Back to another attempt at the social image experiment. I found this picture in a psychology magazine at my second office.
Directions:
Comment away… and once again I’ll post my comments before the next picture goes up.
And the social image experiment continues… here is the next pictures.
Directions:
Comment away… and once again I’ll post my comments before the next picture goes up.
{HINT: Are you drawn to the size, colors, void, people, lighting, activities in pic?}
The Synergy Small Groups is tomorrow in Manteca at Crossroads Grace Community Church. Ed Applegate, the small group guru at the church, has really established a premiere event to equip and empower emerging leaders. If you get a chance, head that way.
The keynote speaker is Bill Donahue. He serves as the small groups ministry (lead) pastor of Willow Creek in the Chicago area. He does a great job of giving heart to why we lead groups and how we can be the best God intended us to be at it! I am looking forward to what he has to say.
I, as well as a few other Big Valley Pastors and Directors, will be teaching Breakout sessions. My topic happens to be about the story of people’s lives in your small group! It’s a great challenge to remember we are not the central character in our own stories. I hope to inspire people toward greater love and listening for sure. Last year was lots of fun. Remember me in prayer if you get a chance.
More to come tomorrow…
Television isn’t a must for sure, but I have been enjoying a show or so lately.
Those moving down the DVR list (and maybe soon off):
I’m interested to see how FLASH FORWARD & “V” turn out. The seem to be the hopeful LOST replacement shows on ABC. I don’t believe ABC will match its former hit, but it could be entertaining to watch.
Of course, in the sports world, football is gone (ugh). However, there is always March Madness (hopefully to feature my 7′ 1″ cousin, Garrett Stutz, of the Wichita State Shockers) & the NBA (or just Lebron James highlights). Nowhere near as exciting as the NFL or the Tour de France, but it’ll do.
And all of this is made possible by DVR… which cuts my actual TV time down by 1/3 at least!
So I’ve been tracking with the Cadence Covenant lately. We are currently moving through the book of Galatians. It’s weird to think of yourself as a pew-sitting citizen of Galatia in the early first century. I imagine it must have been spiritually nourishing to get any type of faith-based encouragement; especially from a passionate missionary of the gospel. Below are a few selected passages that have been a bit of nourishing bread for me:
20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~ Gal. 2:20
9But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? ~ Gal. 4:9
18For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. ~ Gal. 3:18
11I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. ~ Gal. 1:11
Pretty amazing how these ancient Words of Life can still inspire today…
Thought I posted this a while back…guess I never did finish my brilliant thoughts either!
“Well, I’ve finished the fourth season and now I’m lost than ever. I can’t wait until January! All I have to say is — ‘It had better be a good season 5!’
… See you in another life brother!”
Here is a great post from a friend of mine’s blog. It’s actually a guest post, but the topic is really great. It’s a post like this that brings up some great questions!
Questions like: I wonder what our “3rd Place” is or should be? Is it the gym? The soccer field? The church? Or is it the off-limits social-networking setting where many lost and seeking seem to gather around a well that contains little to no living water? How will they learn to drink from the Jesus well?
Read it and tell me your thoughts.
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A guest post by Mark Steffey
Third Places
Followers of Jesus need to actively involve themselves in the life of the community in which they live, especially in the leisurely activities of the people who they find themselves surrounded by.
click here for remainder of the article.
It’s actually interesting how often I get called cheap. So yes, I still think free food is one of the greatest things ever! Yes, I will let you pay for my meal. Yes, I will study a menu to figure out which combo element is actually cheaper outside the combo purchase… then order water!
What’s wrong with that? I don’t consider that cheap… just smart. So, just because I care for my faithful (5) readers, I’m going to clue you in on how I save money in a routinely cheap way while still enjoying life’s little pleasures.
If you have any smarty pants, wonder-$-saving methods, then send them my way. Let the savings continue (or begin)!!
Let me tell you about how messed up I am at times. I saw a homeless man the other day while riding my bike to work. Now, he too was riding his bike (but with far more recyclables in tow). Of course, I have great compassion at seeing the saddened faces of the homeless, but this was different. Instead of having a sad face or a down look, he was grinning from ear to ear.
What’s disturbing to me is that instead of thinking, ‘Wow, this guy takes joy in life even in the midst of such great lows (garbage picking for aluminum and plastic),’ I thought, “This guy is senile! Look at him smiling that big.” The Lord quickly convicted me of being so judgmental. How is it that I can look at a sad homeless man and have compassion and yet a happy one moves me strai
ght to comments of senility!?
Soon after seeing smiley, I witnessed a blind man walking down Tully. I couldn’t believe it. How could anyone blind walk down such a busy, noisy sidewalk and not worry about getting hurt or hit. How can the one to whom everything is invisible hear his way through the chaos of lunch traffic? Did he hear me pass him? Then it struck me…
I’m sure his other four senses have been trained to a greater sensitivity to compensate for the one missing. His sense of hearing, smell, and touch allowed him to comprehend the invisible. He knew what noises to shun and which ones to embrace.
When it comes to our invisible God, I need to take a lesson from the blind man. I need be careful to shun the noise that keeps me from navigating closer to Him while embracing the ways in which He speaks; inviting me close. Maybe if I tune out the unhelpful messages received by my senses, I might instead sense the closeness of God… my proximity to invisibility.
Eddie Bauer Performance Shoes Performance... seriously?
Horses & Shoes
“Who decided that it would be a good idea to throw horse shoes?”
“Would horses ever throw human shoes?”
“Is there a market for designer shoes for horses?” “If not, should there be?” It might be funny… and truly profitable!
Dogs & Strollers
I saw a person walking their dog in a stroller! In a stroller… yes, you read that right! Don’t dogs have 4 legs? Don’t people walk dogs?
“Should be confiscate strollers from people who use them to walk their dogs?”
