The Joy of Living Secretly

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:3-4 NLT

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
Dallas Willard, writing about the spiritual discipline of secrecy Jesus espouses in the Sermon on the Mount, says, “[O]ne of the greatest fallacies of our faith, and actually one of the greatest acts of unbelief, is the thought that our spiritual acts and virtues need to be advertised to be known... [S]ecrecy, rightly practiced enables us to place our public relations department entirely in the hands of God... [W]e allow him to decide when our deeds will be known and when our light will be noticed.” When we desire godly secrecy, Willard goes on to suggest that love and humility before God will develop to the point that we’ll not only see our friends, family, and associates in a better light, but we’ll also develop the very Christian virtue of desiring their good above our own.

Comments:
Yesterday, I heard R.C. Sproul say something that I had not thought of before. Voting a tax increase on someone other than yourself is stealing. Hard words, but thought provoking.

May I encourage you to think about putting others as more important than yourself when you go to the polls too. Put away class envy and put others above ourselves. Today we elect a leader. We do not elect a savior; We already have one. God's will cannot be thwarted. Rally behind the one whom God chooses by loving and encouraging them.


Principles for voting by R.C. Sproul

Pictures of Me by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
While in prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer struggled with the many reflections of his life. As a seminary instructor he was considered a saint and a giant. In America they made him feel like an escapist. In prison they made him feel like a criminal. There were days when he saw himself as all three and all the stages in between. It was in such a convolution of images that he asked:

"Who am I?
This or the other?
Am I one person today, and tomorrow another?
Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,
And before myself a contemptible woebegone weakling?
Or is something within me still like a beaten army,
Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?
Who am I? They mock me,
these lonely questions of mine.
Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am Thine."

Our adoption by God is our identity, the picture we hold as children until the day when there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, and God will wipe every tear from our eyes. Neither death nor life, nor anything else in all creation, can separate us from this love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Comments: The main thrust of this article (click here to read today's slice of infinity in full) was adoption. Galleries containing photographs of foster children at play spur people towards adoption. Recently, I have been keenly aware of God's command to love your neighbor as yourself. If you recall in the recent letter I shared with you, one comment, which was first made by a friend of mine, went like this,“My prayer and heartbeat is that we in America will stand up and focus on what is eternal and begin to love people in such a way so that next time a girl gets pregnant before she goes to the abortion clinic, she will first think to go to a Christian family who will love and accept her and will either help her raise her child or will adopt her baby. When this becomes our reputation, then I'm convinced that the abortion rates will dramatically be will be lowered in our land.

It is no coincidence that another friend replied with some wonderful ideas of how we can truely love our neighbor as ourself:

I also think a huge investment in the opposite side of the equation would make so much sense. What if we lived in a culture that praised a young girl for delivering a baby for a sterile married couple instead of mocking her for "being a careless tramp" (or whatever other vulgar things are said)? What if young fathers were comfortable with supporting the mother in all ways instead of denying "participation" and running from the result? What if adopted kids were so routine in families that nobody ever did a double-take? How about government funding for organizations that educate young couples, help them through the pregnancy, and facilitate adoption instead of funding the murder? This seems so simple.

I really like this. Here are some concrete examples that buck perception of Christians because we don't condemn the girl for being a 'tramp'. And we disciple others in Love. Let us strive to make this the new reputation.

May you today be known by how you love your fellow Christian.
-Chad

Memorials of Faith or Fear? by Margaret Manning

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:18

...In some ways, a culture of fear invaded our nation on 9/11, just as it often invades my heart. Even as I write this, fears over our economy loom large as investment banks fold and the stock market declines. There are always fears, but as people of Christian faith, what do our fears say of our witness in this world? What do they say about what we love and value? Do our lives memorialize what we are afraid of, rather than giving witness to the God who tells us “fear not”? Oh, fear is real--there are always situations, issues, and trends that keep us awake at night. The issue is not the absence of fear, but whether or not our posture toward our world is one that memorializes fear or faith. Memorials are not built to help us hang on to fear. Rather, they remind us of what or who we love. The epistle of John encourages us to build a memorial of faith: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18). As we think about this kind of love, may our own hearts be filled to overflowing with faith that conquers our fears.

Comments: Last week our fellow COUGAR, Pat Castle, heard the news that his family had been in a car accident. Brian Curtis, a fellow Cougar, has a mom with cancer. Across our world, child trafficking is an epidemic. I cannot think of three things that would cause more fear in my life than those listed above.

I used to think that the opposite of love was hate. Nonetheless, today's verse speaks to the idea that the opposite of love is fear.

How can I develop such a perfect love for God and for my brothers and sisters that I do not fear, cancer, abduction and pain? I think the answer lies in our closeness to God Himself. If we can hear God speak to us, and if we love and trust His decisions, how could we fear?

For why fear man who can only kill the body? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

I am almost finished with William P. Young's book, 'The Shack'. It is a compelling read and a roller coaster of fear/anger/trust. It is a novel, not a theological text, but I do highly recommend reading it. I think it is something that would be worthwhile purchasing several copies and giving them out.

