home

We at Exodus have been moving into our new digs all week. Moving an entire office, with twelve on site staff is not an easy thing. However, Scott has done and is doing a terrific job in coordinating the moving, prepping, painting along with a lot of this and that. The youngin’s haver really worked *very* hard with load after load in the U-Haul and painting.

We have a lot of stuff and a lot to paint.

In our attempts to be good stewards of finances, we are moving everything except the huge furniture ( for the movers ). That saved us a ton of money. We also decided to paint the inside of the building ourselves … also saving a LOT of money.

We like that.

So, we started painting yesterday around 2:30 and I left around 9. Then started again this morning at 8:30 am and I left around 5:30 pm.

Now, I am not that old but there was one point when I was sitting on the stairs with my head in my hands thinking, “Whoever said 40 is the new 30 must be some smart aleck 20 year old.”

Hurts:

• Ankles (both)

• Left knee

• Right shoulder

While I am getting a little rickety, I am not that rickety. I have actually enjoyed most of the hard work. Especially considering it is equivalent to really good workouts. Seriously, from head to toe kind of workout. Good times.

The picture in this post is in front of some of my own handiwork. Of course I doctored the thermostat out of the picture. It makes it purty-er. I did have fun watching all of our team and volunteers bring life to our new home. And lemmee tell you, the new home office needed a makeover :). It was stuck somewhere back in the eighties, and not in the cool way either.

There is a little more to do tomorrow but I won’t be there. I will be on a plane headed to Dallas. I will be there for a total of 24 hours for a meeting with really cool Pastoral group. Please pray for safe travels and wisdom for the meeting.

***UPDATE: At the end of the post, after the jump***

I first wrote about Augusten Burroughs‘ not long ago. I was impressed with his writing ability and honesty.

I mentioned that I wasn’t really ready to read his book A Wolf At The Table because it sounded traumatizing. I knew it would trigger some of my own “stuff” and I was right.

It was horrible … very well written … but horrible.

I bought the book with a gift card I got for my birthday. It is easy to read … technically. Although, the subject matter kept my consumption of the book at a slow pace.

I was really surprised at the level of empathy I have for Augusten. Granted, I am not going to explore that in a blog post to any respectable degree. While the details of the different events in our respective lives are different I can relate to the systematic rejection, abuse and abandonment with the occasional violence and terror. Again, seperate lives and circumstances but many of the same themes and results.

Now, unlike Augusten, I never fantasized about killing my father … or anyone. Although, I did have serious other issues and ways to cope or escape.

I would recommend this for Christians interested in reading a non-Christian survival response ( I don’t think Augusten claims to be a Christian) to an abusive childhood. While the end result for Augusten is extraordinary (best selling author), his upbringing is unfortunately something millions and millions of people can relate to on some level. I would recommend this book, for the strong of heart. Augusten, again, displays a tremendous survival response, perseverance and amazing insights.

There is something about Augusten’s will to survive that speaks to the epic dignity of every human’s struggle against darkness and being able to cope in an imperfect world.

An Aside: It should be stated that Augusten’s Dad was planning to be a Pastor when he was young but he eventually fell away from faith with scorn and derision. It is a tough testimony to read.

While I do recommend the book, be warned… it could mess with your head. Make sure to take care and maintain proper stewardship of your time and attention.

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Last night I went to bed with a headache. I woke up with a headache. I took some Advil right after getting to work … no effect. In fact it got worse.

Light started stabbing me … mercilessly.
Then I could smell a fly fart from three miles away.
Every little smell is magnified to something otherworldly.
Do people have to whisper so loudly?
Then my thoughts started to scatter. Not to the point of confusion but … not normal.
…and feel free to whip out the scatter brained jokes, I deserve them

These are the first signs I have of a developing migraine.

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She might be dead but I see her everywhere …

Last fall I bought my first home. The structure itself isn’t very old but the lady who owned it before me was quite elderly. Her name was Dot and she is dead.

I hate to be so blunt but I never met her. I am not trying to be disrespectful either. That is pretty much all I know about her. All of my neighborhood loved her. They speak very highly of her and my one neighbor originally from Boston exclaimed with fingers lightly at the edge of her mouth, “Oh, that Dot… she was a GEM … a gem of a woman!”

I bought the home from her heirs so, I don’t even know what Dot looks like.

Anyway, Dot left me a lot of gifts. Dot collected paper products, picnic-ware and bleach (four bottles in the washer/dryer area). I just now, months later, had to start buying my own paper towels and still have a kitchen drawer full of plastic forks, spoons and knives. I found two false gods (Mayan?) made out of concrete in the outside storage, two hurricane lamps, a concrete head of a Chinese woman, a potty chair (clean… thank goodness), a large American flag, lots of scotch tape around the corners of the front door window (I don’t understand), a lamp that is hideous (yes… I am using it in my bedroom), a chair that attacks you (nail sticking out at the foot.) But the funnest, not funniest, of all the leftovers Dot left behind … we will get to that in a minute.

