Welcome to Love

Carnival 2012

2012-02-22T12:03:00.001-08:00

Despite budgetary restrictions, Carnival 2012 in Les Cayes seemed to be a success. Read more:

Haiti - Culture : More than 300,000 people celebrated the Carnival 2012 in Les Cayes

The festivities even got Haiti's president dancing, something which, according to some, was unbecoming:

Haiti Carnival in Les Cayes Sweet Micky Sways Outrageously

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

If you visit Google's homepage you'll see cute little flash illustration of a boy holding a valentine. Click on the "Play" symbol and the video below will play:

I Google for their creativity and attention to detail. This is something silly and sweet that probably has very little measurable ROI (Return on Investment). But it brings an element of delight to my googling experience. Things like this say, "Hey we don't care if this makes us money, we just want to make you smile."

Now, I'm sure that Google does care about making money, but they understand that little extras like this are one of the many things that keep them a cut above the competition. It makes it seem like they really like their customers. It's their version of free coffee in the waiting room or complimentary hot towels.

An interesting side note here, especially for Washingtonians, is the inclusion of a same-sex couple at the end of the animation...as well as a few cross-species couples. I'm assuming Google isn't putting gay relationships in the same category.

Mixed Feelings

2012-02-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

Whitney Houston's death felt weird.

Obviously I was sad; hers was a tragic and needless death, but it is certainly not a new story (Elvis, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Tupac, the list goes on). Still, it felt weird.

See, I liked Michael Jackson. I was sad when he died but he was a weak and pitiable kind of man, someone I wanted to help. The same could be said of many rock/pop stars that died too young. They all seemed vulnerable to a tragic, early death.

I never pitied Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston was a goddess and, in many ways, seemed invincible.

I was about eight years old the first time I heard Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You." It was a transcendent moment for me. It wasn't just that her voice was beautiful, it seemed like the kind of voice that could knock over buildings. When Whitney sang, nothing could touch her. It was the kind of voice that commanded respect, even reverence. No critic in the world would have dared say, "Eh, Whitney's Houston is alright..."

To be clear, I don't actually own any of her albums; she really isn't my style, to be honest. But that really doesn't matter, she's Whitney Houston. It is not about genre, its about pure talent and she's got it. She's got more of it than any vocalist I've ever heard.

The kind of talent that seems almost superhuman. My hero.

I was in my early teens when I found out that Whitney Houston had struggled with addiction most of her career. I actually didn't believe it. Some part of me believed that it was just malicious tabloid speculation. It seemed so prosaic for someone like Whitney Houston to struggle with drugs.

I ignored it for the most part and moved on. I grew out of listening to belters like Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, preferring much more subtle, hip, indie-style artists. And Kelly Clarkson. But I still found myself looking up videos of Whitney's performances on YouTube at least once every few weeks just to revisit those childhood moments of unadulterated awe.

So when I heard that she had died, the adult part of my brain thought, "That's too bad, not surprising though." But the 8 year old in me felt violated; superman isn't supposed to die.

This is maybe why, even after Jennifer Hudson's moving tribute at the Grammys, I feel like it's not good enough to be sad that Whitney Houston died. Being sad doesn't mean that some other hero is going to die after a life of drug and alcohol and drug abuse.

This isn't bewildering, there's a very simple correlation here. Drugs and alcohol kill people. Wild, fast-paced lifestyles kill people. Success, too often, kills people. And it makes me angry that we don't seem to take any responsibility for that.

So maybe a real tribute to Whitney Houston should have more to do with preventing another beautiful person, like Jennifer Hudson, from living the same kind of life. I don't know what that means and who is responsible for looking for this kind of change, maybe people like me.

But I know don't want to go through this again with another hero in 6 months.

The Apparent Project

2012-02-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

I'm loving this today:

No more starting over

2012-02-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

And I find myself here on my knees again, caught up in grace like an avalanche.

Hillsong United, Avalanche

No more tears. No more crying because I keep making the same mistake. No more doubt and self-flagellation.

Or that's the idea, at least.

The trouble is that change is a painstakingly slow process. We tend to believe that the decision to do or be something is the most difficult step. I really don't think so. Maybe it is the first step, but it is not hardest. The hardest step is the one that comes right after you fall down. Again. And again.

