A reminder of what we're missing

This is a great article - one of a series that asks "How can followers of Christ be counter-cultural for the common good?"

This is a really challenging article which has stayed with me - particularly the following section.


"It seems that for Daniel and his comrades, being a counterculture consisted of surprisingly small decisions—small acts of reorientation to remind them daily that in spite of their privileged status in the capital city of the world's most powerful empire, they belonged to another King and another kingdom."

and this section

Frederica and her family fast twice a week, a practice that goes back to the earliest Christian centuries and an ancient discipleship manual called the Didache. ....they observe this fast every Wednesday and Friday. It's not total abstinence from all food, but rather avoidance of foods that come from animals, whether meat, eggs, or dairy products... the "Daniel fast"—because it essentially replicates the diet Daniel and his friends adopted upon arrival in Babylon.

.... it is a twice-weekly reminder that we are in exile and that our use of animals for food is itself tainted with echoes of the Fall. The Daniel fast is not just a discipline to develop self-control and dependence on God; it is a reminder that the abundance we enjoy cannot, in this life, be entirely separated from the alienation we endure from God and from God's creatures. It is a small act of reorientation, a small act of exilic consciousness in the middle of every week.

I love that concept - small acts of reorientation.....

Biggest popcorn EVER

Have you ever ordered popcorn in Gold Class?
Ridiculously biggest bowl ever!
There is no way anyone could eat it all!

What's your story?

Ivan Illich was asked: What is the most radical way to change society? He said, "If you want to change society you have to tell an alternate story. Society runs upon a dominant story, what is plausible, credible, believable becomes that which we just accept as normal."

What story are you running upon?

A little less lost for words

Well, I'm still trying to process the situation below so don't have lots to share yet.

I have been trying to work out why I feel uncomfortable about this...

The Enlightenment decided "Man is the measure of all things" and I think this decision was made from such a perspective.

While we need to have compassion for the parents , "their poverty does not dictate the righteousness of their cause".

A course of action is not necessarily right just because it helps avoid or alleviate suffering.

hmmm, still thinking........

Currently lost for words....

Just read this article.... it'sabout a young disabled girl who has been 'frozen in time' by her parents.

What do you think?

Are you ready for a relationship?

I just found this checklist which helps you work out if you are ready for a relationship....
Very handy indeed!

A well-articulated perspective

Ok - so some will agree and some won't, but I thought this quote, from a longer article here, was a very well-articulated argument, when reviewing the former President Carter's new book.

"Carter wants to do what's just. His heart's in the right place. He just can't figure out what the right is. He is, and always has been, a man of good intentions bereft of good judgment. He invariably finds himself defending tyrants and dictators at the expense of their oppressed peoples. Not because he is a bad man, but because he is a confused man.

"Carter subscribes to what I call the Always Root for the Underdog school of morality. Rather than develop any real understanding of a conflict, immediately he sides with the weaker party, however wicked or immoral.

"Israel has tanks and F-16's. The Palestinians don't. Therefore the Palestinians are being oppressed. Never mind that the Palestinians have rejected every offer to live side by side with Israel in peace and elected a government pledged to Israel's annihilation. Their poverty dictates the righteousness of their cause even if their actions speak otherwise."

That last sentence really struck me. I think it underscores so much of the way a large segment of the West makes decisions about everything. Having lost framework for determining right and wrong, it's all about a misguided 'compassion'. This applies to euthanasia, abortion etc etc etc

As the time approaches

New Years will soon be upon us, and with it the thought of what I would like to see, and become, in 2007.

There is an article here about some of the resolutions Jonathon Edwards wrote.
One of them is a great challenge.
It reads........
Resolved, Never hence-forward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's.

I would like to make that one of my own... but I almost hesitate - for that is not an easy resolution to keep. May God in his grace allow me to do that.

Argh the craziness...

Went to Chermside tonight.
CANNOT believe how busy it was at 20 past 11 at night!
Of course, I was there and contributing to it but still...................

*I'm glad we have this whole consumer thing in balance*

I guess I wish you some stress then!

"Too much comfort is dangerous. Literally.

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley did an experiment some time ago that involved introducing an amoeba into a perfectly stress-free environment: ideal temperature, optimal concentration of moisture, constant food supply. The amoeba had an environment to which it had to make no adjustment whatsoever.

So you would guess this was one happy little amoeba. Whatever it is that gives amoebas ulcers and high blood pressure was gone.

Yet, oddly enough, it died.

Apparently there is something about all living creatures, even amoebas, that demands challenge. We require change, adaptation, and challenge the way we require food and air. Comfort alone will kill us."

(Study source: Chris Peterson, "Optimism and By-pass Surgery," in Learned Helplessness: A Theory for the Age of Personal Control [New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1993].)

