Royal Caribbean Cruise feasts on a destroyed island, or a “Christian” relief effort that includes palates of food and medicine solar-powered Bibles? You pick the worst. I’m too disgusted in general.
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/01/18/cruise-ship-docks-at.html (http://www NULL.boingboing NULL.net/2010/01/18/cruise-ship-docks-at NULL.html)
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/earthquake-survivors-get-solar-powered-bibles/story-e6frfku0-1225821184929 (http://www NULL.news NULL.com NULL.au/breaking-news/earthquake-survivors-get-solar-powered-bibles/story-e6frfku0-1225821184929)
On a positive note, you can donate directly to the American Red Cross disaster relief fund here (http://american NULL.redcross NULL.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_src=RSG000000000&s_subsrc=RCO_FrontPagePanel), or directly from the iTunes Store (https://buy NULL.itunes NULL.apple NULL.com/WebObjects/MZFinance NULL.woa/wa/buyCharityGiftWizard).
Yep. This is awesome. I side with the Catholics.
Here’s the review of my week, in Twitter (http://www NULL.twitter NULL.com/jeremytackett) update format. Most recent (today) is at the top. Enjoy!
What are we about?
Over the past weeks and months, I’ve heard this question asked and re-asked in our congregation. But not only in the congregation at FPC. As I read posts, blogs and books by those trying to search out what it means to be a follower of Christ, it seems that this question is becoming a theme across the board. Where we once found meaning, purpose and direction, we often find ourselves with only more questions. Have we lost sight of the goal? What is it, after all is said and done, that we are trying to be? What (or more correctly, Who) are we striving to be like?
After our ordinary service today, I experienced a quite extraordinary congregational meeting. Normal things were discussed… finances, numbers, programs, etc. But when it was all said and done, I was left hopeful by the tone of the meeting. Our church seems to be heading toward really facing, maybe for the first time, the most important question — What is it that we are going to commit to? (more…)
Wish I could take credit for this, but that goes to Myriad Hues blog (http://myriadhues NULL.wordpress NULL.com)…
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A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: “If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other’s cups.”
“Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn’t change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it.”
So please, don’t let the cups drive you…enjoy the coffee instead.
Being happy does not mean everything is perfect. It means you have decided to see beyond the imperfection.
(http://www NULL.lifetreecafe NULL.com)