Lice Man

If you read my last blog you might have seen a link to a craigslist post of a man looking for lice. Well, it intrigued me so much that I emailed him inquiring if he was a scientist or if he just wanted lice in his own hair. The following is the email I received in reply...

aye , yes I do. I am not a scientist. I want lice in my hair because my hair is falling out and I have mild headaches and I am geting dreadlocks and because I have nightmares. Many years ago I had lice (when I was 9 or 10 years old) and it felt really good to have them and I stopped having nightmares for like a couple of weeks. Lice aren't dangerous and they don't spread disease what's scary is that the products for getting rid of headlice can cause convultions. I have observed that dogs which dont have fleas 'dream' while those who do have fleas dont dream. lice are to humans as fleas are to dogs. I hope this answers some of your questions , I could go on and on. thanks for writing.

Craigslist Cries

I sometimes enjoy scrolling through the general community section on Craigslist. This is just where people write about random free community things. A 22 year old christian man looking for friends and encouragement. Someone lost their head lice and wants more ... live ... will come come pick it out of your head. (you think I am joking? http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/com/1564345786.html I am not) Then there was the group recruiting for a cult. I looked up the definition of a cult, "a particular system of worship" and "a religion considered to be false." Why would you want to advertise for something that is false by definition? Well, at least in the informational part of this one they said they see themselves as a fairly good cult.

I like reading these posts because they give me a glimpse of what is going on in my community. Of what people are interested in. What they are desperate for. What their worldview is. Ways I can better reach out. What a cool ministry to just reach out to all those crying out on Craigslist.

Peters wife?

Matthew chapter 8, Jesus heals Peter's Mother-in-law. Peter had a mother-in-law. That means, Peter was married. Married?

I always thought of the disciples as these young bachelors! No, he was married. Dudes didnt usually marry until they were 30-40, and they only lived to 50-60 ..... so Peter was an olderish man. A married man.

Weird.

Provision

"And he will give you all you need from day to day if you live in him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."

I know God provides. I trust in him for all things. For food. For gas. For bills. I trust he will provide. But, his provision is hindged upon us making the Kingdom of God our primary concern. Many people trust the Lord to provide, but they are not living for the Kingdom ... I am trying to live for the Kingdom. I want the Kingdom to be my concern, my primary concern. I am not living for me but for him ... at that point he will provide and take care of ALL our needs because we are not living for ourselves.

This sounds like a blessing preaching, its not. I am studying for a Gospels quiz tomorrow and this just stood out. The Kingdom needs to be more of a concern of mine.

Bi-Yearly Joy

Justine and I have an unlikely friendship. We have bi-yearly dinner dates that last at least five hours. When we get together, we talk about everything, mainly how our lives revolve around God, and what he is doing and how we can be more productive about getting where he wants us to be. We connect and find similarities and share our hearts. I wish we lived near each other, but for whatever reason, God thinks this relationships is best for now. All I know is that she is encouraging and a very much needed part of my life.

We met in Sunday School at peoples church when we were like four. We did missionettes with Kirsten. We went to Jamaica. Then she moved churches and we lost contact... until Facebook arrived and we found each other: She was in Germany and I was in Hungary. I lives intercepted again when we both returned home, lost and searching for the next part of our lives. We get together and eat ethnic foods, tonight she introduced me to Sushi. We partake in multiple course meals. We lament on how we wish we were MK's. Tonight we compared ourselves to literary characters. Her being most like Laura Ingles, myself most like Josephine March. We are expressive and loud water gulpers.

I shared with Justine what God really taught me this week, I think he has been trying to teach me for a long time. We have heard that in our weakness we are made strong in him. I hear this and know this and try to accept this. Then I started putting it all together: "The Joy of the LORD is my strength." OK so, when we are weak, God is our strength. The strength comes in the form of his Joy. So our strength is joy. When we are weak, we can be joyful! This makes sense when Paul tells us to rejoice in trials and persecution. It is not fake happiness, it is Joy of the Lord despite our current situation! This is so pivotal! We become weak so often, but if we can have Joy in the Lord in the midst of weakness, we will be strong! I may be weak, but you can not steal my Joy!

Goodnight Justine, Thank you for letting me share this gibberish with you tonight. I loved our moving meal at Sushi, and Coffee House, and Sharri's.

My Party.

I had a party tonight. It was probably the best I have ever thrown. I don't throw magnificent parties, we don't have hoping music or entertainment or even really a set schedule, but we have fun. Its been a long time since my group from high school as gotten together, I really wanted tonight to be special. Marshall was home for two more days before heading back to Florida. Josh was here making sure everyone knew that Mal was his WIFE! Darian came, its been a long time since we have seen each other! Nathan brought Andrea, he was like a new person! He was animated and super social, way to go Andrea!

17 people came tonight. 9/11 of my graduation class, plus some. Its great to see that two and a half years later, we can begin to look past our differences and possibly pursue friendships. These may not be the people I spend the bulk of my time with, but I do love them and want them in my life. I realized yesterday that one of my friendships might be over, but I am glad that I figured it out. I think I have been falsely clinging to the possibility of repeating the past, when I know there is no truth in that.

