QUOTE

Sometimes these make my brain hurt from growing.

No matter what God's power may be, the first aspect of God is never that of the absolute Master, the Almighty. It is that of the God who puts himself on our human level and limits himself.
--Jacques Ellul

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QUOTE

Maybe someday I will come up with something brilliant like this and someone will quote me.

We routinely disqualify testimony that would plead for extenuation. That is, we are so pesuaded of the rightness of our judgement as to invalidate evidence that does not confirm us in it. Nothing that deserves to be called truth could ever be arrived at by such means.
--Marilynn Robinson

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QUOTE

I never thought of it like that. Hmmmm

Sadness is a wall between to gardens.
--Kahlil Gibran

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QUOTE: Keep thinking

Thoughts to keep you thinking:

The soul is healed by being with children.
Fyodor Dostoevsky

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EXPERIENCE: Seeing the Spiritual World

I don't like messing up or dropping the ball. But today that is what it felt like I did. I was talking with someone that does not attend any church, but has asked a number of times about it and what I do. We were talking about stuff that was happening in his life. Hard things. In the last number of days I have heard so many stories of things going wrong financially and maritally for a number of my friends that I have really started to notice it. Well the conversation ended and I meant to invite him to Soulhouse. But I didn't.
A wasted opportunity.
I told Sheryl. I felt bad about not keeping my head straight. I thought "if only I had one of those little cards that I try and hand out to other people." Excuse.
I don't think that Soulhouse will have some magical God-moment that will just happen to him, but I do know that it would be an encouraging time because the atmosphere is positively thick with the Spirit of God. But I didn't tell him.
I was thinking to myself a number of days ago that things are going really well, at least for us at Soulhouse, but I was starting to feel like we didn't have a growing edge. An edge that would be reaching our community. I wondered how we could spark invitations to non-believers.
I got a spanking after that night. Emails started coming in from a bunch of different people who were telling me the stories that I knew nothing about. (I love your stories! Please share them with me. What are you doing? What are you trying? What are you risking? Who are you talking to?)
There is a movement underway. At least 12 people were first timers this last week and a there were a number more that have been invited that have not come YET. I have been schooled. The Holy Spirit is at work. He is moving our faithful friends to speak to their faith-seeking friends. Whether I know about it or not. The time is coming for a loosening.
So I am seeing anew and understanding more clearly. We talk, I talk, a bunch, but I just don't always see or understand.
I'm learning. I pray I will keep learning and risking. May the same be true of you.
I was outside again, later in the day and there he was outside also. We spoke briefly again. I invited him. He said he would love to come. We clarified details and I thanked God for a second chance to do what I meant to do. Hopefully I will get better at doing what I am supposed to do.
Why is it so hard? Why the distractions and arguments inside?
Oh yeah. That's Spiritual Warfare.
Maybe I should listen to the podcast and see if I can catch up to where some of the other folks from Soulhouse already are.
No more excuses.
Will you join me?

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QUOTE: What did someone else say?

A thought to help you think:

Nothing makes us lonelier than our secrets.

Paul Tournier

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Full Disclosure: Soulhouse Nov 2 08

Ok it was awesome. Done.
If you weren't there you totally missed out. Go listen to the podcast and then try to imagine it being like 10 times better.
We learned some truth and exposed some lies. We worshipped and prayed and God moved among us. Words don't feel like they can express it well, so go listen.

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