17 years
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
I got hitched to the love of my life 17 years ago on July 7th.
It's been a wild ride ever since. Never a dull moment for sure ;)
Love ya babe...gloves and all.
Monday, July 09, 2007
17 years ago...
17 years
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
I want to ride my bicycle...
new bike
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
This is my new 3-speed cruiser. I bought it at GoodWill and replaced the handlebars with some cool ones and replaced the old seat with a new comfortable leather one with gray flames. It's a sweet ride with a dino bell and a funky old light.
Great find....
New painting
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
I found this painting at a little store that was closing down, I got it for $10.
Backyard fountain and fish pond
Backyard fountain and fish pond
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
I've started creating my backyard fountain and fish pond. I've missed the one I made at the last house I owned. This one is going to be bigger and include a small waterfall that will travel down a rock hill and turn into a descending stream that will flow into the fish pond. I am planning on planting some plants and a small Japanese maple if I can find a affordable one. I have a few ideas on how I will use the tree trunk in the middle. I am incorporating the roots from the stump and will have the water from the stream flowing under the main root and falling into the fish pond.
Evan Almighty
Evan Almighty
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
We saw this Saturday with the boys and my dad. I really enjoyed it. I was hesitant from all the reviews I read and it seemed like it was going to be a forced christian themed marketing ploy, pushed on me by some movie producers in hollywierd who were wanting to scalp off some money from the suckers that make up the christian market. But....I was wrong. It felt sincere, the message was great and I found myself laughing outloud more than I normally do.
The Prestige
prestige
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
I watched this last night...hummm, I thought it was ok. Now any movie that has Scarlett in it, I am game for and I think all the men actors are great too, but I wasn't that impressed. I like The Illusionist" far better. I found myself getting a bit bored. I felt it was trying too hard maybe.
Stranger-Than-Fiction
Stranger-Than-Fiction
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Watched this yesterday...and I really, really, really loved it. I thought Will was great in a more human role, the lady was darling and the quirky filming was great. In fact, it goes into my faves list. There was just something about it that really got to me. I will ponder on it more...it moved me. Interesting how films can pluck certain strings and send a ripple through your innermost feelings. This movie did that for me.
Strange...
Friday, July 06, 2007
so true...
"To forgive is not to forget but to transform all that happened into something positive because the other route can only bring more suffering to [ourselves] and to those around [us]." Ishmael Beah
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
One the reasons I switched...
Once you take a bite out of the apple, you will see why form and function make such a difference. I wouldn't go back to PC for nuthin. Things like packaging may seem small at first until you see that it is a major issue in both the way they think, design and create software/harware. Ease...not simplicity but accessibility, clarity and functionality.
Carrie Underwood - I'll Stand By You
I know this is Idol stuff but it seems to me at the end that you can see a brokeness of heart taking place and woman shining a beauty from the inside.
Our own Bear Gyles...
Bass Man
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
This is Austin, our middle child. He is known around our home as the "fisherman". He knows how to catch fish. Yet again, he landed some sweet catches this weekend. He caught this bass with a piece of fishing line and a bare hook! LeeElla fried it up and we chowed on it while we continued to fish. He also caught a large Blue Gill with just a net!
He's got skills.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
I am happy...
happy home
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
I snapped a picture of this sidewalk chalk drawing that one of the Karen refugee children did in our basketball court. I think it capture beautifully what they are feeling about their lives. It's a picture of a house and a happy face above it with the words "I am happy".
Break every yoke...
use your fredom
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
"Please use your liberty to promote ours."
