br /><br />he now weighs 45 pounds at 5 months old...<br /><br />he brings a calm to the whole house...<br /><br />i love this thought from richard rohr...<br /><br />"action and contemplation are the two polarities that regulate and balance the faith-filled life. it saddens me that most christianity is right in the middle. it is neither radical interiority nor radical engagement. you don't learn much in the mediocre middle, and you don't have much to give..."<br /><br />my experience is almost the same...<br /><br />so much of christianity is ALL action...<br /><br />so much of christianity is ALL contemplation...<br /><br />all doing or...<br /><br />all being...<br /><br />all outward or...<br /><br />all inward...<br /><br />NOT!!!<br /><br />authentic jesus followers are BOTH...<br /><br />not in the mediocre middle...<br /><br />not sliding to either of the polar extremes...<br /><br />BUT living in the exciting and creative tension where action and contemplation embrace in a fruitful and passionate kiss...<br /><br />sexy spirituality huh???<br /><br />seriously...<br /><br />in my life...<br /><br />i want action!<br /><br />i want contemplation!<br /><br />not one or the other, BUT BOTH!<br /><br />i am coming to the place in my life where i want NOTHING to do with spirituality that is not radically committed to both the inner and the outer...<br /><br />contemplation without action is empty...<br /><br />action without contemplation lacks substance...<br /><br />what do you think???<br /><br />what difference will it make???<br /><br />blessings!!!<br /><br />guy <br /><br />i am headed over to give Jeep a BIG hug...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5893280257472174451?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-53768581748684612492010-03-01T20:04:00.002-05:002010-03-01T21:24:06.266-05:00greetings!<br /><br />i am tired...<br /><br />got in from work after 5...<br /><br />walked 5 laps at the track...<br /><br />you might ask why???<br /><br />annual trip to the cardiologist this morning...<br /><br />he verbally spanked me [a good thing]...<br /><br />oh well...<br /><br />after walking, gave Jeep a bath -- he and i both had fun...<br /><br />he is smelling great and chillin' in front of the fireplace...<br /><br />a leftover thought from scripture last night at micro church...<br /><br />we discussed it sitting around the firepit -- awesome...<br /><br />1 john 4.18: "there is no fear in love. but perfect love drives out fear. because fear has to do with punishment. the one who fears is not made perfect in love..."<br /><br />how does fear relate to punishment?<br /><br />a great question for the week...<br /><br />shalom...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5376858174868461249?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-20123058234899937182010-02-28T16:08:00.002-05:002010-02-28T16:31:32.400-05:00a gorgeous day...<br /><br />sun is out...<br /><br />temp has climbed to 60+...<br /><br />we had an awesome morning at the tampa underground...<br /><br />i spoke on "jesus in his father's house" [from john 2.13-25]...<br /><br />so cool...<br /><br />i was blown away by the last phrase in verse 25 -- jesus knows what is in every human person [including ME and YOU]...<br /><br />at first, this scared me spitless -- my old false self reacted: "if God really knows me, how could he possibly love me..."<br /><br />but, that's NOT the good news...<br /><br />the gospel is that jesus knows everything about all of us and still loves us as his beloved children...<br /><br />just ask simon peter...<br /><br />i heard and shared the good news this morning -- the love of God is ferocious and fiery -- not something to be played with -- the most powerful force in this universe -- he has shown his love to us -- NO one or NOTHING can ever rip us out of our father's grasp...<br /><br />i love what richard rohr says:<br /><br />"god's love is total, unconditional, absolute and forever...<br /><br />the state of grace -- god's attitude toward us -- is eternal...<br /><br />we are the ones who change...<br /><br />sometimes we are able to believe that god loves us unconditionally, absolutely and forever...<br /><br />THAT'S GRACE!!!<br /><br />and sometimes because we get down on ourselves, and carry guilt and fear and burdens, we are not able to believe that god loves us...<br /><br />biblically, that is the greatest sin -- not to believe the good news, not to accept the unconditional love of god...<br /><br />when we no longer believe god loves us, we can no longer love ourselves...<br /><br />we have to allow god to continually fill us...<br /><br />then we find in our own lives the power to give love away..."<br /><br />well said...<br /><br />now, let's live with this kind of security...<br /><br />shalom...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />off to micro church -- talk with you tomorrow...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2012305823489993718?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-85468330172319220472010-02-27T13:09:00.002-05:002010-02-27T13:15:36.394-05:00it is cold here again today...<br /><br />and raining...<br /><br />47 degrees in FL is very cold...<br /><br />especially at mid-day...<br /><br />we are all huddled around the fireplace...<br /><br />nancy and jeep are "hogging the heat"...<br /><br />i am getting ready to finish up tomorrow's sermon...<br /><br />i am speaking at the tampa underground in the morning...<br /><br />send up a prayer for my prep...<br /><br />and the talk...<br /><br />more later...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-8546833017231922047?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-61708586329860150102010-02-27T12:35:00.002-05:002010-02-27T13:09:02.802-05:00i missed last night -- oops...<br /><br />my thought for friday...<br /><br />mr williams turned 69 today...<br /><br />i rushed my other 5 visits today so i could devote some uninterupted time in the afternoon to my friend of almost 2 years...<br /><br />i wanted him to have a little party...<br /><br />just for him...<br /><br />first stop was first choice BBQ...<br /><br />a whole slab of ribs -- a LARGE slab [with extra sauce]...<br /><br />turnip greens...<br /><br />macaroni salad...<br /><br />baked beans...<br /><br />a BBQ feast fit for a king [or my friend as he turns 69]...<br /><br />next stop the bakery...<br /><br />a birthday cake...<br /><br />personalized with HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR WILLIAMS...<br /><br />my scion smelled SO GOOD on the way to his room...<br /><br />i couldn't wait to see him...<br /><br />he was so surprised -- so thrilled!<br /><br />a big smile for the first choice BBQ -- "now i can deal with then ribs!!!"<br /><br />then, he saw the birthday cake...<br /><br />"it has my name on it..."<br /><br />i thought he was going to cry...<br /><br />me too!<br /><br />then, we both broke out in smiles...<br /><br />great conversation...<br /><br />reminiscing back through his life...<br /><br />connecting with his memories...<br /><br />then he said...<br /><br />"i am so glad i made it to 69..."<br /><br />"not sure i would ever make it..."<br /><br />"i hope i make the big 7-0..."<br /><br />"wonder if i will?"<br /><br />i am not sure if he will either...<br /><br />the docs don't think he will [but they thought he would be dead in late 2008]...<br /><br />guess we just don't know...<br /><br />only God does...<br /><br />so we decided it was best to enjoy every single day of his 69th year...<br /><br />one day at a time...<br /><br />making the most of every single moment...<br /><br />guess that may be the best way for ALL of us to live...<br /><br />go for it!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />mr williams wanted to see Jeep -- so i will make a drop in later today and let him see the pup...<br /><br />maybe Jeep is preparing for a future as a LPH care dog/<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-6170858632986015010?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-79730370070798891642010-02-25T19:38:00.002-05:002010-02-25T21:32:26.380-05:00good evening...<br /><br />i visited with mr royal this morning...<br /><br />what a great hour!<br /><br />an 82 year old african american man from the inner city...<br /><br />he is almost totally blind...<br /><br />he is dying of COPD...<br /><br />he could barely breathe today...<br /><br />he just came home after 2 months in the hospital and two rehab centers...<br /><br />he came "very near to death's door..."<br /><br />he has a 3rd grade education...<br /><br />he is brilliant...<br /><br />a self-taught philosopher...<br /><br />my royal always tells me...<br /><br />"i love questions..."<br /><br />"i have come to the conclusion that i can learn from anyone -- even a fool..."<br /><br />"i love God because he is full of mystery..."<br /><br />my royal is a gifted storyteller...<br /><br />today, he recounted his own rendition of "gulliver's travels -- my adventures in the hospital and the rehab center from hell..."<br /><br />it was ALL good...<br /><br />but, he said three things i will hold onto far beyond today...<br /><br />first, he mused: "in all your questioning, never lose your capacity to marvel..."<br /><br />life is always about much more than we can think or imagine...<br /><br />secondly, he shared: "no matter what, never lose your gratitude..."<br /><br />God has give us all so very much...<br /><br />finally, as he was talking about the end of his life, he said: "never lose your love for God or for yourself -- agree with God -- he loves you, so you can love you too! i don't worry about earning my salvation anymore, why should i work for something he has already given to me as a gift? i'll just receive his gift..."<br /><br />mr royal loves God -- and himself...<br /><br />he reminded me again today that it is OK for me to love me...<br /><br />do you love you???<br /><br />i love you...<br /><br />blessings!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />i hope you have a mr royal in your life -- i am blessed to have several...<br /><br />i thank God he gives me such excellent teachers...<br /><br />masters of life...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7973037007079889164?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-52662296999930474792010-02-24T20:48:00.002-05:002010-02-24T21:15:58.894-05:00greetings...<br /><br />last wednesday was ash wednesday -- the beginning of the lenten season...<br /><br />we have been sharing this journey for a week now...<br /><br />how are we doing with our secrets?<br /><br />what about our shadow?<br /><br />i am struggling to make sense of it -- to move forward...<br /><br />this seems to be a life season where i need to make some sense of my struggling side...<br /><br />how about you???<br /><br />i love what nouwen says...<br /><br />"Bringing our secrets into the light...<br /><br />We all have our secrets: thoughts, memories, feelings that we keep to ourselves. <br /><br />Often we think, 'If people knew what I feel or think, they would not love me.' <br /><br />These carefully kept secrets can do us much harm. <br /><br />They can make us feel guilty or ashamed and may lead us to self-rejection, depression, and even suicidal thoughts and actions.<br /><br />One of the most important things we can do with our secrets is to share them in a safe place, with people we trust. <br /><br />When we have a good way to bring our secrets into the light and can look at them with others, we will quickly discover that we are not alone with our secrets and that our trusting friends will love us more deeply and more intimately than before. <br /><br />Bringing our secrets into the light creates community and inner healing. <br /><br />As a result of sharing secrets, not only will others love us better but we will love ourselves more fully."<br /><br />i asked a friend who is struggling along with me a question i think we all need to hear and engage...