The Shack

Almost a year ago, I was handed a copy of a little book that many said would change my life. It was The Shack.

The book itself is a pretty quick read and from just looking at it, one would think it's nothing more than a simple tale of fiction between it's few pages. You might just be wrong!

The book begins with a man, not unlike many I know, who has his own set of burdens to carry and like all of us is just trying to make it day to day, when he receives a mysterious note:

“Mackenzie, It’s been a while. I’ve missed you. I’ll be at the shack next weekend if you want to get together. -Papa.”

Mac's mind rushes to events in his recent past regarding his daughter Missy and now comes face to face with his own preconceived ideas of God...

.......

I could write this blog as a narrative of the book, or even as a review, but instead I will share a brief thought that was inspired between the pages.

Sometimes a story is put into your life and it is put on a shelf because it is to close to home. This is one of those for me. I put this tiny book on the nightstand next to my bed and watched it grow dusty and intentionally avoided it as though it was a secret killer. Finally events in my own life revealed the book once again and "The Shack" was a place I needed to visit.

I have always believed that man has placed God in a box and every time we take Him out of one, we seem to just set Him down in another. The box may be bigger and even more extravagant, but it is still a box. At times we even try to package Him differently and instead of saying it is a box, we might say it is a present....but it is still a box!

The shack has reminded me, even if only for a breath of a moment, my God can not fit into a box and more importantly is the creator of the box. Just when I think I understand Him, He reveals a sliver more of Himself and I am again perplexed. It is at that moment I suppose putting God in a box at least allows me to feel as though I can grasp His awesomeness... But again I am wrong.

So I continue down this path of highs and lows, joys and sorrows, and all the while learning that from time to time I need to visit the SHACK!


Thank you Theda

Sometimes Shattered Glass

One of the movies that has become a yearly must for me, is the movie "Joshua". It is not the best produced movie in the world and has zero special effects. In fact, I am not even sure that I even knew about this movie until a friend let me borrow it.

Quick Synopsis:

It is a movie based on if Jesus were to come back to visit us today. What would he see and how would we react. In this movie, He shows up in a small town with a big message...

My favorite part of the movie is a 2 parter. At one point in the movie, a women picks up a piece of glass and in a fit of frustration, shatters it every where...

At the end of the movie Joshua gives her the glass back, but now it has been made into something far more extraordinarily!

- - -

Somethings in life are unavoidable. Somethings in life are the product of our own choices. Either way, we must deal with the results. Sometimes our hearts are bursting with love and joy. Sometimes we are lost in fear and confusion. And sometimes we may even allow ourselves down the dark path of hate.

Recently, I have heard of so much heartache from those that are close to me. Some have lost loved ones. Some have had false allegations passed their way. Some have lost jobs. Some have found themselves in a new and unfamiliar place. In many ways the woman in the movie represents us all. There are moments when all we see is the shattered glass and many times we find ourselves cut by the shards that lie all around us.

Sometimes we have to just walk away and allow the Creator time to pick up the pieces. Sometimes we need to just trust that He will make something better than we ever imagined or dreamed possible.

I am not so naive to think that by merely suggesting this, that it is easy... In fact, it can be one of the hardest parts of your life, giving up control. What I am suggesting is that Joshua is just waiting to take your shattered glass and create some amazing with it.

I Then Shall Live....

This morning I woke up like any other morning, sorta...

The music group I sing in, Rejoice, was singing at church this weekend. We have been working on this one song for what seems like an eternity. It is acapella and at time breaks into 8 part harmony.

At first the music was just music to me. But then a few months back I was given some tickets to the Gaither Homecoming. It was surprisingly amazing! Four hours of music concluded with the song my group was working on.... And WOW!!!!

The music was now only a backdrop to the tapestry of lyrics that painted images in my mind that I can not even begin to describe. I leave you these lyrics in hope that you too will be blessed.

I Then Shall LiveBy:

Gloria Gaither & Jean Sibelius

I then shall live as one who's been forgiven

I'll walk with joy to know my debts are paid

I know my name is clear before my Father

I am His child and I am not afraid

So greatly pardoned,

I'll forgive my brother

The law of love,

I gladly will obey

I then shall live as one who's learned compassion

I've been so loved,

I'll risk loving, too

I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges

I'll dare to see another's point of view

And when relationships demand commitment

Then I'll be there to care and follow through

Your Kingdom come around and through and in me

Your Power and Glory, let them shine through me

Your Hallowed Name, oh may I bear with honor

And may Your living Kingdom come in me

The Bread of Life, oh may I share with honor

And may You feed a hungry world through me

The following version is from the Gaither Homecoming:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpIJfiR9v_Q

A New Year . . . Already?

"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

A quote from one of the greatest teen flicks of all time, "Ferris Buellers Day Off! If you have not seen it, it is a movie about a teen who wants to soak in everything that life has to offer. In fact, he even decides to take a day off from school to enjoy the many things that life has to offer!