No, friends, deciding something does not make it so, but I persist in thinking so. So when the conviction fades and the past rears up again, when I stumble and fall, I begin to wonder if I really decided to be different. Maybe my conviction wasn't strong enough. Maybe if I just really committed, this time I would get it right.

It is painful, even devastating to doubt the sincerity of your convictions. It makes you feel like you cannot trust anything. Nothing can be sure.

That's a lie. It's a lie that curses you to an eternity of "starting over." The truth is that even the most sincere convictions can be followed by mistakes and relapses. This does not mean the conviction was false, it means you are imperfect. Accept your imperfections (she said to herself). Love them because the empty spaces are what make room for grace.

I read something beautiful over at A Deeper Story today:

Do not be afraid when unforgiveness rears its ugly head, after you’ve “decided to forgive.”

It does come back, it will come back. And it will come back as a little lie in your head that tells you that you didn’t really forgive, you don’t have to, you don’t want to, or you can’t.

And when that lie comes, fight back with Jesus’ forgiveness and grace. We cannot fight lies on our own, for we are not authors of truth. We cannot fight unforgiveness on our own, for we are not bearers of undeserving gifts.

read more

Lies are fiery darts of the enemy. We don't fend against them by growing fireproof skin, but we deflect them with a shield. Ephesians six calls it a "shield of faith," and lies cannot pierce through faith.

So when God tells you that He is making you new, believe Him.

Just bringin' a few spare gods for the road!

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

"When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods." Gen 31:19

I learned the Apostle's Creed in a confirmation class when I was 7:

"I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord..."

I am a Christian; I worship the One True God.

But I am also pagan because, like Rachel, when my Lord called me away from my old house, I went back and stole the household gods.

See, I have no doubt that Rachel believed in Jacob's God. I think she did, or at least was on her way there. I think she was just hedging her bets, or maybe she was just a greedy little thief, either way, she wasn't devoted to Jacob's God, she still had enough love for her old life that she brought part of it with her.

It's so easy to do isn't it? Because it's not like you're deny God altogether, you're just packing something extra "just in case." Maybe its not a little golden goat-man or a buddha, maybe its that "Plan B" you keep on a back burner in case God doesn't actually keep his promises. Maybe it's skipping that sponsorship payment this month because you want that extra cushion that makes you feel a little less desperate. Or maybe it's choosing to take your ~~hour~~ ~~half-hour~~ 24-minute quiet time to finish up a project when you have a deadline looming.

I know I do all of those.

More frequently, however, I worship at the altar of self-improvement, praying to the twin gods of Knowledge and Skill.

They are particularly nasty gods because they're disguised as "preparation." They sidle up to me and ask, "How are you ever going to serve God like that? You're in no condition to do the work He has for you, now you're just being irresponsible. Here, I found these seven articles for you to read. You can take this e-course tonight and there's a webinar next week."

This is not to say that you don't hone the tools god has given you. But you don't show up to your first day of work in God's office with gods in your backpack.

"What these? Oh, no worries! They just help me learn to do your work better."

"Yeah, thanks," God says, "but we do all of our training in-house."

Have a great week

2012-01-29T22:40:00.000-08:00

I think I've discovered a magical God-portal inside my car. I'm not sure if the designers at Nissan have some secret Christian agenda or if the previous owner of my car spilled a vial of anointing oil, but I rarely experience God as intimately as I do inside of that car.

At any rate, I was out of town this weekend and had to drive home tonight, I stinking love that. Now, it could have been because I had just listened to a stellar message at church, the fact that I spent the weekend chewing on some personal issues, or I happened to have a great worship mix (maybe a combination of all three), but I had an amazing two-hour drive home.

Like crying-on-the-freeway awesome.

It was a great end to a challenging week and an awesome way to begin the next; I hope you have experienced the same. If not, give this song a listen and see if anything changes.

"He is love and we are free, He is love and we have found our peace.Our King has come."

Life or Death?

2012-01-27T16:15:00.000-08:00

"Love has no middle term; either it destroys, or it saves." Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue," Proverbs 18:21

Closing thought for the week, friends: Do your words bring life or death?

