I have to go take a shower and get ready for softball this morning but it has been a while since I posted. I am moving in just over three weeks now. I am not all the way packed but I am getting there and we have someone to move in so that the rent will stay the same for Dad and Caleb. That is good, I didn't want to have them have to pay more.
I spent last weekend in Bryant, AR and then on Monday afternoon I flew to LA and drove back to Tulsa. I got back at 1:45am Thursday morning and then went to work later that morning! I had a long drive back and I was in a car alone. I was asked by one of my best friends what I thought about on the way back and I said I didn't have any major breakthroughs of any kind. I was really focused on my drive since I was driving someone else's car. Pretty much the topic on my mind was the same topic I have had on my mind for a while. Love. I'll write more later...I just think it's sad. I tried to show love to everyone I came in contact with on this trip. People were shocked that I did some of the things I did because they weren't "convenient" for me. These were friends of mine. I don't consider it a great sacrifice to be kind to my friends. It's what we should always do and yet they were shocked. It doesn't take much effort to make someones day, give it a try. Let me know how it goes for you.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Something different this time...
I am not going to give my opinion right now. I am sitting in the St. Louis airport waiting to board a plane and I was reading my responses to a previous post. I have decided to see if I can get some answers from some of you.
My question is simply this: if you don't go to church, why? I'm not asking why you don't go to my church or a certain church in your town, but why don't you go at all? Do you not believe in God, do you not believe in organized religion...what is your reason? You can answer and not give your name, that is fine. The only reason I gave those two possible reasons above was because those are answers I have been given in person when I asked this question.
Please take a moment and answer my question. I really want to know. :) I am not going to combat your answers or come against your logic in any way. I am truly curious.
Thank you for taking the time to read this far and I appreciate any and all feedback.
My question is simply this: if you don't go to church, why? I'm not asking why you don't go to my church or a certain church in your town, but why don't you go at all? Do you not believe in God, do you not believe in organized religion...what is your reason? You can answer and not give your name, that is fine. The only reason I gave those two possible reasons above was because those are answers I have been given in person when I asked this question.
Please take a moment and answer my question. I really want to know. :) I am not going to combat your answers or come against your logic in any way. I am truly curious.
Thank you for taking the time to read this far and I appreciate any and all feedback.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
My Dad...
This past week I watched parts of several stand-up comedians acts on Comedy Central. It seemed like every time I was clicking past they were talking about their Dad and what he was like. Everyone was laughing and they did several crowd shots where people were pointing at each other and shaking their heads as if to say, "He's talking about your Dad!".
As I watched I realized how different my memories were from what apparently most people grew up with. Jokes only work if there is an element of truth in them. I know I was blessed to grow up in the family I grew up in. Everyone has issues and my parents weren't perfect but I don't have those memories of my Dad treating me or my Mom bad. Even when we were in trouble my parents would let anger pass and they would punish us because of our actions and not because they were "angry".
I wonder if this model of a father figure has anything to do with the way that the three Johnson boys grew up as opposed to a lot of people we were around? It just makes me wonder how people's view of their own father affects their view of God as their Father? When I hear father I think of love. My parents put aside their own desires and their time to pour into our lives every day. If you don't trust your father or you didn't have a lot of love passed on to you from your father then you may not always have a great concept of God as your Father. I know God loves me more than my parents do and that is not an easy thing for me to grasp.
So if families are falling apart at a record pace then do you think that is at least a portion of the reason that the percentage of people who claim to be Christians is dropping in the United States every year?
Just wondering...I have no proof. I am just laying in bed thinking when I should be sleeping. I know that not everyone who reads this is a Christian but I do believe you all know I am. This is simply food for thought.
As I watched I realized how different my memories were from what apparently most people grew up with. Jokes only work if there is an element of truth in them. I know I was blessed to grow up in the family I grew up in. Everyone has issues and my parents weren't perfect but I don't have those memories of my Dad treating me or my Mom bad. Even when we were in trouble my parents would let anger pass and they would punish us because of our actions and not because they were "angry".
I wonder if this model of a father figure has anything to do with the way that the three Johnson boys grew up as opposed to a lot of people we were around? It just makes me wonder how people's view of their own father affects their view of God as their Father? When I hear father I think of love. My parents put aside their own desires and their time to pour into our lives every day. If you don't trust your father or you didn't have a lot of love passed on to you from your father then you may not always have a great concept of God as your Father. I know God loves me more than my parents do and that is not an easy thing for me to grasp.
