In case anyone still checks this blog regularly – you can head over to www.josephgilman.blogspot.com where I’ll be posting again from now on.
CRAZY PLUTO
Say you spend 6-8 hrs. a day in the Florida heat wearing a 20lb. costume made mostly out of polyster with little to no ventilation while children (and adults) of all ages push, pull, prod, squeeze, and kick you. How would you react?
Check out this guy.
BLOGGING RESTRICITIONS IMPOSED
Due to the massive amount of proprietary information I have been releasing through this blog concerning my employer, Sprint, they have decided to pass down a new rule of ‘no blogging from company property or on company time’.
This is a problem – most of the ideas I get for blogging come during the 40+ hrs. a week I spend sitting at my desk where I can just hammer them out right away on my computer. Now, I have to jot down the idea and then find time later to actually type the post. Again a problem – typically wife, baby, friends, sleep , etc. come before writing something that noboby reads.
I understand the reasoning behind it. There is a lot of personal gain to be had from people putting that type of information on their blog, but obviously a lot to be lost by Sprint as well.
With that said, I will completely ignore the fact that no one from Sprint has ever read my blog and that this blog has nothing to do with any of the lame emails I get every day and follow the rules…Will I continue to blog?? Who knows, I really like to write so I’ll probably find the time. Hopefully when I have the time I can write 3-4 good posts and put them up periodically throughout the week.
HOW TO START A MARKETPLACE PRAYER MEETING
Bold title, huh?
About 2-3 months ago I was feeling confident and encouraged and capable of starting up some sort of prayer meeting/Bible study at the office. I started throwing out the idea to co-workers I knew were Christians and all really jumped at the idea. It was at that point that I started to feel like ‘what am I doing, I can’t do this, I have no idea what I’m doing, I’m too inadequate, dah, dah, dah…’ and basically passed the idea off.
Throughout the course of the past 2 months people had been coming up to me saying, ‘when are we going to start that bible study?’ etc. to which I would reply with something like, ’soon’ or ‘after vacation’ but then never do it. Finally last week the ol’ meeting maker went out and we started Tuesday morning.
Couldn’t have imagined it to go any better. Myself and three other guys showed up and ended up talking about God, the marketplace, our families, etc. for probably 45 minutes beginning and ending in prayer. We agreed to a Bible study plan and will be meeting every Tuesday AM before work to share our hearts, expound the scriptures, and pray.
The thing I’m learning about this whole “marketplace Chrisitianity” thing is that it’s not as intimidating as it sounds.
Stories about revival in the marketplace and prayer meetings in the office can sound so far-off and spiritual, but in reality it begins with friendship among the people you work with day in and day out - eventually leading to something a little more REAL than ‘good morning’ or ‘good job on that sale’ to ‘how’s that situation with your wife and family?’ and ‘I’ll pray for that situation’ and ‘let’s meet regularly to keep accountable for that’.
All this in the context of the marketplace!
As Christians, isn’t that what we hope and strive for in our daily walk – real & intimate fellowship–
Why not have it in the marketplace – the place we spend the majority of our week anyways?
DISTURBER OF THE PEACE
I started watching The Lord of the Rings again – it has probably been over 2yrs since I’ve seen any of them and a sequence early in the movie has stuck with me throughout the day–
Frodo: “…Before you came along we Bagginses were very well thought of. Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected.”
Gandalf: “If you’re referring to that incident with the dragon, I was barely involved. I only gave your uncle a little nudge out the door.”
Frodo: “Whatever you did, you have been officially labeled a disturber of the peace.”
(A group of hobbit children see Gandalf and come running. “Gandalf, Gandalf! Fireworks, Gandalf!” Gandalf pretends he won’t but he sets off a firework for them. An old grandmother smiles at the children’s excitement and then turns to a more socially acceptable frown when an annoyed mother comes out.)
Something in my heart longs to be one who pushes myself and others out the door. I want possess an adventurous spirit and do the unexpected. I want to push the status quo of complacency in this world. I want to face the proverbial dragons in my life head on and spur others to do the same, even if it is to the disdain of those who would prefer the more socially acceptable. To be called a ‘disturber of the peace’ does not sound like such a bad thing.
D. JAMES KENNEDY DIES AT 76
This caught my attention because I remember seeing Rev. Kennedy on TV quite often on Sunday mornings growing up. We had about 3-4 channels to choose from and he always seemed to be on one of them.
Although, I never really ‘listened’ to those messages or studied them per se, and haven’t since then, there was always something about him that I liked & respected just in the way he looked and carried himself.
In reading more about him today, after his death, I realize this guy was hardcore; especially on the issues of abortion, homosexuality, and reclaiming America as a Godly natioin. He appeared to make a firm stand for righteousness which meant he was literally hated by many liberal Christian and non-Christian groups. (note: this is usually a good sign)
He was also a tango instructor prior to his salvation. Don’t know what, if any, implication that has on who he was…but it’s an interesting fun fact.
THE DISCIPLINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Watchman Nee, The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit;
“The greatest means of receiving grace, one which we should never neglect, is the discipline of the Holy Spirit. The chief means of receiving grace in the Christian life is the discipline of the Holy Spirit. No other means of grace, such as prayer, Bible study, meeting together, listening to messages, waiting, meditaition, or praise, can match this means of grace –the discipline of the Holy Spirit.”
“All the things that come upon us every day in the family, in our school, in our work, or even on the street are arranged by the Holy Spirit for our highest good and profit. If we have not received profit from them and if we remain ignorant and closed to this greatest means of grace, we will suffer the greatest loss.”
The greatest disciplining by far that I’ve received in my walk with God was not when I was single and I would spend many hours a day listening to teachings, reading books and the Bible, praying, etc. It was not until I got married, entered the marketplace, and had a baby that I could honestly say that I fully agree with the above comments.
In terms of being refined by the Holy Spirit there really is no substitute for simply walking with Him in daily life and trying to keep the eyes and ears of my heart in tune to what he is saying/teaching me about myself and Abba.
YUCK!
Baby is sick, wife is sick, and I can’t say that I’m 100% either. Just chillin’ here on the couch on Saturday morning as our boy has been introduced to ‘Baby Einstein’ which he seems to love (and I must say this one with all the jungle animals is pretty fascinating to me as well.) Mommy is trying to rest and recoup from a week of watching 1-2 babies at a time while battling a sore throat, fever, and cold.
Thank God for the long 3-day weekend.
VIDEO GAMES
I haven’t really played video games since college. A collosal waste of time…or a healthy hobby?? What’s your opinion?
