the darkness won't last

today is good friday. it's a day of darkness. and today as jesus has nails driven into his hands and feet i can't help but think of the audio adrenaline song 'hands and feet' . today we mourn. today is friday but just remember that sunday is coming.

much love and peace, dmaloney

sometimes you just need to suffer through

so it's that time. you're probably wondering what time? well, it's thursday, holy thursday, it's also time for a lovely lineup on nbc and grey's anatomy. and for some reason grey's anatomy always makes me think about huge life topics. lately the show has been focusing on topics like the choice to have children, but that's not the point. in tonight's episode a husband had to watch his wife taken off life support, not by his choice, but by his wife's choice three years prior. also in tonight's show a female police officer was wounded and lost her uterus in a surgery complication. the woman's story made me think about how often we have things that we love that hurt the people that love us most. this woman loved her police work and her husband. her husband loved her deeply, but after seven years wanted to settle down and finally have kids. unfortunately there were other plans for them.

i think that there is a lot that we can take from this story, and that this takes place in our lives often. (not this exact story, but you understand the point) we much too often disappoint the people who love us most for something that we love. i feel that i have a way to work on this. not as the woman, but as the husband. what do we do when someone we love continually disappoints us with something that they adore? what can we do?

well, i believe that a christians we're called to 'be the bigger person' for a lack of a better cliché. to be supportive and forgiving. i'm not saying that doing this is easy. it's extremely difficult and we'll all fail at this multiple times.we're human and that means we can learn from our mistakes. when i think about situations like this i can't help but think of God being the husband. God is often disappointed with our actions, but he still sent his son to die. so the next time you're sitting at a ridiculous event someone you love, loves remember the ultimate sacrifice given to you by the humble man, known as jesus christ.

happy april fool's day! and more importantly holy thursday. much love and peace, dmaloney

go attack your nineveh!

so i recently watched Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie and it made me think about the story of Jonah. so here is the link to watch the movie and here's a selection from the first chapter of Jonah :

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: ² "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." ³ But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. ⁴ Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵ All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. ⁶ The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish." ⁷ Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸ So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?" ⁹ He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." ¹⁰ This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.) ¹¹ The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?" ¹² "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you." ¹³ Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. ¹⁴ Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." ¹⁵ Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. ¹⁶ At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

this is the part of the story that i want to focus on. this is the part that makes me think the most.

in this story we have jonah and in this story jonah is one of the biggest prophets of the time. he is popular and when he has something to say everyone drops what they're doing. he has total respect of the people and when he speaks they believe (and it is) coming directly from the Lord. so one time God tells jonah that he needs him to go to nineveh. during this time nineveh is the bottom of the bottom. it's horrible. the city is full of greedy people that don't know right from wrong. anyway, jonah is like yeah right.. i would go anywhere but there.. i can't save those people they're horrible people. God insist that jonah make the journey, but the next day jonah heads out of town to tarshish. (the opposite direction of nineveh) and from there we all know the story.

but in this story jonah is a big part of the faith of the people at the time. they believe what he said to be the word of God. and jonah was a leader for God and a follower of God. he was a prophet because he had a sound relationship with God. but this great relationship failed when jonah didn't want to go to nineveh. for lack of a better term, jonah "rocked the boat" on the great relationship he and God had because he was afraid. he didn't want to waste his time on people he felt we're already a lost cause.

this story makes me reflect on this weekends youth leaders conference. we talked a lot about "servant leadership" and i think that jonah's story is a story of a leader who was afraid to be a servant leader. see jonah was happy in the town he was in. he was even comfortable leaving and going to anywhere in israel. but was afraid and unwilling to travel to nineveh. jonah was afraid to do "God's dirty work" he didn't want to travel to tell people unwilling to listen that they would perish.

i believe that God often puts our faith to very similar tests. tests of servant leadership. God knows when we are faithfully following him and he knows when he can test us. so he sends test to check our faith. in these tests he has a do things outside of our comfort zone. maybe it's that feeling you get inside that says you should go talk to them. or maybe it's a call to stay in the kitchen a scrub a pot.

