Accept the Cookies

It seems that for the past year or so, one of the few things that God has been showing me- is children.
Well, I should say has showed me as much as he has anyone who so chooses to read through the red letters. We see constantly Jesus' love for children. For probably the same reason we love children. They believe us. Anything we say, they believe. Anything we do, they immitate quite accurately. They love us absolutely.

In the midst of skeptics, Pharisees, and even his disciples constantly questioning Jesus, I can imagine it to have been quite refreashing to have children run to him for simply his touch (Matthew 19:13-15). The rest want a sign (Matthew 16:1-4), but the children just come. Jesus goes as far as saying that unless we become as children, the Kingdom is not for us (Matthew 18:3-4). And considering that same Kingdom is here and now, perhaps Jesus would have us humble oursleves in child-like wonder, here and now.

I then read this passage in Brennan Manning's Ragamuffin Gospel(Visual Edition, I highly reccomend it).

The Kingdom belongs to people who aren't trying to look good or impress anybody, even themselves, worrying about how their actions will be interpreted or wondering if they will get gold stars for their behavior. Twenty centuries later, Jesus speaks pointedly to the preening ascetic trapped in the fatal narcissism of spiritual perfectionism, to those of us caught up in boasting about our victories in the vineyard, to those of us fretting and flapping about our human weaknesses and character defects. The child doesn't have to struggle to get himself in a good position for having a relationship with God; he doesn't have to craft ingenious ways of explaining his position to Jesus; he doesn't have to create a pretty face for himself; he doesn't have to achieve any state of spiritual feeling or intellectual understanding. All he has to do his happily accept the cookies, the gift of the kingdom.

Accept the Cookies

Politically, my final word I hope

I guess any statement of mine regarding American politics would be my overall disdain for such, mostly rooted in our two-party monopoly system. In reality there is so much beef(and pork while we are on the subject of meat) within both parties that a monologue via blogosphere in no way really sums up my thoughts.

Either way

The republicans in one way, and the dems in another, pull, pick and choose from our well crafted consitution in whichever way best suits them for the time.

While the republican speaks of our constitutional right to prayer he also cavaliers the most unconstitutional aspect of our government right now- foreign policy.

While the democrat speaks of our constitutional right to freedom of speech or religion, he also plans to drain a taxpayers pocket for all matter of unconstitutional spending(as mentioned, pork.)

I actually had a professor last week say, "well at least this year I feel like we have some good choices."

While I agree that change going in any direction is better than the one the current administration has taken us (A never ending war that will end up costing trillions of dollars pulled from....you guessed it, you! All from a man who ran for office under a "non-interventionist, "we can't go around policing the world" policy."

I could not disagree with my professor more. Perpetual, preemptive war.....,universal health care, steps towards a centrally planned economy which would obviously do to this country what it has done to all the others who have chosen it- bankrupt it.

In all reality, I sadly believe that at the root of all of this, the Church, yes you and me, are to blame.
I was talking to a friend the other day who essentially was saying that we needed universal health care, more no strings attached handouts, more welfare(often perpetual poverty).......why? because the Church is not doing it's job. What would these people say, if the government began to hand out tracts, evangelize on the street corners, build churches? Well we would all be singing a strong chorus of Separation of Church and State . Well, how is providing for the poor any different than verbally telling someone about the Good News Of Jesus? There is none, it is the same, one Gospel. Yet Christians on both party lines would rather let Uncle Sam take a little more of their check to do an awful job doing what we are hands on supposed to be doing. We saw in the early church, the government did not mind the church, for not only were they taking care of their city's poor, but also neighboring city's poor.

(But today is a different day, many years later, surely Jesus didn't mean for us to do that now, it is different now...right....well that depends....if it is taxing, if it actually takes effort, if it actually calls for an emptying of our pockets or us to be uncomfortable, then surely! surely! it is no longer relevant or a biblical mandate.)

I guess that is it. I could go on for hours about capitol punishment, oil politics, a failed welfare system, and the overall corruption that plagues Washington, but to some this all up. It is us. It is the Church.

There was one man, that indeed I did not agree with on everything. But a man that knows the constitution, a man who has a dream and vision for America to once more be a place of peace. But sadly, America is just not smart enough to elect......yup, Ron Paul. Nope, he calls for way too much responsibility. way way too much.

Peace,
Michael

Mas

What a task, what a chore.......to pour heart and soul into a page paper about some book off the shelve, bought by demand from your dear professor for a book report. How necessary, and how dreadful. How frustrating to put heart and soul into the necessary mundane and un-biblical material world.

At his finest in my heart and soul I always catch glimpses of shores and dirty streets, toothless smiles of the Holy, children's sprints, their backflips, tears, recognized pain and suffering.........This Beautiful Mess................

Awakened only by my God-Forsaken Gas light.

In other matters, Joanna is in labor, soon to deliver my brother's and her son- my nephew.

Kataluma......a bit of a frustration the last couple of months.....but we are getting out of it.......design, database, logistics, the trip that will check for buoyancy in the summer of 09.

