Celine Dion & Elvis Presley – If I Can Dream

I haven’t been watching American Idol this year (actually since the first year when our hometown girl, Kelly Clarkson, won it), but this video was great. Check it out.

B~

 

Writing On The Wall

When I think back
On all the crap I learned in high school
Its a wonder
I can think at all
And though my lack of education
Hasn’t hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall

~Paul Simon

 

 

B~

 

I’m A Goat

In Matthew 25, Jesus is talking about when He is sitting on His throne of glory and judging the nations of the world, and I noticed a very interesting thing: He was judging everyone based on how they treated their fellowman, not on whether they “walked the aisle.”  Now don’t get me wrong, I believe Jesus came to set us free, and that freedom comes from believing on His name.  But in this judgment He is talking about separating the people from each other based on our response to the misery of those around us.

 

Good Reads

Bill Kinnon has written a post called “The People formerly known as The Congregation.” And as he says, “There are millions of us.” Interesting read if you have time. Part One is here.

Emerging Grace writes Part Two.
Jamie Arpin-Ricci writes Part Three.
John Frye writes Part Four.

Check them all out.

B~

 

Amber’s Dream

There’s a new link on my sidebar, check it out.

Here’s what it means in Amber’s own words:

I’ve had this dream for a while, and it has partially came true. When we first started going to Pine Ridge I really felt strongly that we needed to provide a backpack filled with school supplies to each child in the village we visit. This will be our 4th year in doing that and it is always one of the highlights of the trip. Last year one of the little boys squealed “Cool, there’s the backpack truck” when he saw the Ryder truck parked in front of the church.

That is all well and good and we will continue to do that, BUT, I really would like to expand the project. I would love to take backpacks to Wounded Knee and to the main village on the Reservation, Pine Ridge. (all are on the rez) The problem with that is – money. It costs about $15 per child for a backpack filled with school supplies. We usually buy 150 for the village of Allen where we go each year. That’s $2,250.00 each year. To expand this outreach it would take 3 – 4 times that amount.

So I’ve been wrestling… trying to figure out HOW to make this happen. I’ve even considered contacting Oprah. She apparently knows how to move people. I’ve checked into getting corporate sponsors. They all seem to have their pet programs already in place. So, I’m not sure where to go or what to do. But I can do one thing. I can put it out there on the Internet for anyone who feels inclined to help provide children on the rez much needed school supplies. I’ve made a new site that explains it a bit and I’ll just see where this goes. I would humbly ask my readers to consider putting a link to that page on your site. You can email me at amberburiff@aol.com and I’ll send you the image code that you can paste into your sidebar. Really, just anything you can do to help me get the word out. Maybe corproations will not help but I believe there are good people who would like to help the needy kids on the rez get an education.

God is always before us.

B~

 

Dealing With Doubt

“I used to have a disturbing suspicion that the very existence of doubt in my life and in the lives of other Christians was surely a strong argument against Christianity. Why would committed Christians continue to question the very basis of their faith? Why would God allow doubts to cripple Christians even after they have decided to follow Him? The only reason I could think of was that perhaps God is truly not there and we are just attempting to convince ourselves of some extravagant fairy tale.”

In an article based on her book, “Making Your Faith Your Own: A Guidebook for Believers with Questions,” Teresa Turner Vining writes about Christians and doubt. You can read the whole article here. We all struggle with doubts and questions; doubts and questions that don’t seem to have answers. And I’m always asking myself, “Do I?” Why do I doubt, why do I question, do I even have the right to question God? But the interesting thing is, it’s not just me. It should be “Do we?” Why do we doubt, why do we question, do we have the right to question God? I’m not alone, eh?

 

Saying Goodbye

My friend Shelly (Evidence of Grace) has written a moving piece on what her husband would say to her if he had the chance.  Brian was killed in a car accident leaving her and three small children behind, and her blog is a way for her to work through the grief.  Good writing here.  If you’ve ever lost a loved one, especially to tragedy, then you should read what Shelly wrote.  It will move you.  If it doesn’t, perhaps you need a heart checkup.

