i think too much. i drink water regularly. i'm far from perfect. my cup overflows on this website on somewhat of a regular basis and it's a lot of mumbling. just give it a chance. maybe you'll laugh or cry.
before you read watch this video. it's strange, but the lights out made me think. ha, what a surprise. anyway, i've been thinking a lot about perspective lately. our perspective on life. our perspective on God. our perspective on what we have to do. our perspective on everything. and i'm not sure about you, but i feel like i have rather rigid perspectives on things. i think that i should do certain things and that that's what should be done then, but really shouldn't we focus less on our rigid and constricted views for everything. so my words of wisdom for today are just to look at things with an open mind. look using a panoramic view. be open to the good. and the bad.
today is an interesting day in the christian church. in my mind it's the forgotten day. and a day of preparation. a day to gather our things for easter. maybe it's the ham. maybe it's the dye for the eggs. whatever we are doing we're often preparing for the resurrection, and lately it has been on my mind that today should be a day similar to good friday. a day where we mourn, not prepare. the disciples didn't know what would happen.
it's like knowing the end of the story and allowing it to influence the way you read the rest of the book. i could very well be wrong, but i really believe that today should be sad, like good friday. all i'm asking of you is that today you spent some time in prayer to say thank you. to say thank you for the amazing gift. there's no need to be eloquent just say thank you. much love and peace, dmaloney
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.
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?
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
today marks the two week anniversary since i got the braces on. that day two weeks ago i visited the endodontist who told me that my teeth were still vital. he had different news today. he told me that one tooth looks darker and that it is still kind of alive. it takes longer to respond to cold but it isn't dead. he thinks that a root canal could be down the road, but he'll see me in six weeks and tell me what's going on. my mom was upset when she found out, but i'm not super upset. i figured this would come. but i can't decide whether i'm not upset because i'm numb to all of this or if it's from my resolution to positivity and allowance to led God run the show.
lately, with the exclusion of the little children at the easter egg hunt, i've remained pretty positive throughout the lenten season. i've tried to avoid letting things get under my skin. and it's been nice. i just let everything roll off my back. i think you should try it. just think before you speak and take deep breaths. calm your anger. your negativity. and just relax.
i also think that lately i've tried to let God run the show and be happy with it. there are times where i won't always be pleased with the situation but that isn't going to keep it from happening. i just feel that we are way too negative way too often and that our negativity hinders are productivity. we stress. we attempt to fit 50 things into one minute. not everything can always be done. we just need to prioritize.
that's all i've got for today. i'm looking for job suggestions so feel free to shoot me an idea. thanks! much love and peace, dmaloney
so you might me wondering if the lock-in destroyed me. well, hopefully this post with assuage those fears. anyway this past week was full of projects and way too much homework. but that doesn't mean that i've given up on this. i apologize for how long it has been but i'm back and i'm almost positive that i'll blog everyday this week! all of that aside...
it is holy week. the week full of the widest range of emotions. on sunday there is a triumphant entry into Jerusalem. only on thursday for Jesus to be imprisoned and betrayed. and as if that wasn't enough he is denied by "his rock" peter. followed by his horrible death on a cross. only to be celebrated sunday as his resurrection. amazing.
over the past few weeks i've been telling you about my time problems. but look at Jesus's story. he didn't panic. he didn't crumble under pressure. he kept his cool. it seems to be that very often when we are stressed or pressed for time we tend to be on edge. always rushing. running. never stopping. what did Jesus do? from mark 15: 2-4
"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.The chief priests accused him of many things.
But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
Jesus knows the horrid death that is coming to him, yet still remains composed. can we attempt to keep our composer like Jesus? try letting go in a kinder way. how about trying to avoid making accusations in our homes? maybe we can just take a deep breath before we respond.
God calls us to be patient and kind. God also calls us to be servants for him. to be conveyors or the word even when the world is against you.
Jesus preaches for years spreading the news, and still ends up on a cross. yes, he lived his life and then suffered a most brutal and incomprehensible death.
God doesn't call us to be Jesus. He calls us to act for him. to be a conveyor. to be an example. and a servant. to be a leader and a following. maybe today you can just sit down in silence. and after a few moments take a deep cleansing breath and say:
'God, i have failed, but you sent you sent your son to die for ME! i can't understand it. but i thank you for this gift. today, lord God, i ask you to make me your servant. your follower. and your conveyor the word. help me lead a life that is lead by you. give me the patience to show your people who you are. be with me in everything i do. blessed you and your son, Jesus Christ, Amen.'
