too much running

this weekend our soccer team played in a tournament. 5 games is a lot.
my body hurts and im tired. maybe a little grouchy too.
but now im sitting here and i have to help out with our
sunday nite 'worship service'...so its kind of neat
that we are focusing on meditation tonite.
quiet time...
i definitely didnt get much of that in with such a busy weekend, but
i think its important to take time just to listen.
to hear what God is trying to make visible to us, to get the other side of the conversation.
the important side.
i focus on my side so often that its such a onesided dialogue that it often becomes a monologue.

saying goodbye to some good people

ive been up since 2 a.m.
i woke up to watch a brilliant man and his tennis racquet put on
a dance-like performance in melbourne.
roger federer is a genius.
after that i helped pete and chelsey load up the moving truck as they start their journey westward.
saying goodbye is hard.
im gonna miss those guys, their servant hearts, their genuine passion for sharing jesus with people.
so good.
at times like these you realize how important those relationships are.
i have been so blessed with countless amazing people to share this journey with.
these two are on my mind especially today.

a new take on abraham

after reading leonard sweet's chapters on abraham and isaac, things do look a little different in my mind. these are some of the questions and thoughts in that chapter that i came away with...
what do you think?
why didnt abraham ask God to change his mind when he told him to sacrifice isaac? (he debated with God to save lives in sodom and gomorrah...)
in other words, why didnt abraham engage in a conversation about this with God. it had to seem like a ridiculous request in his mind.

sweet says the point of the story is this:
" What God wants from us, even more than our obedience is our relationship. If obedience were all that mattered, God would have not created us in God's own image"
"God created us for two-way conversations--for full-blown no-holds-barred conversations. God wants us to be fully engaged in the exchage"

interesting, no? God wants me to argue, debate, laugh, cry, joke, and share with Him just as i would in a 'normal' human relationship? so, its okay to be angry with God if we are willing to talk things out? God wants my input? he doesnt want a blind obedience?
scandalous.
made me think anyways...im still thinking on this one.

badminton and reading

i played badminton again yesterday. unfortunately my competition whithered under
the pressure of trying to beat me for the first time.
but it is still quite a fun game. its like a moving chess match. similar to tennis. i think thats why i like it. anyway,
i have also started to read (for the 2nd time) Leonard Sweet's "Out of the Question...Into the Mystery". after the intro and chapter one, it has already been worth the $5.22 i spent on it. (thanks blair and dave)
challenging ideas about relationship and faith. from that book, chew on this one...
"how did we arrive at the place where Christians are providing some of the best arguments against knowing Christ?" ouch!

and while your at it...check out blairs blog here. be careful it might make you think in ways you havent...im stoked to read some of that guys thoughts...

stephen harper, prime minister

wow, if theres something out there that makes me cringe,
seeing harpers name followed by those two words just might be it.
to remedy this situation, i think i will begin to look for
employment in a country that is not run by north american
tyranists.
ok, ok i dont think it will be that bad. (but it could be)
the slim majority will hopefully require all of the parties
to work together.
but how about the good old NDP?
jack layton led them to 10 more seats this time around.
nice work jack.
lets see if we can make this government last more than a year and a half.

coffee with my green party friend...

last nite i sat in denny's until 1:30 a.m. with a buddy who will vote green party today.
we talked a little bit about the election
a lot about other stuff.
its great to be able to continue the conversation that
started a week or two ago amongst a small group of friends.
i have been reminded these last weeks that i am so far from
having a clue about who God is.
last nite i got to the point of just shaking my head
as we tried to come up with ideas in the 'God and Time/Future'
debate.
my mind boggles at the thought of the inner workings of a fax machine let alone
the inner workings of the creator of the universe.
anyway, go vote today.

three month weekend

yes it's true.
well, its not quite a three month weekend yet. but im getting closer.
im done school and have found myself with extra time to read and
write as i do the job search thing.
so, here i am. joining the blogging nation.
will be interesting to see where this all goes.
thanks for tuning in.