I'm not kidding. This was on the cragislist posts for jobs in Flint:
Zombie killer:Have a zombie problem, need reliable help between the hours of midnight and about 5AM, monday through friday. Experience preferred but will train a motivated candidate. Own weapons and vehicle are extremely helpful. Must not be afraid of zombies. Must pass a drug screening. Thanks.
I wonder if there is a 401K with that?
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
... And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, ... Luke 15:20
A man of the father's stature wouldn't have run... ever. No infact servanats would have run for him. He would have strolled, sauntered, strutted, even moseyed... but never run. It was below him.
And yet when he saw his lost son, who he'd pined for for so many years, he lifted his robe, undignified himself, and ran to his son who was returning.
Many people envision God as a bully who wants to squash you for doing wrong.
Lightning and thunder crash when he finds you and he's going to knock you dead on the spot.
Some people know God will forgive them, but expect to have to listen to a list of "terms and conditions" as well as a few "I-was-right-and-you-were-wrongs" first.
But this is a picture of a God who is willing to undignify himself.
I heard a man on television once say that he wouldn't beleive in a God that would forgive any sin. What kind of God would forgive a murderer or child-molester.
But God doesn't care what you, me, or anyone else thinks of the forgiveness he offers to another person. He doesn't need our permission. He's not concerned of what the neighbors might think he runs out to take his child in his arms. He's happy he has returned.
A man of the father's stature wouldn't have run... ever. No infact servanats would have run for him. He would have strolled, sauntered, strutted, even moseyed... but never run. It was below him.
And yet when he saw his lost son, who he'd pined for for so many years, he lifted his robe, undignified himself, and ran to his son who was returning.
Many people envision God as a bully who wants to squash you for doing wrong.
Lightning and thunder crash when he finds you and he's going to knock you dead on the spot.
Some people know God will forgive them, but expect to have to listen to a list of "terms and conditions" as well as a few "I-was-right-and-you-were-wrongs" first.
But this is a picture of a God who is willing to undignify himself.
I heard a man on television once say that he wouldn't beleive in a God that would forgive any sin. What kind of God would forgive a murderer or child-molester.
But God doesn't care what you, me, or anyone else thinks of the forgiveness he offers to another person. He doesn't need our permission. He's not concerned of what the neighbors might think he runs out to take his child in his arms. He's happy he has returned.
Jabu's Parable
Jabu has been such an awesome addition. I've really enjoyed having him here.
Often he comes to me just as he wakes up and snuggles with me a while. He follows me around the house just to check out what I'm doing.
But he's a busy kitty. He's often preoccupied. I'll call him to come and sit on my lap while I watch a movie, but walks off after a brief consideration. He knows where I'll be when he wants to settle down. But for now it's off to watch the world outside the windows. He plays contently, takes his medicine (even though he pouts afterwards,) and only goes in the places he's allowed. Then occasionally he'll jump into my lap, lay his head against my chest and snuggle against me. But it's only a matter of time before he sees a bird out the window, or a little bug fluttering in the lamp light.
Such a restless kitty.
Often he comes to me just as he wakes up and snuggles with me a while. He follows me around the house just to check out what I'm doing.
But he's a busy kitty. He's often preoccupied. I'll call him to come and sit on my lap while I watch a movie, but walks off after a brief consideration. He knows where I'll be when he wants to settle down. But for now it's off to watch the world outside the windows. He plays contently, takes his medicine (even though he pouts afterwards,) and only goes in the places he's allowed. Then occasionally he'll jump into my lap, lay his head against my chest and snuggle against me. But it's only a matter of time before he sees a bird out the window, or a little bug fluttering in the lamp light.
Such a restless kitty.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
In my current state of pruned-ness I have a lot of time just sitting and listening, reflecting, wondering, dreaming.
This is the part He's been speaking to me about. The rest.
I've stopped striving. I'm just waiting.
There was so much He spoke to me in Africa,- about marriage coming soon, the new ministry I'll be released into, a job where I can serve him,-and as I'm looking around I see absolutley none of it. It makes me laugh.
Are you sure about this?
