Rise Above

So... I saw the new Batman the other day, "The Dark Knight Rises," and it has got me thinking a lot about what it means to "rise above."


I named my new tricycle Phoenix, because out of the ashes (the destroyed stolen old Tre Si) a new tricycle was born.  And with the appearance of this new trike also came hope for humanity.


I think of how so many of us are dealing with situations and circumstances that gives us two option: to crumble and fall to it or to rise above.


I have been working with a lot of inner city kids who would be considered "proven-risk." When I hear their stories I understand why they are the way they are - they have no father, no bed, no direction, no Jesus, no support and no expectation to succeed... so they don't. They take their situation and circumstances and crumble. It has been beautiful to see the few who choose to rise above, the ones who acknowledge their situations, but do not let it define who they are and better yet, determine who they are going to be. It's beautiful, encouraging, and brilliant.


Another example I have about rising above is the story of my cousin Seth. I am currently sitting in the hospital next to him while he sleeps. Seth had to have part of his intestine removed and is now dealing with unbearable pain, catheters, IVs, poop bags, and an annoying cousin who refuses to leave his side. Seth could very easily hate the world and God, but yet he chooses to rise above his current situation; he bears it and works through it, learning every breath of the way.


I would like to end this blog with a part from the song "Landslide":

I took my love, I took it downClimbed a mountain and I turned aroundAnd I saw my reflection in the snow covered hillsTill the landslide brought me downOh, mirror in the sky, what is love?Can the child within my heart rise above?Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?Can I handle the seasons of my life?Mmm, mmm, mmmWell, I've been afraid of changing'Cause I've built my life around youBut time makes you bolderEven children get older and I'm getting older too
Well, I've been afraid of changing'Cause I've built my life around youBut time makes you bolderEven children get older and I'm getting older tooOh, I'm getting older tooAwh, take my love, take it downAwh, climb a mountain and turn aroundAnd if you see my reflection in the snow covered hillsWell, the landslide bring it downAnd if you see my reflection in the snow covered hillsWell, the landslide bring it downOh, the landslide bring it down




Can we rise above?


John 16:33 says, 
“...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Can the child within my heart rise above? I don't know, but take heart for Jesus rose above and you can too.

Living and Learning

People who live great stories know failure isn’t a judgment, it’s an education.

::It Will All Work Out::

There is a saying in India, "It will all work out in the end...and if it doesn't work out, no worries, it's not the end."

I thought that was brilliant.

::Life is Like Jazz Music... it Doesn't Resolve::

re·solve

   [ri-zolv]  Show IPA verb, re·solved,re·solv·ing, noun

verb (used with object)

1.

to come to a definite or earnest decision about; determine(to do something): I have resolved that I shall live to the full.

2.

to separate into constituent or elementary parts; break up;cause or disintegrate (usually followed by into ).

3.

to reduce or convert by, or as by, breaking up ordisintegration (usually followed by to  or into ).

4.

to convert or transform by any process (often usedreflexively).

5.

to reduce by mental analysis (often followed by into).

verb (used without object)

13.

to come to a determination; make up one's mind; determine(often followed by on  or upon ): to resolve on a plan of action.

14.

to break up or disintegrate.

15.

to be reduced or changed by breaking up or otherwise(usually followed by to  or into ).

16.

Music . to progress from a dissonance to a consonance.

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I find it interesting that the example used by dictionary.com to define the word "resolve" is: I have resolved that I shall live to the full.... curiouser and curiouser as my dear friend Olivanders would say.

I just watched the movie "Blue Like Jazz." I really wanted to see it, because the book changed my life... I was hoping the movie would do the same. The movie I think was a good reminder, it wasn't my favorite, but was I said, it was a good reminder. I find it intriguing that reminders, those second time around type things, are never as exciting as the first time you experienced it... never. You do have a few of those, "oh yeah! I forgot all about that, that's so great, I have to remember that!" which you may or may not remember, but still, it's leftovers, it will never be as good as the first time you experienced it, when it was hot and steamy and satisfied your craving.

