So, last time i missed, but i hear it was absolutely fantastic - there will be a blog post to follow - so keep checking.
Our next time together will be tomorrow night, August 11th, at McAllister Recreation Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, from 6:45-8:00PM - there will be free childcare, as always!
Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Late Medical Moments...
Hello everyone! Sorry,t he blog posts have been paltry...surgery and then outreach and then famiyl vacation has kept us running - but we are back now and i wanted to tell you about the time we shared on July 19th, yes, fair week, at Durgan Elementary.
We spent 6 hours having tons of fun in the heat, painting nails (not me - you don't want me to paint your nails, playing xbox kinect, painting faces, and loving people with our smiles, our hugs, our paint, our play, our care, our doctor visits and some free medicines!
What a great way to spend the day! We had a blast! We had 31 patients and we were able to help them with a wide variety of troubles. It was great to be in a position to care. It was also wonderful to see the folks waiting (imagine waiting for a docotr!!) chatting and enjoying eachother so much! The love and mutual care was just really cool! One lady was even going to miss her bus and so someone gave up their spot to let her go 1st!! It was remarkable!!
You see, we find that as we notice people, not as whether they are insured or not, or whether they have certain clothes, or act a certain way, but as wonderfully created people, made by a loving God - we begin to see life open up in new ways!!! Life takes on a joy and wonder that we never anticipated before! This is what More than more is all about!!
If this sounds really cool to you - we would love to have you join us next Thursday night, August 11th, at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th ahdn Schuyler Ave, in Lafayette. 6:45-8:00Pm - free childcare as always!
If transportation is an issue, please reply on the blog and we will try to help!!
hope to see you there!
We spent 6 hours having tons of fun in the heat, painting nails (not me - you don't want me to paint your nails, playing xbox kinect, painting faces, and loving people with our smiles, our hugs, our paint, our play, our care, our doctor visits and some free medicines!
What a great way to spend the day! We had a blast! We had 31 patients and we were able to help them with a wide variety of troubles. It was great to be in a position to care. It was also wonderful to see the folks waiting (imagine waiting for a docotr!!) chatting and enjoying eachother so much! The love and mutual care was just really cool! One lady was even going to miss her bus and so someone gave up their spot to let her go 1st!! It was remarkable!!
You see, we find that as we notice people, not as whether they are insured or not, or whether they have certain clothes, or act a certain way, but as wonderfully created people, made by a loving God - we begin to see life open up in new ways!!! Life takes on a joy and wonder that we never anticipated before! This is what More than more is all about!!
If this sounds really cool to you - we would love to have you join us next Thursday night, August 11th, at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th ahdn Schuyler Ave, in Lafayette. 6:45-8:00Pm - free childcare as always!
If transportation is an issue, please reply on the blog and we will try to help!!
hope to see you there!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
My Melon!
So, you know that thing above your neck??
more specifically than your head - your skull - well, last Thursday we spent some time being amazed at how God made our skulls just right for us!! It was a great time!
Ever thought about your skull? Maybe when you raised up into that sign you thought you missed or that cabinet you did not realize was there!!!
Well, the skull is a complex of bones that develop separately during infancy and are not fused until past 1 year of age. Even this is amazing because the fact that they are not fused is many times essential to allow the baby's head (which is the largest part of the baby) to come through the birth canal and actually fit. Plus, the brain grows a vast amount in the first year of life and the unfused bones allow for plenty of growth - after all, we wouldn't want to have our brains smushed by not having enough room in the skull!! How perfect is this???
Then, there's the part of how perfect the skull is for it's job for the rest of our lives. What is the job?
Protection - how many times have you bonked your head? Imagine if those bonks were straight to the brain!!! Not many of us would live past toddlerhood, but instead we have this hard head - which incidentally gets much harder right about the time we get much more mobile and daring - that absorbs the blows we give it and protects us!!
Just to highlight how strong the skulls is i wanted to share a story a patient gave me permission to share:
This young man was working on his car. He was working on something just to the inside of the tire area. His car was jacked up and he was working with his arms inside the tire and his head under the tire. Well, the jack slipped and the entire weight of the car fell on his head, wedging it between the tire and the ground. He was then able to keep his wits enough to reach for and find the slipped jack, slide it under the frame, jack the car up and slide himself out from under the car, only to call the 911 operator and have her think he was joking around because his story was so far-fetched. Well, long story short, after lots of tests and some major worry, he was fine. No harm done. Well, he had a small (too small to see on ct of the head) fracture of the bones, but nothing that won't heal on its own!!! Amazing - now, let me tell you, that young man is exceptionally thankful for his skull!!
