Well, I just have a minute before heading over to church and then down to Rensselaer! This past Thursday, I went over to the band concert at Bowen Auditorium. This concert featured students from 6th grade through high school and it was...
amazing.
These students are so talented and I am so completely impressed by the turn around of this band program.
One of the beautiful pieces was an arrangement of Be Thou My Vision. On Friday, one of my former co-workers and I enjoyed a great lunch. A theme came out of this lunch and it has to with letting go of all the "stuff" of life and letting Jesus be the Guide, letting Jesus be the Vision.
Out,
Todd
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Morning Phone Call
This morning, I kind of had to laugh. Recently, I wrote about taking off the next eight weeks from class. Basically, it just was time to take a break. However, it is a bit more complicated than simply taking a break. I was interested to see what would happen. Actually, I'm kind of expecting things to happen (reference previous post). This probably sounds strange and I'm not even sure exactly what I'm trying to communicate. Yet, this morning at 10:17 AM, I received a phone call about helping with the Dollars for Scholars phon-a-thon in March. Interestingly enough, the night of the phon-a-thon is a Monday - the same night as I would have had class. It was pretty amazing to be able to say, "Sure, no problem, it would be great to help!"
Well, off to bed. Looking forward to this weekend!
Well, off to bed. Looking forward to this weekend!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Anticipation and Expectancy
Last night, I had the great opportunity to take part in a book discussion on a somewhat controversial book, The Shack. This was the third night that the group had met. It was pretty neat to be a part of a group talking about an interesting book that opens up some big questions. In this book, Mack meets up with the Papa (God), Jesus, and Sarayu (Holy Spirit) at this shack. I'm not going to go much further than that. However, here are some of the questions that came up... What happens when we die? Where is Jesus now? Do you want to get better? Wow, these types of questions quickly lead into some interesting discussion.
In addition, several words stuck out from the pages as I was skimming back over the pages during the discussion. Anticipation and expectation were two of those words.
"C'mon," said Jesus, interrupting Mack's thoughts. "I know you enjoy looking at stars! Want to?" He sounded just like a child full of anticipation and expectancy.
I really like thinking about this little exchange. I mean, Jesus asking this guy to look at stars with him. First of all, this makes Jesus seem so personable. The other part, though, is that Jesus invites Mack to look at the stars. He didn't just somehow magically make Mack want to look at the stars. Jesus invited him with anticipation and expectancy.
Mack's reply:
"Yeah, I think so," answered Mack, realizing that the last time he had done this was on an ill-fated camping trip with the kids. Maybe it was time to take a few risks.
So Mack was listening to Jesus and then responding to the question. Then he decides to step out and take a risk.
This little exchange reminded me of this past summer in Vermont. At night, we go outside and with our backs on the road, gaze up at the amazing stars. They were so amazingly bright - especially because our surrounding were so dark. The silence would be interrupted by "look, a shooting star." Yet, in those moments, everything seemed so different. Those moments were filled with anticipation and expectancy and wonder. A sense of awe pervaded the soul. A sense of being a part of something much grander filled the heart with hope.
This leaves me wondering tonight about what it would be like to live every single second with that type of anticipation and expectancy.
In addition, several words stuck out from the pages as I was skimming back over the pages during the discussion. Anticipation and expectation were two of those words.
"C'mon," said Jesus, interrupting Mack's thoughts. "I know you enjoy looking at stars! Want to?" He sounded just like a child full of anticipation and expectancy.
I really like thinking about this little exchange. I mean, Jesus asking this guy to look at stars with him. First of all, this makes Jesus seem so personable. The other part, though, is that Jesus invites Mack to look at the stars. He didn't just somehow magically make Mack want to look at the stars. Jesus invited him with anticipation and expectancy.
Mack's reply:
"Yeah, I think so," answered Mack, realizing that the last time he had done this was on an ill-fated camping trip with the kids. Maybe it was time to take a few risks.
So Mack was listening to Jesus and then responding to the question. Then he decides to step out and take a risk.
This little exchange reminded me of this past summer in Vermont. At night, we go outside and with our backs on the road, gaze up at the amazing stars. They were so amazingly bright - especially because our surrounding were so dark. The silence would be interrupted by "look, a shooting star." Yet, in those moments, everything seemed so different. Those moments were filled with anticipation and expectancy and wonder. A sense of awe pervaded the soul. A sense of being a part of something much grander filled the heart with hope.