Citation: John Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat (Zondervan Publishing House, 2001), p. 47; submitted by Clark Cothern, Tecumseh, MI.

Bread success

Woo hoo!
After 4 spectacularly unsuccessful attempts at making bread in new Christmas present (obviously a bread maker) we have now just partaken of a crusty fresh loaf of white bread!

mmmmmm delicious

Tom Thumb, the little Aussie battler

The puppies born Wednesday are doing well, and thankfully, our littlest one, who was considerable smaller, is doing excellently.

We (wth the help of some friends) have been hand feeding him, as well as him feeding from Melody. He is getting stonger and filling out more each day.

He is just the most gorgeous puppy. He may be small but he has a big heart and seems very determined to grow big and strong. We have called him Tom Thumb - the little Aussie Battler. and he's a winner!

Puppies

Melody had her puppies yesterday, and we have six healthy puppies, although one is small and needs supplementary bottle feeding to help it grow big and strong!
There were seven puppies born but one was very sick and went to puppy heaven - yes there IS such a place! (Although I cannot vouch for proper theology there)

Life is very full at the moment so blogging has been a little neglected, as has tidying the house, sleeping, washing.... you get the idea!

hmmmmmm even more!

herchurch

Please explain...

I just don't get it...

Upside down Christmas trees?

And today I saw a PURPLE upside down Christmas tree!!! What's the go?

Schoolies

Having returned from a short weekend stint as a volunteer at Schoolies, there are a few stand-out moments for me from the last 48 hours (I did a day and a night shift one after the other).

* Helping with checkins at one of the hotels and being absolutely confronted with seeing parents dropping off their 16 and 17 year old children, and carrying in cartons and cartons of alcohol for them. That was very hard to watch. Do parents not realise what message they are sending their children, and the possibly unintentional pressure they place on them to live 'down to' the schoolies image.

* The incredible favour we have with schoolies, with most hotel managers and with the police - they value what we do

* Visiting one room of schoolies of 5 girls, who had all had a few drinks and hearing one girl say to her friend that she felt all this pressure to be listening to loud music and dancing.... and me realising that these girls didn't really want to get wasted and "party hard" - all they really wanted to do was celebrate the end of school with their friends and have fun.

* Being reminded that they are really nice, often very polite young people, who are just very lost.

* Realising again that the heart of Christ is to rescue, that there is a answer and that we have to do all in our power to communicate that with our words, deeds and example.

I didn't feel very emotional while I was down there, but as I drove home tonight, as I lead woship, as I listened to a great message about what Christ's sacrifice means for us, my heart was breaking for the young people who are looking for something but can't articulate what it is.

May the love they long for be revealed to them and may they recognise it. His name is Jesus Christ.

saddened....

My sister emailed me Friday night with a news report that a prominent preacher had been alleged to have been praying a male escort for s3x and that drug use had been involved.

Saturday I read that he had stepped aside from leadership of his church, pending an investigative process and resigned as head of the NAE.

Today I read that he has been removed permenantly from his church leadership and also see and read that he has admitted to some of the allegations re drug use and receiving a massage from his accuser.

More here....

Whatever the case may be, I am immensely saddened and sobered by this. A man of great influence and prominence - yet none of us are ever beyond temptation.

May God grant comfort and peace to Ted, his wife and family, church members, his accuser and all who have been touched by this tragedy.
May there be repentance where there needs to be, and reconciliation with God and others.
May all of us be reminded that we are equally susceptible to the deception of sin and may we continue to build authentic, trustworthy and accountable friendships.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.........

I'll let your beard grow out

In journalling yesterday, I read this cool passage where King David had sent some his men to tell a new neighbouring king know they could be friends - just like King David had been with the new king's dad.

However, the new young king decided it was a ploy and so sent David's men back with their beards plucked out and their robes cut off up to their buttocks, and mobilised his armies, and neighbouring armies, to fight Israel.

So, suddenly David was faced with a bit of an international incident and had to get Israel's army happening and ready to defend their nation.

However, in the midst of all this, we read "When David heard what had happened to the men, he sent messengers to tell them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back.” For they felt deep shame because of their appearance."

And I really loved the fact that David was not just not a warrior king, but a shepherd to his people. He cared about the areas they were vulnerable in, and gave them the time and space to heal and grow.

That's the type of leader I want to be.

Moment of crisis

I have an exam in 7 days.
I have just found out season 3 of Lost has started and 4 episodes are now available.

Need I say more?
Crisis, crisis, crisis

My guilty pleasure

I have a confession to make...
I love Fear Factor.
I know it's corny.
I know it deliberately
I know it shameless picks good looking women and makes them do swimsuit necessary challenges.
I know.
But i love it!
I even planned my dinner break from writing my essay to coincide with Fear Factor last night.

My name is Ruth and I'm a 'fear factor'oholic.