Now it is nice to appreciate our skulls and be thankful that we have not damaged ourselves too much over the years, but that would only be part of what we need to do with this story - my advice? Take a minute the next time you notice your skull, or anyone else's for that matter, and give some credit to the God who made us so amazingly. Stop for just a second and thank Him for making you so wonderful! Invite Him into the moment with you, ask Him to be a part of your life...to join you in the moments of your life. You might just begin to see life in a little different way - maybe you'll notice the important things in life and life will become More than it seems now!!
If you are sick of life as usual and would like to begin to live for More, we would love to have you join us next Thursday night, July 14th, at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, from 6:45-8:00PM. There will be free, excellent childcare, as always!
Hope to see you there!
more specifically than your head - your skull - well, last Thursday we spent some time being amazed at how God made our skulls just right for us!! It was a great time!
Ever thought about your skull? Maybe when you raised up into that sign you thought you missed or that cabinet you did not realize was there!!!
Well, the skull is a complex of bones that develop separately during infancy and are not fused until past 1 year of age. Even this is amazing because the fact that they are not fused is many times essential to allow the baby's head (which is the largest part of the baby) to come through the birth canal and actually fit. Plus, the brain grows a vast amount in the first year of life and the unfused bones allow for plenty of growth - after all, we wouldn't want to have our brains smushed by not having enough room in the skull!! How perfect is this???
Then, there's the part of how perfect the skull is for it's job for the rest of our lives. What is the job?
Protection - how many times have you bonked your head? Imagine if those bonks were straight to the brain!!! Not many of us would live past toddlerhood, but instead we have this hard head - which incidentally gets much harder right about the time we get much more mobile and daring - that absorbs the blows we give it and protects us!!
Just to highlight how strong the skulls is i wanted to share a story a patient gave me permission to share:
This young man was working on his car. He was working on something just to the inside of the tire area. His car was jacked up and he was working with his arms inside the tire and his head under the tire. Well, the jack slipped and the entire weight of the car fell on his head, wedging it between the tire and the ground. He was then able to keep his wits enough to reach for and find the slipped jack, slide it under the frame, jack the car up and slide himself out from under the car, only to call the 911 operator and have her think he was joking around because his story was so far-fetched. Well, long story short, after lots of tests and some major worry, he was fine. No harm done. Well, he had a small (too small to see on ct of the head) fracture of the bones, but nothing that won't heal on its own!!! Amazing - now, let me tell you, that young man is exceptionally thankful for his skull!!
Now it is nice to appreciate our skulls and be thankful that we have not damaged ourselves too much over the years, but that would only be part of what we need to do with this story - my advice? Take a minute the next time you notice your skull, or anyone else's for that matter, and give some credit to the God who made us so amazingly. Stop for just a second and thank Him for making you so wonderful! Invite Him into the moment with you, ask Him to be a part of your life...to join you in the moments of your life. You might just begin to see life in a little different way - maybe you'll notice the important things in life and life will become More than it seems now!!
If you are sick of life as usual and would like to begin to live for More, we would love to have you join us next Thursday night, July 14th, at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, from 6:45-8:00PM. There will be free, excellent childcare, as always!
Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Hugs
So, we had a great time 2wks ago and if you missed it, you missed out!
The best part of the time we shared was during the part of our time together when we share something amazing about God. So, while all stood up, Sophia, my 7 yr old who is famous for her hugs, went around the gave every single person a hug. Now, it was an amazing thing to watch people whi have been so hurt in their lives so touched by the love of a little girl. Some were even crying because of the way their hearts were touched to be hugged.
Now, i think it is safe to say that even if you weren't there, you can understand how cool it is to feel the warmth of another person's hug. It is safe and wonderful. We were made to feel this. Why? Because God loves this way and He wants us to have the joy of having this kind of love in our lives too and so He made us this way - this is no accident - in fact, He wants us to love Him too!
Consider how much a hug is worth - how much would you pay for a hug? What if it was from someone who you lost to death or a broken relationship? What if it was from someone that you always wished could love you and they just wouldn't or couldn't? What price tag would you attach to that?
See? A hug is beyond worth, but how many times do we rush right past them to get something done?
Well, the next time you get a hug, stop and savor, and then invite the God who made you enjoy it into the moment with you. Thank Him for making you that way. Invite Him into the moment and into your world with you - ask Him to join you in your day - it might make all the difference.
