Monthly Archives: June 2010

Ten Days in Ten Sentences

Posted on by

0

As I sit here in my new office/guest room, sipping on some green tea that I brewed in my new teapot (see photo), I consider the whirlwind that the past ten days have been.

I thought that with the end of the Spring semester, I would be able to relax, slow down, and live a laissez-faire, contemplative lifestyle; however, this has been far from the reality of the past ten days. During last semester, Bridgette and I postponed a lot of errands, chores, and to-do-lists until we were afforded more time. But before the semester ended we had to make an emergency trip home to Ohio to be with my father who was ‘let go’ after 29 years of faithful service to a gas company, then we went  to the funeral of Bridgette’s grandmother, and finally that trip ended with celebration as Bridgette’s high school friends got married. The two weekends after that trip home, were filled with other weddings and although we were accomplishing a large number of the ‘to-dos,’ we were still found wanton before our latest trip home for father’s day ten days ago.

Our time with our families were the normal mixture of angst, joy, difficulty, celebration, and a subversive optimism. Whenever we are at home visiting, my ability to find ‘free’ or ‘alone’ time to write, read, create is compromised, but its worth the extra quality time with family members. We arrived back in Wilmore Monday evening  and have been decorating, organizing, moving, and preparing for baby Anna Rose to come ever since.  I feel as though my creativity has been constipated the past ten days, hence the lack of posts. Today is the first day where I was able to sit down and just read and write … just in time because I’m leaving next week for a 36 day tour of duty as a chaplain candidate at Scott AFB outside of St. Louis.

Holy Ghost, with Love Divine

Posted on by

0

The Lord met me here, earlier tonight, with these words. May he meet you where you are as well. Amen.

Holy Ghost, with Love Divine

~

Holy Ghost, with love divine,

Shine upon this heart of mine:

Chase the shades of night away,

Turn my darkness into day.

~

Holy Ghost, with power divine,

Cleanse this guilty heart of mine:

Bid my many woes depart,

Heal my wounded, bleeding heart.

~

Holy Spirit, all divine,

Dwell within this heart of mine:

cast down every idol throne,

Reign supreme-and reign alone

- A. Reed

Growing Pains – Reflections on the Prodigal Son(s) (Part II)

Posted on by

0

Luke 15:11 -32

I began reading Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son last Fall after a friend recommended it to me at a healing retreat. The reading of the book and the ensuing posts about the younger Son, Elder Son, and Father have been delayed by the events of the last six months: my own wedding, other friend’s and family’s weddings, learning that I am going to be a father ( read more here ), a funeral, and then a long semester of school. But I have arrived and the long wait is over!

Part I of the “Reflections on the Prodigal Son(s)” series was about the younger son in me and in you. I reflected on how conditional the love of the world is compared to the unconditional and dangerously extravagant love of the Father. In this post, I will examine the son that I have come to identify with the past three years… the elder son.

Most people like the idea of the younger son in this parable: a wayward youth with a trust fund who moved away to college and partied it up before hitting rock bottom and returning home in shame to an embracing and forgiving father. Most of us like this part of the parable, because it tells the story of our own spiritual journey and others like it because such a story gives them hope about the character of God.

I relate to this younger son; however, because I am/was him except of course the minor details of the trust fund and the ‘embracing and forgiving father.’ No, I came home from a semester of partying away my savings at Ohio University to a distant and verbally abusive father. In my desperation to get away from my earthly homecoming, I ran right into the arms of my heavenly father  (via reading a Gideon’s Bible). In those early days, I sincerely felt like God was throwing a constant party over my life. As time wore on in my journey, I also grew into a different son. I couldn’t tell you the exact day or even when I realized it, but it slowly became harder to remember that initial embrace and the former lifestyle I was rescued from. I was active in ministry in the Air Force and loving my Father, but my love for my now “younger brothers” became calloused. I began to have a sense of spiritual entitlement like the elder Son in the parable of Luke 15.

Why do you think it is easier for us to empathize with the younger son’s lustful indulgence in the hedonistic pleasures of the world, his repentance, return home, and transformation than the elder brother’s gossiping, deep seeded resentment, judgments, and arrogance? While the elder son may not have left his father’s house geographically, spiritually he traded his birthright to abide in his father’s house at his father’s expense and freedom,  for the satisfaction and bondage of having to prove to everyone that can earn his keep and thus is superior to others in his father’s house.  Nouwen correctly points out that Rembrandt’s painting of the parable in Luke 15 can be entitled “The Parable of the Lost Sons.”

