tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18568152992424676982024-02-06T22:21:29.526-05:00Following in FaithA blog to post video, audio and thoughts on our learning and experiences as we journey through life.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-75392957196871145062013-12-10T12:19:00.001-05:002013-12-10T12:19:55.860-05:00Nelson Mandela, Hope and God<br><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><tbody><tr><td style="height: 20px;"><font color="#000000" face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">From a recent email I received from Bernie Sanders:<br><br>------</span></font></td></tr><tr><td><font color="#000000" face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br>World leaders gathered Tuesday for a memorial service for Nelson Mandela, who went from being a prisoner to being the president of his nation. “The extraordinary quality of Mandela was his persistence and refusal to give up even at extraordinarily disheartening moments,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, who witnessed Mandela’s inauguration. He said Mandela had an impact not only on South Africa but on the entire world “and he will continue to be a model as we continue our struggle to end racism and oppression.”<br><br>--------<br><br>Here's what's so interesting to me about this man, Mandela: <br><br>He gave up his life on account of his hope. It is recorded in the Bible that Jesus says if we cling to our life we will lose it and if we lose our life for his (Christ's) sake we will gain it. Nelson Mandela's life is an excellent depiction of what Jesus was talking about. <br><br>Mandela was motivated by his vision of equality and hope and was able to release his own comfort and pleasure. This is the kind of hope and vision that God gives. God can also grant the persistence and refusal to give up (belief) required to live into the hope.<br><br></span></font><br></td></tr></tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-66273995328475060782013-08-25T08:30:00.000-04:002013-08-25T08:30:00.541-04:00Our best work. What should I do when I grow up?<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Have you ever done a poor job on something? if you have, have you felt badly about it? It seems like a lot of times we feel badly because we didn't try very hard.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And conversely, we usually feel pretty good when we do our best. Unless we get a sense that others didn't feel like it was a good job.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Which brings us to the possibility that the best work we can do is work that we have an ability for and that we try out best at.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-4577216265932473012013-08-24T11:35:00.001-04:002013-08-24T11:35:54.246-04:00Can we have conversations about real life through mass communications?<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Recently reading the news on a website for a local radio station - the headlines were: woman dies in car crash. Man charged with abusing 13 week old baby. VT Sugaring facilities smashed and robbed.</span><br />
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While these are current events, I think there are a lot of other current events happening also (including positive things). It seems like a lot of our news is entertainment based. I noticed this as I found myself scrolling down the page in search for the next shocking headline. I wanted to be entertained and excited. That feeling then made me want to read this webpage tomorrow to be shocked again. </div>
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Then it hit me - this is why I don't watch much TV or read many traditional news outlets. Our media channels are often based around a traditional profit model in which the company makes money if viewers come back and bring their friends. And we know viewers/readers will come back if they are shocked/excited. </div>
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So here's the bummer - in some of our public spaces, especially media driven spaces (like TV and newspapers) we aren't having conversations. We're trying to entertain and excite each other. So the broader social issues from immigration to gender identity are not being discussed in these channels in an honest, serious way. Yet, those are the things that create the fabric and future of our shared nation and culture.</div>
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I wonder if there are mass communications that would enable us to have conversations about important things.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-53783768400674492112013-06-12T07:59:00.001-04:002013-06-12T07:59:13.706-04:00Tuna (Brandon) Praised For Communications Work<h3 style="background-color: #fffcf7; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Cabin, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Greetings friends. The <a href="http://www.designgroupinternational.com/TheOrganizationalDevelopmentMuse/bid/145700/capital-campaign-communication-2-awesome-examples?source=Blog_Email_[Capital%20campaign%20com]" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #248fb9; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">below blog post</a> was written by a friend and consultant, Mark Vincent. He has been working closely with me (Tuna) on our campaign at Bethany Birches Camp to rebuild the main building at camp (Pavilion). It's a high complement of my work.</h3>
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<span style="font-size: inherit;">Capital campaign communication: 2 awesome examples</span></h3>
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We learn so much from our clients. Occasionally we can pass the benefits along.</div>