now those examples aren't examples exactly like jonah's but they are still a call to something that we are uncomfortable with and a call to be something bigger than ourselves.

so maybe the next time you'll think twice about that person you thought was a lost cause. jonah thought nineveh was a lost cause yet the city changed their ways and turned to the Lord. the story of jonah tells all about grace, mercy, and forgiveness, but i think that the bigger lesson is in his leadership.

we can be comfortable in our own leadership positions, but we need to comfortable anywhere. God calls us to be more than leaders. he calls us to servant leadership. it's a big concept but if you can grasp it and, more importantly, but it in to practice you'll be a better person. God is calling you to go sit at the other table in the cafeteria. he is calling you the kid sitting by himself. but the question is how will you respond?

will you be jonah? will you turn and run the other way in fear or will you willingly accept the challenge? will you be a servant leader for God? the choices are yours. do what you please, but just remember you could end up inside a fish for three days!

go attack your nineveh! much love and peace, dmaloney

a different type of anniversary.

today marks my 40th blog post. in a way i feel accomplished i made 40 posts before easter and i'd have to say that i wanted to do something special for this "anniversary". when i think of anniversaries i think of love and relationships. today i'm not going to get mushy on you, but i'd like to honor a family that i have a great relationship with.

that family is the hertl's. i have know the hertl's since before i can even remember and for those of you who don't know they're moving in august. the talk of moving had been imminent for years, but the reality is finally here. it's taken me sometime to be okay will it and so today i'd like to honor each of you and thank you.

michael, there are so many youth group memories that involve you. there are too many to name. when i look back on those years i think that you're one of the main reasons why i enjoyed youth group so much. you are an awesome person and i am continually amazed by your creativity and patience. you've always been there to change the light bulbs (among other things.) you change the church. you helped the church develop and i don't think the church even knows how much you did and still do. michael, today, i'd like to thank you for helping to shape my faith journey and for all of your help throughout the years.

steph, you're one of my best friends and i wouldn't trade you for the world. we've had some great times, and even greater ones are to come. you're complex and multifaceted, yet live simply. you're extremely creative and gifted. as you know i'm not a fan of people saying that you can give over a 100%, but i think you do. you've never left me hanging. you'll always go until the lifts stop. and you are just amazing. you have always kept me on my toes. and i never know what's coming next. i'm excited to see where life takes you because i know that wherever you go you'll be successful. thanks for all the times you've helped me create something, make something better, or just quote the brady bunch movie. thank you for being such a great person. always dedicated.

becca, we've had some interesting experiences together. from our late-night-drowsy camp talks i've concluded that you're someone that i could go to with a question about life and you would listen and talk through it with me. when i think about you all i can think about is your positive attitude and how always makes me want to smile. it's rare for me to see you in a bad mood and you're positive attitude is always refreshing. it makes me love life. it makes me appreciate every breath that i take. every day. every drop of rain. just life in general. you're more complex than meets the eye. i believe that you're are someone who appreciates a time that works your brain. a time that makes you think. yet sometimes you can be frustrated by the fact that the thinking doesn't stop. becca, you're interesting in a good way. and that's what i love about you.

bryanna, i think that this picture describes who you are. you are unique in so many ways, and have so many awesome quirks. i'm so glad that you share them with me. from your pregnant belly to your accents to our man voices to our hand motions. everything you do makes me laugh. but you aren't just a joke-ster. you are very talented. you play piano which is something i wish i could do. i admire people who can play as well as you. i think that you are one of the quirkiest and coolest people i know. don't be afraid to show people who you really are because i believe that no matter where you go people will find you just as awesome as i find you.

sam, when we've actually talked i've enjoyed those experiences. i think that you're a strong person. you've been pushed around a lot throughout your life and i think that when you're older you won't take any crap from anyone. so sam i want to thank you for being a good sport and the butt of way too many jokes.

thank you hertl family for being such a large part of my life. you've each had an individual impact on me. best wishes to all of you as you prepare to embark on a new journey. i love all of you!

