who is my neigbor?

Josh's post got me to thinking about a lot of things, like Cornerstone and how amazing it was, but something really struck me about it, "I have been spending a lot of time here...and it’s been a lot of fun, and become kind of a new community that I’ve gotten pulled into." It got me to thinking about the communities I've been "pulled into." The one that comes to mind most easily is my community at the coffee shop where I work. It made me think about community and the question of "who is my neighbor?" I ask that question of myself because I see these same people everyday, some of them like clockwork; they show up at exactly the same time everyday and order the exact same thing. I guess I think about that because I realize how little regard I have for my neighbors, these people I see everyday. I learn their names, but only to enter them into our Coffee Club and I know their drinks but only because I'm hear everyday and my brain gets used to the repetition. I talk to some people, but not usually by choice, only because they talk to me first, and most of the time I'm only thinking of a way out of the conversation or daydreaming. I'm at my worst with homeless people (I wish it wasn't this way), I sympathize for them, but at the same time I don't want to do anything for them or enter into their pain. I keep my relationships with people at a distance, I don't know what I'm afraid of, and I really wish I knew better how to love. Jesus told the Good Samaritan parable after the teacher of the law asked him who his neighbor was. He asked this question because he wanted to know what his required of him so he could do the least and still get to heaven. I pray this isn't my attitude. Lord, teach me to love my neighbor.

prayer.

The Prayer Appointed for the Week

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that I, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ my Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. † From The Divine Hours

for i know the plans i have for you...

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD.  "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

Thy beauty fills my soul...

Starting this week John and I have taken on the responsibility of leading worship at our church. We've been helping out with the transition over the last month or so, but always with the guiding hand of our worship leader, Kyle. Now we're on our own and we have his notes and tips, but it still seems like a daunting task. It's exciting, but it still just seems like so much to take care of. Everyday we need to be doing something in preparation for the following Sunday whether it be e-mailing people to remind them that they're playing, picking songs that deal with the topic or meeting with Pastor Paul or whoever is teaching to see how our songs fit into the overall order of the service. It really isn't that bad although it does add to a bit more of what I have to do throughout the week and I'm sure I'll feel the strain of it more next semester when I start taking classes again. Kyle did give me some helpful advice though. He said not to let responsibilities to the church overwhelm my time with my family. There needs to be a balance between the two or else I'll only be giving pieces of myself to them both and that's not fair to either of them.

So, that's what I'm doing this week. Preparing to lead worship and trying to coordinate things with everyone else who is a part of it so we can welcome the congregation into God's presence. It's an awesome responsibility, and it will definitely bring with it much joy, but again it's a lot of work. Pray for John and myself that we will not get burned out during this experience and that it will only bring with it a lot of joy, and that will it will carry with it more positive memories than negative ones.

in your eyes i am complete...

It's an unbearably slow day at work today. The time change just makes everything seem so much longer! Although there are good points to the time change. For example: Mari and I were able to sleep in till 10:30 on Sunday morning and it felt like we got an extra hour of sleep because we did. We needed that hour too, on Saturday I had to open at work so I was up by 5:45 in the AM, and our plans kept me up all day until about 1:30 on Sunday morning. We had a virtual birthday extravaganza if you will for Bryan. We had a birthday dinner at our house where we loaded up on some delicious cavatini, garlic bread, and salad. We followed that up with the only thing that would logically follow a large Italian feast...an evening at World of Fun Amusement Park. We got lost on the way there, and some of us weren't the best of moods when we arrived at the park, but alas it is an amusement park after all so we quickly snapped out of it after our first rollercoaster. That was a great time with the exception of the extremely disappointing Haunted House. I kid you not we waited in the longest line that we would have to wait in all night for that stupid thing. We waited for two hours to go through a crappy Haunted House with too many fog machines and too many strobe lights! Other theme parks really should take a lesson from Disney...they would never let that crap fly in one of their parks.

There's really not a lot to say about yesterday...it was just a lazy day. Although I did see an amazing Dallas Cowboys game last night! Tonight I'm watching the Vikings game when I get home!

i win

It's been awhile. I haven't had much to say lately and frankly I was trying to stay away from this blogging stuff (as no one reads this anyway), but alas work couldn't go by any slower today so here I am.

So what's current?

Well, the setbacks are in a bit of a transition period right now. We realized that we spent too much time last year aiming for the stars and in the process we ended up not playing too many shows and not being very happy. Which seems kind of like a strange situation. I think we just got too caught up in talking ourselves out of doing things because we have to do it perfectly or something. Also a lot of the songs we've been playing really aren't a good reflection of who we are as a band. That's mainly due to the fact that when we started no one else was writing music but me, but now we're all songwriters. So we're not completely rejecting everything, but we're going to be more selective about what old songs we keep and focus on writing new material in the new year. Adam's going to study at a recording school in Arizona for a year and then after that we'll be reborn from the ashes like a phoenix or something. A name change may be in store too.

Home life is good. My folks just moved to Lawrence, and it's really great to have them around. We've spent a lot of time catching up with them and letting them catch up with Joel.

This weekend Mari and I will be seeing the Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D, on Saturday the setbacks are playing a show in Manhattan, KS, and then on Sunday Bryan, John and I are leading worship at Heartland.

So that's what's current. That's what you've been missing...

ministry of archers...

What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning and test him every moment?
Job 7:17-18 ESV

I've been reading through the book of Job lately, and it's really been a powerful experience. I've read it before, but it's hitting me different this time. It used to really depress me, and now I really find myself relating to it. Not that my world has all come crashing down around me like Job's, but I guess I just really appreciate his honesty. He is honest enough to call God out, and ask him questions like that in the verse above. He also writes, "he (God) set me up as his target; his archers surround me." Job 16:12-13 ESV
Life really feels like that sometime. I know that God is good, and that I serve a loving, wondrous God, but at the same time there are days when it feels like God is out to get me. Everything goes wrong and I forget God and all His promises.
Keep me ever mindful of you, o Lord.