Born to be bad...

School days!
I love them!
For the past two years, my classroom was like a cave, in the center of the building, off the Library, small and dingy.
This year I have a nice new classroom, with windows that face the rising sun. My students have room to move. It is a welcoming, comfortable environment for learning. The first three weeks have been pretty peaceful.
School right now is about the only peaceful place in my life.
I am still pretty unsettled spiritually speaking. My time of life is wrecking havoc on my mood...stop the swing I wanna get off! My family is in crisis. So, the other day Isaw this kid walking down the hall with a tee shirt featuring "Baby Stewie" from Family Guy. It carried a disturbing message:Born to be Bad. At first I just smiled. Cute. Then I thought, I'd like to tell the kid, "no you were really born to be saved". Then I thought, no, probably that tee shirt was truer than I'd like. Well, not born to be bad, but maybe born to burn. Predestination right? My old arch enemy. We are all born to burn. Born with a sin nature. Born damned. But the will of God is that all be saved. He calls all to seek Him, know Him, honor Him. In Church Sunday, I was thinking about the nature of God. Are we created chiefly to glorify God. Or are we created to come to know and love God as a child loves their parents...their father...Our Father... seems that it was important to Jesus that we identify to God as beloved children to a perfect Father who wants only the best for His family.
I'm wondering now, as my mind wanders, as I watch my seventh graders decorate the covers of their journals and wondering what they should write as their first entries...what is the average life expectancy of a blog? I was addicted once. And that addiction nearly put an end to my life as I knew it.I was greedy for hits and comments. I was actually happy (sort of) when something I wrote generated a heated discussion. I wanted to be heard ... read ... I wanted what I said to matter to someone. My son has a blog. His computer access is limited and he doesn't have much of a reader base but he always wants me to check his hits. He wants to make contact with someone out there. Our ministry blog isn't well read either. I was hoping that it would generate some support, some interest in our vision, some encouragement. I have about 14,000 hits. Amazing...but so what...Who cares... Who knows...This is a long weekend, and we have no plans. I guess I?ll spend some time blog surfing...making contact again. Who ever does read this, blessings and the LOVE of the LORD be yours

By the people, for the people, with the people...

School starts tomorrow. My classroom is ready. Annoited and prayed over.
Pastor Art and I had a great weekend of ministry.

Jesus shines brighter...

The Old and the New
Two of the songs that we sang in church Sunday spoke sweetly and deeply to this old tired heart of mine.
One was an ancient Celtic hymn. I remember the melody from my childhood:
Fairest Lord Jesus! Ruler of all nature
O Thou of God and man the Son!
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor
Thou, my soul’s glory, Joy and crown.
Fair are the meadows. Fairer still the woodlands
Robed in the blooming garb of spring
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.
Fair is the sunshine. Fairer still; the moonlight
And all the twinkling, starry host
Jesus shines brighter. Jesus shines purer
Then all the angles Heaven can boast
Beautiful savior, Lord of the nations
Son of God and Son of man.
Glory and honor, praise adoration
Now and forevermore be Thine.
The other is about 500 years newer. It is from the March for Jesus era - Shine Jesus Shine!
Lord, the light of Your love is shining - in the midst of the darkness shining,
Jesus light of the World shine upon us
Set us free by the truth You now bring us…
Lord, I come to Your Awesome presence,
From the shadows into Your radiance,
By the blood I may enter Your brightness
Search me, try me, consume all m darkness…
As we gaze on Your Kingly brightness, So our faces display Your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory, Mirrored here may out lives tell Your Story -
Shine Jesus Shine, Fill this land with the Father’s glory
Blaze Spirit Blaze, set out hearts on fire
Flow River Flow flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your Word, Lord and let there be light.
Grahm Kendrick
Two of my favorite themes. Light shining in darkness and the glory of nature reflecting the Glory and Nature of the LORD. As I stand alone in the wilderness in a soothing down pour, gazing at a full Rainbow stretching across the sky, with flashes of lightning under the arc, I understand glory. Glory to You oh LORD. As I sit under the shade of an ancient tree, growing along side a rushing river, I understand blessings (Psalm 1), and I pray that the LORD will make those I love like tree growing along side streams of water. Flow River, Flow.
School starts soon. I’m getting my room ready. I will be anointing it with oil and praying today. May the light of Jesus shine through me. May Jesus, light of the World shine upon my students as the light of the rising son fills my room. Yes and Amen.