<br /><br />"can you imagine doing or being ANYTHING that would make God -- and your closest friends -- reject or turn away from you???"<br /><br />what would you say???<br /><br />my friend could not say NO -- she said YES -- i am praying that this changes for her...<br /><br />i think it must change for her life to be what she craves...<br /><br />i can now say NO [most all of the time] -- God's love is coming through that powerfully -- FINALLY!<br /><br />i am growing more secure in my authentic identity as a beloved son of the Father...<br /><br />the more i live in that foundational identity -- the less i am tempted to live my life to please others [and the more i desire to please the Father]...<br /><br />when i am immersed in that kind of love...<br /><br />secrets are shared [and lose their power]...<br /><br />my shadow is accepted [and does not take control]...<br /><br />my whole being is affirmed [and i can receive the holiness / wholeness of Jesus]...<br /><br />i guess the victories will come one day at a time...<br /><br />Jesus and i made it through today...<br /><br />tomorrow is another day...<br /><br />there will be enough grace for the morning when it arrives [after a good night's sleep]...<br /><br />maybe we would all be better off to receive God's "present" and...<br /><br />live one day at a time...<br /><br />pax...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />a side note...<br /><br />one of my favorite patients turned 50 yesterday...<br /><br />what a blessing...<br /><br />when i first met her at the end of 2008, i didn't think she would make 2009...<br /><br />but she did and she is still going...<br /><br />guess God really is in control [although she has breast, brain, lung, bone and marrow concer]...<br /><br />we celebrated the BIG 50 -- my family bought her a little CD player for her new apartment -- she said the place needed some music...<br /><br />i am so glad barbara is in God's hands...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5266229699993047479?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-51105561181169870152010-02-23T19:49:00.002-05:002010-02-23T21:35:00.129-05:00good evening...<br /><br />i closed my day today at starbucks doing my computer documentation...<br /><br />FL has been back to normal for the past couple of days -- great winter weather -- 70 degrees and a nice breeze -- even at 6 p.m.<br /><br />so i sat outside and thought for a few minutes...<br /><br />what does it mean for me to embrace my shadow rather than running from it -- or trying to destroy that "darker" side of me???<br /><br />sometimes i am tempted to embrace it, but keep it secret -- hide it away...<br /><br />ignore it...<br /><br />pretending it does not really matter...<br /><br />NOT a good idea...<br /><br />i have lived long enough to be really afraid of secrets...<br /><br />so, i have carefully chosen some safe people and revealed my shadow -- my secret side...<br /><br />paul tournier once said: "authentic mental / psychological health comes from living life with NO secrets..."<br /><br />one thing i do know...<br /><br />i cannot separate my internal life from my external interactions...<br /><br />embracing my shadow does NOT mean hypocrisy -- being one thing inside and another thing outwardly...<br /><br />henri nouwen says it best...<br /><br />"What is most personal is most universal...<br /><br />We like to make a distinction between our private and public lives and say, 'Whatever I do in my private life is nobody else's business.' <br /><br />But anyone trying to live a spiritual life will soon discover that the most personal is the most universal, the most hidden is the most public, and the most solitary is the most communal. <br /><br />What we live in the most intimate places of our beings is not just for us but for all people. <br /><br />That is why our inner lives are lives for others. <br /><br />That is why our solitude is a gift to our community, and that is why our most secret thoughts affect our common life.<br /><br />Jesus says, 'No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house' (Matthew 5:14-15). <br /><br />The most inner light is a light for the world. <br /><br />Let's not have 'double lives'; let us allow what we live in private to be known in public."<br /><br />so, i am still searching during lent -- what do i do with my shadow...<br /><br />how does owning it and embracing it make me whole?<br /><br />how do i move beyond fearing it?<br /><br />the answer must be a really good one because it is quite hard to discover...<br /><br />the journey continues...<br /><br />how about you???<br /><br />shalom to all...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />a further thought -- how might i make my shadow my friend???<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5110556118116987015?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-23562512395878813712010-02-22T19:54:00.002-05:002010-02-22T20:24:38.570-05:00happy monday...<br /><br />KAIROS is a micro church at the tampa underground...<br /><br />we are small, but growing...<br /><br />our calling is to serve as volunteers with LifePath Hospice in order to share the love of Jesus with those who are dying -- many are widows and widowers -- in the poorest zip codes of the city of tampa...<br /><br />KAIROS is one of my ministry passions -- helping to release ministers into the matthew 25 places of our city...<br /><br />embracing the sick, the dying, the overlooked, the lonely, the poor in spirit...<br /><br />it all started one sunday when brian said he felt god calling us to a greater commitment to the widows and orphans of our city...<br /><br />the holy spirit pierced my heart -- i know many widows and widowers -- maybe we can seize an opoortunity to serve...<br /><br />our rally cry is colossians 4.2-6...<br /><br />KAIROS speaks of "timely time" -- making the most of every opportunity -- especially with our patients who generally have six months or less to live...<br /><br />today, i introduced a KAIROS man [jimmy] to his first new patient -- mr julio...<br /><br />it was one of my most amazing hours as of late...<br /><br />jimmy was awesome!<br /><br />he connected...<br /><br />love overflowed...<br /><br />he is bilingual and connected in a way that i had never been able to connect...<br /><br />he is a young hispanic male and he gave mr julio a highly treasured, but missing, gift -- jimmy showed him honor and respect as an elder...<br /><br />mr julio melted in the exchange...<br /><br />i could almost feel the healing in his soul...<br /><br />the spirit was so palpable -- i could feel god in the air...<br /><br />i could not have been any happier for him [or any prouder of jimmy]...<br /><br />yea god -- another win for the kingdom...<br /><br />mr julio wants jimmy to come every other week and share the journey with him...<br /><br />way to go god [and jimmy]!!!<br /><br />this is KAIROS -- making the most of god-given moments -- opportunities to shine the irrational and awe-inspiring love of jesus into some very dark places...<br /><br />join me in celebrating this evening...<br /><br />pax et bonum...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />if any of you out there in tampa land want to seize the moment -- why not consider KAIROS -- we have room for a few more jimmys...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2356251239587881371?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-49430477807305545762010-02-21T20:42:00.003-05:002010-02-21T20:52:00.297-05:00greetings!<br /><br />last night, i closed the blog talking about the rhythms of life...<br /><br />this morning, i read this by henri nouwen...<br /><br />"Lent is the most important time of the year to nurture our inner life...<br /><br />It is the time during which we not only prepare ourselves to celebrate the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but also the death and resurrection that constantly takes place within us...<br /><br />Life is a continuing process of the death of the old and the familiar, and being reborn again into a new hope, a new trust, and a new love. <br /><br />The death and resurrection of Jesus therefore is not just an historical event that took place a long time ago, but an inner event that takes place in our heart when we are willing to be attentive to it...<br /><br />Lent offers a beautiful opportunity to discover the mystery of Christ within us. <br /><br />It is a gentle but also demanding time. <br /><br />It is a time of solitude but also community, it is a time of listening to the voice within, but also a time of paying attention to other people's needs. <br /><br />It is a time to continuously make the passage to new inner life as well as to life with those around us.<br /><br />When we live Lent attentively and gently, then Easter can truly be a celebration during which the full proclamation of the risen Christ will reverberate into the deepest place of our being."<br /><br />go henri!<br /><br />more insight for living the rhythms of life...<br /><br />shalom...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />have a great week...<br /><br />i am headed to john 2.13ff -- i am preaching next sunday at the underground on the cleansing of the temple -- "what would Jesus say now???"<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4943047780730554576?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-23600394626627862112010-02-20T23:33:00.002-05:002010-02-20T23:54:22.961-05:00Had a blast cutting firewood at the farm in Plant City today...<br /><br />Jeep had a blast too [running wild and free] -- he was such a sight with the cows...<br /><br />Crucible [our name for public worship service] was awesome tonight at the tampa underground...<br /><br />I love going to Saturday night church [Crucible] -- the strip in Ybor is so full of life [or something bizarre like it] -- hard to believe folks dress that way in public [ha! ha!]... Guess they are "hungry" and looking for "something"...<br /><br />Tonight, I am thinking of the RHYTHM of life -- life must have a certain rhythm...<br /><br />Sorrow and joy...<br /><br />Engagement and disengagement...<br /><br />Burning the midnight oil and rest...<br /><br />Fasting and feasting...<br /><br />In want and with plenty...<br /><br />But, do we embrace the diversity of the rhythm?<br /><br />How well do we do with the extremes -- the polar opposites?<br /><br />Seems we tend to get stuck at one extreme or the other?<br /><br />To do so in NOT authentic life -- real life has its rhythms...<br /><br />My rhythm tells me it is time to cuddle with Jeep and enjoy the fireplace -- now that's really spiritual...<br /><br />Pax...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />Have a blessed Sunday -- I will be sleeping in [since we did church tonight] -- are you envious???<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2360039462662786211?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-71154539528963691752010-02-19T23:30:00.003-05:002010-02-19T23:51:58.970-05:00I am so tired...<br /><br />But, it has been a great night...<br /><br />Great chicken soup [thanks Nancy]...<br /><br />Great cornbread [thanks Josh]...<br /><br />A quiet night inside on a cool FL winter night -- I refused to go out tonight...<br /><br />A glass of red wine...<br /><br />A fire in the fireplace...<br /><br />Jeep [our new white Boxer pup -- Josh has pics of him on his FaceBook page] cuddled up next to me on the couch -- he is so sweet that I could barely tear myself away to write tonight...<br /><br />AND IT IS FRIDAY -- thank God!!!<br /><br />After years of brutal fundamentalism [of various varieties] which made sure that I kept beating myself up over my imperfections [and secretly wondering if God had really had enough of my failures and had given up on me] -- NOW, I am coming home spiritually to the remarkable reality that I, in all my brokenness, am God's beloved! <br /><br />NOTHING can ever rip me out of my Father's embrace of love...<br /><br />NOTHING can thwart his plan for me...