I just saw an ad for this on Animal Planet. You've probably seen one of the "Christian the Lion" viral videos that's gone around the internet. A one hour special, featuring the story of the two men and their pet lion that they released into the wild and then were reunited with a year later, will air tonight at 8pm Eastern, and then again at 11. Actually it looks like it will air several times this week. Check Animal Planet's TV schedule here.
This is for all those I love. I don't have to say it, because if I love you I've shown it to you, and if I haven't shown it to you then saying it won't make it so!
Grace Roots Blog
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Atlanta reflections - Video
Yesterday I said I'd post Part 2 of my Atlanta reflections, and the reason this is in more than one part is simply because I got a little wordy in that post (nothing new) and I didn't have time to write more yesterday... and it's not because I think everyone's just dying to hear all my thoughts. =D
Anyway, instead of typing it all out, I thought I'd do a video! And no, Free Spirit and Leonard, this is not me doing the Macarena!
Anyway, instead of typing it all out, I thought I'd do a video! And no, Free Spirit and Leonard, this is not me doing the Macarena!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Radical Friendship
A lot of this past weekend is still sinking in. A weekend full of memories that will last a lifetime! Words are not coming to me at this time. I think my body and mind are tired, all due to some very wonderful things, so I'll most likely post more words about the weekend at another time.
Steve McVey and Paul Anderson-Walsh hosted the Radical Sonship Conference in Atlanta. It was definitely some radical teaching, all based on some themes lifted from the book of Ephesians. But like I said, I'll have to focus on sharing some of the radical teachings later, and for now I'll focus on my radical friends with whom I got to share in all this! I really can't even adequately describe the feelings I had this weekend, as I came face to face with these friends who have only lived inside my computer up till now! It was a sweet, sweet time.
First off though, a pic of the miles and miles of fluffy cotton over which I got to see the most beautiful sunrise ever! On Friday morning I left Cedar Rapids in the early hours of the morning, while it was dark and cloudy. Heading east towards Detroit, we flew above these clouds, and soon I saw a little orange ball in the distance, rising fairly quickly as we were heading towards it at 5-600 miles per hour, with the earth below spinning quickly in the same direction! I wasn't able to get the camera in a position to photograph the sunrise, but it really was a beautiful glimpse of the beauty of God.
Steve McVey teaching
More to come. See also descriptions of the weekend and pics from Matthew, Gary, Sherry, John, Jamie.
Steve McVey and Paul Anderson-Walsh hosted the Radical Sonship Conference in Atlanta. It was definitely some radical teaching, all based on some themes lifted from the book of Ephesians. But like I said, I'll have to focus on sharing some of the radical teachings later, and for now I'll focus on my radical friends with whom I got to share in all this! I really can't even adequately describe the feelings I had this weekend, as I came face to face with these friends who have only lived inside my computer up till now! It was a sweet, sweet time.
First off though, a pic of the miles and miles of fluffy cotton over which I got to see the most beautiful sunrise ever! On Friday morning I left Cedar Rapids in the early hours of the morning, while it was dark and cloudy. Heading east towards Detroit, we flew above these clouds, and soon I saw a little orange ball in the distance, rising fairly quickly as we were heading towards it at 5-600 miles per hour, with the earth below spinning quickly in the same direction! I wasn't able to get the camera in a position to photograph the sunrise, but it really was a beautiful glimpse of the beauty of God.
Below - Gary Kirkham, Matthew Campbell and me
John Fincher and Jamie Weeks
A partial view of the conference room
A partial view of the conference room
Steve McVey teaching
More to come. See also descriptions of the weekend and pics from Matthew, Gary, Sherry, John, Jamie.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Atlanta / Blogging / Community
Three days till Atlanta!!!
I'm not hopping "in my Chrysler that's as big as a whale" (see video below) but I'll be hopping on a couple of big jet airplanes (thanks Ryan and Jamie for making that happen!!) on Friday morning and heading down to Hotlanta for the Radical Sonship Conference with Steve McVey and Paul Anderson-Walsh! I exchanged a couple of emails with Paul a couple of weeks ago, and I'm excited about what's on his and Steve's hearts regarding this weekend.