I've been struggling with reading the Bible. What's hard is that it's not because I don't necessarily have time... it's just that, I don't want too. I sit there and stare at it and feel like opening it up and reading it is too much work... In the words of the Righteous Brothers, "I've lost that loving feeling, now it's gone, gone, gone... whooo oh oh." Sad. It's like the delight the Word once brought me is now under some seasonal depression right now that I need to get over... but how?

Don't get me wrong, I love God, I love the Word, I believe what it says and I know it's so beneficial, it's just hard for me to find joy.

In "Blue like Jazz" Don's dad says, "Life is a lot like jazz, because it never resolves." I had to look it what the word "resolved" meant, because I didn't think I had the right definition. I thought that resolve is like a decision, a full heart, life committed decision, kind of like a resolution... something that you're willing to commit your life too because you know there needs to be change it that area and you will sacrifice your life to see that change happen in the world. I liked the number 16 definition referring to music a lot, but just the first two words, "to progress." I think that's something I need to remember when resolving...progressing.  I need to continue to move forward, but in a way that is beneficial, for my God, for my community, for me...progress.

Though I am not so much "delighting" in the Word, I still need to seek God diligently. Please, God, bring back that loving feeling. I need that which David had, I need to feel and know that your love is better than life.

Someone once prophesied over me that I was going to write something that lots of people are going to read, but more importantly, when I write it is honoring to God, that He delights in it. I need to resolve to do what delights God and therefore I will also feel that delight.

He's still working on me. Progress. 

::Wires and Programs...Metaphor about Life::

I was talking to a good friend tonight about how people are just wired differently. We think differently, process differently, and respond differently - it's just the way we are individually wired. We are wired differently, but it still works.

Then, I thought about how we are also programmed. We have a certain way in which we are wired, but then different people and/or experiences come into our life and program us to think a certain way or act a certain way that may or may not correspond with the way we were originally wired. This kind of programming can potentially lead to a lot of technological malfunctions that will impact the world as we know it - the way we process it. Programs that do not work with our specific system will make the machine malfunction and potentially get the blue screen of death, therefore needing to be rebooted/reprogrammed.

Thinking about nature verse nurture type things made me realize that we (human beings) are all actually robots.

Another Benefit to Working Out Everyday

So far my New Years resolution is going so good. I've been doing well at working out everyday and today I realized another great benefit to working out everyday... extra clothes. Today when I was puked on by a small child and had hot tasty vomit upon my lap, I thought, 'Ain't no thing, I can just run to my car and get my sweats.' And that is what I did.

So, not only is working out daily good for your health, it's also good for protecting you from having frozen puke on your pants.

::This Mess We Call Life::

Today at Crossroads Rod spoke on Gen. 38 - the story of Judah and Tamar. I don't ever remember hearing about this story... and I can see why, it most definitely is not rate PG or even PG-13 for that matter, so it is something that would never be discussed in church.

This is a story about how messy life is and about the break throughs and sought out justice that brings shalom to that chaos. This story is an example of humanity at it's worse and how God uses the scum of the earth to become the hero of the story.

What was surprising about this particular story is God's silence in a text that He is so quick to call evil, evil - yet says nothing about Tamar's actions towards Judah. Even though Tamar's actions were not necessarily considered pure, she sought out justice and was considered righteous.

I learned that Biblical righteousness is compassionate justice. It is when the strong help the weak. Which was demonstrated by Tamar's actions towards a man who disgraced her and wanted her dead. Though she despised him and was treated horribly by him and his sons, she still fulfilled her call and her faith (so much like Rahab) was accredited to her as righteousness (and these two prostitutes made their way into Jesus's genealogy).

Life is messy. We are messy. We need someone to not just save us from this mess, but to meet us within the mess and pull us out. When we are in it, we are consumed with it and see no end to it. But there is an end. There is a purpose. There is life, a life that can be lived to the fullest.