But in spite of no evidence around me, I trust Him completely. And to be honest, I know it will all fall into place.
I just keep thinking about how I came across Jabu. I'd been visiting the humane society for weeks and never found the right dog. Then I came across him and it was love at first sight. Turns out the best dog for me was a cat all along.
I feel the rest will be the same. Now that I've stopped telling God how everything will work out I can just live day by day without the un-productive striving. It's that rest He's been talking about.
Just like Jabu, I know God has the right things waiting to put in place,-work, ministry, and marriage. But I won't be surprised if they're totally different that how I anticipated them.
This is the part He's been speaking to me about. The rest.
I've stopped striving. I'm just waiting.
There was so much He spoke to me in Africa,- about marriage coming soon, the new ministry I'll be released into, a job where I can serve him,-and as I'm looking around I see absolutley none of it. It makes me laugh.
Are you sure about this?
But in spite of no evidence around me, I trust Him completely. And to be honest, I know it will all fall into place.
I just keep thinking about how I came across Jabu. I'd been visiting the humane society for weeks and never found the right dog. Then I came across him and it was love at first sight. Turns out the best dog for me was a cat all along.
I feel the rest will be the same. Now that I've stopped telling God how everything will work out I can just live day by day without the un-productive striving. It's that rest He's been talking about.
Just like Jabu, I know God has the right things waiting to put in place,-work, ministry, and marriage. But I won't be surprised if they're totally different that how I anticipated them.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Day at a tiny vineyard
Today I went to Rob Macolmnson's farm to help prune the grape vines. I've been learning that vines are a symbol of a faith or belief,-a type of religion if you will. Being Good Friday, there's nothing I thought could have been cooler.
The winding grape vines looked full and promising to me- the non-farmer type. I thought they looked fine. I thought we could just leave them and they'd be full of fruit come summer.
"No, all of this has to be cut off. It has to be cut back to the old wood." [essentially the stem of the plant]
"All of it?" I asked.
"Yeah, all of it. Fruit only grows on the new growth. So if you want a lot produced you have to cut off everything."
"Well then, how does it ever spread? How do you get big vineyards?"
"Well you can leave a few branches, if it's kinda filling in a bare spot. But it won't produce anything... But you have to look at these branches here, all the way back to the old wood. And if there are a couple together, you have to choose which one and cut the other, it's too much competition. "
Oh man! As they say in the south, That'll preach!!!!
I've been going through a lot of pruning these past few months,- job, ministry, relationship. Everything has been cut back to the "old wood." But God is showing me that the competition had to go. My fruit will not grow this year on last year's growth. It's time to start afresh. Painful as it is to be the one getting pruned, it comes with a promise of more abundant fruit to come.
Look at this beautiful Scripture. While I realize Jesus was refering to this in a spirititual context, it feels like a personal explaination to my current situation in life:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father.
John 15:1-8
Read that last part again:
My true disciples bear much fruit. This brings much glory to the Father.
In spite of the pain, Lord, I want to bring you glory.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Fig tree Part 2
So now the chapters of Matthew and Mark come to life in a whole new way.
In Matt 21, Jesus come to a fig tree bearing leaves (and therefore should have had fruit.) He found nothing and cursed it. I see now this is a type of living parable , cursing the hypocrisy around him.
The tree was “advertising “ itself as a fig tree yet had no fruit to offer. We’ve all seen in our American church, people who “advertise” themselves as Christians,- with bumper stickers, speaking Christianese at work, wearing Christian t-shirts.
And I can imagine in this season with so many people desperately seeking peace, seeking answers, seeking anything, many will begin to toy with the idea, “Well maybe I’ll pray.” Or “Maybe I’ll go to church.” They might even feel more comfortable talking with the fig-tree person they know, who seems to have something to offer.
But what will happen when they come to the fig tree and find no fruit? No love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self control? Will “salvation” and T-shirts and saying “Praise the Lord” mean a thing to them when that fig-tree person is no different?
