Rob :: Friends blog

http://htod.cdncon.com/o2/rzimht/MP3/LMPT/LMPTCD107-2.mp3

“Why is God allowing this to happen to me?” Often, the most powerful answer to this question is an honest, “I don’t know.” Too many times we try to force meaning or explanation onto someone else’s suffering without fully understanding the entire situation. Often, in our desire to comfort a hurting person, we glibly look past the fact that God is present to comfort them - with or without our words. So how can we learn to truly be a blessing when others struggle or go through hardship? By looking once again to the story of Joseph with Ravi Zacharias.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheNickAndJoshPodcast/~3/368005800/9

Joshua Case, our new Atlanta correspondent talks to Tom Sine, best-selling author of the new book The New Conspirators.

http://htod.cdncon.com/o2/rzimht/MP3/LMPT/LMPTCD107-1.mp3

The Chinese character wei is read as “danger,” while the character ji is read as “critical moment” or “turning point.” When these two characters are combined, they form weiji - the word for “crisis.” Often we find that the conflicts and crises in our lives are dangerous moments that can build or burn our soul and the people around us. Join Ravi Zacharias today as he shares the story of Joseph, and the young man’s journey “Through Conflict and Crisis.”

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BlogOneAnother/~3/362632240/the-recl

Neighbor M's father died recently, so I bought a condolence card, and took it around for each of the neighbors to sign. I'm sneaky, you see: I want to bless M. I want to bless the neighborhood by rallying them to a neighbor's cause. But I also saw an opportunity to visit each neighbor, and if invited, enter their homes.

"Looks like except for W, you have everybody," R said.

"Yeah, I'll get W. But I also want to get S," I replied.

"S? Oh man. If you don't come out, I'll come look for you," he joked.

The neighbors don't know what to make of S, who lives with her grown children but is never seen. Some of them are scared of her. R tells me that once S came into the court with a handgun, which W removed from her.

So I headed over and rang her doorbell. Little dogs inside responded, trying to sound vicious. A voice: "Get away from there!"

"S? Is that you?" I asked.

No reply.

"S? It's your neighbor, Jon. May I come in?"

S came out instead. She hadn't heard the doorbell, she explained, and was yelling at the dogs. We sat and visited. I already knew some history: She was a pastor's wife, until he divorced her. She's experienced chronic back pain since an injury years ago. Her life is dark. "I think if I died, nobody would notice. The neighbors might notice my children wearing black -- except that they wear black anyway," she said with a sad grin. "Nobody comes to see me. I don't want to think that God has forgotten me."

"That's why I'm here," I said, apologizing for not coming sooner.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BlogOneAnother/~3/361634140/knitting

From my friends at Haven. I should have posted this earlier, but there are still 3 Saturdays left.

Folks,

Just wanting to let you know of a series of events from our knitting friend Mayra Barajas. Her father works for an organization called FREE AT LAST that works with men and women who are struggling with drug addiction to find hope and recovery. What they need are knitted hats/caps/beanies that will be given out by Free At Last volunteers to homeless persons primarily in East Palo Alto. They will be distributed prior to the winter season so that they will be ready for the cold.

Mayra's goal and vision is at least 50 hats - 50!! And she's going to host a "knitting hour" at a local yarn retailer if you don't want to knit alone - and need a community to knit with. She'll do this for the next 4 consecutive Saturdays - yes 4!!

If you're just learning or don't know how - Mayra is a pro and she'll teach you too. You can buy the stuff at the store and she'll have you knitting these in no time. Or whatever it is that you're wanting to knit. So no matter the skill level or lack there of - come on out and help Mayra and her gang reach the goal of 50 knitting hats!! Donations for yarn to be knitted into hats are also welcome.

Info below:

Bobbin's Nest

1171 Homestead Rd. #130

Santa Clara, CA 9505

408/246-1121

August 9, 16, 23, 30 [SAT] - 12pm to 2pm

Snack Likely; Discount From Store Owner Probably [TBD]

Mayra's contact info - barajasml [at] gmail.com.



Thanks all - look forward to reaching the goal of 50!!

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BlogOneAnother/~3/360859986/saturday

Watch Olympics in the morning with Kay.

Go get some food to take to the party tonight. Huh, there's a homeless guy soliciting outside the grocery store. …No, not today. I've got a lot to do. Finished with my shopping, I start to drive away. There's the homeless guy again. Should I stop? No, I think I'll keep going. Made it on to the road back. Darn. I should not develop a habit of ignoring the poor just because "I don't have time." Turn around, head back. Find him, park. Walk to him.

I say, "Hey, how's it going?" Introduce myself. His name is Dan. He says he's a vet but can't get any benefits because he doesn't have an address, which seems odd to me. He lives in his van, but his van is full of junk he's gathered hoping to sell it. His arms are covered with strange wounds. He has gloves on even though it is not cold out, to cover the unsightly wounds there. He says he'll work, but I don't think anybody will hire him for a small job the way he looks.

