Chaos Theory

For Photo Friday: Chaos.

My kid's thrive on chaos! Here's my theory. A child comes from the "One", resting and silent. Then it finds itself in the womb, warm and comfortable. Yet it is being stimulated from the world outside. When it is born it begins learning, building memory and eventually forgets (at least consciously )the "One" and the womb. The child occupies itself with this learning about the world sometimes to the point of overload. Then as it grows older it gets tired and frustrated with the chaos, which has moved from an enchanted chaos to the rat race. So he or she begins longing again for the "One" and the silence. Thus is the beginning of spirituality. For some. And eventually we will all return to the One.

Pretty mystical, huh? What do you expect from a stuffed animal parade?

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Cece's Favorite Sky

My 5 year old daughter's contribution to The Enchanted Ceiling. She snapped this in our backyard. I was doing yard work and she's taking pictures. Oh... to be that young again, developing skills instead of muscle aches.


Remembering also Katrina's sky...



and praying.

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Sunday Nugget- Thinking Like A Man

From today's Gospel.


I don't know what I'd have done if Jesus had called me Satan as he did Peter. All Peter was doing was reacting to Jesus saying he would be killed...and not thinking as God does. God requires that we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. Other wise we become an obstacle to him. No matter how good our intentions. The "self" is probably the biggest hurdle to seeing God's "Big Picture". We cling to our creature comforts even as Peter clung to the idea that the messiah could not die at the hands of his enemies. God is suprisingly "thinking outside of the box" all of the time. The trick is to let God help you start thinking like he does.

Peace and Sunday blessings.

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Video of the Week - Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw- Drugs or Jesus

This is great song. It has been nominated by the Christian Country Music Association for video of the year. I've selected "Drugs or Jesus" as this week's video for a number of reasons. I live in a small town like the one sung about in this song. I have friends that are hanging in the little space between self and salvation and I offer this as a prayer for them. I also remember myself as one who took a long time to let God's light shine down on, and then through, me.

As we contemplate the future, looking for love and meaning in our lives, we must all decide between that which feeds our egos and dulls our senses, and that which moves us toward God and his designs for us.

Add your 2 Cents about the video here.

Peace and have a very "good" Friday!

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Serving Christ

It's ACLU Blogburst Thursday and I say it's about time Allah got served too. Check out this story from the Stop The ACLU website.

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Summer Vegetables

Check out these recent performances of "California Girls" by the surviving members of the Beach Boys-

Brian Wilson(Second Song in Medley at about 3:00)

Mike Love/Bruce Johnston(After Interview at about 2:20)

What do you think? Whose was the better performance? Brian or Mike and Bruce? Post a Comment.

And now for your dining pleasure Brian Wilson's "Vegetables".

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Reflection

This is my contribution to this week's Illustration Friday word, reflection.

Peace and have a purrrr-fect day!

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Sunday Nugget- Identity Crisis

From today's Gospel:

Peter's Confession is one of the highlights of the Christian conversion story. It is THE example of how Christian illumination comes only from God Himself. In Peter's day it is nice to think that the choice was either yes or no. Jesus was the Messiah or he was not. But It was more than that. It was and still is a spirit powered conclusion. Yet now, 2000 years removed and analyzed, the story of Jesus has been confused, convoluted and diluted to simple Sunday morning talking points for some and the means for lawsuits, legislation, and research grants and rebuttal for others.

Peace and have an "illuminated" Sunday.

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Video of the Week - Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy - Sugar, Were Goin Down

Ok I'm taking down my mounted antlers!! Maybe this is why my daughter's boyfriend spikes his hair! hmmm...

(The lyrics are ..."A loaded God-complex, cock it and pull it." I know a few people like that! Don't we all! It just proves what they say: "God is God and we are not.")

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ACLU Blogburst-"I'm a What?"

Here's an article from the Stop the ACLU site that hits kinda close to home...or would that be "below the belt"?

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Wisdom

This is my Illustration Friday drawing on the word "wisdom". I believe wisdom comes in many forms from many sources. This cartoon reflects that, I think.

The reverence of God is the beginning of wisdom. Here is a piece of wisdom I ran across recently. It is from The Way of Ananda Sanghis:

"We embrace, for ourselves, the need to embody this realization (of God) in our own lives by daily performing at least one specific, conscious, personally selected act of service to our fellow beings."

Sounds like a great place to start.

Peace and blessings!

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Elvis Lives

He lives in us! Or, at least what we remember of him. In honor of the anniversary of the death of "the King", I'm making my new book available starting today !

