tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3594523845244918782012-01-26T11:23:39.364-08:00...shared thoughts for my companions along The Way.AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.comBlogger2731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-75550804759877111122012-01-10T15:46:00.000-08:002012-01-10T15:46:18.160-08:00

Back in October I shared some of the reading and pondering I was doing -- especially from Peck and Jacobsen.  I have been reading through thoroughly cleaned cHesed Glasses.... Peck, you may remember, postulated that he believed "original sin" was the human tendency toward taking the easy way rather that the right way.  He called that laziness.  I think there is a great deal of merit in serious

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-11277535302560574512012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:002012-01-01T00:00:40.510-08:00

This has been a challenging year ... following on the heels of a challenging decade ... but this wee purple abbess finds herself looking to the New Year with peace -- a kind of peace that has been growing in the corners and edges and other out-of-the way places ... the places where Father cHesed is always at work, looking out faithfully for my best interest. This is my first post from my tablet

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-33835196026641281742011-10-24T15:00:00.000-07:002011-10-24T15:00:08.852-07:00

As I have been re-reading Peck lately, I find that there are many (and I'm talking MANY) nuances to how I think that just weren't there when I first read these books 20+ years ago.  I am certain this is true because I am not the person I was then.  I have changed.  I have grown.  I have suffered great pain and loss.  I have had three sons.  I have been ordained, entered the pastorate, and left

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-68167777272377354202011-10-19T19:54:00.000-07:002011-10-19T19:54:41.000-07:00

Four years ago, this wee purple abbess began sharing her story in this blog.  It has been an important thing to do ... and I believe I will continue to do it.  The changes that have transpired in my life over these past four years are, well, mind-blowing.  Many changes have made their way into posts ... much more has not.  The Mystery is profound ... and sometimes the only proper response is

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-68712526654386018772011-10-09T15:46:00.000-07:002011-10-09T15:46:47.605-07:00

Well, as seems to be consistently the case, I know it is time to read something when I actually am able to read it.  That happened this week as I finally read So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore, by Jake Colesen. Friends of Abi will remember that I have been processing the impact of a weekend Wayne Jacobsen spent with our Short Yellow Bus missional group over two years ago.  As a result

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-45407078143776748502011-09-14T21:22:00.000-07:002011-09-14T21:22:03.435-07:00

Well, it has been such a long time since I got any spam, I'm going to try not having to moderate comments again.  We'll see how it goes. ======== School ... it has begun, again!  I have one of each of the three schools that are right next to each other -- "School House Row" we call it -- elementary, middle and high school.  Working with the PTSA at the elementary and middle schools always means

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-4607419741710584552011-08-17T10:28:00.000-07:002011-08-17T10:28:47.198-07:00

Okay ... I finished the book last night.  And got my copies of Peck's People of the Lie in the mail and started the the first few chapters.  It all came flooding back.  The hard work of looking at the truth that we would go to amazing lengths not to see is very difficult.  So much so that an increasing number of people are choosing to take the easy way out.  Laziness rears its ugly head.... I am

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-64585741296764153752011-08-07T14:41:00.000-07:002011-08-07T14:41:22.992-07:00

Well, one of the interesting things about chronic exhaustion and neurological challenges that I have observed over the past decade is that when I am "supposed" to do something, I mysteriously find the strength to do it.  Totally a God thing, that.  And so yesterday, as I ordered 2 copies of Peck's People of the Lie, I ran across his last book, which was published in 2005, the year he died ...

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-38084208543456074972011-08-06T15:34:00.000-07:002011-08-06T15:34:24.531-07:00

So, I've really been thinking about that last post ... I mean, I'm waking up thinking about it, even!  And even before I've been able to go back and read the Grace section in Peck's book, I'm pondering the implications of this idea about laziness being the manifestation of Original Sin....and thinking I may have to buy another copy of The People of the Lie (since it was never returned from the

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-74873084630342024122011-08-03T12:15:00.000-07:002011-08-07T14:44:31.820-07:00

Update 8/7/11 -- I have, indeed, decided to do some more thinking and blogging about Peck, so stay tuned! Unfortunately, my brain is a little fragile right now, so reading is pretty much out and light and sound are stressful, so that means REST without any of the things I usually do to relax.  But I am grateful for the field of chiropractic neurology, which is able to help me rehabilitate my

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-67210614479199494362011-07-18T21:03:00.000-07:002011-07-18T21:03:32.982-07:00

It has been a while since I have issued an R2A2 alert ... but I've been processing a significant paradigm shift over the past two years.   Something so foundational that I find many things that I encounter today -- that I would have totally agreed with just a few years ago -- throw a wrench in my spiritual "gears".  And while I am still looking forward to doing some significant blogging this fall

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-14657524190894204002011-07-07T12:05:00.000-07:002011-07-07T12:05:07.984-07:00

Quite a lot has happened since last I posted.... I am a great-aunt for the 10th time -- and little Wesley Carter Ahlberg and his parents are doing great.  It was good to see them in their fun home in San Diego.  Before long Jeff will have a harness made for Nukie, their enormous white Alaskan Malamut, and baby Wesley will be ready to learn mushing (on wheels, of course -- no snow in SD).   :^)

