The Gospel - AG style

You were created for love. God was lonely so He made you in order to have someone to love, spend time with, enjoy. Your purpose for existence is to be loved. The problem with this beautiful picture is that God is completely perfect and we are not. He can't coexist with someone who isn't perfect and every last one of us has messed up. The only way to blot out a screw-up like that is to cover it with blood and death, so Jesus became our stand-in. He took all of our mistakes, rebellion, apathy, and covered them with His own blood and death. Scripture says that He could have come down from the cross and saved Himself, but He didn't "because of the joy set before Him." That joy which kept Him on the cross? That joy was you. The idea of being with you for eternity was enough to keep Jesus on the cross to the point of death. He knew you would have free will. He knew you would have the choice to love Him in return or not. He decided the chance you would love Him was worth the certainty of his torture and death. This love story puts Romeo and Juliet to shame. Will you choose to love Him?

Materialism in a New Light

I really enjoyed Charlie's post at Productive Flourishing. It made me want to see how much junk I could throw out of this house!

Angela and I are in the middle of doing a ton of paperwork and planning for our impending move to Portland. One of the things we’re currently shuffling is figuring out what we’re going to take with us and what we’re going to get rid of.

Few things make you more present about how much stuff you have until you start thinking about moving it across the country. We’re using a service that allows us to pack our stuff into a container and they’ll deliver it when we’re ready, but we’re being charged per every additional foot we’re using in the container.

He goes on to talk about how freeing it would be to get rid of all the stuff around the house that isn't useful, but is simply in the way. I'm typing this as I sit next to a scratching post and play yard for a cat who's been missing for seven months. Time I throw them out? Probably.

Athiest Believes Africa Needs God

Please read this article!

Rejoice!

Let us enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts! Let us enter His courts with praise! Let us say, "This is the day the Lord has made - I will rejoice 'cause He has made me glad!"

Joel's Here!

Joel Judah was born 5/29/09, 17:37 MST, 6 lb 3 oz, 19 1/2 in.

My water broke at 8:15 am on Friday while I was at work. I freaked and forgot to put myself in after-call so another call came in. I took care of that customer and then left work. My labor hadn't started by 10:15 so they induced me then. My contractions got intense fast and so I had an epidural by about 11:30. After that, it was easy peasy. Pushed for about 15 minutes and he was born at 5:37. He's eating/peeing/pooping above par from what they consider to be ideal and I feel like a spoiled celebrity at this hospital. I'm going home sometime tomorrow.

Please pray for us, we're so new at this whole parenting thing... around noon today he ate three times in a row and then was still super fussy even though he was full. When his grandma got here at 2pm and she picked him up he was fine, but in the meantime I had no idea what to do. Other than that he's been really good. I'm just nervous about what if I'm home with the baby and can't calm him down... Also, my body's recovering as the nursing staff says it should, but of course, I'm exhausted and sore. Thanks, guys!

A Valiant Attempt!

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day to everyone!

Thank you to those of you who've lost loved one in the armed forces or whose loved ones are far from you and you're anxious for their safe return.

Thank you to those of you who are serving far from home.

False alarm.

No baby yet. Poo.

Baby?

I might be having a baby. No contractions yet, but fairly certain my water's broken. Will update again when I can.

Prayer

This monk has worn footprints into the wood in his house... what would the Church today look like if Christians prayed this often?