guilty. I’m a designer, a spinster, a pretty package maker.

Acts 17:29

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.

It’s funny to me the business I’m in. I design impressions of God. Impressions of his church. Impressions of who I think Christ to be.

And yet he’s undesignable.

It’s impossible for me to get out my designer toolbox and design God in an image that would make Him say, “That’s me. You nailed it. My justice looks like that. My love looks like that. My pain looks like that. My hope looks like that.”

I’m struck right now knowing that Islam creates no images of Allah. They refrain from attempts to paint God in a human frame. They refrain from painting a picture of God that God wouldn’t make of himself.

And so the only true reflection of God’s design is to look at God’s creation and see it for his beauty. See it for the reflection of himself that it is. in it’s diversity, creativity, intelligence, inter-connectedness, passion.

God is a designer. Me too (though I’m far less talented).

so I started taking the time to breathe.

thanks neeraj. It has actually brought a settling to my jittery caffeine filled unslept body to actually be taking the time to breathe.

It’s amazing what a deep breath can do to resettle yourself.

Remember the valley of bones. ezekial 37. the slain. the dead that god breathed into and from death to life death took on flesh.

I feel like death warmed over. I’ve had so much client work lately, and it will continue through September, that I haven’t had much sleep. Averaging 3-5 hours a night right now.

Just the simple act of slowing my breathing has completely taken away my anxiety about not sleeping. My anxiety about meeting client deadlines. my anxiety about letting the church work slip.

God is breathing life back into me.

ColourLove
This site is soooo fantastic.
If you are a designer, or just have a little style…you’ll love it.

ColourLoveBlog

ModestNeeds
if the church could look like this, could look like acts 2
have a need. fill the need.

modest needs

Willow Creek Association
Our membership is saving us about $2,200 on the server I’m buying next week for sanctuary

willow creek

Esther 10

1 King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. 2 And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.

Learning recently about my strengths, I’m struck by reading Esther this morning and the last lines of the book about Mordecai.

How much of my life is for the good of the people and how much is for the good of jeremy?

I have this strength called significance. I’m struggling with recognizing it as a strength and not just a need for affirmation and affection.

Mordecai is clearly celebrated for his work for the good of his people.

Sometimes I think God wants to honor us when we are his justice in the world. Sometimes I think it’s an act of self-aggrandizement to be honored by people. I guess it depends on if you were passionately pursuing God or if you were pursuing something just to be recognized by God.

Kiva
If you haven’t had a kiva party you must.
My genius friend Neeraj threw a Kiva Party for his wife’s birthday, instead of a birthday party. 30-40 peope donated and $1,200 was raised and invested in micro-lending opportunities around the world. Throw a Kiva Party. It changes lives.

KIVA
The Power of We - the Kiva Portfolio that came out of the party

iBudget
Simple Finance Management for the Mac - Elegant too.
I’m hoping because of it’s simplicity, the family budget will all work through here. Other software has just been too bulky for my wife who really isn’t a digital afficiando.

iBudget

Blink
Malcolm Gladwell’s latest.
A great read. Sometimes decisions made in the moment are more accurate than those with great deliberation.

Blink

ColourLovers
A must for all Designers

Do you mourn for the state of the city. I do. Nehemiah did. I’m pretty sure God does.

1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”
I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

Nehemiah’s job was to take a bullet for King Artaxerxes everyday and hope it was a blank.

More and more, I mourn for my city. I know I’m a part of the change. Though I don’t always do something about it. I know I can. I know I should. I know God calls me to it.

There are idea-makers, there are leaders, there are managers, there are workers, there are the people who are intended to receive. I’m learning so much about myself right now and my capacity to affect change, to be a catalyst, to lead the fight against the continuing injustice in our cities…and more than ever, I’m finding myself willing to use my voice to be the change I want to see in the world.

What’s next for us North Minneapolis?

I want to be a part of your justice.

How much am I really willing to die for? Do we have a vision worth dying for? What risk am I willing to take today?
…lately, i’ve been feeling pretty risky.

Strategic Planning has been a struggle for us… as I’m sure it is for most churches composed of a bunch of people with passion for ministry, but little background in organizational structure, strategic planning, human resources development and a host of other skills.

Hopefully we can get some great help from the swerve lab.

Been reading Marcus Buckingham’s, “Now Discover Your Strengths.”

Well here they are:

• Self-Assurance
• Learner
• Significance
• Deliberative
• Analytical

Read what they mean over at the family blog…

Inquisitor
If you’re on an intel mac and use safari get this plugin, it rocks…
 Inquisitor

Are you on Facebook.
I am. I like it. Though it may wind up being a royal waste of time.
I don’t find it useful for much. Though I have more insights in to the lives of friends and family that I never see.
 Facebook

CreativeMYK
Kudos to these folks who make my job easier:
 Creativemyk.com

XServe
Coming soon to the Sanctuary:
This is what happens when you put a Mac Guy in charge of IT

you’re supposed to write some amazing first post about why this is going to be so awesome.

well just cuz.