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July 18, 2004
What Stops You?
God has an agenda.
He wants to reach this world.
And he wants to use you to do it.
What is holding you back?
Could it be...
Fear.
Fear of people, fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of ridicule. That's ok right?
Discipline.
I know I need to do ___________ (evangelize, pray, read the bible, etc) but I just can't seem to do it very often or even at all. That's ok right?
or Sin.
I am a pretty good person and really God forgives me but I just can't get over this sin in my life. That's ok right?
I realize that this is the kind of post that doesn't get many comments. But my prayer is that you read it and it made a difference. In the way that you think first... ...then in the way that you act.
Posted by paul at 10:33 PM | Comments (7)
July 16, 2004
eh... its ok
So with the major theme of blogs lately being "I love this" or "hate that or these things" I thought maybe I would list eleven of the things that I am really rather ambivalent towards:
1. The color red. I mean its alright there is nothing wrong with good ol' red. Its not great but hey its solid.
2. Bananas. I know Heather hates them but she has a complex. They are good but I don't think that I have ever gone "Man what I really have a hankering for is a big banana."
3. Pickup Trucks. Tony just got his fixed so congrads but really they have their drawbacks as far as seating capacity. Sure they can haul stuff so that makes them all right. They're fine.
4. The number 27. Its a good number, not a great number but a good number. It easy to use when you need a random number of things but rather awkward to use when multiplying or adding. I dunno. It alright.
6. Mowing the lawn. Not incredibly fun but not bad as far as getting out of the house and getting some exercise. I'd give it a 4 out of 10.
7. The whole 40 days of Purpose book. It was a decent all around good book. I found it to be insightful but not amazingly so. I would recomend it, but not to anyone and everyone. Sure I know that God has used it and its a pretty good book.
8. The movie Paycheck and the movie Chain Reaction. Pretty similar movies actually when you think about Ben Affleck’s and Keanu Reeve's acting being at pretty much the same level. Average plot. Interesting technologies. Not much crap at all.
9. And that’s about it
for now
okay satisfactory acceptable suitable reasonable agreeable
Posted by paul at 11:37 PM | Comments (5)
July 14, 2004
Anything but Idle
So does anyone know how to adjust the idle on my 94 olds cutlass cierra?
I am trying to become a do-it-your-selfer but haven't gotten up the ambition to buy a chiltons manuel.
If I can't find it online then I am in trouble...
It was pretty funny when I was changing my spark plugs with Matt helping me... We pulled off the ignition coils first... nope no spark plugs under there. :) We took it over to our neighbor Tony he didn't know what it was either... so then we called an auto parts store. They gave us the scope. My olds has a distributeless ignition so the plugs are buried on either side of the engine. A couple hours and about 9 spark plugs later I got them in. Probably saved myself a couple hundred bucks but the lack of skin on my knuckles showed the true price I paid. Chock one up for experience. It was fun.
Ok off to change my oil.
Posted by paul at 11:22 PM | Comments (9)
July 11, 2004
And So...?
He walks away from me with an awkward jumpy gate. His faded black pants tighten in their usual places as he slides his gaunt frame into an ample booth to my left. His eyes scan the room furtively and alight with some annoyance on a fly orbiting the lamp hanging over his stall. He rests his arms commandingly on the table and waits.
After five minutes or so he has lost the comfortable air in which he first sat down and now fidgets with anything that is within reach of his white slender hands. The salt and pepper shakers, the flatware tied in a paper napkin, even the tri-folded “specials” menu falls prey to his wandering grasp. He crosses and uncrosses his legs further agitating his taunt pants and exposing dirty white crew socks in his unsightly black athletic shoes
He then absentmindedly spends the next ten minutes designing it so that a bit of the napkin holds pepper unseen just inside the salt shaker and vice versa within the pepper shaker thereby making sure that the next poor patron to be assigned to that booth will receive pepper when he expects salt and salt when he expects pepper.
Our figure angrily dusts salt off of his green tee shirt and mutters something under his breath as he checks his black plastic digital watch. His mouth forms and angry grimace as he folds his hands behind his shaggy dark hair. Abruptly his expression changes to one of intense realization as he turns towards me…
Posted by paul at 11:02 PM | Comments (4)
July 10, 2004
The Coolest Super Hero
I had always learned that people in the bible perform miracles to authenticate the message that they are speaking. To prove that it really was from God.
It seems to get kinda fishy every now and then though…sometimes it seems that the miracle workers is just doing it for their own convenience.
I have been studying through the characters of Elijah and Elisha and they both seem to do things that seem selfish.
Like getting widows to make them food. I mean that would be really cool if I could get widows to cook me bread from an unending supply of flour and oil.
Then both prophets throw their coat into the water so that it parts enabling them to walk across on dry land. Man, I would never have to get my feet wet again.
Also they both raised kids from the dead. I mean that would be sweet! Then you would have these little kids who would be way better then those kids that you support over in Asia or Africa. Instead of giving them money for clothes and school, man, you raised these kids back to life. They better send you a letter and picture at least once a month.
Posted by paul at 11:32 PM | Comments (1)
July 08, 2004
Synergy and Inspiration
It is truly amazing how when we come together we can accomplish so much. Why else would God confuse our language at the Tower of Babel?
I know that my inspiration often comes from the synergy developed when I am with other men and women of God who charge my batteries and ignite my vision for those things that are beyond myself.
Don’t undervalue the importance of people that fan your visionary flame whether it be through direct contact or through books, tapes, or even movies. We live such lackluster unimaginative lives.
Inspire someone else. And you yourself just may be inspired.
Posted by paul at 11:47 PM | Comments (5)
July 07, 2004
Peter Pan Can’t Say Goodbye
After watching the latest remake in the Peter Pan story I was struck by how he left. To him it wasn’t a goodbye. He didn’t understand time’s effect.
For a movie marketed for children from the ages of maybe 5 to 12 (note matt and I both really liked it) it delved fairly deeply into the how a child feels verses an adult. Wendy asks Peter what he feels and his reply is jealousy and anger or hate (if I remember correctly). The one emotion that he does not know is love. I guess I am still processing.
One interesting thing that I read when searching for quotes from the movie is that Mr. Darling (the children’s father) is played by the same actor as Captain Hook.
Posted by paul at 11:59 PM | Comments (8)
July 02, 2004
Morning-Blog
I know I have blogged about the morning before. Ok several times before. I guess I just feel very bloggish in the morning. The creative juices are flowing and so is the coffee.
This morning was a perfect morning for eggs over-medium, hashbrowns, tart grape juice, and a cup of rich black coffee at the Johnson family cafe. The quiet company of my beautiful wife and Miles on the radio made it bliss.
I could live like this. Content.
Posted by paul at 10:13 AM | Comments (2)