A measly pipe.

I take no credit for this analogy of faith, I picked it up from the spiritual guru Dr. Mulholland.  So often, when we think of God filling us up, we see ourselves as a cup, right?  We repeat the often spoken phrase from the 23 Psalm ”My cup runneth over.”  And we picture it.  We see ourselves as our favorite cup, the Eskimo Joe cup, our favorite piece of China, our beloved coffee cup, whatever our favorite cup is, being filled from this bottomless pitcher and our cup running over of liquid spilling onto the counter below.

But when we see life in that way, we are self-centered as we are getting filled first and only when we are full then does that spiritual life flow out of us and into others.  So instead of seeing ourselves as a cup, let us try to see ourselves as a measly pipe.  Now I know that that is not a glamorous image. 

Static Electricity

I don’t know what is going on, but every time I walk around the house and touch something I shock something.  I turn on a light switch and zap.  I reach for a doorknob and zap.  I go to kiss Heather and zap.  I don’t understand it.  Heather says it is because I shuffle I feet, but I have walking that way my whole life, and not until these past few weeks have I been so electrically charged.   I’m tired of being nervous to turn on a light or open a door, or giving Heather a kiss because of the shock that occurs every time.  Normally, I like to have some sort of reflection on these life situations, but I can’t think of anything.  Sorry about that, but if I think of something I’ll add it later.

If you have any suggestions on why this his happening, let me know in the comment section.  I was thinking maybe it is because of my electric personality.

The Other side of the Internet

I was listening to the radio when Chris Rice’s song “The Other Side of the Radio” came on the air.  I have heard the song before, but today when I listened to it, it had a brand new message for me.  Here are some of the lyrics:

Blogs I Read: Personal Edition

Alright, now here is the second half of the blogs I read.  These are blogs of friends and family.  It is neat to read about their lives and how they look at the world.  It gives me a chance to communicate with them, when in my often busy life, I don’t get a chance to talk to them.  So without further ado: the blogs.

Blogs I Read: Professional edition: Updated

I thought I would let you in on some of my favorite blogs that I check out on a fairly regular basis.  This is actually a two-part series (a first-time in my world of blogging).  Part 1 will deal with the “professional” blogs I read basically written by journalist or the like, and normally focused on a particular topic that I have an expressed interest in.   Part 2 will deal with my friends blogs that I like to read.  But on to the list.

Who owns the stars?

Some things in life bother me.  That’s not exactly news, but that is one reason why I started a blog was to announce to the world these things that bother me.  One of them is the International Star Registry.  Basically for as low as $54 you can “name” a star.  So it makes a nice present for someone you love that one of the stars in the skies is dedicated to you.  I have heard this commercial a few times on the radio and I know some people who have either given or received stars.  My biggest question to them is who gave them the right to name the stars.  They fully acknowledge on their website that the scientific community will not recognize your name on the star.

On their FAQs another question is “Am I buying the star?” 

Evan Almighty, Movie Almighty?

I’m trying this one again.  This is the second time that I have lost a blog in the great unknown of cyberspace, so hopefully I’ve worked out a few kinks.  Anyway, Heather and I bought the DVD of Evan Almighty the other day.  As I mentioned in a previous blog that I am a sucker for movies that have a point, and even though this movie was not critically acclaimed, it certainly has a point that is centered on the concept of stewardship.  Many of us hear the word stewardship only in the context of giving during the church’s annual stewardship drive, but stewardship is much more than that.

Some of you may be thinking that how can Evan Almighty be a good steward if they were the most expensive comedy of all time? 

Important Reminder

God loves you!

My New Year’s Resolution

I have had some people ask me about what my New Year’s Resolution, so I thought I would share it here.  (Well actually, people haven’t asked, but I figure some of you might ask me, or if nothing else it is an acceptable question to ask and answer at the beginning of the year, but back to the matter at hand)  I used to have an annual New Year’s Resolution to be more organized.  I know it kinda defeats the purpose of having a New Year’s Resolution if you have to do it annually, so I thought now after some slight success in being more organized after 6 or so years..  I would begin a new annual New Year’s Resolution: Discipline.

Amazing Grace

We watched the movie Amazing Grace tonight.  Good movie.  Well make it a great movie.  I’m a sucker though for movies that make a point, and even more so those that have a spiritual point.  For those who don’t know about the movie, it is the story of William Wilberforce’s effort to abolish the slave trade in Britain.  It is also the story of John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace, and his coming to the grips with his earlier life as captain of a slave ship.  One of the most memorable quotes from the movie is when Newton says to Wilberforce as he is old, blind, and losing his memory, “Though I have lost my memory, two things I know. I am a great sinner and Christ is a great savior.”  Unfortunately, we with great memories forget those two essential aspects of who we are.

We are sinners.  That’s something we often don’t say too loudly, but it is true.  We have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  We need to realize that because of our unloving thoughts and actions at best, and our hateful thoughts and actions at worst both personally and socially, we have caused a great deal of pain in the world.  That reminds me of another thing we don’t proclaim, “Look at who I have hurt.  This person is scarred because of my hate, my selfishness.”  John Newton, however, did say that as he proclaimed he lived with 20,000 ghosts (those slaves on his ships).  So, it’s no doubting that when he said a wretch like me, he meant it. 

There is one image that illustrates this idea of a recognition of our sin in the movie.