Love you in Christ,
Chad

When God Was Hungry by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

(Matthew 25:41-43)

"There are no ordinary people," said Lewis. "You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit." - C.S. Lewis memorial oration given at Oxford University Church in 1941

Scripture is replete with reasons to live in perpetual awareness of the image of God around us. Our neighbors--known and unknown--are of the same birthright as we. As the New Testament puts it, we are all God's offspring..
Few of us have had someone physically knock on our door asking for food and water. But all of us have had someone knock on our door...

What would the world be like if we took Jesus at his word? "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited me in." What would happen if Christians everywhere treated everyone they came in contact with as if they were treating Christ himself? Lewis gives us an idea: "This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously--no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.... Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses."

The great metaphor of a world of souls confronts us daily in literal flesh. And the King is still replying: I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these siblings of mine, you did for me.

Comments: May we endeavor to give dignity to those we come in contact with. May your light shine.

Scandalous Windows by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down,
That the mountains might quake at Your presence--
As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil--
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
When You did awesome things which we did not expect,
You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.
For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear,
Nor has the eye seen a God besides You,
Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.
You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways
Behold, You were angry, for we sinned,
We continued in them a long time;
And shall we be saved?
For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on Your name,
Who arouses himself to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us
And have delivered us into the power of our iniquities.
But now, O LORD, You are our Father,
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand. (Isaiah 64:1-8)

It is reminiscent of Bonhoeffer’s description of a mining accident and the hope of the Incarnation as the distinct sound of knocking to those trapped beneath the weight of the earth. There is someone coming, and he is calling your name.

The great window of a torn-open heavens and the massive ladder of a God who descends are the expectant images that remind us God is scandalously near. Picturing this hope, our imaginations can run wild at the thought of quaking mountains, awesome deeds, and great reversals we did not expect. But so these windows and ladders are the stirring and expectant vessels of smaller and seemingly insignificant glimpses of a God among us. Even in the soul who can admit that he is a wandering child is something of the radical reach of a Father’s love. In the company of a friend through cancer is the image of the one who is nearer than a friend.

In Isaiah’s particular cry is an invitation to pay attention to the unlikely and the unexpected in the great things of history and the small things of our daily lives. Isaiah’s particular cry is an invitation to hear the cries of those before us as well as the cries of our hearts, which may just be answered by the cry of God Himself. Indeed, how scandalous is the image of the infant Christ looking up at his young mother, his cries joining humanity’s own. There was a particular moment in history when humanity heard God weep. And there will be a day in history when this same Christ will dry every tear from our eyes.

As Is by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. (Psalm 51:16-17)

Brokenness is usually not something we are comfortable admitting, let alone presenting it as something that is pleasing to anyone. Whether in ourselves or in others, we are at times almost averse to fragility. Even as Christians who hold knowingly to the cruciform image of Christ, we seem distinctly uncomfortable with broken and grieving people, defeated and weakened lives. Yet it is by the Cross we live

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Such words run counter to cultures anywhere and everywhere Isn't it strange that we who are saved by one who was broken should struggle in the presence of brokenness at all?

Like the psalmist, the apostle points to the great potential within fragility. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body (2 Corinthians 4:7-10).

Whether we come to God shattered by our own sin, like David, or broken from living in an imperfect world, we are never so near Him as when we come with nothing in our hands to offer. God's desire is that we would come as we are--weary or heavy laden, defeated or broken by life. Before the Cross, there is no lost cause or irreparable flaw. For in life, as in an antique shop, there would be no recognition of brokenness if there were not such a thing as wholeness.

Beauty in Brokenness by Margaret Manning

Take about 5 minutes to read this snippets version of The previous day's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Follow up by reading TODAY'S SLICE and forward any comments on your faith journey.

Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? (Psalm 88:11-12)

(Psalm 139)


(Isaiah 61:3, 45:3)

A Slice of Infinity Snippets:
Tony Snow, former White House Press Secretary, considered his cancer a "calling" and in a recent article written in Christianity Today said, "We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out. But despite this--because of it-–God offers the possibility of salvation and grace."(1) That possibility of salvation and grace is beauty in brokenness.

Somehow, uniquely, God desires to use those difficult moments of our lives to bring forth something extraordinarily beautiful. Even the natural creation attests to this truth. In fall, we marvel at the gorgeous, lush colors of burnt amber, burnished orange, brilliant red, and bright yellow leaves, even as that beauty belies the slow and gradual death of those leaves. Winter buries those leaves under the cold, dark blanket of snow and frost. And yet, death brings forth life. Spring bursts forth year after year with jonquils, iris, lilies, and all the beautiful pastels of new life.

... so often, that face of Christ is demonstrated with beautiful radiance through the broken and dark places in our lives.

Today, if you are experiencing hardship, difficulty or personal darkness, seek the light and beauty of Christ, for he longs to be present to you, to give you a garland of beauty instead of ashes, to call you by name, and to bring forth treasures of darkness. He is there in the brokenness with you.

Comments:
Often the subject of pain and suffering is brought up when discussing God's existence. Let us not forget that God suffered the ultimate in the death of a child. May we understand that our God is not one who is 'above' suffering, but is the suffering servant we cling to.

Please remember my mom's sister, Barbara today. She has gotten out of a 5 day rehab and gone deeper into her alcohol abuse. Please pray for her to receive light in her darkness and for her husband and sisters (4) to have strength, courage, wisdom and peace.

