Transition

There have been so many times over the last few days that I've thought, 'Oh I need to blog about that'. My girls are growing so fast and I feel like I can't capture each minute as well as I want to. It's kind of like how a picture can never do the actual view justice. I know that blogging about their lives pales in comparison to the joy of watching them unfold. I am thankful today to be in this moment and not begging for the next to come quickly. I am thankful that I am engaged with Robyn especially. I feel like I have lost a good portion of her first two years being distracted by so many other things. Her birthday is in a few days and I am more excited about that than Christmas this year! I am praying that 'The Christmas Spirit' doesn't overwhelm me and take away this joy of being in the moment. I have some of my shopping done but am not in a hurry to finish the rest of it. It's a good place to be. It will get done when it gets done. I have but a wreath on my door this year and nothing else outside. In fact, we still have our halloween pumpkins on the porch. Hey, why not make the season last as long as possible. At this rate, we'll take down Christmas sometime in March. We did get the tree up this weekend. It was a blast. We made cookies, we sang loud off-key Christmas songs, we put all of the ornaments on the first 2 feet of the tree because that's as high as the girls could reach. I can't remember decorating for Christmas being such a family event before. Brad even took pictures!! In a time of such transition and uncertainty in our future, there is peace in our family right now. And that is truly Divine.

Christmas Song

Okay, so it's been a while. A lot has changed. The St. Jude race is this weekend. We are NOT participating. What were we thinking to sign up in the first place?? Anyway, I'm glad to not have the stress of it right now. Still no news on law school. We'll let you know as soon as we have more information. Probably, after the first of the year. I've thought of a thousand things to blog about over the last 2 months, I just haven't found time to sit down and actually write. But I was reminded of this song earlier this morning. There is this song by The Dave Matthews Band, maybe you've heard of it. It is not "The Christmas Song" you may be thinking of. No chestnuts roasting over a fire in this song. The Dave Matthews version is simply "Christmas Song" and is a poignant reminder from an unexpected artist about the significance of this time of year. Lyrics are below video. Listen and enjoy...




Lyrics:

She was his girl; he was her boyfriend
She'd be his wife and make him her husband
A surprise on the way, any day, any day
One healthy little giggling dribbling baby boy
The wise men came, three made their way
To shower him with love
While he lay in the hay
Shower him with love love love
Love love love
Love love was all around

Not very much of his childhood was known
Kept his mother Mary worried
Always out on his own
He met another Mary who for a reasonable fee,
less than reputable was known to be.

His heart full of love love love
Love love love
Love love was all around

When Jesus Christ was nailed to his tree
Said "oh, Daddy-o, I can see how it all soon will be
I came to shed a little light on this darkening scene
Instead I fear I've spilled the blood of my children all around"

The blood of my children all around
The blood of my children's all around

So I'm told, so the story goes
The people he knew were
Less than golden hearted
Gamblers and Robbers
Drinkers and Jokers, all soul searchers
Like you and me
Like you and me

Rumors insisted he soon would be
For his deviations
Taken into custody
By the authorities less informed than he.
Drinkers and Jokers all soul searchers
Searching for love love love
Love love love
Love love was all around

Preparations were made
For his celebration day
He said "eat this bread and think of it as me
Drink this wine and dream it will be
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children's all around
The blood of our children all around

Father up above, why in all this hatred do you fill
Me up with love, love, love
Love love love
Love love was all around
Father up above, why in all this anger do you fill
Me up with love, fill me love love love
Love love love
all you need is love
you can't buy me love
Love love love
Love love
And the blood of our children's all around

Running

Whew! Just got back from a difficult 5m. So we've decided to train for the St. Jude Half Marathon, as if we don't have enough going on. But you know, I've realized if I wait until things calm down, I'll never run again. So, here I go...I walked out my door, iPod at the ready with lots of new tunes, my shoes with new insoles, and, of course, my running skirt (my new favorite running inspiration). I turned left out of my neighborhood and facing me was a huge hill (yes, we do have those in Jonesboro). I had set my watch for 50 minutes within which to finish my run. I think I finished in just over an hour. If my horrid time weren't enough, I now have raw exposed skin on my thighs (note to self, I must lose weight)! Sufficient to say, I walked a lot today. But all in all it was a day where the morning lasts all afternoon. The temperature was perfect, the sun was beautiful, and the leaves are beginning to change. And, best of all, no mosquitos. So, now I remember why I love running and I will be sure to realign the rest of my lifestyle to accommodate this passion.

Amused

There are so many things to be amused by today. I will not expand on the most amusing which is this political race my husband has found himself in. Let's just leave it at you know where you stand with people when you put yourself out there publicly. I have a deeper admiration for my husband than ever before because of the scrutiny he is enduring these days. No one knows the degree of commitment he has had over the last two years to accomplish the number of things he has accomplished. I can truly say that I have the deepest respect for him and the grace with which he is handling himself as people who know very little about him are hurling comments around about him. To those of you who may find yourselves in this camp, I encourage you to have coffee with Brad. You will learn a lot about his heart. He has come a long way in the last few years and if you doubt his sincerity you should know that we have had many conversations and deep discussions about the direction for our community and our family and I am confident in his ability to lead and so should you be. I will leave it at that.

As for my amusing day today, it started with Kiley in the shower with a green rubber duck. Now, what I am about to tell you is a bit graphic and you should be warned before you read any further. She holds her green duck up to the glass and says, "Mom, look!" As I look over, she has taken the hair from the drain of the shower and given the duck a very stylish toupee!!! I am still laughing at the image!

