My Father The Hero

I love thinking of analogies that come out of movies... and I know others do too, because I've seen and used books full of them. Well here's one of my very own. I remember watching the movie ages ago, so forgive me if you have watched it a million times and know every line - but here is what I remember from it. My Father the Hero starring Gerard Depardieu... is about a father who loves his daughter very much, and a daughter who is manipulting him and casting dispersions for her own gain. The dad eager to spend time with his little girl and get to know her better, takes her on holiday to this amazing resort. The girl, embarassed to still be taking holidays with her Dad tells people he is her lover, or her uncle, or a number of sordid things... people look at him with disgust and/or envy... and a variety of semi funny things ensue. So where is the analogy?? Well I was thinking this is how some of us are with God, OUR Father. We aren't happy to show the world what our relationship is to Him.. some are ashamed of their belief and relience on him, some have a stilted view of who God is but proclaim their opinions loudly anyway. Some choose to show off their spirituality but hide the real, raw, somewhat dysfunctional relationship they have with God... dysfunctional not because of God or His love, but because the person is pursuing a relationship with an idea or a characature rather than a Person... anyway, this girl paints a picture of her Father that just isn't true, but when she realizes that despite all of that he still loves her - no one believes her. They continue to believe the lie! Don't you see us doing that?? Wanting to sell someone on God... or a certain idea of who God is??
I was reading John 8 lately... and Jesus said some pretty challenging things to the Pharisees. They called God their Father, and He said that really their Father was the father of lies (vs44). They called Abraham their Father, and Jesus tells them in a nutshell that they are not a part of his lineage.(vs39 - "If you were Abrahams children you would do the things Abraham did.") They don't know God and Abraham is not their Father, because they deny Christ!(vs 19) Jesus tells them I am the Son of God, I am before Abraham was born(vs 54-58) "I always do what pleases Him [the Father]"(vs 29)... Man they got angry! They wanted to stone him... but what I find interesting is - He said they weren't God's children because they have followed lies instead of the truth, they had manipulated and twisted the law God gave through Moses for their own gain. I think whenever we deny any aspect of God, we begin to create a god of our own. A Father on our terms.. A "heavenly father" of our own making. We decieve ourselves and the truth is not in us! So, what do we do?? Well, let's take time to find out the truth about who He is... shall we??
P.S. another movie to check out that I thought everybody has seen, but apparently not - is Pirates of the Carribean, as most of you camp attendees know it is rife with Christian Analogies...

Toe Jam Take Two

Once again I was eatting my toe nails. I found that toe jam is also great with toast, apples, pizza, noodles. It really goes with pretty much anything.
The end

If you hate tag... don't even bother with this one!

Let's play chase!

The title comes from my little friend Kelly, whose little friend Teddy uses "chase" instead of tag! Kelly tagged me, and I wasn't going to do it, but then I felt kinda guilty and she kept never mentioning it, so here we go...

4 Jobs I've had

1. Teachers Aide, Trinity Christian School
2. Secretary (etc...), Capernwray Bible School
3. Missionary RAC
4. Photo Tech, Nanny, Secretary... (you know the x is right by the c, at first I wrote sexretary, and almost didn't catch it... I know you'd all be wondering what a sexretary is!)

4 Goals for this year

1. Paint a masterpiece... the trick is finding a masterpiece I want to paint
2. Obey
3. Trust
4. Laugh only when appropriate to do so (this is trickier than it seems as well)

4 Movies I could watch over and over

1. 5th Element
2. Braveheart
3. Sense and Sensibility (or any Jane Austin one)
4. and of course SOLARIS!!! what a film that is...

4 Places I've lived

1. Cold Lake
2. Carnforth, Lancs (England)
3. Haifa, Israel
4. Modi'in, Israel

4 TV shows I love

1. American Idol
2. Survivor
3. My name is Earl
4. The Office

4 Places I have vacationed

1. Turkey
2. Scandinavia (except for Finland)
3. New Zealand, Australia, Fiji
4. Germany

4 Websites I check daily

Pretty much just blogs, not much time for anything else...but if anything
1. iTunes Music Store/PureVolume
2. MSN Entertainment (I'm an addict)
3. Best Buy
4. and a few of the news sites BBC CNN etc...

