I'm NOT Going CRAZY!!!!

Ok, see, I thought I was going crazy about this whole Rick Warren thing, but alas I'm not. I'm on the cutting edge! ;) I was looking through Rudy's blog (Urban Onramps) and saw where he linked to this blog, check this out:
http://willzhead.typepad.com/willzhead/2005/03/one_of_these_th.html

Oh, you say Jewels, this proves nothing! Oh, I laugh in your face! Upon further reading of Rudy's blog I found this. check this out:
http://gentry13.blogspot.com/2005/03/mid-morning-time-wasters-in-honor-of.html#comments

I tell you! I'm not as dim as I once thought. ;)
Before:

After:


I scoff you, you nay sayers! ;) There is something out there! da da dddddddduuuuuuuummmm
Yes I admit I'm a little obsessed at this point.

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Blake and I are heading "down home" or as my dad says "to the lower 48". Kennett,MO to be exact as well as Paragould, AR. :)

The map doesn't show Kennett on here, but its just south of Campbell,MO, but you get the idea.

Anyway, I probably won't be blogging while I'm home. Take care. I may post something else later today, but I thought I would let y'all know where I'm headed.

Easter Day

http://www.jamesorahart.com/gallery/thanksgiving/
art by James Orah

I wanted to share something that might give you more focus on Easter Sunday. I want to share one of the oldest hymns out there. It is so old we don't even have the music for it.

Phos Hilaron (Hail Gladdening Light)
Hail Gladdening Light
Of His pure glory outpoured
Who is the Immortal Father, Heavenly Blest
Holiest of Holies, Jesus Christ our Lord
Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest
The lights of evening 'round us shine
We hymn the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Divine
Worthiest art Thou, at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue
Son of our God, Giver of life alone
Therefore, in all the world Thy glories Lord Thine own.

Here is the updated version:

Joyous Light (Hail Gladdening Light-Revised)
Words and music by David Crowder, Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglo

1. Hail Gladdening Light, sun so bright
Jesus Christ, end of night, alleluia
Hail Gladdening Light, Eternal Bright
At evening time, 'round us shine, alleluia, alleluia

2. Hail Gladdening Light, such joyous Light
O Brilliant Star, forever shine, alleluia, alleluia
We hymn the Father, we hymn the Son
We hymn the Spirit, wholly Divine
No one more worthy of songs to be sung
To the Giver of Life, all glory is Thine

Have You Seen Rick Warren Lately?

Seriously have you? The guy is starting to show signs of his celebrity. I watched Larry King Live tonight with him and I couldn't help but think Warren is under going that warp. I think he is starting to believe his press. Anyway, I tried to find the picture of what he looks like tonight, but I found some stuff that will come close in proving my point.
This would be the Rick Warren alot of us were introduced to:

and here


Ok, so here are some recent photos I found. Now he looks similar, BUT just had some more light hair, more spikey, cooler clothes,hair gel and no glasses:

here is the link to the Time Photo:
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101050207/photoessay/
I just have this feeling........

Lynn Anderson

http://hope.faithsite.com/


Something interesting I would pass on to my church of Christ freinds, John mainly. I was talking to my dad yesterday and he is in a mentor group with Lynn Anderson. Said it was really good. I will share more about soon. :)

Lynn Anderson in case some of you don't know is of:
fame.

Also, our car broke down. A major repair bill. I know I shouldn't worry, but right now I'm a worrying, nervous knot. :P

Interesting Questions

Here is the link to the orginal post on this:
http://a268chic.blogspot.com/2005/03/more-ready-than-you-realize.html

So Rick responded to my post about Brian McLaren. And he said:

Is this question worth while: "If you could know God, would you want to know Him?"

