Prophets

Most people today hear the word "prophet" and they think of Nostradamus gazing into the future as he recorded his spooky predictions with a quill by candlelight in mysterious coded language that if we could just figure out... But that's not what I mean when I say the word "prophet." When I say "prophet" I'm talking about the Biblical concept of a prophet. In fact, you'll notice if you go to dictionary.com that the definition of predictor or soothsayer is only the third definition. The first definition, "A person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed," is what I'm getting at.

When I use the word "prophetic" I am usually referring to the kind of message Biblical prophets pretty consistently were given to deliver. It really shouldn't be too surprising that all the prophets were given pretty consistent messages, after all it is the will of the One God that was being expressed. I think my favorite iteration of the prophetic message is Micah 6:8, "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

I think that we're all capable of doing prophetic things. I think we all have the capability to speak by divine inspiration. I believe that there are people walking the earth who are (even if they don't know it themselves) people through whom the will of God is interpreted. The key is to listen. I mean really listen. Listen to the still small voices inside. Listen to your neighbor. I think Jesus would add, listen to your enemy. Listen to Jiminy Cricket chirping away on your shoulder, singing "I'm no fool..." Listen.

So here are a couple of prophetic things that I've heard recently. I've made reference to the first one, and I hope that some of you have been waiting on bated breath for me to get permission to share it. So here it is, a poem by Elizabeth T.

The Pulse of my America

My grandmother Helen grew a Victory Garden
Seed by seed,
Her fingers deep in the earth
Feeling the vibrations of the bombs
Miles and miles away
Destruction is never isolated.

In that simple town,
Under complex stars
On top of linen sheets
She prayed for peace.

So do I, sixty years later
For my country is not one of violence.
I do not want my country to be associated
With screaming women
With life changing or life killing explosions
And human rights violations
Those things do not represent Americans.

I protest and pray
For change, for peace
And dig my fingers into soil deep
Feeling the pulse of my America.


Elizabeth T.
May 8, 2006

The second prophetic thing I'd like to mention, well, mention again, is Socks for Sheep. My wife, Jen, came up with this great idea to raise money for Heifer International through her knitting.
She's feverishly knitting fun things to sell at the Church Fair this November for the purpose of purchasing a Knitting Basket through Heifer for the purpose of giving four wool-producing animals to a family that needs it. I hope that the news of her dedication will inspire you, oh people of the internet, to continue Socks for Sheep drives wherever you are, in whatever way you see fit, utilizing whatever talents you have. Soon Jen will set up a button that will allow you to make donations to a PayPal account for Heifer. So keep reading, do what you can, and please support Jen's idea, because I truly believe that it is a prophetic word.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
053106

Anniversaries, Sermons, and Violent Video Games

But not necessarily in that order. Chronologically, the sermon came first. I'm sure some of you are curious as to how exactly I utilized The Rock in a sermon. Well, through the magic of the internet and the assurance of , I will share it with you here!

When Jesus taught, he often taught in stories. And the stories he taught were based in the reality of the people he was talking to. That's why there are so many sheep, and vineyards and wedding celebrations in those stories--because the people Jesus taught were very familiar with sheep, and vineyards, and weddings. So I'm going to share something with you that is familiar to me, and I'm sure is familiar to at least a few of you. I know that it's a point of connection between myself and certain JPF-rs, and if you've paid very close attention to my blog you'll know that I associate it with my younger brother. The rest of you will just have to hear me out, maybe even take my word for a few things, because if you aren't into it, you likely haven't seen any value in it.

So what is it? It, my friends, is known as professional wrestling. There's nothing quite like it--it's like a soap opera mixed with fantastic stunt work, all done before sold out arenas full of screaming fans. The greatest names in the business are solid, well rounded entertainers. They are great athletes, fantastic actors--and the best of the best are very clever and very charismatic people who have an uncanny ability to keep mobs of spectators feeding out of the palm of their hand. Arguably one of the best of these entertainers is someone you all might have heard of, at least in passing, as he has moved on from wrestling into a carrier in the motion picture industry. He was born with the name Dwayne Johnson--but he is known simply... as The Rock.

When The Rock was a professional wrestler his character was very... self assured. He sounded like the star of the high school football team. You all know the one. The guy that was popular and knew it. The guy who could put you down in such a way that made even you laugh. The guy that you suspected was a lot smarter than he acted. The guy who could get away with being boastful because when it came down to it, he could back it up. He would say things like, "It doesn't matter what your name is!" and "The Rock says, 'Know your role, and shut your mouth!'" And the crowd loved him. He was very successful, and as I've mentioned before, he took what he learned and translated it into a growing acting career.

