Archive - Aug 2010

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August 22nd

Zoe Sandvig Erler's picture

Coming Home . . . Almost

Submitted by Zoe Sandvig Erler on Sun, 08/22/2010 - 19:37
At midnight on July 24th, Michael told me to close my eyes and guided me gently up the steps into our first home as a married couple. The house on Julian Avenue was built more than 80 years ago and Michael had been living there for three years as a bachelor before we got married. But now it was ours and it sparkled and shone with several new coats of paint, a brand new couch, white flowers in vases, and my mother’s expert decorating touch covering almost every square inch of the now “ours” urban bungalow.
We spent the remaining week of our honeymoon opening wedding gifts (actually we were done with that by 3 a.m. on July 25th), stocking our refrigerator, and generally gazing around at a future of joy within our new walls.
For the first time in 10 years—after four different addresses and at least a hundred rent checks—I finally felt like I had come home.
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August 18th

Glenn Lucke's picture

Waiting

Submitted by Glenn Lucke on Thu, 08/19/2010 - 04:00

Austin in August. The thermometer read 102 today, and our AC unit is just as busted today as it was yesterday when it was 100 degrees. It’s hotter than a Baptist preacher’s Hell. We’re waiting for a new unit. Waiting.

 Waiting is relative. When you long for someone or something, the time between now and the arrival seems interminable. You know time neither stops nor slows, yet a dozen glances at the clock tempt you to wonder. Pacing at the airport waiting for Stephanie (!), the vigil at the hospital waiting for word from the surgeon about Dad, the three eternities between when my baby son cries and the breastfeeding begins: the more I want the one or the thing the slower time moves.Read more

August 15th

Melissa Kurtz's picture

A Short-term Mission to Honduras

Submitted by Melissa Kurtz on Mon, 08/16/2010 - 00:36
Last week, I said goodbye to one hundred little pairs of eyes. For seven days, I and eight other North Americans had lived among the children of El Hogar, a school and orphanage in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This organization seeks to offer hope and love for children of need in a Christian environment. Before I arrived, I couldn’t quite conceive of the adventures to come. But as soon as I stepped off the airplane, one thing was apparent: In boundless ways, I was coming from a different world than these children knew. The boys and girls I met are the poorest of the poor within their country. Many of their homes of origin lack running water, electricity, and the other niceties that I associate with my own home. Before coming to El Hogar, they didn’t have 3 meals a day. They also lacked sufficient health care and resources for proper hygiene.
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August 11th

Alex Sims's picture

Christian Advertising

Submitted by Alex Sims on Wed, 08/11/2010 - 21:01
I’d like to pose a question: What do God-honoring advertisements look like?
 
Let me state a couple disclaimers upfront: First, I know nothing about the advertising industry. I’m writing this question as someone who enjoys watching creative ads, but I don’t pretend to have any special insight. Secondly, I take it as a given that every one of us is deeply influenced by marketing, so I consider advertisements a big deal in our culture. With that said, I’d love to chat about the pitfalls and opportunities of the advertisement industry.
 
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Timothy McConnell's picture

Spent

Submitted by Timothy McConnell on Wed, 08/11/2010 - 05:00

One of the greatest feelings in the world is to be spent at the end of the day, knowing that all your energy has gone to serve the Lord! 

This picture has stuck in my head for a long time. 
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August 5th

Amy Lauger's picture

Turning Thirty

Submitted by Amy Lauger on Thu, 08/05/2010 - 06:52

For the first time in my life I found myself underemployed and the part-time and freelancing gigs I did have couldn't pay much and were inconsistent in hours. I had just graduated with two master's degrees from seminary and was at a loss for what to do next. On top of all of that, I was still single, my personal belongings were in storage, and I was renting a room from a family from my church. This is how I found myself on my thirtieth birthday.
 
Rewind a few years and I certainly wouldn't have envisioned all of that for my thirtieth birthday. I started what seemed to be a promising federal career at the age of 21, was surrounded with friends, actively involved in a vibrant church, and upon entry into seminary, did not seem too far away from marrying my best friend.Read more