*The Street Church is in need of donations for the homeless - summer clothing like shorts and t-shirts as well as back packs are greatly appreciated.
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Knowldedge as Love by Margaret Manning

-Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Hebrews 1:1-2)

- Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)

A Slice of Infinity snippets:
... My husband no longer has long hair, and he rarely dons his Yankees cap. These two “facts” that identified him to me long ago, no longer reflect the knowledge I now have of him. I’ve learned a great deal about him in the fifteen years of our life together. Granted, my knowledge of my husband encompasses certain “facts” I know about him, but truly knowing him comes from loving him. In the same way, truly knowing God comes in loving God--indeed, as we love God “we are known by God” in return. In this sense, we have a new understanding, and are on our way to a new definition of knowledge as love. As N.T. Wright has written about the search for knowledge, “We might perhaps expect that in studying Jesus himself we would find the clue to understanding not only the object we can see through the telescope, the voice we can hear on the telephone, but the nature of sight and hearing themselves. Studying Jesus, in other words, might lead to a reappraisal of the theory of knowledge itself.”

Indeed, knowing Jesus means loving Jesus, and loving Jesus alters the nature of knowledge from simply being the pursuit of an object to the transformation of the subject itself. With knowledge as love, we stop looking at Jesus, and start looking through him.


Chad's Comments:
In today's culture, it seems fashionable to pursue facts and knowledge as the ultimate goal of all truth and life. May I challenge you to not 'label' your neighbors or co-workers by what they wear or what their philosophical outlook is? Realize the falseness of mankind. Realize the cost of following Christ. Embrace HIS commands and start loving them.

Yesterday, I was very frustrated with a client who seemed to not offer me any grace. Although in the situation, I was selfish and wanted to control them, I realize that they too are fallen and in need of grace.

Today, seek justice for someone else - not yourself.

May the Love of Christ shine in your lives today oh blessed friends.

Prayer requests: (Please email us and share yours)
Please continue to lift up Elaine's family, My neighbor Gerry and his wife Terri and my aunt Barbara who struggles with depression and alcoholism.

* The Street Church still needs volunteers and donations. (there are very few washers and dryers available for the homeless. So, even though they may not need coats, they will wear a shirt until it is really ragged and smelly, then simply throw it away. Clothing donations in the summer are strongly encouraged.

*To comment on this thread, visit the blog.
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our next posting.
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Jesus: Then and Now, Above and Below by Jill Carattini

- And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. (1Corinthians 15:14)
- For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. (1 Thessalonians 4:14)
- And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)

A Slice of Infinity snippets:
I believe a Christology that starts with a historical examination of the resurrection offers us much reason to hope in the person and reality of Christ as the Son of God. “If Christ has not been raised,” writes Paul, “our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Similarly, I wonder if starting “from below,” with an investigation of the historical Jesus, does not offer us a certain hope (and starting point) for the current intellectual climate. Though there are no doubt those like David Hume among us who would not believe on any amount of evidence that something so unusual as the resurrection could happen, there are countless others who are asking good questions from below. Among others: What happened on that first Easter morning? Why would the disciples go to their deaths making such an outrageous claim? And why does the rise of Christianity remain a challenge unanswered?

Such questions are a good starting point for anyone, and often--like the resurrection for those who first beheld it--the questioner is moved quickly from historical matters below to matters far above. As N.T. Wright notes:
“[T]he challenge [of the resurrection] comes down to a much narrower point, not simply to do with worldviews in general, or with ‘the supernatural’ in particular, but with the direct question of death and life, of the world of space, time and matter and its relation to whatever being there may be for whom the word ‘god,’ or even ‘God,’ might be appropriate. Here there is, of course, no neutrality.”...

In the eyes of Jesus’s beholders, the resurrection had clear implications for our own bodies, lives, and deaths. Paul is similarly bold in his application: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). “He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy” (Colossians 1:18). As the fulfillment of apocalyptic hope, the risen Jesus is understood as the one who ushers in the future resurrection promised to all of God’s people.

The resurrection is so much more than an event in history, but that it is an event in history is what allows us--indeed, requires us--to answer the very question Jesus first asked his disciples: Who do you say that I am? However we answer this question, there is, of course, no prospect of neutrality.

Chad's Comments:
Friday evening, after a short run, my running partner, Ben, and I were stretching on the front porch. A neighbor came by to tell us that he would likely not be able to make it to dinner tonight (we have several neighbors coming over tonight for a get-to-know-you party) because his wife's dad was dying and they would need to work through all of those details. Jerry (my neighbor) was obviously hurting and in anguish for his wife and his relationship with her dad. Ben and I were able to simply love him.

The question of death was on his mind heavy. He was saying things like, I'm not a religious man, etc. Other than my saying, "but you know Jesus", Ben and I pretty much just listened to him talk. We stood there for perhaps 10 minutes while Jerry re-told some stories of the hospital and times he had spent with his wife's dad, growing up on a farm. Then, Ben and I witnessed an awesome thing. Something we didn't really realize till after the conversation with Jerry. Jerry continued to wrestle with and attempt to defend his position of being a 'good' man. He was saying how his wife's dad knew 'right from wrong'. Ben and I watched his mind try to justify 'good works' to us. Even though we were not challenging his position. We were only there, listening and loving.