The primary question you and I should be asking right about now is not “Which son am I in the parable,” but, “Can I come home to my Father’s house?” The answers to that later question my friends (regardless of the son) are both YES and NOW.

Detox Journal : Day XXI (And… Done)

Posted on by

0

3 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life.  4 When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

Colossians 2:9-10 (Message Translation)

Weight: 176ish (-8 lbs)

Feeling: I’m still fighting off some type of bug, which isn’t cool while you’re approaching the finish line of a 21 day detox. I stayed home and rested most of the day today. I watered my friend Justin’s garden and my own garden, but that was the extent to my physical activity today. I did spend a lot of time reading the Bible, praying the Divine Hours, and playing Mario Kart Wii.

This cleanse was definitely beneficial and despite fighting off this illness (it’s probably not more severe because my body has been healing and cleansing itself), my body is working great. My digestion has sped up and has become more regular.

Meals:

Breakfast- SP Shake (w/ blueberries,strawberries,  banana, flax oil, and water).

Lunch- I had grilled chicken with artichoke hearts, grapes, peppers, and cucumbers on top of spinach.

Afternoon Snack, I had a SP Shake .

Dinner- For dinner tonight Bridgette and I went to one of our favorite Lexington restaurants, Ramsey’s to celebrate the finish of the detox (and to cheer me up from a crabby mood). I had a FRIED, BUFFALO SAUCE DRENCHED, CHICKEN SANDWICH… what a way to end : )

Reading:   The Divine Hours, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Colossians, I Kings,  Psalms .

Detox Journal : Day XX

Posted on by

1

“9 Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him.  10 When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.”

Colossians 2:9-10 (Message Translation)

Weight: 17o+?

Feeling: I woke up today at 9 AM. Getting about 10 hours of much-needed, uninterrupted, deep, rejuvenating sleep, I was ready to get back at the diet portion of this cleanse. I felt a lot better and whatever had been plaguing me has passed. I did a lot of gardening and pruned my trees back (pruned my plum-tree back to 18″!), cut the grass, planted some new flowers, ect. Then in the afternoon I cleaned the inside of the house and did laundry to surprise my wife when she got back from nannying a 3yr old for 12 hours! Finished the day with a cookout with my friend’s parents who were in town from Chicago. Fun day – My grade for the diet portion for today is a C+.

Meals:

Breakfast- SP Shake (w/ blueberries,strawberries,  banana, flax oil, and water).

Lunch- I had a salad w/ spinach and field greens, grapes, apples, green peppers, and tomatoes. I topped this with rotisserie chicken from the grocery, that I sliced into thin strips. It was quite delicious.

Afternoon Snack, I had a SP Shake before back to cleaning the house.

Dinner- For dinner tonight I went to a cookout that my friend (and fellow detoxer) put on for his parents. Joshua’s parents were in town from Chicago, so we couldn’t resist the temptation to have hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill : )

Reading:   The Divine Hours, Colossians,  Psalms .

Detox Journal : Day XIX (The Pizza Relapse)

Posted on by

0

Yes. It has happened. It was bound to happen sooner or later, I suppose. I have ate pizza! And … it was worth it : )

So, I got some really disturbing news Thurday night and as I worked through it and prayed about it on Friday, I became increasingly tempted by the $5 Hot and Ready pizza at Little Cesaer’s Pizza…I also was somewhat physically sick and taking medicine that made me drowsy, so I eventually succumbed to the temptation and got a Hot’N Ready … I ate it ALL in one sitting! Then I feel asleep on the couch watching a documentary.

Then for dinner, I went to a surprise going away party for some friends from church, and what did they have at the party for the dinner meal? One Guess. YEP! Little Cesear’s Hot’ N Ready pizzas! I only ate three pieces though. So day XIX was definitely the roughest yet… Find out of I ‘get back on the wagon’ tomorrow.

Detox Journal : Day XVIII

Posted on by

0

” 26 This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open.  27 God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message.  28 We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less.”

Colossians 1:26-28 (Message Translation)

Weight: 17o+?

Feeling: I honestly do not feel much different now that I’m eating chicken and fish. The most noticeable change, physiologically has to be with my digestive system and how much this cleanse has helped to clean that out and make it more regular and often. I’m still not used to having multiple BMS in one day!