On August 16, 1977 Americans lost a cultural icon...Only to have him characterized by multiple sightings and tabloid appearances. In "The Mystical Elvis or How To See God Everywhere" you will take a metaphorical look at why we "miss" God and how to start seeing Him where and as He is. Borrowing from a variety of religious traditions, the book explores the glories and the pitfalls of the human personality in search of God, and how to use them to experience more bliss in your world. The book is in a brief, readable, workbook format and is good for use in small study groups, and families.

Print Version $9.99
Downloadable E-book Version (PDF format) $5.00

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This Year's Model

Announcing Jacob... Born Friday August 12, 2005. He was 5lbs 13.7 oz. and 18 3/4 inches long, happy and healthy. Welcome to the world Jacob!

He's the cute and wide-eyed one on the left! Proud Papa on the right! Mom sends a tired "hi".

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Sunday Nugget - Kibbles and Bits

From today's Gospel reading.

I was at the hospital the other day (BTW: my wife delivered our number seven on friday, Jacob is coming home today; pictures coming soon!) and I was channel surfing through the cable channels. I flipped past EWTN, CBN, and TBN. On TBN they were talking about prosperity, as they almost always do. Today's Gospel is about a healing and a deliverance. They were given because of the faith of the possesed girl's mother. Her determination and response to Jesus regarding the "lost sheep of Israel" are examples that should be taken and contemplated at length. Not only does it show candor and persistance but also a tremendous amount of wisdom concerning the place of humans in relation to God.

Yes, I would say we are ALL dogs, eating the scraps from the Master's table. As humbling as that sounds it is a concept that moves us toward freedom. All of our prosperity is but a bowl of Kibbles and Bits. We are totally and utterly dependant on every piece of "dog food" that comes from God's hand and we ought to be gracious for that and not searching or inventing formulas for twisting God's arm into dropping the steak when we really only deserve the bones.

Peace and have a wonderful Sunday!

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Video of the Week - Taproot

Taproot - Calling

This is a cool song and video with background vocals I could swear were lifted off of a classic B.O.C. record. One thing though...It's gotta have more cowbell!

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Who Let The Dog Out

Dogs amaze me by how they can be so smart and so dumb at the same time. I like my dog, but she baffles me from time to time. My dogs have a shelter that they will go in and stay out of the heat but yesterday during a downpour Ebony sat in the rain for the duration. So either she just forgot what their shelter was for...or she was enjoying a moment in the rain. I may be underestimating her...but probably not.

I guess it's abit like us, spiritually. We have all we need in that respect. There is a shelter there for us at all times. We just need to choose to use it.

Peace and have a great Wednesday.

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Empty!

"Empty" is this week's Illustration Friday topic. This is an Easter cartoon celebrating the Christian mystery of the resurrection. Emptiness isn't always bad. An empty voicemail box, an empty schedule, and an empty beach are always great, especially for the contemplative type like myself. Oh...And there is that TOMB!!! :)

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Sunday Nugget- Peter's Progress

From today's Gospel reading.


When Peter got out of the boat to follow Jesus on the water, I often wonder if he really believed that he could. The scriptures say that he looked and saw the waves and heard the wind and cried out "Lord, save me." How would the story have changed if he simply believed. It seems that the power of faith, the belief that he could, should have been enough to keep him buoyant.

The ability to believe in ourselves and what we are capable of can become severely limited by merely living in this world. As we grow up we go from "I can do that" (like learning to fly by jumping off a couch on a Saturday morning) to "I'd like to do that" (like watching nascar before you have your drivers license) to "I can't do that" (you fill in the blank here). What happens to us is a kind of metaphysical atrophy. The God-given power to affect our lives dwindles and sputters like the last bit of wick on a candle.

My prayer for you today is that you believe in God, with whom nothing is impossible and through whom you can do all things, and believe in yourself.

Related Item:The Magic of Believing: The science of setting your goal and then reaching it

Peace and blessings....

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Video of the Week - Coldplay

Coldplay - Fix You

Video courtesy of CD Times .

Anyone notice how Chris Martin is walking in alot of this band's videos? At least he's not walking backwards in this one!

Add your 2 Cents about this video here.

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Quitting Coffee

I'm thinking of quitting coffee. I'm just not awake enough yet to know why... Maybe I don't feel like fixing it. You know I gotta grind the beans...pour the water. It's almost work.

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The Natural Law

Yesterday was one of those days! So here's a little info on Murphy's Law.

Peace and have a murphy-less day.

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Aging

This week's "Illustration Friday" topic is aging. I find it funny that throughout life we are pretty much the same person we always were. And most of us will go out as we came in : bald, toothless, cranky, wearing diapers and needing lots of help! Something to think about!

Peace and have a great Wednesday.

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