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I have been privileged to work with <a href="http://www.bethanybirches.org/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #248fb9; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Bethany Birches Cam">Bethany Birches Cam</a>p as they ready themselves for their first big capital campaign. Their Executive Director, still in the early stages of his career, is an outstanding example of someone who knows he doesn’t know and is therefore able to learn and grow and put a lot of long-timers to shame at the excellence he is already achieving.</div>
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Most noticeable is the way <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">he, the board and volunteers have been able to inject the organizational culture of the camp into all their campaign communication.</span> Whenever the constituency interacts with them they are having a camp experience, not just a communication from the camp. Here are two awesome examples:</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>1.</b> Their video that introduces the campaign and makes the case</span> provides an excellent standard other organizations can aspire to reach:</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>2.</b> A recent update on an unanticipated project </span>that could have harmed momentum conveys a non-anxious, thankful, yet light-heartedly determined way forward. Anyone who participated can find themselves in the blogs/photos etc. that are linked in the note. It provides a great personal touch mixed with the benefits of social media and web. Here is the text:</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Greetings friends. I’m writing with deep joy in my heart for each of you. As you probably remember about a year ago we received some tough news from the fire marshal: that the Bethany Birches Cabin would be shut down April 1, 2012 until we complied with numerous requirements.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One of my biggest concerns was how we’d pay for the upgrades to the building. My second concern related to how to get the work done. Because of you, the work was finished and paid for! THANK YOU!</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some goodies for you:</span></div>
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<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here are <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.313201722084374.73888.141756692562212&type=1&l=fb5fd379c7" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #248fb9; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">pictures from the beginning of the project</a>. </span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here are some <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bethanybirches/sets/72157632169102321/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #248fb9; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">pictures from the second stage</a> of the project. </span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here’s a link to a <a href="http://bethanybirches.org/2013/02/occupancy-obtained-thank-you/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #248fb9; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">blog post reviewing</a> the project. </span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here are all the <a href="http://bethanybirches.org/tag/cabin-fire-marshal/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #248fb9; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">blog posts on</a> the topic.</span></li>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support of this effort and for your ongoing help in Bethany Birches’ mission to help young people develop their relationship with God. Without you we would still be without the use of the cabin!</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Brandon</span></div>
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And here is one more idea. Why not take these examples to your development and/or communications team to view and then ask <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">what is one step we might take to better inject our organization’s culture into our communication–especially in a capital campaign? How might our constituency have an ongoing experience and not just another communications piece?</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.designgroupinternational.com/consultants/mark-vincent/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #248fb9; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">-mark l vincent</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.designgroupinternational.com/consultants/mark-vincent/" rel="prettyPhoto[pp_gal]" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #248fb9; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="mark l vincent, design group international" border="0" height="70" id="img-1364598673911" src="http://www.designgroupinternational.com/Portals/113048/images/picture6a.jpg" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="125" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fffcf7; color: #666666; font-family: Cabin, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">- See more at: http://bethanybirches.org/2013/06/bethany-birches-in-the-news/#sthash.SkuhAD1y.dpuf</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-51765696564273999542013-06-09T10:44:00.002-04:002013-06-09T10:44:57.931-04:00Living with Cheeks is a gift!<div style="background-color: #fffcf7; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Cabin, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Here's a post I made yesterday at the <a href="http://bethanybirches.org/2013/06/living-with-cheeks-is-a-gift-spiritual-saturday/" target="_blank">Birch Blog</a> about how great Cheeks is!</div>
