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Brokenness

This is ripped from Steve Howe our Church’s Youth Minister:
And it is well said:
http://www.xanga.com/Sandwich_Steve/

Currently Listening
Live Unplugged
By Jeremy Camp
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Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted here (my bad) and I’ll be surprised if someone reads this. I don’t share this as a devotional, or to impress, or for any reason other than to remind you how awesome Christ is. It’s not here for you to “like” or “dislike,” it’s just here in hopes that God might see fit to use it. Either way, “thank You” God for what You’re doing. 🙂

“Brokenness.” I wonder what it is about this word that makes me so reluctant to hear it. I think it might have something to do with the way I was raised. When I was a little kid, I had this frappin’ awesome Thundercats action figure. It was Lion-o and he had one of those cool “chopping action” arms that would lay the smack down on any enemies in my room. One day I got a little too rough with Lion-o (we were seriously administrating on some evil Transformer dudes) and I broke the “chopping action” on my action figure. I ran downstairs and said, “Dad, what happened?! Can you fix it?” Like any good father he studied it intently for awhile, then with a sympathetic look in his face said, “I’m sorry son, he’s broke, I can’t fix him.” Maybe that’s where I started getting off on the wrong impression of the word “broke” or any variation of the word (I REALLY liked my Lion-o).

And here I am now, 26 years old, and even though I don’t play with action figures (at least none that I’m willing to admit to) I still get this…awkward feeling when people start talking about being “broken” or “brokenness.” It’s scary, like with my action figure…if I’m broken can God really fix me? No one wants to play with a “broken” toy, why would God Almighty ever want to spend time with a “broken” Steve? (I don’t even have a cool “chopping action”) Be assured, I love Him, and He’s my everything…God is right where He’s supposed to be. But me, that’s a different story sometimes. Besides, Youth Ministers shouldn’t need to be “broken” right? We should always be right next to God…no need for fixing. What if our students found out that we struggle, that we’re imperfect, that we sometimes hurt them accidentally, and sometimes they hurt us. Still reading?

Well, this is the way I felt…until last night. I was in a prayer meeting…and the strangest thing happened. God kinda showed up all of a sudden, and people stopped just long enough to realize that in the midst of them asking for prayer for everyone BUT them…they really needed prayer themselves. And then things got REALLY crazy. This man…a manly man…not the kind of man who cries, or shows weakness, the kind of stoic man you might see in a movie. The man who trudges on, unphased by all the junk in life, making it work. Well, this man, all of a sudden…he starts CRYING?! Was I really seeing this? Not this guy, I’ve never seen this before. Not only was he crying, he was weeping, like a little child. We all got up and layed hands on him and prayed for him, and he wept. He realized he was “broken” and there was nothing he could do to fix himself…he was tired of pretending.

Then I had to go back across the street to the youth meeting where one of my Seniors, Elijah, was leading the lesson that night…it was good, “Don’t be a hypocrite…be a child of light.” He invited me up to close out the evening, and I just couldn’t shake what I saw across the street. So we took some time to be “real” with God. And while I was on stage singing, it occured to me, being “broken” isn’t a bad thing after all. In fact, I think God likes broken, He likes weak. At least that’s what He says in 2 Cor. 12:9 “My gracious favor is all that you need, my power works best in your weakness.” God also says that we are “treasures in jars of clay.” That’s when it really hit me. When I’m “broken,” when Steve is lying in pieces on the floor before the Potter…that’s when the good stuff spills out everywhere (It’s a big, holy mess). God uses our brokenness to remind us that we’re not just some dingy, cracked old pot. We may think we’re not worthy of God’s love, or we’re scared to represent Christ to the people around us…so we hide. But it’s when we’re broken before Him, that we see we are filled with a treasure. What’s the treasure you ask? The knowledge of who you are created to be in Christ! You are a child of God, a Child of Light! You are loved beyond our pathetic human understanding of real love. He demonstrates His love by taking up residence in you…in me. The cracked, beat up jar known as Steve…the treasure of Christ comes and fills me up. Sweet! Are you tired? Do you just want a chance to be real? My advice, put away the super glue and duct tape that you’ve been using to patch the cracks in your “jar.” Instead, fall to pieces in the arms of Christ…be broken. Deuces, Steve <>< Posted 12/1/2005 at 11:34 PM - email it

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A Baby Boy

Well it’s semi-official. . . the official pronouncement of the Nurse who completed the indepth sonogram proclaims we have a little Baby Boy on the way!