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-52083606705106180452011-06-03T12:29:00.000-07:002011-06-03T12:29:48.091-07:00

For years I have said:  "God helps me because I am pathetic."  And it was true then ... just as it is still true now.  This is all part of what I call the Purple Martyedom ... the witness of those bruised and battered brothers and sisters who keep following Jesus, no matter how hard the road gets. Each year I have a better understanding of just how pathetic I am.  But wait!  It was never a

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-51859505231859228182011-05-26T13:58:00.000-07:002011-05-26T13:58:31.437-07:00

I saw the link to this post on Facebook today, and was glad to see it!  Saved me some of what I knew I had to say myself.  Go ahead and read the post.  Here's what I had to say in the comments. Thank you for this ... I will be linking to it when I get around to blogging about yesterday's episode.  I had to get my journal out and take notes.  It was a striking moment ... a moment when, yet again,

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-66277340396931642012011-05-24T09:38:00.000-07:002011-05-24T09:38:01.207-07:00

I have a number of posts written over the years which speak to my indebtedness to Bishop George Berkeley and his life-changing statement:  to be is to be perceived.  He goes on to explain that the ultimate perceiver is God. Scot McKnight is starting a series over at Jesus Creed:  Are we more than matter?  So, I had to comment -- because I am thrilled at the opportunity to share the dear bishop's

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-52945623125211226522011-05-15T09:05:00.000-07:002011-05-16T09:15:01.814-07:00

While I've been working on my perichoresis series off-line, I have been seeing the many posts pop up for this month's synchroblog.  And even though I have not even been able to read one of them yet, I finally felt this morning that this wee, purple abbess needed to chip in a few words. Those of you who have wandered through the posts here know that I have been letting go of ever so many things

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-15746319358258016382011-04-21T10:44:00.000-07:002011-04-21T10:44:36.656-07:00

Back on May 15, 2010, I ran across an interesting post by Dylan Morrison, whose ...story is a cross between ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and  ’The Pilgrim’s Progress’ – a roller-coaster journey through a maze of religious belief. I’ve been a zealous Evangelical, Charismatic Christian, a disillusioned agnostic, a burnt-out school teacher, psychology devotee and more recently the receiver of two profound

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-67454377066427666342011-03-02T10:49:00.000-08:002011-03-02T10:49:46.310-08:00

Well, all the buzz about Rob Bell's not-yet-released book, and his video (look at this article to catch the drift and see the video) brought me sharply back to something I have been pondering from The Shack as well as from Wayne Jacobsen's amazing book, He Loves Me:  have we totally missed the meaning of God's wrath? I'm thinking that we have ... and that too often we have sided with wrath/

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-56324525642150844292011-02-22T12:15:00.000-08:002011-02-22T12:15:39.365-08:00

I find it interesting that there are so many things that come in threes, don't you? Recently I have been pondering what is essential, in terms of covenant community ... as I await the unfolding of the vision that is CovenantClusters.  Those of you who know me know that I am a cHesed girl ... someone who views everything through cHesed glasses.  Purple ones, at that! But Papa has been broadening

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-57218574188221268722010-12-07T12:15:00.000-08:002010-12-07T12:15:01.066-08:00

I am happy to be inspired to contribute to the December Synchroblog - Advent As A Journey.  I am still relatively new to the whole idea of "Advent" ... coming from what I have learned is a "low church" background.  Once I got over feeling slighted...  :^) ... I've enjoyed embracing this -- and many other "high church" traditions.  But, of course, in my special "abi-normal" manner! My third year

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-23109933139383572862010-12-07T10:51:00.000-08:002010-12-07T10:51:53.680-08:00

Thanks to those of you who commented on my Anniversary Blog Post ... I somehow didn't get the notification that there were comments awaiting moderation.  So, for those of you who wondered if your comments went into the Cyberspace Black Hole ... no.  There visible now. Blessings to you ... and I'll get over to respond to them just as soon as I put up my post for the December Synchroblog - Advent

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-2603532999910425052010-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:002010-10-19T06:00:09.528-07:00

I am hoping that I will return to regular blogging soon.  However, I didn't want the day to pass without saying what a terrific experience blogging has been for me these past three years ... and will continue to be, I hope.   Mostly, I have continued dwelling deeply in the blending of the Mosaic Bible and the Celtic Daily Prayer ... facilitated by the memory card in my LG cell phone, onto which I

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-54659224538735834262010-09-04T10:20:00.000-07:002010-09-04T10:20:29.267-07:00

Well, this wee abbess is very happy! I have finally got a rhythm that works for me ... using the weekly meditations and bible readings from The Mosaic Bible in conjunction with the Northumbria Celtic Daily Office.  And, even as I type this post, I am downloading the music file from Northumbria so that I can learn to sign the daily office. Woo hoo! With the singing version, I just may be able

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-77812180065916185322010-08-15T12:05:00.000-07:002010-08-15T12:05:19.234-07:00

