Wow. Bring Tissues

There's not really anything I can say. Just watch.

Loser, party of one

I just realized that it has been over a year since I posted a new blog. Obviously this blog is of vital importance to me.

I cannot promise that I will update this regularly - and let's face it - I have no audience really, but I am going to try to chronicle what's going on in my life as it happens.

For a quick update...
I have 3 classes and a thesis separating me from graduation. Once I finish, I have no idea if I will use this degree in a traditional, paycheck kind of way.

If I had all the money in the world, I'd probably do another master's program, just for fun.

I'm writing my thesis on perfectionism as spiritual abuse, so if you have any ideas or book suggestions, send them my way.

And, the most important news of the day - my MacBook Pro should be arriving on the beautiful FedEx vehicle TODAY!

I'd better stop writing before I faint from excitement.

What the heck is a polish shoe?

I love games. I thrive on friendly competition. I enjoy the frenetic pace of Catch Phrase and the unintelligible joy of Mad Gab. There have always been a few people in my life who have enjoyed games like I do, but rarely a whole group. I hit the jackpot when I moved to Cleveland!

About every month or so, we gather at a friend's house for six or so hours of game time. And, if I ever wondered about God's all-encompassing knowledge of who I am, He has proved it by providing game-players who are also food snobs. I love to cook (and eat) fabulously delicious food, and these people deliver!

This last game night, we invited a new person into our exclusive club. We had a feeling that he'd fit right in with our strange mélange of weirdness and fun. Oh, how right we were!

While playing Catch Phrase (guys against girls, of course) he proceeded to give clues this way:

Him: "Okay, so I wear these on my feet."
Guys Reply: "Shoes!"
Him: "Um, ok, sometimes people this kind of joke...you know, about a certain ethnic group."
Guys Reply: *crickets* "Umm, what?"
Him: *trying to think of something else* "Umm, you know. Jokes!"
BUZZ - the timer goes off.

All the while, the girls are laughing hysterically. You see, what the clue said was "Polish Shoes." As in, before you go to a fancy event, you have to polish your shoes. So for the rest of the night, we all made comments like, "Man my feet hurt...must be these Polish shoes."

He's definitely coming back to our next game night!

Cookies

My culinary life will never be the same.

My friend Adam was telling me about these cookies he used to eat as a child. Basically, they were some kind of peppermint creme between two Ritz crackers and dipped in chocolate. I thought, how can I replicate these cookies, and then it hit me. Peppermint patties. I made these for Adam, his sister, and another of our friends one night and they LOVED them. Since then, I have made about 15 dozen or so...I'm giving them to my co-workers for the Christmas holidays. So here's the now infamous recipe:

Ingredients:

• Ritz crackers
• Peppermint Patties (I used Pearson's - they are slightly smaller and fit better on the cracker)
• Chocolate bark coating
• Non-stick foil
  

Instructions: Melt one package of chocolate bark coating over a double boiler (or in the microwave). Place peppermint patties between two Ritz crackers and microwave for a few seconds to soften the peppermint patties. Press down on the cracker until the peppermint patty spreads to the edges of the cracker. Dip in melted chocolate and remove carefully with a fork, letting all excess chocolate drain. Place on non-stick foil to cool and harden. One package of chocolate bark coating should make five dozen cookies.

Get a Life!

To start off, there may be many people who will not understand why I need to write this particular blog. It will likely fall into the "Duh" category for the majority of the world. And that's okay. This is for my MC/IBC buddies who understand.

I never thought of myself as someone who needed balance in my life. I worked in Master's Commission (The Mission) for four years and racked up over 17,000 hours in ministry training. I worked at (and attended) International Bible College and went non-stop from the time I arrived. I like to be busy. It's my nature.

The problem is, during those times in my life, my work/ministry WAS my life. Sure, I had friends and did social things, but they were all inter-related, or more accurately, enmeshed. I never had to stop thinking about work or focus on my life because the two were one in the same.

I find myself in a radically different scenario these days. Since moving to Cleveland, I have acquired somewhat of a life. I have relationships that have nothing to do with me ministering to someone. I have ministry jobs that have nothing to do with my friends. I am able to spend volumes of time *ahem* with people without ever mentioning work.