So now I see the significance of the next stories:
In Matthew and Mark, Jesus curses the fig tree (the one advertising salvation but having no fruit to give those coming to it) and then went directly into the temple and rebuked the money changers. (The story that Pastor preached on this past Sunday)
“Then Jesus said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat your fruit again!’ And the disciples hear him say it. When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants and their customers. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from bringing in merchandise. He taught them, ‘The scriptures declare “My temple will be called a place of prayer for all nations,” but you have turned it into a den of thieves.’” (Mark 11:11-17)
Matt 21:12-13 records the same temple story and then in Vs 14, the very next verse, records something very significant: “The blind and the lame came to him, and he healed them there in the Temple.”
I think it’s no coincidence that these two stories are back to back with vs. 14 thrown in there. This is a significant teaching we need to grasp. When the individual hypocrisy is dead (the fig-less fig tree) and the corporate hypocrisy has been driven out, the lame and the hurting come to Jesus.
Oh, we as the corporate church need to take this to heart as we pray for those around us, in our families, in circle of friends, and in city.
Lord, expose our hearts to help us understand. Lead us with your Holy Spirit to develop more of the fruit you desire within us. Bring our churches into humility to serve those who are ‘blind and lame.’ And do all of these things, not for our selves, but for your Glory.
In Matt 21, Jesus come to a fig tree bearing leaves (and therefore should have had fruit.) He found nothing and cursed it. I see now this is a type of living parable , cursing the hypocrisy around him.
The tree was “advertising “ itself as a fig tree yet had no fruit to offer. We’ve all seen in our American church, people who “advertise” themselves as Christians,- with bumper stickers, speaking Christianese at work, wearing Christian t-shirts.
And I can imagine in this season with so many people desperately seeking peace, seeking answers, seeking anything, many will begin to toy with the idea, “Well maybe I’ll pray.” Or “Maybe I’ll go to church.” They might even feel more comfortable talking with the fig-tree person they know, who seems to have something to offer.
But what will happen when they come to the fig tree and find no fruit? No love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self control? Will “salvation” and T-shirts and saying “Praise the Lord” mean a thing to them when that fig-tree person is no different?
So now I see the significance of the next stories:
In Matthew and Mark, Jesus curses the fig tree (the one advertising salvation but having no fruit to give those coming to it) and then went directly into the temple and rebuked the money changers. (The story that Pastor preached on this past Sunday)
“Then Jesus said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat your fruit again!’ And the disciples hear him say it. When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants and their customers. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from bringing in merchandise. He taught them, ‘The scriptures declare “My temple will be called a place of prayer for all nations,” but you have turned it into a den of thieves.’” (Mark 11:11-17)
Matt 21:12-13 records the same temple story and then in Vs 14, the very next verse, records something very significant: “The blind and the lame came to him, and he healed them there in the Temple.”
I think it’s no coincidence that these two stories are back to back with vs. 14 thrown in there. This is a significant teaching we need to grasp. When the individual hypocrisy is dead (the fig-less fig tree) and the corporate hypocrisy has been driven out, the lame and the hurting come to Jesus.
Oh, we as the corporate church need to take this to heart as we pray for those around us, in our families, in circle of friends, and in city.
Lord, expose our hearts to help us understand. Lead us with your Holy Spirit to develop more of the fruit you desire within us. Bring our churches into humility to serve those who are ‘blind and lame.’ And do all of these things, not for our selves, but for your Glory.
The fig tree, part 1
As I’ve mentioned, I’m learning about trees and their significance in the bible. It’s just been opening up a whole new understanding of the text.
For example, fig trees in Jewish tradition representing forgiveness of sin, end of exile, and restoration of the covenanted. In other words, salvation.
It's said that Jews awaiting the Messiah would pray and study the Torah under the fig trees.
Notice that Phillip found Nathanael under a fig tree when he told him they had found the Messiah, and Jesus had seen Nathanael there. (John 1:48)
So now the chapters of Matthew and Mark come to life in a whole new way.
Matt 21, Jesus come to a fig tree bearing leaves (and therefore should have had fruit.) He found nothing and cursed it. I see now this is a type of living parable , cursing the hypocrisy around him.
