278
ME: I used double-reverse psychology!
JARON: Wouldn't that just be, "Psychology?"
ME:.....
chris
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Wounded
279
Click here to listen to >Wounded
I wrote this song many years ago based on Isaiah 53.
Lyrics:
A man full of sorrow aquinted with grief
We his our faces from him.
No beauty to speak of that we should desire
He was not esteemed before me
Stricken by God, with all our afflictions
His sorrow and grief did he bear
The heartbeat of God, for our affection
But we looked on without a care
For he was wounded for our transgressions
For he was bruised and torn
so we could be reborn
The flock of his people have all gone astray
Each of us to our own way
Bent from te burden, yet standing up tall
He bore the sin of us all
The mouth that spoke Heaven into existance
Was struck and never was heard
He was cut off from the land of the living
His words of life trampled and spurned
(The wounds heal, and the scars reveal his mercy)
chris
Click here to listen to >Wounded
I wrote this song many years ago based on Isaiah 53.
Lyrics:
A man full of sorrow aquinted with grief
We his our faces from him.
No beauty to speak of that we should desire
He was not esteemed before me
Stricken by God, with all our afflictions
His sorrow and grief did he bear
The heartbeat of God, for our affection
But we looked on without a care
For he was wounded for our transgressions
For he was bruised and torn
so we could be reborn
The flock of his people have all gone astray
Each of us to our own way
Bent from te burden, yet standing up tall
He bore the sin of us all
The mouth that spoke Heaven into existance
Was struck and never was heard
He was cut off from the land of the living
His words of life trampled and spurned
(The wounds heal, and the scars reveal his mercy)
chris
Thursday, April 5, 2012
I thought of Watchman Nee today...
280
In 1981 I bought the book, "The Release of the Spirit." Other than the Bible, it has been the most influential book in my life.
Here is one of my favorite sections (from page 68/69)
The working of the Holy Spirit in our lives has its positive as well as its negative sides—both constructive and destructive phases. After we were born again, we received the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit. But our outward man, however, often deprives Him of His freedom to move and work in our lives. It is like trying to walk in a pair of ill-fitted new shoes. Because our outward is in conflict with our inward man, God must employ whatever means He thinks effective in breaking down any stubborn stronghold over which our inward man has no control.
The Holy Spirit does not break the outward man by simply supplying more grace to the inward man. Of course, God wants the inward man to be strong. But His method for diminishing the outward man is by utilizing external means. It would be well nigh impossible for the inward man to accomplish this. Both the inward and the outward are so different in nature that they can scarcely inflict any wounds on each other. The nature of both the outward man and external things are similar; therefore, the former can easily be affected by the latter. External things can strike and bruise the outward man most painfully. So it is the external things that God uses to deal with our outward man.
Today I felt like those "ill-fitting shoes."
chris
To read this entire book: The Release of the Spirit
In 1981 I bought the book, "The Release of the Spirit." Other than the Bible, it has been the most influential book in my life.
Here is one of my favorite sections (from page 68/69)
The working of the Holy Spirit in our lives has its positive as well as its negative sides—both constructive and destructive phases. After we were born again, we received the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit. But our outward man, however, often deprives Him of His freedom to move and work in our lives. It is like trying to walk in a pair of ill-fitted new shoes. Because our outward is in conflict with our inward man, God must employ whatever means He thinks effective in breaking down any stubborn stronghold over which our inward man has no control.
The Holy Spirit does not break the outward man by simply supplying more grace to the inward man. Of course, God wants the inward man to be strong. But His method for diminishing the outward man is by utilizing external means. It would be well nigh impossible for the inward man to accomplish this. Both the inward and the outward are so different in nature that they can scarcely inflict any wounds on each other. The nature of both the outward man and external things are similar; therefore, the former can easily be affected by the latter. External things can strike and bruise the outward man most painfully. So it is the external things that God uses to deal with our outward man.
Today I felt like those "ill-fitting shoes."
chris
To read this entire book: The Release of the Spirit
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Today's Blog
281
Another HAIKU:
Sometimes you have time
Other times you have no time
That is today's blog
chris
Another HAIKU:
Sometimes you have time
Other times you have no time
That is today's blog
chris
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Listening to God can save your (or someonelse's) life.
282
This is a true story…
A ministry I worked for in Iowa sponsored a concert by a South African Worship Leader named Louis Brittz. He came with a band and a few other support people.
After his concert on this particular evening I had invited him and his “entourage” to our large, lovely home in Newton for Amy’s home-made Mastaccioli.
It was a fun evening with a bunch of Afrikaners. We were spread out through our house talking in small groups and sharing.
Then it was their time to move on to Iowa City. I was giving their driver directions to the interstate when I noticed the blank look on his face. “I’ll just drive to the interstate and he can follow me,” I thought. So they loaded in their van. I got in my minivan, and off we went.
Newton is small. From our house you take a right, take a left, take a right and there you are. But I felt compelled to drive them right to the interstate.
As I was driving I had this interaction with the voice of the Lord:
THE LORD: Chris, Are they following you?
ME: (I look in the review mirror) Yes, Lord, They are following me.
THE LORD: Chris, Are they following you?
ME: (Looking in my rear-view mirror again) Uh, Yes Lord. You know they are following me.
(a few blocks later)
THE LORD: Chris, Are they following you?
ME: Yes L….(then I realized something more was going on)
So I slowed down and made sure they were right behind me. I drove past the Wal-Mart (in the cornfield, of course) and to Interstate 80.
You drive under the interstate and take a left onto the interstate to head to Iowa city, but as I came to the on-ramp. I saw that the sign that said Iowa city had been twisted so that the arrow pointed in the opposite direction, wrong-way up the off-ramp.