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Many of you know Cheeks. She’s been the Program Director at Bethany Birches for many years (this will be her 9th summer). She also happens to be my wife. We got married after working here at camp together for a few years.</div>
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To me, Cheeks has been a gift from God. Let me explain:</div>
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Many days I realize this through various circumstances. Today, I realized it again. This time it was related to the fact that she doesn't get distracted by stuff (you could even say she doesn’t care much about stuff). Seriously. She doesn’t like to spend a lot of money on stuff. She uses stuff until it breaks down entirely. If she looses something, she shrugs it off and mentions that she didn’t really need it anyway. Take her purse/bag for example. Right now, there’s a hole in it and one handle has broken off. She’s still using it. If it broke entirely, she might never get a new one. She might use another bag in the closet or fill her pockets.</div>
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I am quite different. I like stuff. I like high quality stuff and I like when it performs well. If it gets scratched or damaged, I like to repair it. Take my bike for example. I rode it today and it was wet. When I got home, I hosed it off and set it in front of a fan to dry. I washed it so the chain was free of grit and used the fan so that nothing would rust.</div>
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<a href="http://bethanybirches.org/media/2013/06/IMG_4593.jpg" rel="prettyPhoto[pp_gal]" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #5c8c29; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Tuna Cheeks Thumbs Up" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3153" height="200" src="http://bethanybirches.org/media/2013/06/IMG_4593-300x200.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; float: right; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 20px 0px 20px 20px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" width="300" /></a>Here’s the thing. We only get so much time on Earth. Old people tell me that it goes fast. Researching, getting and taking care of stuff takes a lot of time. And, those of us who care about our stuff can at times be on the verge of caring too much for it. This is part of why <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2010:17-27&version=MSG" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #5c8c29; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell his stuff</a>.</div>
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Back to me and Cheeks. She is a constant example of what it looks like to care less about stuff. With her attention not focused on stuff, she tends to focus on people… and she’s very good at considering others! Not only is this a blessing to me, it’s a witness.</div>
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I hope you find a way to bless those you live with today like Cheeks blesses me. When that way is unclear, look to Jesus. He will show you.</div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tuna</em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-27534255525458997152013-04-13T12:30:00.000-04:002013-04-13T12:30:02.403-04:00Pearls before swinePerhaps you've heard the teaching from The Bible... in Matthew 7 about how you ought not to cast your pearls before swine (pigs). Check this out - this is a good illumination of that passage:<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-31397318698086200482013-04-12T09:16:00.000-04:002013-04-12T09:16:38.683-04:00Experts only need a couple skills<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span id="goog_546736356"></span><span id="goog_546736357"></span><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I'm struck that mastery of the basics is almost all one needs to become an expert. The other thing you need: doing it (racking up hours/experience). I noticed this in skiing... I've only got a couple skills. But, I can apply them in different ways at different times depending on what the terrain and snow conditions require and what I'm trying to accomplish. Knowing how to apply them and being able to apply these skills consistently is what makes it possible to be an expert skier. I think the same is true with Basketball or cooking or supervising people. In what are you an expert?</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-2444083660381613362013-04-03T16:39:00.000-04:002013-04-03T16:39:01.241-04:00Goodro Lumber's excellent customer service<b>Why I love <a href="http://www.goodrolumber.com/" target="_blank">Goodro Lumber</a>:</b><br />
Today, I called and got Steve. I asked him if he could pick out a grout that was the same color as the tile I bought from them but slightly lighter in shade/color. He said, "yup, no problem." He called me back a little later and said that he thinks he found the right one. On top of that, he called the manufacturer to clarify a detail to be sure he gave me the right one.<br />
<br />
Now, get this. Cheeks drives by Goodro some days when she teaches class. I asked Steve if he could have the grout ready for her to pick up. She stopped in and picked it up. She said she was in there for about 2.5 minutes. Talk about convenience!<br />
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Thanks guys for your excellent customer service.<br />
<br />
TunaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-16641975940788074652013-03-03T13:11:00.004-05:002013-03-03T13:11:47.953-05:00Community, jail and a Franciscan priest named G-dog.This morning, I woke up to the radio show <i><a href="http://www.onbeing.org/" target="_blank">On Being</a></i>. Krista Tippet had guest Father Greg Boyle (G-dog). I loved what he was saying. He is clearly a love-filled man. So I googled him. I found this video. It is well worth the 20 minutes if you have ever sensed that we as humans are connected yet live as though we aren't.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ipR0kWt1Fkc?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-28156656032140237682013-02-23T15:15:00.000-05:002013-02-23T15:15:06.924-05:00Simplicity and Getting Things Done<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Seth Godin writes <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/" target="_blank">a blog</a>. Today he posted this:</span><br />
<blockquote style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" type="cite">
<h3>
<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/sethsmainblog/~3/Mt0j8K6Sn00/lifehacker-addicts.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Hooked on hacking life</a></h3>
<br />
<div>
Perhaps you can quote the GTD literature chapter and verse, understand lean and MVP and the modern meeting standard. Maybe you now delete your emails with a swipe. It's possible you've read not just this blog but fifty others, every day, and understand go to market strategies and even have a virtual assistant to dramatically increase your productivity.<br />
That's great. But the question remains, "what have you shipped?"<br />
You're saving a ton of time, freeing yourself up to... do what, precisely?<br />
The productivity industry doesn't do this work to entertain us. They're trying hard to help you get more done better. Emphasis on <em>done</em>.<br />
Striving to get smarter, better and faster helps us create our future. The risk is that merely collecting, trading and discussing the tools turns into the point.<br />
It's possible that your next frontier isn't to get more efficient, it's to get more brave.</div>
</blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I like it. I struggle with this. I love tools! I love tracking and understanding and learning. Sometimes I forget to simply do the thing ("ship").</span></span><div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cool story regarding doing the thing (shipping) - we're low on Lynx registrations (next week's snow camp). Last night I created a two paragraph regular ol email via our camper database software (<a href="http://www.campwise.com/Web/" target="_blank">Campwise</a>). No pictures. No attachments. Not even HTML. I simply asked people to come and tell their friends. I said we'd give them a $25 discount because we aren't full. I sent the email Fri. evening. Within 2 hours, 4 more campers were signed up and I had heard from 10 parents. Today, I'm still hearing from parents about that email and a few more have signed up.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">KISS (keep it simple stupid)</span></span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-28119797499554749212013-02-21T09:27:00.000-05:002013-02-21T09:27:39.562-05:00Lent & FastingEach Lent, I wonder what I should give up or take on. I rarely feel right with God for more than a couple days in a row and so Lent often seems a time to reach out to God more fervently. This year, I was struck by a passage in Isaiah 58 that calls into question our individual-focused routines of giving up chocolate, coffee, etc. I suspect those small sacrifices are very good. Our heart needs them. Yet, there is more to look toward. Here's the passage:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Isaiah 58:6-10 NIV </span>“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.</i></blockquote>
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This video then helped me along a bit further in understanding of the type of fast that is desirable to the Lord.<br />
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May we be strengthened to loose the chains of injustice this <i>whole </i>year and in that process, may our addictions be transformed and lost.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-91513557148066872732013-02-20T10:06:00.000-05:002013-02-20T10:06:08.012-05:00Happy Feet<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Happy feet</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">In the movie, a penguin named Mumble follows his curiosity to find what's "out there." Swept up by his passion he almost dies and is placed in a position that allows him influence. In this position he does what comes naturally to him. He is reminded of his gift by a small child. And so he starts dancing!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">He leads the way for his tribe and his guides are his sense and what was already given to him (his God-given giftings).</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">In the end, being true to his gift and the journey this took him on, saved his tribe.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">This is similar to how we follow God and lead others along the way. Not a lot of certainty. Not a lot of proof. Only what we've been given and a compass for the next step. Only the voice of the one that whispers in the wilderness.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-73784682065081420962013-02-16T21:54:00.000-05:002013-02-16T21:54:11.757-05:00Calling<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Don't take that promotion if you aren't going to be happy. The problem with promotions is that they end up getting you into a new job. It's great if it's the work you're best suited for. And it might not be a great move if the work you are doing right now is the work you're most suited for.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">The biblical author Paul wrote a lot about the nature of our skills and motivations (gifts given us by God). We were created with a certain set of gifts. And when we use them and work in areas that exercise those skills, we excel.