-Aung San Suu Kyi
Suu Kyi is the heart of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar (Burma). Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, she has been held in detention by the Myanmar military regime for 11 of the past 17 years although her party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide victory in the 1990 general election. Last month, her detention was extended for another year. She is being detained at her residence. She has no telephone and is allowed no visitors apart from her maid and doctor. She turned 62nd on June 19.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
we settle for
Made for spirituality, we wallow in introspection. Made for joy, we settle for pleasure. Made for justice, we clamor for vengence. Made for relationship, we insist on our own way. Made for beauty, we settle for sentiment. BUT, new creation has already begun, the sun has begun to rise. Christians are called to leave behind, in the tomb of Jesus Christ, all that belongs to the brokeness and incompletness of the broken world. It is time, in the power of the Spirit, to take up our proper role, our fully human role as agents and heralds and stewards of the new day that is dawning. That, quite simply, is what it means to be Christian, to follow Jesus Christ into the new world, God's new world, which He has thrown open before us. - NT Wright's
God intends us to penetrate the world. Christian salt has no business to remain snugly in elegant little ecclesiastical salt cellars; our place is to be rubbed into the secular community, as salt is rubbed into meat, to stop it going bad. And when society does go bad, we Christians tend to throw up our hands in pious horror and reproach the non-Christian world; but should we not rather reproach ourselves? One can hardly blame unsalted meat for going bad. It cannot do anything else. The real question to ask is: Where is the salt? -John Stott
"The foundation has been laid. The garden has been planted. The musical score is written. The principalities and powers that kept us in exile have been defeated; they need reminding of this, and we need reminding of it too, but it is a fact -- if it isn't, the cross was a failure. Our task is now to build the house, to tend the garden, to play the score. The human race has been in exile; exiled from the garden, shut out of the house, bombarded with noise instead of music. Our task is to announce in deed and word that the exile is over, to enact symbols that speak of healing and forgiveness, to act boldly in God's world in the power of the Spirit."
- N.T. Wright
Friday, June 29, 2007
Alicia
Alicia
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Alicia brought her son Jackson over for a visit today.
It was good to have all the family together...she turns 20 on July 4th.
I pray it is a good year for her and Jackson, she deserves it.
Still got it...
Jackson and grandma...
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Jackson fell asleep on LeeElla today.
She has still got the mommy...now, grandmommy touch.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
This will mess you up....
Can you imagine, what life would feel like, knowing that no one cares about you...I mean really, no one cares...no one to care if you cry alone in your urine soaked bed, or if you have flies buzzing around your mouth, but can't swat them away, or if your brain can't make the muscles in your mouth and throat cooperate so you can do something as simple as swallow, or if you have a sad day, a lonely day, you think something is funny, if you are scared...I can't even go there mentally I have no idea what that would even feel like and nothing to compare it to and know that it is worse than I could possibly imagine as most of us have never NOT known love and security....even worse, imagining that life for any of our children. Well there is a country of children here in Guatemala who know that kind of suffering...take a peek at the video of Sam on Dick's site, just one of the many children in Hermano Pedro (hospital/orphanage) here in Antigua http://dickrutgers.com
watch the short video here:
Foster children waiting for homes...
For American readers, this link is really helpful and informative: http://kidsarewaiting.org
- check out foster care statistics in your state.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Destiny
Destiny
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
I am so proud of my daughter, Destiny.
She will be turning 13 in a few days and for a teenager, she's the tops. She brought home a solid 4.0 on her report card this quarter. She's got a good heart, amazing talent, beauty and a brain, and her laugh could melt the hardest heart. She is a singer and guitar player as well. If you are at our home you can always hear her singing and writing songs in her room...which she always loves to share. Nothing makes me more proud than hearing her ask me if I want to come in her room and listen to her new song...I am sure Christian will be posting some of her stuff on the net real soon, so stay tuned.
Guitar hero
Guitar hero
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
My oldest son (14) Christian not only has a film studio growing down in our basement but in the last 6 months a recording studio has taken over too. He has only been playing around with a guitar for the last year. It is amazing what giving a kid a MAC mini will inspire. Film and Music a plenty.
You can hear his 3 current songs:
http://www.purevolume.com/777epochofwar777
All three are different but thank God he is still carrying the guitar hero torch...
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
watch a clip...
burma film
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Prayer of Peace: Relief & Resistance in Burma's War Zones" is the recent film produced by my younger brother Matt. This 28 minute documentary film follows ethnic Karen relief workers as they document and bring aid to internally displaced people suffering under the Burma Army. A first hand account of the oppression and human rights abuses the military dictatorship inflicts with impunity on an ethnic people. The film reveals a people that have maintained their dignity and hope for peace despite the odds.
See it here:
http://www.frontfilms.com/POP.html
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Block Party kids
Block Party kids
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
We had so many kids come to the block party, many that had participated in our Mini-basketball camp. It's been awesome getting to know them and seeing them become comfortable around the church and participating in the different activities.
Cook'n up some good grub
Block Party chicken
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Pastor Jackson of Mnt. Zion church served up tons of amazing chicken for the block party.
Aaron Richner band
Block Party band
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
We had a fantastic band for the block party....perfect bluesy bbq weather music.
Block Party glee
Block Party glee
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Bah Eh Doh, one of our refugee girls from Burma discovered the joys of flavored shaved ice at the block party.
