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The kingdom of God isn’t just going to drop out of the sky

Kuddos to Kathy Escobar for posting this quote & thought. 

I've edited it, slightly, for use here:

“the kingdom of God isn’t just going to drop out of the sky .” that sort of says it all.  we are Jesus’ hands, feet, heart, eyes, ears, mouth.   i know there are some who think the spirit of [being] missional is too behavior-focused, but i totally disagree.  Jesus’ spirit propels us not to do good deeds for the sake of good deeds, but to love our neighbor tangibly because he deeply loves them; his actual physical hands, feet, heart, eyes, ears, mouth are no longer here, but ours (Jesus incarnate in us) are.  a spiritual thought does not bring the kingdom of God to earth, but a spiritual action does.  the sum total of lots and lots of hands and feet and hearts and eyes and ears and mouths can change the world.

Amen, Kathy.  Amen.

Technorati Tags: Kathy Escobar,Kingdom of God

Love vs. lust

From Granger Community Church:

ht: collide magazine

Tags: love, lust, YouTube

Where mourning and dancing touch each other

From Henri Nouwen:

"[There is] a time for mourning, a time for dancing" (Ecclesiastes 3:4). But mourning and dancing are never fully separated. Their "times" do not necessarily follow each other. In fact, their "times" may become one "time." Mourning may turn into dancing and dancing into mourning without showing a clear point where one ends and the other starts.
Often our grief allows us to choreograph our dance while our dance creates the space for our grief. We lose a beloved friend, and in the midst of our tears we discover an unknown joy. We celebrate a success, and in the midst of the party we feel deep sadness. Mourning and dancing, grief and laughter, sadness and gladness - they belong together as the sad-faced clown and the happy-faced clown, who make us both cry and laugh. Let's trust that the beauty of our lives becomes visible where mourning and dancing touch each other.

Source: Henri Nouwen Society

Technorati Tags: Henri Nouwen,mourning,dancing,Ecclesiastes

Stargazing

IC434 in Orion
Originally uploaded by mpastro2001

[Click on image for larger version.]

When Leah was just a child & we still lived on William Fleming Court (seminary housing) in Ft. Worth, she and I used to enjoy stargazing together.

Our apartments had nice wide slides on the playground, so we'd recline side-to-side and enjoy the celestial joy.

There are days I wish I could recapture that magic. I suppose those are some of my fondest memories of her childhood.

 

Photo details: The famous Horsehead Nebula. This image consists of a blend of Ha, luminance and RGB consisting of 5:5:3:3:3 hours exposure respectively.

HT: flickr blog

Technorati Tags: stargazing,Horsehead Nebula,stars

Something's bugging me, literally

Last week we were around a bunch of flea-bitten dogs while adding a room to a needy family's home. 

When I got home, I lit up like a Christmas tree-- my arms and legs are covered with flea bites.

Lord, save me from the itching!

I've tried all of the over-the-counter remedies (to no avail), so I went to a doc-in-the-box today and was prescribed several meds.  I'm hoping they'll start "kicking in" soon, because the itching hasn't gone away.

Acccckkkkkk   ;-)

Technorati Tags: fleas

God, who lives amongst us

An evening prayer:

God who dwelt on earth with no home to call your own,
Have mercy on all who are homeless and without shelter today.
God, who lives amongst us, hear our prayer.
God who was despised, rejected, and spat upon by those in authority,
Comfort all who are cast by the wayside and ignored today.
God, who lives amongst us, hear our prayer.
God who offers abundance and plenty where we expect scarcity,
Provide for all those who are hungry and in need of food today.
God, who lives amongst us, hear our prayer.
God who promises security and safety when we expect turmoil,
Provide for all those who have lost jobs and are forced into homelessness today.
God, who lives amongst us, hear our prayer.
God who grants us rest in face of our fears and anxieties,
Provide for all those who are anxious about finances today.
God, who lives amongst us, hear our prayer.
God who provides community for all who are alone and abandoned,
Provide for all who feel abandoned and uncared for in these troubled times.
God, who lives amongst us, hear our prayer.
God who is always in control even when nations shake and economies crumble,
Fill all who are empty and rescue those who are enslaved by debt.
God, who lives amongst us, hear our prayer.

Pause to offer your own prayers for the lost, the lonely, the hungry, the anxious and displaced

God, you see the unlovely in all of us, yet you still love us. You ask us to reach out with your compassion to all who are unlovely. Open our eyes so that we can see beauty in all people and practice your hospitality, particularly to those homeless and faceless ones who are usually over-looked or ignored by us and by our society.

Source: Christine Sine (adapted version)

Technorati Tags: Lent,Christine Sine,devotional

A voice of hope

mission trip second batch 155a
Originally uploaded by mbushor

[Click on photo for larger versions.]

Grandma, as she is affectionately called, became the primary care-taker of her five (5) grandchildren when her daughter-in-law died of cancer about a year ago. Her son only has limited contact with the children.

What she needed most was more room in an overcrowded house, a chance to relax and catch her breath & a word of hope.

That's where we stepped in.

Technorati Tags: Flickr,mission trip

Blessing grandma

DSCN1371
Originally uploaded by mbushor

[Click on photo for larger views.]

We just got back from a 7-day mission trip to Los Fresnos, Texas.

We had a wonderful time building a new room for a grandmother who's raising 5 grandchildren on her own-- their mother died of cancer about a year ago.

The look on her face when the room as presented and dedicated made the whole trip worthwhile.

I'm not sure who was blessed more, her or us.

Technorati Tags: Flickr,Los Fresnos,Texas

Strangely silent

I realize I've been strangely silent lately. 

I've been thinking about this whole blogging thing.

Anyway, enough of that.  The silence will continue for another week or so because I'm taking a mission team to South Texas/Mexico during spring break. 

Should be a lot of fun.  Lots of memories.

See you soon.