I like this question, because in some ways it takes me to where I'm headed. So I guess Rick is the co-pilot or the manual. ;) LOL Anyway, the one thing I don't understand in what I heard from Brian McLaren is how he see evangelism. I guess because of being in an SBC for awhile and being heavly influnced by William Carey Inst., the IMB, the NAMB, and various other things, I find it hard to accept some of the "unorthoxdox" practice. I find it in some ways just as fake as what I learned through PDC and the others. I know in my mind we should "reach people right where they are at", but I feel that should be some structure to it. Is evangelism a purposeful thing in Emergent lifestyle? (I say Emergent Lifestyle, because I'm not sure how else to define it) I find myself confused and even find myself in some what of a box. I feel unsure how to come out of it. As someone who is focused on missions or used to be, I'm not sure how this "lifestyle" fits. I feel that if I asked the above question Rick proposed to a "lost person" the answer would still be "no" and to be honest in my "lost state" I have said "no". So does this make sense to anyone? Can any of y'all help me define what I'm getting at? Interested to hear some thoughts on where I'm going with this. I admit there is some marketing, modernism still left in me. So I cry "HELP".

The Plan

Ok, so here is the plan.......
I'm going to make a post on my thoughts on the Brian Mclaren talk on Saturday. Things at work are distracting and usually Saturdays here I can focus a bit more. So, that is the plan Stan! ;) I hope y'all have a very blessed Good Friday.

Jewels

you took off my mask

This is called you took off my maskand filled me with joy I found it here: http://freedomcreative.blogspot.com/

I thought it was amazing and wanted to share it here.

Chick Lit For The Christian Soul

Call me hyper critical, call me a Postmodern snob, call me bashing Rick Warren wannabe, but isn't this a little much? We now have Chick Lit for the Christian Women. Maybe I shouldn't judge too much, but this just adds to that sub-culture that really makes me a little ill.Now, I do think we need to allow there to be freedom of the arts in our Christian communities. I even think that if your out let is to write a book about a Carrie, Sex In The City, type book,but with a character that happens to be a Christian, fine go at, but to market a book that thrusts the sub-culture that much more just needs a scream of "Gimme A Break". (thank you ala' John Stosel)

here is a link if you would like to look more into this book:

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product/?item_no=944589&p=1010575

and the web page of the author, I will y'all decide.

http://www.kristinbillerbeck.com/

I Don't Know

I don't know what is going on with me. I haven't been feeling well the last 3-4 days. I honestly have no energy, I cough alot and my throat hurts alot. Weird,eh? By the time I get home at night I'm so tired I can't even think striaght. Anyway, all this to say, this is why I haven't been blogging lately. Hopefully I will have something and will continue with Brian McLaren soon.

Blessings-

BTW: John and Ann, y'all have been on my mind for the past couple of days. I hope you are doing ok. And Andrew, welcome home.

Please Forgive......

Please forgive me today, I have a headache today. I'm so used to migranes I don't know what to do with myself. :P Anyway, I'm not feeling great today so I won't be commenting today on the McLaren post I made on Saturday. I will try and do that for y'all tomorrow.

More Ready Than You Realize

I have never read this book, but I watched the video on Off The Map. I would highly suggest any of you watch the video.

http://www.off-the-map.org/mediacenter/brian_mclaren_library.html

Look for this picture:



and click "Interview with Brian McLaren & Alice"

after that, share your thoughts here. I will probably share more soon, but I would love to hear what others are thinking.

Here's Your Sign

You know what annoys me? I get annoyed when people think we have to think a certian way, speak a certian way. I admit the Christianesse Matrix is really hacking me off this week. I'm sorry if I have been a lil' pissy lately,but dude it is really getting too be much. I honestly want to be in a Christian Community! I do! I want to beg a community to let me in, but I can't take the web. As I get close to it I get all annoyed and/or get anxious and my chest starts to close in. Is this how it is suppose to be? Is this life out side the Christianesse Matrix? Y'all I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can enter in a Christian Community again. I'm done, turn me over, I'm done.
So here is my sign to you people:


AND


Man, that is rude of me.

Welcome Home (well kindof)

I have a friend that once said:

so my fields of paper flowers and candy clouds of lullaby have been ripped open, the purple sky is torn, and the rampant chaos is my reality and I am just trying to crawl under a rock

I love this quote, it says so much of what I have been feeling the past year. Anyway, the friend who said this has been back home in South Africa. Although I'm glad he got to go home, I'm extremly happy to know that he is back in the States! This is selfish of me, because I find that Andrew pushes me. Since becoming friends with Andrew I tend not to give pat answeres, I make sure I think through before I say the right Christian answer.

So welcome home Andrew! I pray your trip was blessed! And in your honor I post the South Africa Flag



I hope that gives you a smile. :)

Blessings!

