Thought In Forte

You're Beautiful

2010-06-29T14:30:00.001-07:00

I see your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say... You’re Beautiful

I see your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
Its all proclaiming who you are... You’re beautiful

I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are setting on your heavenly throne
Soon you will be coming home... You’re Beautiful

When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we’ll sing... You’re Beautiful

Encouragement in times of struggle...

2010-02-27T17:04:00.001-08:00

Francois de Fenelon, a priest who lived during the Huguenot conflicts of the seventeenth century, wrote the following words of encouragement to a struggling fellow-priest:

I am sorry to hear of your troubles, but I am sure you realize that you must carry the cross with Christ in this life. Soon enough there will come a time when you will no longer suffer. You will reign with God and He will wipe away your tears with His own hand. In His presence, pain and sighing will forever flee away.

So while you have the opportunity to experience difficult trials, do not lose the slightest opportunity to embrace the cross. Learn to suffer with simplicity and a heart full of love. If you do, you will not only be happy in spite of the cross, but because of it. Love is pleased to suffer for the Well-Beloved. (Fenelon 1992)

The Love of God

2010-02-19T16:10:00.001-08:00

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.
O love of God, how rich and pure.
How measureless and strong.
It shall forever more endure the saints and angels song. (Lehman 1976)

C.S. Lewis on what makes Christianity unique

2010-02-17T20:33:00.000-08:00

During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what belief, if any, was unique to Christianity. They began eliminating possibilities. Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death. The debate went on for some time until C.S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What’s the rumpus about?” he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace”

Philemon

2010-02-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

There are a few books of the Bible I never read. Ecclesiastes, Numbers, Jude... You get the picture. But I just started my online study to become accredited with the Assemblies of God as a minister, and so they have me taking a course called "Prison Epistles" that focuses on the 4 books of the NT that Paul wrote during his captivity in Rome. One of these books is Philemon. It's actually a very interesting book! Because I would surmise that it's been a while since any of you read it (bet you can't even tell me where it's located....), I'll give you a synopsis and let you know what I've learned.

Philemon was a wealthy land owner in the city of Colosse, modern-day Turkey. He owned the house that the Colossian church met in, and gave large amounts of money to keep the church going. He, like many wealthy people at that time, had a slave. In fact, it is estimated that 85-90% of all the inhabitants of what is now Italy, at that time, were slaves. So it was a common practice. It was a vital part of the economy and not a bad life. Many slaves were laborers, but many were also accountants, caretakers, teachers, and keepers of estate. One such slave was Onesimus, who was owned by Philemon.

Onesimus ran away to Rome, stealing a deal of money and belongings from his master, Philemon. While in Rome, Onesimus came in contact with Paul the apostle, converted to Christianity, and began following Paul's ministry. Paul learned that Onesimus had run away, and urged him to return to his master.
This was a serious request. In Roman culture, should a servant run away and be caught or return to his master, the master had the right to brand him on the forehead. Or send him to jail. Or kill him. And it was not uncommon for this to happen. Plus, Onesimus had stolen money from Philemon (probably a considerable amount) and would be required to pay it back.

Paul and Philemon go way back. While it is probable that Paul never visited the church in Colosse, he did know Philemon and have a friendship relationship with him. Philemon saw Paul as a spiritual authority. Less like a pastor, more like a father. Paul was a big deal in the early church.

So Paul sent a letter to Philemon, urging him to take Onesimus back. Not just take him back, but to embrace him as a brother. Paul could have gone about this (effectively) on three different levels, using three different styles of leadership.

1. "Take your servant back because I said so." Paul could have pulled rank with Philemon and told him to obey his order. He could have threatened not to visit him anymore. He could have talked about how great a father he had been to Philemon, and convinced Philemon that "he owed him." And it probably would have worked. There weren't a lot of people in the early Christian church as influential or important as Paul. He totally could have pulled rank.

This is the outlook taken by a lot of (church) leaders today. There is an air of spiritual authority that comes with this kind of leadership that ought not be there. The kind of leadership that says "Follow my vision, follow my lead because I'm the senior pastor. Do what I say because I have the biggest office and my name on the bulletin." Church leaders should never have to "pull rank." Paul didn't. And Jesus certainly never did.

2. "Take back your servant because it's the Christian thing to do." Coercion isn't an attribute of an effective long-term leader.

3. "Take back your servant. Please." Paul took this approach. Paul could have gone about it many different ways, but he decided to appeal to Philemon as a brother, a friend, and a fellow Christian. He even took the debt that Onesimus owed Philemon, telling Philemon that whatever Onesimus owed him, Paul would pay it back. Big ups for Paul for acting as a Christ-like example and asking for forgiveness not merely for himself, but taking the punishment and the burden of someone else's wrongdoing on his shoulders.