Looking back on the event, Ben and I have both said how we were able to actually watch the spirit of God convict a man's heart right in front of our eyes. I reiterate, that Ben and I were only listening and loving. We were not arguing or even speaking of such matters - mostly just listening and nodding in understanding and support. Yet, Jerry continued to wrestle with, defend and attempt to justify a works righteousness.

At one point Jerry said, "well, I'm a Christian". Which was an encouragement.

In the current intellectual climate, referred to in today's 'slice', I want you to be sure of your faith. Continue to love and let God do the convicting.

I am also excited to know that the next time someone tells me that they can't 'see' God, I'll have another excellent example of a time I did.

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* The Street Church still needs volunteers and donations.

As One Having Authority by Margaret Manning

Read 'A Slice of Infinity' each day and email Chad with your comments/experience/prayers etc. This ~5 minute recap, called 'COUGARS Daily' contains snippets from the previous day's A Slice of Infinity as well as comments from you.

- And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:28-29)

- And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" (Matthew 8:27)


A Slice of Infinity snippets:
Indeed, the miracles that Jesus performed demonstrated the rule of God itself, and further, that the rule of God was going out to all who relied on Jesus. Jesus was not simply acting for God, but acting with God in such a way as to demonstrate that the Kingdom had come and had come with power and authority. Jesus’s words and his deeds bore out this kingdom reality--“and the multitudes were amazed.”

And we, too, are amazed. As we place our trust in God by following Jesus, we experience the rule of God in our lives and we experience something of that authority. The original language indicates that this authority gives us the capability or liberty to enter into God’s rule more fully and more deeply than we ever thought possible. Entering into God’s rule is about entering into Kingdom living, as first demonstrated by Jesus. As we enter through those doors, we are free to live out our lives in the mode or authority of the Kingdom. Accordingly, we too can bring healing, call powers and principalities to justice, bring order to chaos, and new life to what was dead.

This is what it means to have authority. It is not to live as an overlord or a dictator, but as one whose identity is so taken up into the life of God that one bears the imprimatur of the King. Thus, marked with Kingdom authority, we are freed to live in ways that reveal God’s reign.

Chad's Comments: I found it no coincidence that this reading is speaking of the Authority of Jesus to heal. Yesterday evening, Wolfgang (Wolf is the father of Zak, the young man we prayed for at our home who has severe scoliosis - such that he is only able to use about 25% lung capacity) and I talked about the healing services going on in Lakeland, Florida. Wolfgang had heard of this event from several people and has much confirmation that God is on the move in Lakeland. Even such that some from other countries whom have been to the services have went home and are seeing healings taking place there as well. Wolfgang is trying to decipher God's will in whether God would have him take Zak to the meetings to be healed of God. I told 'Chamo' (Wolfgang) that I would pray about it last night and this morning. Now, despite my desire, I really don't spend as much time in prayer as some may think. Actually, only a few minutes last night and again some thoughts about it this morning. Then, I read 'A Slice of Infinity' and thought that it was no coincidence.

Let us truly enter into the Kingdom that is at Hand.

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short recap of 'In Defense of Listening' by Carattini

Read 'A Slice of Infinity' each day and email Chad with your comments/experience/prayers etc. This ~5 minute recap, called 'COUGARS Daily' contains snippets from the previous day's A Slice of Infinity as well as comments from you.

- So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
- Hear, O Israel:^(A) The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

A Slice of Infinity snippets:
"I like to listen," said Ernest Hemingway. "I have learned a great deal from listening carefully."...
And it still is. In homes where we are not put to death for owning a Bible, it is easy to forget the wonder of a God who speaks. As countless translations continue to emerge and divide us, it is easy to be distracted from the authority of words that never fade, but come into new generations and changing cultures with new influence. The words of Scripture are living and active, the Spirit leading us to the person of Christ within the pages. Read aloud or studied silently, God is speaking, crying out for ears to hear and hearts to search.

As Ezra read the words of the Law before a generation who had forgotten, the people wept in the presence of the LORD and immediately fell down in worship. When the apostle Paul's letter was read aloud to the Roman church, the words resounded similarly among the crowd: "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). The voice of God is still speaking! The kingdom is among us! Who among us will listen?

Chad's Comments: Our daughter, Kaci, has said when asked, "I can't hear God, He's too far away." I too often think of God as far away and some entity off in the clouds. However, when I am open to listening to His Voice, I feel that He speaks very clearly. Kara and I enjoy the ride home from Church as we discuss what we heard from God and learned. At service yesterday, my wife and I each heard several things (by 'things', I mean what God put in our hearts out of what the preacher was saying, not the words of the preacher himself). When we were talking on the way home, we had great confirmation that God was giving us a the same message. God had birthed something in me about a year ago. Kara developed a desire for it and in the past few weeks it had become very meaningful and she longed to participate in it. Meanwhile, I had somewhat put the event on the back burner. However, God was still giving me a desire for something that I saw as a little more abstract. On our ride home from church, Kara's concrete endeavor and my abstract idea came together. This is a wonderful affirmation of the reality of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

Lord, Help me to listen! And when I hear, to act!