The problem is just that. I have started to forget things at work. Even with my to-do list. Shocking, I know. I think about "life" things at work and find myself distracted. I think about work while I'm out to dinner with someone and have to shake myself to not get off-track. This should not be.

This blog doesn't really have a purpose other than, MAN, I am so glad I got a life. Don't forget to (or be afraid to) get out there and meet people, be frivolous, go out for coffee, and just be with people.

Ministry should be the overflow of your life (so said Shelley in MC, eons ago). I think I had it backwards :)

Scandalous

Where to begin?

There has been so much scandal in the news lately. I have been cringing at radio and television advertisements for political candidates for months now, and finally the deluge is over. Sadly, where the commercials stopped, the news media took over with the recent Ted Haggard scandal. There is a great deal of commentary on this situation, both from secular and religious organizations. I have heard speculations, diatribes, and defenses from both ends of the spectrum. I have very few words in response.

My pastor spoke about the state of the church, using 1 Corinthians 5 as his text last Sunday. The irony of hearing about the illicit relationship in Scripture while hearing non-stop reports of the (then supposed) illicit relationship involving Ted Haggard was not lost on the congregation. While many I've heard condemn and crucify Ted Haggard as an immoral, hypocritical "lost cause," I lean more towards this author's response. (also here). We are all lost causes. Period. Not one of us can muster up enough righteousness to satisfy the perfect standards of God.

For a perfectionist like me, this knowledge is daunting. Nothing? Not even a small step towards righteousness? Can I at least be better than "so and so"? NOTHING. It is only by the grace of God that we are sanctified and made righteous. If it were not for the magnificent grace of God, there is no telling where I would be.

And I understand, really I do, about the issue at hand. Ted Haggard wasn't just "John Doe Christian." He was a man with power, influence, and a tremendous following. This leads me to another point that was so powerfully illustrated by my pastor on Sunday. No man or woman is without the need for accountability. No one can survive a fall if he is put on a pedestal. Whether pride puts us there (as it seems was the case with Haggard) or pressure from others, or whatever the case may be, we are all in need of people who will help us work through the junk that can accumulate in our lives. And when you get put on a pedestal, it is easy to think that there is no one to whom you can confide. And sometimes, sadly, that is the truth.

We are all in need of the body of Christ, both to encourage and to rebuke. Those in marriage relationships need to be there for one another, sharing triumphs and struggles alike. And singles, like myself, need to resist the urge to isolate themselves from others, allowing hidden sin to flourish.

We must continue to pray for our leaders and our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is a battle we cannot afford to lose.

Repent and then Rant...

As many of my fellow Cleveland-dwellers know, a well known evangelist was in town last week for an event. Our choir, along with another, was to sing, and I have to admit, I was not looking forward to it.

I know everyone has his own opinion on televangelists, and mine was on the negative end of the spectrum. I have been of the opinion that sermons geared at North American churches by televangelists tend to veer away from pure gospel and get into purely prosperity and "self-help" mindsets. I believe that if a sermon cannot be applied in South America, Africa, and third-world regions, it has little lasting value.

My opinion of televangelists in general has not changed, but my experience with this particular evangelist surprised and inspired me. He spoke of ministers who concentrate on teaching "How-To" sermons, geared at helping people do well in business, lose weight, be happy, and all manner of "nice" things that have nothing to do with kingdom work and have no eternal significance. He spoke passionately about getting back to the pure gospel of the cross, repentance and all. And all I could say was "Amen!"

In contrast, yesterday, I was flipping through the channels and saw another well known televangelist. What I heard made me cringe. He spoke of receiving forgiveness but not repentance. He told the people that they needed to put on the "Breastplate of God's favor." While I completely believe in and rely on forgiveness, I realize that it is only through our humble repentance that forgiveness is possible. And while God's favor is something that I need, I also know that the Breastplate mentioned in Scripture is one of righteousness.

I think that's where our Christian culture has lost it. We want God's favor without accepting and living in His righteousness.

May God have mercy on us all!