My sister still likes to have reunions of her old "group." Its not super often, but when it does happen, it is usually good. I mean, we are told "the friendship you have in high school wont last." Well I think there is only some truth to that statement. My closest friendships came out of high school. And of the other friendships, we are not close, but we are still friends, they are still people I would stop in the grocery store to talk to. I mean, we lived community together for 6 years some of us, no wonder we want to continue pursing relationships.

My Favorite places to be

Grammys House.
My Car, driving anywhere.
The I-5 Bridge that crosses downtown Portland, at that one curve where you can see the whole city!
Mars Hill in Athens Greece.
Thailand.
Gov Cup.
The middle of nowhere. Alone.
In the rain.

Graveyard Meal

After it was all picked up

A pile of cheese pealed off the car. It was wet. And sticky. And seriously disgusting.

This scene as been about our yard many a times... but never with cheese. Will the culprit please stand and explain themseleves?

You will notice it was my brothers car not mine that was "cheesed". Good job guys.

Can you see the nasty cheese on the windshield? GAH!

Very creative I must say.

Blogging

So my computer has been broken for like two months. It was really nice to be honest, I didnt have my internet to turn to when I was bored, I tended to read more books. I didn't have music, but I got use to that after my ipod was stolen in Korea last Spring. I did get an awesome stereo set up that I wont change even if I do get an ipod again and now that my computer is fixed, I have these awesome speakers plugged into Heather's borrowed disman and the sound from the radio is great!

I think my only problem with not having my computer was my lack of being able to blog. I bloged a few times yes, but sitting in the computer lounge with crackling headphones is not quite the atmosphere one longs for when trying to connect thoughts to the outside world. Ahh, but now I can blog - let see if I can keep up on it again. Sitting here in my living room at home, watching Anne of Green Gables (yes its like the 3rd time this month), I am so excited for Christmas!

More to come later...

Seriously

P.S. Yesterday, I was at Jo Anns feasting with my eyes and getting a few things for Christmas projects. As I stood in line I thought about how nice it would be to eat a Reeces Christmas Tree. You know how they make them shapped all cool? Yeah, well they taste beter in the shape of a tree and I wanted one. But what did I find? A reeces heart. Yes People, a heart. I was a little confused until I noticed the SpongeBob Valentines next to it. I understood fully. And I did not buy a Reeces.

Its not even Christmas! Gah. Consumerism is retarded.

My Church

Have I told you about my church? I like it a lot ... It has been a long time since I have really enjoyed a church. It's called Kononia PDX and is located in the St. Johns neighborhood of North Portland, the pastor is my cousen Mandy's husban Nick. Nick and Many just adopted two wonderful boys on Thanksgiving day and are learning very quickly what it means to be parents!



Yesterday we had donoughts and strawberry pastry and a fire. I ruined a pot of coffee by not puting a filter in and we almost used the communion juice for breakfast! There was a fire roaring in under the hearth and christmas icicle lights dangling above canvas artwork. We lost the keys to the cabinet and spent a good fifteen minutes searching everywhere. Finally I went in the Kitchen and asked the Lord to just make the keys appear, just then (seriously that moment!) Celina screamed and I heared the famaliar sound of jingling. Oh Lord, you do take care of your children.



We had I believe sixteen people yesterday, excluding Mandy and the boys (they have yet to make their formal entrance into the church family.) Sixteen, maybe you dont get it, but that is super exciting! There was a new face and in our attempt to be welcoming I fear we were a little overwhelming, we can only pray he saw the intentions of our hearts. The three little girls were really well behaved, they were able to sit at the kids table in the same room as the adults and play with stickers quietely. I was able to color and listen to the sermon, seriously the best of both worlds right there!



Nick gave a great message on the Advent, on what it looks like to get messy. He gives the story example in his blog. We are learning about the Advent Conspiracy theory which started a few years ago by the good people over at Imago Deo church. The theory is that we need to take the money would spend on christmas and give it away, for christmas presents we can make things, or give our time, our presence. I really love this, thought I dont have much money to give, I usually just give presents that I made or involve my time anyway, but it put everything into persepctive.



After church yesterday we had potato soup. It was delisous! Then I spent time with Mandy and Celina as we made a couple house visits and I met a wonderful woman named Cookie. We stopped at Julias house, and saw Jeff and Debbies dogs and chatted with the neighbor whose name we did not know about how much he enjoys the new little boys. We had tea and dropped Many back off, I think I saw little Richard through the window (I have yet to meet the boys.) My day was plesant, I was not in a hury, I anticipated spending my entire dy "at church" which if you havnt caught on by now is not really a place. Well, we do meet in a place, but that is not the essence of it. It is a community, maybe a small community for now, but a community of people living, growing and serving each other. I love my church and want to be a part of it for a long time. I am thankful for the Lord leading me to Portland where I can be a part of this church plant, I only hope that I can serve more and