Block Party jumper
Block Party jumper
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
We rented a blow up jumper for the kids at the block party. It was a massive hit...we packed it out from start to finish!
1 year Block Party
Block Party
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Our church held a one year anniversary block party Saturday.
It was a raging success! Great music, food and people...we couldn't of had a better party.
BBQ, inflatable jumper, games and some amazing live music.
We had a huge turnout from the neighborhood too.
Friday, June 22, 2007
BatPod
BatPod
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
The “Batpod,” a new two-wheeled vehicle to be featured in the upcoming film The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader, BatMan
Thursday, June 21, 2007
What it means to really be speaking in tongues...
This church is talking in a way the culture will understand....instead of throwing out a lot of words in a way that know one can comprehend. The Spirit was poured out to bring a voice through the church that the lost would understand. A common tongue restored again. It's a miracle to see it happen.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Making memories...
faded memories
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
We have been blessed by some good friends to have access to a cabin on Diamond lake about an hour from Spokane. We spent Sunday and Monday at the lake this last weekend for Father's day with our family and LeeElla's mom and dad and sister. We had a great time boating, fishing and roasting smores around the fire. That's Destiny on the jet ski and Austin and Micah and I fishing off the dock. Austin caught a large mouth bass, a trout and two perch and Destiny caught two perch and I caught a large trout but it came off the hook just as I was pulling it on to the dock. We took Kona our 80 pound black lab and she swam so much that she sprained her tail. It hung painfully limp for two days :)
The pond...
the pond
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
One of the ways I keep sane in my world is by spending time outdoors. I try to find all the places that are in or close to my city that I can spend time alone in or with my family. This is a pond I recently discovered in Lincoln Park. I took the kids and Spencer on a hike yesterday to enjoy the sun, explore the pond and get some exercise. This pond and park overlooks all of Spokane, it's got an amazing view but its hidden away and hard to find...just perfect. We will be taking some poles up there and seeing if we can snag some fish.
Jacob's Well Mini-Basketball camp
Mini-Basketball camp
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Our church is running a 4 day basket-ball VBS in our neighborhood.
So far its been a great event with over 40-45 kids attending.
Last summer we had 1-5 neighborhood kids attend our outside outreach. Amazing what a year of working in the community will accomplish. Prayers soak the ground, Trust is built, relationships are made.Your value and worth to the community rises and fruit starts to grow after faithful plowing and sowing. I will post more pics later this week but I just wanted to tip my hat to the awesome team of people who are making this event happen....you all are awesome!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
That's it?
christ
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Our local paper did a report on the 3 largest churches and on "mega" churches in general last Sunday. It was Father's day and that's the front page...bummer. But anyway...I found myself pretty disappointed by the article. Of course the churches are not responsible for the article but in general, I was unimpressed.
"Pulpit a concert-like stage" was one of the subtitles and the article described mega-churches worship services as: "high-quality, entertaining and well planned productions".
So this is what Jesus's little band of spiritual revolutionaries has become? Now granted this is the reporters perspective but if that is the conclusion they are coming up with...should we be concerned about the state of our churches? I find myself asking if this is all that I have to look forward too if our church continues to grow? All three churches highlighted in the article pretty much were interchangeable in everything shared or spotlighted. All their "offerings" as a church were all most identical. Is it impossible to grow that big and not become just like every other "mega" church? In the article they discussed how us Americans are so used to going to "super" stores, huge malls, Costco etc...that we are now wired to attend a "mega" church.
Our spiritual appetites have been shaped by our Jinormous everything culture...is that true?
"The Christian message is an embodied message, carried by living
witnesses. The clarity and attractiveness of this message is
dependent on the quality of our life with Jesus and our willingness
to give expression to that life through word, deed, and sign."
From "Walking with the Poor" by Bryant Myers
witnesses. The clarity and attractiveness of this message is
dependent on the quality of our life with Jesus and our willingness
to give expression to that life through word, deed, and sign."
From "Walking with the Poor" by Bryant Myers
Friday, June 15, 2007
Mother of Exiles...
statue_of_liberty_
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
The New Colossus
-by Emma Lazarus, New York City, 1883
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame,
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
by Emma Lazarus, New York City, 1883
In partnership with World Relief, our church has had the privilege of welcoming 25 refugees to Spokane and our neighborhood in the last 9 months. Last night we welcomed our latest family at the airport at 12 Midnight. Thanks to awesome landlords, we were able to take them home and hand them the keys to their new apartment. Dinner was made, the beds were all ready and a new home sat ready for some tired refugees. I realize now the power of our American heritage and the beauty of our Christian faith that calls us to "welcome the stranger".
