- So ready for the next adventure! #
- Vote to give this idea 250K: Let teens in Snohomish County rock! (by opening a free music center) #pepsirefresh http://pep.si/bTt0lb #
- @komonews RT @tiki1682 Yay for @SoundTransit Central Link Light Rail! No delays, no problems. #
- Have I mentioned that I love my wife recently? No?! Well I LOVE Alexis! She still makes me lunch even when I'm working in the same house 🙂 #
Month: November 2010
Tweets for the past week
- A misty Sunday. Quite alright with that. #
- Did not sleep well, at all, not ok with this misty Monday. After work PDX__SEA tomorrow SEA>>LAX #
- @trimet Yup, thanks, figured that out. #
- We've been walloped! Gotta stand above it. Head out of the fog. #
- On the plane to LAX flying the friendly skies @UnitedAirlines mobile check-in and boarding worked flawlessly! @AirlineReporter #
- Please pray for my Grandma, who has been recovering from hip surgery & now having heart trouble & depression, Grandpa is doing ok. Thanks! #
- I've gotta stop dragging this old skeleton around, all it does is bad. I've got to speak life into the dry bones and claim the victory! #
- On our way back to Seattle. LA was good, motivation is high, let's keep the momentum. 🙂 #
Tweets for the past week
- @patrickweed Same here! Pretty much any game with a ball! Except I have a new interest in soccer. Ice Hockey good too! #
- Wish I had a few days just to take pictures and write about them! #
- @trimet When is the Civic Drive MAX station opening? #
- @trimet I knew that much info, I live right across the street, anymore details than "fall 2010?" that's a rather vague time frame. #
- @pdxcommute The response I got from @trimet abt Civic DR station, was a link 2 their website w/ the vague "late fall 2010", #publicinfofail #
- @trimet Thank U! It's looking good, & the blue lights R a nice touch (probably not everyone, but we like it, & we see it out our window) #
- @trimet Awesome, just in time! I'm sure I'll see the grand opening from my living room! And I'll be boarding/deboarding the same day! Thx! #
- @patrickweed did you already go under the Tacoma Narrows, that's my favorite! #
- Date night and Mafia game night.. fun fun fun #
- @trimet The MAX operator last night announced Civic DR would be open 11/15, this Monday! So I'm guessing the "grand opening" is Dec 1? #
In practice…
Just a quickie today… so all the things I spewed out in my previous entry are all good and dandy, but don’t really mean much if I can’t put it into practice. A lot of my “stances” on things can seem to big to really make a difference, yeah they are big but we all know a lot of little things makes a big thing, otherwise we wouldn’t be talking about the crazy debts we find ourselves in.
So walking life iuby values and with conviction isn’t easy nor is it particularly “nice” but whn your’e able to finally see the big picture the rewards are huge!
In the Bible, particularly from Paul the idea of running life like a race is brought to our attention. For some that may sound exhausting and to some extent it is, but only during the race, and aborted attempts. When I ran 5k races I send to always have at least one thought per race of giving up, and the times where I did I during practice never felt good, both physically and emotionally. But on race days and good practice days — it was fantastic, to know I finished and finished well!
I say all this because life takes intention and direction. And most of all we can’t take our eyes off the goal, when we do that we feel the exhaustion and become prone to fainting.
And th counter balance? Don’t burnout! Oh man, that’s another entry for another day. This MAX ride is complete.
Political labels don’t fit me.
So some things I’ve been thinking about. Warning none of the following will have a “why” so hold your comments until I flesh out the points over the weeks to come.
Thanks!
Because of my Bible believing beliefs I have come to the following (maybe surprising) convictions about the following political and societal issues of our day.
Fair and ethical trade – I really can’t justify paying less for something knowing that the work conditions for cheap products are many times near slave standards, the basis of brutal dictatorships, or turn a blind eye towards basic needs. This is a very complicated matter, and it can change. Buying products from verified and/or certified sources is important to making change happen and education.
When possible, I prefer to buy local, this helps in so many ways, local economy, unfair/unethical trade issues, and as a bonus you get to know and support your community (Biblical? I think so).
Sustainability: this one I find very misunderstood in and out of the Church. I think from a Biblical viewpoint the Church should be at the forefront of the sustainability movement (although it shouldn’t be the forefront of the Church’s mission, that’s already clear). Things like Advent Conspiracy can be great tools for making sustainable communities (think hand wells in Africa).
Lastly public services (education, safety, transportation, and healthcare) should be priorities before other items. Each of those items I just listed, when well thought out and protected like our society depends on them, brings everyone’s living standards up, not in an attempt to “equalize” everyone, but rather by proving the “societal infrastructure”.