So, I was talking with my brother on the phone this week, and we were remembering things The Rock had done and said when he was wrestling, and one thing stuck out in my mind, because even though it was said with his usual charismatic panache... it struck me as genuine. My brother and I can't remember for sure what the story line was at that point, but I think he was standing in the middle of the ring, by himself, playing the crowd. I think that this was towards the end of his wrestling career, as he was getting involved with his acting, I believe, in fact, that it was in what amounted to his retirement speech. Remember, the crowds loved him, and they didn't want him to stop performing for them in the ring. The unasked question, "Don't you care about us, your adoring fans?" hung heavy in the air. And I was expecting to hear the Rock say, "No, I don't care," just because of the way he played his character, his on screen wrestling persona. I expected to hear something like, "It doesn't matter what your name is!" I was expecting to hear something like, "Know your role, and shut your mouth!" What I heard was, "The Rock Says... Thank you."

You see, Dwayne Johnson knew that if it weren't for the fans, there wouldn't be The Rock. And today I'm telling you that if it weren't for the dedication of the church school teachers, our co-superintendents, and our PF advisors, and countless others, there wouldn't be any church school. There wouldn't be any Pilgrim Fellowship. Heck, there probably wouldn't be any associate pastor position. And so my message this morning is simple. I believe that our church school is one of the best around. I believe that our PF groups are some of the best around. There's always room to grow, but honestly, I'm proud of what we do here. And so to all of you that help make all this happen, I say... Thank you.

You might have noticed that this sermon is more of a sermonette. That's because the Senior Pastor and myself "Tag-Teamed" the sermon. He did the first half and I did the above second. He even walked over and smacked my hand, 'tagging me in,' just like in a wrestling match. And he came up with that on his own, before he knew where I'd gone with my half. Appropriate huh? Oh yes, and when I finished with my big "thank you" there was applause. I'm sure it was applause for our teachers, but I also take it to mean that the congregation as a whole was not offended by my use of professional wrestling as a sermon illustration!


So after church I had a nap, and then our friends Aaron and Faith came home from Faith's graduation. That's right, they're all moved in now, and we went over to their apartment to celebrate. And by celebrate I mean watch them unpack. It's easy to help people move in, but it's a lot more difficult to help them unpack! We ended up watching a movie, and then Aaron put in Halo 2. Now, I never would have played Halo 2 with Aaron if Monday weren't my day off, cause I know that we can (and have) played for hours and hours. And hours. Part of that has to do with our personalities, but a lot has to do with the game, too. There really is a reason that the Halo series is so widely acclaimed. Even if you aren't a gamer, I imagine that you can appreciate how pretty (or at least well rendered) these environments are. If you are a gamer, you probably know how fluid the controls are, and how intriguing the story. So Jenny falls asleep while we're playing, which isn't odd... sort of. I honestly don't know why the such a thrilling game makes her sleepy, but it does. Next thing I knew, I looked up and Faith wasn't unpacking any more and was no-where in sight. We shrugged, figuring she had gone to bed. No big deal. Then Faith came out of the bedroom, stared at us all bleary-eyed and says, "It's five o'clock in the morning!" Naw. Couldn't be that late... is that the sun coming up? Hey Jenny, wake up, we have to go home and go to bed...

I haven't accidentally stayed up all night in a long time (come to think of it, that time was with Aaron, too) and I find this really funny. But, I need to interrupt the narrative for a sec. Now, before you run out and buy this game for your 9 year old, hold up a sec. There's something you should know. This game is rated "M" for "Mature." It is a violent game depicting an intergalactic war. Personally, I can separate fantasy from reality. And I have no urges to go out and shoot real aliens with plasma rifles taken from my fallen enemies. But the video game industry (just like movies and television) are rating their products for a reason, and you should take the time to learn what it all means before you buy your kids a game. All the information you need is listed on the ESRB site. You know what's appropriate for your children. Get informed and make intelligent decisions.
Now, some of you have issues with violence in media in general. And you probably have some pretty good arguments, even if I do disagree with them. (and by and large, I do) I see video games as a rapidly evolving art form, just like television and film, and as such should be protected speechh." Of course children shouldn't be playing gamesintendedd for a more mature audience, just the same for books, and movies, and television. Anyway, I'm curious what you think about Jack Thompson and his Modest Video Game Proposal? It just seems to me that parental responsibility is how to deal with the reality of violence in video games, not this guy...

