How about these to stretch your mind and give us a different perspective on reality. G. K. Chesterton

"A child kicks its legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, Do it again; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough... It is possible that God says every morning, Do it again, to the sun; and every evening, Do it again, to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we."

“In the upper world, hell once rebelled against heaven. But in this world heaven is rebelling against hell. For the orthodox there can always be a revolution; for a revolution is a restoration” (Orthodoxy, 117).

GRACE HARBOR

Photo taken after worship fall 2006. We are in the old Bennett's Creek Rescue Squad building in Suffolk, Virginia. God has brought together some amazing people; there is brokeness as well, but we're in the process of becoming who we are.

I'm reading Cahill's book: The Desire of the Everlasting Hills ~ The World Before and After Jesus

Cahill writes . . . ‘the radical society of friends, of free and equal men and women, that came forth from the side of the crucified (an earlier reference to the blood and water that poured out of Jesus as the spear went into his side - the blood and water, the Lord's supper and baptism) was quickly overwhelmed by ancient patriarchy and has been overwhelmed in every era since by the social and political forms of the age’ (pg. 303).

I remember Bishop Peter Storey from South Africa speaking to a group about injustice and systemic sin - I believe 'Prophetic Evangelism' was the topic and a pastor questioned how we can take a swing at this injustice and root it out. Bishop Storey said that if there ever was a denomination modeled after coorportate America it is the United Methodist Church, he then motioned to a number of District Superintendents in the room and said, 'My students are afraid of you.' (Bishop Story was a visiting professor at Duke Seminary). He then suggested that we start with our own house.

So much of Jesus' teachings had to do with the use of power: "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod" (Mark 8:15). Caution against religious and political power. Good grief we need to hear this today.

Chiapas, Mexico ~ The colors of Mexico are brilliant. La Mama and daughter caught my attention. I don't know if I have seen such beautiful clothing elsewhere.

Seeking the Kingdom

Listening to Into Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall on the Passion Website this morning ~ http://www.268generation.com/2.0/splash5.htm

How phenomenal is this!
Tears of joy, tears of gratitude, tears of longing, tears of repentance and a stirring feeling and hope that God is indeed raising up an army of worshippers with the Romans 12:1 definition of worship.

I once was fatherless, a stranger with no hope;
Your kindness wakened me. Awakened me, from my sleep
Your love it beckons deeply, a call to come and die.
By grace now I will come. And take this life, take your life.

Sin has lost it's power, death has lost it's sting.
From the grave you've risen . . . . VICTORIOUSLY!

Into marvelous light I'm running, Out of darkness, out of shame.
By the cross you are the truth, You are the life, you are the way

My dead heart now is beating, My deepest stains now clean.
Your breath fills up my lungs. Now I'm free. now I'm free!

Lift my hands and spin around, See the light that I have found.
Oh the marvelous light, marvelous light

The West Family

Here we are! Wow am I blessed with an incredible wife, Eileen, who is beautiful, a gifted partner in life and ministry and a wonderful Mom. We're 12 years into this adventure called marriage!

Josiah is 5 and is serious about 'getting the bad guys', Evie is 3, she loves to be the princess and Luke at 2, is convinced he's Batman.

Kingdom Thoughts

The Life Jesus wants for us . . . Drinking of the Spirit and allowing Streams of the Spirit to flow out of us to refresh others. Connecting the words of Jesus with Paul's appeal:

John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

We cannot live without water and this life source can flow out of us, though we are not the Source. Amazing. The drinking is also fascinating - the English translations agree on 'drink', there is also the concept of irrigation and saturation in the Greek. This theme runs all through the Scriptures! Abram blessed to be a blessing to all the nations in Genesis 12. Jesus sanctifying himself, so that they too will be sanctified. And thus the Kingdom comes.