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Showing posts from April, 2007

for Something Completely Different

American Idol was very good last night. Jordin singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" helped to lift me. I think she's the winner. Watch the 2 hour show tonight, they're promising some special guest stars.

Prayers (and thoughts) for Today

God of mystery, your ways are not our ways. I regret that I keep analyzing circumstances instead of trusting you to guide me through them. Keep opening a path for my feet to walk even if the terrain is unfamiliar and unclear to me. Help me to serve you with abandon. Amen. from Daily Texts from the Moravian Church Give ear to my prayer, O God; do not hide yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, and answer me; I am troubled in my complaint. I am distraught by the noise of the enemy, because of the clamour of the wicked. For they bring trouble upon me, and in anger they cherish enmity against me. My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. And I say, ‘O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; truly, I would flee far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Psalm 55:1-8 I've been trying to decide what to do with my life and where to go to seminary

When God delivers a combination

I've been busy catching up on being away from work for a week, trying to get ready for a yard sale, and digesting my visit to LTS Gettysburg. Saturday, I get an email from the Synod's Candidacy Committee on my interview day, and then a phone call from the doctor who does the psychological evaluations. Hearing a psychological evaluation is a very humbling event. I still don't know how he was able to determine everything from those tests. It's like he's inside my head. (that's a joke) I couldn't disagree with any of the assessments, but I did disagree with some of the terms. Some of the assessments seemed just a little too on the nose. But it helped me clarify the decision (or indecision) I've been wrestling with all week.

Free at Last!

He gone! Thank You! Now American Idol can be a singing contest. Edited 4/22/07

A Prayer for Today

May we have the courage to step out into the unknown knowing there is no place, no danger, no challenge, no difficulty that we cannot face while we remain within your care. Amen from the Church of Scotland's Pray Now series I have been blessed in finding two seminaries where I feel at home. Lord, please give me the wisdom to discern to which you are calling me.

Phone Call

I just got a phone call from the Admissions Department at Trinity Lutheran Seminary to inform me that I've been accepted there. Decisions, decisions....

Back from Gettysburg

I made it home from Gettysburg earlier this evening. It's just a little 10.5 hour commute. I'll write more about the weekend in the next few days after I catch up on my sleep. But a quick story on the trip down. John the Baptist is the person about whom Isaiah writes: "Make His path straight, Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill will be made low. The crooked will become straight" (Luke 3:4-6 / Isaiah 40:3-5) John the Baptist never made it to western Pennsylvania and especially US 30 from Breezewood to Fort Louden. Now there are not a lot (ok, none) of mountains in Michigan. But I've never seen a road with as many hairpin turns and truck runoffs. I'm sure the civil engineer who designed that road went onto a more lucrative career designing roller coasters. When I arrived at the seminary, I was walking around and went into the library. I told the librarians about my jouney, and one of them said, Poor dear, we'll find a different route for

ROAD TRIP!

I'm off to visit the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg for the weekend. I'm really looking forward to the nine hour drive each way. I'll report when I return.

Upon Further Review, A Prayer for Today

Upon further review, the previous post was a misguided ramble. But it felt good to get it out. I woke up this morning, and I'm still upset with God. If it was that time of year, He might not get a Christmas card. Or get one ONLY after I received one. But since I still Love the Lord, I did my daily devotional readings. I'm reading from Daily Texts 2007 from the Moravian Church. I received a copy when I went for my visit to Trinity Lutheran Church . The Scripture readings that I mentioned that I wanted to read were the passages that I missed because I didn't get this book until mid-February. So the first devotion was from Jeremiah 7:3 - "Amend your ways and your doings, and let me dwell with you in this place." Then I read the prayer for today. Praise to you, O God of mercy. You are my dwelling place. Turn me from my dullness to seek your face. In your good time, Lord, give me a wakeup call and motivate me to be a joyful worker in your fields. Amen. From "Dai

I'm not happy with God right now

While I love the Lord, Our God, I don't like Him right now. As I have been struggling with this process of joining the ministry, going to a seminary and leaving my job and family behind, the one thing that I have struggled with is leaving my family. I'm an only child. My parents didn't have me until close to their 10th anniversary, and had almost resigned themselves to not having any children. While I don't think that I'm spoiled, I have friends who would politely, or not so politely, disagree. I will cop to being very loved and greatly supported. My parents support anything that I do. Anyone who has ever met them always asks about them. I love them very much, and do what I can to help them around their house. That is why going 4 or 9 hours away to a seminary is a concern. Because I can't drive out to shovel the snow, or cut the grass, or hang a picture or any of the other things you do for your parents when their in their 70's. This fall and winter, my dad