Part I, which I didn’t know was going to be the beginning of a series, was posted shortly after Michael Spencer, the one and only iMonk, passed from this life. He has always been someone I appreciated, but I followed his journey with cancer especially close, since he also left this life too early and very quickly – as did my sister-in-law last year. Her first grandson was just born last Tuesday

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-53478202803366187302010-07-27T09:51:00.000-07:002010-07-27T09:51:06.430-07:00

Well, I have learned another new term today:  fronting.  It is so new that Wikipedia doesn't have it!  So I had to go to Urban Dictionary to find it!  My nephew's wife has given the definition a bit of a spin (this is from her "about me" on her blog): to be a successful fronter you have to be honest, give credit where it's due, and ultimately love yourself as the fronter you are.  I can see

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-31874225965303172532010-07-06T12:07:00.000-07:002010-07-06T12:11:05.553-07:00

I was caught by a Facebook entry by David Fitch about reJesus...so I popped over to see what he had to say.  I like Dave and I can see where he's coming from in this post -- just as I can see the perspective of my friend Len, who made the first comment (...Len, I've not had a chance to read your recent post -- but I will!).  That being said, this is what I had to say: Having just posted a bit on

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-35097280687216569562010-07-02T16:13:00.000-07:002010-07-02T16:13:34.303-07:00

Why I love Alan & Debra Hirsch When I went to Neil Cole's first Organic Church Conference in Long Beach, CA, in January of 2007, I did not know the Hirsches.  As I was trying to decide which seminars to attend, I thought Alan's sounded interesting.  It was beyond interesting ... it was mind-blowing.  Not in what Alan was saying -- but that he was saying what I had come to in my heart, but

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-82097959842292726722010-05-28T09:35:00.000-07:002010-05-28T09:35:44.413-07:00

Processing lots of thoughts these days...and entered the discussion over at Jesus Creed today.  Scot wonders why studies consistently show that women are more religious than men, and I responded this way: Perhaps it is that women believe that God both hears and understands them and values them enough to offer intimate relationship and personal empowering by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-34648706398768271872010-05-19T11:50:00.000-07:002010-05-19T11:50:20.882-07:00

I have recently gone back to read The Shack a second time -- two years after my friend, Annette, loaned me her copy and said that I must read it.  This time I was reading my own copy (a hardcover), so that I could make notes as I read.  This time I was also in a very different place -- physically, emotionally, spiritually ... but not geographically.   ;^) As I read I realized that I was in the

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-8831848039827610212010-04-14T14:16:00.000-07:002010-04-14T14:16:40.224-07:00

Well, it just might be that the long-anticipated blogging about perichoresis is about to begin. It started yesterday, with Don Miller's "What If?" challenge (by the way, I don't know what's up with Don's blog showing up as being suspended, but I hope it gets figured out soon).  I spent some time processing Don's challenge and posted this reply yesterday.  It was striking to me that I would

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-86643325130850398532010-04-13T13:23:00.000-07:002010-04-13T13:23:46.360-07:00

I've had Donald Miller's blog in my Google Reader for a while now.  I have a great appreciation for what he has to say -- and how he says it -- even though I have not read any of his books.  (I am confident he won't take that personally because, well, he doesn't  know me and probably will never see this post ... and will forgive this poor abbess who doesn't have the time to read as she would like

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-28091222578122676792010-04-12T16:33:00.000-07:002010-04-12T16:33:34.464-07:00

Like thousands of others, I did not know Michael Spencer IRL -- I knew him mostly as the Internet Monk, or iMonk.  His rapid journey through the valley of the shadow of death these past four months has found me looking in at his blog more often than I have before.  I have not been disappointed.  If you haven't read what's been up over there during the past few days, please get a box of tissues (

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-71379400972115763962010-02-28T13:20:00.000-08:002010-02-28T13:22:43.023-08:00

One of the problems with dualism is that it has a tendency to separate one side of a coin from the other side. It is convenient to do this because we generally cannot see both sides of the coin at the same time, so we focus on one side as if it stands alone, when it is but another expression of the other side. There is only one coin … with a duality of sides. Its two sides contain different

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-74876182758962104692010-02-24T12:58:00.000-08:002010-02-24T13:01:00.269-08:00

Whew! The Abbess was saved from rambling on in the comments over at Jesus Creed (in these threads) by taking the time to compose her thoughts in Word first. So, they are here for you to read, with a link left over at Scot’s blog…. Many years ago I heard a fascinating sermon on TBN that took them to task.  I will never forget it, even though I have forgotten the name of the brave brother who

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-38386450127959170012010-02-23T13:27:00.000-08:002010-02-23T13:27:40.483-08:00

I'm on information overload.  I just cannot process any more complex theology.  Not right now. I have come to realize over the years that my place in God's Kingdom is to help synthesize some of the complexities in order to remove stumbling blocks to understanding and living the Good News.  For many, the complexities of theology (and all the other "ology"s) suck the life out of the Good News.  