*To comment on this thread, visit the blog.
*Read today's slice and email me with your comments/questions/prayers for
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*Invite friends and family to join us on this faith journey.
* The Street Church still needs volunteers and donations.

What Lies Beneath by Stuart McAllistar

Take ~5 minutes to read this 'COUGARS Daily' which contains snippets from the previous day's A Slice of Infinity as well as comments from you. Read the 'Slice' each day and email Chad with your comments/experience/prayers etc.

- For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21)

A Slice of Infinity snippets:
..the philosophy of life to which we hold will also shape the expectations we attach to the goods we purchase. Where our hearts are dictates the hope we have in our treasures. The words of Christ bid us to ask: what do my habits of consumption reveal about me? And if we see problems with what lies beneath, can it really be that another string of purchases will be the solution?

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

Chad's Comments: When I read 'What Lies Beneath, I quickly began judging other people whom I think are materialists and comfort freaks. Knowing that despite the rising cost of fuel and the 'crunch' on global resources causes fighting amongst those who need it, I still ride around with my A/C on. Then I realized that when I prayed the "Our Father" this morning, I asked God to forgive my trespasses (something He can do) as I forgive those who trespass against me (something I can do). In the way that I am judging others, I myself will likely be judged. Lord, Help me to encourage my friends and family into loving relationships and please forgive my judgmental spirit.

Welcome two new participants: Jeff Gocking (a good friend from my college days - he actually finished =) ) and Uncle J (Kara's Uncle, a Catholic man who has felt and confirms the Holy Spirit working in his life)

Yesterday's posting of 'Let not your hearts be troubled' led Jay to share the following (thanks Jay for being so open to share your brokenness and your JOY!:
the story let not your heart be troubled hits home to me as it was just last labor day weekend that we lost my mother or rather she went with the lord that day,When she was told by the doctors that she could be kept alive on the c path machine which had he stressed out and vary uncomfortable to put in mildly asked her if she under stood and she nodded her head yes, i then asked her if she believed in Jesus ,again she shook her head yes ,and i told her if she took the mask off she would be with him that day ,A total look of relief over took her and she took the mask off and she became vary calm and was able to talk and asked for a coke and we had time to gather the entire family and one of her closet friends, plus the hospital minister, we all took turns telling her goodbye and prayed with her as she slipped away us to start her new life in heaven, but i remembered the ministers words today ,let not your hearts be troubled, for in my fathers house is many rooms, if it wasn't true i would not tell you this, p.s it was good for me right to tell this story even if i cried most of the way through it, not that my heart is troubled but for the glorious fat that awaited my mom and all that believe in him. God bless you all.

*Invite friends and family to join us on this faith journey.
*To comment on this thread, visit the blog.
*Read today's slice and email me with your comments/questions/prayers for
our next posting.

A Peculiar People by Margaret Manning

Take ~5 minutes to read this 'COUGARS Daily' which contains snippets from the previous day's A Slice of Infinity. Read the 'Slice' each day and email Chad with your comments/experience/prayers etc. I will compile comments and put them into this 'snippets' version to share. If you have comments about this particular post, please log in to the blog and post there.

- But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

A Slice of Infinity snippets:
..As a result of Jesus’s peculiar life, death, and resurrection we are now “a chosen race, a royal priesthood a holy nation, God’s own people.” We are now those “who declare the wonderful deeds of God who called us out of darkness into the marvelous light.” We who were once no people are now God’s people; we who once “had not received mercy, now have received mercy.”(3) We are now the people of God and we bear the name of the one we follow.

Chad's Comments:
Going on to read versus 11 and 12 I see that as an alien and a stranger, I should 'abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.' In this abstinence,(sins of commission) may we not forget to 'Keep your behavior excellent' (sin of omission). What might a behavior of excellence look like?

One thing I have thought about is picking up random litter or trash. If I spend a little extra time cleaning up some area, perhaps the person who is supposed to clean that area will have a better day. And perhaps they will thank God for their day being just a little better. If God gets the glory, I'm happy.

Sideline question: Verse 12 says, 'Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles...' Is Peter only speaking to Jews here? Or, is he speaking to all believers and the word 'Gentile' is being used in a generic sense meaning worldlings?

*Invite friends and family to join us on this faith journey.
*To comment on this thread, visit the blog.
*Read today's slice and email me with your comments/questions/prayers for
tomorrows post.

Creative Collaboration by Jill Carattini

Take ~5 minutes to read this 'COUGARS Daily' which contains snippets from the previous day's A Slice of Infinity. Read the 'Slice' each day and email me with your comments/experience/prayers etc. I will compile comments and put them into this 'snippets' version to share.

Here are the snippets/comments from FRIDAY. Remember, this is one day back, so when you have time, read today's 'A Slice of Infinity' and then send me your comments. If you have comments about this particular post, please log in to the blog and post there.

- “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son." (John 1:14)

A Slice of Infinity snippets:
.. When the New Testament writers began to speak of creation through the light of all they saw in Jesus Christ, they affirmed the Old Testament understanding of total dependence upon the maker of heaven (and) earth, but they spoke also of Christ’s presence as the Word at the beginning. Likewise, the early church began to see the role and presence of the Spirit in God’s creative work. Creation, they came to understand, and all we see within it, is the work of a Trinitarian God. Each person of the Trinity in relationship with one another brings forth out of nothing a creation reflective of the goodness and love of a divine community. In this image of God and the fullness of life in the Trinity, creation is affirmed not as emerging from any lack in God, but from God’s communal abundance. All of creation declares the glory of God, the work of the loving interaction between Father, Son, and Spirit.