much love and peace, dmaloney

right now.

in history we've been studying the holocaust. as supplements for the class discussion we've been reading selections from elie wiesel's 'night'. if you haven't heard of or read 'night' it is based on elie wiesel's experience in the auschwitz-birkenau concentration camp in 1944-1945.

i read the whole book as a freshman in english and when i read it then it hit me. i recognized the horror of the holocaust. but this time i looked at it in a new perspective. certain parts really stood out. in particular the part where elie wiesel tells of the death of his father. i spare you the graphic details. but this made me think about a bunch of different things and some of them are unimportant. but one thing was the regret he had for his father's death. he felt like he had done something wrong by not responding to his father's last words. the words. 'eliezer.' it made me think about holding on to our earthly bodies. our grief. i'm not saying that dealing with grief is easy. it is hard to do. but if you can it's so much better. our bodies are nothing after our life on earth. they mean nothing. we shouldn't be afraid of death because it's only the start of your real life. the life that is unimaginable. and unfathomable. so life well. but don't be afraid or the end. live in the moment. right now. right now.

much love and peace, dmaloney

the blessing within misfortune.

over the past four days a bunch of people have come up to me and said things like " wow, that sucks." or "oh, that must be horrible." (i thank all of you who have comforted me or said anything at all.) but truth be told. i'm not upset. don't get me wrong i'm not happy this happened but i think it's given me the opportunity to evaluate a lot of things. a much anticipated time. a time to really evaluate what my future is. sunday night i was sitting at youth group semi-enjoying the activity because i couldn't participate. and i thought what about the people who hate sports is this any fun for them. they are bored out of their minds like me, but they're bored all the time. this time has allowed me to see things from a different perspective. a new angle. if i become a youth pastor i vow to attempt to find a balance between physical and mental activities. so i believe that this time will allow me to evaluate a lot of things about myself. so bear with me as i try to barrel through some thoughts.

for those of you who are interested i'd like to share my progress through pictures. this is just up to monday afternoon (pre-braces)

before saturday:

monday afternoon:

disclaimer: i don't actually look like this!

that was your joke of the day!

happy st. patty's day, much love and peace, dmaloney

all game. no talk.

everyone knows someone or has heard someone who talks a big game and doesn't act. it's frustrating, isn't it? i'm not talking about the jokes you have with friends. or anything like that. i'm talking about people who say think like 'yo, i'mma get my people on you.' or ' i'm perfect because i got to church.' sometimes we need to think before we speak. are you really going to get your people on me? or are you really perfect? because i'm pretty sure you've never opened a bible and i just heard you swear like a sailor back there.

and maybe these are harsh judgments that i'm not qualified to make. what i think doesn't matter. but i think if you're going to talk big you need to act big.

now, there's no beating the biggest act of all acts. (the creation of earth and humans) but you can still act. God gave you a mouth, ears, nose, legs, arms, and brain. and each of those are separate entities. yet work together. the body is a team and your mouth shouldn't do more work than your brain, arms, legs, ears, and nose.

'Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.' -1 corinthians 12: 14-26

this selection from paul's letter calls us to more than to just working together. it is open to its own interpretation. and the letter continues with what it really calls us to do. but i'm telling you back up your words. don't fight some idiot. show people that you are a real follower of Christ and that God's grace is there for everyone, anytime. the best part is that it never stops. never ends. and never stops giving.

much love and peace, dmaloney

failure or just an excuse to push harder?

so yesterday the internet did what it felt like doing and wasn't totally working in my house. because of that i didn't get to post. if you're wondering if i think i failed. the answer is no. yes. i failed to make a post. this is just the physical representation of the relationship that i have made with God. i blog for the world to have the opportunity to see what i'm thinking about. what i believe about certain 'hot topics'. so in my mind i didn't fail because i still had my 'God time' yesterday. i think this compares to when you lose a game. the next day you just have to shake it off. right? you keep pushing and just make a stronger effort to beat them next time. you run harder. you do ten more push-up. you work harder every second. because you know when the time comes to get back on the field you'll be ready. that's what this blog is about. strengthening my relationship with God so when the time comes to for the time of the final verdict i'll be a winner. i'll have that final victory. the buzzer shot.

quote of the day:

'my heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.' - psalm 38:9-11

joke of the day:

TOP TEN THINGS YOU NEVER HEAR IN CHURCH...