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-15855130785683507732010-02-18T13:29:00.000-08:002010-02-18T13:34:42.207-08:00

Much of my time lately has been consumed with friends considering how to effectively turn up the volume on accountability in the realm of brokering Christian influence via personalities. When does the hype of blogs and books and tours and conferences, etc. have to match up with the reality of the journey being traveled by these folks in their day to day lives.  Who are those brokering these

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-78376038542925540332010-02-07T10:56:00.000-08:002010-02-07T10:56:09.340-08:00

While I wait for Scott to flesh out more of his book as to what it means to be siblings in the Kingdom, I want to revisit a concept that just keeps getting more focus for me ... and today got the 3D treatment!  Wow! When I was getting my Organizational Management degree, we used an amazing textbook that introduced me to the Hersey and Blanchard theory called Situational Leadership.  (Even though

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-39763192943024462382010-02-06T10:16:00.000-08:002010-02-06T10:16:40.776-08:00

The Abbess awoke this morning to find a string of spam comments not in English on 20 different post from the past.  Well, there was ONE word in English that was common to them ... and it is not one you would expect to appear on the blog of an Abbess, virtual or no. What a drag. So, it appears, that this blog will now have to be set to moderation ON.  :^( No big deal, really, since we are not

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-69483054265776095302010-02-05T18:11:00.000-08:002010-02-05T19:06:13.530-08:00

So my husband and I were talking today about my new cHesed glasses: they are not only purple, they are 3D! (And no, I don't know to represent that with my already photo-shopped picture.)Anyway, let me try to explain these 3D glasses. (Get a refresher on my old glasses here.) All the properties of my old glasses remain intact ... but the 3D component makes otherwise ordinary words of the

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-6344055327995671282010-02-04T18:35:00.000-08:002010-02-07T11:19:35.287-08:00

Okay...the Abbess has been driven from her silence! Jonathan Brink asked this question on Facebook: Is it possible to be both complementarian and egalitarian in gender relationships. And there were 75 comments! There seemed to be a significant amount of talking past each other ... and instead of tacking something on to the end of a conversation that is over, I decided to break my silence

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-69301200327589669972009-10-19T08:59:00.000-07:002009-10-19T10:10:51.621-07:00

It has been a very long summer and this wee purple abbess has been very, very busy tending to her home and family. It has been good to do this, after being so very limited these past nine years. I have set myself a deadline of Christmas to have gone through and made each room "orderly" ... not to be confused with "pristine" ... and I am happy to say that I am well on my way.In addition to bring

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-18191218054783164202009-07-27T07:16:00.000-07:002009-07-27T08:08:06.407-07:00

This wee abbess is very happy to again be involved in the wonderful collaborative effort knows as The Wikiklesia Project! Please do take a moment to look at the page for Volume Two and see what we're up to with this --See Cynthia La Grou's article in the July edition of the Next-Wave EzineRead the first chapter post by Felicity Dale over at Missional TribeJoin us as we consider the impact of

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-24167282436094075792009-07-24T13:11:00.000-07:002009-07-24T14:49:11.942-07:00

I have been spending a lot of time journaling in a couple of notebooks ... and I find that things I think I have blogged about, um, I actually haven't. So, to remedy that, I will be going through those notebooks and bringing out some of the things that continue to resonate.One that I will get to soon is my personal "ah ha" moment about "living water" and just what it is. But before I do that, I

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-90438891732187958232009-07-12T12:56:00.000-07:002009-07-12T13:06:47.011-07:00

While sitting on the volcanic rocks down the beach from our "Turtle House" this morning, I was basking in the sun--and The Son--and this is what occurred to me as I was attempting to distill down some of what I've been processing about "living loved" from Wayne Jacobson's book "He Loves Me"...My days may be measured in Chronos time...but I choose to live them in Kairos time.In the days to come, I

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-49327758153276005892009-07-08T07:36:00.000-07:002009-07-08T08:01:01.072-07:00

Yeah, well I don't know how I expected to get anything done in two days between trips....The Abbess is processing some interesting experiences from the trip to Texas and is gearing up for some more interesting experiences in Hawaii, Lord willing. She is joining her four sisters on the North Shore of Oahu for a week of no responsibilities. Bring it on!We are gathering to celebrate all our

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-5486910427604461962009-07-02T23:17:00.000-07:002009-07-02T23:28:51.161-07:00

Well, it has been a very eventful couple of weeks since my last post:The kids have gotten out of school (it seems more like a month)The garden has been growing (and I haven't been as good at weeding as I'd like)My precious husband hurt his back and has been on bed restWe got a new bed (a knock-off of the Sleep Number type) -- which I had ordered BEFORE the back injury, and it arrived three days

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-83747446939952130502009-06-14T12:34:00.000-07:002009-06-14T15:29:58.063-07:00

Anger continues to be something that I find is not well processed -- in the world, generally, and by Christ-followers, specifically. I struggle with it because I grew up believing that I was not allowed to be angry about things that I could not control.I have come to understand, over the past 25 years, that anger is an emotion. And, as an emotion, it is morally neutral. We are angry because we

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-31088671581661336152009-06-14T11:56:00.000-07:002009-06-14T12:07:39.462-07:00