This leaves me wondering tonight about what it would be like to live every single second with that type of anticipation and expectancy.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Pressing Pause
Tonight, after finishing studying for the final, it was time to press the pause button and do something that I've been longing to do for along time. Tonight, it seemed like just the right time. I sat down at the piano with just the lamp on for light. Actually, the the lights in the living room both burned out this past week and they are a pain in the posterior to change so it wasn't too hard to make the house dark. The last two weeks we have played some songs to sing with the high schoolers (Rusty on guitar the first week, me on keyboard the second week). However, this is something that I kind of struggle with because most of the music that we have at church is only in chord chart form. So tonight, I dropped by the church and picked up a song that I thought would be manageable to learn to play with only the keyboard as accompaniment. The song that came to mind was Breathe. So with just the lamp for light, I checked out some sheet music that I had to get some guidance and then started playing and singing. Eventually, the lamp went off and was replaced by just a candle because I could play the song without any music at all. This was amazing.
I thought about the lyrics.
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me
With the smell of the burning candle wafting to my nostrils, I could just play and sing and worship and long for God's holy presence to live within in me.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Start Living It
So I'm on the home stretch for the financial statement analysis class. Paper is in its completed form with one more proofread tomorrow morning. Equations from chapter regarding disaggregation of the return on common equity ratio started becoming clear this afternoon. The end is in sight.
Then...
As I mentioned in another post, I've decided to take off the next 8 weeks from class and possibly longer. This has been something that I have been wrestling with for a couple of weeks. It all started in the Dominican Republic with the book of Colossians. This book is really loaded and several posts have included reflections. These verses have been kind of screaming out from the pages.
6-7 My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.
Right now things just seem way to out of sync without any natural rhythm. When, I read these verses, I had this sense of peace come over me that it is time to take a break from school and start living out the substantial gifts that I've already received.
A practical example...
This is no shocker to anyone that we are in some very serious economic times. Lay-offs are being common place. Unemployment is in double digits here and in other nearby communities. During class, we have been studying ratios and I started becoming interested in developing a new way of analyzing expenses. It is based on pounds of copper produced. We took our top expense categories and trend charted them through 2008 and obtained dollars expended per pound produced. With this data, we set goals for 2009 in each category and began looking for opportunities for improvement. So far, we have identified several and taken an already lean spending system and, using data, trimmed out even more fat to the tune of $10,000+ in January. Why is the relevant? Well, it all boils down to hope: hope for retaining jobs right here in Bremen, hope for the future.
Then...
As I mentioned in another post, I've decided to take off the next 8 weeks from class and possibly longer. This has been something that I have been wrestling with for a couple of weeks. It all started in the Dominican Republic with the book of Colossians. This book is really loaded and several posts have included reflections. These verses have been kind of screaming out from the pages.
6-7 My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.
Right now things just seem way to out of sync without any natural rhythm. When, I read these verses, I had this sense of peace come over me that it is time to take a break from school and start living out the substantial gifts that I've already received.
A practical example...
This is no shocker to anyone that we are in some very serious economic times. Lay-offs are being common place. Unemployment is in double digits here and in other nearby communities. During class, we have been studying ratios and I started becoming interested in developing a new way of analyzing expenses. It is based on pounds of copper produced. We took our top expense categories and trend charted them through 2008 and obtained dollars expended per pound produced. With this data, we set goals for 2009 in each category and began looking for opportunities for improvement. So far, we have identified several and taken an already lean spending system and, using data, trimmed out even more fat to the tune of $10,000+ in January. Why is the relevant? Well, it all boils down to hope: hope for retaining jobs right here in Bremen, hope for the future.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Just a quick note
Tonight is Thursday already. Another work-week has nearly passed. I'm not sure where it has gone. I'm pretty much exhausted. It feels like I never really have been able to get caught up from being in the D.R. and then dragging for awhile from being sick and then having a cold (today the snots have finally subsided!). Right now I'm trying to finish up my financial statement analysis paper of Starbucks and preparing for a final exam on Monday. This class has been one of the most challenging classes I've taken (not the most challenging but definitely one of them). That all being said, I've decided to take the next 8 weeks off from school and see how things go. (I actually have a blog post to share a bit more on this decision.)
But a quick note about last night. Last night, we had high school group at the church. It was my night to lead. On Tuesday, this idea came into my head to basically use my blog post on walking in the light vs the dark. So that's what we did. Each student walked across the main room of the church in the dark. Then, in the dark we talked about that experience. Some talked about being a little scared. Others talked about getting off track. Then we went back across the room to the door that was propped open just a few inches. It was amazing how those few inches of light illuminated a path all the way across the room. Yet, when we were walking way from that same propped open door, we could not see hardly anything!