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
to grow or not to grow. that is the question. i'm not talking about height. i'm talking about churches. the pressure to grow churches and groups within the church is always present. but why?
numbers don't show commitment. they don't tell anyone anything. maybe that's a harsh statement but that's not the point. this is one of doug fields biggest points and i'm a big believer in it.
here's a question for you:
would you rather have one hundred sporadic members or fifteen totally dedicated people willing to grow in a relationship with others and God?
i would want the dedicated group.
but maybe this question doesn't apply to you. here's another one:
when it comes to friends would you rather have..
fifty friends that speak to you only when they need you and when you need them they completely blow you off...or have...
two or three friends that are always there for you. when they need you you and you need them they're there for you.
again, i'd want the two or three friends.
quantity isn't quality. and that's what we need to think about. that's what we need to focus on. this is what we need. so that's it. focus on the things that have quality not quantity.
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.
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
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.'
what message do church signs like this send? does it welcome you?
to me it feels like church signs like this say 'hey, loser come here so you can stick out like a sore thumb. we go to church and that makes it okay to shout oh, god.' it is lame and it's one of the things that i cannot stand for. a message like this is not welcome. inviting. it is plain. old. in your face you sinner!
going to church on sunday doesn't make you 'holy'. and cooperate worship, in my opinion, can sometimes hinder you're experience and relationship with God. why can't our signs be like this:
maybe that's a little too 'churchy', but i like it so much more than signs that don't welcome people. yes, it's true that we all need to repent, but no one even wants to enter the building when the sign says 'go to church. or go to hell.'
i thought churches weren't suppose to lie. church won't save you on the day of judgement. and church won't give you an intimate and close relationship with God.
quote of the day:
'to love what you do and fell that it matters--how could anything be more fun?' -katherine graham
joke of the day:
'the reason that there are two senators from each state is so that one can be the designated driver.'
-jay leno
photo of the day:
try God at church and on your own. to the church signs: be bold, yet inviting! much love and peace, dmaloney
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?
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.
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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
i've kind of been stumped for what to post about recently. there's a bunch of phrases and ghobally-gook in my head, yet none of that can be turned in to a full post. so i would really appreciate feedback on any of the posts. and some inspiration for topics you'd like to know about. i'm pretty open to things. as long as it isn't something like butter, which i have not yet figured how to fit in to a post. sorry. drew.
recently in my history class we've been studying the internment of the japanese people during w.w.two. and today we read a selection from book called 'farewell to manzanar'. in the selection we read the author says something like ' the months turned to years and we began to forget about the war, we began to forget why we were in the camps in the first place.' it was interesting. i couldn't stop rereading that quote and thinking the only way to 'stay fresh' or current to to continually reevaluate our motives. our purposes for what we're doing. in a book i have been sporadically reading entitled 'my first to years in ministry' doug fields (the author) mentions that we need to always reevaluate our ministry. check up together. what works. what doesn't. and that's what keeps groups alive. he sites multiple examples that would relate to this. but the biggest one for me was the story that he told where a youth leader played a particular song. that made everyone super emotional. but did she have a purpose in it? not. really. she had used it before on a different group and it had obviously had a positive effect. yet in this instance it just left the camp with over one-hundred crying kids. we need to constantly evaluate and assess what works best for that group. maybe that sounds strange to those of us who aren't in charge of a ministry or a large group of kids. but think about school. we each have our own ways to learn and to study. i like making flash cards but if i did that in every class would i be successful. no. what about math? does memorizing the definition of an algebraic function as an expression that consists of numbers, variables, operations, and grouping symbols. also called a variable expression really help me on the test, when the problem is 2/3p*8/7-r^2-5= 19? probably not the best thing is to practice problem after problem. but for all of us it is different. i study through repetition and very often spoken word. for some of us it is through writing things out over and over again and maybe the point of all is that is that we needed to assess what we can do to succeed. what needs to be done to always know your purpose for particular tasks. so for the rest of the week avoid spending extra time on facebook. try reading a book. anything. just evaluate that situation and do something to better yourself. because you can you just to need evaluate.
and just because it's lent i'll give my opinion of christ in this situation. it's believe that jesus knew for before he was born that his purpose was to come to earth. preach the word. die. and rise again. simple, right? ha, christ always had the future insight and yet knew what his purpose was the whole time. pretty amazing? yeah well, that's christ for ya!
quote of the day:
'always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much' -oscar wilde
joke of the day:
'why aren't blondes allowed in nascar?'
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because they'd stop to ask for directions!
photo of the day:
live. love. forgive. and never give up. much love and peace, dmaloney
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
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 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
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
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
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.
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.">
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