Just in case any of you have not already heard about our fellow Seabeck blogger and MT Instigator, Rick Meigs, please read Brother Maynard's post about his motorcycle accident on Saturday.He is currently in stable yet critical condition in Boise, ID. Broken right arm and collarbone and a few ribs on the mend; ruptured spleen removed, liver looking okay; punctured lung still requiring ventilator;

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-25748547232798538252009-06-04T10:21:00.000-07:002009-06-04T11:38:13.190-07:00

Sorry, friends ... but we have minds so that we can think. There are many of us so that we can sharpen each other's thinking through a variety of methods. Even if we do not know as much as someone else, we are still required to process what we do know to the very best of our feeble ability. We are to ask questions ... always. We are to questions answers ... always. We are to challenge that

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-17583406516751129332009-05-26T10:59:00.000-07:002009-05-26T11:08:46.117-07:00

Back during my 40 Days of cHesed series, Matt Stone brought to my attention that some of my charts were not coming through. I have finally gotten around to figuring out how to get them in their full versions to you.Day 9 was the first one. Day 29 was the second one. Day 33 was the third one.Here's the link to the pdf. Hope it works....Sorry it took so long.

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-64169472153210565442009-05-24T14:41:00.000-07:002009-05-24T16:13:32.969-07:00

Fellow 'gator, Bill Kinnon, had a link to a great piece about Women in Ministry from Rebecca Groothuis. What a wonderful article. And the video from NT Wright, which I've seen a number of other places, is worth watching more than once.But I just have to say that both the article and the video, while wonderfully supportive, are missing something that has been foundational for me for the last 29

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-22932788694041294272009-05-24T12:19:00.000-07:002009-05-24T14:02:18.727-07:00

My mate, Matt Stone, recently suggested that I post a page describing the Purple Martyrdom for newcomers to my blog, since it is referred to so very often. What a great idea, Matt! For those who want to wander through the 58 posts tagged as concerning the Purple Martyrdom, click on that tag on the left or this link. Otherwise, the remainder of this post will give you the quicker answer as well

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-57949636289181139202009-05-22T13:50:00.000-07:002009-05-22T14:04:24.702-07:00

Well, well, well ... as I live and breathe! You just never know where things will end up, eh?May has been an interesting month ... more about that another time, maybe. But I did get into a very interesting series of conversations about many purple things. And as we were launching the invitation to participate in Taking Flight, I was primed for other discussions about setting the sisters free

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-44814510646428037702009-04-27T13:12:00.000-07:002009-04-27T13:24:59.616-07:00

Those of you who have been with me for over a year will remember this post about the funeral of my friend's precious wife. How many times have I thought of him and prayed for him....I wondered how he would weather the anniversary of his wife's tragic death -- and struggled with how I might even reach out to him with consolation when my emotions about it are still so raw after a year. The answer

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-50893842920477524332009-04-20T09:18:00.000-07:002009-04-20T09:53:41.274-07:00

Today, as I'm hoping you've already seen a dozen times, is the launch date Volume Two of The Wikiklesia Project. I woke up with Bette Middler's voice in my head singing "Wind Beneath My Wings"...and I would embed the YouTube version of it if I had more brain cells firing....Anyway, this Abbess wants to invite those of you who think for a moment about a sister who brings that song to life.

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-15369101367794458602009-04-09T09:27:00.000-07:002009-04-09T09:39:26.950-07:00

Scot McKnight, over at Jesus Creed, has been working through a book on heresies. This week's heresy concerning whether God suffers. The gist of it goes like this:The Church, our collective faith, has held to the "impassibility" of God: "God can't be changed from without and that he can't change himself from within" (61). God can't change from a better to a worse state -- that's impassibility --

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-52582990945685156562009-03-28T14:04:00.000-07:002009-03-28T14:11:01.908-07:00

Abi hasn't had much time for commenting on blogs lately, but Scot McKnight's Friday is for Friends post is by Matt Edwards and talking about ... cHesed!Having just recently finished my 40 Days of cHesed -- and being very sorry to have missed the conversation on Friday -- I chimed in late on Saturday, if anyone was still following.This is what I said:Scot -- woohoo! A post on hesed!The Abbess is

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-17759232673543637972009-03-27T14:19:00.000-07:002009-03-27T14:26:47.043-07:00

My friend Mark sent The Abbess a link to Wayne Jacobson's blog ... where he invites readers of the amazing best-seller to take a survey about Paul Young's book, The Shack. I have ... and encourage you to do the same. I will be interested to see if they do make the book into a movie. There are lots of pros and cons. What do you think?And I am amazed that there are now over 7 million copies sold

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-16467358816005309012009-03-17T10:01:00.000-07:002009-03-17T10:05:47.514-07:00

Green and purple are interesting together -- if done thoughtfully, now -- so this Celtic-inspired Abbess thought it might be good for us to pray with our brother, St. Patrick, on his day!A Prayer of St. PatrickChrist be with me, Christ within me,Christ behind me, Christ before me,Christ beside me, Christ to win me,Christ to comfort and restore me,Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ in quiet

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-90967646921155940382009-03-04T09:48:00.000-08:002009-03-04T10:08:50.535-08:00

