We have another entry into the Mike Lang adventure. I have to say it is a very good name, maybe one day I can use it in one of the stories that are stuck in my head.
Know that I am not Mike Lang
I chose an address on Gmail
Then Suddenly…
BANG!
“Hey Mike Lang, how doth it hang?”
I have been flooded with posts that used to amuse me,
But the more I peruse these
The more they confuse me…
Mike Lang my friend you lead an interesting life.
Your friends send pictures
That drive my wife
To question me.
How can this be? Who is she?
Why wont they let you be?
I have found the answer
And I hope you see.
Mike Lang is Jabberwolky,
Not JABBERWOKEY!
Please do me the honor of setting me free
And remove the address that belongs to me.
-- Well, his friend did respond this time and now that I'm having fun with this I'm afraid I might actually succeed in getting off the mailing lists. Maybe they can just keep me on but use my real name. Or (Not Mike) HA!
response: "Our profound apologies Mr. D. A finely worded and entertaining heads up. ;)" Dude, that's my best review EVER!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
...reflect.
For the last few years, my wife and I have been on an interesting journey of self discovery, family discovery and of spiritual discovery.
Now some of you may already be rolling your eyes, "Oh man, here it comes.....God talk." and that is fine, because you are right. Somewhere in this blog entry I will bring up God. But I assure you, if you keep reading it will not burn your eyes out, you will not begin foaming at the mouth and your head will not explode. Instead, you will read and then you will continue on with your life. Some of you will have something to think about and some of you will just continue on as you always have. Either way, you lose nothing but a little bit of time.
My wife and I have both had our fair share of ups and downs, both in our individual pasts and in our past together. People and experiences have molded us into the people we are today. On several occaisions we have hit rock bottom and climbed back up, usually stronger each time.
By the time that we were married, I would have to say that she remembered God better than I did. (I say "remembered" because I know we both knew who God was and believed, but neither really made God a priority in our lives) She would try to get me to go to church and I would always have some excuse for not going... I worked last night, I'm tired,.....It's too early.... The lawn needs mowing.....I'm Catholic! that church is too noisy!.... At that time in my life, God was just an aquaintance, not a friend, not a father.
It wasn't till thoughts of having a kid began to invade my thoughts that I actually started to think, "Hey, this church thing, can't be too bad." We had friends with kids, and they went to church as a family......pretty cool....not something my military brat life ever had......roots.
Our son was born and everything changed. I saw the potential in his life to actually be FROM somewhere, to be rooted in a place and to be a part of it's growth....a part of it's history. I have always been envious of people who could pass an area and say, "I remember when that was a......" I have never had that, at least not in my childhood. I have never known the stability of growing up in a good church, I have never known how it feels to help a community. To stand back with family and friends and say WE are a part of a community, and WE can really do some good in the world.
My church journey was an interesting one. I relate to Goldilocks in the bear's house....too cold...too hot.....too large....too small. Then a friend invited us to his church and it was the beginning of the "just right" path. We became involved, we began to help, we began to see a difference in our lives, in our family, and in our hearts. I look back fondly at that first church and smile, It got me to walk through the door of God's house again and I am thankful for the experience......but I still felt like something was tugging at us, I'm not sure why but it was like we found something good, something we wanted, but we had to put it down for something we needed. That is the best way I can explain it.
Where we landed was much larger than where we came from and even larger than I would have thought we would have needed. We could feel the energy when we walked in. We weren't there long before we felt like we should help, (something we said we would take our time with) I was pulled toward the High School Ministry and my wife went toward the College Ministry. Each was on a different night so it worked out well for our son's bed time. I am amazed at how our family is growing, becoming closer, to each other, to a community and to God. For the first time in my life I feel like I have roots and can say I belong somewhere.
Last year I saw a video about a mission trip that went to India, and at the same time some friends were on their way for another trip. Some were returning, and for some, this was their first time. I followed their trip while they were gone. Every blog entry, every Facebook post and every photo.....I couldn't get enough.....I soaked it all in. Every child had a smile that lifted your spirit and at the same time, their surroundings could bring tears to your eyes. Where I saw poverty, I also saw hope... and a wealth of spirit that made every person smile.... because where I saw poverty, they saw home, friends, and love for one another. I began to see the beauty of it all. Not of the situation, but of the fact that they are smiling now, just imagine how even the slightest bit of help that I could give would improve their lives.... I have no real talents in ministry, I stutter when I pray out loud, I haven't memorized any scripture, no medical background and I can't speak their language (working on that one) so why do I want to go? Because my heart screams for it, I have this overwhelming feeling that this is what I need to do.....community.....should not be restricted to your front, back and side yards. We are all part of a larger community.