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. James 3:10

New Blog: Haiti Hope

2012-01-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

An honest and critical look at Welcome to Love reveals that things are getting a little confusing around here. When you walk into a particular business or event, you have expectations about what you experience is going to be. You don't go to a book club to learn about a "business opportunity" and you don't walk into a coffee shop expecting to get fast food (well, unless it's a Starbucks, but I digress).

But that's been happening around here, a Haiti post here, a Compassion post there, a book review & music review may even make it through the filter. This is confusing.

My apologies.

So, as part of some exciting new things taking place over the next few months, I am migrating all of my postings about Haiti to a new blog: Haiti Hope.

Welcome to Love is going back to its roots, my personal search for a deeper understanding of love, grace, and what it means to be a follower of Christ in the present day. I consider Compassion International a part of "what it means" so Compassion is still going to be a rock star around here. Be watching for some structural/visualchanges as well (more than normal!).

For it's part, Haiti Hope will be primarily dedicated to historical research, current events (political, economical, and social) humanitarian efforts and, most importantly hope for Haiti's future. While I admit that my religious, political and social worldview makes bias inevitable, I am not lobbying for any particular agenda. My goal is simply to gain a better understanding of Haiti and share that with you along with ways that you can get involved.

Come on over and visit!

My family is on tv!

2012-01-25T19:01:00.000-08:00

Last year my nephew, Isaiah, was hospitalized for about 10 weeks as he underwent treatment for a dangerous autoimmune disorder called Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. The story of his treatment and recovery truly is a miracle.

Now, a year later, our local news station interviewed my brother and his wife about their experience, the story aired on the news tonight. Pretty exciting stuff for this girl!

I must say that the camera loves my family ;) The story is below.

Pray for Every Nation: Haiti

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

I am guest posting about Haiti today at The Feminine Intellect as part of the "Pray for Every Nation" series:

I didn't know anything about Haiti until I decided to go there. It was 2002, I was 17 years old and it was my first mission trip. The only thing I knew wat that Haiti was poor.

It turns out that Haiti is the poorest country in the western Hemisphere.

Read more.

New Things

2012-01-24T04:42:00.000-08:00

I've been hinting at some new things going on in my life these past few days but these "new" things are really just a renaissance, a renewal of the old things.

Recently, I've been growing weary of the new things I've invited into my world: blogs I read, people I follow on Twitter and philosophies I've adopted. What was once a revolutionary idea has turned into an empty ideology. Free and fearless thinkers just sound like sarcastic critics with a megaphones.

What was all of this supposed to be, I wonder? I know this was all going somewhere once, but I can't remember where that was.

See, I can get caught up in waves of revolutionary ideas, swept along by "new winds of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14). This doctrines are not necessarily new biblical theologies but rather new ways of thinking. New business models, new philosophies and methods, new trends and fads, new perspectives and ideas.

I like new ideas. In fact, I think that's a good thing.

It's a good thing to challenge your assumptions. It's a good thing to stretch your limits. My pastor likes to say that if you're not changing you're not growing. So new things can be good, right?

Sometimes. But almost always, new things are seductive, alluring in their freshness and mystery. Like a bored housewife, we can be dazzled by the novelty of a new "doctrine" that says, "You don't have to be careful about what you say, raw honesty is healthier." Or, "Naivete and innocence is a crutch for the ignorant; a critical heart and a cynical tongue, these are the tools of the wise."

Sometimes a new idea can seem so stupid that it makes perfect sense. But, more often then not, that new idea really is just stupid. Sometimes, believe it or not, the crusty old fossils actually have the right idea.

Paul's letters to Timothy are some of my favorite passages in the bible. Timothy was a young pastor, a kid full of energy and excitement but, like any young minister, he was prone to doubt, fear and confusion. So Paul writes two letters to Timothy encouraging him to remember where he came from, to trust in his calling and stick to the things that he knew:

"Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you learned them." 2 Tim 3:13-14

I love these verses because, in part, Paul is talking about himself! He's saying, "Dude, I taught you this stuff, remember that? Don't you trust me? Don't worry about these new ideas cropping up, these new 'gospels' or methods that you hear about at that last leaders' conference. Get back to the basics and stick to what you know.

