Living life with steps of faith

Please take time to watch this video: http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html What story do you tell?

"... we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin." (Hebrews 4:15b) I read this verse and I think, "there is a difference between temptation and sin," and "I don't feel as though I am tempted much." If Jesus, who was holy and perfect, was tempted, why don't I feel as though I, an imperfect person, is tempted often? Is it because the areas where I give into temptation are areas where I don't even acknowledge that I am being tempted? Have I become so comfortable with certain sins in my life that I no longer acknowledge them as sin? Perhaps even as we mature in our faith the temptations become different. Perhaps the temptations are to put other things before God, so that we don't set aside time to worship God? Perhaps the temptation is to worry, when we know that God has our back? Perhaps the temptation is to advocate for ourselves when we already have an advocate in heaven? Perhaps my motivations need to...

"Anytime we have any encounter with God we are reminded of two simple realities: People are meant to be loved and things are made to be used, but too often we love things and use people. And every time we encounter God we are challenged to put things back into perspective, to put things back in their proper order." -- Matthew Kelly in a September 30, 2009 speech at the Orange County Catholic Prayer Breakfast

Here is an interesting article written by a friend of mine: http://ebireflections.net/index.php?vol=001_vol&iss=009_issue&section=04_culture&item=01_culture.html#id04_culture

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/opinion/18bono.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

http://www.beatitudessociety.org/articles/256-the-unfamiliar-thrill-of-national-pride This blog entry made me wonder if it isn't premature to give our President the Peace prize. To get people who usually speak negatively about our country and would typically feel shame to feel "national pride" to feel "national pride" does create a level of internal peace. To have a President who pushes war forward yet has a progressive audience supporting him... a bit confusing.

I've been pretty silent when it comes to the discussion of Global Warming. The reason - it always seems that there is some new scientific concern that enlists people to change their habits to prevent the end of the world. In many ways I think arguments in both directions are inconclusive. I agree we should change our habits to better take care of the earth which God has stewarded to us, but I don't think this change in habits must be associated with a form of doom-prevention. We need to change our habits for the foremost because we care and our called to be good stewards. A co-worker recently passed on this article to me that I thought I would share here. I am not sharing it to enforce its position, but rather to demonstrate that we can throw our analysis of scientific fact back-and-forth and that our position is largely based upon our interpretation. Yes, I believe that we either are or are not experiencing global warming. Yes, I believe that whichever condition is true there ...

"Have mercy on me!" How often have I heard a begger cry out these words or words like them. Arm outstretched, cup held out, "Have mercy on me!" I purposely don't carry cash so that I will have an excuse not to give, but perhaps I should purposely carry cash for the purpose of giving. "Have mercy on me!" Imagine this, Jesus walking down the road with his followers, on their way out of Jericho they pass by some beggers on the side of the road. They continue walking. Jesus continues walking! Meanwhile, this blind man on the side of the road hears a crowd approaching as usual, but something about their conversation sounds different. He tunes in his attention and catches a few words "healing" "see that look on their faces" "faith" "the words..." He realizes that Jesus and his students are about to cross his path. Jesus, the one who he has heard can heal his blindness, so that he once again will be able to see! The...

"What are my blind spots?"... What are my blind spots? What are they? The advantage of the person who is physically blind is that they and everyone around them is aware of their blindness. But spiritual blindness? Perhaps everyone around me is aware of my blind spots, but am I? Yesterday I was reading from the book of Hebrews and I noted the style of writing and how it sounded like my peers who overly speak Christianise. Maybe, we are supposed to speak Christianise... Maybe this language is supposed to come out strong... In our small group, the leader has that goofy, smiley young conservative Christian look on his face and words like "Lord," and "brother," and "humility" come flowing freestyle from his lips. It makes me uncomfortable. I excuse my uncomfortableness by considering myself a more mature Christian and having a better understanding of how to be a witness to the world,... but perhaps he is right and I am the one who is immature, self...

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the elite. When I start to think about all of the cultural rules that have been created that unintentionally separate the elite from those who are not, I get sick to my stomach. I think I become anxious because I realize that the elite don't know that they are creating these uncrossable boundary lines and because the fact that I realize this makes me somewhat responsible to translate what is happening. The trouble is that in order for me to translate I need to step into those cultural places and speak and act a certain way, which I want to think that I refuse to do. So I bind myself in this odd place of knowing and recognizing what is happening but being tongue-tied and feeling inadequate to translate. I don't think the elite really understand that they are elite. When they do understand, I don't think they understand how inaccessible they are. They think that anyone and everyone could do and be what they are if they wanted to. They don't u...

Listen to these two verses: Isaiah 40:10-11 "See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep." Imagine these two verses. God's mighty arm. What do you picture? God's arm that gathers the lambs. What do you picture? How do these two images fit together? God of strength. God of gentleness. A perfect image of a caring, protective Father. What does it mean to be held by the gentle and caring, but strong arms of God?