MEMORY RESIDUE

Quiet Hour, Loud Heart

Octavius Winslow wrote, "Who delivered up Jesus to die? Not Judas, for money; not Pilate, for fear; not the Jews, for envy; -but the Father, for love!" ... On the human level, Judas gave Him up to the priests, who gave Him up to Pilate, who gave Him up to the soldiers, who crucified Him. But on the divine level, the Father gave Him up, and He gave Himself up, to die for us. As we face the cross, then, we can say to ourselves both "I did it, my sins sent Him there" and "He did it, His love took Him there." In the quiet of Good Friday, I'm just thinking about Jesus. I'm obsessed [...]

By Joel|2014-08-29T14:24:40+00:00March 30th, 2013|Uncategorized|

Simply a banana hammock

We own a banana hammock. A humble but noble banana hammock. Henry. Henry the Banana Hammock. Henry holds fruit. Usually, he holds bananas. Sometimes avocados, and sometimes he's been known to hold an apple or few. Never watermelons, because Henry wasn't made to hold watermelons. I would never expect the banana hammock to hold a watermelon. My point being... It is amazing the pressure that people can often place on themselves, relationally and spiritually. I like what Rich Mullins once said: Some of us are so afraid that God's not going to look at us. So we're out there doing all sorts of things to get God to take notice, but folks, God notices you. The [...]

By Joel|2014-08-29T14:25:18+00:00March 2nd, 2013|Featured, Uncategorized|

I was here..

It's interesting how my story keeps revolving around a continual thought/truth. While there's more than one (I'd like to think), one is a thread in the tapestry of this simple art work - called my life. Simple, that is, to God...and maybe to me on good day. A day when it all makes sense, when the labors of prayers, hope, and dreams part the clouds of monotony to say: "Oh, so that's what He was doing all along." Well, the thing/thought/truth is: "remember." Remember what? Remember the little things - that is, remember all the little ways that the supernatural broke through the un-supernatural and opened your eyes. A sunset when I was hopeless, that while [...]

By Joel|2014-08-29T14:15:53+00:00February 27th, 2013|Featured|

It’s time

Tonight, John 14 is giving me strength. A part of the chapter hit me tonight, that has not done so before. Sure, there is "Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me...in My Father's house...I'll come back for you (paraphrased)" (v. 1-4), the huge, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (v. 6). There's the revealing the Father, answering prayers, the Holy Spirit, love, and the giving of peculiar peace. However, the thing that sticks out tonight, is the last statement of the chapter. Jesus said, "I am going away so that the world may know that I love the [...]

By Joel|2014-08-29T14:36:16+00:00September 18th, 2012|Jesus Shaped Community, The Dangerous Kind|

Memoirs of a Visitor

Quiet Hour, Loud Heart

Simply a banana hammock

I was here..

It’s time