So there I sat, in my van, in the middle of the road with my arm hanging out of my window pointing to the left while the road sign clearly pointed to the right.
I could see the Afrikaners hesitating, like we were frozen in time. No other cars were around, so we just sat there. Eventually, he pulled around me, took a left, and headed to Iowa City.
I drove back into town, flagged down a local officer and reported the tampered sign.
When I got home I was pretty excited to talk to Amy (It’s always exciting when the Lord talks to you.) But as I talked, all the color drained out of her face. She said, “Did you see the man I was talking to? Well, he was in a horrible car crash that killed his wife and his daughter, and severely injured him. He is still trying to recover from his injuries. He said they were hit by a drunk driver who had inadvertently turned the wrong way, onto an off-ramp, and was driving the wrong way on a highway.”
Glad I listened.
chris
To learn about my man, Louis Brittz: Louis Brittz
Monday, April 2, 2012
The Girl From Petrovka
283
I like this story:
The British actor Anthony Hopkins was delighted to hear that he had landed a leading role in a film based on the book The Girl From Petrovka by George Feifer. A few days after signing the contract, Hopkins travelled to London to buy a copy of the book. He tried several bookshops, but there wasn't one to be had. Waiting at Leicester Square underground for his train home, he noticed a book apparently discarded on a bench. Incredibly, it was The Girl From Petrovka. That in itself would have been coincidence enough but in fact it was merely the beginning of an extraordinary chain of events. Two years later, in the middle of filming in Vienna, Hopkins was visited by George Feifer, the author. Feifer mentioned that he did not have a copy of his own book. He had lent the last one - containing his own annotations - to a friend who had lost it somewhere in London. With mounting astonishment, Hopkins handed Feifer the book he had found. 'Is this the one?' he asked, 'with the notes scribbled in the margins?' It was the same book.
chris
I like this story:
The British actor Anthony Hopkins was delighted to hear that he had landed a leading role in a film based on the book The Girl From Petrovka by George Feifer. A few days after signing the contract, Hopkins travelled to London to buy a copy of the book. He tried several bookshops, but there wasn't one to be had. Waiting at Leicester Square underground for his train home, he noticed a book apparently discarded on a bench. Incredibly, it was The Girl From Petrovka. That in itself would have been coincidence enough but in fact it was merely the beginning of an extraordinary chain of events. Two years later, in the middle of filming in Vienna, Hopkins was visited by George Feifer, the author. Feifer mentioned that he did not have a copy of his own book. He had lent the last one - containing his own annotations - to a friend who had lost it somewhere in London. With mounting astonishment, Hopkins handed Feifer the book he had found. 'Is this the one?' he asked, 'with the notes scribbled in the margins?' It was the same book.
chris
Sunday, April 1, 2012
483 LIVES! (The continuing saga of Theatre in the Park 2012)
284
Today, all of the Theatre in the Park shows cast.
Last night I was conflicted because I really wanted to be in Sweeney Todd but I also really wanted to do a show with Eric.
I was sure I was not going to be Sweeney and I did want to "just" be in the ensemble for Urinetown (which was a really sucky attitude to have on my part.)
One of the directors talked to me about what I was thinking for the shows and I rambled back and forth about Sweeney vs U-town.
On my way driving home from the callbacks I just said to myself, "Self, do you want to sing really hard music with a bunch of people you don't know or do you want to miss what will probably be your opportunity to ever do a show with Eric?" The question answered itself. Plus, I kind of was having a poor ungrateful attitude.
So I emailed the director and clarified I would take whatever part was assigned to me and that it was an awesome opportunity (which it was) and that I was really thankful (which I actually am.)
At 12:00 today I was using a jackhammer to bust-up a small sidewalk at one of our rental houses (I had to do something more manly after all the theatre stuff I did yesterday. By 4 o'clock I was taking a nap. When I woke up I say a message on my phone. It was one of the directors asking if I would be willing to be in the Tenor-Trio for Sweeney Todd and be Senator Fipp in Urinetown. Eric was cast as "Bobby Strong" the lead. The two show did not overlap and they really needed me in both.
I called back and said, "Yes."
So now I have a busy summer!
483 LIVES!
483
To learn more about Theatre in the Park, Shawnee: http://theatreinthepark.org/
Today, all of the Theatre in the Park shows cast.
Last night I was conflicted because I really wanted to be in Sweeney Todd but I also really wanted to do a show with Eric.
I was sure I was not going to be Sweeney and I did want to "just" be in the ensemble for Urinetown (which was a really sucky attitude to have on my part.)
One of the directors talked to me about what I was thinking for the shows and I rambled back and forth about Sweeney vs U-town.
On my way driving home from the callbacks I just said to myself, "Self, do you want to sing really hard music with a bunch of people you don't know or do you want to miss what will probably be your opportunity to ever do a show with Eric?" The question answered itself. Plus, I kind of was having a poor ungrateful attitude.
So I emailed the director and clarified I would take whatever part was assigned to me and that it was an awesome opportunity (which it was) and that I was really thankful (which I actually am.)
At 12:00 today I was using a jackhammer to bust-up a small sidewalk at one of our rental houses (I had to do something more manly after all the theatre stuff I did yesterday. By 4 o'clock I was taking a nap. When I woke up I say a message on my phone. It was one of the directors asking if I would be willing to be in the Tenor-Trio for Sweeney Todd and be Senator Fipp in Urinetown. Eric was cast as "Bobby Strong" the lead. The two show did not overlap and they really needed me in both.
I called back and said, "Yes."
So now I have a busy summer!
483 LIVES!
483
To learn more about Theatre in the Park, Shawnee: http://theatreinthepark.org/
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