catching up

i have been lazy in my duties as a blogger - not because i do not like blogging, i do, but because finding the time between life and life gets hard. so, here is a "catch-up" of things i have been planing on blogging about:

BOOKS:
two books i wanted to bring to your attention:

living under jacob's ladder by grey mariposa [self published on lulu for $6.25 download and 15.95 paperback]. this is a must read for all who like poetry. "grey" has been publishing work on ginkworld and the ooze for awhile and has always been shown to be a writer who can capture the emotion of the moment - this is a must add to your library.

out of the ooze, unlikely love letters to the church from beyond the pew: this book is great mix of voices and one designed to open the eyes of the church - if that is possible. it is a collection of some articles from the ooze [i have on in the books also], ones that truly expressed a deep love and a desire for change in the church. over the next few weeks we will be developing a blog for the contributors to the book and open a great deal of conversation.

OTHER POINTS:
I already mentioned the community blog that will be developed from the book "out of the ooze" so it seems silly to mention it again [even though i just mentioned it again] - but did i mention the new "ministry position" section on ginkworld? well, let me plug that:

if you are looking for a person for an emerging church, or you are looking for a position in the emerging church, just head over to the new ministry position section of ginkworld and either add your position of check to see what is there.

well, i think that's all i have to say right now :) i will be posting again this week and diving into some ideas that have been floating around in the back of my mind - so they will either be scary or silly - no telling.

an idea of trust

trust is a very interesting thing. in the modern world you "earn trust" or you "lose trust." trust is not "a given" as the basis of many modern relationships. it seems many people have a natural order to "distrust" others. no matter what is shared, no matter what is "proven" some people just do not trust others - and in many cases they do so without any reasons - as one person once told me, "it is just my nature not to trust."

i am uncomfortable with that idea of life - with the idea that seems to express doubt in the hearts and actions of others. i just do not fit well in that world, a world where doubt and skepticism rule the ideas and words of others. i am just very uncomfortable around people who do not trust others. you see, i think people who do not trust others simply do not trust themselves.

trust is the center of every relationship we have with others. every time we express doubt we lose part of ourselves, we lose a part that we can not get back. for those of us who find trust to be the most important part of human relationships missing parts of who we are simply means we never truly know the person we seem to be.

the blame game

i am not a "political" person; i do not like politics. i mean politics does not impress me and those who run the country do not impress me - but i can tell you, they sure do strive to impress themselves. they see themselves as something important, but the reality is many people see them as "bags of hot air" who have lost connection with the people they are suppose to serve. they forget that we are their bosses and that we determine what is and is not important - and they just seem to miss how it all comes together. they are all out of touch with the people, and they have no idea what to do next it is unfortunate, but the fires in socal are the perfect example.

i have been watching the press over the fire and i have to say, with the exception of our "govenator" i have not been impressed with those who are holding elected office - the left is blaming the right, the right is blaming the left; every one is blaming everyone else - they blame the war, the president, other officials, the environment, the green house effect and much more. they blame and point, and point and blame and never once do they say, "let us not point fingers, let us lift hands" - they are quick to use their fingers to point at others, but they forget that those fingers are connected to hands that can be used to help - so, here is what i would like to see happen -

to all politicians in california [and those outside california who have added their hollow voice to the rampage] - i would like to see you grab an axe and head to the foothills and help put out fires. i would like to see you in a jump suit working at a feeding station and forgo the photo op that would come from it. i would like to see you collecting garbage at the housing centers and the emergency site. i would like to see you reading stories to the children and helping people set-up for a nights sleep.

i would like to see politicians doing something that actually helps, and stop with the lip service. it is one thing to complain about how bad things are, but it is another thing to get dirty actually helping solve the problem. so, when i see politicians sharing their empty words on the tube about how everyone else is to blame all i can think is how hollow they must be inside, because their words are falling upon deaf ears -