I don't know what it's like to literally be abandoned even though I can have feelings of abandonment from time to time. It's hard to imagine being left on the doorsteps of a church (or any other place for that matter) unwanted for any number of reasons but that is reality for many people. I can't pretend to understand completely what people feel having been abandoned but my heart hurts for them. Sara's sister Carlie and her fiance, Patrick, came to visit us for the weekend and we had a great time together. Not only am I thankful for Sara's family but I'm thankful to have such a great future brother-in-law. His story is a little deeper than most people I know. From what I understand Patrick was abandoned as a child and finds it difficult to believe in a God who allows children to be abandoned. My heart hurts for him and I hope as our relationship grows I might be able to share with Patrick the message of the gospel in a new light. If anything, God has a heart for the marginalized, the disenfranchized, and the abandoned. He has not turned his back on them but on the contrary yearns to bring them close to his heart. It is not a message of abandonment but of adoption. God is waiting for us to renounce the stories that have defined our past and claim the promise of adoption as his children. My prayer is that my life might be a reflection of that message in ways that Patrick might be drawn to healing grace and find his place in the open arms of God's family. May God be praised!
Monday, October 11, 2004
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Just a Thought...
Sometimes I stop and wonder why it can be so difficult to find peace and rest living in the midst of the frenzied chaos we term the American Dream. Then I remember I've got to much to do to stop and think about such things! I'm so busy...
Lord, may we find peace and rest in you and may we take time to just "be" in your presence.
Lord, may we find peace and rest in you and may we take time to just "be" in your presence.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Sabbatical
I guess it is obvious that I have taken a break from blogging, not necessarily out of desire but out of necessity. The beginning of each new school year always seems to bring about different levels of disorientation as I try to juggle changing schedules of school, work, marriage, and physical well-being. I'm not so sure I've yet achieved any semblance of organized status but I will continue to press on. Last week Sara and I decided to begin a Saturday morning tradition of going to a new local coffee shop here in Abilene called Java City. We find that it is easier for us to accomplish our studies apart from the comfy coziness of our humble abode. So here we find ourselves once again this Saturday slaving away all for the pursuit of higher education, well and I guess transformation is an important aspect too.
I've been doing a lot of reading lately for classes and I came across what I consider to be a great excerpt in a book entitled, StormFront: The Good News of God. Here is what the authors have to say regarding the subject of community as the church in the world today:
At it's best, the church has affirmed those who are called to a radical simplicity of lifestyle, to remind the rest of us that we don't need what we think we need. The church has understood the value of people committed to celibacy, who remind us that sex is neither a necessity nor a god. We have learned from those who continually open their homes to others, who cure the rest of us of the idolatry of our privacy. We are nourished by devoted parents who sacrifice career advancement for the sake of time with their children, who help the rest of us keep our priorities straight. We are strengthened by people who are lavish in prayer and spiritual disciplines, who remind those of us with harder spirits of where our real help comes from and goad us out of our complacency. The church thrives when it is made up of communities of Christians willing to commit themselves to support each other in risky, venturesome ways, when Christians are willing to resist creatively the many ways in which the dominant in our world crush the weak.
In short, the gospel resounds in the life of the church when Christians find a thousand joyful ways to take the mixed-up values of this world and turn them upside down--when Christians aren't afraid to walk down a path the world calls madness, a path that is really the road to life. In this each of us will have a distinctive calling. But that calling is discerned and embraced within the context of a loving and discerning community. It is vitally important that we not carry someone else's cross, but rather that our eyes are fixed firmly on where Jesus is calling us. But it is also vital for us to encourage each other in our shared discipleship. In this way, each individual life bears witness to the power of the cross, and the shared life of the entire community bears witness with harmony, unity, and power to the mysterious way in which God brings life out of what the world calls death...This is what it means to participate in the reign of God and to be united with Christ in his death. This is the life that the gospel invites Christians to receive, to enter, and to proclaim.
It is energizing to know that we are the body of Christ made up of many important parts, called to live in the world and not of it to the glory of the One whose abundant love is made evident in the life of Jesus! Praise God that we may enter and proclaim that community.