<br /><br />NOTHING can compromise his irrational and all-powerful love for me...<br /><br />I am secure...<br /><br />I am safe...<br /><br />I am home...<br /><br />I belong...<br /><br />I am his...<br /><br />What a difference it makes to accept ALL of me -- even my shadow -- not trying to destroy that part of me...<br /><br />Stop and think -- it makes no sense to pursue authentic wholeness or holiness while at the same time rejecting whole parts of who we are [THANKS JIM]...<br /><br />As Richard Rohr says: <br /><br />"Isn’t it wonderful news, brothers and sisters, that we come to God not by our perfection but by our imperfection! That gives all of us an equal chance, and utterly levels the human playing field. No pretending is necessary.<br /><br />Deep within each of us live both a leper and a wolf in Franciscan imagery: Francis embraced the leper on the road, and called it his conversion; then Francis tamed the wolf in Gubbio in his later years. The stories did happen historically, but first of all they operated in his soul.<br /><br />It is on the inside that lepers and wolves first must be found. If we haven’t been able to kiss many lepers, if we haven’t been able to tame many wolves, it’s probably because we haven’t first of all made friends with our own leprosy and the ferocious wolf within all of us. Name and forgive your inner leper today. Nurse and tend her wounds. Name your inner wolf. Tame him by gentle patience and forgiveness."<br /><br />I love his imagery...<br /><br />And Nouwen as well...<br /><br />"What is the basis of our security? <br /><br />When we start thinking about that question, we may give many answers: success, money, friends, property, popularity, family, connections, insurance, and so on. We may not always think that any of these forms the basis of our security, but our actions or feelings may tell us otherwise. When we start losing our money, our friends, or our popularity, our anxiety often reveals how deeply our sense of security is rooted in these things.<br /><br />A spiritual life is a life in which our security is based not in any created things, good as they may be, but in God, who is everlasting love. We probably will never be completely free from our attachment to the temporal world, but if we want to live in that world in a truly free way, we'd better not belong to it. "You cannot be the slave both of God and of money" (Luke 16:13)."<br /><br />My security is in MY TRUE IDENTITY -- I am a beloved son of God...<br /><br />Praise God...<br /><br />I will sleep much easier tonight than I used to...<br /><br />I have firewood to cut on the farm tomorrow so I am headed to bed...<br /><br />Don't forget to check out our little Jeep on Josh's FB page...<br /><br />Blessings...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />Jeep just sighed GOOD NIGHT to you all...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7115453952896369175?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-55694092819632298652010-02-18T21:02:00.002-05:002010-02-18T21:18:18.247-05:00Hope you had a great day...<br /><br />Do you remember the thought from yesterday about our broken places being an open door for God's grace to invade our lives afresh???<br /><br />Well, look what came in today from Fr Richard Rohr...<br /><br />I am sure this is just a coincidence -- right...<br /><br />"How does one incorporate imperfection?<br /><br />In a Navajo rug there is always one clear imperfection woven into the pattern. And interestingly enough, this is precisely where the Spirit moves in and out of the rug! The Semitic mind, the Eastern mind (which, by the way, Jesus would have been much closer to) understands perfection in precisely that way. The East is much more comfortable with paradox, mystery, and non-dual thinking than the Western mind which is formed by Greek logic.<br /><br />Perfection is not the elimination of imperfection, as we think. Divine perfection is, in fact, the ability to recognize, forgive, and include imperfection!—just as God does with all of us. Only in this way can we find the beautiful and hidden wholeness of God underneath the passing human show. It is the gift of non-dual thinking and seeing, which itself is a gift of love, suffering, and grace. In fact, this is the radical grace that grounds all holy seeing and doing."<br /><br />WOW!!!<br /><br />How liberating...<br /><br />My broken places are a showcase for God's glory...<br /><br />The cracks in my pot are the entry points for God's presence...<br /><br />My imperfections are the opportunity to experience his perfection...<br /><br />GOOD NEWS [at least for all of us broken people]...<br /><br />Pax et bonum...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />THANK GOD tomorrow is Friday!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5569409281963229865?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-77009381701908605262010-02-17T21:02:00.003-05:002010-02-17T21:37:04.395-05:00Greetings again...<br /><br />Well, Lent begins today...<br /><br />I received the ashes on my forehead during an Ash Wednesday observance at the Sun City office of LifePath Hospice...<br /><br />I left them on -- wore them all day...<br /><br />In my journal, I wrote some ramdom thoughts about beginning the Lenten journey in 2010 -- so here goes...<br /><br />I am so thankful for the upcoming 40 days -- a season set apart for reflection, evaluation and engagement...<br /><br />My ashes reminded me of the brokenness of our world...<br /><br />My ashes reminded me of the imperfection of people -- including me...<br /><br />Am I broken over my own brokenness?<br /><br />What about you?<br /><br />I remember the words of Jesus: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted..."<br /><br />I guess mourning must come before the comfort...<br /><br />Lent will be a season for transformation -- first will come awareness, then action, then grace and change...<br /><br />The journey is a "coming home" in a spiritual sense...<br /><br />In the words of Henri Nouwen: "We are not what we do. We are not what we have. We are not what others think of us. Coming home is claiming the truth. I am the beloved child of a loving Creator."<br /><br />I love the thought from Richard Rohr today in RADICAL GRACE: "Spirituality is about WAKING UP! We have lost the spiritual disciplines and tools to know how to remain awake..."<br /><br />I am praying for a wake up call -- 40 days to WAKE UP!!!<br /><br />What are our points of blindness???<br /><br />What do we NOT see???<br /><br />How will we come to see???<br /><br />Time in God's presence...<br /><br />Extra reflection...<br /><br />Revelation...<br /><br />Being with the Lord until we see with his eyes...<br /><br />Spiritual eyes wide open...<br /><br />Rohr continues: Sometimes "it's the hole in our soul, that place where we are radically broken, where we are powerless and therefore open" -- God enters in through the open door of our pain, brokenness and woundedness...<br /><br />In the next 40 days plus, I want to embrace my shadow -- rather than hate it, fight it and curse it...<br /><br />How so???<br /><br />Be honest about the shadow -- it is there and it is a part of ME!<br /><br />Grow in awareness of the shadow side of me...<br /><br />Accept the reality that I am accepted by my Father -- my shadow does not scare him...<br /><br />Embrace my shadow -- in admitting my powerlessness, i will discover God's power...<br /><br />Celebrate my shadow as a prime entrance point of God's grace...<br /><br />I am ready for the journey...<br /><br />Actually looking forward to it...<br /><br />How about you???<br /><br />It will be even better if we go together...<br /><br />Pax...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7700938170190860526?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-3703136694162308942009-12-24T14:59:00.002-05:002009-12-24T15:04:34.677-05:00greetings...<br /><br />this may be the single most important spiritual reality we need to hear -- and embrace -- and internalize...<br /><br />as we end 2009...<br /><br />and begin 2010...<br /><br />Henri Nouwen: “Jesus came to share his identity with you and to tell you that YOU are the beloved son or the beloved daughter of God. Just for a moment try to enter this enormous mystery, that you, like Jesus, are the beloved daughter or son of God. This is the truth. Furthermore, your belovedness preceded your birth. You were the beloved before your father, mother, brother, sister or church loved you or hurt you. YOU are the beloved because you belong to God from all eternity.”<br /><br />“God loved you before you were born, and God will love you after you die. In Scripture God says, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.’ This is a very foundational truth of your identity. This is who YOU are whether you feel it or not. You belong to God from eternity to eternity. Life is just a little opportunity for you during a few years to say, ‘I love you, too’.”<br /><br />This upcoming new year…<br /><br />Let's seize our true identity -- we are the beloved children of our Father...<br /><br />What else matters???<br /><br />Let's live this incarnational life...<br /><br />With courage...<br /><br />With boldness...<br /><br />With an edge...<br /><br />With meaning...<br /><br />With confidence...<br /><br />With purpose...<br /><br />With the passion of Jesus...<br /><br />And...<br /><br />Let's do so TOGETHER...<br /><br />Happy 2010...<br /><br />Back to the hills...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />Remember -- YOU are a beloved child of the Father!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-370313669416230894?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-70362165092273682952009-12-23T13:27:00.002-05:002009-12-24T14:58:42.766-05:00Greetings!<br /><br />I sneaked out to Panera's again -- with a full battery...<br /><br />Some words for our reflection…<br /><br />2 Corinthians 6.2: “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation…”<br /><br />Galatians 4.4-5: “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption as his children…”<br /><br />John 1.1, 14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth…”<br /><br />Luke 2.7: “And Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him cloths and placed him in a manger…”<br /><br />John 20.21: “As the Father has sent me, so I now send you…”<br /><br />Henri Nouwen: “God became a little baby. Who can be afraid of a little baby? A tiny little baby is completely dependent on its parents, nurses and caregivers. Yes, God wanted to become so powerless as to be unable to eat or drink, walk or talk, play or work without many people’s help. Yes, God became dependent on human beings to grow up and live among us and proclaim the good news. Yes, God chose to become so powerless that the realization of God’s own mission among us became completely dependent on us. How can we fear a baby we rock in our arms? How can we be envious of a tender baby? That’s the mystery of the incarnation. God became human, in no way different from other human beings, to break through the walls of power in total weakness. That’s the story of Jesus…”<br /><br />Henri Nouwen: “I think that we have hardly thought through the immense implications of the mystery of the incarnation. Where is God? God is where we are weak, vulnerable, small and dependent. God is where the poor are, the hungry, the handicapped, the mentally ill, the elderly, the powerless. How can we come to know God when our focus is elsewhere, on success, influence, and power? I increasingly believe that our faithfulness will depend on our willingness to go where there is brokenness, loneliness, and human need.”<br /><br />“If the church has a future it is a future with the poor in whatever form. Each one of us is seriously searching to live and grow in this belief, and by friendship we can support each other. I realize that the only way for us to stay well in the midst of the many ‘worlds’ is to stay close to the small, vulnerable child that lives in our hearts and in every other human being. Often we do not know that the Christ child is within us. When we discover him we can truly rejoice.”