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Pursue something you're good at or something you like. A lot of times they are the same thing. You will make a greater contribution to the world doing what you were meant to do, promotion or not.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">For more on this watch the movie <i>Happy Feet</i>.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Or listen to <a href="http://www.onbeing.org/program/seth-godin-on-the-art-of-noticing-and-then-creating/5000" target="_blank">this interview</a> with Seth Godin.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-21856623468353602172013-02-11T08:11:00.000-05:002013-02-11T08:11:19.703-05:00Passion and workA friend of mine posted this video on Facebook recently. I commented:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
this is a very important issue - the nature of the deeper passion - the essence of this video - what is it you like doing? I have been uncovering the importance of a 15-year-long passion in my life and finding that it lies at the heart of what I do best at camp. And I'm learning to teach our college-age staff about the importance of this underlying love and passion and to release themselves to embrace it. </blockquote>
Another friend commented about God's plan. I commented<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I agree! God's "plan"/way/intention/expectation for us is better than our own. In this sense, God is like a manufacturer of a product and has a full understanding of what the product is capable of and how to use it best. While this analogy is pretty weak (because products don't feel things and we do), it helps me when thinking about how best to serve, as Jesus instructed. I've experienced a deep fulfillment when fulfilling my call and at times, a lack of fulfillment when running from my call.</blockquote>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=203280383144662" width="640"></iframe><br />
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Where does your passion lie?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-14247309955284619712013-01-15T12:25:00.001-05:002013-01-15T12:25:33.539-05:00Unleash it!Below is from here: http://www.inwardoutward.org/2013/01/15/angel-rock.<br />
<br />
I have reposted it because I have seen and felt the power that comes from the release and use of our gifting (talents/God-given stuff).<br />
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<br />
An Angel in the Rock<br />
Elizabeth O'Connor<br />
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Somewhere I heard a story about Michelangelo's pushing a huge piece of rock down a street. A curious neighbor sitting lazily on the porch of his house called to him and inquired why he labored so over an old piece of stone. Michelangelo is reported to have answered, "Because there is an angel in that rock that wants to come out." Every person has the task of releasing angels by shaping and transfiguring the raw materials that lie about [us].... How we do this...is determined by the discovery and the use of our gifts.<br />
<br />
Source: Eighth Day of CreationAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-58644069873294690512012-12-22T18:26:00.000-05:002012-12-22T18:26:45.150-05:00What do the Hobbit, Sandy Hook and CCCA have in common?We all know about The Hobbit and many of us in the USA on the East Coast know what Sandy Hook means. <a href="http://www.ccca.org/" target="_blank">CCCA</a>, however, may not be a familiar acronym to you. It stands for Christian Camp and Conference Center. Bethany Birches, where I work, is a member.<br />
<br />
So here's what the Hobbit, Sandy Hook and CCCA, especially <a href="https://vimeo.com/55568408#t=562" target="_blank">this video</a>, have in common: they all show us what we already know. That life isn't safe. And furthermore, a meaningful life requires risk, challenge, struggle.<br />
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I love this section starting <a href="https://vimeo.com/55568408#t=562" target="_blank">right here</a>. Take a look...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-28967255022886984762012-12-18T19:00:00.000-05:002012-12-18T19:00:06.878-05:00Servant Leadership, Marketing, JesusReading a post today from <a href="http://www.tanveernaseer.com/peter-drucker-leadership-marketing/">Tanveer Naseer's</a> blog I found the stuff of Jesus. I love when this happens!<br /><br />In this post he's talking about Peter Drucker and an ancient book (<i>'Xenophon's Cyrus the Great: The Arts of Leadership and War'</i>). In the book, a father asks his son: "Tell me how best to get a man to do something that must be done..." The son replies with an answer that is inferior. <div>
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<div>
The father's reply:<br />“’Simply take care of those you lead better even than they would or could take care of themselves. Always put their needs before your own.’”<br /><br />Jesus said (as recorded in Mark 10):</div>
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Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.<br /><br />Think leadership that changes things. Think people like MLK, Ghandi, Lincoln. More recently, we have Steve Jobs who was a bit of a tyrant and was not a slave to others but was certainly a slave to his vision and arguably his customers, or at least his idea of what they would most like.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-57037896903702091432012-12-14T11:40:00.001-05:002012-12-14T11:40:45.694-05:00Original Sin AND BLESSINGFrom one if my fav blogs - Generous Matters - Excellent post:<br />