1. How is it that we are joining God in creation as a community?
2. What kind of kingdom are we illumining by our life together and influence upon the world?
3. What kind of stories are we telling and retelling, and how are we inviting those around us to join in the great Story we have been given?

As the Father has invited us to participate in his good work of creation, so Christ has called us to join him in furthering the community of the kingdom among us. By the Spirit, might our very presence in this creative community be as a great light to the world.

Chad's Comments:
As I peruse the enormous amounts of information thrown at us daily through media and mind, I begin to recognize the 'influence' of culture, media and mind over my interpretation of scripture and relationship building. Oh, may God give us wisdom and discernment.

Reflect on the three questions above. Let God lead you into the answers. What does He want me to create? (possibly this involves your line of work or maybe your hobbies. Maybe it is just an idea that comes to you and may seem odd or insignificant. Ask God if it is something He has for you.) What does He want me to collaborate in creating? (This could be a work Bible study as Danny has created. This could be the COUGARS blog that you participate in. This could be helping at church or getting involved in a missions program or street outreach that God is already moving in.)

I wish I journaled more. Telling and re-telling HIS-story is a wonderful way to see God's hand and build my trust in HIM.

Remember: to comment on this thread, visit the blog. Also, read today's slice and email me with your comments/questions/prayers for tomorrows post.

* Make Space for friends in your life. Enjoin them to belief.
* Post your stories of God's intervention on the blog.
* Look for ways to share Awe and Wonder with children - leave suggestions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com
* Consider joining Life-Devotions (a group of about 100 catholics and protestants sharing their faith through daily devotions and discussion - strong pro Life content)
* The Street Church
* Voice of the Martyrs

Our Father the Weaver - Ravi Zacharias, May 22nd

Take ~5 minutes to read this 'COUGARS Daily' which contains snippets from the previous day's A Slice of Infinity. Read the 'Slice' each day and email me with your comments/experience/prayers etc. I will compile comments and put them into this 'snippets' version to share.

Here are the snippets from yesterday. Remember, this is one day back, so when you have time, read today's 'A Slice of Infinity' and then send me your comments. If you have comments about this particular post, please log in to the blog and post there.

- “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also." (John 14:19)

A Slice of Infinity snippets:
..A purposeful design emerges when the Father weaves a pattern from what to us may often seem disparate threads. Even today, if you will stop and attend to it, you will see that God is seeking to weave a beautiful tapestry in your life.

Chad's Comments:
The two stories Ravi told in this post were amazing to me. It is really special to think of the story of the father and son making the Saris; how a beautiful pattern emerges from Father weaving and Son obeying. Also, to see the verse on his grandmother's grave as no coincidence reminds me of my personal journey and God's grand design that leads my experience into something useful.

Yesterday, mom shared this story:
As we were driving home last night I was tired & negative..... & was (sharing) really complaining to my husband....... about how it seems that everyone expects so much from me ...... & I give & give & give...... & no one seems to give in return....... & he stoped to get something for the car..... & when he went in & I was sitting complaining to GOD about how I felt....... GOD SAID: YOU WERE NOT PUT ON THIS EARTH TO BE SERVED ........... YOU WAS PUT HERE TO SERVE OTHERS & QUIT YOUR COMPLAINING & BE SO THANKFUL THAT YOU CAN...He really hit me over the head but I needed it...... We all need to remember this...... NEVER , NEVER, NO NEGATIVE THINKING IT TAKES THE GLORY OUT OF YOUR SOUL........... WHEN MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH IS REQUIRED........... We are so blessed...... GOD IS SO AWESOME..........

Remember: to comment on this thread, visit the blog. Also, read today's slice and email me with your comments/questions/prayers for tomorrows post.

* Make Space for friends in your life. Enjoin them to belief.
* Post your stories of God's intervention on the blog.
* Look for ways to share Awe and Wonder with children - leave suggestions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com
* Consider joining Life-Devotions (a group of about 100 catholics and protestants sharing their faith through daily devotions and discussion - strong pro Life content)
* The Street Church
* Voice of the Martyrs

The Spirit of Multiplies Years by Margaret Manning

Take ~5 minutes to read this 'COUGARS Daily' which contains snippets from A Slice of Infinity. Invite your family and friends to participate in reading with you daily. Then, consider sharing your comments or faith questions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com

- "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"
Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people. The LORD answered and said to his people,"Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. "I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea, and his rear guard into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. "Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things! Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. "Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. "The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.
your daughters shall prophesy, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

A Slice of Infinity snippets:

It is amazing that so small a gathering could represent the fulfillment of the promise that the Spirit would be poured out on all people, as Joel prophesied. Of course, those initial followers, much like Joel before them, couldn’t see the ultimate horizon of the Church that was birthed that Pentecost--the festival of the first fruits of harvest. Indeed, these initial followers were the first fruits of the outpoured Spirit, which would go forth into the uttermost parts of the earth represented by those who heard of the mighty deeds of God in their own language on that day. By the power of the Spirit, those first fruits would multiply into the Church; the Church, the body of Christ, was unleashed into the world. The in-gathering of the nations, shown in nascent form at Pentecost, is fulfilled by the gospel going forth into the whole world through the presence and witness of the Church.