<br /><br />Richard Rohr: “In Jesus, God achieved the perfect synthesis of divine and human…the incarnation of Jesus demonstrates that God meets us where we are. It assures us that we do not have to leave the world or relinquish our humanity in order to know God, but simply that we must turn from evil. In the birth of the God-man, we have been ‘consecrated in truth’, so we are sent into the world to continue the saving pattern of embodiment…”<br /><br />“We tend to fear incarnation precisely because it makes religion so real, so particular, so worldly. We prefer to keep religion on the level of word, yet the Jesus pattern is word-becoming-flesh. The great lie is that redemption can happen apart from incarnation…For the Christian, power is always hidden in powerlessness, just as God was hidden in a poor baby…”<br /><br />”We may want the spiritual without the fleshly; we may want the cosmic without the concrete. But if the Word is ever to be loved and shared, we must risk embodiment, which is always concrete and ordinary. There God is both perfectly hidden and perfectly revealed…”<br /><br />Christmas 2009…<br /><br />The time has come…<br /><br />The fullness of time…<br /><br />Our waiting is over…<br /><br />The promised Messiah has come…<br /><br />But, what did we get?<br /><br />A surprise…<br /><br />A baby…<br /><br />Weak, fragile, helpless, dependent, powerless…<br /><br />[Yet infinite, divine, efficacious…]<br /><br />Not what we were looking for…<br /><br />So, what will we do with this gift?<br /><br />This disarming gift?<br /><br />This surprising gift?<br /><br />This shocking gift?<br /><br />Salvation wrapped in human flesh – the flesh of an infant…<br /><br />Salvation revealed in weakness and powerlessness…<br /><br />Salvation so troubling that it forms a stumbling block…<br /><br />The Incarnation…<br /><br />God came to us in our need…<br /><br />God continues to come to us in our need…<br /><br />Right where we are…<br /><br />In our helplessness…<br /><br />In our hopelessness…<br /><br />In our stubbornness, pride and independence…<br /><br />How will we respond TODAY to salvation?<br /><br />Will we receive the gift?<br /><br />Will we embrace the promise?<br /><br />Will we seize the moment?<br /><br />What will today mean for tomorrow…<br /><br />For 2010…<br /><br />And beyond…<br /><br />Will we choose to live out the incarnation in our lives?<br /><br />As the Father sent Jesus…<br /><br />To the poor…<br /><br />To the broken…<br /><br />To the weak…<br /><br />To the sick…<br /><br />To the dying…<br /><br />To the outcasts…<br /><br />As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus now sends us…<br /><br />Will we go?<br /><br />Will we live the missional life?<br /><br />Will we embrace the suffering?<br /><br />Christmas is a day to say YES!<br /><br />YES to the time!<br /><br />YES to the gift!<br /><br />YES to salvation!<br /><br />YES to purpose!<br /><br />YES to peace!<br /><br />YES! YES! YES!<br /><br />Merry Christmas…<br /><br />guy<br /><br />BLESSINGS TO ALL!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7036216509227368295?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-47014022615229759792009-12-23T13:10:00.002-05:002009-12-23T13:27:08.527-05:00greetings again...<br /><br />henri on BE SURPRISED BY JOY: "learn the discipline of being surprised NOT BY SUFFERING but BY JOY! as we grow old, there is suffering ahead of us, immense suffering, a suffering that will continue to tempt us to think that we have chosen the wrong road. but don't be surprised by pain. be surprised by joy, be surprised by the little flower that shows its beauty in the midst of a barren desert, and be surprised by the immense healing power that keeps bursting forth like springs of fresh water from the depth of our pain...with a heart trusting that we will get what we need, and a spirit always surprised by joy, we will walk through this valley of darkness performing and witnessing miracles..."<br /><br />paul, in romans 8.17: "if we share in his sufferings we will also share in his glory..."<br /><br />where did the idea come from that suffering is a curse and that real christians are exempt???<br /><br />suffering is a blessing, not a curse...<br /><br />it is to be welcomed, not to be shunned through "claiming" our way out if it...<br /><br />as we embrace the suffering that God orchestrates, we grow and deepen our intimacy with Jesus...<br /><br />once i asked edith, a 90+ year old saint who was dying: "when do you feel the closest to God?"<br /><br />i was ready to listen and learn -- about prayer, reading the word, listening to worship music, etc...<br /><br />but, without blinking an eye, edith responded: "i feel the closest to Jesus when I suffer -- he becomes the most real to me when he is all i have..."<br /><br />WOW!<br /><br />my prayer is that i -- and you -- may be surprised by JOY in our sufferings in 2010!<br /><br />my battery is running on empty...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />BLESSINGS!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4701402261522975979?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-52175209325518239352009-12-23T13:02:00.002-05:002009-12-23T13:10:28.046-05:00greetings...<br /><br />why do batteries discharge faster when there are no available outlets???<br /><br />i am thinking of YOU today -- my peeps -- my folks -- my community...<br /><br />and GIVING THANKS!<br /><br />here goes...<br /><br />henri for today: "how can i ever let God's grace fully work in my life unless i live in a community of people who can affirm it, deepen it, and strengthen it? we cannot live this new life alone. God does not want to isolate us by his grace. on the contrary, he wants us to form new friendships and a new community -- holy places where his grace can grow to fullness and bear fruit..."<br /><br />THANK YOU LORD for...<br /><br />my family...<br /><br />my home church...<br /><br />my tampa underground family...<br /><br />my all nations family...<br /><br />my dispersed community of friends that stay close even though we are separated by so many miles -- our hearts will ALWAYS be knit together by the Spirit...<br /><br />i am so blessed!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />merry christmas!!!<br /><br />let's eat and drink and be merry and remember that we truly do belong to one another during this holy season...and beyond!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5217520932551823935?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-58717033896037186482009-12-23T12:53:00.002-05:002009-12-23T13:02:26.296-05:00my battery is going down quicker than i thought...<br /><br />oh well...<br /><br />nouwen: "i have found it very important to try to let go of my WISHES and instead to live in HOPE...when i choose to let go of my sometimes petty and superficial wishes and to trust that my life is precious and meaningful in the eyes of God, something really new, something beyond my own expectations begins to happen for me...to wait with openness and trust is an enormously radical attitude toward life. it is choosing to hope that something is happening for us that is far beyond our own imaginings. it is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life. it is living with the conviction that God molds us in love, holds us in tenderness, and moves us away from the sources of our fear..."<br /><br />NOW, that is good news!<br /><br />let go and let God...<br /><br />do NOT be bushwhacked by EXPECTATIONS, but be ACCEPTING of all that God brings our way...<br /><br />this is true truth -- very simple -- BUT not so easy [at least for me]...<br /><br />shalom!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />wish you could all see this snow...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5871703389603718648?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-69603946994283950442009-12-23T12:39:00.002-05:002009-12-23T12:53:50.673-05:00greetings!<br /><br />i am camped at panera still -- on the border of civilization...<br /><br />my goal is to "catch up" on days 22-24 which i "lost" due to travel...<br /><br />and to work ahead for days 25 through Christmas day [#27] which i plan to "lose" with family...<br /><br />and one bonus entry for day 28...<br /><br />IF, my battery is up to it...<br /><br />henri nouwen again on WAITING [does he know how much i hate to WAIT???]: "A waiting person is someone who is present to the moment, believing that THIS moment is THE moment..."<br /><br />one of my patients has died while i have been away...<br /><br />i mentioned him earlier in our Advent journey -- the young man with parkinson's that i was blessed to serve communion to on our last visit -- it was such a struggle to make it happen physically...<br /><br />guess it really was a "last" visit on this side...<br /><br />guess that is another reason we need to make every moment THE moment -- to squeeze every bit of life we possibly can out of each encounter...<br /><br />really living is about seizing our moments -- making the most out of life...<br /><br />when i checked my email and read father vern's note that bill had died -- i was hit with a wave of sadness...<br /><br />i want to be with his mom and dad and family...<br /><br />i want to do his service...<br /><br />but, it is today -- in FL...<br /><br />i can't be here and there -- but, i can pray and send my blessing...<br /><br />and, i am so glad vern is there -- he is such a blessing -- the family is in good hands...<br /><br />but, i still wish they were in MY hands...<br /><br />i will pray for them -- and for vern...<br /><br />PLEASE -- make the most out of every moment -- THE moments of our lives -- during this holy season...<br /><br />wish we were all together here in the snow...<br /><br />and bill, i will eat and drink with you again one day in the kingdom where we will never have to say goodbye...<br /><br />cheers!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />have a merry christmas!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-6960394699428395044?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-92083164986535998572009-12-23T12:25:00.002-05:002009-12-23T12:39:39.502-05:00greetings!<br /><br />it is actually wednesday, 12.23 -- i found the internet [at panera bread in uniontown PA] -- "down the mountain" from nancy's parents' home in the boonies...<br /><br />it is cold...<br /><br />teens at night -- 30's in the daytime...<br /><br />we are butt-deep in snow...<br /><br />it is BEAUTIFUL [because we can leave in a week and get back to FL]...<br /><br />the sun did peek through for awhile today -- the first time since we left...<br /><br />the drive was a little over 1100 miles...<br /><br />we drove sunday until 3 a.m.<br /><br />we spent the night in wytheville VA because of the black ice that was making travel dangerous in WV...<br /><br />the roads were OK by monday morning -- but it did "spit" snow on us all the way home to PA...<br /><br />WE MISS JEEP [our new little white Boxer -- check out the pics josh [posted of our little man]...<br /><br />we might have lost him in the snow if we had brought him -- ha! ha!<br /><br />he may have frozen while going out in the northern elements to pee or poop...<br /><br />on to more spiritual matters...<br /><br />henri nouwen on WAITING in Luke's gospel: "Those who were waiting had each received a promise that gave them courage and allowed them to wait. They received something that was at work in them, a seed that had started to grow...We too can wait only if what we are waiting for has already begun for us. Waiting is never a movement from nothing to something, but a movement from something to something MORE..."<br /><br />"Just as a mother feels the child grow in her and is not surprised on the day of the birth but joyfully receives the one she learned to know during her waiting, so Jesus can be born in my life slowly and steadily and be received as the ONE I learned to know while I am waiting..."