10. Hey! It's my turn to sit in the front pew.

9. I was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes over time.

8. Personally I find witnessing much more enjoyable than golf.

7. I've decided to give our church the $500 a month I used to send to TV evangelists.

6. I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the Junior High Sunday School class.

5. Forget the denominational minimum salary, let's pay our pastor so he can live like we do.

4. I love it when we sing hymns I've never heard before!

3. Since we're all here, let's start the service early.

2. Pastor, we'd like to send you to this Bible seminar in the Bahamas.

1. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign

dfihioashdfiog much love and peace, dmaloney

the perks of choice

accidents. we're usually afraid when we hear that. accidents. scary. our accidents usually are mistake-based. right? like this:

just a little bit of a problem.

but do we ever think of happy accidents. accidents that help us. or change us for the better. or do you not believe in accidents. i have my own personal opinions about predestination and free-will. and my own beliefs are what i like to call a multiple choice test. and this is one of the things that i love about the united methodist church. i'm not forced into believing. i'm allow to make my own decisions about faith that can be scary. but in the end i believe that when we push ourselves to decide on our beliefs about life. and a whole long list of things. we strength our faith. we become better 'evangelists'. when you finish reading this you'll understand the whole 'multiple choice test' and why i believe that. but i think that if you asked a person who practices under a denomination with forced beliefs their responses would be different. when we can decide things for ourselves we become incapable of just about everything.

but now back to the 'multiple choice test' concept. i believe in the idea that God has a set plan for us. but in a different way than predestination. see i believe that God has allowed us the freedom (or free-will) to pick the options set for us. and the different ways have different plans. i'm still deciding on the path that i'll take, but i'm pretty sure that God has the options set. and none of them lead to failure. my life is in his best interest. and i'd like to think that i've put him in mine too.

quote of the day:

'whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.'

-colossians 3:23

joke of the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTZ1QL1fllo&feature=related

oh! my nose!

have a great sunday! much love and peace, dmaloney

just the right blend

here's a quick video that i thought was amusing.. if you're reading on facebook i don't think you'll be able to see this.. so you can read the rest at http://dmaloneybaloney.blogspot.com and see the video...

so i found this video on youtube, but this guy doesn't only blend iphones he blends spam and soo much more but that isn't the point.

a couple years ago in youth group we we're ask to draw a portrait of jesus and how we see him. and i remember someone taking a purple piece of paper and drawing in purple crayon on the paper. when she presented it she said i drew in the same color because i think that he blends into the background often. and over time i've reflected on it and i think reinterpreted. God is there just it so obvious it's like white crayon on white paper.

you remember in elementary school when you would color a picture and you would either thought that the white crayon was pointless (meaning good for throwing across the room) or you thought that you could use it on other colors of paper. and so for those of you who actually used that white crayon to color know that the color was there if you used another crayon near it. it's interesting to think of God in this way. that much to often we only stumble upon him..

the other interesting thing is that the white crayon shows on other colors of paper. all the other colors. all the other lights. God is shinning bright. i feel that this post strongly relates to the post entitled 'what your metaphor?' and that's all for this snowy thursday night.

quote of the day:

'the most wasted of all days is one without laughter.' -e.e. cummings

joke of the day:

'why couldn't the 11 year old see the pirate movie?

.

.

.

.

.