So let me admit, I've been seduced by new ideas. I've tried on the shoes and danced in them. Some of them are awesome and some have given me blisters. But the real money question here is: What are the things that I have learned and been assured of?

I have learned that God loves humans, radically and scandalously. I've learned that God's love for people is filtered through people like me. And I've been assured that God's first purpose, in every circumstance, is always to redeem.

What have you learned? What have you been assured of?

Have you ever been seduced or confused by new winds of doctrine?

More new things

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Question:

What do beauty, honesty, love, growing, grace and thinking all have in common?

Aristide and the Endless Revolution

2012-01-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

Jean-Bertrand Aristide, president of Haiti, was
oustered from office by a rebel coup-d'etat in 2004

Last week, on the two-year anniversary of the Haiti Earthquake, I mentioned a documentary called Aristide and the Endless Revolution. I finally watched it last night.

The "Aristide" of the film is Jean-Bertrand Aristide, president of Haiti from 1991-1996 and 2001-2004. The majority of his first presidency was spent in exile, being ousted from office by a coup-d'etat a mere six months after his election and returning to to serve from 1994-1996. His second presidency in 2001 ended three years later in yet another coup-d'etat let by a rebel army made up of gangs armed with military weapons. The film explores the events leading up to and after both coup-d'etats.

Whatever the cover may say about Aristide and the Endless Revolution being a "well-balanced" look into the events surround Aristide's two ousters, this film does not paint the US or France in a favorable light. It suggests, among other things, that the gangs that tore violently through northern Haiti in 2004 were Haitians trained in the Dominican army and armed by the US military. Prior to this, in 1994, almost all foreign aid was cut off from the Haitian government which made it nearly impossible to maintain any kind of stable infrastructure and many people, including members of the United States government, claim that it was this instability that made the 2004 coup possible. Additionally, interim leaders during the coup were linked back to the US CIA. Aristide even describes his flight from Port-au-Prince as a "kidnapping," claiming that US and French officials threatened continued violence and the death of Haitian citizens if the president did not leave the country.

Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly
was elected president of Haiti in April of 2011

This is all disturbing and puzzling to me. Make no mistake, I love this country. I cannot imagine a better, more privileged life than the one I lead here. Still, I am intensely aware that the US's intervention in the political processes of other struggling countries often results in questionable actions. I know that we have made decisions that have damaged other nations in order to protect our own interests; whether or not this is justified is an ethical dilemma that every US citizen must face.

But regardless of whether or not these allegations are true, the reality is that, until Haiti can internally stabilize it's democratic process and eliminate the influence rebels and gangs pose to the government, it will always be subject to the interests of foreign governments. Though it may be recognized as an independent republic, Haiti continues to be seen by the international community as a broken country.

The real issue here is not aid, it is respect, and I don't know what it will take for Haiti to crawl out of the shadow cast by two centuries of tumult.

Trust Curveball Redux

2012-01-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Exactly one year ago, my nine month old nephew, Isaiah, was at Sacred Heart Children's hospital in Spokane in kidney failure. He was on 24 hour dialysis, and had about seven different tubes leading in and out of his 20 pound body and his best hope was a non-FDA approved test drug that cost $2500 a dose. The 5 weeks in the hospital put him behind developmentally and he had to go to three different types of therapy every week.

Today his AHUS is in complete remission, his bimonthly treatments are FDA approved and also covered by insurance. He's a healthy, happy, walking and talking 21 month old.

Read about Isaiah's initial hospitalization here: Trust: A Curveball

What I didn't listen to: Heavy and Light

2012-01-13T18:40:00.000-08:00

Saturday, the 7th, To Write Love on Her Arms hosted a concert in Orlando, FL called Heavy and Light as part of their Welcome to Midnight campaign.

If you're not familiar with TWLOHA they are something of a grassroots nonprofit organization that exists to offer hope and help to those those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.

To be perfectly honest, about 20% of my affinity for this group probably has to do with the fact that they're a young, verbose, artsy crowd with a knack for inspiring videos and modern graphic design (I love that font). But the foundation of this organization is closely tied to idea that you, as a friend, can do something to help those who are hurting. And I freaking love that.