Truly the words to this poem speak life to those who come from lands that don't share our dream of liberty. These words remain the quintessential expression of America's vision of itself as a haven for those denied freedom and opportunity in their native lands.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
What Mormon founder Joseph Smith discovered....
14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.
15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon bysome power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction---not to an imaginary ruin, but to the powerof some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any beingjust at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, callingme by name and said, pointing to the otherThis is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)--and which I should join.
19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong;(3) and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.
20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, Never mind, all is wellI am well enough off. I then said to my mother, I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true. It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy? (Joseph Smith History 1:14-20).
No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. -Apostle Paul to the Corinthian believers.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
overheard in a coffee shop...
Woman:
I'm a vegetarian, because we are over fishing the oceans.
I'm a vegetarian, because we are over fishing the oceans.
Man:
Sorry.
I laughed out loud. :)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Don't Mess with My Genre...
read it here:
www.christianitytoday.com/books/features/bccorner/070611.html
Monday, June 11, 2007
This is church?
(picture from www.the-next-wave.org)
One of the dreams of mine is based on the story in the gospels that speaks of an older generation in the person of Elizabeth recognizing the work of God in the emerging generation in the form of Mary. Both experiencing a work of God individually and together able to speak the prophetic intents of God. Two very different generations working together in a rush of Spirit empowered purpose. Two generations under one roof, full of the Holy Spirit.
The purposes of God always usher in the emerging work under the miraculous history of a preceding generation.
There is a miracle moment when the dusk of one age and the dawn of another meet together in a spiritual embrace and rejoice together in what God is doing....now.
It's a holy thing.
C S Lewis said: Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries, avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that coffin – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken. It will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.
I have no one...
help
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." -John 5:7
I have no one...
These few words pack a punch, they are bruised with the morbid colors of deep despair and hopelessness. They haunt us. They whisper in the ears of those who feast at the tables of plenty. They echo off the painted wall, after our melodic songs have ended and we bask in the lushness of our entertainment. They prick us in our $150 buck shoes, like an unreachable thorn. Justice weeps as we revel in our superfluities. It's bleak.
I must confess...my heart is too hard. My comfort has become a cocoon that I cant seem to escape from. It's been woven together out of years of self serving indulgence. I'm a prisoner, locked in a cell of my own making. I was told that wealth, luxury and economic margins would set me free. I found out that it became a siren that always lured me towards more but never got me there.
I find myself sighing in relief when the man in the cart is going the other way...it means I wont be required to do something. I'm ashamed by the depth of my selfishness.
I will wear red...but I wont kill my desire...dead.
I want to live a life of meaning as long as it fits into my plans and will not hurt. As long as it wont cost me much more than a cup of coffee.
Jesus said that the measure that you use, is the measure of return. And I wonder why we dont see more take place in our lives and in our ministries.
I am realizing that as a pastor, I came to work with and serve the poor. I came to live with them. I thought I came to...save them. I am realizing more and more that they are saving me. I'm being saved...from myself. It seems to be a blessing that is hidden among the poor.
"Remember, the final measure of your life won't be how well you live, but how well others live, because of you." -Bill Gates, Microsoft
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Loving and reaching women...
women
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Our people (i.e. women) must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs. So that they will not be unfruitful.
-Titus 3:14
So as we enter the 2nd year of life as a church, we are are taking time to really focus on what the "pressing needs" of our people and community are. Women are crazy busy these days and trying to program their lives can be tough, working out the balance of have too's and want too's is tricky. I really believe that the closeness we long for as people and a church is going to be found in doing stuff together that enriches the lives of others and in the process deepens our own relationships together.
Maybe sitting together in a room and talking isn't always the path towards healing or real transformative growth. How much talk is ultimately really involved in change? How much sharing could be around, before and after and even during sharing a ministry project or event? Maybe we could approach gathering people around a project vs a weekly meeting that would have a begin and end not an endless unspoken requirement to attend for ever...isn't that one of the issues that keep people away from small groups and even church sometimes? A feeling of having to marry the group. Possibly our demographic these days would respond better to working together, sharing or serving on a ministry project that has a time line.
