Wednesday, January 29, 2003
I need some help in jazzing up my blog.
Andrew sent me some blog info a while back, but I need more help than that.
Any input on how to put link and that sort of thing would be appreciated.
Andrew sent me some blog info a while back, but I need more help than that.
Any input on how to put link and that sort of thing would be appreciated.
January 29, 2003
I am just finishing up my first two days of writing A Week in the Life. It has gone fairly well. I spent the days creating detailed outline of all 14 chapters.
I just looked up and saw an SUV driving across the frozen lake. It struck me how odd it is the lake is frozen 2 feet think in the winter, and plenty strong for vehicles to drive on, and in four months people will be swimming in that same lake.
There is something reassuring that this kind of change happens in nature all around me. There is encouragement that the frozen heart of mine, and other I know, can really thaw enough for the things of God to swim in them, and maybe it will not take all that long.
I am just finishing up my first two days of writing A Week in the Life. It has gone fairly well. I spent the days creating detailed outline of all 14 chapters.
I just looked up and saw an SUV driving across the frozen lake. It struck me how odd it is the lake is frozen 2 feet think in the winter, and plenty strong for vehicles to drive on, and in four months people will be swimming in that same lake.
There is something reassuring that this kind of change happens in nature all around me. There is encouragement that the frozen heart of mine, and other I know, can really thaw enough for the things of God to swim in them, and maybe it will not take all that long.
Personal Reflections
January 28, 2003 –
I am working on my book for the next couple of days. The draft is due the first of May. I am
working on chapter 6 - worship Gatherings today. This is my first day of writing. It feels like a good place to start. I have the most prepared material for this section and know it really well. At this point it is the mostly organizing what I have already written and thought and then adding what I think I will need to add for those who will not have the opportunity to experience Solomon’s Porch.
There may be false sense of making progress because a number of other chapters will not have this level of prepared material.
I am alone at Marcus’ cabin – a beautiful house in Chisago Lakes, MN. Just up the road is a church where part of the film Grumpy Old Men was filmed. The lake is frozen with ice houses on it. The movie is completely believable from here.
So far the process has been fun. It has felt good and not like I am over selling anything. I wonder if that will change as I start to write chapters that I do not have as much material already created for.
Brian McLaren gave me a little advice last week that has been good. He suggested that I enjoy the process and just write to let it all out and clean it up latter. That is what I am trying, but boy there is a lot to clean up.
I am planning on including my own reflections on the writing of the book into sidebars in the chapters. I hope there is a way to make this work, I really think that the most honesty in the book as possible will not only make the book more fun to read, but more useful to those who find themselves on the same path.
I am not sure how the editorial process will work and if the editors will go for it. I am also not sure how hard I can or should push. On one hand they know more about the making of books than I do, and they should be trusted. On the other hand, I know my story and what I would like from a book that I have not normally found. I would like this project to be innovative in its approach and its content.
January 28, 2003 –
I am working on my book for the next couple of days. The draft is due the first of May. I am
working on chapter 6 - worship Gatherings today. This is my first day of writing. It feels like a good place to start. I have the most prepared material for this section and know it really well. At this point it is the mostly organizing what I have already written and thought and then adding what I think I will need to add for those who will not have the opportunity to experience Solomon’s Porch.
There may be false sense of making progress because a number of other chapters will not have this level of prepared material.
I am alone at Marcus’ cabin – a beautiful house in Chisago Lakes, MN. Just up the road is a church where part of the film Grumpy Old Men was filmed. The lake is frozen with ice houses on it. The movie is completely believable from here.
So far the process has been fun. It has felt good and not like I am over selling anything. I wonder if that will change as I start to write chapters that I do not have as much material already created for.
Brian McLaren gave me a little advice last week that has been good. He suggested that I enjoy the process and just write to let it all out and clean it up latter. That is what I am trying, but boy there is a lot to clean up.
I am planning on including my own reflections on the writing of the book into sidebars in the chapters. I hope there is a way to make this work, I really think that the most honesty in the book as possible will not only make the book more fun to read, but more useful to those who find themselves on the same path.
I am not sure how the editorial process will work and if the editors will go for it. I am also not sure how hard I can or should push. On one hand they know more about the making of books than I do, and they should be trusted. On the other hand, I know my story and what I would like from a book that I have not normally found. I would like this project to be innovative in its approach and its content.
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
I heard these words running through my head yesterday, "live in love and let God work in people. Don’t be so worried about these things, there is often more going on then you know."
In the situation I was ranting about things seem to be following along that path - boy am I a pathetic worrier about that kind of stuff some times.
I am taking my first two-day set to write the week in the life book today - I will at a friends cabin until tomorrow afternoon. I pray that this is a good way for me to do it. I wonder if the time of focus will help, or if being alone will lock up my thinking?