Speaking of movies, we celebrated our anniversary by going to see X-Men III in the theater. I enjoyed it a lot, it is faithful to the philosophy and characters of The X-Men universe. There are all kinds of ethical andphilosophicall underpinnings, as well as themes of the battle between acceptance and blind hatred, between shame and selffulfillmentt. I've always loved these characters and how they explore all these things, and I hope that maybe you will too.

So that's more than enough out of me today.
Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
053006

Excitement!

So much going on! This Sunday we are celebrating Teacher Appreciation Sunday. I'm not sure if there's an official Teacher Appreciation Sunday, but this is the first Sunday after the Church School recessed for the summer, so it seemed like a good time to do it. For those of you wrestling fans out there, believe it or not I'm going to impersonate The Rock from the pulpit. Brave or just stupid? Well, it's to make a point, really, so... I hope it's not stupid. I got away with a Stephen King quote last week, no, wait, the week before that--so I'm feeling brave.

My very, very good friends are moving down this weekend. In fact they're probably with my wife right now, taking care of a car load. The truck comes tomorrow, and then they shall make use of my huge, bulging muscles. OK, OK, I'm exaggerating, but I will be helping to lift heavy objects, and that's good, right?

And I have to mention that one of our youth just won a poetry contest at her high school and will be reading it tomorrow at an assembly, complete with war vets and proud parental units! Congrats Elizabeth!

Maybe I'll have permission to post the piece by my next post...

Be good to each other
Rev. Josh
052506

No Posts Since Thursday!!?

And this coming from someone who knew where I'd been all weekend... sigh... Well, for those of you who don't know, I was on a youth group retreat to Silver Lake Conference Center, which is one of the best places on earth. Seriously. I can honestly say, as I'm sure many UCC pastors can, that Silver Lake was a big part of my coming to an understanding of my calling. I could wax poetic about the people I know from there, and the times I've had... but I'll do that sometime when I'm less sleep deprived. Instead... I want to talk about Will Wheaton.

That kid from Stand By Me, you ask? That kid from Star Trek, the one that everyone hated? That Will Wheaton?

Yes, that Will Wheaton. (Not everyone hated his character from Star Trek, though, I kinda liked Wesley Crusher.)

What's that? Why would I want to talk about Will Wheaton?

Well, because even though my wife got me into blogging through her own blog, Will Wheaton was the reason I knew what blogging even was. I read his book, Just A Geek, and it opened my eyes to the creative realm of the web log. And it was a darn good read. Maybe I'm wrong, or at least biased, but I think that even non-geeks might be able to appreciate what Will Wheaton has gone through over the years--and maybe even get a little inspired by his ability to overcome and adapt. He's an adult child actor who hasn't gone the way of River Phoenix, or the Coreys, and that should be enough to capture anyone's interest, or at least respect.

Anyway, check out his blog, er, his back up blog, I guess. Anyway, go here and see what you find. Try it, you might like it. Oh wait, maybe you should go here first, as Will has left a link for newbies. Enjoy!

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
052306

How May I Help You?

So, I've been thinking about something a member of my church said to me the other day. He said he'd been on my blog, so of course I asked him what he thought about it. Now, I'm condensing quite a bit, but mostly he said that he became aware of a generation gap between myself and his self, and that he didn't understand everything I was writing.

Now, I wish that I'd asked him what he wasn't getting, so that I could explain myself better. I like to think that I communicate well, that I can translate role-playing-sci-fi-reading geek language into the language of the masses. But maybe I'm missing something? I've been assuming that if you're computer savvy enough to find my blog that you know how a LINK
works, but maybe I'm missing something?

So here's the thing. I know you've been coming, the hit counter goes up much more than my wife is checking my site--but you haven't been leaving me comments, by and large. I'm pretty sure that I have the blog set up such that anybody can leave a comment, so... two things. How to leave a comment. Simply click on the link underneath the post that says "comments," from there you ought to be able to follow the directions blogger gives you. Secondly, please know that this is a safe place to say whatever you feel. I might respond to you, but I'm not going to judge you.

So comment away, won't you?

And speaking of links, check out 144 Inches of I-Cord. Jenny found this post and read it to me, and I thought that it not only was cool, but that it was also a great crossover for here! Enjoy!