I'm also excited to be meeting some friends that I've known only online up to this point! Ryan and Jamie, Matthew Campbell, John Fincher and Gary Kirkham are among those who I've enjoyed "blog" fellowship with, but now will be meeting live and in person! I'm very excited about all of this!
Did I mention I'm excited!
Many of us have come to know each other by a means that we never would've thought of, even as little as 1 to 3 years ago! The blogging world has truly opened up a whole new realm of relationships for so many of us! We all have our "real life" (in the flesh) relationships, but through blogging and commenting God has brought some of us together in a very wonderful way. Check out what nAncY said in this short post yesterday on the subject of blogging and commenting. Among other things, this sticks out to me: "...making it a place of relationship, communion, sharing." Yeah!
When the Lord whispered 'graceroots.org' in my ear 5 years ago, in answer to a question I asked Him, He didn't fill me in on whole lot of details. Some of the details have been filled in since that time, but at first I thought it was primarily going to be a place for me to share my writings about grace. I had no idea what a blog was, so I simply typed up a couple of "articles" and posted them on the website, having no idea who would read them, or if anybody would at all. Then in June of 2006, Dave Lesniak asked in the Grace Walk Forum if anyone had a blog. I didn't have one, but if I remember correctly it was within 24 hours of his asking that question that I started this blog. Again, at first I thought of it primarily as a place for me to write about grace, and I had NO IDEA how all these friendships would come out of it!!! I'm so thankful to the Lord for joining so many of us together through our various blogs. Life has never been the same since, and will never be again!
Unfortunately I'm in a season in life in which I'm not able to spend as much time blogging or commenting as I have in the past. I hope this changes, but for now I'm simply enjoying the simplicity and beauty of the friendships that have evolved in the past 2 or 3 years!
"Headin' down the Atlanta highway..."
(P.S. I think this live version needs more cowbell!)
I'm not hopping "in my Chrysler that's as big as a whale" (see video below) but I'll be hopping on a couple of big jet airplanes (thanks Ryan and Jamie for making that happen!!) on Friday morning and heading down to Hotlanta for the Radical Sonship Conference with Steve McVey and Paul Anderson-Walsh! I exchanged a couple of emails with Paul a couple of weeks ago, and I'm excited about what's on his and Steve's hearts regarding this weekend.
I'm also excited to be meeting some friends that I've known only online up to this point! Ryan and Jamie, Matthew Campbell, John Fincher and Gary Kirkham are among those who I've enjoyed "blog" fellowship with, but now will be meeting live and in person! I'm very excited about all of this!
Did I mention I'm excited!
Many of us have come to know each other by a means that we never would've thought of, even as little as 1 to 3 years ago! The blogging world has truly opened up a whole new realm of relationships for so many of us! We all have our "real life" (in the flesh) relationships, but through blogging and commenting God has brought some of us together in a very wonderful way. Check out what nAncY said in this short post yesterday on the subject of blogging and commenting. Among other things, this sticks out to me: "...making it a place of relationship, communion, sharing." Yeah!
When the Lord whispered 'graceroots.org' in my ear 5 years ago, in answer to a question I asked Him, He didn't fill me in on whole lot of details. Some of the details have been filled in since that time, but at first I thought it was primarily going to be a place for me to share my writings about grace. I had no idea what a blog was, so I simply typed up a couple of "articles" and posted them on the website, having no idea who would read them, or if anybody would at all. Then in June of 2006, Dave Lesniak asked in the Grace Walk Forum if anyone had a blog. I didn't have one, but if I remember correctly it was within 24 hours of his asking that question that I started this blog. Again, at first I thought of it primarily as a place for me to write about grace, and I had NO IDEA how all these friendships would come out of it!!! I'm so thankful to the Lord for joining so many of us together through our various blogs. Life has never been the same since, and will never be again!
Unfortunately I'm in a season in life in which I'm not able to spend as much time blogging or commenting as I have in the past. I hope this changes, but for now I'm simply enjoying the simplicity and beauty of the friendships that have evolved in the past 2 or 3 years!
"Headin' down the Atlanta highway..."
(P.S. I think this live version needs more cowbell!)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Ruth Part 2 - Unconditional Friendship
About a week and a half ago I posted God Sent Ruth - Friendship, which is a great message from my old pastor, Mark, from 1997. He continued on with Ruth the following week. You may think that studying an Old Testament character such as Ruth might be dull or boring, but it's amazing how much grace can be found here!