Like I said this is far from fleshed out, blogging from my phone doesn’t provide me access to the resources to unfold everything as I would like. But what I do want to say is that Jesus does promote many things. However, hear me loud and clear the number one mission for Christ’s followers is still the expansion of the church. I just think that through these venues we can expand the Kingdom and touch our world for Jesus at the same time!
Tweets for the past week
- Living beyond behavior, instead, choosing to be in the identity of the One who sees and loves past behavior. #
- For sale: heavy duty desk, wall-mounted shelves and cabinet, large filing drawers, u-shaped, good condition? http://bit.ly/bZ7ZqX #
- I hate it when I need a restroom on the MAX 🙁 I guess I could do what some do, no thanks I'll hold it. #
- @ledub13 I'm sure the $6 million bonus is on its way 😉 #
- Some courtesy pls. Someone blasting their music & two people cussing and speaking very loudly on their cells. #trimet #stopbeingrude #love #
- @romanmir yup doesn't it? in reply to romanmir #
- @LeafandInk yes imagine! #seeingbeyondbehavior in reply to LeafandInk #
- I need some frutis and veggies… I think I'm having a low of something. #
- Is something really a value or priority if you can't see it on your schedule? #
- Oh fun on a MAX train with some crazy guy yelling at the top of his lungs DIE! GOT A DOLLAR? #
- Sweet! Just updated my Android to 2.2.1 with Cyanogen 6.1 rc1 and now have HSPA speed (3G+/4G). Thought that reqrd new phone, nope! #
- @divinediscount T-Mobile MyTouch #
- @romanmir T-Mobile MyTouch #
Share your life more and gain so much more!
Acts 2:46 NLT
They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.
Everytome I read this verse my heart grieves because deep down it seems so right and yet deeply troubling to actually live out. I long for it, both Alexis and I do, it’s exactly what we feel is the core to our mission in Poland. But the “how” is enormously bigger than us. Which it’s that very reason we contend for it.
Imagine life in constant connection with fellow believers, the support, the encouragement, the love. You might be thinking “yeah right, I can hardly stand an hour in church!” This might be true but let me provide some perspective.
You see, we’re not talking about living in a commune, we’re talking about living intentionally. Living near one another, meeting daily for mutual encouragement and teaching. That could be 2 people for coffee/tea or that could be 20 to pick up garbage around the neighborhood. It could be having a discussion about God on Facebook or it could be sharring our arts and talents with our surrounding community.
I think we have a hard time imagining such a life because we live in the world on a day to day basis and meet together once for an hour. So the majority of us are surrounded with world influences which drain us and bring us to our ends. Having our passion fanned by fellow believers each day, while different and probably at times difficult, at least will allow for God to move (assuming we are genuinely surrendered to Him). It’s kind of scary, yet who can be against us when he is for us?
Be intentional, love, give, live. Then we may be equipped to reach our world, energized, in love, and full of love that is beyond this world’s understanding.
The stuck thoughts
Sometimes it seems that my thoughts and ideas don’t really mean anything. Most of the time I figure most people probably don’t care and/or are not open minded enough to consider other ideas. Yeah, I know, jaded and cynical, honestly though within my sphere this is the general attitude. Please note I said general, I know awesome, open minded people as well.
So because of this jaded view many of my thoughts get stuck. This, my friends, is people pleasing at its best. Not able to pontificate my ideas and thoughts because I think others don’t care? Dumb.
I also sometimes can’t meet my own standards, for instance, I prefer to not get political mostly because I have strong thoughts and it seems somehow everyone else in my circle either doesn’t care or are the extream at one end or another. I prefer longer more fleshed out discussions and most of the time life doesn’t dish out the opportunity.
So all this just to say, there’s actually a lot going on in me, it’s just a matter of priming the pump and stop being so concerned about others. All while honoring my values to stay on the high road, honoring God, and respecting humanity.
Ultimate love
Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. This is something I’m learning all to well, and it’s not about me waiting but rather for some others. I’ve finally come to peace on the fact no matter how “at peace” and “reconciled” I am about something, I sometimes need everyone else to reach that point on their own.
I tend to regain trust and forgive people quickly, sometimes at a fault, and many times within God’s boundary. However, there are times where as much as I feel things need to move faster, it simply can’t be rushed, my convictions cannot be used to convince others to trust.
Rather my role is to pray, listen, and speak truth of God’s kingdom. Patient endurance is both ugly and beautiful. My heart longs for both reconciliation and healing and sometimes the healing piece takes time to grow so that reconciliation and love can thrive.
The ultimate love is free will without interference.
All hallows eve
Our little girl decided that being a lion was a little too hard, afterall she already dealt with the costume for two days. By Sunday she was ready for something else.
She became the queen Kitty.