Jewels

Just Something I Noticed

*clears her throat*
Pardon the scratch in my voice, but I decided that I noticed something today and it couldn't wait until tomorrow when I'm feeling better.
We take pride in our labels, don't we? We hold tight to them as though they are our Savior. As though if we let them go for a second the world will stop. One thing that I really noticed today was this throwing around of "I'm a Pastor", "I'm a Preacher's Wife", "Cool Preacher, Am I", ect. Now it would be fine if these were being used as in "I work at B Church, as a Pastor", ect. But the references I have seen them used today has been out pissing on territory and making sure Christian people around know what title "so-and-so" holds. I remember being that way. I remember wanting to be apart of the cool crowd, "The Pastor's Wives", it seemed so cool, so SPIRITUAL. Since this is my thing, being spiritual I mean, it was easy to want that title, it meant in my "circle" I would be held in higher regard. Pretty simple.
I wonder now, now that I have entered into a different phase, if there is room for titles and labels. I wonder if this is what makes me struggle with the definition of "women in ministry". There is apart of me that doesn't want to shift the bible to my liking and I can't deny it does speak of Elders and Deacons in a formal role, but I hate the superiority that comes seething through when someone gets the title and what the church does to it. Today I saw it every where and it honestly made me want to hit someone. YIKES, it must be because I'm not feeling well. ;) Anyway, I'm getting ready to go on a rant that leads to no where.
To end, I just wonder what God really means with some of the titles/labels He has given us. I don't think He is saddened as I would be, but I wonder in His powerful mind if He is angry that we have messed it up so much.

Sick Today

So I'm feeling really yucky today. Bad sore throat, ect. Blake is getting ready for his March Madness get together tonight. He always makes me smile when he is getting ready for special company. Just so sweet. Which I'm sure he loves to hear. ;) Anyway, since today is a "sick day" I found something fun for y'all to check out.........



http://www.twinkiesproject.com/

Creative Jewels

So I'm Miss Creative Jewels right now. I'm not the smartest computer girl, but today I was able to figure out how move my "Mood Today" and was able to figure out how to add links to websites and blogs I like! YIPPEE!!!! I'm feeling pretty creative right! :P

I mentioned my friend John a couple of days ago. Without infringing on his privacy, I ask that y'all pray for him tomorrow. I meant to post this earlier, but work was kindof nuts today. Anyway, he is really needing some fellow believers to pray for a clear mind, that he doesn't take things too personally, and that he gets home soon to see his wonderful wife and family. I would also ask that you pray for his daughter and her family. They are going through a hard time themselves and could use some prayer their way as well.

John, Ann, and Family:

Y'all are special people to me! I'm praying for you and lifting you! You know I'm here if y'all need anything!

Jewels

Father, be with this sweet family. Lord, bless John today and tomorrow. Equip him with what he needs. Father, give him extra clearness of mind, an extra shield from taking these personal, and Father I ask that you have John's travels lessen soon. And when his special trip comes with his wife, bless it with a special time they have together!

Amen.

Thanks for this personal moment today guys! :)
Jewels

Test

I seem to be having a problem not being able to publish. Just testing.

Emerging/Transforming

Ok, so which is better to say I'm "emerging" or "transforming"? Are those of us who tend to move ourselves away from the EC thing just a split? Are we rebels within a rebellion?
I prefer to not label myself to be honest. This whole Emerging Church is way too commercial, like next thing you know EC will marry PDC and they will have cute kids together. How do you like that picture? YIKES!
So here I am. I'm in the wilderness some where. The journey gets rough, but I meet many ones that are the same as I. They don't like to identify with the shiney new things that seem to pass through the desert, but the do learn from then. The thing is the shiny things seem to get a group of people, almost like a baby to bright colours. I don't mean to judge those people, but it seems so fake, so unnatural. Maybe its just me, just my prefrence, but it just seems right, it seems that is where God is, in the real places.
Is this so wrong to think this way?

I Told Y'all I'm An Angel!

You are Form 2, Angel: The Pure.

"And The Angel rose as holy protector for
all that was created. She fought with honor
and valor to serve the good of the world. But
the coming of the mankind was her downfall; and
end to purity."

