Hope Comes

This video Inspires me to use the abundant resources that I have to the Glory of God. I wished to be blown to new places by the Spirit of God!

Song of the Day

Rushing Wind
Keith Green

Dedicated to All Who Hear the Call

Rushing wind blow through this temple,
Blowing out the dust within,
Come and breathe you breath upon me,
Ive been born again.
Holy spirit, I surrender, take me where you want to go,

Happy Day

Noah has never had a birthday party with any of his friends. We have been in Abilene for ACU camps for everyone of his birthday celebrations. So last night he had a birthday party. His birthday was over 3 months ago, but it did not diminish the celebration. The exact day seems to be overrated. It was the reason and the company that made the night.

God gives us a gift everyday. He gives us a new day. Day to be reminded that we are washed by the blood of His son. A day to celebrate the relationship we have with Him. A day to celebrate the relationship with the people around us. Enjoy today.

Song of the Day #2

Explosions

Devo

Dedicated to Noah (Happy Birthday again!)

We like explosions that leave you feeling good
We like ideas that change the world for good
Theres nothing past the stop n go
Theres nothing but the ebb and flow
Theres nothing like some in and out
Theres nothing more than what you know
We like new places that jets cant take you to
We do like music when it does what it should do
Yes oh yeah
Yes oh yeah
Yes (we like) oh yeah (explosions)
Yes (we like) oh yeah (explosions)
We like explosions its only right we should
We like ideas we thought you understood
We like new places until theyre overrun
We do like music -- loud shots from the big spudgun

Tino Came to Texas

One amazing thing about the family of God is the relationships you can have. Last week a friend from Denver came to visit me in Texas. The thing that is amazing is not that we are friends, but the fact that we even met. I met Tino because I took some kids to Dry Bones in Denver. I went to Dry Bones because my son was interning there for the summer and one of the leaders used to be a punk kid from my home church. This punk kid later was my deacon when I worked in Dallas. Now he was helping my kid learn to be a better servant. Tino used to live on the street, but now reaches out to those who are where he used to be. That is where and why Tino and I became friends.

Tino had never been to Texas before this trip. So I did not mess around. I took him to the best ribs I know of in East Texas. We threw in some Don Juan's, working at the Karing Kitchen, moving walls for the Habitat House, cooking for the Wednesday night meal, and doing some sorting for LTC. After a stop for Taqueria Lugar and Tino fixing his style of ribs for my family, we ended the week with a full day at the Habitat House.

The good news Tino survived the humidity...barely. The better news is that I continue to marvel at the richness of relationships that God puts in my life. I look forward to new adventures with Tino and other people I know, but I also look forward to the adventures with those I have not even met.

Song of the Day

Dirty

Audio Adrenaline

Dedicated to Tino (Great working with you)

Tired of being clean, sick of being proper
I wanna live among the beggars
And dig out in the dirt
Step outside the walls we built to protect us
Don't be afraid to get some mud on your face

Come on, come on everybody
Come on, come on and serve someone

Let's get dirty, let's get used
No matter where you come from
If you're beaten up or bruised
Let's get foolish - let's get free
Free to be the one thing you were meant to be
Let's get dirty

You might get a bruise or some blisters on your fingers
You might start a question and wonder what it's worth
You may slip and fall from the burdens that you carry
But you can't have this treasure
'til you dig it from the dirt

You Think You Have It Rough

The Song of the Day

Dogs of War
Pink Floyd

Dedicated to Caleb ( for the dog and Pink Floyd)

The dogs of war dont negotiate
The dogs of war wont capitulate,
They will take and you will give,
And you must die so that they may live
You can knock at any door,
But wherever you go, you know theyve been there before
Well winners can lose and things can get strained
But whatever you change, you know the dogs remain.

Do My Gifts Matter

I am not a cat lover. But I am not a cat hater either. The best quality of cats is that they mostly stay out of the way. I am glad that we have strange cats (then again that might be all cats). There is Blackard. She is a volunteer cat. She belongs to our neighbor's son's girlfriend. However she spends most of her time at our house. I guess it helps to have a young son who likes cats.

Muffin is the one who is strange. Everyday she comes to the back door and meows. Loudly. We used to think that meant she was hungry. When she meows she may be hungry, but it is not the reason she meows. The reason she wants to get our attention is that she has left us a gift. It is the same kind of gift every time. A leaf. The leaf is usually large and it is an entire leaf. Maybe she heard one of the kids had a biology project? It may be a gift, but not one that I want.

When I give a gift (not just an object but a gift in the broadest sense including friendship, love, assistance), I wonder how my gift is perceived. I hope I am not giving a Muffin Gift. Do I give what I want? Do I give what they want? Or perhaps can I give the gift that is needed?

Every time I hear Muffin I think of the last stanza of a Shel Sivlerstein poem:

And some kind of help is the kind of help
That helping's all about
And some kind of help is the kind of help
We all can do without

What kind of gift do you give?

Song of the Day

Hard Headed Woman
Cat Stevens

Dedicated to Muffin (the hard headed cat)

Im looking for a hard headed woman,
One who will take me for myself,
And if I find my hard headed woman,
I wont need nobody else, no, no, no.

Im looking for a hard headed woman,
One who will make me do my best,
And if I find my hard headed woman
I know the rest of my life will be blessed -- yes, yes, yes.