a nonjudgmental presence

can you tell I have the week off? :-)

A Nonjudgmental Presence

To the degree that we accept that through Christ we ourselves have been reconciled with God we can be messengers of reconciliation for others. Essential to the work of reconciliation is a nonjudgmental presence. We are not sent to the world to judge, to condemn, to evaluate, to classify, or to label. When we walk around as if we have to make up our mind about people and tell them what is wrong with them and how they should change, we will only create more division. Jesus says it clearly: "Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge; ... do not condemn; ... forgive" (Luke 6:36-37).

In a world that constantly asks us to make up our minds about other people, a nonjudgmental presence seems nearly impossible. But it is one of the most beautiful fruits of a deep spiritual life and will be easily recognized by those who long for reconciliation.

- Henri Nouwen (Bread for the Journey - Dec. 27)

shipwrecked at the stable

I've been reading "Reflections for Ragamuffins" (Brennan Manning) as my evening devotion this year, and it has been great! From last night's reading...

The shipwrecked at the stable are the poor in spirit who feel lost in the cosmos, adrift on an open sea, clinging with a life-and-death grip to one solitary plank. Finally they are washed ashore and make their way to the stable, stripped of the old spirit of possessiveness in regard to anything. The shipwrecked find it not only tacky, but utterly absurd to be caught up either in tinsel trees or in religious experiences— “Doesn’t going to church on Christmas make you feel good?” They are not concerned with their own emotional security or with any of the trinkets of creation. They have been saved, rescued, delivered from the waters of death, set free for a new shot at life. At the stable in a blinding moment of truth, they make the stunning discovery that Jesus is the plank of salvation they have been clinging to without knowing it!

All the time they were battered by wind and rain, buffeted by raging seas, they were being held even when they didn’t know who was holding them. Their exposure to spiritual, emotional, and physical deprivation has weaned them from themselves and made them reexamine all they once thought important. The shipwrecked come to the stable seeking not to possess, but to be possessed, wanting not peace or a religious high, but Jesus Christ.

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in

Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all

those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord

Jesus Christ —their Lord and ours.

1 Corinthians 1:2

more cheers...

More Cheers to me from Droid-Life... Guess I'm the first one up on the East Coast looking for updates every day and hoping for Ice Cream Sandwich sooner rather than later.

Cheers David! on Droid-Life

I got a "cheers" shout out this morning from Droid-Life for sending in a tip about the latest update to my Transformer!! (see bottom of this page, and/or follow the permanent link to see it on the Droid Life page)

Asus Transformer Receiving Android 3.2.1 Update Now

On 09.28.11, In News, by Kellex

A couple of readers turned on their Asus Transformers this morning and found a little surprise that needed their approval. An update to Android 3.2.1 was/is available, bringing the most popular Honeycomb tablet on the planet up to the most current version. Since we had yet to see a changelog after the XOOM WiFi received a similar update, we cruised over to Asus’ Facebook page and sure enough, they had posted the details:

Google Update: Android 3.2.1

• Security enhancement

New Feature:

• Supernote

IME/Translation:

• Added Farsi IME support
• Czech IME improvement : support Qwerty & Qwertz
• JP SKU fixed translation bug and Polaris office font
• Added more language translation into ASUS App

APP Updates:

• CN SKU 3rd party app bug fix
• Polaris office & ASUS WebStorage update

Improvements:

• Browser with Adobe Flash improvement; ex: YouTube
• Browser force-close improvement
• Improve Wi-Fi stability
• Improve Chinese handwriting prediction : recognize character from each stroke

Go grab it now!

Cheers David!

electronic discoveries

Here are a few neat discoveries I found online recently:

Evernote - Take notes - original, clips from website, email, etc... and sync them across your smartphone, computer, laptop, tablet, etc. (This is what Pastor Martin mentioned in service this morning.)

SugarSync - Want 5GB of free storage? Backup your files to the cloud for free. SugarSync. Use this link and we'll both get a little extra storage for free!

https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=evrfv6tfqnqz2&utm_source=txemail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=referral

fearing failure?

The Snare of Fearing Failure

You know, in spite of the fact that Christianity speaks of the cross, redemption, and sin, we’re unwilling to admit failure in our lives. Why? Partially, I guess, because it’s human nature’s defense mechanism against its own inadequacies. But even more so, it’s because of the successful image our culture demands of us. There are some real problems with projecting the perfect image. First of all, it’s simply not true—we are not always happy, optimistic, in command. Second, projecting the flawless image keeps us from reaching people who feel we just wouldn’t understand them. And third, even if we could live a life with no conflict, suffering, or mistakes, it would be a shallow existence. The Christian with depth is the person who has failed and who has learned to live with his failure.

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
- Psalm 51:6

from "Reflections for Ragamuffins" - Brennan Manning

can Baptists dance?

YES, they can!



I'm so happy to see Baptists of all ages throwing off the denominational stupidity, traditions, and unbiblical belief that we shouldn't dance!