.

because it was rated arrrgh!

photo of the day:

just all the colors in the box on all the different papers. much love and peace, dmaloney

the paralyzing novocain

so today i made the unfortunate trip to the dentist to have a cavity filled. not exactly the way i would generally want to spend my monday afternoon, yet i suffered through. and as i sat there with a dentist and a hygienist peering into my mouth with a ten inch needle i couldn't help but think about our fears brought upon us psychologically. did the needle actually hurt? no. not really. yet i had already convinced myself that it was going to be painful. our fear is paralyzing. it's the most powerful emotion. it trumps all. my biggest fear is not being in control. so leads to a lot of other fears. i need to be in control. and i often tell myself that i can deal without being in control yet as soon as the time comes my fear kicks in. it's horrible. it's more than paralyzing. so what can we do to conquer fear? how can we kick fear out the back door? well, truth be told i don't have a true answer. the best advice i can give is to trust. have faith. was the trip to the dentist actually painful? did die by going on the roller coaster? did that spider kill you? no. no. and no. so ask yourself these questions the next time fear knocks on your door. just go for it. slam the door in fear's face and walk away. because you've won.

just for your information i don't look like this anymore. super plus!

quote of the day:

'fear is not the natural state of civilized people.' -aung san suu kyi

joke of the day:

Jim and Mary were both patients in a Mental Hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Jim suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom and stayed there. Mary promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled Jim out.

When the medical director became aware of Mary's heroic act he immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital as he now considered her to be mentally stable. When he went to tell Mary the news he said, "Mary, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you're being discharged because since you were able to jump in and save the life of another patient, I think you've regained your senses. The bad news is Jim, the patient you saved, hung himself with his bathrobe belt in the bathroom. I am so sorry, but he's dead."

Mary replied, "He didn't hang himself, I put him there to dry.

photo of the day:

prove fear wrong. much love and peace, dmaloney

the beauty pageant

beauty. it's defined in the dictionary as the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising fromsensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personalityin which high spiritual qualities are manifest). and as humans i'd like to believe that we each have our own definition of beauty. to some it looks like this:

or this:

but the one of the amazing thing about God is that he isn't the judge of a beauty pageant. he doesn't care how you look in a bikini or if you can walk down a runway in heels. God loves you the way you are. he made you the way you are because he think you are beautiful. here are some of the top image results for beauty, you might be surprised,

beauty comes in a shapes, sizes, colors, races, and God doesn't see any of that. he sees all of us as a b-e-a-u-tiful child. his creation. so don't change yourself because you want to look "beautiful" because you all ready are.

just smile and don't change yourself to fit societies demand of beauty.

quote of the day:

"be yourself and think for yourself; and while your conclusions many not be infalliable, they will be nearer right than the conclusions forced upon you." - elbert hubbard.

joke of the day:

i don't have one, so go look in a mirror, and make a funny face.

photo of the day:

start this week with a new attitude. wake up with a smile. much love and peace, dmaloney

one of the most powerful tools

if you haven't notice by now i really enjoy using music as a tool to communicate ministry. it's powerful. and i obviously wasn't the first person to feel that way, as the majority of church services revolve around music. music is powerful. it's a way to communicate your own message. but that message can have so many interpretations. like the post on regina spektor's song 'laughing with' and jars of clay's song 'like a child'. well, today i have a new song for you.

it's called 'how he loves' by david crowder band.

link to video w/ lyrics : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWgeUrD4MHI

it's a cool song, with some really great lyrics. my favorite part:

'And oh, how He loves us so

Oh how He loves us

How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us

Oh how He loves us

Oh how He loves us

Oh how He loves'

i read somewhere recently God loves you as if you are the only person on earth. it's pretty amazing. and it's so crazy we'll never be able to understand. we'll never be able to wrap our minds around God's unfathomable. indescribable. unexplainable. love.

it's love and it's there for you.

i have a large collection of songs that i listen to when i'm looking for God. in my meditation, most of the time. but most of them are reflective or illustrate my individual conclusions and beliefs. another favorite is 'grand canyon' by ffh

'So I'm reaching across the Grand Canyon

Hoping you will take my hand

Wondering why you're just not listening

So for the time being

I'll just keep on reaching for you'

this song always makes me think back on my confirmation. during the classes i remember one point that was jesus is the bridge between you and God. he's the reason we can have a relationship with God. and that's exactly what this song is saying.in a way both songs are related. they both symbolize the power of God's unfailing love. and that love is a bridge across the grand canyon and so much more.