<br /><br />what is the SOMETHING MORE you are waiting for this Christmas and in 2010???<br /><br />blessings from the far north...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />missing Jeep...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-9208316498653599857?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-47678370556364913422009-12-19T21:59:00.002-05:002009-12-19T22:15:30.273-05:00greetings!<br /><br />two thoughts today...<br /><br />first, we have a dog...<br /><br />a beautiful white boxer little boy -- three months old today...<br /><br />the gracious breeder gave us a "meet and greet" for the day -- he came home with us and it has proved to be a great fit -- we have found our family companion...<br /><br />josh and i are thrilled...<br /><br />james was happy too...<br /><br />and, nancy voted yes and has been playing with him...<br /><br />he will go home in the morning and spend the next two weeks at his old home while we are in PA for the holy season...<br /><br />he is so loving...<br /><br />he is so laid back...<br /><br />we are already in love...<br /><br />now, we are actually not dreading the trip home after vacation -- we are looking forward to picking up our little man...<br /><br />by the way, josh [and all of us together] named him JEEP...<br /><br />secondly, i spent some more time today reflecting on the death i attended yesterday...<br /><br />i noticed something about last night's blog -- my first attempt to process a difficult situation for me -- it was heavily characterized by "description" but not so much about feeling and emotion...<br /><br />i want to work on processing this some more in the next few days...<br /><br />i want to be true to my heart [my feelings and emotions] and not stay in the cerebral [my mind and rationale]...<br /><br />always opportunity for growth and improvement...<br /><br />well, tomorrow morning we leave for PA -- we are looking forward to a two week trip home to be with nancy's folks...<br /><br />we will stay in TN Sunday night...<br /><br />finish the drive on Monday...<br /><br />i hope to have access to internet -- my hope is that we can continue our advent journey together...<br /><br />well, jeep is awake -- i need to play with him awhile before i hit the sack...<br /><br />have a blessed advent...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />merry christmas!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4767837055636491342?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-35816240056175678572009-12-18T21:55:00.002-05:002009-12-18T22:55:55.854-05:00greetings!<br /><br />i was holding jo ann's shoulder today when she died -- i was actually there at the moment her breathing stopped...<br /><br />it was weird -- and disarming -- it got to me...<br /><br />the monitor lines went flat...<br /><br />the digital readouts went to 0...<br /><br />her chest stopped moving...<br /><br />i was amazed at how quickly her color changed to ash...<br /><br />she was suddenly cold...<br /><br />what a difference...<br /><br />there is an amazing change in a body when the breath -- the spirit -- leaves...<br /><br />live exits -- the result is death...<br /><br />only a shell remains...<br /><br />this was an intense five hour process...<br /><br />the patient was VERY sick...<br /><br />i had to wear a gown, gloves and a mask just to enter SICU...<br /><br />a little spooky...<br /><br />her family had decided to remove her vent -- they did not think they could be present for her death -- BUT, they did not want her to be alone...<br /><br />i gave them my word -- i would stay by her side...<br /><br />before the vent was pulled out -- we had a family prayer...<br /><br />these were not religious types -- they were not even sure they believed in God, but Jesus didn't seem to mind -- he was present...<br /><br />another Jesus sighting...<br /><br />i shared the good news in the prayer -- for the patient -- for the family -- the Holy Spirit got the message across...<br /><br />awesome!<br /><br />the family was comforted -- they voiced peace -- they were OK -- they went home...<br /><br />i settled in...<br /><br />sitting...<br /><br />waiting... <br /><br />praying out loud...<br /><br />quoting scripture as i could remember it...<br /><br />even singing hymns [and NO -- my singing did NOT kill her...]...<br /><br />several hours went by...<br /><br />just jo ann and me...<br /><br />and Jesus...<br /><br />the med staff was surprised -- she was holding her own even after the life-support vent was removed...<br /><br />and then she began to fade...<br /><br />then the decline sped up...<br /><br />quickly...<br /><br />suddenly...<br /><br />she was gone...<br /><br />just Jesus and me left in the room...<br /><br />jo ann had been received into the Father's arms...<br /><br />she was finally home...<br /><br />Jesus spoke to me about hope...<br /><br />the hope of advent...<br /><br />there is more to this life than this life...<br /><br />hope now -- even greater hope later...<br /><br />there really is a place called "home"...<br /><br />a spiritual home where we will finally "belong"...<br /><br />one day, we can really "go home"...<br /><br />it was great to hear Jesus and "see" Jesus and feel Jesus...<br /><br />he came...<br /><br />as a helpless baby...<br /><br />he will come...<br /><br />as a ruling potentate...<br /><br />he comes...<br /><br />so many days in so many ways...<br /><br />as leader and friend...<br /><br />let's keep looking for him...<br /><br />happy advent...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />maybe we will see Jesus tomorrow...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-3581624005617567857?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-33180055856207354532009-12-17T21:31:00.002-05:002009-12-17T21:58:12.327-05:00greetings!<br /><br />advent has been awesome this year!<br /><br />Jesus showed up again today -- another "salvation sighting"...<br /><br />i was at the hub [the tampa underground warehouse] for the thursday night banquet [our opportunity to serve the poor of our city by feeding them a free hot meal] -- a load of folks showed up tonight for the meal...<br /><br />so many hungry people...<br /><br />as we were dishing up the food, i prepared a takeout plate for one of my poorest hospice patients -- BR -- who is staying at a rundown motel on the sex strip in the central city area of tampa [nebraska avenue]...<br /><br />[BR is only 49 -- already a grandmother several times over -- dying of cancer in her breast, brain, lungs and bones...]<br /><br />she lost her section 8 apartment awhile back -- it takes almost all her monthly check just for staying off the street in this suspect [and seedy] motel -- not enough money left for food...<br /><br />i was talking to a friend from the underground [our church] who is a ministry leader for the banquet -- he and his community had been praying about BR's plight -- while we were serving together tonight, he asked if she might like to move into their home since they had an empty room...<br /><br />what a gesture of love -- two families living together in this home with a spare bedroom -- willing to share with a person in need...<br /><br />in his eyes -- i saw another Jesus sighting...<br /><br />JS rode with me to deliver the food to BR -- they talked for awhile and set up a time to show her the room...<br /><br />i saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes...<br /><br />there it was -- i saw it again -- a Jesus sighting...<br /><br />i am so blessed...<br /><br />may the Lord always give us eyes to see and ears to hear -- the beauty and wonder of Jesus who is our salvation...<br /><br />i love these ongoing, inspiring and humbling glimpses of Jesus...<br /><br />have a blessed advent...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />may we all see Jesus in some way tomorrow...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-3318005585620735453?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-71047344114017496522009-12-16T21:46:00.002-05:002009-12-16T21:58:25.859-05:00greetings!<br /><br />i am very tired...<br /><br />but, i saw Jesus again today...<br /><br />in a COPD patient who struggles to breathe -- i mean she really struggles...<br /><br />i do not know how she does it...<br /><br />how does she keep her peace when she can barely breathe?<br /><br />she is down to only 70 pounds -- she can barely eat and breathe at the same time...<br /><br />her body is emaciated -- all i can see is bones -- can she lose any more weight?<br /><br />but, she is at peace...<br /><br />she has Jesus...<br /><br />she may struggle to breathe physically, but she takes deep breaths of the wind of the Spirit!<br /><br />i see Jesus in MS as she lives in unshakeable peace amidst the storm of COPD...<br /><br />blessings!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />merry christmas...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7104734411401749652?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-75977847991963407412009-12-15T20:28:00.002-05:002009-12-15T20:38:47.195-05:00greetings!<br /><br />Henri Nouwen on the WAITING that characterizes Advent: "It is not a passive waiting, it is very active...Right here is the secret for us about waiting. If we wait in the conviction that a seed has been planted and that something has already begun, it changes the way we wait. Active waiting implies being fully present to the moment with the conviction that something is happening where we are and that we want to be present to it. A waiting person is someone who is present to the moment, believing that this moment is THE moment..."<br /><br />how well do we WAIT???<br /><br />how present are we in THE moment???<br /><br />do we actually encounter Jesus in our waiting???<br /><br />shalom...<br /><br />guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7597784799196340741?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-30003364835392852212009-12-14T20:31:00.002-05:002009-12-14T21:14:18.791-05:00greetings!<br /><br />yesterday, i suggested that [for me] the best word for SALVATION is LIFE!<br /><br />LIFE that comes from the LIFE-GIVER -- Jesus...<br /><br />so, what does this LIFE "look like"???<br /><br />for me, LIFE includes the following...<br /><br />FORGIVENESS...coming into intimate relationship with God [experiencing forgiveness and extending forgiveness to others] -- no more guilt and shame...<br /><br />REVELATION...life is all about vision and direction -- God giving sight to us even in our moments of blindness and darkness -- God leading us into our sweetspot...<br /><br />FREEDOM...being liberated from the chains and locks of bondage -- taking a deep and refreshing breath of freedom...<br /><br />SERVICE...finding joy is serving others [rather than always being served] -- being surprised by the ascendancy of giving over receiving -- something our culture does not grasp...<br /><br />HEALING...for now and forever...healing always comes to God's children [but not always in this world] -- as we hope in the Lord our strength is renewed...<br /><br />PEACE...just may be the most treasured of all gifts as we walk the spiritual journey of life -- God will keep in perfect peace ALL those who trust in him...<br /><br />LOVE...the cosmic glue that holds the universe together -- both now and forever...<br /><br />SALVATION = LIFE [as experienced above]...<br /><br />the bottom line...<br /><br />in several conversations of late -- where people have told me they had been recently "saved" -- the testimony was the same -- word for word...<br /><br />"Jesus gave me my life back -- I was at the point where I had NO life -- but now I have the life of Jesus...<br /><br />it is almost impossible to argue with this...<br /><br />blessings!<br /><br />guy<br /><br />may each of us experience the fullness of LIFE that Jesus offers during this Advent season...