I think women want to feel like their lives matter...beyond and in addition to their immediate families. Maybe we could include our daughters in projects or ministry events that bring us together even more and show our daughters how to not only talk but work. Work & Witness activities are needed to bring a healthy balance to any demographic in the church. Internal focus can turn into a quagmire of introspection...we need to air out our internal work with a constant flush of outward focused service to bring perspective, and allow the Lord to move through us as we who are hurting reach out to help others who are hurting. Anything that only gets poured into becomes stagnant soon. The deep and enriching life is in the flow...in and out.
Here are a few ideas that hit me as I a man, ride around the neighborhood and think and pray and talk to people about what is needed here and in our church.
Visitation:
Maybe you could spend an evening doing some visitation. One on one encouragement. You could visit some ladies homes, get in their world a little and maybe the real "pressing needs" might become more clear. It could give some direction and understanding on how to better address the lives of the people we are in relationship with.
Fellowship:
Maybe you could do a coffee shop evening...a different spot each monday night. A little caravan around town to all the different spots and maybe through something like that more conversation and connection could develop with out a lot of work. You have a lot to give and maybe the Lord would challenge you to move a few steps closer to women. Women are facing so many issues: being healthy mothers and wives, and balancing work & home & church. Personal recovery issues, the way they relate to themselves and each other. The list is long.
The Lonely:
Then there is the women who are aging or elderly. How many women sit in retirement homes watching tv or staring at the phone wishing some family member would come and visit. Home many older retired women sit in this neighborhood longing for someone like yourself that would come over, chat, maybe help with some light duties that she just is overwhelmed with. Maybe she needs you or some women like yourselves that would search them out, serve them, love them and draw them into a community of relationships that might even bring them into our church family. Many grandmas in this neighborhood are actually raising their kids...what opportunities for ministry rest there? I know the East Central Community Center has an elderly arm to its programs, maybe some women would love to explore a bit and see if there is something connected to that facility that they could serve at. Maybe help out somehow?
Fashion:
Then there is the fashion angle of women's lives. Hair, make up, clothes, shoes, exercise. There are a host of ministry and relationship building ideas that could spark a small group. How about a walking group or putting on a day of HAIR CARE for free...carmen is a hair cutting, Johnny is...next door is Larry the barber, maybe the women could organize a free hair cut day for mothers and their families...how many times do mommies need a cheap hair cut but travel, babysitting, cost etc is an issue...especially down here.
Single Women:
No matter what age, but different ages sometimes like different activities. Is there no one who can put together some project, events or outings that interest single ladies? Maybe you singles could come up with some ideas to connect with some of the younger girls that look up to you and think you are rockstars. Showing them how to live as young women is sometimes more crucial than how to live as married women these days. You may be a sage and not even know it! Single ladies are struggling with following Jesus in a culture that tells them and sometimes forces them to be someone else. This is a group of people who really will respond to anyone who casts a vision and will lead them towards life that matters. They are not married and really shouldnt be treated like they are not full women yet. Life can be full even without a man all the time. This demographic can be powerful if it is harnessed and inspired to rise up and be fruitful. There is more to life than myspace, my face and his place.
Gardening:
One of the most challenging issues in our area is diet and food cost. The poorer you are the more crap you end up eating. Cheap food is usually not good food. Maybe a small gardeners market in the parking lot on Sat or Sun and through local gardeners or our church we gather some good quality food for women and their families. How many moms wish their kids could or would eat better. Maybe our ladies could help somehow.
Baby-sitting:
How many moms would love a night of quiet or a chance to shop without knee-biters? Or how about a chance for a date with their honey? Maybe our ladies could rally together and put on a free baby-sitting night for the community.
Home Make overs:
There could be some simple home repairs that the ladies who decorate and organize could help put together for struggling moms. A afternoon of yard clean up, trimming, hedging, mowing or planting of easy flowers could really brighten someone's day who is swamped in pressing duties that cause the other stuff to get left undone.
The Refugee ladies:
They really want to learn more about sewing. In fact they want to earn some money by selling their sewing crafts. They want to be more productive and they are amazing with a needle and thread. Maybe someone could help them start towards that goal. They also get bored. I know that Dah Mer who is pregnant is struggling with this. I know they would love some women to put a kid friendly day trip together. Go to a park, feed the ducks, or go down town and show them the falls, the goat, the carousel, none of the kids have ever ridden one, I am sure. How about Couredalene park, the kids structure? How about taking them shopping...transportation is always an issue for them. Just visiting...helping understand the whole personal hygiene dept at the store...it really is confusing if you think about it. How about making sure their homes are happy. Maybe there is something they need help with. Almost none of this type of stuff has taken place by women for women. Baby shower for Dah Mer, our newest Karen mother?
