Apomo

My kid didn’t watch much of the game, he was too busy rolling down the hill beside the bleachers with all the other kids. Filthy dirty. But he had fun. He liked the marching band though, he sat up on the rail and watched their whole performace. Once the game started he was back to rolling down the hill.

Best part? A streaker! Yup, a real, live streaker. He took off his clothes down by the 40 yard line and ran bareass nekked across the field, through the endzone, cleared the fence w/out hooking his cajones (whew!) and up the hill. Everybody was cheering him on. It was hilarious! He almost got away but the cops caught him.

It must have done some good for the team because they’d been stuck in their own 10 with 3 and out’s for the last couple series and suddenly they drove almost 90 yards to almost win the game right after the streaker.]]>

Was thinking today. Had a good time at the Men’s Retreat and got some good stuff from the speakers. But, I still shake my head a little at how close to relevance they can be yet so far away from it at the same time. It’s like they dance around the point but get distracted by their Pentecostalness and miss the point completely.

One guy kept saying that the purpose of Christianity is that we are to be like Christ. I agree. Then instead of talking about living a life of love he starts talking about miracles, signs, and wonders. Arrgghhh!

For me listening to these guys is like playing that game “Hot, Warm, Cold.” Warm, warm, WARM, WARM!, VERY WARM!!, ALMOST HOT!, Yes!….Oh, cold, cold, cold.“

I’m not pointing fingers and being judgemental about this. I understand the thought process here. But it’s frustrating nonetheless. I can understand Jesus’ frustration at times with the disciples. How many times did their questions reveal the ignorance of their understanding of what he was really trying to say? And he’d respond ”What? Are you kidding me? You STILL don’t get it? Come on, man! Give me a break. Jeez!”.]]>

Two thing God spoke to me about. Firstly, he took me back to something he had been talking to me about 5 years ago and that’s the significance and power of dreams and how God speaks to us through dreams. I know it sounds very spooky and Pentecostal but there’s no escaping the fact that God has used dreams to talk to believers and unbelievers alike all through the Bible. I was getting into this a little a few years ago right before I discovered the whole topic of spiritual abuse and then the false prophet came to town and my life got ruined for awhile. Due to all that I just kind of forgot about the dreams thing until this weekend when one of the speakers talked about it.

After re-discovering this little nugget I remembered my son has always been one to remember his dreams and can tell them to me in incredible detail. In fact he has felt compelled to tell them to me but I was so spiritually insensitive I didn’t understand what was happening just gave him the ol’ “That’s interesting. Now go brush your teeth.” thing. Through the mouth of babes. I’m such an idiot sometimes.

Anyway, I called him from the retreat and asked him if he’d had a dream recently. He said yes. Go to www.dreamsinabottle.blogspot.com to check it out. It’s the “Blue Paisely Shirt” post. I’m going to start journaling my dreams there. His too when he tells me about them.

The second thing was that I got confirmation, partly thru the dream, that I need to pursue the alternative thing now rather than later. I met some artists there who were open to possibly participating in the venture.

Another kind of weird thing happened Sunday. About four years or so ago I realized, to my chagrin and displeasure, that I operate in the gift of prophecy from time to time. In service on Sunday the Lord prompted me to go public with this gift and I gave a prophecy to the church. I later expanded on this prophecy in an email to the pastor. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but it is what it is.

Crazy huh? I’m this jaded, cynical, pessimist, depressed, moody, cussing guy who struggles with faith constantly yet I’m interpreting dreams and giving prophecys. Maybe I’ll be like some rock star and OD or something. Just call me Kurt Cobain. Well, maybe Rev. Kurt Cobain would be more appropriate. haha.]]>

Good news on the agency front. Got a lead on a prospective employee. I wanted somebody that knows Allstate, is licensed, and go getter. Doesn’t every agent want somebody like that? Anyway, got a lead on a lady who is a 15 yr Allstate vet, fully licensed, and after talking on the phone she sounds like a real hustler. Hustler in the sense that she wants to get things done, not hustler in the sense that she’s a crook. I’m meeting w/her next week. That’d be cool if she works out. She could help me alot. She speaks Spanish too! That’s huge in our town.

I’d like to have one more person that can help build the personal lines profit center and then add a commercial lines person later in the year. Then another Spanish speaker. After a year I’d like to be at the point that I don’t sell anymore. My strength is in management and leadership. I sound like a real capitalists don’t I? Maybe that’s why I need to go to Men’s Retreat and get the Holy Ghost again.

]]>

Wedding Dress

If you could love me as a wife
And for my wedding gift, your life
Should that be all I’ll ever need?
Or is there more I’m looking for
And should I read between the lines
And look for blessings in disguise
To make me handsome, rich, and wise
Is that what I really want?

Chorus
‘Cause I’m a whore I do confess
But I put you on just like a wedding dress
And I run down the aisle, I run down the aisle
I’m a prodigal with no way home
but I put you on like a ring of gold
And I run down the aisle
I run down the aisle to you

So could you love this bastard child?
Though I don’t trust you to provide
With one hand in a pot of gold
And with the other in your side
‘Cause I am no so easily satisfied
By the call of lovers so less wild
That I would take a little cash
Over your very flesh and blood

Chorus

Because money cannot buy
A husband’s jealous eye
When you knowingly deceived his wife
]]>

The parade was fun. Tons of kids and parents. The weather was perfect. They had cheerleaders and eagle mascots and all sorts of stuff. We went a couple couple blocks down the Main Street and stopped at the post office.  My Mom commented that my Dad would have cried had he been there because it was like stepping back in time to a smaller, slower world of his childhood in rural Illinois.

Then we went home and watched Forrest Gump and cried when he asked Jenny if his kid was smart or stupid. That’s an awesome movie.]]>

The pastor’s sermon was on the need for us to love one another. I thought that was pretty coincidental considering the fact that I’d created the new blog just the day before. I sent a note up to him about the blog during the altar call but he didn’t announce it or anything. ]]>

http://www.livingoutlove.blogspot.com/]]>

Got a new idea for a blog today. Well, new to me. Somebody else may already be doing it. How about a blog where everybody contributes by giving a scripture and/or an application on how to  live out the command to love other people? Kind of a focused devotional? 

I’m  exploring the Second Life thing. Haven’t had much time to look at it this week. Finally got my computer cleaned up enough to where it doesn’t freeze up all the time when I’m in there. Gotta learn how to navigate in there.

Off I go to the Grape Festival and the little gay lady bug.   ]]>

So, if a bunch of unchurched but sincere people go to a U2 concert and they sing all the songs about love, the higher law, and a “new song”, and Yahweh…and somehow in the experience of this they accept a new understanding of life and try to live that life of love in their lives have they accepted Christ? I kind of think they have.]]>