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-3000336483539285221?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-23526761975762309222009-12-13T21:38:00.002-05:002009-12-13T21:51:53.998-05:00greetings!<br /><br />great weekend -- but LONG weekend...<br /><br />spent last night camping at Lake Blue Cypress in Yee Haw Junction...<br /><br />so much fun sitting around the fire with Matt, Josh and my Dad...<br /><br />i have never seen my Dad talk so much -- he was still going strong at 1 a.m.<br /><br />up early for a cool breakfast with Glenn in Ft Pierce at Cracker Barrell...<br /><br />shared the Word with my good friends at Trinity EPC in Ft Pierce...<br /><br />back to the lake and fished until dark -- it was so gorgeous [but hot]...<br /><br />then the 100+ miles drive home...<br /><br />remember our thought for the day -- what does "salvation" mean???<br /><br />my best thought is that "salvation" could best be translated as "LIFE" -- Jesus actually gives us our LIFE back -- a full life, an abundant life, life the way God always intended for it to be -- when we come into relationship with him...<br /><br />LIFE...<br /><br />what do you think???<br /><br />more tomorrow...<br /><br />i didn't get much sleep last night -- i hear my bed calling...<br /><br />shalom...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />have a blessed Advent...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2352676197576230922?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-40603352871749148612009-12-12T11:18:00.002-05:002009-12-12T11:26:56.009-05:00Greetings!<br /><br />I am on my way out of town for overnight...<br /><br />Josh and I are going to Lake Blue Cypress in Yee Haw Junction to fish with my dad and spend the night camping -- it is only a 40 minute drive from the lake to Trinity EPC where I am preaching in the morning...<br /><br />Needless to say, there is no internet access at the lake -- it is actually very beautiful and very primitive...<br /><br />So, I will check back in with you on Sunday night when I return...<br /><br />One question for us to ponder overnight based on yesterday's reflection...<br /><br />IF, when we SEE Jesus, we SEE the Father's salvation -- then what is SALVATION???<br /><br />I grew up with a very narrow definition -- it consisted mostly of repeating a prayer and getting a ticket to heaven when I died [as opposed to a one-way sentence to hell] -- I have come to believe that SALVATION is DIFFERENT from this and MUCH MORE than this...<br /><br />What do you think???<br /><br />Talk to you tomorrow...<br /><br />Guy<br /><br />Blessings!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4060335287174914861?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-33782888272254794722009-12-11T23:04:00.002-05:002009-12-11T23:24:58.632-05:00Greetings!<br /><br />I usually always have an opportunity to read a short passage of scripture to each of my patients when I visit...<br /><br />Today, I read the same passage all day long -- Luke 2.25-35 -- the same passage I am preaching on this Sunday in Ft Pierce...<br /><br />One phrase really stood out from the prophecy of Simeon: "I have seen the Savior you have given to all people..."<br /><br />Another translation says: "Now I have seen your salvation..."<br /><br />The advent of Jesus brought salvation -- the ongoing advents of Jesus continue to bring salvation...<br /><br />When our eyes are anointed by the Holy Spirit, revelation is an ongoing reality -- we SEE Jesus and we SEE salvation -- over and over and over again...<br /><br />My last visit today was with Mr Williams -- he is always my last visit on Friday -- I have the opportunity to serve him by dropping off his weekend food...<br /><br />I think he "sees" Jesus every week when his food shows up...<br /><br />Today, he got visibly excited when we read this scripture -- he said to me: "I know dat's right -- I sees Jesus all da time -- ya jus gotta be lookin for 'im..."<br /><br />Mr Williams is right on...<br /><br />During Advent -- and far beyond -- let's just keep "looking for him..."<br /><br />Shalom...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />A favor -- please pray for me on Sunday at 10.30 -- I will be preaching at Trinity EPC in Ft Pierce...<br /><br />THANKS!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-3378288827225479472?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-9243158598861348222009-12-10T18:39:00.002-05:002009-12-10T19:53:39.249-05:00Good evening...<br /><br />I love what Richard Rohr has to say about SELF RESPECT:<br /><br />"You cannot give yourself away until you have a self...It seems to me the people who have the best sense of self, who don't constantly need to have it affirmed or stroked, are people with self-respecting boundaries. They are always people who, in some way or another, know how to set limits to their lives and know, quite simply, how to say NO to themselves. They have an appropriate sense of boundaries and an instinctive sense of their own center...That is precisely the way the ego is formed -- NOT by pandering to the self, but in fact by setting limits to its voracious appetites. That gives ego the boudaries and the center that it needs. You are SOMETHING, it tells you, because there is something there you can say NO to. The SACRED NO to the self, ironically, gives us a sense of self-respect. Continued YESES to the self are actually a humiliation of the ego..."<br /><br />I wish I would have known this in my 20s, 30s and early 40s -- I was clueless...<br /><br />Sometimes an out of control ego passes itself off as spirituality -- I had few boundaries in mininstry for most of my life -- thought I could do it all -- guess I was playing "god" and not doing a very good job...<br /><br />I didn't say NO enough -- this lack of boudaries caused me to lose my center -- with God, myself, my family and my real friends...<br /><br />I cared too much about what other people thought -- if I didn't say the compulsive YES, they may not like me...<br /><br />At 50, I don't care as much about what people think...<br /><br />I have discovered the sacred NO -- now, I do have something to give -- my self -- because I have a center -- I have some boundaries -- I experience seasons of fullness and overflowing...<br /><br />There is greater fulfillment in giving when you have something inside to give...<br /><br />In my days of the driven YES, I was always running on empty -- trying to give away something I did not have -- what stress...<br /><br />Now, there is more peace -- not all the time -- but the journey is moving in the right direction...<br /><br />How was your day???<br /><br />I had another day filled with advents of Jesus...<br /><br />My first visit was deep in the 'hood -- this is the rooming house where crack is routinely sold in the parking lot -- I also met a BIG white pit bull today [I was blessed with a lick instead of a mangling]. I never saw him coming as I walked toward the door until it was too late -- I knew I couldn't outrun him -- I was too far from the Scion and not close enough to the door -- no man's land. When he got to me, I extended my hand for a sniff -- I still have my hand -- he licked it...<br /><br />Praise the Lord...<br /><br />Once inside, I met the patient...<br /><br />JB was my age...<br /><br />Nothing but skin and bones...<br /><br />Very little hair left -- I could actually see the bones protruding from her face...<br /><br />No teeth...<br /><br />A blank stare -- there was nothing in her eyes...<br /><br />She turned sexual tricks for drugs on Nebraska Avenue until there was no longer a market for her body...<br /><br />She smoked crack for years...<br /><br />In fact, she was open -- "I still smoke crack..."<br /><br />She is dying of HIV / aids...<br /><br />She opened up and told me of bondage...<br /><br />"Dat ole devil done wrapped me up in strong chains and locked me up wid a big ol' lock -- he done throwed away da key..."<br /><br />I was broken...<br /><br />Don't ever question the reality of evil -- the plan of darkness -- I was looking at all the theological truth I will ever need...<br /><br />The thief had been stealing, killing and destroying Ms JB for years...<br /><br />Pain and suffering causes openness -- the kindness of God brings about repentance -- love and acceptance breaks down walls of guilt and shame...<br /><br />Jesus was present -- another advent -- on Commanche Avenue in the 'hood...<br /><br />We held hands and talked to Jesus...<br /><br />Ms JB knew that it was advent -- she knew that Jesus was there -- she prayed to him and started the journey of life -- life to the full...<br /><br />She may die -- but she will never DIE!<br /><br />She may give up her physical breath -- but never the breath of the Spirit who filled her today...<br /><br />One of the best parts -- I get to join her on her journey...<br /><br />I have time now to do so now -- no budget meetings -- no city council meetings -- no big pulpit to fill -- no dignitaries to entertain -- I am NOT that important now...<br /><br />Or, maybe I am more important than I have ever been -- at least to the JBs of the world...<br /><br />She will die well -- thanks to Jesus and me...<br /><br />My heart is so full tonight -- happy Advent to you and yours...<br /><br />Shalom...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />Josh and I are going to "try out" a one year old Boxer on Sunday after I preach in Ft Pierce...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-924315859886134822?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-26698850587515763872009-12-09T22:15:00.002-05:002009-12-09T22:28:46.521-05:00Greetings!<br /><br />Would you like to hear some Good News for Advent?<br /><br />From Henri Nouwen: "God, in total freedom, has decided to love us...Jesus is the revelation of God's unending, unconditional love for us human beings...Everything that Jesus has done, said and undergone is meant to show us that the love we most long for is given to us by God -- not because we've deserved it, but because God is a God of love...What God asks of us is to have faith in that love...When Jesus talks about faith, he means first of all to trust unreservedly that you are loved by God."<br /><br />Our greatest claim to fame is that we are BELOVED CHILDREN OF GOD -- nothing else even comes close to this reality...<br /><br />Sleep tight...<br /><br />Shalom...<br /><br />Guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2669885058751576387?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-51526066760157735802009-12-08T20:43:00.002-05:002009-12-08T21:31:17.227-05:00Greetings!<br /><br />Advent was in the air today -- I spotted Jesus several times during the course of my day...<br /><br />I saw him in the smile of a blind patient who was blessed with the New Testament on cassette and a small tape player to listen to the cassettes when I visited this morning -- she was so thrilled -- her smile lit up the whole room!<br /><br />I saw him when I placed the communion elements in the mouth of a young man dying of Parkinson's -- the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine -- today just may have been his last Lord's Supper...<br /><br />I saw him in a plain envelope I was given this morning that had a $20 bill sealed in it -- just a couple of hours after I had asked the Lord for some cash to buy a few groceries for BR -- guess Jesus wanted to do a modern day loaves and fishes thing...<br /><br />I saw him in the hope that resurged in BR's eyes when I dropped by her run-down motel at the corner of Nebraska and MLK [not the better section of Tampa -- ha! ha!] and unloaded a couple of bags of groceries --I never knew how much a deli chicken meal could mean to a person in need -- she had been kicked out of her daughter's home ON THANKSGIVING DAY for eating to much food and not paying enough rent... WOW! The rejection had been overwhelming for BR -- a 49 year old grandma dying from cancer...<br /><br />I saw Jesus today...<br /><br />Over and over again...