The list really is endless...but nothing will happen unless someone decides to do something.
I challenge you to engage your gears and begin.
Dont try to figure out everything before you do anything...then you wont do nothing.
You will talk yourself out of loving and serving.
Start small but start.
Just try to make a small difference.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
orphans...in their distress.
orphans...
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world," writes James (1:27)
"According to the American Religious Identity Survey, conducted by the City University of New York, there are about 224 million Christians in the United States. So why are there 115,000 orphans in a country that has 225 million Christians?...While not all Christians are gifted or equipped for taking in orphans it's pretty convicting that 65 million American evangelicals can't rescue 115,000 kids..."
more here: http://theresurgence.com/ab_blog_2007-06-04_orphans_vs_american_dream
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Helping to provide the poor wanderer with shelter...
KarenKids
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
The only real prison is fear, the only real freedom is freedom from fear. -Aung San Suu Kyi
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" -Isaiah 58:6-7
As a part of our community outreach as a church and in cooperation with World Relief, we have had the privilege of helping resettle 4 Karen refugee families since October of 2006. These refugees are fleeing the ongoing violence, oppression and criminal atrocities of the military dictatorship in Burma. The current Burmese government refuses to acknowledge the democratically elected leader of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, in fact, she is currently still under house arrest.
Acts 17:26
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
This month we are preparing for the 5th family to arrive from the refugee camps on the Thailand/Burma border. Our 6th and 7th families are awaiting to come to Spokane as soon as they are finally cleared for entry into the USA; this could happen anytime.
We are also currently making arrangements to fly a Karen pastor and his 5 other family members to Spokane from Utica, New York, to live among us and help me pastor this little growing community. This takes money, airfare should be around $2000 probably, and as a church that is celebrating its one year anniversary this month, this is no small task.
By God’s grace and through the patience and generosity of a number of helpful landlords; we have been able to help all these families move into our neighborhood. In the very near future we are working on providing a transitional house that will be a “landing pad” for incoming refugees to stay at while they adjust and begin the hard work of finding homes, jobs, schooling and learning about their new home. This will be called The House Of Refuge or (THOR), I am currently praying, working and negotiating with the owner/landlord on the house that I think will be perfect for this ministry, in God's timing it will be a reality.
We truly believe that the Lord has arranged for us to be involved in serving these wonderful people and the many more that the Lord will continue to send to Spokane. I know that where God leads, He will provide and that usually happens through the generosity and sacrifice of people.
We are currently receiving tax deductible donations, household furnishings and arranging for volunteers to work with the incoming refugees. If you would like to become involved, please pray and then contact me. I know that together we can show the love of God in practical ways to a brave and humble people.
Your prayers and support are always welcome.
Jacob’s Well
3016 E. 5th Ave
Spokane, WA. 99202
500-535-9355
www.jacobswellspokane.com
Rough & Ready...kinda
urban cowboy
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
I'm not sure if I fit to well as a pastor in a urban community but so what. I've gotten a few strange looks for sure. What do you do with a cowboy hat wearing, bike riding, birkenstocked, metal-country-alternative-jamming, bible totting pastor?...I'm kinda like an urban cowboy with multiple personalities I guess...
This Trace Adkins song kinda nails it for me. It's a great tune if you have not heard it.
Mudgrips - white-tip
Cigar stickin' out of my face
Earnhardt racing sticker on the window
Banged up fender
4x4 - straight pipe roar
Primer and rust all over the door
Scarred up knuckles, Mack belt buckle
White t-shirt - Ain't afraid to work
Got a "what-you looking at pretty boy" smirk
Cold beer, hot wings
Wranglers, Skoal ring
Get just what you see
Gun rack, ball cap
Don't take no crap
Ain't a pretty boy-toy
I'll rock you steady
Rough and ready
Work boots - one blue suit
Size too small - don't wear at all
Unless somebody kicks - gets hitched
It don’t fit - makes me itch
Up with sun - off on the run
Makin' money money - cause I wanna have fun
5 o'clock whistle - off like a missle
Got a hot date, girl named Kate
Think's I'm cool - 'cause I shoot straight
Ain't one thing about her fake
She's long and tall - and she goes great with
Cold beer, hot wings
Wranglers, Skoal ring
Get just what you see
Gun rack, ball cap
Don't take no crap
Ain't a pretty boy-toy
I'll rock you steady
Rough and ready
Monday, June 04, 2007
Sean Connery O8?
for pres
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Just think about it...He's carrying a gun and wearing homoerotic clothing...something for the right and the left to be happy about. He may be the best Purple canidate yet...just an idea.
oh please...