Tired

So tired. I don't know how single pastor churches manage. I'm soloing while the Sr. pastor is gone away for a week. And as if on cue, everyone goes to the hospital, new people show up on your doorstep needing an ear, every other committee meets... oh yeah, and something's supposed to be happening Sunday morning right?

So it was really my wife who was reading my magazines and journals in an off moment, and she found this bit in a column by Steve Case.

The seven last words, the very last seven words spoken aloud by someone in a vanishing religion would be: "We've never done it that way before."

Oh that phrase, that idea-killing phrase, the committee-where-great-ideas-go-to-die-phrase--we've never done it that way before.

Case goes on to ask why. Why haven't you ever done it that way before? And I think that's appropriate. I think the next time I hear those seven deadly words, specifically or in meaning, I'm going to ask the same thing...

Why?
Why what?
Why have you never done it that way before?
Well, because.
Because why?
Because we've never done it that way before.
Why?
Because we've never done it that way before.
So who's on first?
What?
Never mind.

Hehe, thank you, Steve Case.

Looks Can Be Deceiving, but Perception is Everything?

We live in a very dualistic society. Which is frustrating to me, because I believe that most of the time life doesn't actually exist in either/or situations. Usually you're not actually one thing or another, you're usually somewhere in between two extremes. Ask just about anyone if they're liberal or conservative. Go ahead, take a poll. How many times do you get a simple one-word answer? I hesitate to use the word never, but, really, is the answer to that question ever a one-word answer? No. "I'm pretty liberal." or "I'm socially liberal, but politically conservative." or whatever.

We're still living with the consequences of a dualistic concept that came out of Greco-Roman thought. They believed that there are two worlds, the spiritual and physical, and that the spiritual is much, much better than the physical. Some even went so far as to say that the physical is evil. (Incidentally, most of those were branded as heretics by the Church, even as hung up on physical pleasures and so forth as they were, they didn't go that far!) I personally do not see this view of physicality being bad in our scripture. And reason seems to dictate that there are many, many problems arising from such detrimental views of our bodies.

But what really ticks me off is the way we judge each other. We say things like, don't judge a book by it's cover, and looks can be deceiving, but do we actually live by those ideas?

Seriously, be honest with yourself.

What we really act on are these sayings: clothes make the man and perception is everything. Are you more likely to trust a man in a suit, or a man in a T-Shirt and sweats? Are you more likely to take seriously a man with long hair, or with short? Now the same question, only with women... Are you holding a double standard there? What's more important, the amount of work your co-worker is actually doing? Or is the amount of work he or she appears to be doing? What about teenage drivers? Or octogenarians behind the wheel? What judgments do you make about people driving cars with dents in the fender? Or people who are walking down the side of the road? Or people with a cardboard sign made from the bottom of a box and a dead marker in one hand and a Dixie cup in the other?

I get so frustrated with this stuff. I really do.

I don't even know what to say about it anymore.

Maybe I'll tell you about the guy with the sign and the Dixie cup later.

Human Nature

Some of you have noticed that I haven't posted a whole lot of "normal" personal information, like the town I live in and my last name. I imagine that many of you already know exactly why this is simply intelligent internet behavior. I suppose that if you were really bent on finding out who I am and where I am, you probably could, but I've been trying not to make it easy for you all!

I think that the best reason for me to adopt this almost paranoid stance is this: I'm still a public figure where I live, and what I do and how I act might be construed as an example. Some of you, faithful readers, are members of the church I serve. (Maybe even most of you are, I have no way of knowing... or at least I don't have the urge to find out.) Some of you might even be members of one of the youth groups, or parents of a member. For you especially, an example of careful blogging is important.

One only has to look at how careless blogging has led to horrible things in connection with MySpace to see why.

But my profile does reveal that I am serving in the Connecticut Conference, and I hope that most U.S. Americans know that Connecticut isn't a very big state. So I don't think it would be revealing too much to say that the fate of 13 year old Frank Korondiis very much in the minds of us all. It is a shocking and horrible tragedy and it has shaken our faith in human nature... or reminded us why we have become cynical to begin with.

For me, oddly enough, a hint of hope that humanity isn't doomed after all has come from the most unlikely venue of all: A Fox Network reality show.

And now that you've done laughing in disbelief, I will explain myself.

My wife and I have been watching Fox's reality show, UNAN1MOUS. We're not proud, we're curious. And it was an interesting premise, a group of people with a large amount of money rapidly draining away, and the only way to win the pot is for the whole group to unanimously vote for one person to have it.