So if families are falling apart at a record pace then do you think that is at least a portion of the reason that the percentage of people who claim to be Christians is dropping in the United States every year?
Just wondering...I have no proof. I am just laying in bed thinking when I should be sleeping. I know that not everyone who reads this is a Christian but I do believe you all know I am. This is simply food for thought.
Monday, April 6, 2009
It's starting to get close to that time...
Up until this morning I had been plan out a strategy for packing my stuff up before my move. I decided that today is the day I start packing. I am going to try to set aside some time to pack every day. I am buying plastic tubs to put my clothes in and at this point that is really all I am taking with me. It is all starting to hit me at once...I really am moving to Arkansas very soon.
The reality of my move is finally starting to sink in. I am leaving a lot of things here in Tulsa. I have lived here for 6 of the last 7 years. I have made some good friends and my Dad lives here as well. I am really excited about the opportunities that are waiting for me in Bryant and I believe that it is the next step on the road of life for me. It just isn't always easy to let go of where you are when you don't really know exactly what the future holds.
In February of 2002 I made the move to Tulsa to stay with my brother while he finished up his 3rd year at Rhema. We were going to move back to WA in June and continue on with our lives. Clearly I was not the one running the show, even though I thought at that time that I was. My friend Rachel told me that I was never coming back to WA. I told her I would be back in June and she laughed and said I wouldn't be coming back. I didn't understand and I told her she was crazy, that was 7 years ago. I still haven't moved back and with this move it is looking more like she was right every day. I can't say I will be in Arkansas forever but I know I will be there for a decent amount of time and if it is where I stay then that is fine with me. I am through trying to get God to line up with my plans. :) This job is something that I know I will enjoy and I have a good friend already working there. He has been there for 3 years and we work well together.
All of that being said, it is not the job that I am uneasy about at all. I just am feeling the finality of this move. I am leaving people here who I will only talk to on facebook from this point forward. People and relationships are very important. How we affect the people around us is the way we leave our mark when we are gone. I may be a lot of things but sentimental is not one of them. The house I am living in, my office, this big desk in my small office...none of that stuff is going to matter to me. I will miss the people that are still here.
When I am gone I want people to look back on their time with me or there time when I was around and see God's love in action. That is my goal and that is what I try to do every day. We don't know what a kind word or one simple act can do for someone else. You don't know what the world is throwing at those around you. Even when people don't look like they need help it never hurts to do something above and beyond the "norm". It takes very little effort to rise above average when it comes to kindness. Try and rise to the level that you would like to see people rise to in your life.
The reality of my move is finally starting to sink in. I am leaving a lot of things here in Tulsa. I have lived here for 6 of the last 7 years. I have made some good friends and my Dad lives here as well. I am really excited about the opportunities that are waiting for me in Bryant and I believe that it is the next step on the road of life for me. It just isn't always easy to let go of where you are when you don't really know exactly what the future holds.
In February of 2002 I made the move to Tulsa to stay with my brother while he finished up his 3rd year at Rhema. We were going to move back to WA in June and continue on with our lives. Clearly I was not the one running the show, even though I thought at that time that I was. My friend Rachel told me that I was never coming back to WA. I told her I would be back in June and she laughed and said I wouldn't be coming back. I didn't understand and I told her she was crazy, that was 7 years ago. I still haven't moved back and with this move it is looking more like she was right every day. I can't say I will be in Arkansas forever but I know I will be there for a decent amount of time and if it is where I stay then that is fine with me. I am through trying to get God to line up with my plans. :) This job is something that I know I will enjoy and I have a good friend already working there. He has been there for 3 years and we work well together.
All of that being said, it is not the job that I am uneasy about at all. I just am feeling the finality of this move. I am leaving people here who I will only talk to on facebook from this point forward. People and relationships are very important. How we affect the people around us is the way we leave our mark when we are gone. I may be a lot of things but sentimental is not one of them. The house I am living in, my office, this big desk in my small office...none of that stuff is going to matter to me. I will miss the people that are still here.
When I am gone I want people to look back on their time with me or there time when I was around and see God's love in action. That is my goal and that is what I try to do every day. We don't know what a kind word or one simple act can do for someone else. You don't know what the world is throwing at those around you. Even when people don't look like they need help it never hurts to do something above and beyond the "norm". It takes very little effort to rise above average when it comes to kindness. Try and rise to the level that you would like to see people rise to in your life.
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