I thought that I would put this on here because it was so inspiring to me.  It just hit home in a number of ways.

As long as I keep running about asking: “Do you love me?  Do you really love me?”  I give all power to the voices of the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with “ifs.”  The world says, “Yes, I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent, and wealthy.  I love you if you have a good education, a good job, and good connections.  I love you if you produce much, sell much and buy much.”  These are endless “ifs” hidden in the world’s love.  These “ifs” enslave me, since it is impossible to respond adequately to all of them.  The world’s love is and always will be conditional.  As long as I keep looking for my true self in the world of conditional love, I will remain “hooked” to the world – trying, failing, and trying again.  It is a world that fosters addictions because what it offers cannon satisfy the deepest craving of my heart.

Grace and Peace

OK so what do you think about church? Is this a question that Christians ask after the Sunday morning “service?” I know I have asked this question on many occasions. What did you think of today’s lesson? What did you think about church in general today? Now I know these questions can be good things as well. I mean, when asking someone what they thought about the lesson, it could certainly challenge people to go into a deeper conversation. I am all about these sorts of things….however this is not what I am talking about here. Are we there to grade the actual service? Are we there to pick out the things we liked and disliked? I am becoming increasingly convinced there is hope for the church but only if it is not taken in the way we are looking at it.

I am going to be thinking and putting some random thoughts on the blog as to go a bit deeper into these things in the near future.

Well we have finally gotten back in town.  What a great trip we had!  IT was wonderful to be able to see family that I have not seen in at least 2 years!  It will not be that long of a stretch before the next time….well at least I hope not   In the long trip on the plane I have come back not with the need of a huge amount of sleep, but it seems that I am in need of a great deal of work on the muscles.  Yes, to beef them up, but more importantly, I am needing kinks worked out.  I am just so sore after sitting on many planes and going from one terminal to the next.  If you have ever seen the movie “Terminal” you will know what I mean….although he had to stay in the same one.  That would have sucked!  In any case, flying certainly takes a toll on the body.  I would have never thought it could do such a thing.  It is either this or I am just getting old. 

OK, so I just have to tell a cool story!  Well, we are finally in Paris…which is freakin amazing!  When Hayley and I got in we took a cab to get to the hotel, however the couple going with us got in earlier than us so they took the metro.  Well on the way to the hotel, there was a guy who robbed them.  It is a cool way as well.  Distracted them with coins on the ground.  Asked for help and then WHAM, took Eric’s bag before anything was noticed.  Well they noticed by the next stop, but it was too late.  By the way, the bag had his camera, computer, and some other things as well.  Well they thought it was all gone.  However, this morning at 2 AM, Eric comes in my room because they had caught the guys who robbed them.  We spent the better part of this morning in a Paris police office filling in reports and identifying the person who had robbed him.  Got the bag back and everything!  How incredible is that?  Last night we went under this bridge in which you are to make a wish and kiss….it is the bridge of love here.  Well they both prayed for justice and getting the bad back, and well, there you have it.

OK, so I went today to see a much anticipated movie, The Golden Compass.  I have been hearing quite a bit about it all for a number of reasons, but wanted to see what all of the talk was about.  Well after seeing it, I just have one question for the Christians who have been all up in arms about it….what is the big deal?OK, the book and the sequals are going to have a bit more to it, but after watching it, I do not see what all the fuss is about.  There are certainly some things that speak out directly towards the church or towards any sort of theism in general.  Are there not movies all the time which speak about things in which we as Christians are not for?  This is just one of many movies ever released.  The second point I would like to make and I believe this is the more important one.  When things come out like this, I believe we do not need to be speaking out in fear, but rather speaking out through dialogue about such things.  Creating avenues for people to converse and express things….rather than banning or vetoing them.  Is this not what the movie is against in the first place?  Not wanting people to speak out against things?  In all honesty, this kind of behavior from Christians is a turn off for people.  When I ask the question….what would Jesus do in this situation, I wonder if he would be standing up for something like this, or would he be using his energy elsewhere?  If he did use his energy in this, how would he handle the situation?  I am not convinced he would totally speak out and veto this, but I could see him meeting people whether while watching or at least afterwards to talk to them about it all.   