Today, we are the recipients of the blessing of the Holy Spirit. As we live by the power of the Spirit, may we continue to see the years multiplied with abundant fruit and harvest.


Chad's Comments:
"...And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame."


* Make Space for friends in your life. Enjoin them to belief.
* Post your stories of God's intervention on the blog.
* Look for ways to share Awe and Wonder with children - leave suggestions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com
* Consider joining Life-Devotions (a group of about 100 catholics and protestants sharing their faith through daily devotions and discussion - strong pro Life content)
* The Street Church
* Voice of the Martyrs

Seeing Clearly by Alison Thomas

Take ~5 minutes to read this 'COUGARS Daily' which contains snippets from A Slice of Infinity. Invite your family and friends to participate in reading with you daily. Then, consider sharing your comments or faith questions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com

- In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. (2 Peter 1:5-9)

A Slice of Infinity snippets:
...But instead, he reminds us that focusing on our union with Christ and our own internalizing of Christ’s qualities helps us to keep the bigger picture in focus and our overall knowledge of Christ most effective...

...Perhaps the place where we can see hope blossom--no matter how dark and distant it may seem--is closer than we think. Looking at the world through the eyes of Scripture, the hope of the gospel, and the presence of the kingdom provides us with corrective lenses through which we can see who Christ is, who we truly are, and indeed, who we can become beside him. Take a look and see for yourself.

Chad's Comments:
I noticed that the writer concentrated on telling me to focus on MY union with Christ and 'MY OWN INTERNALIZING' of Christ's qualities. How am I living out what God has called me to do? Am I being loving to God? Am I obeying his commands? Am I feeding His sheep? Am I serving others with my life?

This coming week is a significant week of service started by (I think) the Southern Baptist convention. Approximately 40 churches in our area have been asked to find families in need and then fill that need. I am sure you can contact your local Baptist Church for service opportunities this week. For those of you in the Colorado Springs area, Vanguard "has selected a military family with some incredible life circumstances. This family has 3 children, 2 of which have cerebral palsy and the other has severe sleep apnea. The husband was injured while in Iraq, where he still is, and is being discharged with a broken back upon his arrival home next month. The home they are living in has some deficiencies that are causing the medical conditions of the children to be aggravated. Vanguard is committed to improving the quality of this family’s life and showing them appreciation for their service to our country. If you or someone you know have time and/or resources to put toward this effort please email me."

This ties to COUGARS very well, I believe, because this is an outreach to an unbelieving family. I am encouraged to get involved and serve them. I believe this is the first among many projects where our company will be jumping on board to serve and enjoin others to serve. I invite you to give of your time next week by letting me know and we'll get you plugged in..early morning to late night. We need people to do insulation, tile, electrical and so on. I am also calling on my friends with landscape companies such as Ben and Brian to go above and beyond the needs of this family and help with their landscape. With a broken back, I'm sure the husband does not look forward to lawn care, so zero maintenance would be an excellent help to them. They live in the 'B street' area so the land would not be all that huge to accommodate.

I would also like to see you get your unbelieving friends and neighbors to help out. I could see relationships being built with organizations through this type of a service project that many times would not be built as there are 'no strings attached'.

* Make Space for unbelievers in your life.
* Post your stories of God's intervention on the blog.
* Look for ways to share Awe and Wonder with children - leave suggestions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com
* Consider joining Life-Devotions (a group of about 100 catholics and protestants sharing their faith through daily devotions and discussion - strong pro Life content)
* The Street Church
* Voice of the Martyrs

The Church of Negativity - byJill Carattini

Take ~5 minutes to read this 'COUGARS Daily' which contains snippets from A Slice of Infinity. Invite your family and friends to participate in reading with you daily. Then, consider sharing your comments or faith questions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com

-Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way.^[a] Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

- Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. (Philippians 2:14-16)

- For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. (2 Corinthians 1:19-20)

A Slice of Infinity snippets:
In his sermon "The Weight of Glory," C.S. Lewis took note of a subtle shift in the language of his day, which he felt was the first detour in a road leading far away from Christ. Writes Lewis, "If you asked twenty good men today what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any of the great Christians of old, he would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philosophical importance."(1) He goes on to explain the ideologies that grow out of subtle shifts of language. The positive answer requires a perspective that looks outward at others--those who are the recipients of the virtue or else the one from whom this virtue arises in the first place--whereas the negative virtue shows that our concern is primarily with ourselves--our own self-denial--and hence the appearance of good virtue. To this Lewis notes, "The New Testament has lots to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself." To put this in terms for the subject at hand: Scripture has lots to say about what is wrong with the world. But thankfully, this is never the end of the sermon. (And of course, both the Old and New Testaments have a lot to say about complaining.)

