Hacky Sack on Timon's Birthday

The Last Psalm (150)

Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.

Throwing Muffins Against the Wall

A story from my Mom

Our topic in Preschool Worship that day was praying.

I had an old rotary phone in the room

and told them that talking to God was just like talking to someone on the phone...

except His line is never busy, He's always there, and He can hear us...even if everyone else is talking..

which I could not.

I passed out cell phones

(actually small, thin blocks the size of a cell phone/I had put numbers on them like a phone).

I had given them God's phone number....G (4) 0 (6) D (3).

They are dialing.

I took the Lord's prayer and made statements in childlike terms telling them to tell God something related to that part like.

Now remember I have told them that everyone can talk to God at the same time.

Tell God how much you love Him and how special He is. (Talk, talk, talk, talk)

Think of something that you ate this week that was really good. Tell God what it was and how much you liked it and thank Him for it. (Talk, talk, talk, talk)

Think of something that you did this week that you shouldn't have done. Tell God what it was and ask Him to forgive you and help you not to do it again. (DEAD SILENCE)

Think of something that someone did to you this week that wasn't very nice. Tell God what it was and who did it and ask God to help you to forgive them and to love them anyway. (D said in a loud voice ...Bro. B - that's what he calls his brother for real.)

I tried doing the same thing the following week.....some of the kids were different, but we were still talking about prayer.

Same thing happened.

Luke 12:11-12

When you are brought before synagogues,
rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how
you will defend yourselves
or what you will say,
for the Holy Spirit
will teach you at that time
what you should say.

Luke 9:26

[Jesus said]
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of him
when he comes in his glory
and in the glory of the Father
and of the holy angels.

Ratcheting Up Some Ultimate

The Sower

A farmer went out to sow his seed.
As he was scattering the seed,
some fell along the path;
it was trampled on,
and the birds of the air ate it up.

Some fell on the rock,
and when it came up,
the plants withered
because they had no moisture.

Other seed fell among the thorns,
which grew up with it and chocked the plants.

Still other seed fell on good soil.
It came up and yielded a crop,
a hundred times more than was sown.

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said,

The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables...This is the meaning of the parable.

The seed is the word of God.
Those along the path are the ones who hear,
and then the devil comes
and takes away the word from their hearts,
so that they may not believe and be saved.

Those on the rock are the ones
who received the word with joy when they hear it,
but they have no root.
They believe for a while,
but in the time of testing they fall away.

The seed that fell among thorns
stands for those who hear,
but as they go on their way
they are choked by life's worries,
riches, and pleasures,
and they do not mature.

But the seed on good soil
stands for those with a noble and good heart,
who hear the word,
retain it, and by persevering
produce a crop.

Luke 8

How is the Lord?

The LORD is gracious and compassionate
slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.

All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.
They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom...

The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

Psalm 145

Psalm 143

Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word
of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

Psalm 142

I cry aloud to the LORD;
I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.
I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.
When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk
men have hidden a snare for me.
Look to my right and see;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living."
Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
Set m free from my prison,
that I may praise you name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.

A little bit of La Liga

(Top Spanish League Soccer or Futbol)
My favorite team, Sevilla, won this one!

The End of the Book

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life...He who testifies to these things says, "Yes I am coming soon."

Psalm 139 (My personal favorite)

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD...

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast...

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together
in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be...

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 138

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
before the "gods" I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
When I called, you answered me;
you made me bold and stouthearted...

Though the LORD is on high,
he looks upon the lowly,
but the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand
against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me.
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever -
do not abandon the works of your hands.

Womad Music Festival

Womad is a big music festival that tours around the world and surprisingly comes to Caceres. You can probably blame Peter Gabriel for that. There were groups from all over here for it. Here are some snapshots.

My favorite group I heard, and the only one that really kept my attention.
Speed Caravan.

The Plaza of San Jorge packed out.

I saw this guy in Sevilla 3 weeks before. He apparently makes the rounds.

The main stage in Plaza Mayor

Some English students from the University I went with to the first day of the festival

Chico, who I play basketball with, and 2 of his friends.

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sings, O LORD, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen wait for the
morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing
love and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

Song of Moses

Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.

Revelation 15

This brought a couple of tears to my eyes...tears of happiness

How many is a few?

"A couple is two (possibly 2 and a half, if we're talking about cookies.) A few is three, unless you're talking about people, in which case, it could be as many as six. Once you invite seven or more people over, it's a bunch. 11 is the outer limit of few for items (especially cookies.)

These are highly scientific measurements. Please don't ask for cite. I have to go get a handful of cookies (approximately 47) now, I'm famished. Seriously, though- I essentially agree with you. Few is relative. A few cookies is way more than a few people."

A nice 20 minutes of music

To continue with links to other people's good stuff.

Moby with Kelli Scarr on NPR

I have a personal soft spot for Moby. And I had no idea he could cover songs on guitar like this. Just good music.

And an excellent Bo Jackson piece

Bo - The Director's Cut

An excellent baseball post

A little something about Robin Roberts, a hall of fame baseball player....

http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2010/05/06/robin-roberts-1926-2010/

Last Day of Class

Today was our last day of Spanish class for the semester. We got our diplomas and then went and had breakfast out an outdoor bar/restaurant. These are our professors. Estela with the green nose and Anchi (short for Esperanza, which means hope) is in the red. Anchi had the noses in her bag for some reason...

God's Word

My soul faints with longing for your salvation,
but I have put my hope in your word...
Your word, O LORD, is eternal,
it stands firm in the heavens.
Your faithfulness continues though
all generations;
you established the earth, and it endures...
Your word is a lamb unto my feet
and a light for my path.

(from Psalm 119)

A youth group doing a dance

Teach Me

Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding,
and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statures
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
How I long for your precepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.