His peace on you and your family, Shelly; and may you continue to reach beyond yourself.

B~

 

Steve Harvey Introduces Jesus Christ

This was interesting.

HT:Think Christian

B~

 

I was wrong.

I know you may find that hard to believe but trust me, it’s true.  And it’s not the first time, nor will it be the last.  After a lot of thinking (thanks to Dan and others) I’ve decided that I was wrong about my Zen Dog post.  Not posting it mind you, but in the direction it took my thoughts.

I agree with Zen Dog in that we don’t know where we are going in life, it usually can’t be controlled by us.  As the commercial says, “Life comes at you fast.”  And unexpectedly.  And full of joy, pain, sorrow, laughter, and love.

“He knows not where he’s going.
For the ocean will decide-
It’s not the glory of the destination…
It’s the glory of THE RIDE”

I really didn’t see myself where I am at this stage in life, and it seems I’ve just been along for the ride.  I haven’t reached my destination so there is no glory in that, but I don’t think there is all that much “glory” in the ride either.  Our ride, our journey through life, IS our own and we each face it as best as we can.  But where is the “glory” in growing up in an abusive home, or with addictions, or in poverty, or even in having so much money that life is boring.  I stated in my post that “we only have control over our own ride” and not the ride of others.  While that may be true to some extent, we can control life in the same way we can hold back the tides of the ocean.

We worry about where we will wind up in eternity, the destination (or we worry about where everyone else will wind up); or we worry about THE RIDE and the storm up ahead, or the storm we are in, or the fact that everything is calm and when will the storm come up.  We are paddling with all of our strength just to keep a float and the truth of the matter is that a lot of us are tired, just plain tired.  We talked in our Bible study Sunday night that sometimes being an adult sucks.  So tell me again, where is the glory?

So if the “glory” isn’t in the destination, and if it isn’t in the ride, then where is it?  Well that’s the problem: we assume our glory is in one or the other.  But this is what John tells us in the New Testament:

“The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…For we have all received grace after grace from His fullness.”

So there you have it.  The glory isn’t in the destination OR the ride, but in Jesus who gives glory to them both.  And  the grace to get us through the ride to our destination.

His peace on you.
B~

 

Happy Independence Day!

One hundred and seventy-one years ago today, freedom was declared and a new republic was formed: The Republic of Texas. If you aren’t from here you wouldn’t understand the particular pride in we have in our state, a pride that derives from an independent spirit that is as strong today as ever before. I’m fully aware of the consequences of the white man’s empire building arrogance, but the history of Texas is what it is and it can’t be changed. Interestingly, a lot of the negative came AFTER we became a state and the USA moved in to “settle” and “civilize” the West.

Bob Ray Sanders, an African-American columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, wrote an article today that I thought expressed some of that pride we Native Texans have:

“The people of Texas adore this state’s uniqueness of having existed under six flags, being able to balance and embrace its Western and Southern heritages, as well as its competing rural and urban interests. At the same time, the state continues to be a confluence of cultures that adds to the richness of our diversity.Those who call Texas home can argue about our differences, and even debate the positives and negatives of our connections to the nations whose flags have flown over this land.

But we would do better to talk about our similarities and what brings us together rather than what separates us.

We Texans are often accused of being proud to a fault, bordering on conceit and obnoxiousness. But believe me, it is not arrogance that we intend to display when we celebrate our heritage and accomplishments; it is just that we fervently honor our past and those who were part of it, and we relish what they handed down to us.

On this Texas Independence Day, we should give thanks for the sacrifices of those Texans — from all walks of life — who came before us, and we should rededicate ourselves to their ideals, understanding that they had their faults as well as their outstanding attributes.”

So, for those of you who are from this wonderful state, Happy Independence Day! Shouldn’t we be on holiday?

B~