Some examples of the Angel Form are Michael
(Christian) and Hercules (Greek).
The Angel is associated with the concept of virtue,
the number 2, and the element of wind.
Her sign is the zenith sun.

As a member of Form 2, you are a person of your
word. You generally keep your promises and
give everything you do your best. Although
some people see you as overbearing sometimes,
you know that you have to stay true to yourself
and do what's right. Angels are the best
friends to have because they are brutally
honest.


Which Mythological Form Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


these quiz things crack me up. They are fun to do at work when there is nothing else to do.

Um, I think my angel is naked. I never noticed that before. So kiddies cover your eyes!

Ok, I was able to get the naked Angel on her way to other places. She must not have been a saved Angel! ;)

Expound

Blake has expounded upon the thoughts I posted in the wee hours. I thought I would share this with y'all. Its truely a wonderful peice of work, I think anyway.

http://va3svd.blogspot.com/2005/03/agoraphobic.html

The Russian

From The Russian:

They are agorophobic - they fear the open spaces.
They don't know how to handle themselves in this great, big, open field and don't know how to deal.

Isn't that how it is when you are trying to explain what happening around us and what happens when you step outside of what we thought church was?

ESFP/ENFP

Ok, so I apparently, depending on my mood test out ESFP or ENFP. What I found interesting was that in my ESFP profile one of the famous people that is also ESFP is the Disciple Mark. I have to admit, Mark isn't one of my favorite Disciples, this provokes me to look into him more now. I will let you know how that turns out. Oh, and just out of curiosity I looked up the ENFP famous people and to my surprise there were no disciples listed, but it did list one interesting person. Quiet, frankly, I'm not exicted about it: James Dobson ("Focus on the Family"). Interesting, huh? :P

Blessings for now-

My Bloginality

My Bloginality is ESFP!!!

My Voice

When you have a voice like mine you wonder what you have to do to get someone to interact with you. One again, I was shown that my voice doesn't match up, it doesn't fit.

Just so you know, my voice might be weak, my voice might not be power packed, but it doesn't mean my voice should be ignored. I may not be the smartest women, I know I'm not, but you ignore my voice you ignore the community, make community exclusive, you make community them vs. us. I may not be able to put flowery words in my voice, I may not be able to put cool facts and figures in my voice, but my voice has a place. My voice is a strong one, it has experience flowing through it, it has a heart that cannot be denied, it has feeling, drama, and an intellect on human emotion that a book smart person cannot match. What you see as "flyity" or "stupid", is someone just wanting to get her voice out. You ignore me in your community, your community just became weaker. I am here! I AM HERE!

This Is Neat

Ok, first of all, computers suck! argh I had a post about this all done and it crashed on me.

Anyway, the long and the short of it is this: at Shawn Cuthill's web site I started a thread based on some comments from Blue Like Jazz. Some how Shawn found a post from here and shared it on the thread. Anyway, I thought I would share with everyone what is being said about community on that thread. Here is the link: http://bbc.quist.ca/bb/viewtopic.php?t=272

BTW: John I don't know if I'm missing the point yet. I realized I was getting distracted from the book and picked it back up this week. Also, John I'm praying for you. I know this week is suppose to nuts for you. So real quick everyone if you can say a little prayer for my friend John he needs it. He has a lot on his plate until the end of March. Blessings John and Ann!

Blessings-

Working Title

I'm working on a new title. Not sure if this one will stick, seeing how I have changed it 5 times before this post. :P Oh, well, when I figure it out, it will stick. Kindof how it was when I fell for my husband. ;)

A Place To Fit In

I wonder sometimes if I will find a place to fit in. If I should even try. Right now Blake is wanting us to continue to visit a gathering that I'm just not sure about. Although I think it has potential, I think the other side of that potential is dangerous. Conservative brethren seem so stuffy, making sure every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed. Taking the microscope out and making sure that the Truth is black and white. This scares me. I mostly live in the grey I guess you could say. I'm messy, although my "i" will be dotted it might be off center and if my "t" is crossed it might not be perfectly crossed. I don't even own a microscope for my bible or for God, I don't think I ever had one, doing that to the bible and to God just seems, well, BORING, plain. I want to not only know God, but I want to experience Him. It seems like the more I try to be in a relationship the more I grow, the more I understand, the closer I feel. So with that I feel like I'm the square peg trying to fit in a round hole. Although its nice to be different, it just doesn't help you fit in.