But I do have to get going. I apologize for being rushed, and give him some cash. As I drive away, I am praying for him, and asking God to show me how I might help him later on.

Next, get a haircut. Wait, there's a little farmer's market I've never seen before. I don't have much time, but I park by the hairdresser's and walk back to check it out. I feel called to be aware of and present in what's going on in my neighborhood.

OK, now for my haircut. I haven't been to the one closest to home in years. It's all different, clearly under new management. They seem Vietnamese. My guy doesn't talk much, but he approaches my shaggy head like an artist, taking his time.

Back home, there's no time for a post-haircut shower, because it's time to take Trevor to a movie he's wanted to see for some time: Hancock. A good time shared with my son.

Finally I shower, then it's off to a coworker's housewarming party. It's a 20-25 minute drive -- not far by local standards, but how can I use the time? I spend most it listening to the Allelon podcast by Alan Roxburgh, which is some of the best missional training I have found yet. But then I turn it off and pray, asking God to bless my coworker, bless this party, and use me as a blessing.

At the party, I meet the most important people in my coworker's life: her parents, sister, fellow members of the Pacific Mozart Ensemble, close friends from university days and now. I am honored to be included! I visit with many of them, treating them as my own friends. A microphone that is a self-contained karaoke machine comes out. I sing "Turn It On Again" and botch the second verse, but everyone is laughing with me and cheering me on.

Then it's time to head home. I'm tired and need a break from heavy-duty thinking and prayer, so I drive back rocking to the new Evanescence album. Now I am back to spend the rest of the evening with my family.

Wow. I can't quite believe that I have spent an entire day in dialog with God, doing everything with and for him, aware of his presence. It's been a good day.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BlogOneAnother/~3/360826337/friday-e

Nobody's seen our neighbor R in days. On Thursday I asked our neighbor G if he knew where R was, and he didn't know, but suggested I ask R's sister M, who lives outside of our cul-de-sac. G also said he had heard M might have been diagnosed with a tumor.

So on Friday after work, I went out for my neighborhood prayer-walk, which I have made a new daily practice. Walked over to M's house. Opened the gate and entered a beautiful courtyard I have never set foot in. Rang the doorbell, which still takes courage because it is crossing a suburban boundary. I hear a little voice inside saying, "It's a white man."

The door opens and M invites me inside. I have never been in her house before. We visit for a bit, then I ask where R is. Turns out he's vacationing in Hawaii -- nice! Visit a bit more. M shares that she has in fact developed some kind of tumor between her stomach and a kidney, and will be going in for surgery next week to have it removed. I know that M is a Christian so I have no hesitation in offering to pray for her. I pray for healing, that the tumor would not affect neighboring organs, that it would be completely removed, and that M would be free of fear.

On my way out, I wave at M's husband D eating in the kitchen, but notice that there are other people there as well. "Would you like to meet my parents?" Yes! I doubt they can speak a word of English, but they greet me warmly nonetheless. M offers to feed me, but I need to get back to my own family for dinner and the the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.

http://htod.cdncon.com/o2/rzimht/MP3/LMPT/LMPTCD112-2.mp3

One of Clint Eastwood’s more successful movies was “In the Line of Fire,” a film that centered on the psychological struggle between a legendary Secret Service agent and a deranged assassin. The crucial question of the movie for both characters was whether or not they were willing to trade their life for the president’s. Ultimately, both characters are willing to pay the price for their goal - one, to kill the president; the other, to protect him. As Ravi finishes his look at Nehemiah today, a question arises for you: are you willing to trade your life for God’s will?

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BlogOneAnother/~3/354667752/im-a-dan

I wasn't going to tell this story, because drawing attention to myself was not the point.

Two weeks ago, I played bass for Sunday worship. We did Matt Redman's song "Undignified" which draws its words from the time one of King David's wives rebuked him for dancing in worship, and he retorted, "I'll become even more undignified than this!"

In my book, if you're going to do a song, you'd better mean it. So as I hammered out the bass line, I starting prancing (I can't call it dancing) along the length of the back of the stage. Finally, I dropped to my knees, then got on my back, and started spinning in circles. The spinning caused me to become unplugged, but I never noticed -- I was busy. One shoe unexpectedly went flying through the air, so I deliberately followed it with the other one. As I followed its path I thought, "Oh no, it's going to hit one of the singers!" Thankfully, the shoes made a good arc just over their heads, dropping in front of the stage.

And that is the end of my story.

Technorati Tags: worship

http://htod.cdncon.com/o2/rzimht/MP3/LMPT/LMPTCD112-1.mp3

You’ve probably heard the old adage, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Or maybe even, “Nothing comes for free.” In a culture dominated by commerce and business, it’s even become a point of skepticism if someone offers something without cost. Experience teaches that with everything we seek to do, there’s a cost associated with it. Today, Ravi returns to the book of Nehemiah to look at the cost paid by the Jews to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, and to help you examine what costs there are as you follow God.