Last night I spent some more time cleaning the basement. Went through 8 portable file containers, whittled the contents of them down to one portable file container. Gave Haley a whole bunch of clothes to donate to Goodwill.

We were going to put price tags on the the garage sale items, but Haley opted to let me continue cleaning the basement.  Haley is tentatively planning a garage sale this weekend.  I’ll find out if it’s going to fly or not by tomorrow.

Tonight is the high school youth group (Underground).

My inlaws are coming into town this weekend (Friday night). Suggested to my mother in law that she check out the Lighhouse Opening. http://www.kenoshahistorycenter.org/events6.htm Even if she doesn’t get to go to the party on Friday night, she can always go see and do a tour of it on Saturday.

I’m gearing up to do a deacon retreat Friday night / Saturday morning.  We’re going to be talking about some changes that will be happening over the summer / fall for our church.  Looking forward to it!

Haley has a bunch of things for her parents to do this weekend. 

I’m also signing up for BT 5502 – 01 Biblical Theology of the New Testament at Moody.  This course runs from 05/24/2011 – 07/18/2011 and is an introduction to New Testament theology from the perspective of each author, the progress of his thought, his historical background, and culture. It includes a study of the three Synoptic Gospels, the book of Acts, the Pauline letters, the Johannine writings, and the General Letters. I will be learning how to trace themes within the biblical text.

There’s only three more weeks of regular middle school ministry left.  I’m going to miss the leaders that are leaving, but I’m looking forward to the new leaders that are coming in!

-brian

for those of you who know the continuing saga of my basement, i have actually started to take steps to cleaning my basement.

yeah.

seriously.

everything is now in a blue bin or cardboard box. the floor has been swept clean.

the next steps are to take one bin at a time, and decide what to do with the contents of the bin.

we’ve got a rummage sale planned for the spring. don’t know the date yet, but looking forward to selling a lot of things that are no longer needed.

so good to sit on the couch and rest my feet.

-brian

I am thankful that my semester’s work is done. Well, almost. Have a posting to complete. I will say that my Romans class was one of the best classes I’ve taken in my life. It wasn’t that I learned a lot, but it is what God did to my life during this class. He drew me closer, and has given me assurances of my salvation. I still have a sin nature, but I am no longer controlled by my sin nature. I’m realizing more and more the importance of dying to my old self.

-brian

(Note, I am not the original author of this writing piece.  It came to me from the Newtown Presbyterian Church in PA.)

There was a potter who needed a pitcher for the milk she poured over her cereal every morning. So she measured the height of the shelves in her refrigerator and calculated the necessary dimensions for a half-gallon pitcher. She went to her studio, chose the clay she thought best and sat at her wheel. She made a shape pleasing to her eyes–after all it was her pitcher–she put on a handle shaped to her hand and added a pouring lip for that was the purpose of the pitcher. She brushed on her favorite color of glaze, fired it and was delighted with the results–she had created a beautiful pitcher.  She took it home, filled it with milk, put it in the refrigerator and went to bed. The next morning the potter poured a bowl of cereal, opened the refrigerator, and reached for her new pitcher.



The pitcher suddenly shouted, “Oh, no you don’t! Keep your hands off!”



The potter responded, “I was just going to pour some milk on my cereal.”



“No, you’re not!” replied the pitcher. “I worked hard to get this. I started out with no milk at all, but through hard work and careful stewardship, I am now full of milk. No one’s going to come along and pour out all that I’ve wanted so long to achieve! Anyway, I need all this milk; I’ve got a kid going to dairy school next year.”



“Hmmm,” pondered the potter. “I don’t think you understand the real story here. You see, I created you and I made you for the express purpose of filling you with milk so that I could pour it out each morning on my cereal. You were made to pour not to store!”



“A nice story, but I don’t get it,” said the pitcher. “But seeing that you are in need, I am a generous pitcher. I will give you two tablespoons of my milk. That should wet the cereal nicely. Everything in Moderation — that is what I think!”



The potter looked deeply into the heart of the pitcher, “You’re afraid,” she said, “If you allow me to pour out the milk you will find yourself empty, that you will then be poor, and that I will throw you out and find another pitcher. You don’t realize that if you allow me to empty you, I will have found you to be a priceless pitcher. Then I will continue to fill you to the top over and over and over again, and we will become partners in emptying and refilling you. Perhaps, if you are willing to be emptied more completely and more often, I will find many other bowls of cereal who are longing to be drowned in the love of your giving.”



“And what if I don’t believe you and want to play it safe and just keep the milk I’ve got?” The pitcher inquired.



“You are free to make that choice,” the potter said with a sad voice. “Then I will make another pitcher who is willing to be my partner. I will have to set you on the back of the refrigerator shelf. You can keep your milk. But after a time, your odor will keep everyone away, and you will have missed the greatest job for which all pitchers are created — the joy of being poured out!”

The V formation greatly boosts the efficiency and range of flying birds, particularly over long migratory routes. All the birds except the first fly in the upwash from the wingtip vortices of the bird ahead. The upwash assists each bird in supporting its own weight in flight, in the same way a glider can climb or maintain height indefinitely in rising air. In a V formation of 25 members, each bird can achieve a reduction of induced drag by up to 65% and as a result increase their range by 71%. The birds flying at the tips and at the front are rotated in a timely cyclical fashion to spread flight fatigue equally among the flock members. The formation also makes communication easier and allows the birds to maintain visual contact with each other.

When I was driving into work this morning, I saw the weirdest thing.  Birds flying in a straight line.

And then it hit me.

It’s windy out.

Not only is nature affecting us – with torn shingles, lawn furniture being blown, downed power lines, steeples toppled…. but it’s affecting the rest of God’s creation as well.

These birds are not flying at maximum efficiency because of the strong winds.

It will take longer for them to reach their destination.  They will become tired faster.  The flight south will be harder this year.

It made me wonder…. where is their destination?  How long will it take for them to reach it?  Will they reach it?

In some ways, those birds are a lot like us.  What is our destination?  What pitfalls or challenges will we face along the way?  Will we even reach it?

-brian

When I read this article, it was a good reminder of how the Bible speaks to us, even in this day and age.

For me, being childless – I do sometimes wonder where God is leading Haley and I – but I am enjoying the journey along the way.

If you’re wondering how the journey is progressing, feel free to check out our blog.

What about when you die?

Do you have to stand before God?

Apparently this is something that we should know.

John 5:28-29 Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.

So the question is how do we live?

John 11:25-26 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

When should we believe?

2 Corinthians 6:2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

If you’ve heard people talk about Jesus, and you still don’t understand, ask them about Jesus.  If you do understand what Jesus is all about, what are you waiting for?