Still missing my family and loving them as distance continues to make this heart fonder.

pero cada dia yo estoy olvidando mas de mi espanol. Que triste pero tal vez, por lo menos ojala que, yo pueda regressar muy pronto- todavia yo extrano la casa de Grace y abuelita.

pictures include: Summer of 09, and me and Teecy dancing(one that we shall resume here in Lynchburg)

MichaelDavid

woke up again, hello to the family

well let's see......
food for thought or perhaps just answers to prayer from the scenario Gods....
Peggy Christmas, my sweet mother, has entered the blogosphere.......
so perhaps that is the answered prayer and the food for thought would be:

1. Garlic
2. Sugar and its origin(Nazism)
3. Breastfeeding and its origin(Eve and the sovereignty of the Almighty)
4. And last but not least- vaccinations and their part in global domination in respects to the Tribulation.

Considering communication is so dreadful right now....well at least on my part.....to the rest of my family, I figured since now over 50% would call themselves "avid bloggers".....I'd start mumbling again and hope that my articulation of thought and desire is a bit less ambiguous than usual.

Virginia
I miss my family
that seems to be the biggest, most impressed feeling most days.....but each day gets a bit better as I continue to remind myself that I am fairly certain God told me to come here. The house is so good and seems to grow everyday in many ways but i'll refrain from saying just how many there are residing on any given night(who knows if the city of Lynchburg utilizes their right to invade privacy via our Patriot Act).
Classes are swell and I've managed to get a good grade or two, though I hope from the bottom that my new job cleaning up people's mess at The Olive Garden does not interfere.

God
Each day I believe God, in his mysteries, is teaching me how to live and believe WITHOUT his consolations ie: emotion in prayer life, visible obvious answered prayer, and just a sense of his presence. I find John of the Cross's explanation of such times especially encouraging- That it is in such times, when we seem spiritually naked and alone, that The Spirit can truly work in our lives.

Good to see you again.

If you have not read the infamous blog of our dear Peggy yet, I encourage you to do so, good luck.

MichaelDavid

(pictures include: the climbing cave in our attic, meeting Ron Paul(so sad that America is not smart enough to elect Ron Paul....uh...so sad), and community breakfast)

Since

Quite some time gone....
Road trip good. Very good.
(I)(have)(wonder)(am happy)(know)(oh yeah)
New major(political science, concentration international affairs, business administration minor)
Hopes to live in the woods with three friends in a house made of used construction materials
When will i ever finish school?
orgrowup?
Lynchburg relocating to Gainesville this weekend- all smiles- happy as a bird.
Sun still shines, weather changing, need rain from sky and eyes
New things beautiful
other things stil beautiful to someone, maybe not me, maybe I never REALLY thought they were, i can make myself think some strange things.
need to want less, i need to need less
Todavia, amistad es la vida, pero amistads reales, como Jesus, todavia, el es mi amigo, y su padre mas que yo puedo entender.
And keep on remembering(not to forget), and forgetting(remembering to forget)
All the things that need to stay, and go away. (why were they ever here?)
Still refuse to lay claims of absolute understanding to the teachings of a perfect Man, the Son of Man.
Still prefer Love, although I don't always show it.
Still prefer that I would.
Still prefer to see you soon.
te amo
MichaeldavidChristmas

and so we'll make the trip

http://www.reelwavs.com/movies/shawshank_redemption/hlfreeman.wav

back and there

So....back in the states.....I keep trying to think what its like, being home I mean...I keep getting nothing....What compares to the bitter-sweet feeling of leaving the arms of a people that never asked questions?, I got there and I just was-FAMILY- Kind of like the kingdom<-from there arms to my family's, who also never asked questions,or expected, we just were, we just are......I try to console myself by saying that I am still just a boy and that I wont always want to whole world.......will I?....
Went to the beach a couple days ago with the Family....There was this hispanic (Maxican for those of us below the Mason-Dixon)....and he was cutting kudzu all day everyday, and on the third day, after working as hard as you would expect for three days solid, he found this old beat-up kite, tied it to a big clump of grass and bathed in the glorious site of his real work flying high as a kite(play on that as long as you like)
He looked up at me on my balcony, almost wanting my approval, if i thought too that in the midst of it all we have to fly kites, lots and lots of kites.....I told him "bien hecho"(good work), and he smiled the most genuine smile to date, and kept it for quite some time.....
Then I took a drive and said goodbye to some things....mostly memories that I guess I thought I could re-live, thinking they may just come around again....And the problem is that even if I could have everything as it was, same room, same folks, same mountains, same love.....I wouldn't take it, everything is so different, everyone is so different, and although the beauty of it all remains......it just doesn't seem enough....
Sometimes it just seems to be me and The Trapeze Swinger turning the last 21 years into folklore that Twain himself wouldn't swallow...
And so it seems that in this moment of acceptance, something begins that will try its best to keep up with the 30 foot giants I mountain biked with, the boys that knew over 200 instruments(some yet to be actually invented), the mountains that knew my name, and even said it every once in a while, my friend with a beard so long he swept the floor with it, the time it snowed 30 feet and school wasn't even canceled, my dog that let me ride him to school(and back).

And I just don't know if that something will pull it off. In fact I am quite sure it wont.

But i'll take it with dirty feet and a smile.

See you soon.

Mike Christmas