Easter Sunday, sunrise 2007

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia! our triumphant holy day, Alleluia! who did once upon the cross, Alleluia! suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia! Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia! unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia! who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia! sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia! But the pains which he endured, Alleluia! our salvation have procured, Alleluia! now above the sky he's King, Alleluia! where the angels ever sing. Alleluia! Compleat Psalmodist, 1749 Why write something original when someone else has said it better?

FCA Impact Play: "Paid in Full"

The FCA Impact Play is a almost daily devotional which is emailed to subscribers from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The FCA played a large role in helping me return to Christ. Receiving the Impact Play helped me to reignite my faith. I wanted to share today's with you. READY: "And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trangressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross."- Colossians 2:13-14 SET: A month ago, I received a letter from the American Honda Financial Corporation, the business from which I borrowed the money to pay for my car. The top line read, "OFFICIAL NOTICE THAT YOUR BALANCE HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL." Since I had purchased this car in September of 2006, I knew there was no way that my last payment had payed

A Prayer for Today

He came towards them early in the morning walking on the sea. - Mark 6:48 God, it seems your kingdom works the wrong way round. We scratch out order and design in this world and call it religion yet find you in the uncharted. Our holiness is found in routine in well worked out creeds and fine constructed buildings and we call it faith yet find you in the unpredictable. We build sanctuaries that beautify symmetry creating a space that restrains the unfamiliar and call it your realm yet you are found outside the boat. May our fear of the unexplored be tempered by your voice through the confusion. May our longing for solid ground be balanced by your call amid the waves. May our need for a boat be lessened by your presence on the water and may our faith be not safe but risky that we dare to step into the unknown and find you where adventures are made. Amen. Blessing When you step out the boat, may God be holding you. When you walk into darkness, may you walk into God. When you find yours

Holy Week for Law and Order fans

Thanks to HeyJules at Maced with Grace for posting this from Positive Christianity . Jesus had to face a lot of things we do not have to deal with. Our crucifixions, as severe as they are, are nothing like Jesus Christ went through. First of all, there is His trial. Today, if we were to have Jesus Christ in court and try Him, right away the case would be thrown out. I have a fascinating piece I'd like to share with you. Do you realize that Jesus was not tried once, but five times? He was tried before Arras. He was tried before Caiaphas. He was tried before the Sanhedrin. He was tried before Pilot. And He was tried before Herod. Now, here is what the state's Attorney General of the state of Michigan says about His trial. He says it was illegal. These are the reasons why: #1--The arrest and trial on a capital charge was made during night time, and that was expressly forbidden. #2--The trial was not public. #3--The trial was completed in one day, and that was a direct violation of

A Prayer for Today

Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.’ -Genesis 21:9, 10 Pilgrim God: Ishmael was the son Of Abram’s impatience, The hapless child Of his unwillingness To wait in the howling wilderness Of the not-yet fulfilled promise. Ishmael and his mother were the victims, The collateral damage Of a botched attempt To accelerate the pace Of your unfolding purposes. Help me to see, Lord, That there are times When to act is to be disobedient, That there are times When to run ahead Is to fall hopelessly behind. Today, I remember all those who must Learn the way of patient obedience; Who find themselves stranded In the featureless desert, In the twilight world, the ‘not yet’ Of your covenant promise. Amen. From the "Pray Now" series, from the Church of Scotland. Lord, help me to remember that

Pray as though your life depends upon it

So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. – Luke 11:9-10 (NSRV) I’ve just finished reading Max Lucado’s Facing Your Giants . This book is about David and his trials and tribulations. Of all of the people in the Bible, David’s life may have the most extremes. He is one of the most devout persons, and one of the biggest sinners. He is a study of contrasts and contradictions. But Lucado points out how David goes from good to bad and from high to low. When David accomplishes his greatest feats, slaying Goliath, uniting the tribes of Israel, and bringing the Ark to Jerusalem, he constantly prayed and asked God for guidance. When David has his lowest moments, taking the holy bread from Nob, the affair with Bathsheba and killing Uriah, having multiple wives and concubines and ignoring his childre