Read the story that started everything here.

They've done a lot of cool things since then, but nothing inspires me like this story. Imagine if you were the one to stay up all night fighting back the lies that tell someone that they're alone, to have the audacity to step into someone's story to tell them that they matter, to wipe away the scars and write love on her arms.

They are not explicitly a Christian organization, although the founders are Christian, but they are certainly doing the work of Christ.

You were created to love and to be loved. You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story. You need to know that your life matters.

The best days are ahead of us. to write love on her arms

This video was the intro to what I'm sure was an amazing concert featuring the (amazing) David Bazan of Pedro the Lion and a lot of other really great (if slightly less amazing) musicians.

Haiti: Looking backward

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

As I review the two years that have passed since Haiti experience a magnitude-7 earthquake, the millions of dollars in aid that has been delivered and the thousands of hours spent by volunteers and relief-workers, I must admit, I am disheartened. Two years have passed with very few measurable successes. Millions of citizens are still displaced, living in temporary housing that has long since become unsafe. Much of the promised aid has been clogged in the bureaucratic pipelines. A deadly cholera outbreak has taken nearly 7,000 lives and the number of abandoned children is steadily growing.

With two formerly ousted leaders, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier and Jean-Bertrand Aristide returning to Haiti during the controversial presidency of newly elected Michel "Sweet Mickey" Martelly, along with accusations against UN appointed peacekeeping forces, the political and civil discord is likely to continue for some time.

Haiti is, as they say, a hot mess.

But this year, instead of talking about what is going on in Haiti's present, I thought it appropriate to take a look into Haiti's past. See, we as the "benevolent" saviors of Haiti have no hope of making sense of the situation in Haiti, let alone develop a successful plan for recovery unless we understand the history of this tiny, conflicted country.

In July 2002, I visited Haiti for the first time with a mission team from my church. We sent two more teams during 2003 and were planning more trips when Pastor Joseph, our contact in Haiti, warned us not to come. It wasn't safe, he said. Remembering the Haiti that I had visited two years prior, I recalled that it didn't feel particularly safe then either. I had no idea what had happened to make things suddenly unsafe, something about riots and political unrest.

I was 17 and had trouble understanding my own government.

During my last trip to Haiti, I spoke to a Haitian man about the recent presidential elections and as during that conversation, he brought up Haiti's tumultuous political history. The conversation stuck with me after I returned and I started looking into some of the events of the past 20 years in Haiti. It's a fascinating and disturbing study.

I discovered that, in February of 2004, less than a year after our last mission trip, a rebel army took control of the northern part of Haiti, including Port-au-Prince, resulting in the a violent coup d'etat. Reports surrounding this event are rife with speculation, accusation and conflicting reports and general political unrest. The ousted president, Jean Bertrande Aristide was exiled to South Africa.

Not safe, indeed.

In 2005 Baraka Production released a documentary on the 2004 coup called Aristide and the Endless Revolution. If you're interested in watching the film, it is available for $13 on Aristidethefilm.com (I haven't watched it yet). The trailer is below.

One Word 2011: Review

2012-01-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

Last January, as a follow to choosing One Word 2011: Trust, I went through a series of posts about what that meant in the present and what I thought it meant for the future. These posts ruminated through a variety of different subjects (money, culture, insecurity, depression, vision).

It was a haphazard mix of things that God was turning over in my soul, observations about the world, and things that scared the crap out of me. But in every area, God was asking me the same questions: "Do you trust the call I put on your life? Do you trust me to take you somewhere new?"

This culminated in a list of "I am going to," statements. Looking back, I think these are too much like the resolutions that I am trying so hard to avoid, so I'm not going to repeat this practice this year. But, because God deserves mad props for this, here is the best one:

"I am going back to Haiti."

Of all of my "I am going to," statements, this is one that I actually believe was a promise from God. He made me this promise in January. In July, I was invited to visit Haiti with Compassion International...with 3 weeks to raise $1500. By September, God had completely funded my trip and plane tickets with $700 to spare, and, on November 14th, I was in Haiti.

Tomorrow, I am going to share some thoughts about the upcoming year and One Word 2012: Surrender.