Today as the day wore on I started to feel more drowsy and started to get a mild fever. I took some benedryl to help with the itching and scratching from the Poison Ivy and bug bites, so that has contributed to my drowsiness. I also have not been getting much sleep these past few nights, usually between 2-5 hrs a night.

Meals:

Breakfast- SP Shake (w/ blueberries,strawberries,  banana, flax oil, and water).

Lunch- I had leftovers from dinner last night.

Afternoon Snack, I had a SP Shake before getting ready for bed.

Dinner- For dinner tonight, Bridgette baked some chicken that she seasoned with fresh herbs from the garden and other spices. We had brown rice and sautéed mushrooms, green peppers, and asparagus. Also, Bridgette made acorn squash and used a little butter (just a little) and cinnamon for flavor.

Reading:   The Divine Hours, Colossians,  Psalms .

Detox Journal : Day XVII

Posted on by

1

“ 21 You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got.  22 But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence.  23 You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.”

Colossians 1:21-23 (message)

Weight: 17o+?

Feeling: While the pain of the bruising cause by paintball Saturday  is starting to subside, the poison ivy continues to plague me! I think I may also be coming down with something too, I’ve been feeling very tired and drowsy lately. Today I went running and it was rough! I went right after eating dinner in hope to be done and showered before a friend came over… I felt like dinner was going to come up at any moment!

Meals:

Breakfast- SP Shake (w/ frozen blueberries and strawberries,  banana, flax seeds, and water).

Lunch- It had mixed greens, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, and green peppers. Topped with herb-crusted chicken.

Dinner- I had a combination of fresh asparagus, green peppers, mushrooms, brown rice, and pieces of chicken cooked  in olive oil. It was delicious!

Also, I had a SP Shake after dinner.

Reading:  The Christian Secret to a Happy Life, The Divine Hours, Colossians,  Psalms .

Detox Journal : Day XVI

Posted on by

0

“This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”

Colossians 1:6

Weight: 17o+?

Feeling: I’m starting to get over the bruises and bumps suffered from a hot afternoon of paintball on Saturday; however, my body is still plagued with poison ivy/oak, bug bites, and burn marks (from cooking on the Wok yesterday). Just look at my left arm alone:

Other than that, I’m doing great! BMs have been very consistent and the protein has helped curb my energy. Since money has been tight the past few weeks, I haven’t juiced, so I have been trying to drink a glass of low sodium V-8 for additional vitamins from vegetables.

Meals:

Breakfast- SP Shake (w/ blueberries,strawberries,  banana, flax oil, and water).

Lunch- I had leftovers from dinner last night on the wok.

Dinner- For dinner tonight, Bridgette and I had a final meal with the life group from our Church. There was a variety of meat selection, so I had chicken (with a little bit of BBQ), veggies, and some cold tea (i know, cheater).

Also, I had a SP Shake before getting ready for bed.

Reading:  The Christian Secret to a Happy Life, The Divine Hours, Colossians,  Psalms .

Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old

Posted on by

0

My wife and I recently discovered The Divine Hours edited and composed by Phyllis Tickle. Today’s hymn for the Vespers Office deeply resonated with my spirit. It was written by Edward Plumptre. Plumptre lived and wrote in 19th century England and was a chaplain, writer, and scholar. Check out his bio here. The title of this specific hymn is entitled, “Your Hand , O Lord, in Days of Old.” May these feeble words awaken the strong Word of God in you.

Your Hand, O Lord, In Days of Old

Your hand, O Lord, in days of old

Was strong to heal and save;

You triumphed over pain and death,

O’er darkness and the grave.

To you they went, the blind, the mute,

The palsied* and the lame,

The leper set apart and shunned,

The sick and those in shame.

~

And then your touch brought life and health,

Gave speech and strength and sight;

And yourth renewed, with helath restored,

Claimed you, the Lord of light.

And so, O Lord, be near to bless,

Almighty now as then,

In every street, in every home,

In every troubled friend.

~

O be our mighty healer still,

Lord of life and death;

Restore and strengthen, soothe and bless

With your almight breath.

On hands that work and eyes that see,

Your helaing wisdom pour,

That whole and sick, weak and strong

May praise you evermore.

Edward Plumptre

* palsied can either mean one affected with trembling and shaking or someone affected with palsy.