OH, Another One, What The Heck......

Which Horrible Affliction are you?
A Rum and Monkey disease.

Blake,I think this one is for you. :D

And these things are addictive. HA

And While We Are On Characters.......

Which Annoying B-list Celebrity Are You?
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey.

I Hate My New Foundation

MAC you screwed me. I have tried and tried to live with this new foundation and it sucks! I look like a pale and spotty ghost!!!!! ARGH!!! Yes I am angry right now. Last Sunday I went to my MAC counter needing a new foundation. I almost wish I would have never changed formulas. *cry* I will have to head to the MAC counter again tomorrow. This sucks.

Which Character Are You?

I love the movie The Village. It says a lot to me. One of my favorite parts is when Ivy, the heroine of the movie, decides to take a chance, go into the forbidden woods, to reach the towns on the other side to fetch medicines for her slain lover. Ivy is blind and can only see colors. So Ivy takes her leap of faith, only driven by the hope that the "ones we don't speak of" are not real. Her father, who is an Elder of the village, has two guides go with her. They meet her and go to the gate where they will enter the woods. Ivy walks through the gate and one of the guides follows. He soon catches up to her only to tell her the other guide is staying behind. She turns to him and pleads for him to go with them. She tells they will be safe. He turns his back, Ivy and the other guide continue on to the towns. Until it rains and they have to stop and take cover. When it clears the other guide leaves her as well, telling her that the "ones we don't speak of" will have mercy on her, because she is blind, but they will kill him. When I have the time I will find that part from the movie and put it on here, because I think the words are profound as well.
I wonder what character are you? I would like to think I'm Ivy. I feel as though I am any more. Although I'm not physically blind, I feel in so many other ways I am. I'm now on this journey trying to get to the next town, I'm blind as to how to get there and it feels so lonely sometimes. All I want is to get to the towns, get the medicine I need heal myself and take it to others. I just don't know if its possible. I keep feeling like I'm going to be stuck in the woods forever, just wondering around, running from the things I don't talk about, and never making it to the end. I guess this is what the whole PoMo thing has been for me and working on all these thoughts on the Emerging Church. So I wonder, where are you? Why do you think you are whatever character you choose?

Blessings for now-

Marketing To Reaching A Culture

Sunday night I was watching CNN Headline News. I watched a report about a man by the name of Kurtis Blow. Mr. Blow apparently is the "Father of Rap". He became a believe and now lives in Harlem, New York City. He saw a need for a church to reach the community in Harlem. He decided to start a Hip-Hop church. Apparently it is doing rather well. Since Blake has a friend that is reaching these same type of people I thought I would post about it on his web page, http://www.shawncuthill.com. Someone on the message board didn't like the idea of this Hip-Hop church. She called it marketing and modern. Now, I'm all for bashing the PDC and for questions the marketing that has come from it, but I wonder if this church is reaching a culture and not marketing to it.

So this leads me to a thought, what is the difference? What is the difference between marketing to a culture or reaching people through the culture. Could it not be suggested its all the same thing? Things that make you go hhhhhhmmmmmm..........

One More Try

Well, I thought I would start working on my blog again. See what I can come up with to write about. It seemed for so long I was just becoming depressed and a whiner. Ok, so my dad called me "Julie Whiner", fine, but I will work on not being so. :P ;)

What is going on now? Good question.

1. Blake and I no longer go to GBC. Crazy, I know. Things just got too out of control. I couldn't take the judging, the fakness, the lies any more. Plus, Blake and I were starting to go into different directions. This was miserable.
2. We actually went to a church yesterday together. That was interesting. They are very conservative. I'm not good at getting along with conseravtives. :P I know, I know. Its just too hard sometimes. I'm just not into law, being perfect, and so many other things that seem to go along with being a fundementalist conservative.
3. Blake and I are going to see my family at the end of March. I'm so excited! This will be our first trip together since we got married. Very exciting!

Ok, so nothing else real exciting is going on. I'm going to leave at this for now.

Blessings!!!