quote of the day:

'oh how He loves us' - david crowder band song: 'how he loves'

joke of the day:

horse walks into a bar. bartender says 'why the long face?'

haha!

photo of the day:

have a wonderful sunday. and happy birthday to becca hertl. much love and peace, dmaloney

it's called a sacrifice for a reason

here's a link to a church cartoon blog, some fun, truths about the church in cartoon form so it's pretty cool. to the left is one of his cartoons. and the link is below

http://www.cartoonchurch.com/blog/

lent continues to be a topic of interest in my mind and in my house. and i hope my post on ash wednesday was not miss interpreted, and the more i think about it. i maybe completely contradict what i said.

after much more considerations and prayer i've realized that i should sacrifice something for God. i've been give up a plethora of bad habits in the past couple weeks. and it someways i think that it has changed me. i'm more jovial. but i still feel that God wants something more from me. i feel that God is the usher standing with his outstretched arm, holding the offering plate that 'everyone' has contributed to. and in a way i feel that i shouldn't fall into the pressure of lent. change my own opinion of lent. but the other side of me says "jesus, gave his life on a cross. he had nails driven into his hands and feet. worn a crown of thorns. and all you can promise to do is blog for forty days. lame." the purpose of all of this is sacrifice. what am i sacrificing to feel maybe only one-billionth of what jesus sacrificed on the cross.

so i've thought about fasting. i've thought about technology. i've thought about reading more. i've thought about a bunch of things. our lives revolve around time and technology. am i wrong? we wake up run to school/church/work. then to some much we barely sit for more than twenty minutes at a time. and through all of this we're facebooking, tweeting, blogging, texting, calling (you get the picture). and then we repeat.

we do all of this without even thinking if maybe all we need is some silence. time to sort things out, but we're so absorbed in all of lifes distractions that your prayer can be interrupted by a call.

so i think this lent i'm going to do my best to blog to you for forty days+. and i'm going to spend time in silence. what i like to call jesus time.

quote of the day:

“dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. no one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”- 1 john 4:11-12

quote of the day:



What do you call a country where everyone drives a red car?





A red carnation.





photo of the day:

what sacrifice will you choose this lent? much love and peace, dmaloney

it's the little things

today marks the beginning of lent. and maybe you're wondering what i'm "giving up". well, i'm not "giving up" sweets. meats. or beets. (sorry, i just wanted a rhyme) i'm not really a believer in "giving up" things. i like to resolve to do things. make a commitment. so why don't i really believe in "giving up" material possessions? well i believe in continuing your resolution or promise even after easter is over. to me it's like going to church for the month of december and stopping after christmas. is that what God wants? no. like the other day i said God wants all of you all the time. he wants your love. mind. strength. soul. i'm not saying that whatever you've resolved to stay away from is the wrong decision. i just have my own reservations about lent. but since it's lent i would challenge you to resolve to do something for more than just the purpose that's lent. do it for God. do it for good friday. do it out of love.

heres a link for a video on lenten thought

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMUJ2_nUyQI&feature=related. just give it a try..

today after school i was standing in the hallway when i looked down to see a post-it.

i don't know who wrote it. who it was for. or anything else about it. but it seemed to be a sign. or God-sighting to just be content. to be pleased with life. just to smile and love life. be happy. so this is the...

quote of the day:

"you are beautiful! so put down the eyeliner, & smile.">

joke of the day:

for those of you who were on june project or know the anger management story check out this http://www.youtube.com/user/failblog#p/u/5/OFu1HYhQOWA

photo of the day:

so which path do you choose this lent? much love and peace, dmaloney

find your own way...

