Friday, December 14, 2007

Wedding Time


Our wedding is now 17 days away. Yesterday and the day before we recieved from thoughtful gifts from Amy and Sarah Thompson.


They included:


A talking Homer Simpson Pizza Cutter

A football crock pot

A pizza tray for oven cooking


What good friends!!!


That got me to thinking that others on my blogroll (although I know Amy and Sarah personally as well--I went to college with Amy, spent Thanksgiving with Amy and Sarah, went to for ritas in Boulder with both of them etc.), and that you might want to send us congratulations as well (a guy has to try doesn't he?)


There are a few ways you can do that! You can:




2. Send us a small gift via our registries at Amazon or Target


3. Send us a card or note. Send to:


Clint Walker and Jennifer Adler

4630 Templeton Park Circle

#97

Colorado Springs, CO 80917

We would love to hear from you!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Five in a row for the Seahawks!! What now?


YWAM/New Life Shootings

We are all doing fine after the shooting. Both shootings were tied to well known ministry centers here in Colorado affiliated with the charasmatic/pentecostal movement. Many people are grieving, shocked and sad here, as the church has many members. Keep them in your prayers.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

"Best of" my blog world

A photo essay of a person wrongfully convicted for 14 years who is learning to live in the "real" world (ht Marko)

David's thoughts his emergence from fundamentalism

Internet Site Rankings (ht Non Prophet)

Losing Baby Jesus

Reflections on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Advent

On Endurance


This is a picture of the Grand Mesa as we left Grand Junction in October. Pretty, huh?
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A Sight to See

One of the things that we struggle with in our congregation is trying to be both full of grace and compassion, and yet at the same time actually call the people to holy living. If I am honest, I believe most often we have erred on the side of being nice instead of being faithful. Then, when we strive to be more disciplined, it seems to come from more of a political motivation than a spirit-led one.

In groups I lead, whether young or old, we tend to often find ourselves in these grace vs. law types of conversations. Last time I led Sunday School with our high schoolers was one of those moments.

As we discussed, I could see one of our shy kids pondering what was being said. She did not say much, but eventually I coaxed her into sharing. What she said surprised me in its depth.

Amy said, "I think...more than anything...choosing to follow Jesus is about seeing things differently. When we choose to believe in Jesus, everything looks different than before. We view the world differently. We look at our lives differently. We see other people differently. And then we act differently based upon what we see."

I think what she said is thought provoking. Isn't that what the imagery of light is about in both Greek thought and Scripture? That the light, which is Jesus, helps us see the world differently?

Some more words from teens to ponder....

Sitting Next to My Belief

Even though teenagers are relationally driven, sometimes getting them to understand God in terms of relationship can be a challenge. This is one of the reasons I like to use imaginitive prayer exercises when I get a chance--to move teens from an understanding of faith as rules to faith as relationship.

This evening I had an interesting experience. We did an imaginitive prayer exercise in youth group, and Emily said, "sitting next to Jesus was like sitting next to my belief(s)".

I am still pondering what exactly that means. It can be taken a number of different ways. I asked her, but when she tried to explain it she lost steam.

Maybe what it means is that sitting next to your beliefs means that your "beliefs" are vested more in a person than they are in abstract concepts. That I don't have "beliefs", that what I have is a relationship with Jesus.

It could be that her beliefs are not "inside" of her, but "outside" of her. Thus, her beliefs are something that influence her and act on her, but they do not come from the core of her being. They give her comfort, peace and guidance, but somehow her beliefs are outside of the core of who she is.

Personally, I think both things are probably true in this particular persons life right now, and that is fairly typical of adolescents. Most adolescents have core beliefs and/or spiritual commitments, and they see them as something that is acting upon them and in relationship with them. They do not, however, see their beliefs quite yet as something emerging from within them. Maybe that is more of an adult faith.

Book Review of Little Prayers for Ordinary Days by Katy Bowser Hutson, Flo Paris Oaks, and Tish Harrison Warren and illustrated by Liita Forsyth

Little Prayers for Ordinary Days by Katie Bowser Hutson, Flo Paris Oakes, and Tish Harrison Warren IVP Kids ISBN 978-1-5140-0039-8 Reviewed ...