Chad's Comments:
Today's devotion was very poignant for me as I was considering writing a review of the movie Expelled - no Intelligence Allowed. When I first realized the movie was coming, I was very excited and was hoping to see several people attend. However, my viewpoint changed slightly when I hear an interview with Ben Stein and a prominent Christian radio host. I identified with the thoughts of the host, but I could easily see that it seemed a pity party of complaint that they were not 'getting their way.' (Similar to the idea of focusing on the negative as today's devotion talked about) Regardless, I was still excited to see the movie and I have high hopes for its impact on the mindset of what I see as a closed minded academia. I was rather disapointed to see that only a few people attended the show. I assumed that most of the people attending the showing were ID'ers and it felt a little like a small group church meeting rather than a full blown theater presentation.

Nonetheless, the documentary was very insightful. It exposed the biases on both sides of the debate and showed very well that worldview plays a high role in interpreting the evidence.

I was a little uneasy with the demeaning caricature of Richard Dawkins and I don't think that making fun of him will help him find God. But it was neat to see Mr. Dawkins, who seems to claim reason and logic as the tellers of all truth, to use an illogical argument to back up his position. When faced with the idea of the origin of life, Dawkins reiterates Sir Francis Crick's idea of directed Panspermia - the idea that all 'sperm' was directed from some life on some other planet far in the universe. Of course, if pressed to find out where this life came from, I'm sure it would have been from some other more intelligent life, far out in the universe and on and on. This illogical argument is called an infinite regress and is not reasonable, logical or scientific. Dawkins seems fully ready to believe that little green men planted us here and possibly is an ID'er himself in this sense.

Michael Shirmer, head of the skeptics society, was in the film as well as many prominent speakers of Evolution and ID.

I grew a little tired of the 'black and white throwback' scenes, but overall I felt like the movie was a good watch and should prove interesting and mind opening to even the most ardent of skeptics.

A word of caution: The movie shows a logical connection between 'particles-to-people' evolution and the extremism of inhumane actions such as eugenics. While I do believe this to be a great movie for people of any mindset to see, I also realize the danger of crass argumentation and I know first hand conviction that is not undergirded in love can be repulsive. I fear that such argumentation can draw a line in the sand and put people on an either or scenario which may drive them away from God rather than enjoin them to pursue His goodness. So, I point you back to today's RZIM discussion and beg you to find Jesus at the center of your conversations. Let people see His true spirit living in you. In Love, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Upcoming Cougars' "Neighbor-Day" weekend:
As a group, I will be challenging you to reach out to a neighbor. To invite someone over to your home whom you have had little to no contact with. This is not an effort to 'evangelize' them on the spot, but simply an effort to begin REAL relationship with them. Be in prayer about whom God would have you invite. More to come.

* Make Space for unbelievers in your life.
* Post your stories of God's intervention on the blog.
* Look for ways to share Awe and Wonder with children - leave suggestions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com
* Consider joining Life-Devotions (a group of about 100 catholics and protestants sharing their faith through daily devotions and discussion - strong pro Life content)
* Voice of the Martyrs

The Lift of Remembrance - by Jill Carattini

Take ~5 minutes to read this 'COUGARS Daily' which contains snippets from A Slice of Infinity. Invite your family and friends to participate in reading with you daily. Then, consider sharing your comments or faith questions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com

- For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-36)

- Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:49)

A Slice of Infinity snippets:
Our remembrance of Christ lifts us similarly, though with the help of the Holy Spirit, it is a far more profound ascending. When we remember Christ in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, we remember the last meal shared with the disciples in the upper room; we remember the death of Christ and his path to the Cross; we remember these events in such a way that we are carried beyond our present lives to the events that changed all of history. But far more than this, we are also lifted to the ascended Christ as he sits today at the right hand of the Father--resurrected, living, and present. In this sense, it is far more than a static memory of a grandparent in history or a friend whose life was cut short. We are lifted by the Spirit as we remember the one who stands with us today--here and now in the kingdom he died to proclaim. In this memory, we are further united with Christ as adopted sons and daughters. In his presence, we are taught some of the glorious things our present distractions would have us to forget, and some of the difficult things we are asked to endure, though at the side of the one who endured the most. We remember Christ, and we remember who we are.

Chad's comments:
Remembering who we are: We are chosen, forgiven, broken and sent. It is a difficult task to wade through the merkyness of all that would attempt to define us today. From Oprah to National Geographic, there are continual mixed messages that at the heart define our being as something less than true. May we find the courage to center ourselves on Christ; knowing that we are not orphans in this universe; some cosmic accident of matter plus time plus chance. Rather, we are sons and daughters of the living God. Created to love God and our neighbor as ourself. We belong to the Good Sheppard.

Upcoming Cougars' "Neighbor-Day" weekend:
As a group, I will be challenging you to reach out to a neighbor. To invite someone over to your home whom you have had little to no contact with. This is not an effort to 'evangelize' them on the spot, but simply an effort to begin REAL relationship with them. Be in prayer about whom God would have you invite. More to come.

* Make Space for unbelievers in your life.
* Post your stories of God's intervention on the blog.
* Look for ways to share Awe and Wonder with children - leave suggestions at CougarsDaily.blogspot.com
* Consider joining Life-Devotions (a group of about 100 catholics and protestants sharing their faith through daily devotions and discussion - strong pro Life content)
* Voice of the Martyrs