<br /><br />Not in Bethlehem 2000 years ago but in inner city Tampa TODAY...<br /><br />I was so surprised, BUT should I be?<br /><br />Maybe Jesus is always coming to us again and again but I just don't make the space to see and experience him...<br /><br />Maybe Advent happens all day every day...<br /><br />When I am in tune with Jesus in spirit and truth!<br /><br />From Rohr: "We have tried so hard to be OK, to affirm one another and give ourselves a positive personal regard. The self-esteem movement is a national business...If what I am seeing in the American Church is the fruit of all that stroking, I do NOT think it is working at all. In fact, it seems like these folks need a fix every few days. Many seem incapable of really grasping the good news, taking it into their hearts, standing with it and moving forward with it to lives of surrender, service and silence. Instead, it's a world of noise and weak identity, where we need constant reassurance, someone to be holding our hand all the time and telling us, 'You're good. God loves you.'"<br /><br />Maybe we need to escape ourselves and find Jesus in the eyes and smiles of those we serve -- maybe our experience of God would be transformed IF it focused on GIVING and NOT just RECEIVING!<br /><br />Maybe we should be like Jesus -- a person for others [as Bonhoeffer noted]...<br /><br />Join me in the surprise of joy -- the experience of Jesus afresh -- as we serve someone tomorrow...<br /><br />Blessings!<br /><br />Guy<br /><br />If I haven't told you lately -- HAPPY ADVENT!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-5152606676015773580?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-75075678341684811562009-12-07T22:50:00.002-05:002009-12-07T23:02:48.212-05:00Greetings!<br /><br />I was already in bed and then it dawned on me -- I forgot to blog!!!<br /><br />So I am back up -- blogging with you and checking out the Monday Night Football game...<br /><br />From Nouwen: "Christian community is the place where we keep the flame of hope alive among us and take it seriously so that it can grow and become stronger in us. In this way we can live with courage, trusting that there is a spiritual power in us when we are together that allows us to live us to live in this world without surrendering to the powerful forces constantly seducing us toward despair. That is how we dare to say that God is a God of love when we see hatred all around us. That is why we can claim that God is a God of life even when we see death and destruction and agony all around us. We say it together. We affirm it in each other. Waiting together, nurturing what has already begun, expecting its fulfillment -- that is the meaning of marriage, friendship and the Christian life..."<br /><br />We are better because we are walking TOGETHER...<br /><br />Off to bed...<br /><br />Guy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7507567834168481156?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-72031375511516363342009-12-06T17:48:00.002-05:002009-12-06T22:08:45.957-05:00Greetings!<br /><br />What an awesome day at the tampa underground [church]...<br /><br />[check us out at www.tampaunderground.com]<br /><br />It is a beautiful thing to see the Good News shared with the poor -- especially the hungry, the homeless, the addicted, the transients, the working girls, the thrown away of our society [and other recovering sinners like me] -- those of us who are poor enough in their spirit that they truly realize their need for God...<br /><br />We are seeing the poor welcomed in -- included in the community -- plugging into our micro churches -- experiencing the lavish love of the Father [and the affection of the other children in the underground family]... <br /><br />The initial advent of Jesus was precisely for this purpose -- sharing the Good News with the poor...<br /><br />On the second Sunday of Advent [and most every Sunday] -- we see Jesus coming afresh in the life of our community -- making sure the message gets through to everyone...<br /><br />To be real -- aren't we all "poor" -- but some of us [unfortunately] have enough material resources that we don't always realize it -- we hide our poverty behind the facade of our prosperity...<br /><br />Advent reminds me of my poverty -- of my need -- and of God's radical grace...<br /><br />Advent reminds me that my identity is established by God's love -- I AM HIS BELOVED CHILD -- not by my own performance...<br /><br />Advent reminds me [as Brian said so passionately this morning] -- Jesus always comes when we cry out -- he shows up in our puddle of tears -- he is always present in the crucible of human suffering and pain...<br /><br />Do we care enough to weep over the pain of our world?<br /><br />If we do -- from our heart -- we will see Jesus come afresh...<br /><br />As for Nouwen: "A waiting person is a patient person. The word 'patience' implies the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us. Patient living means to live actively in the present and wait there. Impatient people expect the real thing to happen somewhere else, and therefore they want to get away from the present situation and go elsewhere. For them, the moment is empty. But patient people dare to stay right where they are -- WAITING!"<br /><br />Let's be fully present right where we are and WAIT aggressively...<br /><br />Blessings!<br /><br />Guy<br /><br />Josh and I almost got a dog tonight -- we looked at a Boxer, but the situation did not "feel" right...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-7203137551151636334?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-27342682315488969152009-12-05T23:18:00.002-05:002009-12-05T23:36:17.597-05:00Greetings!<br /><br />I spent all day serving at THE JESUS ENCOUNTER weekend at the tampa underground -- what a BLESSING...<br /><br />We had about 75 participants -- they were showered with the lavish love of God -- many people testified that they had NEVER felt so loved in all of their lives -- MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!<br /><br />I gave a talk on walking in spiritual FREEDOM -- I will attach it to the end of today's blog [if I can figure out how -- ha! ha!]<br /><br />I am so tired -- I have that awesome feeling you get when you are totally spent for a very great cause -- it was worth it tonight and today...<br /><br />Now to Nouwen...<br /><br />"The deepest joys come not from the money we earn, the friends we surround ourselves with or the results we achieve. Rather, we are whom God made us to be in his infinite love. We are the gifts we are given, not just the conquests we make. as long as we running around, anxiously trying to affirm ourselves or be affirmed by others, we remain blind to One who has loved us first, dwells in our heart and has formed our truest self."<br /><br />God's love is a gift -- undeserved, unconditional and unending -- it never comes as a result of our performance BUT as a result of who we are and who God is -- we are the beloved children of the consummate Lover...<br /><br />Have a great night's sleep...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />Freedom Talk<br /><br />The Jesus Encounter Weekend<br />The Tampa Underground<br />5 December 2009<br />Guy M. Glass<br /><br />Our FREEDOM in Christ is directly related to our KNOWING and APPLYING the TRUTH in our lives – please close your eyes and listen to several true truths from God’s word…<br /><br />1 John 3.1: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!<br /><br />Jesus in John 10.10: The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.<br /><br />Ephesians 6.12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.<br /><br />1 Peter 5.8: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.<br /><br />Jesus praying to the Father in John 17.15-17: My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.<br /><br />Galatians 5.1: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free! Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery…<br /><br />Jesus in John 8.32, 36: You will know the truth [me] and [I] the truth will set you free…so if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!<br /><br />SPIRITUAL REALITY – let’s start TOGETHER in our understanding – these five truths will be our starting point…<br /><br />1. Jesus wants to reveal the Father’s lavish love to US – Jesus wants US to walk in truth and be FREE…<br /><br />2. Satan wants to blind us and destroy us – he wants our life to be a miserable existence characterized by frustration and ropes of BONDAGE…<br /><br />3. There is a spiritual battle going on – Jesus [good] vs. Satan [evil] in the battlefield of our minds – we cannot opt out of this very real war – every human person has been drafted [conscripted]…<br /><br />4. The war is NOT between two EQUAL yet OPPOSING powers – Jesus is the Lord of all –Satan is already defeated [his only power is in deception] – he entangles us in ropes of bondage through deceiving us with lies…<br /><br />5. We can be FREE through Jesus – it is God’s will for each of us as his beloved children to be released from habitual sins, soul ties, generational sins, patterns of bondage and a defeated walk of frustration and failure – the ropes can be cut > SET FREE!<br /><br />KNOWING THE ROPES…<br /><br />[have the team bring out the ropes and loosely bind the hands of the participants]<br /><br />By definition: soul ties are ungodly bonds formed between the souls of people for the purpose of control, manipulation or domination. <br /><br />What begins so simply, and sometimes innocently, can have devastating and lasting impact – leave us feeling hopeless in our bondage…<br /><br />We open doors to the ropes…<br /><br />1. The occult – especially inquiries into the future [horoscopes]…<br /><br />2. New Age indoctrination – Secrets…<br /><br />3. Addictive chemical behaviors [abusing] – drugs, alcohol, food, prescription drugs, etc.<br /><br />4. Abortion…<br /><br />5. Sexual violation – abuse, molestation, incest, trauma, etc.<br /><br />6. Addictive sexual behaviors – pornography, lust, exploitation, visualization, fantasy, etc.<br /><br />7. Personal choices – especially rebellion [often lived out through unhealthy relationships and willful / damaging behaviors]…<br /><br />8. Sexual sharing outside the marriage covenant – the unique sin [power]…<br /><br />9. Family of origin issues [ideological biases, prejudice, generational sin patterns, nationalism, enculturation, pride, control, bitterness, culture of honor, music, etc.]…<br /><br />10. Religion [pride, exclusivist, compromise, heresy, manipulation, exploitation, following institutions rather than Jesus, missing the point, etc.]…<br /><br />HOW did we get roped in???<br /><br />Satan’s strategy for binding us with the ropes…<br /><br />1. Temptation: this is such a small thing; it really does not matter…<br /><br />2. Condemnation: you did what? God will never forgive you of that…<br /><br />3. Attacks identity: do you really think you are a child of God when you are so sinful?<br /><br />4. Questions the Father’s love: do you think God loves hypocrites like you? You might as well just give it up!<br /><br />5. Hopelessness, bondage and fear: who am I? [Paul in Romans 7.24: what a wretched man I am – who will rescue me from this body of death? THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO DELIVERS ME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!]<br /><br />GETTING FREE…<br /><br />Jesus wants to cut our ropes and set us free from habitual sins…<br /><br />1. Get honest and confess specifically [agree with God] and walk in community > [confront denial; stop rationalizing; start with the truth no matter how painful; forsake deception > run to the light]…<br /><br />1 John 1.9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.<br /><br />James 5.16: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.<br /><br />2. Submit to God, repent [change of mind] and receive his strength…<br /><br />James 4.7, 10: Submit yourselves, then, to God…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.