I've been doing a lot of reading lately for classes and I came across what I consider to be a great excerpt in a book entitled, StormFront: The Good News of God. Here is what the authors have to say regarding the subject of community as the church in the world today:
At it's best, the church has affirmed those who are called to a radical simplicity of lifestyle, to remind the rest of us that we don't need what we think we need. The church has understood the value of people committed to celibacy, who remind us that sex is neither a necessity nor a god. We have learned from those who continually open their homes to others, who cure the rest of us of the idolatry of our privacy. We are nourished by devoted parents who sacrifice career advancement for the sake of time with their children, who help the rest of us keep our priorities straight. We are strengthened by people who are lavish in prayer and spiritual disciplines, who remind those of us with harder spirits of where our real help comes from and goad us out of our complacency. The church thrives when it is made up of communities of Christians willing to commit themselves to support each other in risky, venturesome ways, when Christians are willing to resist creatively the many ways in which the dominant in our world crush the weak.
In short, the gospel resounds in the life of the church when Christians find a thousand joyful ways to take the mixed-up values of this world and turn them upside down--when Christians aren't afraid to walk down a path the world calls madness, a path that is really the road to life. In this each of us will have a distinctive calling. But that calling is discerned and embraced within the context of a loving and discerning community. It is vitally important that we not carry someone else's cross, but rather that our eyes are fixed firmly on where Jesus is calling us. But it is also vital for us to encourage each other in our shared discipleship. In this way, each individual life bears witness to the power of the cross, and the shared life of the entire community bears witness with harmony, unity, and power to the mysterious way in which God brings life out of what the world calls death...This is what it means to participate in the reign of God and to be united with Christ in his death. This is the life that the gospel invites Christians to receive, to enter, and to proclaim.
It is energizing to know that we are the body of Christ made up of many important parts, called to live in the world and not of it to the glory of the One whose abundant love is made evident in the life of Jesus! Praise God that we may enter and proclaim that community.
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Perseverance
Anyone else see the men's all-around gymnastic final last night? What a show! Sara and I were glued to the television as we watched Paul Hamm persevere after falling on his backside to come back and win gold in amazing athletic fashion. It seems there is a life lesson somewhere in there: Even in the moments when you fall on your butt the race is not over. Get up, persevere, and strive toward the prize. I'm sure that moment will go down in Olympic history and we got to witness it.
On a side note, we have continued our cross country trip as we have left the damp and soggy terrain of Florida and made our way to the flatlands of Oklahoma. Only one problem: It's still raining!
On a side note, we have continued our cross country trip as we have left the damp and soggy terrain of Florida and made our way to the flatlands of Oklahoma. Only one problem: It's still raining!
Monday, August 16, 2004
In the Aftermath
WOW! I'm not sure what other words to use. I haven't ever experienced anything like that before and I hope I don't have to again. I can't imagine what it must have been like for the people in the Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda area when Hurricane Charley came ashore at full force because it was more than I wanted to experience when it hit Orlando rated at a 2. You could fill the tremendous force of the storm as it swirled around our house. It's hard to produce words to describe it. The lights kept flickering in and out but thankfully we never lost power for more than a few minutes. As we tried to catch glimpses of the storm outside it was obvious that the rain was coming in horizontally and changing direction at every whim. There was also an eerie glow illuminating the night sky and the windows rattled with every gust.
The next morning we got up and got our first look at the seriousness of the aftermath. Trees were pulled out of the ground, billboards destroyed, houses damaged, roads blocked, power lines down, traffic lights out. It was a feeling of mass chaos and utter disbelief. My heart goes out to those that experienced much worse. WOW! What an unbelievable exhibition of power and force. I'm thankful that God is ultimately in control of something so unpredictable as nature.
If you would like to check out some pictures from my parents neighborhood check out the link below. Then click on the "2004 photos" link and then on "hurricane charley." The pictures might be best viewed in a slideshow format.
http://photobucket.com/albums/v214/darlingmc/
Blessings
The next morning we got up and got our first look at the seriousness of the aftermath. Trees were pulled out of the ground, billboards destroyed, houses damaged, roads blocked, power lines down, traffic lights out. It was a feeling of mass chaos and utter disbelief. My heart goes out to those that experienced much worse. WOW! What an unbelievable exhibition of power and force. I'm thankful that God is ultimately in control of something so unpredictable as nature.