"I don't know if I know what a rich person is..." -John Edwards
Here is one part of last nights democratic debate that I thought was ridiculous. In fact it's an interesting comment coming from a man who lives in a mansion estate and is accused of getting $400 hair cuts, have you see his crib? Give me a break...
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Sing a new song...
accordion
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center...Big, undreamed of things-the people on the edge see them first." -Kurt Vonnegut
We are celebrating our 1 year anniversary as a church this month. I have been reflecting a lot on the past year and the year ahead as we make decisions on expanding our ministry in the East Central neighborhood. We have been presented with some exciting new opportunities that require prayer, faith and a willingness to yet again step into the arena of risk in order to take new ground.
Following Jesus is never boring if you dare to truly be open to change, to dreaming, to danger. Not everyone is called to do the same things but everyone is called to live by faith and that little word can transform everything if you let it start to sing out-loud.
God calls some to sing a "new" song. There are people waiting to hear something new to them. They are awaiting the bards of God, who will dare to dream out the prophetic words of the coming dawn. Prophets and Poets who will weave a unforeseen chapter in melody before it ever is seen. Like little birds perched on the edge of the morning, singing as if their voices somehow ushered in the day...so we pray and sing the visions of God.
"By reading the scriptures I am so renewed that all nature seems renewed around me and with me. The sky seems to be a pure, a cooler blue, the trees a deeper green. The whole world is charged with the glory of God and I feel fire and music under my feet." -Thomas Merton
Walking towards something always involves walking away from something and that is never easy. You will lose to gain and you will also find that there was much you could never lose even if you thought you could. Some treasures are only found when you let them go. Don't be afraid.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up former devastation's; and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.-Is. 61:4
There are ruined cities awaiting the dawning of light. Ancient dreams waiting to be lived out. Devastation's that cry out to be raised again, to see their glory return, to once again live in the joy of who God created them to be. Desolate lives, abandoned hopes, long dead visions lay in the dusty streets, like seeds under the ground waiting for the resurrecting rain of the tears of the worshippers to come.
Weep for the new creation to come my fellow crazy dreamer....sing a new song, you wont regret it.
Friday, June 01, 2007
How big is your church...
how big is your church...
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
This is a common question in christian conversation land.
I find myself responding: big enough to keep me busy.
Keeping the tension of reaching lost people and raising healthy Christians is a challenge for any church.
A large crowd isn't a church. I know most people who quote that say it because they are small and feel they need to say something that props up their ego.
I've done it. But the more I am involved in growing a healthy community the more I see that growth can be a blessing and a difficult challenge too.
Large can mean fat.
So size isn't always a good way judge health.
Small can mean stunted, dwarfed and undernourished.
How many people are loving God and loving each other and the community God has called them to show Jesus, works better for me.
In my neighborhood the dude with the big dog, sis usually a insecure small guy.
That's why I dig my next door neighbor...he's a husky man and walks this little white fluffy pooch...not to concerned about size.
Guitar heros...
R&R
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
Hey, everyone wants to be a rock star...but no one wants to take the time to learn to play.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Oh how I luv thee latte....
latte
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
I'm sure someday, someone will come up with a reason why drinking coffee is bad for you or gives you cancer or something lame like that. And then many people will feel guilty for enjoying that hot cup of joe. You will see them huddled around the corners of buildings outside of office complexes, sipping in defiance. You will be forced to endure for the common good "No Drank You" commercials with annoying coffee stained teethed java junkies. I know its coming...so drink up while you dont have to bear the weight of societies over the glasses, self righteous, down the nose stare.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
blood & mud...
bird
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
"These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat." -Lev 11:13-19
There is this homeless man that has been following me this week....church, memorial day BBQ, neighborhood park and today he was sitting on the bench in front of our church.
Waiting....for me.
I approached him, said his name...I remembered his name, he forgot mine. There he was, a heap of disheveled hair, dirty clothes, that pungent alcohol smell that I kinda like and kinda hate. Then there is the proverbial shopping cart...full of this and that, nothing and something. His had a little kitten on top, cute but dirty...kind of like him.
