Michelle’s work environment has been poor lately! The company she works for has been under some public scrutiny in recent days. Moral is low and stress is high! She is fairly depressed about the whole situation. It is amazing how one’s work, so effects the other arenas of life. She needs a little “Michelle” time.
It has been several weeks since school started and we are settling into a routine. Both boys have football practice, and a great deal of homework, every evening! This morning, Jonathan is leaving for Northern Kentucky, with his Caving Class. They will be spending 4 days hiking and exploring caves in that area. Ethan will be enjoying Homecoming, this weekend, I don’t believe any firm plans have been made as to what they will be getting into!
Another school shooting in Bailey Colo.
As the boomers age, many cities are not elderly friendly
Top 100 companies for working moms
10 Reasons Michael Schumacher’s job is tougher than yours
I have enjoyed the blog of Randall Friesen recently. He recently posted this piece by Eugene Peterson.
Church done the American way.
The operating biblical metaphor regarding worship is sacrifice. We bring ourselves to the altar and let God do to us what God will…
But this is not the American way. The major American innovation in the congregation is to turn it into a consumer enterprise. Americans have developed a culture of acquisition, an economy that is dependent on wanting and requiring more. We have a huge advertising industry designed to stir up appetites we didn’t even know we had. We are insatiable. It didn’t take long for some of our colleagues to develop consumer congregations. If we have a nation of consumers, obviouslythe quickest and most effective way to get them into our churches is to identify what they want and offer it to them. Satisfy their fantasies, promise them the moon, recast the gospel into consumer terms—entertainment, satisfaction, excitement and adventure, problem-solving, whatever. We are the world’s champion consumers, so why shouldn’t we have state-of-the-art consumer churches?
Given the conditions prevailing in our culture, we have the best and most effective way ever devised for gathering large and prosperous congregations. Americans lead the world in showing how to do it. There’s only one thing wrong. This is not the way that God brings us into conformity with the life of Christ. This is not the way that we become less and Jesus becomes more. This is not the way in which our lives become available to others in justice and service. The cultivation of consumer spirituality is the antithesis of a sacrificial, “denying yourself” congregation. A consumer church is an anti-Christ church. It’s doing the right thing—gathering acongregation—but doing it in the wrong way. This is not the way to develop a contemplative life, a life in which the Jesus way and the Jesus truth are congruent, where “kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame.”
Eugene Peterson
I have experienced this quote, and am certain others have as well.
A job and a vocation are two very different things… A vocation has about it a sense of mystery, but a job is like a task - it is something to be done and not lived! A vocation comes from your very roots - from deep down in the dark depths of yourself.
Check out this video of Will Ferrell, as President Bush, discussing Global Warming. He is great.
Ran across this post from Kim Reid, it was raw and real….
Sometimes, I look at this world and wonder if God is even awake. Whether it is on a personal level, or watching the goings on around the world, it can be very easy to develop a fatalistic preception of God and his motives. Unless, you spend time with Him. I have been impressed lately at the hope that Paul, Peter and the boys express in scripture, even though they are going through tough times. They chose to focus on their Hope in Jesus rather than the fact that they were getting their asses kicked.They chose to try and see life from God’s perspective rather than their own selfish perspective.
I am seeing scripture in a new way these days. If we are to get through the hard times, we will need to depend on God. If we are going no trust Him, we need to know Him. Fresh every day, because we forget. Read the book, and learn to see and hear the hope.
Peace,
K
Millions of Americans have trouble sleeping and use alternative methods to assist them.
Episcopal Church divided over Gay issue.
Go Bucks! #1
Notre Dame wins! What a game, and I went to bed before it was over.
The weather has been rainy and breezy for the past couple of days and I have been fighting a head cold and certainly didn’t want to be out in the elements. Work has been going well, and I have a couple appointments scheduled for Monday, we should end the month strong! After work, I watched the Buckeyes defeat Penn St. and now Ethan and I, are going to watch the second half of the Notre Dame vs Michigan St. contest. Michelle, made chili this afternoon and I think I will eat a bowl along with a Bud Light!
We had a decent day at work. I will be leaving in a few minutes on my to Greenville. Wherever that is! Tonight Ethan’s team plays the Green Wave. It is cold and rainy, a great night for football. I will let you know how it goes.