Philemon is one of those books that's super-easy to glance over. It's at the end of the Bible and it's only 25 verses. But if you're in a situation where you're dealing with some abuse of power, you have a decision to make, or (like me) you're trying to get into a leadership position, Philemon can give you great insight from Paul, the most successful senior pastor ever.

When 'tis the season?

2009-11-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking about rethinking my thinking on Christmas (hereafter referred to as Xmas). I used to be a staunch observer of the "no carols until after thanksgiving" rule. This rule states that no one may wear festive clothing, buy a Xmas tree, sing (or listen to) Xmas music, or put peppermint in their hot cocoa until after turkey day. In fact, I didn't even like people calling it cocoa. I preferred "hot chocolate" until after thanksgiving. But, as I said.... I'm rethinking.

I love Christmas. I love everything about it. I love the weather. I love the music. I love the clothes. I love the tree. I love the lights. I love the carriage rides. I love the shopping. I love the stories. I love Xmas eve church services. I love that everyone says "Merry Christmas" to people as they walk down the street. I love leaving cookies out for Santa. I love Xmas lists. I love big meals. I love pageants. I love it all. And so why not love it as much as you can.

But when to start?

It was Sbux redcup day two days ago. For those of you living under a rock, this means that during the Xmas season, Starbucks brings out their festive, dark red cups to make hot drinks in. Usually with a cute little saying on the side like "'tis the season" or "upon a star" or something trite like that. And if we can agree that the majority of the west coast (if not the western world) lives and breathes Starbucks, then it only seems natural to start celebrating when the rest of the world does (knowingly or unknowingly).

So, I want more Christmas. But I can't start it in July (Sunny Kobe Cook). So I'll start it when you all start it. You may not know it, but as of 2 days ago, we were in the holiday season. Whether you like it or not. Unless you only go to Ladro.

Information overload

2009-11-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

Remember how it used to be? Remember that scene when in Hook when Peter is about to leave his office (he has that silly blue baseball cap on) and the guy who looks like Ryan Reynolds stops him and they have a "duel" by grabbing their cell phones out of their belt holsters? He had his huge cell phone on his belt! Giving him back problems, I'm sure. But he was on top of the technology. Remember in the beginning of the 90's when people would have a home cell phone, a pager, a work cell phone, and a home number? (Ever heard of Google Voice, people?)
We think we've come so far. But we haven't. At this very moment I have the following: 2 blogs on blogger, a blog on wordpress, a myspace, a facebook, a photobucket account, a digg account, two twitter accounts, an evernote account, and my list of blogs I'm following on Google reader keeps growing. But it doesn't bother me. Know why? The internet is freaking amazing! And the people that utilize it to it's fullest potential are the most informed and affluent people on the planet. Twitter is an amazing marketing tool. Google is an amazing business/advertisement engine. Facebook connects me with almost everyone I could ever want to know about.
It's my personal goal to make the best use of the internet and the connectivity it lends me as I can. Because it's a big, big world. And I like to think it's shrinking small enough to fit in my palm.

But, be careful....
http://jasondeuman.com/2009/10/02/ordering-my-digital-world-pt-1-distractions/

To Jay

2009-10-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

This is a thought I had a few months back and I'm just now blogging about it here.

It’s a strange thing having to worry about taking care of someone else as well as yourself. My buddy Jason Gabriel Pamer got married this weekend and so in the vein of wedding vows and lover’s spats, I have complied a short list of things that I have learned throughout my extensive experience (1 yr) in marriage.
When you get married…
1) You now have more than one opinion
2) You are not allowed to spend your money willy-nilly and eat Top Ramen because you have wasted your paycheck on things like guitars, video games, and burgers.
3) You are not allowed to drive like suicidal maniac in a stock car.
4) You have to consider things like life insurance. And by “consider,” I mean get some. And not the bare minimum, either.
5) As if your crazy family wasn’t enough, now you have another crazy family to deal with. And not just mom and dad. But brothers, and sisters, and aunts, and uncles, and grandparents, and cousins, and pets, and…..
6) You have a home and you must go there. You cannot get off work, go hang out with your buddies, sleep at someone else’s house, eat food on the road and go back to work. You have a home. And a wife. And you like to hang out with her.
7) Your annoying habits are just that: annoying. So stop them.
8) You no longer get to sleep by yourself. No matter how pissed off you both are. Or how bad they hog the covers.
9) You will stay with her forever. There is no other option.
10) You are the most important thing in the world if only to that one person. So live like it. Have a little self-confidence.

Be careful out there....

2009-10-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

There's crazies on the loose. Case in point: I'm driving in downtown Seattle tonight about a half hour ago and some guy in a volvo cuts me off. He obviously doesn't see me, so I honk at him. And then he just sits there in the lane and attempts to make an illegal U-turn on a one-way street. So I honk at him again. So he throws open his door and (after a failed attempt to put the car in park) waddles his chubby little self as fast as he can in my direction yelling obscenities like a lunatic. So I killed him.

Just kidding. I sped off down Mercer Street.