I have become convinced that time goes by twice as fast for me as the rest of my family. That seems to be the only explanation for why I just can not seem to get things off my "to do list" ... or not.Sigh.But I'm still trying to live in each moment -- to be as fully "present" as I can. It is not an easy thing to do....In the meantime, I have three new books. One I have finished (and loaned to

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-87986070033546607312009-03-02T00:01:00.000-08:002009-03-02T00:01:00.146-08:00

Day 40 Living with Purpose Can you believe our 40 days are over? The great news, however, is that the journey has really just begun—and that is cause for celebration! So, share the story of your journey with someone—and know that you are welcome to stay connected here for the next stage in Abi's journeys. Today’s Look at 1 John We hope that you have gotten to like reading the Bible through an

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-82933556615181098962009-02-27T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-27T00:01:00.284-08:00

Day 39 Balancing Your Life Balance is about remembering who you are and what you’re supposed to be doing right now. It is about understanding God’s purpose and what drives God—in order to understand your purpose and what drives you. It is knowing that in the midst of temptation, God always provides a way out—if you will look for it! And so balance is about being in covenant with God and

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-11125351693828644422009-02-26T14:37:00.000-08:002009-02-26T14:44:29.665-08:00

Scot McKnight asked an interesting question about moral decision making being individualist or collectivist -- read the brief post here.This was my comment:Interesting, Scot...what's the name of the book?I think this is the problem folks have when they don't understand covenant (and I mean the NT covenant in Jesus). Covenant is all about collective, or community as we say. (Collective makes me

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-1205292150433329182009-02-26T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-26T00:01:00.784-08:00

Day 38 Becoming a World-Class Christian The amazing thing about being in God’s family is that you become instantly connected to God's Kingdom in heaven and on earth—that’s more than being part of a global economy. It’s a universal economy! We’re going to spend today at the center of that economy—our other front—the aircraft taking off and landing 24/7/365. It is the ministry of prayer—and its

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-46470960741259173852009-02-25T10:01:00.000-08:002009-02-25T10:01:00.632-08:00

[Originally found in Day 37, I've broken this exercise out into a post of its own.]Your Personal Story A helpful exercise for this stage of growth is to write out your story of reconciliation with God – how you came to accept his offer of covenant relationship through Jesus Christ – and the impact it has had on your life. (This is what many call a testimony.) Sharing our personal story is the

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-58987866883272659772009-02-25T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-25T00:01:00.760-08:00

Day 37 Sharing Your Life Message The purpose of God is summed up in two passages in scripture known as The Great Commandment (which we have also come to know as The Jesus Creed) and The Great Commission. Let’s take a closer look as these two passages. The Great Commandment (See Matthew 22:37-40) tells us that we are to love God totally and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The Great Commission

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-19848988432220652622009-02-24T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-24T00:01:01.050-08:00

WEEK 6 – Evangelism: You Were Made For a Mission [Not only will this "week" start on a Tuesday, but it is really only five days long! Day 40 will post on next Monday, March 2nd.] Day 36 Made for a Mission Life on the HESED can seem like an end in itself! So much for so many to do—just to keep it running. While we know our final destination transcends this life, we cannot forget that there are

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-64610427237324854162009-02-23T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-23T00:01:00.678-08:00

Day 35 God’s Power in Your Weakness [...the seeds of the Purple Martyrdom were planted long ago!] The good news is that it really is all about God—his purpose, his love, his power, and his hesed. The bad news is that it really is all about God…. How could that be bad news? Well, let’s think this one through together. If it is all about God’s purpose, then we must continually restrain our

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-2711754970502151562009-02-22T11:59:00.000-08:002009-02-22T12:07:40.503-08:00

It is always an especially fun surprise for me when I am "meandered" by Scot McKnight at his Jesus Creed blog. I was #7 in his opening paragraph of links to consider ... and his additional bit of encouragement for others to "take a good look at" my current series was appreciated.His example encourages me to go the extra step to shine the light on others, helping them to succeed ... it brightens

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-30602349003530795522009-02-20T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-20T00:01:00.775-08:00

Day 34 Thinking Like a Servant What’s the difference between acting like a servant and thinking like a servant? Well, there could be a lot of difference—or there could be no difference at all. What do you think? Acting like a servant can become rote—just another habit—if we don’t also start thinking like a servant. Thinking like a servant is a matter of discipline. With the proper discipline,

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-528123428293566242009-02-19T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-19T00:01:00.845-08:00

Day 33 How Real Servants Act The only way to know how real servants act is to actually see them in action. When most of the activity takes place out of our personal view, we can sometimes forget everything that is going on. If we are going to accept our assignment, unwrap our gifts and use them to accomplish God’s purpose, we’ve got to get a view of the bigger picture. Have you stopped to

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-53121180706026991582009-02-18T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-18T00:01:00.118-08:00

Day 32 Using What God Gave You If you looked up yesterday’s three scripture references for grace gifts, you would have found these descriptions (listed here in alphabetical order): apostleship, discernment of spirits, evangelism, exhorting, faith, giving, government (leading), healing, interpretation (of tongues), miracles, pastoring, prophecy, serving (helps), showing mercy, teaching, tongues,

