Since I haven’t really done any real typing for the last few weeks I thought I would provide you with a list of the top five posts from the year. I know it’s a cop out but to sweeten the pot I’ll give the person who guesses the order correct a bright shiny nickel.
Sit, stand, sit, stand, leave…
In the van on the way to registration the comment was made that it is more expensive to eat in a healthy manner. Generally speaking healthy foods are more expensive and take a greater degree of skill to prepare properly. This is a pretty solid metaphor for any decision making scenario. Continue reading
Things I did in the last 24 hours:
(In approximate order)
I think it is perfectly acceptable to say this weekend was productive.
In honor of today I will post this video. It is the reason 11 is awesome
How do you know when you are too tired?
I’ve been remodeling our kitchen for the last two days. This has involved a total gut, new subflooring in places, hardibacker, tile and some minor plumbing work. Still left to do is the actual installation of cabinets and countertop, more tile work for the backsplash, making a whole new half wall while tearing down another wall followed by putting all the crap from your old cabinets into the new ones. Maybe I should just light a match and walk away.
How effective are our ministries?
There are many different ways to discern the effectiveness of any given ministry.
There are metrics designed to understand the concept of efficiency in the church.
The problem?
God is not necessarily about “efficiency”. We want to do the least possible with the highest impact. However sometimes God will orchestrate things in such a way that there is much done to gain a minimal group.
We can institute a new ministry that brings one new person to God. By worldly standards that ministry has failed. However by God’s standards it can be a success.
How can this be?
Each person’s salvation is a victory over eternal separation. When we start to look at it this way we see the effectiveness of any ministry depends solely on the person perceiving the change.
When we try to evaluate ministries quantitatively we commit an err in logic. Ministries should only be evaluated based upon the quality of the effect.
This is not measured so easily. We have to use a bit of discernment and then the measurement is only based upon our perception of effectiveness.
Is it possible to truly evaluate the effectiveness of any ministry?
Photo: Sandara Lee
Writing is not one of those things that comes easily to most. It’s like trying to dribble a football. Awkward and gawky, we catch ourselves trying to spice things up with details to hide how simple the story really is. We feel ridiculous even writing about ourselves when in reality, we are the one and only expert in the subject of me. I understand me and my idiosyncracities better than any person on earth. No matter how well you know me, it’s not better than I know me. I think this is the biggest obstacle to self introspection and writing. Facing our own image. When we write, we can only write from our experiences and thoughts. They will likely resemble some aspect of our own life and that means a peice of us is intrinsically wound into the story. The story is us. So what does this mean for you? Well basically I’m saying pick up a pen or pencil and start now. I’ve been journaling for several years now and I’ll promise you, it never gets easier. But it does get better.
It is quite possible that Rachel and I got incredibly lucky with our child. I know I probably deserve a child that is a little more fussy or worrysome, but this kid is always laughing and smiling.
About the only thing that can make 5AM ok…