Among other things in this message, Mark talks about friendship - friendship between Christians (which of course should be rich and unconditional, but is often full of conditions and judgmentalism), and friendship between Christians and non-Christians - which Christians often sadly stay away from, or at least only view from an evangelistic standpoint. He sidetracks off of Ruth's story with his own touching story of a decision he made to relate to a certain coworker not in a "Christian" or "religious" context, and not for the purpose of evangelizing him, but rather from the perspective of unconditional friendship. The coworker knew he was a pastor and kept expecting Mark to preach at him about Christ, and in fact he even kept bringing up Christian stuff himself, but Mark simply related to him as a friend who loved him unconditionally. It's amazing what can happen if we just love people.
Mark also reiterates what he had said the previous week about God having made a LAW that said no Moabite shall be a part of the congregation of Israel, but yet here was Ruth, the Moabitess, coming into it with Naomi. The New Testament would later say that if a person broke any single law, he was guilty of all and was under the curse... and yet so many blessings would come out of this act of Ruth being a true friend - forsaking her own people and way of life - and clinging to Naomi and becoming a part of her own people. Did you know that Jesus descended from Ruth, the Moabitess?!
There's so much more here. This is the kind of stuff I was weaned on in my early days of having begun to shed legalism and embrace grace. I can't say enough how I highly recommend giving this a listen!
Among other things in this message, Mark talks about friendship - friendship between Christians (which of course should be rich and unconditional, but is often full of conditions and judgmentalism), and friendship between Christians and non-Christians - which Christians often sadly stay away from, or at least only view from an evangelistic standpoint. He sidetracks off of Ruth's story with his own touching story of a decision he made to relate to a certain coworker not in a "Christian" or "religious" context, and not for the purpose of evangelizing him, but rather from the perspective of unconditional friendship. The coworker knew he was a pastor and kept expecting Mark to preach at him about Christ, and in fact he even kept bringing up Christian stuff himself, but Mark simply related to him as a friend who loved him unconditionally. It's amazing what can happen if we just love people.
Mark also reiterates what he had said the previous week about God having made a LAW that said no Moabite shall be a part of the congregation of Israel, but yet here was Ruth, the Moabitess, coming into it with Naomi. The New Testament would later say that if a person broke any single law, he was guilty of all and was under the curse... and yet so many blessings would come out of this act of Ruth being a true friend - forsaking her own people and way of life - and clinging to Naomi and becoming a part of her own people. Did you know that Jesus descended from Ruth, the Moabitess?!
There's so much more here. This is the kind of stuff I was weaned on in my early days of having begun to shed legalism and embrace grace. I can't say enough how I highly recommend giving this a listen!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
God sent Ruth - Friendship
I was folding laundry tonight (YES, I'm the laundry person in our house!), and while doing that I began listening to another excellent message from my old pastor, Pastor Mark, from 1997. I became so excited to share it that I stopped what I was doing and went to the computer to begin uploading it, so I could post it here when I was done. Well, I'm done, and here it is. :)
This is a great message. Of course, I'm biased, but I really do think you'll get a wonderful perspective of God by listening to this! I really don't want to give anything away, because Mark really does a wonderful job of laying the foundation and making so many wonderful points along the way. I'll just say that the name Ruth means friendship, and Ruth the Moabitess ended up becoming a part of Israel. What's, um, interesting, is that God's commandment had forbidden Moatibes to ever enter into God's household, but yet here we have Ruth - friendship - coming into this fellowship.
Like I said, there are so many wonderful little tidbits throughout this message. I encourage you to give this a listen and let me know what you think.
This is a great message. Of course, I'm biased, but I really do think you'll get a wonderful perspective of God by listening to this! I really don't want to give anything away, because Mark really does a wonderful job of laying the foundation and making so many wonderful points along the way. I'll just say that the name Ruth means friendship, and Ruth the Moabitess ended up becoming a part of Israel. What's, um, interesting, is that God's commandment had forbidden Moatibes to ever enter into God's household, but yet here we have Ruth - friendship - coming into this fellowship.
Like I said, there are so many wonderful little tidbits throughout this message. I encourage you to give this a listen and let me know what you think.
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