4 Favourite Foods from 4 Favourite places

1. Chicken Tikka Masala, from my aunts house
2. Thai Chicken Salad, Boston Pizza
3. Nasi Goreng, Lazia
4. Mix Grill, Olive Garden

4 Places I'd rather be

1. Walking the Loop
2. Somewhere hot
3. In Zula Coffee House, Modi'in with a good friend
4. Jenni Browns point

4 People I'm tagging to do this

1. YOU!
2. Johnny Cash
3. Gilligan
4. Queen Elizabeth I

(I'm really only expecting you to comply however!!)

Rent A German

Last year a german friend of mine introduced me to a site that I have found a consistent source of enjoyment.
www.rentagerman.de The first time I viewed it I didn't know how to take it... except that it is strangely fascinating. So go on take a peek at what types of germans they have have available for rent... This fine gentleman (Oliver Luschwer) is number 55 of 72 available rentals. They are available for all sorts of functions, from work to family holidays! This is not a paid announcement! I really am a fan of Rent A German - in fact I have considered buying the t-shirt! Also available for purchase from the site.

What I learned from the Koreans

Some people are really good at respecting a person in authority, merely because of their position. I have to admit, I have not been one of those people. I guess I always have just thought people are people. People can make mistakes. Wearing a crown doesn't necessarily make you an authority on running a kingdom (in fact some world leaders seem to be absolute dolts)... being a peasant seems to be a better qualification for knowing and understanding the needs of common man. At least you're not off in cloud cuku-land making decisions for people you've never met :)

So anyway... I often didn't, either a)have an interest in talking to someone in a "high position", or b)feel that I couldn't talk to some sort of public figure just because they were "known" or in the public eye... Really why not. We're all just human. But living with Korean roommates for a while gave me a new perspective on that. They are so much into respecting elders, and authority, and listening to them and their suggestions. One roommate of mine cut her hair (which was beautiful) into a short, slighty old fashioned style, because one of the older korean men on the team said he thought it looked messy when it was long (it was razor cut - he didn't like that) She felt she should respect his opinion and his position in that, so she chopped it off! I thought this was crazy!!
The more I read my bible though (especially the old testament which I'd often overlooked) the more it it seems like God has institued postions of authority in order to teach us about His. Granted earthly authority is far from perfect, but we are still told to respect and obey - trusting that God has put those people in those postions, or at least allowed them to have these positions for a time.

Because I didn't understand obedience to authority I had a very weak view of God's authority and my need to obey. I think I acted towards God as if He were like a human best friend... I loved Him, but didn't allow Him to have a position of power in my life. I helped to make decisions... I "okay-ed" his plans for me. So I loved him.. but it was an incomplete love. Because I didn't really know Him. I loved Him like a friend definitely, I think I loved Him like a Father, I was starting to learn to be in love with Him, but how on earth are you to love Him as King and Master?
At the same time I was living with Koreans I was learning Hebrew...I found it very interesting (borderline shocking) that the word for husband in Hebrew is "master", Putting it together...I am part of the bride of Christ. The wife is weaker postionally. She places herself (in a perfect world) under the "kingship" of her husband. Not particularly helpful since I'm not married... but a little bit if I look at all the women I've known who have obeyed their husbands and respected their husbands position over them. These women were by no means weak, but their submissive love spoke volumes about their husbands position in their lives. This is what I want to learn, to willing submit to authority because that act of obedience can speak volumes about God's position in my life... and I know He needs to be first... as John says, "he must increase I must decrease".
So please forgive me, if I have disrespected you, especially if you are an authority figure in any way shape or form.. I'm still learning.

A synonym is a word you use in place of one you can't spell.

