come and drink

you who hunger
who thirst

the promise of God:

Come and drink –
even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice
of wine or milk –
it’s all free!

The water I give
takes away thirst altogether.

Why spend your money
on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food
that does you no good?

I am the bread of life.
No one who comes to me
will ever be hungry again.

missional conference

lots of good, well said stuff here at the conference. i’m excited to get back to debrief and digest what all has been here…

it’s been interesting to go to the academy to discuss the spiritual life and journey that i’ve been on in the past months, living in a missional environment and journeying in that place.

al roxbourgh has a very clear and well spoken way of stating that which i have already known in some sense and experienced.

more to come later.

may you give of yourself

may you walk humbled from this place
into a dark, hurting world.

may you shine brightly
though it place you in darkness.

may you love deeply
though it may return only pain.

may you give of yourself
though it cost you all that you have.

and may you rest
satisfied at last

darkness vanquished
pain healed
costs repaid

secure at last
in life that has no end.

out

i’m out for a couple of days to abilene for a conference on missional Christianity. returning friday night.

random story:

it was about 2:30 or 3 when i was going to bed last night, my alarm comfortably set for 9:30… but i had this nagging feeling in the back of my head that i actually had to do something… that there was some responsibility that i was forgetting.

oh yes. that’s right… i have to proctor a test at 8am. joy of joys.

that’s what the drive to abilene is all about 🙂

as you journey

as you seek, may you find God.

as you hurt, may you find comfort in the one who knows both the wounds of your heart and the desires of your soul.

as you heal, may you find rest in the arms of one who shelters you and holds you safe.

as you journey, may you feel the presence of the constant companion who walks beside you.

and as you walk from this place, may you know that he goes with you,
that he will guide your path
wherever it may lead.

new pictures

several new pictures –

photo shoot with liz at http://images.wisch.org/recent/?album=liz

wide angle bw of liz

overexposed portrait of liz

also some macros at the bush library… http://images.wisch.org/recent/?album=GB_library__macro

bee on flowers

dead daisy

lady bug

anyway

People are often unreasonable,
illogical,
and self centered;

forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
People may accuse you of selfish,
ulterior motives;

be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends
and some true enemies;

succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;

be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;

build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;

be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;

do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have
and it may never be enough;

give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

~mother teresa

forgiven

Forgiven.

As the sound of the word rings in your ears, may its reality ring in your heart.

May the reality of who you are and who you were created to be fill and consume who you are.

May you learn to forgive as you have been forgiven, to love as you have been loved,

and to accept the reality that you have been given a new identity;

forgiven.

as you survey your valley of dry bones

      The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me around among the old, dry bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become Living people again?”

“O Sovereign Lord, you alone know the answer to that.”

As you survey your valley of dry bones –
your broken dreams,
your hollow disappointments;

As you contemplate the parts of your life,
scattered and disjointed,

Hear the words of the Lord:

      “Speak to these bones and say, “Dry bones, listen to the words of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to breathe into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you and you will come to life.

Then you will know that I am the Lord.”