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-56963683414584234872009-02-17T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-17T00:01:00.434-08:00

Day 31 Understanding Your Shape Yesterday we saw that everyone born again into God’s family receives his Holy Spirit as a gift of community relationship. Today we’re going to look at the gifts the Holy Spirit gives us for ministry. We want to understand the shape into which God is molding us for service! Back on Day 22 we learned that the Greek word charis (grace) was the expression of loyal

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-71553531174792918972009-02-16T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-16T00:01:00.243-08:00

Day 30 Shaped for Serving God God made us with a purpose in mind—remember? We are meant to live with him in authentic community and help him reconcile the rest of the world. The first step is to accept the privilege of adoption. The second step is to realize privilege is given to accomplish the purpose. If we abandon the purpose, expect the privilege to be taken away! If you jump back into the

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-6602467382254611512009-02-14T08:48:00.000-08:002009-02-14T08:48:01.115-08:00

It was striking to me, as I was preparing my 40 Days of cHesed posts this week, that the image God gave me (back in the summer of 2003) of an aircraft carrier is so very much like a missional order ... like CovenantClusters.The thing that is most striking to me is that the HESED is a ship where you live and serve ... not a place you go to serve. But that ship is on the move ... is in not

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-12924069688524056962009-02-13T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-13T00:01:00.963-08:00

WEEK 5 – Ministry: You Were Shaped For Serving God[Again, remember that our weeks will be off, since we're working on a five day week instead of seven days.]Day 29 Accepting Your Assignment In the beginning God created…. At that moment, an amazing journey began. A difficult journey full of adventure and wonder, discovery and invention, blessing and victory, as well as rejection and

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Day 28 It Takes Time Let’s check in on our garden. How’s it looking? What—no corn yet? We’ve been watering. The sun has been shining. What’s the matter? Nothing. Growing things just takes time. Some seeds take longer to mature than others—you have to know what you’ve planted and the sign of maturity. How long do you think it takes to go through the cycle—from hearing the Good News of Jesus, to

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-37799382751433440232009-02-11T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-11T00:01:02.135-08:00

Day 27 Defeating Temptation Where do we get the strength to make right choices? How do we know what to do? We deploy our secret weapon. What? Okay…it’s not supposed to be a secret weapon—under-use has made it seem like one, though. Our secret weapon is a big part of God’s hesed (his actions and attitudes that help us keep covenant) toward us: the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-52899910831056782842009-02-10T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-10T00:01:01.375-08:00

Day 26 Growing through Temptation Temptation—that reasonable-sounding voice that encourages you to take the easy way when the going gets tough. That distraction disguised as a shortcut. That thought suggesting you aim at an easier target. Even the idea that you give up archery altogether—you’re obviously never going to master it. Temptation is part of the price for free will. We have choices

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-41758074150195015852009-02-09T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-09T00:01:00.792-08:00

Day 25 Transformed by Trouble Since we’re using archery terms, have you ever tried to learn to use a bow and arrow? Perhaps you learned in PE at school or at camp when you were a kid. Maybe you pretended to be Robin Hood or William Tell. (There’s a whole new generation pretending to be Legolas, the elf prince from The Lord of the Rings.) They sure make it look effortless, don’t they? Draw an

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-52170495716325482292009-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-06T00:01:01.136-08:00

Day 24 Transformed by Truth Have you ever seen a 3-D movie? Or maybe you’ve seen 3-D pictures in National Geographic or some other magazine. The images look a little strange, don’t they? While you can make out the basic idea, it is hard to look at for too long. Your eyes get tired and you can even get a headache. What? There are special glasses you are supposed to wear? Oh! Well, that makes a

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-55678364212634425992009-02-05T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-05T00:01:01.156-08:00

Day 23 How We Grow Let’s go back to that garden we planted. If we never water it—or we plant it in a place where the sun never shines directly on it—what happens? Not much, right? That garden doesn’t grow. If you buy a piano so you can take piano lessons, but you never practice your lessons, what happens? Your skills don’t get much better—and you have spent good money on an odd piece of

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-35897825691037665992009-02-04T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-04T00:01:01.187-08:00

WEEK 4 – Discipleship: You Were Created to Become Like Christ [Remember, our week count will be a little off because we are using 5 day weeks instead of 7!] Day 22 Created to Become Like Christ Have you ever seen a transformer? They are toys that look like a truck or some other common plaything. But with a series of twists and turns (some more complicated than others), it suddenly “transforms”

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-32144714686509386222009-02-03T08:39:00.000-08:002009-02-03T08:48:52.234-08:00

Sigh...last week there was way too much going on in the house, and I got behind on my preparations for this week...so you got a day off yesterday! But I'm back today and hope I do better.* * * * * * *Day 21 Protecting the Covenant Community There are not many human instincts stronger than the desire to protect our loved ones. Husbands and fathers are fearsome and formidable forces when their

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-55918487427329491232009-01-30T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-30T00:01:00.602-08:00