The tree was “advertising “ itself as a fig tree yet had no fruit to offer. I see today in our American church, people who “advertise” themselves as Christians,- with bumper stickers, speaking Christianese at work, wearing Christian t-shirts.
And I can imagine in this season with so many people desperately seeking peace, seeking answers, seeking anything, many will begin to toy with the idea, “Well maybe I’ll pray.” Or “Maybe I’ll go to church.” They might even feel more comfortable talking with the fig-tree person they know, representing salvation.
But what will happen when they come to the fig tree and find no fruit? No love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self control? Will “salvation” and T-shirts and saying “Praise the Lord” mean a thing to them when that fig-tree person is no different?
Monday, April 06, 2009
Extending the olive branch, part 2
So this morning I picked up my daily devotional, Streams in the Desert. (by far the most dead-on devotional I've ever read...it's a bit scary)
"...[isolation] is an ingredient in God's plan of dealing with us. We are to enter a secret chamber of isolation in prayer and faith that is very fruitful. At certain times and places, God will build a mysterious wall around us. He will take away all the supports we customarily lean upon, and will remove our ordinaty ways fo doing things. God will close us off to something divine, completeely new and unexpected, and that cannnot be understood where we do not know what is happening, where God is cutting the cloth of our lives by a new pattern, and thus where He causes us to look to Him.
Most Christians lead a treadmill life- a life in which they can predict almost everything that will come their way. But the souls that God leads into unpredictable and special situations are isolated by Him. All they know is that God is holding them and that He is dealing in their lives. Then their expectations come from Him alone...."
I find great comfort and confirmation in this. I have no idea what He is planning and preparing, but I trust Him.
"...[isolation] is an ingredient in God's plan of dealing with us. We are to enter a secret chamber of isolation in prayer and faith that is very fruitful. At certain times and places, God will build a mysterious wall around us. He will take away all the supports we customarily lean upon, and will remove our ordinaty ways fo doing things. God will close us off to something divine, completeely new and unexpected, and that cannnot be understood where we do not know what is happening, where God is cutting the cloth of our lives by a new pattern, and thus where He causes us to look to Him.
Most Christians lead a treadmill life- a life in which they can predict almost everything that will come their way. But the souls that God leads into unpredictable and special situations are isolated by Him. All they know is that God is holding them and that He is dealing in their lives. Then their expectations come from Him alone...."
I find great comfort and confirmation in this. I have no idea what He is planning and preparing, but I trust Him.
Extending the Olive branch
These last few weeks have been very hard for me.
I just feel like I've been taken out of everything I was doing...and for what?
I spend my days very low key filled with things that don't really make a difference. The only one who really benefits from my existence here in the states on a regular basis is Jabu.
I've tried subbing, but really feel like the Lord has taken me out of that.
I tried volunteering but it doesn't ever seem to work out.
I've had no desire to study or write.
Now I'm not a person who finds her value or identity in what she does, but I've been so frustrated doing nothing. Sure I can find things to fill my time, but it seems purposeless. I still have the desire to love and effect people, yet I spend an overwhelming amount of time alone.
And last week it all just came to a head. I'd had enough.
"Lord why am I here? Why not just leave me in Africa? Everyday I touched some one's life. I had an effect for you kingdom. Now.... I matter to a cat. Why did you bring me back here? Why didn't you just leave me in Africa. At least I'd be making a difference for your kingdom."
And finally yesterday there was a little tug towards my bible. I sat with laptop and notebook and started researching trees in the bible (okay I'm a nerd) but discovered this about olive trees:
Olive trees begin to produce olives at 6-10 years and have their highest yield at about 45-50 years. After that it will decline. So farmers cut off every branch leaving a stump and then often will even cut the stump down.
It stands there looking dead
Then it begins to shoot sprouts, and the sprouts will bear fruit, in more abundance than before,for another 50 years.
(Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. Ish 11:1 This prophecy illustrates this concept.)
Somehow this gave me peace. Every branch I've had in the past has been cut off, but it's not in vain. The next season will come, and my fruit will be even more productive.
I can accept this as I wait.
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