this post took me a little bit of thought to come up with, but i think it something that is often just over looked in today's church. to be an active follower of anything you must participate corporately and individually. so in terms of church i'm talking about attending services on your day of worship and then, on your own time, find your own connection. a way that works for you. for some it's through praying out loud. yelling at the top of their lungs. others it's just through observations. others through song. for me it's in silence and in meditation. and when i say meditation i don't me i sit somewhere say "ohmmmmm". like this...

my meditation is a time to still in silence and just listen. what do you want God. if every christian could find their own way things would be different. so maybe today i'm asking you to find your own way to individualize your worship. break the mold. lite a candle. worship in silence. worship without lights. but just do it.

quote of the day:

"prayer at its best is the expression of the total life, for all things else being equal, our prayers are only as powerful as our lives." - a.w. tozer

joke of the day:

A little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination, and looked at the old pages as he turned them. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible, and he picked it up and looked at it closely. It was an old leaf from a tree that had been pressed in between the pages.

"Momma, look what I found," the boy called out.

"What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked.

With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered: "I think it's Adam's suit!"

photo of the day:

this is a photo from eastern university. which i visited monday. cool, small, christian college. future home? quite possibly!

endurance is the name of the game

so the olympics are underway in vancouver. and it's pretty crazy all of the events. the other day i caught a glimpse of the men's biathlon and some long-distance. both of the those are all about endurance. in the biathlon it's more than just setting a pace and sticking to it. the participants need to brave the elements, find a pace, work hard to pick up their skies, and fire a gun. it's hard work and it showed at the end of the race.

i think, just maybe that this is what we will look like when we finally get to heaven. happy to have been successful in completing the race. and pleased to finally be in the kingdom of God. as followers of christ, our marathon is long and a great endurance is needed. some of us fall short. and fall short too often. but that's why there's grace. but that's another story for another day. we're all running a different race. in nineteen-ninety-three only four months after i was born my mother was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia an extremely aggressive form of leukemia. when many mothers are enjoying the joys (and struggles) of having a new baby my mother was running the race. the cancer has a survival rate of only about twenty - thirty percent. many fall short in this race. this race is not an easy one to finish. my mother attributes her survival of this horrible aliment to prayer and the hope of seeing me walk, talk, go to school, and simply live. it's hard for some people to believe in miracles but i do. the life i live is a miracle and the fact that i can even know my mother is an inspiration. it's an inspiration to want to finish the race. endure the elements. find a pace. cross that line.

quote of the day:

"happiness depends upon ourselves" - aristotle

joke of the day:

What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

picture of the day:

endure the elements. today. tomorrow. and the day after tomorrow. much love and peace. dmaloney

through the eyes of a child

when i think about faith. i can't help but think of the innocence of young children. their naive nature. there inability to worry. last night was one of those times. my brother is eight years old. and last night we were updating the youth board at church and as we were finishing up he said "do you think brian will be proud of you?" and i replied "yeah, i guess bud." he then said "ya know, he's lucky he got sent here." i find the mind of of child interesting. their thoughts. their cares. and their worry-free attitude. kids aren't afraid of roller coasters. driving fast. swinging higher than the sky. or running until they can't breathe. i wish we could all live like that. live without worries. care-free and without doubt. though the reality of that isn't always possible it's a nice idea to entertain. some of us think that being carefree would look like this..

but living out faith out like children is described wonderfully in one of my favorite songs "like a child" by jars of clay. it's about the faith of a child and that the child believes he can climb mountians. he can do anything. that's how we have to live. believing that with our faith we can do anything. we won't fall. we won't cower. and we won't have doubt. doubt is scary. it clouds our judgement. it puts a clear wall between you and God. you can see him but you can't get any closer. his words are faint. so what can we do? well, we can start by living our faith actively and with innocence. doubt-free. give it a try. take a lesson from the children you know. look at their faith. their faith is pure. undisturbed. try looking like this...

curious of what the future can bring, yet perfectly content with you life. not rushing the future.

Quote of the Day:

"a three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of

swings as it does out of finding a small green worm." -bill vaughn

Joke of the Day:

this is a clip from community, enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryb2WawuV4g

seize the day. and love. much love and peace, dmaloney