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” . . . before there was original sin, there was original blessing. And that blessing, aided and abetted by the living Spirit of God, is still a powerful force in the world. Each and everyday, we’re invited to make a choice: we will see lots of things – beautiful and terrible, wonderful and awful, good and bad, encouraging and discouraging. Which will we focus on, remember, and share with others? Which, that is, will we really see? Much hinges on our decision.”<br />
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David J. Lose, Marbury E. Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary and Director of the Center for Biblical Preaching, from his blog In the Meantime<br />
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<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsm0Zbl5iJ3oULkKO5LqpFRp9QWj1_U3DzuwSTFx7rdFXJ_GGCnHdx3UgeKu-j3Yi35hY-awJ47tm5GBcroyVxAPi-LvwVk7MpyMLVWXVX1_P9hK63HxcPjD24iSOEefgJXQ8yFtRVcHQ9/s640/blogger-image--1744607500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsm0Zbl5iJ3oULkKO5LqpFRp9QWj1_U3DzuwSTFx7rdFXJ_GGCnHdx3UgeKu-j3Yi35hY-awJ47tm5GBcroyVxAPi-LvwVk7MpyMLVWXVX1_P9hK63HxcPjD24iSOEefgJXQ8yFtRVcHQ9/s640/blogger-image--1744607500.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-57315419340001377632012-11-13T14:28:00.001-05:002012-11-13T14:28:37.778-05:00LivingLiving is so dangerous! On the highway today I saw an accident in which a car was drug around by a semi that it got stuck under.<br />
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The question is not how will I stay safe but rather how will I live fully?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-7220149497004726642012-11-05T09:08:00.003-05:002012-11-05T09:38:22.127-05:00Elections: Good Samaritan & Zombies.Last week, my good brother-in-law wrote asking how I understand the elections and the candidates. A few points from my reply (it should be noted that I haven't followed the pres. race closely or often):<br />
<ul>
<li>Does it make a big difference who you vote for this year? It seems Romeny's and Obama's policies are not so different in many areas, as demonstrated in the debates.</li>
<li>Our presidential election process seems broken:</li>
<ul>
<li>It's greatly influenced by whomever can buy the most air time.</li>
<li>The candidate that gets put forth by their party is the one the party most believes will win, not necessarily the one they most believe will govern best.</li>
<li>Voting for a third, fourth or fifth party candidate (if they're on your states ballot) may get that nominee up to 2 or 3% of popular vote. How'd we get to only 2 choices?</li>
</ul>
<li>It seems the Democrat bias toward social programs aimed at the poor best line up with Jesus' words in respond to the question: "<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A25-37&version=NIV" target="_blank">who is my neighbor</a>?" (of course, typical Jesus, he was speaking about a personal responsibility rather than a corporate one)</li>
<li>Thinking Obama is turning the country into a socialist nation is misdirected. First, our economy does not employ pure capitalism. Second, there are broad cultural shifts toward blending of various types of economies (much like has happened in Europe).</li>
<li>As <a href="http://woodstockearlyworm.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/prevent-the-zombie-apocalypse-re-elect-barack-obama/" target="_blank">this post</a> points out, Obama hasn't messed it up and we have made some progress under this administration (of course not as much as promised!).</li>
</ul>
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Two videos - an important warning about the Zombie Apocalypse in the second:<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-20676831730464387942012-10-25T07:19:00.001-04:002012-10-25T08:02:58.533-04:00Army of lovers - Shane ClaiborneAs a Mennonite and Pacifist I get nervous about the term "Army." Yet Shane uses it in a way I like. He's talking about a group of people that present a strong force. While God doesn't seem to use force an Army of lovers is the best kind of army tere could be. His sentiment below reminds of what we talk about at camp - a community of love (http://bethanybirches.org/about/vision-mission/).<br />
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An Army of Lovers (excerpt from his book: Irresistible Revelation).<br />
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Shane Claiborne<br />
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Lovers are hard to come by. And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of--lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about. We are trying to raise up an army not simply of street activists but of lovers--a community of people who have fallen desperately in love with God and with suffering people, and who allow those relationships to disturb and transform them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-78512643504477347772012-10-22T23:05:00.001-04:002012-10-23T05:48:37.807-04:00Barak Obama and Mitt Romney - third debateThe presidential debate tonight between Obama and Romney was interesting.<br />
<br />
While I deeply appreciate the candidates interest in the global community not participating in or aiding terrorism, I get frustrated with the way the discussion is framed - specifically, the idea that people can be reduced to good/bad and nations as well. But it isn't about that - that's a cover. Tonights comments were about befriending the right nations so our safety and prosperity grow. That's actually domestic policy.<br />
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Another crazy idea: "this nation is the hope of the Earth." Seriously? I would say God is that hope. Even I I we're Mormon.<br />