In the situation I was ranting about things seem to be following along that path - boy am I a pathetic worrier about that kind of stuff some times.
I am taking my first two-day set to write the week in the life book today - I will at a friends cabin until tomorrow afternoon. I pray that this is a good way for me to do it. I wonder if the time of focus will help, or if being alone will lock up my thinking?
Sunday, January 26, 2003
It is 11:22 pm on Sunday the 26th of January. I am a mix of emotions. I am trying to live committed to journaling here and this is a time of writing as a discipline. Today at church was a really good day. We had a leadership co-op meeting that was our best yet. We were able to approve the 2003 budget including pay increases for Ben and me, which really felt right and God honoring.
Had a meeting with people about the Guatemala trip that has too many people wanting to go (we have decided to follow in the example from the Bible where God seems to be telling people different things, and then God sorts it out - "on his Holy Mountain God will provide" stuff).
Church was really life giving tonight with a smaller than usual crowed because of the Super Bowl, but it was really honest and good for me. Michon, my daughter, read our psalm tonight Psalm 134, which is a great blessing. It was so pure to have a 13 year old bless our community.
The music felt like water on dry lips after having been gone for a week, Ben wrote a blessing that we sang that was incredible.
After church I had a few meetings. One about a book that I am going to write about our approach to spiritual formation. There will be profile story lines of 4 sets of people in our community. They will journal their experiences over the next three months and we will include them in the book. It was so good to move into this effort as a community.
I also prayed with a young girl in our community whose biological dad is in trouble with the law and she is confused.
All that made it a great day, then Shelley told me tonight about some people who have been an extremely important part of my life and our community who are feeling unconnected and wondering why they even come to church any more.
It is so defeating I could explode. I wonder at times why even make the call to live as a community. Maybe I am just so bad it that I sabotage everything in it. Or maybe people are in such hard places in life that w can't really live our lives with each other.
It is one thing to have people that I know I have to service and something else to have people I think we can live openly and freely with, and not service, feeling like the community is not working for them.
I struggle between feeling like they are full of crap, to thinking that I am, to thinking that we all are so much that it is unredeemable.
It is a temptation to just create a hip scene where people connect with God and leave each other out of it. But I know there is not life for me there. And there is nothing but pain and frustration in life on life. I truly believe that this interdependent life is how the kingdom life is to be lived.
The kingdom life is hard. I want to stay with it. I want to stay in it, but now at 11:36 it is a dark night.
But, my beautiful wife loves me and my kids don't care about this, and there are so many in our community who are committed and connected thanking God that they are part of our community. But it is hard when there is so much investment that is seemingly dismissed.
Boy does that sound like a pile of feeling sorry for myself garble.
I better quit writing now.
Had a meeting with people about the Guatemala trip that has too many people wanting to go (we have decided to follow in the example from the Bible where God seems to be telling people different things, and then God sorts it out - "on his Holy Mountain God will provide" stuff).
Church was really life giving tonight with a smaller than usual crowed because of the Super Bowl, but it was really honest and good for me. Michon, my daughter, read our psalm tonight Psalm 134, which is a great blessing. It was so pure to have a 13 year old bless our community.
The music felt like water on dry lips after having been gone for a week, Ben wrote a blessing that we sang that was incredible.
After church I had a few meetings. One about a book that I am going to write about our approach to spiritual formation. There will be profile story lines of 4 sets of people in our community. They will journal their experiences over the next three months and we will include them in the book. It was so good to move into this effort as a community.
I also prayed with a young girl in our community whose biological dad is in trouble with the law and she is confused.
All that made it a great day, then Shelley told me tonight about some people who have been an extremely important part of my life and our community who are feeling unconnected and wondering why they even come to church any more.
It is so defeating I could explode. I wonder at times why even make the call to live as a community. Maybe I am just so bad it that I sabotage everything in it. Or maybe people are in such hard places in life that w can't really live our lives with each other.
It is one thing to have people that I know I have to service and something else to have people I think we can live openly and freely with, and not service, feeling like the community is not working for them.
I struggle between feeling like they are full of crap, to thinking that I am, to thinking that we all are so much that it is unredeemable.
It is a temptation to just create a hip scene where people connect with God and leave each other out of it. But I know there is not life for me there. And there is nothing but pain and frustration in life on life. I truly believe that this interdependent life is how the kingdom life is to be lived.
The kingdom life is hard. I want to stay with it. I want to stay in it, but now at 11:36 it is a dark night.
But, my beautiful wife loves me and my kids don't care about this, and there are so many in our community who are committed and connected thanking God that they are part of our community. But it is hard when there is so much investment that is seemingly dismissed.
Boy does that sound like a pile of feeling sorry for myself garble.
I better quit writing now.
