Grace Lessons

Well it appears that the bloggers of the Duer family are getting lessons on grace this week. I personally feel like I have been blasted with an overflowing wave of grace and while I understand it more, I am more confused by it. I am currently listening to "What's so Amazing about Grace?" by Yancey. Each time I get into the car, I leave the car feeling extremely amazed at the examples of grace. Yet at the same time, they have really started to frustrate me. Grace in its truest form, makes no logical worldly sense. But yet, whenever I experience it, give it or witness it, it just feels right though frequently, I struggle with the giving side of grace.

Last night was a grace moment for me. Details are superfluous to the end of the story. Grace was given and received by two comrades in the faith.
It was a good night.

The Journey Home

“ We are not citizens of this world trying to make our way to heaven; we are citizens of heaven trying to make our way through this world. Tha radical Christian insight can be life-changing. We are not to live so as to earn God’s love, inherit heaven, and purchase our salvation. All those are given to us as gifts; gifts bought by Jesus on the cross and handed over to you . We are to live as God’s redeemed, as heirs of heaven, and as citizens of another land: the Kingdom of God. We live as those who are on a journey home: a home we know will have the lights on and the door open and our Father waiting for us when we arrive. Tha means in all adversity our worship of God is joyful, our life is hopeful, our future is secure. There is nothing we can lose on earth that can rob you of the treasures God has given and will give us."
The Landisfarne (via the Anglican Digest)

Can you imagine what it would be like if we truely believed that we are just passing through?

Trip to B'ham

My friend Eric and I went to Birmingham this weekend so he could take a certification test and I could catch up with a good friend and visit my brother and family. It was a wonderful, relaxing weekend. I was even able to take a nap on a Saturday afternoon.

Saturday evening we watched Hotel Rwanda. An excellent movie. It was a difficult movie to swallow that this is based on reality. I am amazed at how easily I allow myself to become complacent about racism here in the south. I continually struggle, not with being cruel or malicous towards those of another race, but with seeing them as equals. It is not an overt thing for if it was, I think it would be confronted and dealt with. No my struggle is usually below radar.

In listening to What's So Amazing About Grace by Yancey and reading Blue Like Jazz by Miller, I heard of repentace services or a repentance box, where the congregation repents of the harm that people did in the name of Christianity. Is my Christian walk hurting others? I pray it is not, but if it is, may I be forced to my knees in realization.

Selling Out God

What language shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever;
And, should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love to Thee.

written by Bernard of Clairvaux in the 12th Century.

I was convicted this weekend of how much I am in danger of being a lukewarm Christian. It is so easy. During worship Sunday, a good friend was leading us in worship and shared how this verse from O Sacred Head, really challenged him. "Outlive my love to Thee" The thought of me living past the thought of God's love is something I don't want to do but I do it everyday. I 'live' without accepting His love for me. It is not a constant acknowledgement that God is so powerful that he loves me despite my inept ability to do simple things that he ask me to do. I complicate his love. I place conditions on it for myself and for other people. Love. Lord, help me die in your love.

Maybe Too Much Information

This entry maybe too much info into my personal life but since it is part of my life I decided to share it with the world. Late Friday night it happened. I had prayed and prayed that I would never be a part of this club but I was inducted into the Kidney Stone Club. I tried to wade out the pain till around 2am when I called home and was told to go to the hospital. After 6 hours in the ER with no pain medication. I was released. I think it passed but who knows. I feel fine now and truly hope I never experience it again. Thanks to Phil & Mom....Phil for taking me to the ER and Mom for meeting me there and sitting with me.

Proud Uncle

Du's & Don'ts

My youngest nephew first pee wee game!! He is one cool dude!

"When you find yourself facing an issue in your life, the purpose or reason or good thing that might come out of it completely hidden from you--what do you do? Do you worry and fret, become preoccupied with the problem? Do you ignore it or avoid it? Do you complain about it, do you want to run away from it? Or do you see it as a situation in which you might be able to experience the power and grace of God at work? Do you watch for the work of God that is to be done in this situation?"
Father John Yates, Falls Church

I read this quote last night and was deeply humbled. I long to be the visionary that when I face problems I anticipate the chance to "experience the power and grace of God." I am reminded of the movie Patch Adams. When he is challenged to look beyond the problem. So perhaps my focus has not been off, rather it is has been focused on the wrong thing.

The Next Day

Well the printer is fixed, but then again, I never really determined what was wrong with it other than low on ink. So can I really say I did something right?

a day

I have just had a day when just once I would like to have done something right, or at least thought I had done it right. It was definitely a Monday. I pray that i will be like the Chris Rice song and wake up to a different day, attitude, and fixed printer.

Orlando Bound

Well it is official. Well the plans are official. If it ever is accomplished I will be amazed. Myself along with 3 other friends (commonly known as the Band of Brothers) are heading to Orlando to Disney World in May. I am cautiously excited because it is hard enough getting us four all together for dinner on a Monday night much less a 4-6 day road trip. But then again, that is the negative side of me talking. My fellow brothers have done well in allowing me to be in control of getting together different road trips. My personal favorite was termed the "Light bulb" trip. Head to Cedar Point, OH via Greeneville, TN. Then travel to Peoria, IL to drop of Eric for his sister's HS graduation. Then back to Auburn. But since Newby does not like roller coasters we decided to go to Disney Word. I just wonder how we can convice Adam that Spaceship Earth is a gentle boat ride.

The other cool trip I had planned was a trip to Fayetteville, AR, via Memphis, TN to see Les Mis. Three of us are fans and one wants to see it. But I was not keen on driving across Arkansas.

So my days as travel planner is over, now I get to work on the logicistics of the actual trip.

I doubt they realize how much they are feeding my control-freak habit.