Wi-fied into the Kingdom of God

I'm rereading Jim Palmer's book after having read it for the first time over a year ago.

Excellent book. Pick it up and also check out his blog - he's a great storyteller, relatable and a great mind.

Check this excellent quote from the book:

"For most of my adult life, I have been seeking after God in church. Now I'm starting to understand that I'm already wi-fied into the kingdom of God through the Spirit of Christ living in me."

I love that, "wi-fied into the kingdom of God through the Spirit of Christ living in me."

Hope of a Better Past

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That's why they call it 'the present.'"

Great "fortune cookie" type line from Kung Fu Panda. The kids got out early from school yesterday so we took them to see it (we're all big fans of Jack Black - he's the man!)!

Loved the movie!

That line stood out for me because it holds a lot of truth for me in this period of my life.

My spiritual director told me some months ago that his impression of me (as he was listening to me speak) was that I seem to be stewing over past regrets, consumed with future fears and missing out on the present moment.

Six weeks ago I went to a weekend 'personal growth' workshop in the city of champions. That weekend another similar statement hit home "I finally gave up hope of having a better past."

The present moment truly is a gift. I'm not saying don't learn from the past and don't prepare for the future but when they both consume (like they sometimes do with me) the moment passes and I've missed out.

I'm still learning...

Mature Choice

Picked this tidbit up at work this morning:

Growing old is mandatory,

Growing up is a choice.

~Unknown

Cockburn

To be held in the heart of a friend is to be a king ~Bruce Cockburn

A great lyric.

I'm thinking of Leslie today & I feel like a king.

I hope you are held in the heart of a friend.

Think fondly & thankfully of those who love you today.

Organic

“An organic church is simply a church that is born out of spiritual life instead of constructed by human institutions and held together by religious programs. Organic churches are characterized by Spirit-led, open-participatory meetings and non-hierarchical leadership. This is in stark contrast to a clergy-led, institution driven church.” ~Frank Viola

The Wisdom of Dr. Seuss

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

What is a Friend?

I was looking back through an old journal of mine to discover that my oldest son lost his first tooth three years ago yesterday. I also came across a quote I had given to my best friend:

What is a friend? I will tell you. It is a person with whom you dare to be yourself. Your soul can be naked with him. He seems to ask of you to put on nothing, only to be what you are. He does not want you to be better or worse. When you are with him, you feel as a prisoner feels who has been declared innocent. You do not have to be on your guard. You can say what you think, so long as it is genuinely you. He understands those contradictions in your nature that lead others to misjudge you. With him you breathe freely. You can avow your little vanities and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meannesses and absurdities and, in opening them up to him, they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of his loyality. He understands. You do not have to be careful. You can abuse him, neglect him, tolerate him. Best of all, you can keep still with him. It makes no matter. He likes you. He is like fire that purges to the bone. He understands. You can weep with him, sin with him, laugh with him, pray with him. Through it all - and underneath - he sees, knows and loves you.A friend? What is a friend?Just one, I repeat, with whom you dare to be yourself.

~C. Raymond Beran, in Bits and Pieces, September 19, 1991, pp 3-4.

Silence

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls." ~Mother Teresa

The word listen contains the same letters as the word silent.

Quote-UnQuote

"When the story of these times gets written, we want it to say that we did all we could, and it was more than anyone could have imagined."- Bono

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."- John Wesley