Anyone else think that no-one will win the money? Anyone else think that the cash will dwindle 'til there's nothing left? In a world where 13 year old boys die of heroin overdoses, is there any hope that 9 people can unanimously agree on something as divisive as vast quantities of cash?

Believe it or not, the first vote came within one vote of being unanimous and ending the game right there. Of course, soon after one of the contestants quit, knowing full well that if she did the money would be cut in half. Just imagine the anger and despair of the remaining contestants, watching half as much money rapidly draining away!

So it comes down to the last vote--if they cannot make a unanimous decision this time, there will be no money, it will have drained away to zero. As always, there is a push to pick one person, and there is at least one person who is royally ticked at said person. "She's dogged me twice this game, this is my chance to get her back if I want to." Voting time. The gentleman whose vote is in question changes his mind at the very last second. He was literally about to cast his vote, took it back, and changed it.

He changed it to cast the last of the unanimous votes.

At the end of the show, he spoke of the joy of giving something to someone else.

Maybe we aren't doomed after all.

A Spell for Eric Part II

"It's a clever ruse," the Emperor said. "You look the part, and so does she, but I'm not a child. I gave up fairy tales a long time ago."

"That's a pity. I'd guess that your life's been a little empty since then." Wolf looked around at the manicured garden with the servants and fountains and the members of the Emperor's personal guard posted unobtrusively here and there among the flowerbeds. "Even with all this, Ran Borune, a life without any wonder left in it is flat and stale." His voice was a little sad. "I think that perhaps you gave up too much."

--Queen of Sorcery, by David Eddings

I think I've decided what book to exchange with Eric... er, if I'd ever remember to talk to him about it again. The title of the book is Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings. Maybe it's not fair to give him the first book in a series, but with the possible exception of Eyes of the Dragon, by Stephen King, what good fantasy stories are there that span only one book? (and if one pays much attention to King's allusions to his own works in Eyes even it is an arguable example.)

Pawn has a lot going for it. It starts off with a main character that most of us can identify with... a perfectly normal young boy named Garion. It almost feels like a period piece... like something from Laura Ingalls Wilder. The setting is fictitious, but believable, with it's own history and culture, and, of course, plain old Garion and his Aunt Pol--the scullery boy and head cook on a large farm. There is just enough mystery in the background to start off with, and I find that the reader readily identifies with Garion when his perceptions of what is possible and impossible begin to change. And by the time Garion's world gets uprooted, you've been drawn in, and you're right there with him, asking the same questions...

I think I'd recommend Pawn, if not the whole series, to anyone old enough to read on its level. I think it would be a good place for someone who is not familiar with the fantasy genre to start. And for those of you who have issues with the genre, for whatever reasons, I find that agree with the Sorceror Belgarath, "I think perhaps that you gave up too much."

Guided Meditation

I'd like for you all to close your eyes. Now, imagine
that your body is a sandbag, tightly packed with sand.
You are tight, tense, almost uncomfortable, being
filled with sand. Until finally you spring a leak,
and all the sand starts to run out. First your feet
empty, becoming limp. Then the bottom half of your
legs empty out, and become limp. Then your thighs
empty. Your stomach slowly drains of sand and becomes
empty, and slack. Your chest and your shoulders
empty, becoming limp. Your arms empty, right down to
the fingers. Your neck and finally your head, all
empty. You are completely limp, and relaxed, empty...

Now, in your minds eye, I want you to see yourself
outside of a garden gate. It is springtime, and the
sun is warm on your skin, but not too warm. The gate
is locked, but you have a key. Look at the key, turn
it over in your hands, feel it's cool weight. Now,
put the key in the lock. It turns, and you know that
the gate is unlocked now. You may come and go as you
please. You open the gate and step through into a
beautiful garden.

There is a narrow path that leads straight through the
garden. There are huge beds of your favorite flowers
on both sides of the path. Take your time strolling
down the path, enjoy the flowers, smell their
perfumes, let their colors dazzle your eyes.

The narrow path leads you into some trees. Their new
leaves cast a dappled shade over you. There is a
slight breeze now, and the sun shifts in leafy
patterns over you as you walk on, deeper into the
trees. The air is cool on your skin, but not too
cool. You can hear the sound of chirping birds all
around you in the woods, and up ahead you can hear the
musical sound of running water.

Soon the narrow path leads you to the water you have
been hearing. It is a creek, a stream, that cuts the
narrow path neatly in two. In order to go on, you
must go down into the stream and wade across to the
other side. The cool water feels good as you cross
the stream, you do not mind getting a little wet, and
the other bank is easy to climb.