We got the car washed today and, apparently, I have not taken Robyn through the car wash in her almost two years of existence. She covered her face the whole time thinking the water was about to get her!! So cute!

Retreat

This past weekend I had the honor to spend some great time with some great friends to celebrate a birthday. For adventure, we went rafting. It ended up not being the highlight of the weekend. I think these pictures will speak for themselves as to the tone of the weekend. We all left different people, I think. Thank you ladies for the conversation and the reminder of where Christ resides.

Something to think about

I came across this article recently. It is thought provoking and, in many ways, describes where I am spiritually.




The People formerly known as The Congregation

Jay Rosen created the meme of The People Formerly Known as the Audience - those of us who are no longer content to be content consumers - but have become content creators ourselves.

The people formerly known as the audience wish to inform media people of our existence, and of a shift in power that goes with the platform shift you’ve all heard about.

Think of passengers on your ship who got a boat of their own. The writing readers. The viewers who picked up a camera. The formerly atomized listeners who with modest effort can connect with each other and gain the means to speak— to the world, as it were.

Now we understand that met with ringing statements like these many media people want to cry out in the name of reason herself: If all would speak who shall be left to listen? Can you at least tell us that?

The people formerly known as the audience do not believe this problem—too many speakers!—is our problem. Now for anyone in your circle still wondering who we are, a formal definition might go like this:

The people formerly known as the audience are those who were on the receiving end of a media system that ran one way, in a broadcasting pattern, with high entry fees and a few firms competing to speak very loudly while the rest of the population listened in isolation from one another— and who today are not in a situation like that at all.

Let me introduce you to The People formerly known as The Congregation. There are millions of us.

We are people - flesh and blood - image bearers of the Creator - eikons, if you will. We are not numbers.

We are the eikons who once sat in the uncomfortable pews or plush theatre seating of your preaching venues. We sat passively while you proof-texted your way through 3, 4, 5 or no point sermons - attempting to tell us how you and your reading of The Bible had a plan for our lives. Perhaps God does have a plan for us - it just doesn't seem to jive with yours.

Money was a great concern. And, for a moment, we believed you when you told us God would reward us for our tithes - or curse us if we didn't. The Law is just so much easier to preach than Grace. My goodness, if you told us that the 1st century church held everything in common - you might be accused of being a socialist - and of course, capitalism is a direct gift from God. Please further note: Malachi 3 is speaking to the priests of Israel. They weren't the cheerful givers God speaks of loving.

We grew weary from your Edifice Complex pathologies - building projects more important than the people in your neighbourhood...or in your pews. It wasn't God telling you to "enlarge the place of your tent" - it was your ego. And, by the way, a multi-million dollar, state of the art building is hardly a tent.
We no longer buy your call to be "fastest growing" church in wherever. That is your need. You want a bigger audience. We won't be part of one.

Our ears are still ringing from the volume, but...Jesus is not our boyfriend - and we will no longer sing your silly love songs that suggest He is. Happy clappy tunes bear no witness to the reality of the world we live in, the powers and principalities we confront, or are worthy of the one we proclaim King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

You offered us a myriad of programs to join - volunteer positions to assuage our desire to be connected. We could be greeters, parking lot attendants, coffee baristas, book store helpers, children's ministry workers, media ministry drones - whatever you needed to fulfill your dreams of corporate glory. Perhaps you've noticed, we aren't there anymore.

We are The People formerly known as The Congregation. We have not stopped loving the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Nor do we avoid "the assembling of the saints." We just don't assemble under your supposed leadership. We meet in coffee shops, around dinner tables, in the parks and on the streets. We connect virtually across space and time - engaged in generative conversations - teaching and being taught.
We live amongst our neighbours, in their homes and they in ours. We laugh and cry and really live - without the need to have you teach us how - by reading your ridiculous books or listening to your supercilious CDs or podcasts.

We don't deny Paul's description of APEPT leadership - Ephesians 4:11. We just see it in the light of Jesus' teaching in Mark 10 and Matthew 20 - servant leadership. We truly long for the release of servant leading men and women into our gifts as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. We believe in Peter's words that describe us all as priests. Not just some, not just one gender.

We are The People formerly known as The Congregation. We do not hate you. Though some of us bear the wounds you have inflicted. Many of you are our brothers and our sisters, misguided by the systems you inhabit, intoxicated by the power - yet still members of our family. (Though some are truly wolves in sheep's clothing.)

And, as The People formerly known as The Congregation, we invite you to join us on this great adventure. To boldly go where the Spirit leads us. To marvel at what the Father is doing in the communities where He has placed us. To live the love that Jesus shows us.

Alternating Addictions

I've been a little addicted to Facebook lately. It appears Facebook has finally drifted to the East a little. My friends from Chattanooga are finally catching on to it and I have been catching up with them. I didn't get to have my 10 year reunion, so this will have to do. A friend of mine asked me recently if I was ever going to blog again. So, now I'm back. My friend Julie is having her birthday this weekend and a group of girls are going to the Ocoee River. I can't wait!!! I never get tired of rafting that river. This will be my second time this Summer! I am really going to miss Brad and the girls, though. I kind of wish they were going with me. Right now, Brad is fervently studying Spanish to finish up his last semester in school. Whew, I don't wish that on my worst enemy. He has a lot of tenacity to stick with this. Needless to say, I'm proud. Law school applications are going well. We are just in limbo right now and won't know anything more certain until after the first of the year. More on that later.