If you would like to check out some pictures from my parents neighborhood check out the link below. Then click on the "2004 photos" link and then on "hurricane charley." The pictures might be best viewed in a slideshow format.
http://photobucket.com/albums/v214/darlingmc/
Blessings
Friday, August 13, 2004
When You Come Home
I look forward to opportunities to come home and visit family. I love to walk off the airplane and out of the terminal after being away for long periods of time and into the open and waiting arms of unconditional love. It never fails that a smile crosses my face when I see my family at the end of the corridor. It's good to be "home."
As I write I'm reminded of a song by Mark Schultz entitled, "When You Come Home." The chorus goes something like this:
When you come home no matter how far
Run through the door and into my arms
It's where you are loved, where you belong
And I will be here, when you come home
It's become a fairly emotional song for me but you'll probably have to listen to it to better understand why. I am thankful to come home to the loving embrace of my family but it is in these times that I am also reminded of how thankful I am to be able to fall into the open arms of God's unconditional love. Coming home evokes a lot of emotions within me, however, I did not expect to come home to an unexpected welcoming committee.
Sara and I arrived in Orlando this morning around 10:30 having already been up since about 4am (which I believe is way too early for any kind of physical activity outside of breathing, and maybe some small amounts of snoring). We were thankful and grateful to not only have arrived but to have arrived safely because the "welcoming committee" I alluded to was...Hurricane Charley! Now, we are sitting on the couch in front of the television as the hurricane hits the west coast of Florida and travels toward Orlando. I believe life is always an adventure but I didn't expect to land right in the middle of this wild ride to begin our vacation.
I pray God's hand of protection is over everyone within the line of this powerful storm!
As I write I'm reminded of a song by Mark Schultz entitled, "When You Come Home." The chorus goes something like this:
When you come home no matter how far
Run through the door and into my arms
It's where you are loved, where you belong
And I will be here, when you come home
It's become a fairly emotional song for me but you'll probably have to listen to it to better understand why. I am thankful to come home to the loving embrace of my family but it is in these times that I am also reminded of how thankful I am to be able to fall into the open arms of God's unconditional love. Coming home evokes a lot of emotions within me, however, I did not expect to come home to an unexpected welcoming committee.
Sara and I arrived in Orlando this morning around 10:30 having already been up since about 4am (which I believe is way too early for any kind of physical activity outside of breathing, and maybe some small amounts of snoring). We were thankful and grateful to not only have arrived but to have arrived safely because the "welcoming committee" I alluded to was...Hurricane Charley! Now, we are sitting on the couch in front of the television as the hurricane hits the west coast of Florida and travels toward Orlando. I believe life is always an adventure but I didn't expect to land right in the middle of this wild ride to begin our vacation.
I pray God's hand of protection is over everyone within the line of this powerful storm!
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Florida Bound
Well, Sara and I are off to Florida via an overnight stop in Dallas, for what will hopefully amount to a little "fun in the sun!" We'll get to spend a few days with my family before school starts and then it's back to the usual daily grind. I can't wait for even just the smallest of breaks. I'm thankful for vacations and the opportunity for a little R and R. So mom, dad--be looking for us cause we're on our way!
See ya soon.
See ya soon.
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
And Mike Wept...
Some might say there were a few tears this morning, although I'm inclined to say that it was just something momentarily in my eye that made them spontaneously water. But, as much as I may have been trained to do otherwise I'd like to think I'm man enough to admit it...so, okay, I cried. Really, what's wrong with a spontaneous outpouring of hysterical sobbing. I mean, we all know the proclaimed "shortest verse of the Bible:" and Jesus wept. Surely it's okay for me to water my face if Jesus did it, right?
At this point you are probably wondering about the cause behind such a sensitive and "in touch with my feminine side" effect. This morning Andy, Randi, and baby Ally loaded up and left for the wide open frontier of...Kentucky. Sara and I held it together until they left the driveway and turned the corner to begin their trek. But, about that time we lost all control. Goodbye's can be so difficult at times. You know it's not the end but at the same time you know life will be different. I know they will do great things and that God will be praised through their lives and in their relationships with others but the tremendous possibilites don't make me miss them any less. This may only be the first time I wept, because I think the chances are it probably won't be the last.