On the other side of the stream, is a small clearing.
The ground is covered in grass, like a lawn. In the
very center of the clearing is a box. You know that
the box is for you, so you go over to it and open it.
Inside the box is a present for you. The contents of
the box make you happy. Take your time, enjoy your
present. Maybe you sit or even lie down in the grass,
where you can hear the sound of the stream running
merrily by.

When you are done, make your way back up the narrow
path, across the stream, through the trees, through
the flower garden, and eventually to the garden gate.
Then open the gate, and step back out into the world.
Close the gate behind you and take out your key. Turn
it over in your hands, feel it's cool weight. Then
put it in the lock, and turn it, locking the gate
again. Know that the path, and the garden, and the
stream, and the clearing are yours, and that you may
visit them again any time you wish.

When you are back, you may open your eyes, and sit up.

Oooh! Shiny!

Hey, short post today for two reasons. The first is that I took time today to implement a new look for the site. I hope you like it! The second is that I want you to continue to pay attention to yesterday's post.

No really, go read it again, for the first time.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
050506

Close to Home

You know how excited I get to find theological and spiritual implications in popular culture. I don't apologize for that, I think it's important to think about what we watch and what we listen to, and as a person of faith, the theological and spiritual implications are important to me.

But sometimes I forget to pay attention to the theological basics that brought me to the love of that intersection.

When I read the beginning of Genesis, I hear that we are all made in the image of God. In the image of God, God made them, male and female God made them... Therefore, I believe that it behooves us to seek out God's image in one another. I believe that you can extend this idea into the creations that human beings make. Does that make sense? I'm trying to say that we should be seeking the image of God in one another, and that we can also find evidence of God's image in the paintings and sculptures and music and stories and poetry and furniture and television shows and movies and video games and plastic bobble head dogs and the cars that they ride in! And it's fun to go looking for that image, even when the search is frustrating and seemingly fruitless.

But it's easy to get caught up in the creativity and loose track of those basics. That it's about the people.

Luckily, God has many, many ways of breaking us out of our ruts. And people have a way of catching you off guard. Take for example, this post from my wife's blog. Seriously, go check it out, I'm not typing it all out again, and I'll wait. I'm feeling very patient.

Waiting...


What? Check again... did you scroll down far enough?


Waiting...


Ok, back? Good! Do you see what I mean? I've been putting together mix CD's cause I've been catching the image of God in the music, and Jenny... Jenny's been thinking these wonderful prophetic thoughts about how very blessed we are, and how unfortunate others are. She sees our responsibilities to those less fortunate and has devised a plan to help!

Jenny says that she's only one person, and she realistically thinks that her project can only raise enough money for a share, a mere fraction of what it takes to make a difference for one village. I watch our hit counters go up, and I can't help thinking that we can do better than that. I don't know the first thing about organizing an internet event, but if you all can make things like the Knitting Olympics happen, then you can help me do this: Support Jenny's project. Start a Socks for Sheep campaign in your own hometown and help it to spread across the internet.

Help Jenny make a difference.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
050406

I'm Sorry...

I've been bad. I know that I have. And I'm sorry. I know that you've been coming to look at my blog. The hit counter goes up and everything. And yet I haven't posted in over a week.

I'm sorry!

I was talking with someone recently who told me that she'd been journaling every day. And isn't that how blogging started? After all, blog is short for Web Log... well, I guess technically blog is a real word all by itself, but that's the origin of the word.

But I digress.

I have all these grandiose plans for this blog, and so when time gets short, it falls by the wayside. And that's not good. I'll write that post later, after I've had the time to learn what backlinks are. For now, I'll write this post.

So, as long as I'm being all apologetic, I may as well share with you a piece of advice that I give out that I haven't followed myself for a while. Always carry a small notebook on you. I first came to this conclusion in college, in reaction to some research I was doing on Jonathan Edwards. Apparently he was in the habit of riding his horse through the New England countryside to have some alone time--to think and to pray--to meditate, if you will. Well, when a good thought came along, he'd jot it down on a scrap of parchment and pin it to his coat. It wasn't an uncommon sight to find him riding through the countryside with his coat all a-flutter with many scraps of parchment!

I figure if he can do that, we can carry a little notebook around with us. Try it out, see what you think. Jot down things that strike you, use it to make your grocery list, whatever... the point is to carry it.

And while you're doing that, I'm going to go find myself a little notebook.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
050306

PS Don't forget your pen!