We are excited. . .

Baby C is unveiled. . .
Chase Edward

And he was quite the bundle of energy turning and moving all around and dancing for the camera. . .

🙂

C

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You know he is right about that!

Wired News Article

How Sony Hijacked half a million user’s systems and the Computer Security industry mostly yawned. . . .

I hadn’t thought about this much in this light before. Mainly I was mad at Sony for introducing such draconian DRM restricitions, that harmed systems in such a way as to cause instability and system crashes. Also, I thought it was crummy how the company that made the software stole GPL code and included it in this criminal tool. The act of using GPL code in this way violates the license and automatically forfeits the use of such code by the company or individual that does so.

These technical mumblings are a lot about who controls what you see and do, a corporation so eager to prove all their customers to be criminals that they became the criminals.

Great Britian and the United States prohibit malicious an unintential breaking into Computer Systems, this is just what Sony did, they broke in and opened up a huge gaping hole into your system for hackers and others to run right through. This isn’t any different if the local construction company that makes specialized windows came in and knocked a huge hole into the side of your house, then they found a way to cover it up where you couldn’t see it. But the hole was still there, you were still exposed to the elements, thieves and the local neighborhood alley cats.

It doesn’t matter if they justify it and say, their windows are being copied by some of their customers, so they had to open the whole so they could check in and make sure their windows weren’t being copied. The hole is still there, you the home owner are still vulnerable. . . .

Fortunately the Builder is coming in with a fix to patch up the whole the Window installer put out and things should get better. . .

But whew. . . better be careful about becoming a criminal to defeat the potential criminals. . .

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s never a good idea to
1. Sue your customers
2. Assume all your customer’s are lying theives.

C

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Where is your treasure?

I’ve been re-reading Romans 8: these last few weeks, mainly because its the SS lesson, but also because it’s really good stuff. . .
Rom 8:12
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[g] And by him we cry, “Abba,[h] Father.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

So it’s like this the Kingdom of Heaven is like this vast treasure that you stumble upon in a field, and you sell all you have and go and buy the field. . .

yeah, it’s kinda like that. . . Abba can also be translated Daddy, this personal and intimate rendering of the aspect of God’s love for his children is incredible and awe inspiring. . .

kinda makes me want to live better. . . it’s a good thing the Spirit of the Living God prompts and moves us to act and to love one another. . .

Wow again. . .constantly in awe of the Almighty God I serve. . .

C

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Right?

A Treatise:

What is right anymore? It seems that what is right in todays world isn’t based on any set standard. It seems that your right may be wrong to the next person. And that seems okay and even acceptable and a likeable solution to many. After all lets just let live and let live, right?

So that begs the current question facing Texans? Is Prop 2 right for Texas? Is it in the State’s interest and the People of Texas’ interest to define marriage as “in this state consists only of the union of one man and one woman” Well, it seems we have as many answers as we have people in Texas. . . many see it from differing perspectives. Isn’t that the way of it?

So my thought begins what is it that makes right Right? Where do the boundry lines get drawn between what is simply irritating and what is criminally or morally abject filth?

What is our compass and or plumb line to discern the depths or the measuring stick to ascertain what is right in our society?

How flexible should the plumb line, compass or measuring stick be?

As I see it we have 3 choices on where we get our measuring stick:
A. Our Family, Mom, Dad, Step Parents, Grand parents, Aunts Uncles, Mom and Mom etc
B. Societies Laws: Texas and the United States have multitude thousands of laws and they have arisen from particular concerns and needs all their own along with the changing tides these have been modfied or re-interpreted through time, but they do Govern current legitimacy.
C. Our Faith.

Thoughts on each:
A. Parents and Family seem like a good start? I mean what better place to get the guidelines of Right and Wrong, after all they are the first arbitrators of such decisions?
B. Laws, well we all have to live by these so that seems like a good place to continue, I mean you gotta live within the law right? 🙂
C. Our Faith, well that seems like a reasonable thing to do your faith and beliefs must be based on something right? What does your faith teach, what are the foundation stones and principles, surely you can get good guidance here.

I think all three places are good to get your plumb line from to begin principles for living and move foward with a well balanced and meaningful life. I guess the question then becomes where does the plumb line come from that your family, our state and civil laws and our faith base the rules on?

Each one would be different? I mean surely. . . My family would depend on their parents and their faith to steer and guide them along with advice from friends and associates.