Day 20 Restoring Broken Fellowship Have you ever felt expendable? Like you just weren’t needed or wanted? Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a disagreement? While these feelings hurt whenever you experience them, they hurt the most deeply when they happen with someone we care about. It hurts so much because it breaks our fellowship with them. We turn away from each other. Usually, we

AbiSomeonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541511210479882916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359452384524491878.post-47556296712737568022009-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-29T00:01:01.675-08:00

Day 19 Cultivating Community Have you ever planted a garden? It takes some good planning to be successful, doesn’t it? Well, growing authentic relationships in the covenant community takes planning, too. Where does the cycle start? Soil preparation. Why do you think that is? Because if the soil is not properly prepared, the seeds you plant may not grow and produce a crop that can be harvested

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Day 18 Experiencing Life Together As the Covenant Community grows larger, we must purposely grow smaller. It means that each person has a place to be known and cared for by a few people. It also means that we know and care for a few people. It is the only way for everyone’s basic intimacy needs to be met. Knowing and being known are essential to healthy relationships. It is what makes them “

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Day 17 A Place to Belong Have you noticed that Americans have a love/hate relationship with belonging? We want to belong—as long as there’s no commitment required. Marriage, family, schools, churches and neighborhoods are all types of communities that have suffered terribly in the past 50 years from this unwillingness to commit to each other. During the same timeframe, we have seen a huge rise

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Day 16 What Matters Most Up to this point, we’ve used rather broad strokes to introduce you to the concept of covenant keeping. And just as it was the “main thing” in Day 10, it is “what matters most” today. Last week we worked to widen our concept of worship to include expression of our love for God by how we love each other. This is important because God always meant for us to have dynamic

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WEEK 3 – Fellowship: You Were Formed For God’s Family[Note: Remember that this was written for use every day of the week--but I'm only publishing them Monday-Friday! Don't let that "week 3" confuse you ;^)] Day 15 Formed for God’s Family We have used many images of family life these past two weeks. And we’ll be using more in the weeks to come—but especially this week. For some of us, the use

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Day 14 When God Seems Distant In sports a time out can be called for many reasons. Sometimes the coach needs to give the players a new plan. Sometimes the referees need to discuss a call. Sometimes a player needs to talk to the coach. Sometimes it is called to cool down heated tempers. If you didn’t call the time out, it can seem frustrating. But if you see it as a moment to rest and reflect,

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Day 13 Worship That Pleases God The Hebrew Shema talks about loving God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. The word strength is really the key to the proper understanding of this verse. Have you ever heard the word vehement? (It is pronounced VEE ha ment.) Well, it captures the Hebrew concept that is usually translated strength. Vehement means something that is characterized

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Day 12 Developing Your Friendship with God What do best friends do? They spend lots of time together. They find themselves wanting to be together as much as possible. They make the other laugh when one becomes too serious. They quietly hold hands when one is sad and down. They gladly listen to all the joyous details of success. They graciously allow the venting of every ounce of frustration

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Day 11 Becoming Best Friends with God How many really good friends do you have? Someone you can count on to always be there for you? Who really knows you, but likes you anyway? If you have one, they say you are considered fortunate. If you have two, you are truly blessed. If you have three, you realize just how much time you must invest in these kinds of relationships! And that’s why most

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Day 10 The Heart of Worship Why do we talk about getting to the heart of something? The heart of something is the most important component—the main thing. If you can understand that main thing, then you have a chance to succeed. If living up to our created potential and saying “yes” to God are what make God smile, how do we get a handle on how to do that consistently? We go to the second part

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Day 9 What Makes God Smile? There is nothing that makes God smile faster and bigger than when we say “Yes, Dad” with a smile on our face and eagerness in our voice—and then go off to do what God asked us to do. We know that obedience is important because it is such a big theme in the Bible. There is a reason it is such a big deal. That reason has to do with covenant. So, let’s take one more

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WEEK 2 – Worship: You Were Planned For God’s Pleasure Day 8 Planned for God’s Pleasure When you plan out a masterpiece—whether it’s a work of art or a dinner or a vacation—you usually are doing it because it makes you happy. It gives you pleasure. You like planning it and you like doing the work, because you want to get the pleasure of experiencing the result. The only thing that compelled God

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Day 7 The Reason for Everything Let’s do a quick review of our first six days: While it’s all about God, he wants to include us in his purpose! God has provided a safe environment in which to grow in relationship with him. We have the proper perspective for relationship with God through covenant. Our relationship with God is meant to last forever. We have taken a closer look

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Day 6 Life Is a Temporary Job Have you ever had a summer job? Maybe you worked in retail over the Holiday season? Perhaps you’ve even worked for a temporary agency? That kind of job is known as seasonal work. Now the season may be of your design or not; but temporary assignments are not the stuff of career dreams. Temp jobs are a path to get you from where you are to the next stop along your

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There is a good conversation going on over at Missional Tribe in the Theology Group's Forum. The topic is : Trinitarian foundation for mission? Read through the various comments and then you will come to a spot where I explain a bit more about cHesed. Here's what I said, since we're in the midst of 40 Days of cHesed here!Yes, exactly my point! In order to understand someone's shorthand, you

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