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The video is from my friend Nancy Brown … I love it and who better to tango with on my birthday! You rock!

I have been kidding around for about six months now about how if I have to have a mid-life crisis I should just take the bull by the horns and determine what the theme of it will be.  I have shared my worries about how my “thug” appeal just hasn’t ever really worked out.  Maybe that is a good thing to get all weird about for the next five years.

Then, reality set in and turning 40 is a little freakier than expected…

I am still having fun with it.  There have been some amazing miracles and life has definitely be quite a journey.  When I was younger I made a mental list of all the things I wanted to accomplish before my 40th birthday.  Back then 2008 seemed soooooo very far away.

So, lately I have been taking a life “inventory.”  I have to admit that while there is a lot of praise, happiness and joy.  There are also some difficult questions about impact, legacy and relationships.  Some things have cause out loud laughter while others aren’t so easy to meditate on.

Other parts of my “inventory” are awesome. I have zero credit card debt.  I am in a job I love.  I have my own home and drive the car I have always wanted since I was 25 or so.  It’s a good thing I haven’t ever wanted to be filthy rich because while I am grateful, I am contentedly and definitely not rich.  I am “rich” with GREAT friends all over the country and some from around the world.  I have been blessed to meet many amazing people, see many amazing places and do many amazing things.

So, I guess with every life inventory there will be joy and sorrow, bitter and sweet, happiness and sadness.  While I am probably going to be on this “inventory” for a while I can already share that all in all … in Christ I am content.  Christ dances in the joy, Christ is the calm amidst sorrow.  Christ has tasted the bitter and manifested the sweet.  Christ makes me happy and comforts me in the sadness.  Because of His faithfulness I can lay all my goals (met and unmet) at His feet and trust that He will ordain each and every step into His will for His purposes.

While I don’t believe my thug appeal will ever resolve itself in a satisfactory manner … I am content and couldn’t ask for more.

Happy Birthday Me!

After getting a hair cut, I went and looked at furniture and then went on a photo safari (click on the above picture) to see the others. It’s been a great day of just taking care of hair and home :)That’s all.

Times are bleak … the world is in peril … the judges on American Idol don’t have a large repertoire of feedback beyond “Dawg, Dude … it’s kind of pitchy” “Your Amazing so just hold on to your dreams” and “That was horribly karaoke and you look like a haunted wombat” … we demand change!

YOU … yes YOU are being called on to serve the world by combating the evils of whiny-ness by coming up with no less than 10 things to be grateful for.

I know, it might be difficult … nay even to the point of personally sacrificing snarkiness and whining for a whole five to ten minutes.

BUT if Randy Thomas can stop whining for the time it takes to come up with a list… anyone can!

Just do it, and don’t go for only the obvious, k? … Here I go … ::: Pulling goggles down over my eyes and taking a deep breath :::

1. Long naps on Sunday afternoon
2. Having my own home
3. Baby Lizards are cute
4. Signs of Spring are all around
5. Pictures of family and friends (awwww….)
6. My soap opera name is Maximilian Kensington ( you can just call me Max)
7. I am grateful to live in the United States
8. Fresh Air
9. New Co-workers tomorrow
10. And of course the Triune Nature of a God who exists in every moment as if it were Now. (read … eternal.)

The Discovery and Development of Your Destiny “When Dreams Turn Into Nightmares” - by Pastor Clark Whitten, Grace Church Orlando

Genesis 39:1-16

1 After Joseph had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelites, Potiphar an Egyptian, one of Pharaoh’s officials and the manager of his household, bought him from them.

2-6 As it turned out, God was with Joseph and things went very well with him. He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master. His master recognized that God was with him, saw that God was working for good in everything he did. He became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. From that moment on, God blessed the home of the Egyptian-all because of Joseph. The blessing of God spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields, and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day.

6-7 Joseph was a strikingly handsome man. As time went on, his master’s wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, “Sleep with me.”

8-9 He wouldn’t do it. He said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master doesn’t give a second thought to anything that goes on here-he’s put me in charge of everything he owns. He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn’t turned over to me is you. You’re his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?”

10 She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her.

11-15 On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there. She grabbed him by his cloak, saying, “Sleep with me!” He left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house. When she realized that he had left his coat in her hand and run outside, she called to her house servants: “Look-this Hebrew shows up and before you know it he’s trying to seduce us. He tried to make love to me but I yelled as loud as I could. With all my yelling and screaming, he left his coat beside me here and ran outside.”

16-18 She kept his coat right there until his master came home. She told him the same story. She said, “The Hebrew slave, the one you brought to us, came after me and tried to use me for his plaything. When I yelled and screamed, he left his coat with me and ran outside.”

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I thought about posting one of my drawings for the PhotoFriday Theme “Art” this week but … I saw this picture and for some reason really wanted to post it instead. This lamp is older than I am and has been a part of my home the entire time. That is genuine crystal.