The Law is based on local and state needs along with our State and US Constitution then English Common Law and finally based upon Hammurabi and the Ten Commandments.

Faith:
The boundry line for my faith is the Word of God and the Spirit of the Living Lord guiding my heart from within.

So what does my faith, my family and civil law indicate about Prop 2 . . .Yes

Prop 2 doesn’t exist in a vacumn, it exists because things that are fundamental to the procreation of our species, and our nation are dependent upon certain fundamentals being established to protect the smallest and most innocent of new lives.

When Judges reinterpret law to grant rights and privelges never before granted, and usurp the common constrainst placed upon them by the people and the Legislature, then reactive measures must be taken, the Constitutional Amendments defining Marriage as what it already is the Union of a man and a woman for the protection and procreation of the nation and the species. This is the reaction to protect every state, which is necessary because our Constitution provides Equal Access under the law to every citizen of the United States no matter if they are from California, Washington, Texas or Massachussets. Without defining the and drafting Amendments, each State would be forced by Judicial fiat of one state to accept a new and destructive definition of marriage that is harmful and incremental to continuing the devastation and degradation of the Nuclear family.

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Baby

Yesterday,
Misty and I got to see our Baby yesterday for the first time. . . Baby C we are calling them until we find out the sex of the baby. . .

🙂 What a sight. . . .
Baby C First Look

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Quiet. . .

Wow, its finally quiet here. . . the Disaster Recovery Business is done for now and things are going to return to normal. . .

Maybe a little slow for a bit but it should be peaceful. . .

I think it will be nice as long as its not an extended silence. . .

😉
C

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Hurricane Wilma

Ugh. . Hurricane Wilma. . .

Just when I thought it was safe, Hurricane Wilma knocked out power to Boca Raton Florida and it looks like the backup generators at my Hosting Provider’s data center have crapped out. . . now everybody’s down, but me I moved my main site over to another host temporarily but all my clients are hard down till this is resolved. . .

what a pain. . .

C

(1st Reverse Post from Xanga since August)

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Still in Romans

This week we are moving on to Romans 6 in our SS class. It’s not like chapters 1 – 5 have been a snap either, we’ve been on Romans for 5 weeks so this is definitely an indepth study. . .

I guess Romans 5: really had a brilliant explanation of Grace, this pre-emininet magnificint grace that cannot be explained in human terms but in the outpouring from God to us. . . The grace is about God not about us. . . God grants us grace, we only need to believe and trust in Jesus Christ. . . suddenly the whole passage about having a simple child like faith makes a lot more sense. . .
🙂

Well this week has the famous passage Romans 6:23 ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’

I really like how God (through the Spirit) used Paul to build the building blocks to faith in Romans:
1st All of humankind is separated by disobedience
2nd Disobedience started with Adam and everyone disobeys
3rd God granted Grace through the One Jesus Christ
4th Grace isn’t something you do it’s something God does for you for everyone. . .
5th If you Sin you will die – You get death
6th If you believe in Christ Jesus- You get life eternal

It’s like a pyramid, from the basics to the more complex. . . Paul just keeps building on the logical arguments from the chapters before. . . It’s brilliant and beautiful. . .

Simple really, and reiterates the magnificence of our Glorious Lord!

I truly believe that this simple basis for argument and presentation of the Truth of the Gospel is both powerful and effective, and useful in sharing the Love of Christ with the skeptics and unbelievers around us, around me. . .

I’ve been praying for several people over the past few weeks, really years, but haven’t really been sharing directly. . . May the Lord grant me the strength and courage to share His truth with Boldness and Love. . .

May His Spirit quicken the hearts of those who hear that they may recieve the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. .
amen. . .

C

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What to expect when you're expecting?

I have no idea. . . but here we are. Last week at our weekly men’s prayer breakfast I shared an Unspoken request. . .

Unknowingly, one of the men prayed specifically and urgently for that request an my family. As I listened to the prayer, I smiled and tears came to my eyes, knowing that only an Incredibly Awesome God that I serve could have prompted my brother’s heart to pray with such ferver. This week, after I shared the testimony and how I was touched and blessed by his prayer last week. He mentioned that he somehow knew Wed two days ago that we were expecting. We hadn’t told anyone at Church yet, but just the same he knew. . .

🙂 What an Awesome God we serve. There is something powerful when the Spirit touches our spirit and communicates the love and joy before it is verbally spoken that makes this reality of a small new life coming into this world all the more special. . .

Go God. . .

C