If you are tired of missing the really wonderful parts of life because you are caught up in the franticness of American life, we would love to have you join us tomorrow night - June 30th, at MCAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, from 6:45-8:00PM. As always there will be free and excellent childcare.
hope to see you there!
The best part of the time we shared was during the part of our time together when we share something amazing about God. So, while all stood up, Sophia, my 7 yr old who is famous for her hugs, went around the gave every single person a hug. Now, it was an amazing thing to watch people whi have been so hurt in their lives so touched by the love of a little girl. Some were even crying because of the way their hearts were touched to be hugged.
Now, i think it is safe to say that even if you weren't there, you can understand how cool it is to feel the warmth of another person's hug. It is safe and wonderful. We were made to feel this. Why? Because God loves this way and He wants us to have the joy of having this kind of love in our lives too and so He made us this way - this is no accident - in fact, He wants us to love Him too!
Consider how much a hug is worth - how much would you pay for a hug? What if it was from someone who you lost to death or a broken relationship? What if it was from someone that you always wished could love you and they just wouldn't or couldn't? What price tag would you attach to that?
See? A hug is beyond worth, but how many times do we rush right past them to get something done?
Well, the next time you get a hug, stop and savor, and then invite the God who made you enjoy it into the moment with you. Thank Him for making you that way. Invite Him into the moment and into your world with you - ask Him to join you in your day - it might make all the difference.
If you are tired of missing the really wonderful parts of life because you are caught up in the franticness of American life, we would love to have you join us tomorrow night - June 30th, at MCAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, from 6:45-8:00PM. As always there will be free and excellent childcare.
hope to see you there!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Forgiveness Followup
Well, I emailed the people who made the movie and they cannot allow us to give copies. So, if you are interested in having a copy, please feel free to post and i will get you the info.
We will be hanging out tomorrow night at McAllister Recreation Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette - 6:45-8:00PM. As always there will be free, excellent childcare.
Also, want to let you know that any of you who are interested are welcome to join us on a community outreach night, next Tuesday night, the 21st. We will be helping to mulch someone's flower beds that we have been praying for for a long time. It will be a great time! If we only experience the goodness of God in our lives and don't share it with other people, we miss so much of the joy in life!!
If you want info, please post to the blog, or come tomorrow night!
Hope to see you soon!
We will be hanging out tomorrow night at McAllister Recreation Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette - 6:45-8:00PM. As always there will be free, excellent childcare.
Also, want to let you know that any of you who are interested are welcome to join us on a community outreach night, next Tuesday night, the 21st. We will be helping to mulch someone's flower beds that we have been praying for for a long time. It will be a great time! If we only experience the goodness of God in our lives and don't share it with other people, we miss so much of the joy in life!!
If you want info, please post to the blog, or come tomorrow night!
Hope to see you soon!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Forgiveness...
So, we had a fantastic time last Thursday night at McAllister. We, you see, are tired of living life in the usual American way. Always get more stuff, make more money, more fitness, more health, more sex, more toys, more, more, more. Instead, we gather together every other Thursday night to talk about ways to change the way we live - we alter our focus intentionally - we choose to focus our minds and hearts on those things in life that really matter...
Thursday night we talked about Rwanda. We watched video clips from a movie called as we forgive - here is the web site for the movie http://www.asweforgivemovie.com/ - and heard from Cara and Josh, a couple who has just returned from Rwanda. They spoke of genocide - the killing of a million people in cold blood, just because of the type of family they were born into - and then of amazing forgiveness.
The lady in the film's husband and children were murdered and her sister and her family as well. It turns out that her sister was murdered by a family friend of this lady - he tells the story of what he did. He then feels intense guilt and remorse and comes to her to say how sorry he is and to ask her forgiveness. She, almost unbelievably, says that is God has forgiven her, then she will forgive him. she no longer fears death, or agony...it was humbling and intense and perspective changing.
The thing is, God made us this way. We find in our hearts the ability to forgive the most heinous. Now, let me clarify - forgiving does not mean that you are saying that what someone did is ok, or all right. It does not mean you forget, or even that you have some fluffy and healthy relationship with them, but you do make your peace with them, the most you can, right where you are. You choose to not hold tightly onto the reigns of revenge or bitterness. You do your best to see that person as broken and messed up and go on with your life. Now, i realize this is not easy and am not suggesting this - but the amount a human can forgive is absolutely amazing!!!