<br /><br />3. Resist the evil one…<br /><br />James 4.7: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.<br /><br />4. Close the door [renounce the lies / sins specifically; choose truth; seize your authority as a beloved child of the Father to speak release; with the sword of the Spirit, cut the ropes and trust God to break the bondages]…<br /><br />2 Corinthians 10.5: We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ…<br /><br />We have the authority, in the name of Jesus, to break these bonds and walk in our freedom as beloved children of God. In the final analysis, this is not so much a POWER encounter as it is a TRUTH encounter!<br /><br />John 4.24: God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth…<br /><br />5. Give ourselves fully to God and walk in intimacy one day at a time…<br /><br />Romans 12.1: Offer our bodies to God as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is true worship! Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will…<br /><br />My long walk to FREEDOM…<br /><br />[after my personal story, have the team come forward and cut the ropes with scissors]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2734268231548896915?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-49942533593961144972009-12-04T23:13:00.002-05:002009-12-04T23:40:18.657-05:00I hid with God today...<br /><br />It was awesome...<br /><br />It rained most of the day in Tampa -- and it got much cooler...<br /><br />It actually feels like winter -- Florida style...<br /><br />No Nouwen or Rohr tonight -- just one word...<br /><br />FREEDOM...<br /><br />I am 50 years old...<br /><br />I have been a Christ-follower for over 45 years...<br /><br />I have been a pastor for over 30 years...<br /><br />But, I feel more FREEDOM now than I ever have in my life...<br /><br />I think the key has been openness -- honesty with God [fewer facades than ever] and honesty with a spiritual friend I have come to trust...<br /><br />James 5.16: "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed" -- it is a liberating experience to be honest with God and with another human person...<br /><br />I took the risk of "unloading" with my spiritual director this last year -- he did not reject or condemn me in the deep vulnerability of my hideous confession -- he loved me -- accepted me -- prayed with me -- partnered with God in healing me...<br /><br />The healing brought a new freedom...<br /><br />A new peace...<br /><br />I am less afraid...<br /><br />As Popeye would say: "I yam who I yam" -- the transparency and authenticity -- fewer facades and fronts -- have moved me toward greater freedom and peace...<br /><br />Our freedom is so dependent on truth -- the truth of God's word -- i am so glad God encouraged me to put this verse to the test...<br /><br />I hope it rains all night...<br /><br />Sleep tight...<br /><br />Guy<br /><br />I may have found my dog today...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4994253359396114497?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-47568943481270970042009-12-03T23:00:00.002-05:002009-12-03T23:25:24.277-05:00Greetings!<br /><br />I decided to take a day off from work tomorrow -- I need a day to "hide out" with God -- I can hardly wait...<br /><br />I want more "space" than I got today -- it was just too busy...<br /><br />I want to get my heart focused before THE JESUS ENCOUNTER weekend kicks off tomorrow night at the tampa underground -- it will be a great experience for the 75 participants -- I am so excited about serving...<br /><br />It is late and I am beat -- tonight will be short...<br /><br />Henri Nouwen speaking about "Jesus' Weakness Invites Us Into God's Intimacy": "People with power do not invite intimacy. We fear, we look up to, we envy people with power. God's power is something entirely different. God does not want us to be afraid, distant, or envious. God wants to come close, very close, so close that we can rest in the intimacy of God as children in their mother's arms."<br /><br />It's time to go to sleep in God's arms tonight...<br /><br />Sweet dreams...<br /><br />Guy<br /><br />Wish my new dog was jumping in the bed with me tonight...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-4756894348127097004?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-14058677975890245822009-12-02T22:59:00.002-05:002009-12-02T23:39:07.414-05:00Greetings...<br /><br />A "cold front" is blowing through FL tonight...<br /><br />Rambunctious squalls are exiting the Gulf and hitting the coastline -- it is raining steadily right now in central city Tampa...<br /><br />I am sitting on the front porch -- enjoying a slight mist that is lingering in the night air...<br /><br />I love it!<br /><br />The rain...<br /><br />The cooler air...<br /><br />The turbulence of the storm out there...<br /><br />The quiet of the porch [nobody else in my crew wants to sit in the mist -- ha! ha!].<br /><br />The eery lighting of the night in the distance as lightning flashes...<br /><br />It could not be better [although I do wish it were a little earlier]...<br /><br />Some reflection time...<br /><br />I did something nice today because God stirred my heart -- not because I felt compulsed to -- I think I was so moved because of yesterday's reflection and the prayer to the Father that my spirituality would be about DESIRE and LOVE and PASSION, not morose obligation...<br /><br />I wanted to love out of a loving YES -- a real, deep, authentic and firm YES to God!<br /><br />I don't want to mislead you -- it was no big thing...<br /><br />A cup of coffee [cream only] before team started today for our new doc on my hospice team -- Dr Von Rottenthyler [no not Rottenweiler] -- Hugarian born, German reared, USF educated, now LifePath Hospice employed...<br /><br />A very little thing -- but she was so surprised and so appreciative -- a cup of coffee in Jesus' name goes a long way I guess -- my thrill came from the joy in my heart to serve her...<br /><br />Did you say a big YES to God today???<br /><br />For tonight...<br /><br />Richard Rohr in speaking of the Church in our world today: "I think the Church's numbers, its institutions and traditions have sometimes given it a false sense of power. We think that just because we have the numbers we're influencing culture. Sometimes we're not at all, we're just reflecting the culture. There's a big difference between influencing culture and reflecting it. In many cases the Church tends to reflect the local prejudices and biases much more than influencing and changing them..."<br /><br />Are we influencing or just reflecting???<br /><br />Maybe we have been reflecting so long that we have actually lost the numbers and true influence, compromised our spiritual authority and cooled in our passionate and radical love for the people in the world around us???<br /><br />Henri Nouwen: "The waiting and watching and serving we are called to demands that we become seers, people who discern the coming of God into our midst and in our world. Is there a space in our life where the Spirit of God has a chance to speak or act or show up? Being contemplative means peeling off the blindfolds that keep us from seeing his coming in us and around us, and learning to listen in the spaces of quiet we leave for God...we seem to have a fear of empty spaces. We want to fill up what is empty. Perhaps our fear is that an empty space means that something may happen to us that we cannot predict, that is new, that leads us to a place we might not want to go. I might not want to hear what God has to say..."<br /><br />Do you hear God's voice calling us to create some space during this Advent season?<br /><br />Do you sense the need for quiet spaces we leave for God?<br /><br />I am feeling courage to move beyond my fears -- I want to hear what God has to say NO MATTER WHAT -- this must be God at work...<br /><br />"perfect love drives out all fear..."<br /><br />Can you sense his coming afresh in stirring your courage???<br /><br />What about it -- let's carve out an empty space JUST FOR GOD tomorrow...<br /><br />I can hardly wait -- I am excited -- both for ME and for YOU!!!<br /><br />Shalom...<br /><br />Sleep tight...<br /><br />Guy<br /><br />I think my dog would lay out here in the mist with me -- what do you think???<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-1405867797589024582?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2143528536538519981.post-22535316538752524032009-12-01T20:53:00.002-05:002009-12-01T21:33:29.902-05:00Greetings!<br /><br />How did your celebration of personal weakness go for you today???<br /><br />Pretty uncomfortable???<br /><br />Me too, but...<br /><br />I received a gift this afternoon from one of my patients who is dying of cancer -- she is enjoying what she believes to be her sister from MA last visit with her...<br /><br />They played cards on Monday night until "way past our bedtime" -- "I really overdid it -- I almost could not get out of bed this morning -- I was so tired..."<br /><br />"But it was a great decision -- it was worth it -- the interaction was well worth the fatigue that followed -- plus I beat her badly!"<br /><br />AJ [her initials] has embraced her weakness, limits and finitude -- as a gift -- through her battle with cancer [and a difficult life]...<br /><br />She gave me hope today -- in my aging process, I too have the opportunity to embrace my weakness, finitude and limits -- a gift of wisdom / aging gracefully...<br /><br />Before we prayed and thanked God for his blessings -- yes, even the gift of our frail and fragile humanity -- we read the words of Jesus from 2 Corinthians 12.9...<br /><br />"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness..."<br /><br />When my weakness opens me to the strength of Jesus -- that is when I am strongest!<br /><br />Moving on to Tuesday...<br /><br />In my younger and more arrogant days, I was quick [and severe] in my chastisement of those "simpletons" of faith [according to my judgment] who were always talking about the second coming of Christ. <br /><br />And singing about it...<br /><br />And shouting about it...<br /><br />And testifying about it...<br /><br />NOT ME -- they were the ones with the theological "problems"...<br /><br />Escapists!<br /><br />Pie in the sky extremists!<br /><br />Run away from today and hide in the "blessed hope" of the future...<br /><br />I am rethinking now...<br /><br />The blessed hope is really quite blessed!<br /><br />The older I get the more blessed it gets!<br /><br />I cannot celebrate his first Advent without joyful expectation of his Second Coming... <br /><br />I am feeling a deep love for his appearing...<br /><br />Henri Nouwen: "We should desire not only the first coming of Christ in his lowly human gentleness but also his second coming as the judge of our lives..."<br /><br />And I would add, the judge of all culture and history...<br /><br />The second coming epitomizes HOPE for me at this stage in my journey...<br /><br />What does Jesus' coming again mean to you tonight???<br /><br />Richard Rohr [on the "virtue of obedience"]: "I do think that all Christians have to practice saying YES before they dare to say NO..."<br /><br />Tomorrow, let's do the right things because of our DESIRE to say YES to God -- not because we OUGHT to be good and holy [or else!!!]...<br /><br />I am ending my night -- on the porch -- a cool wind blowing -- a glass of wine in hand -- opening my heart to meditate on what it means to say a BIG YES to God...<br /><br />What will saying YES to God "look like" as I walk through Wednesday???<br /><br />Wish you were here feeling the moment with me...<br /><br />Shalom...<br /><br />guy<br /><br />I am also meditating on how my very own dog would draw me closer to God...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2143528536538519981-2253531653875252403?l=coramdeogmg.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10749767488252482727noreply@blogger.com0