Take care my friends, may God bless you! Oh, and don't be strangers.
At this point you are probably wondering about the cause behind such a sensitive and "in touch with my feminine side" effect. This morning Andy, Randi, and baby Ally loaded up and left for the wide open frontier of...Kentucky. Sara and I held it together until they left the driveway and turned the corner to begin their trek. But, about that time we lost all control. Goodbye's can be so difficult at times. You know it's not the end but at the same time you know life will be different. I know they will do great things and that God will be praised through their lives and in their relationships with others but the tremendous possibilites don't make me miss them any less. This may only be the first time I wept, because I think the chances are it probably won't be the last.
Take care my friends, may God bless you! Oh, and don't be strangers.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
The Miracle of Life and Death
Monday was a long day for two of the families in our small group and can probably be best summed up in the profound realization expressed by the daughter (kindergarten age) of one of the before-mentioned families: "wow, we know someone who died on the same day someone else was born."
It continues to amaze me how truly perceptive children are because it was a day in which one couple welcomed a newborn baby girl into the world while another family said goodbye to a loved one--in this case a grandfather and even a great grandfather. It can be a time for tears, both of pain and sorrow and of happiness and joy. It can be a time of transition, as we adjust to life now different than the way it was before. More importantly though, is that both represent a time of hope. There is hope for the endless possbilities of a life yet to be lived to the glory of God and there is hope in the transforming power of a legacy left for all of those who follow because of a life fully lived. In the end, both seem to provide yet another small glimpse into the miracle that is the gift of life. And, in all likelihood, the families will leave this moment changed in some way(s) because of the impact of the experience to the praise and glory of God. I think it is evident that it has already influenced at least one particular young one.
Leave it to those who Jesus calls us to have faith like to provide us (once again) with insight into meaningful life!
I don't think I'd want to have it any other way...Father, thank you for the gift of life.
It continues to amaze me how truly perceptive children are because it was a day in which one couple welcomed a newborn baby girl into the world while another family said goodbye to a loved one--in this case a grandfather and even a great grandfather. It can be a time for tears, both of pain and sorrow and of happiness and joy. It can be a time of transition, as we adjust to life now different than the way it was before. More importantly though, is that both represent a time of hope. There is hope for the endless possbilities of a life yet to be lived to the glory of God and there is hope in the transforming power of a legacy left for all of those who follow because of a life fully lived. In the end, both seem to provide yet another small glimpse into the miracle that is the gift of life. And, in all likelihood, the families will leave this moment changed in some way(s) because of the impact of the experience to the praise and glory of God. I think it is evident that it has already influenced at least one particular young one.
Leave it to those who Jesus calls us to have faith like to provide us (once again) with insight into meaningful life!
I don't think I'd want to have it any other way...Father, thank you for the gift of life.
Sunday, August 08, 2004
Spur of the Moment
I stepped a little further out of my comfort zone again today at church. After service we made our way to class a little late because we were visiting with some people. When we walked in we caught the tail end of an explanation that there wasn't a teacher for the class for some reason and that there wasn't anything else prepared. Sara, jokingly leaned over to me and said, "you should have brought your Elijah lesson" (which is one I've used recently at another church). I kind of laughed it off and kept listening to the announcements. After finishing the announcements the guy said, "I guess we'll spend some time in fellowship with each other unless someone has something." Before I knew what was happening I found myself raising my hand and in the blink of an eye I was up introducing myself and sharing a lesson from the life of Elijah. I was pretty nervous because it really was on the spur of the moment and I really didn't even have any time to think about it. Afterward, people said they really enjoyed it and a few said they really needed to hear that lesson. Go figure. Sara's first response to me was, "I can't believe you really did that!" To tell you the truth, neither can I. My heart didn't stop racing until about ten minutes after I was finished. I probably wouldn't have done that even up to just a few months ago but for whatever reason I decided to give it a whirl today. I guess it is just a small example of how God is working to transform me and I believe he blessed our time together.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