OK, so after a great deal of traveling, 3 airports, a delay, and only 6 hours of sleep….we finally arrived in Nashville!  Talk about a long trip.  The one back will not be as bad because it is going to be broken down into parts, which will be great….but that is for another post.Christmas was great here.  Good to see family and friends.  Roughly 25 people here all in one house…mad house when you get that many Nipps all in one place.  No snow!!!!  That was a huge bummer to Hayley because she was really holding out for some.  There has not been any white precipitation yet, but should be before we leave.  If not there better be some in New York!Well, I am hoping to keep writing on the new Mac I got for Christmas, which means more updates and thoughts on the blog.  So stay tuned for stories and such in the near future.  I hope that everyone has had a great holiday season so far and a great New Year to come.  I hope that you al have made your resolutions already. 

Well it is roughly 2 days until Hayley and I will be returning to America.  It is has been over 2 years since we have been back and both of us are very much looking forward to seeing so many faces we have not been able to see in such a long time.  We have been saving and looking forward to this trip for about a year and a half now, and it is pretty much here…..well at least the start of the 36 hour plane trip is about here.

I titled this post dealing with timing because this trip comes at a perfect time.  It is amazing how much energy you are able to gain knowing you are close to a finish line, or at least a break line.  I heard a story about a swimmer who trained for a swim across to an island in the ocean.  She trained for 7 months and then on the day she was to swim there was a huge fog that came in.  Against others better judgement, she went anyways.  In doing so, she swam and swam and swam, but could not see the island.  Because she could not see it, she was not able to see how far or how close she was to the island.  She grew tired of swimming and eventually called it quits and climbed into the boat following her.  Afterwards, they continued on and were immedietly connected with land.  She was heart broken because she knew she would have had the energy to continue on if she knew she was that close to the island.

Well for me, I have been given more energy to continue on even though I am long over due a time of rest.  I can see the line where I am going to be able to rest.  The timing is just perfect for the rest!

Sometimes it is good just to breathe.  It is good to actually focus on our breathing.  Some of the most voluntary things going on just go by us as if they are not even occuring.  Whether this is something in which you miss on your normal drive to work, or just sitting and thinking about your breathing.

I read that the reason why YHVH are the letters for the name of God to the Hebrews is because when pronounced back to back, they end up making the sound when you breathe.  What an incredible concept!  Everytime you breathe you are prouncing the name of God.  Rob Bell makes this connection and takes it a bit further.  Pointing to how the word for Spirit is the same word for breath.  There must be a connection here.  It is just a matter of asking the right questions….

It is easy to go into a daze when you are sitting by the ocean and sipping on a Latte from one of your favorite coffee shops.  A daze usually comes on an unconscience level, however, I find myself preparing and even intentionally seeking out the daze

Anyways, what I am pondering is leadership.  Good servant leadership.  Maxwell goes into this a bit in his “Law” book on leadership, amongst other characteristics.  But the area in which I have been thinking more and more about is that of how Jesus knew who he was and what he was here for.  He did not care what obstacles were thrown in his way, but rather continued on the way.  He did so in an honest, open, and with integrity.  By doing so, offending many many people.

In light of this, he did not really care who he offended.  He just moved right along.  I am not saying he did not care for someone else’s feelings…although maybe he didn’t.  He knew to continue on.  To have someone like that in front of you.  ONe who would have been honest when he felt you were out of line, and then who would take the bullet for you….or the cross.

Well I am sitting at my office, a cafe called “The Wild Fig,” and am inspired by the view and the company in which I am surrounded by.  So because of this I thought that I would blog a bit about the idea of inspiration.  This idea of breathing life into something.  We use the word inspire when we see or hear something which gives us life.  In other words, something becomes life giving when it is inspirational.  The opposite is true as well.  We use the word exspire, when something’s life is no longer there.  When milk has gone off or is no longer drinkable we might say that it has “expired.”

The reason I would like to point this out is because of a verse I have been reading in scripture.  1 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”  Notice the inspired part here.  Another translation uses “God-breathed.”  There are many people who translate this as scripture is something in which God wrote.  In saying this, no human hands were here.  However, if you take the idea of inspiration, we know that it is to breathe life into.  Not write, but something in which God has given life to.  God has given life to the words found in His scriptures.  This is why life can be found through them where ever it is read.  I feel like there are times in which we think they are scriptures in which are the same as the commandments given to Moses on top of Mt Sinai.  As if God wrote them himself.  We believe this is not the case.  I believe this actually gives more meaning and more depth to the word of God.

There is a great deal more I could write about this but I am just going to leave it at this for now.  I will pick up on the topic at another time.