With the new year upon us, many look back to reflect upon the high and lows, while some are anxious for a new year and new chances. A new opportunity to possibly turn past failures in to future successes, to change destructive behaviors into new character building ones. There is something freeing about closing the door on things that hurt you and clinging to the things that heal you. I suppose that is why we celebrate the the New Year in such lavish fashion. Heck, even the Fed takes a holiday to recover.

With the economic down turn and the housing market yet to bottom out, maybe 2009 will be a year that many hoped 2008 was to be. Maybe those without jobs will be to find the job of their dreams and broken families will be restored. Maybe.

2008 is now behind us and all of last years maybe's have now become a part of our history. We may not be able to change the things that happened last year, but with 2009 here, we can certainly choose how we react to the new things before us.

Yes, Life does move pretty fast, and too fast at times, but if we really do stop and look around once in while, we just won't miss it, we will truly "LIVE" it.

Happiest Place on Earth!

This past week the kids and I spent time at the "Happiest Place On Earth". Yep you guessed it... Disneyland!!!

It was truly magical. Main St. was lined with Christmas lights that would brighten even the darkest of moods. And if were there at the right moment, it even snowed. Yes, Snowed! Disney is known for making magic happen and this time was no exception. It was so much fun to watch all of the families hustling to take it all in. Some rushed and some strolled, while many were from other countries, some were from just down the way, but we all seemed to be part of one big family.

In fact something that made this trip so "magical" was reconnecting with my family after so many years. On are way to LA, we scooted on over to Napa, Sonoma, and Sunnyvale to see Aunts, Uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. For some it was there first time meeting all the kids and for others it seemed as though the years apart were mere moments. I once again was reminded how precious family is and how important it is to allow our lives to become intertwined.

I suppose that much of our culture has slowly eroded the concept of family, but I truly believe that we must fight for it all costs. Growing up in CA, I was taught that you don't need anything or anyone, but yourself! My family was seeminly encouraged to try and make it on your own!!! Well, I have officially put an end to that. I am watching my family rebuild from all over the world and reconnect. I am seeing loved ones put aside their differences to find the things that draw them together! I must say that I have never seen so much "Magic" of a slice of pizza at "Mary's Pizza Shack"!

I know that every moment with family will not be perfect and that we must at times agree to disagree, but just maybe "The happiest place on earth" is were family can get together and know that no matter what we're all in this together no matter what!!!
_ _ _

To my friends and family- I love you!!!

Cleaning House...

Today I woke up craving that mistress that has haunted me for years...

Yep... MY COFFEE!!! I am not sure if it was the craziness of the Thanksgiving week or just the fact that she greets me each morning and makes me smile, but I really needed my cup of Joe today!!!

With the holidays in full swing and schedules busier than ever, I have continue to discover something that need my attention...my home! They say home is where the heart is, but in this case home is the place where kids bounce around, dogs play and there seems to always seems to be another load of laundry to be done. And I now have a bag full of single socks that for some reason I know that the moment I trough them away I will find the other half. Ugh!

As I begin the task of picking up the kids rooms and prepare the meal plan for the week, I am reminded of how much we need to be cleaning up our personal and spiritual lives as well. How much should we go in and clean up some of the dust in our relationships or maybe spend some time reorganizing our "Time Closets" to make room for those things and people that so need us.

This time of year brings out so many emotions that many find unbearable and others almost burst with Joy. Some remember loved ones they have lost along the way and some are falling in love.

I guess as I sit here and grave another few moments with my Java, I know that I need pick up the house and continue to organize all of the areas of my home to include all the essentials.

Seasons...

Over the past several days, the warmth of summer has fallen to the waste side and the briskness of autumn is nipping at my heals. The leaves have begun to turn to those fabulous shades of rust and squirrels have doubled up there efforts to prepare for the winter that is lurking at our door.

I am continually amazed at how our four season are a perfect cycle that bring so much change. In the Spring we see life exploding everywhere, yet in the Fall we see a time when many things are getting ready for hibernation and in some cases even death.

As I sit here drinking my cup of coffee, I pause and consider not only my life, but the lives of those that close to me and even those whose life just has intersected mine, if only for a moment.

It seems that this year many are facing seasons of there life as never before. For some the economy has been more devilishly severe. Where is that next meal for my family coming or how can I afford to even fill up my car to get to work? For others it is a time when life reminds you of the death of relationships. What did I do wrong or what is wrong with me?

With the brilliance of the leaves also is a reminder that these leaves will soon fall to the ground, raked into piles and turned back into mulch...

yep mulch...

But the beautiful thing about mulch is that it is there to feed life again. It brings a nourishment that is so desperately needed. I am not saying that our lives are on a collision course that will spell our doom, but rather parts of our lives must fall to the ground and be allowed to be renewed. We must must allow these painful seasons to shape us into something amazing.

The seasons of our lives are important in so many ways. We may never truly know all the reasons for the different seasons of our lives, but what we do know is that God knew that we would share in the highs and lows.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-12 NIV

A Time for Everything
1.There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2.a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3.a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4.a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5.a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6.a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7.a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8.a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
9.What does the worker gain from his toil?
10.I have seen the burden God has laid on men.
11.He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.