Later, we gathered up on the stage in the dark around the keyboard and sang the song that I put on the blog post. It turned out to be a pretty special evening.
But a quick note about last night. Last night, we had high school group at the church. It was my night to lead. On Tuesday, this idea came into my head to basically use my blog post on walking in the light vs the dark. So that's what we did. Each student walked across the main room of the church in the dark. Then, in the dark we talked about that experience. Some talked about being a little scared. Others talked about getting off track. Then we went back across the room to the door that was propped open just a few inches. It was amazing how those few inches of light illuminated a path all the way across the room. Yet, when we were walking way from that same propped open door, we could not see hardly anything!
Later, we gathered up on the stage in the dark around the keyboard and sang the song that I put on the blog post. It turned out to be a pretty special evening.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Light in the Doorway
Okay, so tonight, I'm going to take a break from Colossians - although there is much more to come.
Last week, we were meeting with some of the kids in the basement at the church. Someone had given us some ice cream so after a great group time (including Rusty on the guitar!), we pulled out the ice cream. Of course, we needed spoons, so I headed up the back stairway to get some plastic spoons from the storage room. The storage room is on the opposite side of the stage from the back stairway. When I opened the door from the stairway, I was met by this all encompassing darkness and there is not a light switch on that side of the room. So rather than going down the stairs and around to the main entrance, I proceeded across the room, walking into chairs, and bumping up against the stage. Honestly, my heart rate sped up a bit, too. It is strange when you are totally in the dark. The mind starts playing tricks. The ears start hearing things that aren't there. It is kind of spooky. So anyway, I got to the door of the storage room and felt around for the light switch, found some spoons, turned off the light, and took a deep breath to head back to the other door. Only it was totally different. The doorway to the stairs was filled with light and it poured into the room. It was not a problem walking towards the light. The difference between walking away from and towards the light was startling.
Last night, I started reading Chronicles of Narnia - The Silver Chair. Eustace and Pole go to a door to get away from some bullies. Only this door is a little different:
"They had expected to see the grey, heathery slope of the moor going up and up to join the dull autumn sky. Instead, a blaze of sunshine met them. It poured through the doorway as the light of a June day pours into the garage when you open the door."
On Saturday, we reflected on this verse at church: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
Light is this amazing thing. It is a guide. It offers hope. It is reasurring. It is comforting.
It reminds me of a song that we used to sing at Mass so often.
I want to walk as a child of the Light.
I want to follow Jesus.
God sent the stars to give light to the world,
The Star of my life is Jesus.
In him there is no darkness at all,
The night and the day are both alike,
The Lamb is the light of the city of God.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
Even though so often it seems like there are two sides of my life, right now this is the song that I'm singing. It would be great if this song could move from just a few minutes to an all-day symphony.
Last week, we were meeting with some of the kids in the basement at the church. Someone had given us some ice cream so after a great group time (including Rusty on the guitar!), we pulled out the ice cream. Of course, we needed spoons, so I headed up the back stairway to get some plastic spoons from the storage room. The storage room is on the opposite side of the stage from the back stairway. When I opened the door from the stairway, I was met by this all encompassing darkness and there is not a light switch on that side of the room. So rather than going down the stairs and around to the main entrance, I proceeded across the room, walking into chairs, and bumping up against the stage. Honestly, my heart rate sped up a bit, too. It is strange when you are totally in the dark. The mind starts playing tricks. The ears start hearing things that aren't there. It is kind of spooky. So anyway, I got to the door of the storage room and felt around for the light switch, found some spoons, turned off the light, and took a deep breath to head back to the other door. Only it was totally different. The doorway to the stairs was filled with light and it poured into the room. It was not a problem walking towards the light. The difference between walking away from and towards the light was startling.
Last night, I started reading Chronicles of Narnia - The Silver Chair. Eustace and Pole go to a door to get away from some bullies. Only this door is a little different:
"They had expected to see the grey, heathery slope of the moor going up and up to join the dull autumn sky. Instead, a blaze of sunshine met them. It poured through the doorway as the light of a June day pours into the garage when you open the door."
On Saturday, we reflected on this verse at church: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
Light is this amazing thing. It is a guide. It offers hope. It is reasurring. It is comforting.
It reminds me of a song that we used to sing at Mass so often.
I want to walk as a child of the Light.
I want to follow Jesus.
God sent the stars to give light to the world,
The Star of my life is Jesus.
In him there is no darkness at all,
The night and the day are both alike,
The Lamb is the light of the city of God.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
Even though so often it seems like there are two sides of my life, right now this is the song that I'm singing. It would be great if this song could move from just a few minutes to an all-day symphony.
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