Links to last year's posts are below (each post links to the following post).

The Highlights
I'm Not THAT Person
Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
A Culture of Affluence
A Curveball
What's Your Angle? Part One
What's Your Angle? Part Two
Continuing the Journey

What I'm listening to: I won't give up

2012-01-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

Jason Mraz is just all kinds of awesome. He's interesting musically and clever lyrically. In fact, he's so clever with his lyrics that he can get away with quite a bit. I'll let you decide what that means.

I've been waiting since 2009 for Jason Mraz to release a new album. This is only a single but it's promising, the video is pretty clever too.

Buy it on iTunes.

Looking ahead

2012-01-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

Forgetting what's behind and straining toward what's ahead: here's something exciting for the new year!

Ah, but what is it?

Second Chances. And Third Ones.

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not yet achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead..." Phil 3:1

"I'm not calling for a second chance. I'm screaming at the top of my voice: 'Give me reason, but don't give me choice. Because I'll just make the same mistake,'"
James Blunt, Same Mistake

For some of us, new beginnings are not as magical as they are others. We may hope that a new year, a new job, a new marriage or a new city will mean that life is somehow going to be different. We may dream that someone pressed a cosmic reset button, and all of the failures and disappointments in the past will dissolve making us brand-new and baby-fresh. But tomorrow comes, and I'm still me. I have the same memories, tendencies and weaknesses that I had before I "started again."

I want to blame Jesus for this, for talking about being "born again" with Nicodemus in John 3. I know blaming your savior for the manner of your salvation is a bit like looking a gift horse in the mouth, but there you are.

See, newborn babies don't have bad memories. They don't have past bitterness or disappointments that whisper lies. They don't have a mountain of failures grasping at their heels as they learn to walk. Unlike newborns, we must choose to be reborn. Not only that, we must choose to believe it every day.

"...consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11

Christ made you alive. He gave you a new heart and new mind, do you believe it?

"...let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." Romans 12:2

God will continue to transform you each day. Do you believe Him?

Do you believe Him when you realize you made the same resolutions on January 1st 2012 that you did on January 1st 2011? Do you believe Him when you realize you're in the same place that you were last year? Do you believe him when you realize that you made all of the same mistakes...again?

Do you believe Him?

No, my dear brothers and sisters, I haven't achieved perfection yet, but I know perfection exists. I believe God's promises; I believe I am a new creation and God is renewing my mind. So I focus on this one thing only: God has made a call to me through Jesus. He says to me, "Be perfect. Be like Me." So, with all of my might, forgetting the past and looking toward the future, I strain toward that high and impossible prize.

One Word: Out of the same mouth

2012-01-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

In the midst of my search this past month, I stumbled across post on a blog that I half-heartedly follow. It is one of those inspirational blogs full of poetry, confusing symbolism and google-poached photos...

Um...

But I've recently become aware of an underlying current of hostility and bitterness in the tone. I'm not sure if the tone has changed or I've just become more sensitive to it recently, but it's a bizarre juxtaposition to be sure. Why would you preach love and grace one day and judgement and cynicism the next?

Two things came violently to the front of my mind as I read this post.

First, James 3:8-10:

"No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so."

Immediately after this, I realized that this is me.

Then come the questions: Who are you serving? What are you called to do? Who are you called to love? What is the purpose and product of your words? To whom do they belong?

Surrender.

Surrender your spring to fresh water or yield to salty.

Wisdom: Giving In

2012-01-01T18:17:00.001-08:00

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." James 1:17

Surrender

2011-12-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

What's yours?

One Word 2012

2011-12-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

The last hours of 2011 are whispering by, are you still thinking about your One Word? I suspect I have found mine though it needs a bit more time to cook.

I'll give you a few options:

Humility
Commit
Surrender

These are all, in some way, built off of One Word 2011, Trust, a work that is in no way complete. I've wondered if it is necessary for each Word to build off of the ones before it, if it is a reflection of my AR tendencies or simply a natural product of a progressive life. What do you think? Do your words build on one another?

Each of these words also represent a fairly significant work in me at the present, but I'm not sure if that is something that will carry through for the whole year. Hmm.

What are some of your options?