We went around the room, prior to the movie, and many of the people in the room had been wronged near to the lady on the screen, and had found it in them to forgive to the maximum that they were able at that time in their lives! And we don't live in Rwanda...but the midwest!
You see, as bad as things can be that are inflicted upon us from other people, as much pain as they can cause us, humans have it in their ability to forgive and go on. This is not natural - natural is to attack, to defend, to avenge. But, inside us is this deep seated God-likeness - You see, He made us in His image - meaning that He made us, at our root, to be like Him. We are made to have an ability to forgive, way beyond what it seems like we should be able to.
So, the next time you encounter that person who just really has hurt you (or even think of them)...the next time you see someone forgive past what is reasonable...notice. Pay attention not just to the peace, i am glad for that, but also to the fact that you are made that way. Stop for a second and thank the God who made you so amazingly that you could go through all that and still find the other side. Invite Him into your world, right there. Ask Him to join you in the moment and to begin to open your eyes to what's really important about life. It will not stop people from doing mean things, but it will change your world.
If this is sounding like it might just be a better way to begin trying to live your life, we would love to have you join us June 16th, 6:45-8:00 PM, at McAllister Recreation Center. We will be continuing our journey together, and having some serious laughs. McAllister is just off 20th st and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette. As always, we will have free, excellent childcare, and some exellent food.
Hope to see you there.
Jason
Thursday night we talked about Rwanda. We watched video clips from a movie called as we forgive - here is the web site for the movie http://www.asweforgivemovie.com/ - and heard from Cara and Josh, a couple who has just returned from Rwanda. They spoke of genocide - the killing of a million people in cold blood, just because of the type of family they were born into - and then of amazing forgiveness.
The lady in the film's husband and children were murdered and her sister and her family as well. It turns out that her sister was murdered by a family friend of this lady - he tells the story of what he did. He then feels intense guilt and remorse and comes to her to say how sorry he is and to ask her forgiveness. She, almost unbelievably, says that is God has forgiven her, then she will forgive him. she no longer fears death, or agony...it was humbling and intense and perspective changing.
The thing is, God made us this way. We find in our hearts the ability to forgive the most heinous. Now, let me clarify - forgiving does not mean that you are saying that what someone did is ok, or all right. It does not mean you forget, or even that you have some fluffy and healthy relationship with them, but you do make your peace with them, the most you can, right where you are. You choose to not hold tightly onto the reigns of revenge or bitterness. You do your best to see that person as broken and messed up and go on with your life. Now, i realize this is not easy and am not suggesting this - but the amount a human can forgive is absolutely amazing!!!
We went around the room, prior to the movie, and many of the people in the room had been wronged near to the lady on the screen, and had found it in them to forgive to the maximum that they were able at that time in their lives! And we don't live in Rwanda...but the midwest!
You see, as bad as things can be that are inflicted upon us from other people, as much pain as they can cause us, humans have it in their ability to forgive and go on. This is not natural - natural is to attack, to defend, to avenge. But, inside us is this deep seated God-likeness - You see, He made us in His image - meaning that He made us, at our root, to be like Him. We are made to have an ability to forgive, way beyond what it seems like we should be able to.
So, the next time you encounter that person who just really has hurt you (or even think of them)...the next time you see someone forgive past what is reasonable...notice. Pay attention not just to the peace, i am glad for that, but also to the fact that you are made that way. Stop for a second and thank the God who made you so amazingly that you could go through all that and still find the other side. Invite Him into your world, right there. Ask Him to join you in the moment and to begin to open your eyes to what's really important about life. It will not stop people from doing mean things, but it will change your world.
If this is sounding like it might just be a better way to begin trying to live your life, we would love to have you join us June 16th, 6:45-8:00 PM, at McAllister Recreation Center. We will be continuing our journey together, and having some serious laughs. McAllister is just off 20th st and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette. As always, we will have free, excellent childcare, and some exellent food.
Hope to see you there.
Jason
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Tomorrow
Just a quick reminder to all of you that More than more will be hanging out 6:45-8:00pm tomorrow night at McAllister Cetner - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette - we will have some friends of mine with us to share - it should be a good time.
Also, tomorrow begins summer hours at McAllister - which means that we will finish promptly at 8 - they stay open a hour late for us on the Thursday nights we are there.
would love to see all of you there!
Also, tomorrow begins summer hours at McAllister - which means that we will finish promptly at 8 - they stay open a hour late for us on the Thursday nights we are there.
would love to see all of you there!
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