I’ve had the same email address for over ten years, and the SPAM is getting out of hand. My new email addy is now jc2010 at the same domain as before.
Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category
Changing My Email Address
Monday, July 5th, 2010You’re a Tough Crowd
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010Is anyone besides me getting anything out of this blog? Mostly I’ve done it for my own purposes, but I don’t need it so much anymore, and lately I’ve really been hoping that my readers are getting something out of it as well. I have a number of regular readers and quite a few people wander through, but you’re all so very quiet. The fact that some of you keep coming back should tell me something positive, but a few words now and then would tell me a whole lot more.
So tell me this: If I allowed this blog to languish, would anyone really feel like they were missing out? I’ll take your silence as a clear “No.”
A Personal Sense of Well-Being
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010I’ve noticed that my sense of self-worth and happiness seem to depend on three broad factors, which can also be thought of as spheres of life.
Vocation, the Outer Sphere – This includes ministry and work. If my life’s mission in the greater world is going well, and if I’m doing well in my business or career, then this sphere is in good shape.
Relationships, the Middle Sphere – This includes family, neighbors, friends, and romantic interests. If my family is doing well, I’m spending good quality time with my friends, and I have healthy relationships with good quality women, then all is well in the Middle Sphere.
Self, the Inner Sphere – This includes me. If who I am and what I am doing is in close alignment with who I am supposed to be, then I am at peace with myself and doing well.
None of these spheres can be healthy without God’s guidance. Only he knows for certain who I am supposed to be, what relationships I need to help me grow, and what mission I am to accomplish in life. If I have heard his call then I am able to position myself in the center and coordinate change where I can, trusting God to effect change where I cannot.
Got Questions?
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010I just posted a Statement of Faith that might answer some of your questions. Or might pose more.
The Final Return
Friday, January 22nd, 2010I’m heading to Dallas for The Final Return conference in a few minutes. Have a great weekend, fellow Netizens!
A Rod for the Fool’s Back
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010In the introduction to A Commentary on Marriage in the Bible, I wrote,
I realize the irony of a divorced man writing a book on marriage. My only defense is that I was once much more a fool than I am today, and change did not come easily.
That statement becomes more true every day. I can’t help but look back at myself with amazement. How did I bear myself? How did God bear me? Even as I know that I am less a fool today than yesterday, the reminder is humbling. Tomorrow I will be even less the fool, which means I am still a fool today.
My stripes have been painfully earned, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I consider each one a mile marker on a one-way road. Each one brings me one step closer to the man God wants me to be.
Blue Raft
Monday, January 18th, 2010This song has consistently been in my top ten list for years. I think I love it more today than ever.
Album, Delicate Fade, 1999
Outstanding music, great lyrics.
Darkness will fade, let your tears sink away
Just like stones
Wake up your mind when the morning light shines
Into your soul
See the birds fly in, hear the songs float out
Through my window
On a river of love the Spirit is hovering
On the wind
Free eBook
Thursday, January 7th, 2010You can still buy the hardcopy of A Commentary on Marriage in the Bible, volume 1: the Torah at Amazon (see the link to the right), but now you can get a full pdf file right here.
Publishing Private Thoughts
Friday, January 1st, 2010Everything I write is inspired somehow by my real life. I imagine that’s true for all writers. Some things I’ve written–some of the most profound things–were directly inspired by real life events, by meat space interactions with real people. I realized a long time ago that most people don’t appreciate their dirty laundry being aired in public, so then I tried to couch those thoughts in ambiguous and impersonal terms, to remove them a step or two from real life. I thought I was doing good by hiding names and specific details.
That wasn’t enough.
I just removed forty-six posts from my blog. Not because they weren’t valuable. Many of them contained profound and important truths, but I can’t say the things I need to say and still maintain good relationships with the people around me. I don’t know how to reconcile the two right now, so the world will just have to survive with a hobbled version of my personal truth.
Imported Haloscan Comments
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009Thanks to Bethyada of True Paradigm and Justin of justinsomnia.org, I was able to import all my Haloscan comments into Wordpress. Thanks, guys!