Sleeping with bread Monday, erm... Friday.

Its Friday and you can guess the kind of week it's been if I'm writing my Monday post on Friday. In the last month there have been some great changes and shifting in my vocational life and it makes me realize how much my vocation had to do with my life overall.

Letting go and holding on:

The month of July seems to be a month of great letting go. I've experienced the death of my family dog, the passing of one of my dearest spiritual mentors - Grace Connors, and the ending of my time of ministry with Westminster Presbyterian Church due to economic reasons.

Sometimes we have the choice to let go of people, work or things. This time has been composed mostly of things passing away with little choice from me. Pets get ill, elderly people reach their physical limits, and budgets - well they run out of funds. In these cases - there is not much choice I have except in how I choose to react to the massive change around me.

I've started to grasp the idea of how to cope with all this change while floating in my mother-in-laws pool the other day. I was puttering in the water after working on her yard, and slipped an inner tube around my middle and proceeded to float my worries away. My son splashed and dove in the water. Noodles and water toys all around were dashed about in the middle schooler's created waves. Although I was experiencing all the changes and waves around me, I stayed above the water line thanks to my inner tube.

There are many things that I could use as my inner tube in this changed point of life. I could eat my way through. I could drink my way through. I could sulk my way through. I could even angry my way through, but in the end all those things (food, drink, sulking and anger.) would end up sinking me deeper under the tide of change.

In the past few weeks these words in the book of Matthew are ones that I can't seem to escape. I read them in my devotional the day after getting my lay off notice. I was watching Conan late one sleepless evening and the band, Thrice played their new song, "All who are weary." Yesterday I was updating my myspace page and came across a song by Waterdeep called - "perfectly fitted."

Matthew 11:28-30 (New International Version)

28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

The important thing for me to remember is that Jesus "yoke" is my inner tube. Just as I allow Jesus to take my burdens and pick up the one he calls me to carry, I'm not alone in the labor. A yoke is intended for two oxen to carry. Just like a team of oxen, Jesus is carrying the other end of my burden and keeping my head above water.

As I daily let go of the expectations and plans I had for my life and take up the yoke of following Jesus. I know we are actually walking side by side. I will hold on to this yoke that is around me. No matter what waves of life reach my shore, I know Jesus is there to face them with me. Jesus, be my bread, be my yoke, be my inner tube. I'm in your hands.

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

FCE - Dog stroke in spine

Kahlúa is our 15 year old dog that we adopted from the Humane Society when she was four. She joined our family and has been with us for eleven years so far. This morning we found her laying on the carpet in the dining room and was unable to get up and go outside. After letting her rest for a few hours, I gave her some bread to eat and she got up. She was wobbly so I scooped her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom. She managed to remain standing for a few minutes, but was back down quickly. Her back legs did not want to support her even though she was trying to walk. By this point, she had begin to cry so I called the vet and they said to bring her in for an evaluation. My kids and I tearfully wrapped her up in a blanket and drove to the vet. It seemed as if we were sitting in the waiting room forever. The vet told me that her heart, eye function, and lungs were great - also taking into consideration her age of 15! The problem seemed to be FCE - firocartilanginous embolism: w

Gifts we have to give

So often people will think of the areas of life that they fall short or what may need some improvement. I think there is some wisdom in knowing where we need some work as humans, but I also feel it is equally important to learn, foster and use the gifts each one of us are instilled with. So here is the challenge or question that I'd like to present: "What gift(s) has God given to you that can be used in the care and ministry of loving others?" How have you seen that gift used in the past? How would you like to use it? If you dream big and I dream big together - how could God work in that big pool of gifts in the lives of others??? Let's share our gifts today and dream of what they can accomplish for God's purpose! 1 Peter 4:8-10 (New International Version) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

Uphill idealist

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