I have had people ask me "Why India? Why can't you help here in the United States?" My answer is we help where we can, support goes out locally to assist those who are pulled to the front of ministry where they are needed. Each of us is drawn to help in different ways and in different places and honestly, I used to beat myself up when asked that question.... It took my Father-in-law to help answer that... I never understood it myself, he went to his bible and placed it in front of me. "John 15:16" he said. I opened to a highlighted section of the page,
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you."
I have read it before, several times, but it never had the level of clarity it had that day. We are all chosen for something, but to find out what it is, we have to choose to listen.
Thank you for reading,
God bless.
Now some of you may already be rolling your eyes, "Oh man, here it comes.....God talk." and that is fine, because you are right. Somewhere in this blog entry I will bring up God. But I assure you, if you keep reading it will not burn your eyes out, you will not begin foaming at the mouth and your head will not explode. Instead, you will read and then you will continue on with your life. Some of you will have something to think about and some of you will just continue on as you always have. Either way, you lose nothing but a little bit of time.
My wife and I have both had our fair share of ups and downs, both in our individual pasts and in our past together. People and experiences have molded us into the people we are today. On several occaisions we have hit rock bottom and climbed back up, usually stronger each time.
By the time that we were married, I would have to say that she remembered God better than I did. (I say "remembered" because I know we both knew who God was and believed, but neither really made God a priority in our lives) She would try to get me to go to church and I would always have some excuse for not going... I worked last night, I'm tired,.....It's too early.... The lawn needs mowing.....I'm Catholic! that church is too noisy!.... At that time in my life, God was just an aquaintance, not a friend, not a father.
It wasn't till thoughts of having a kid began to invade my thoughts that I actually started to think, "Hey, this church thing, can't be too bad." We had friends with kids, and they went to church as a family......pretty cool....not something my military brat life ever had......roots.
Our son was born and everything changed. I saw the potential in his life to actually be FROM somewhere, to be rooted in a place and to be a part of it's growth....a part of it's history. I have always been envious of people who could pass an area and say, "I remember when that was a......" I have never had that, at least not in my childhood. I have never known the stability of growing up in a good church, I have never known how it feels to help a community. To stand back with family and friends and say WE are a part of a community, and WE can really do some good in the world.
My church journey was an interesting one. I relate to Goldilocks in the bear's house....too cold...too hot.....too large....too small. Then a friend invited us to his church and it was the beginning of the "just right" path. We became involved, we began to help, we began to see a difference in our lives, in our family, and in our hearts. I look back fondly at that first church and smile, It got me to walk through the door of God's house again and I am thankful for the experience......but I still felt like something was tugging at us, I'm not sure why but it was like we found something good, something we wanted, but we had to put it down for something we needed. That is the best way I can explain it.
Where we landed was much larger than where we came from and even larger than I would have thought we would have needed. We could feel the energy when we walked in. We weren't there long before we felt like we should help, (something we said we would take our time with) I was pulled toward the High School Ministry and my wife went toward the College Ministry. Each was on a different night so it worked out well for our son's bed time. I am amazed at how our family is growing, becoming closer, to each other, to a community and to God. For the first time in my life I feel like I have roots and can say I belong somewhere.
Last year I saw a video about a mission trip that went to India, and at the same time some friends were on their way for another trip. Some were returning, and for some, this was their first time. I followed their trip while they were gone. Every blog entry, every Facebook post and every photo.....I couldn't get enough.....I soaked it all in. Every child had a smile that lifted your spirit and at the same time, their surroundings could bring tears to your eyes. Where I saw poverty, I also saw hope... and a wealth of spirit that made every person smile.... because where I saw poverty, they saw home, friends, and love for one another. I began to see the beauty of it all. Not of the situation, but of the fact that they are smiling now, just imagine how even the slightest bit of help that I could give would improve their lives.... I have no real talents in ministry, I stutter when I pray out loud, I haven't memorized any scripture, no medical background and I can't speak their language (working on that one) so why do I want to go? Because my heart screams for it, I have this overwhelming feeling that this is what I need to do.....community.....should not be restricted to your front, back and side yards. We are all part of a larger community.
I have had people ask me "Why India? Why can't you help here in the United States?" My answer is we help where we can, support goes out locally to assist those who are pulled to the front of ministry where they are needed. Each of us is drawn to help in different ways and in different places and honestly, I used to beat myself up when asked that question.... It took my Father-in-law to help answer that... I never understood it myself, he went to his bible and placed it in front of me. "John 15:16" he said. I opened to a highlighted section of the page,
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you."
I have read it before, several times, but it never had the level of clarity it had that day. We are all chosen for something, but to find out what it is, we have to choose to listen.
Thank you for reading,
God bless.
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