So today went to by and nothing in particular happened (except for my new glasses coming in... Fantastic. And I met for a small bible study with a couple friends which was also very good... [I love those small intimate groups, I feel there is so much to learn and in a smaller group we can be so much more open and excited for each others new discoveries]... And I walked to work today because the weather has taken a turn for the pleasant... and Peter Lewis came over and we're all going to watch a movie right away.) but somehow it's been really good anyway. You know I need to keep finding blessing in the seemingly ordinary things that make up a day. I am to quick to wonder (even stress) about what God is going to do, and not quick enough to thank Him for what He did today. So I just wanna take this time to say in front of God and these witnesses... I am grateful, even for the everyday. "Blessed be His name"

I like to eat toe Jam

Last night in bed as I was cutting my toes with my teeth I found I really like toe jam. The end

A Life Exam

It's not that our life is a test, or should I say, that we exist to be tested. But sometimes I know it can feel that way. But according to the end Ecclesiastes, it seems to me, we exist to fulfill a desire of God! Not a need of God, but a desire...

In life there are so many things we do, or acquire, to fulfill a desire - not a need. The things we do and/or get to fulfill a need, very rarely bring us much joy. In fact we tend to try not to think about them too much. However, things that fulfill a desire do bring joy (not sinful desires of course).... So if we are created to fulfill God's desire to be loved (in Spirit and in Truth) the tests in life are necessary to prove/show (make an exhibition) of our love. Also I believe we are tested to increase our love for Him... Somehow, because of the way we are designed, testing can prove to us our need for our creator, and beyond that, our desire to know Him. ...And round and round it goes... =)

Costumes not Masks

I love dressing up.... I love wearing costumes and makeup and strange clothes.
I love using different accents and voices. Some cynics may say it's because I am trying to hide who I really am. I just want to respond with a resounding "Pfbtbftsts" <- insert "raspberry like noise" there.
I decided today, it's not trying to hide, but trying to expose hidden aspects of a personality that makes people want to dress in costume. They are an extreme expression granted, but an expression none the less. Some people hide behind uniforms, but I think an even greater number of people can find a uniform to be an expression of who they are. Unless of course it's from a temporary position they never intend to keep. But even them it can say something about being in transition, like a McDonalds uniform... nobody expects that you'll choose to wear it your whole life. Whereas a nurses uniform seems a little more permanent and says to me that there is something in that person that is a carer, even if they don't always express it, there is something in them that finds some sort of satisfaction in taking care of the needs of others.
I would even go as far as to suggest, people that are unwilling to wear costumes, or hate uniforms... 1. either hate to be labelled or 2. are afraid that people will actually look at them, and they are afraid to be known.

P.S.what's your uniform/costume, what does it say?
P.P.S. Feel free to try and read between the lines!

Who Knows What Tomorrow Brings

I'm am constantly surprised by life. I know a lot of friends and family right now feel a little bit at loose ends - wondering what next or where next or who next (wink, wink). Feeling like nothing is going to change, or maybe that they just aren't brave enough to take steps toward change, like they think they should. I am sometimes tempted into the same thought patterns until I start to think about 12 months previous. I always seem to be in a very different spot to the year before. Sometimes I am physically in the same place as a couple of years before (but usually been somewhere in between). So who am I to complain. God is so good about leading me on to the next place, sometimes gently sometimes with a sharp push... but always moving me to where He wants me to be. Anyway, above is a picture I took last year this time. Below that is a picture from this year a couple of weeks ago... 12 months apart and hundreds and hundreds of miles.
I've come to realize trusting God is a bit of a wild ride... not always easy, but a definite adventure. I wouldn't have it any other way. Especially when I think of the way He's worked in my character and knowledge in general... basically teaching me, that I have a lot to learn. And that's alright, I don't need all the answers, because He's got them all. And since we're family, He's gonna share. (So in conclusion ...and with the immortal word of Napolean Dynamite "Yesssssss.")