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So often the candidates do not engage directly with the challenge of a given question but rather return to talking points and messages that if stated enough times people will believe are true.<br />
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And how about Obama giving it to Romney - "we don't need any more bayonets an horses and we don't need any more ships."<br />
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Classic.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-38226597572616882122012-10-15T08:10:00.001-04:002012-10-15T08:10:44.605-04:00Realism and the end timesEvery once in a while I'll be chatting with someone and they'll throw in something about the end times. They'll say "I know it's almost the end... just look around at what's happening."<br />
<br />
Henri Nouwen writes:<br />
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When Jesus speaks about the world, he is very realistic. He speaks about wars and revolutions, earthquakes, plagues and famines, persecution and imprisonment, betrayal, hatred and assassinations. There is no suggestion at all that these signs of the world's darkness will ever be absent. But still, God's joy can be ours in the midst of it all. It is the joy of belonging to the household of God whose love is stronger than death and who empowers us to be in the world while already belonging to the kingdom of joy.<br />
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Amen brother!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-25092580000460541802012-09-05T13:45:00.000-04:002012-09-05T13:45:45.555-04:00The Problem with American Presidential RacesThe problem with American Presidential races, at least the one that struck me today is this - there's no Jesus! Jesus taught us to love our enemies. That's a tough teaching. <br />
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Hold that in your mind...<br />
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Think for a moment about the two-party warfare we have been fueling for many years. At a broad level, the tactic most seekers-of-office employ is to highlight why the other side is wrong. Unfortunately, so often, there is very little detail, evidence or argument and so one must basically adhere to and believe in the story told (there is very little room for thought about specifics). The statements made are simple - "my plan is better than the other side's plan and so you should elect me." Fine. But then it almost always goes a step further. "By the way, my opponent has a bad plan that won't work (again, almost no reason for why it won't, but rather a repetition of the story being told)." Often, suggestion is made that maybe the opponent is even a bad person. Stories are told about how the Republicans or the Democrats messed everything up. This assumption is nailed fast with conclusive statements like "and it's time for a change." <br />
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Our process is full of people directing hateful ideas toward others. Maybe a little enemy-love would cause office-seekers to actually evaluate their opponents and begin to understand them. <br />
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And who knows what could come out of deep understanding not only of the other but also of their situation and our own. Maybe a well-run government!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08754835301511300835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1856815299242467698.post-22120226871318308402012-05-19T11:11:00.000-04:002012-05-19T11:11:36.981-04:00Mixed emotions when God is near<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-eUdFZhJqekwxiCWUsZdZUq4y7twpzpnyDysFwYTkRDEAEfxPNz9UhyDs0e_fs_yu7YbEXshOCswv30by5GtDxWGHEihLf9DAo4i_8OI9LAYN4ic38wBNswQz8IIrsiCXuSYK9qG2ILke/s640/blogger-image-1901169923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-eUdFZhJqekwxiCWUsZdZUq4y7twpzpnyDysFwYTkRDEAEfxPNz9UhyDs0e_fs_yu7YbEXshOCswv30by5GtDxWGHEihLf9DAo4i_8OI9LAYN4ic38wBNswQz8IIrsiCXuSYK9qG2ILke/s200/blogger-image-1901169923.jpg" width="200" /></a>Wow. This week at camp we got a lot done on the cabin. With 10 people in there for parts of the week, all skilled, how could we not?! On Friday we received a check for $20,000. On Wednesday we tied up the fire alarm considerations. My aunts and uncles lived with us for the week which was glorious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0ZESdm2kU1uUBOO4VadOFNiMe7O4pjRWGA8VCmMiScbyH9SPLMSCmvgKAaUYEgnF_PbY3K_6PdOYdCDg_ODzFZUCDH0n4jt_aOkWMQjwU2JrsT-31p4owVG_M2YqPl7LEVSx_7qybJbZ/s640/blogger-image-726491945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0ZESdm2kU1uUBOO4VadOFNiMe7O4pjRWGA8VCmMiScbyH9SPLMSCmvgKAaUYEgnF_PbY3K_6PdOYdCDg_ODzFZUCDH0n4jt_aOkWMQjwU2JrsT-31p4owVG_M2YqPl7LEVSx_7qybJbZ/s200/blogger-image-726491945.jpg" width="149" /></a>Now I am tired. In part because Dew (our dog) became very sick recently. Last night he was peeing blood (which I cleaned up multiple times). Earlier in the week he was pooping green. He probably still would be pooping green but he quit eating two days ago. And so we head to the vet soon.Here's the thing - last night after realizing that one of Dew's organs may be failing I started crying. I remembered something God spoke to me 5 years ago about death. That made me cry harder. Yet in my tears I knew my Father was near. I felt him, sensed him. And this continues to be true for me. That God is nearer to my heart in times of challenge and change. Some say he is always near. Whether that's true I'm not sure. I am sure that struggle heightens my awareness if his presence.<br />
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May you experience God in your struggle and may your struggles leave you better than they found you.<br />
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