Then I noticed something, I wish I wouldn't have...he had the wings of a dead bird in his hands. Bloody, torn apart, fingers stained with mud and blood. He had cat food in a bag in the cart...I sat there staring at a man taking apart a dead bird carcass. He looked a bit uncomfortable and explained it was from down the street where a man raises pigeons. He said he thought one of the cats must have killed it. I shrugged and humphed but really didn't know what to say as I sat there looking at the remains of that bird laying on the cement by our church door.
I was sickened. I really dont know if he was eating the bird. But the whole process was something that hung in the air...suspended in disbelief and mild horror. I sat with him...simply because a man who is eating or carving, or carrying around dead pigeons needs a friend. I almost cried talking to him...sickened by the harsh realities of the urban poor. After our time together...I got up to leave. He rose and reached to hug me. I winced inside, slightly frantic as my inner gag reflex made me quite aware that it didn't like the possibility of contacting blood and mud.
He hugged me twice.
I washed my hands and arms furiously...slightly ashamed, but also aware of the holiness in the vile moment.
Sir Richard the Brave Knight: part 3
Sir Richard
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
My son's ongoing movie has episode 3 up on YouTube.
Where he gets the ideas for this stuff escapes me.
I am proud of his emerging talent, passion and creativity.
The dedication is inspiring, he spends hours editing, filming, scripting.
see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc3oaLyyc5I
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
broken but stronger...
blessed
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.
"See these broken knuckles? Broken knuckles are like broken hearts, the more they're broken the bigger they get."
I attended a Veteran Memorial BBQ hosted and run by a friend of mine in a park in our neighborhood yesterday.
There was a live band, BBQs grilling chicken and hotdogs, baked beans, potato salad. There was around 250 people there, mostly folks from the missions, the VA hospital, recovery ministries and the surrounding neighborhoods. Rough folks that have lived hard lives that are written in their faces, clothes and conversations.
But yesterday many were honored for their service for our country. They were treated with dignity, entertained and lovingly fed by a rag tag group of front-liners who love Jesus and love these neglected members of our community.
I watched a lady I know cradle a broken 19 year old man from the gay community in her arms. She counseled, held, loved and I'm sure prayed. Moments like these happen when we make a choice to live out the love of Jesus in practical ways...rain or shine. Oh and my sister is blind too but its so obvious that she truly walks by faith and not by sight.
I pray more disciple will follow the same path.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Who will arise?
Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise, says the Lord; I will set him in the safety for which he longs. -Psalms 12:5
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted...The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan, break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, seek out his wickedness until You find none. -Psalms 10:14-15
I truly believe the hope of the world is Jesus. The challenge for the church and for us as Christians is to LIVE in such a way that the world can once again believe in a Jesus they can't see. How we live as a community inhabited, filled and haunted by God is critical in this hour. The beauty of a church living together, serving one another, loving the unlovable, spreading goodness, grace and love is part of bringing about the salvation of the Lord. The gospel isn't only something we preach, it is something we live. It is not just truth...it is is a way. A path. The gospel challenges us to live differently in this world. Not simply by not doing naughty things, but by living in a way that reveals another kingdom. Our way of life both personally and corporately should reveal Jesus. He can be seen in a group of people. He needs to be seen again.
For this to happen, it will require a cost to be paid.
For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. -Philippians 1:29
The truth consists not in knowing the truth intellectually but in being the truth... Knowing the truth is something which follows as a matter of course from being the truth, and not conversely. And it is precisely for this reason it becomes untruth when knowing the truth is separated from being the truth, or when knowing the truth is treated as one and the same thing as being the truth, since the true relation is the converse of this: to be the truth is one and the same thing as knowing the truth."-Soren Kierkegaard
Suffering is a part of birth. It is the path towards life. It looks like death but it really is the only way that life is born. God is looking for those who are willing to be used in birthing the works of the Spirit. Those who are willing to carry about in their body the sufferings of Jesus. Those who will endure the pain of birth so that others may live. To travail in the throes of life, wrestle with the terrors of new life. Bleed on the bed of new creation. Mothers and fathers in the spirit, who will submit to the process of God, the cross of Christ, in order to see another generation of disciples grow up in the Lord.
King David prayed for God to arise, to not forget, to listen again and rise up and work for justice...I think the same call is going out to us.
Can't we hear the groaning of the afflicted?
Who will arise?
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