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DARE TO BELIEVE (Stonehill/Kilpatrick)
I admit my faith is small and I’m easily distracted
My imitation of myself is poorly overacted
And the mirror shows the lines upon my face
I get to wondering if I’m one more hopeless case
It’s just so hard to wrap my heart and mind around,
This thing called grace (you’ve got to)

Chorus:

Turn off your television, shut off the radio
Listen to your own heart beating
Listen to the wind blow and
Feel the sun on your face
Fell the tears in your eyes and
Dare to believe that Jesus loves you
Dare to believe He really loves you

At times I think my prayers are some kind of delusion
And even if God’s listening, my words are an intrusion
My failures make up such a lengthy list
I think of all the chances I have missed
This penchant for self-loathing is a hard one to resist

It’s as easy and as hard as this
To accept that Love is living and real
You’ve got to step out off the edge into the great unknown
If you want to fell God’s hand beneath your heel

Great Poem from the Writers Almanac

Poem: "The Invention of Fractions" by Jessica Goodfellow, from A Pilgrim's Guide to Chaos in the Heartland. © Concrete Wolf Chapbook Series.

The Invention of Fractions

God himself made the whole numbers: everything else
is the work of man.
—Leopold Kronnecker

God created the whole numbers:
the first born, the seventh seal,
Ten Commandments etched in stone,
the Twelve Tribes of Israel —
Ten we've already lost —
forty days and forty nights,
Saul's ten thousand and David's ten thousand.
'Be of one heart and one mind' —
the whole numbers, the counting numbers.

It took humankind to need less than this;
to invent fractions, percentages, decimals.
Only humankind could need the concepts
of splintering and dividing,
of things lost or broken,
of settling for the part instead of the whole.

Only humankind could find the whole numbers,
infinite as they are, to be wanting;
though given a limitless supply,
we still had no way
to measure what we keep
in our many-chambered hearts.

Lent Adventure Guides

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The Lent Adventure Blog may be found at http://lentadventure2007.blogspot.com

Ash Wednesday

I was quite moved by God at our Ash Wednesday Worship last night. We have three worship stations that were described in the bulletin as follows:

Station One: Ashes to Ashes
You may receive ashes on your forehead or wrist as a sign of repentance and belonging to Jesus.

Station Two: Remember Your Baptism
Dip your hands in the water. Reflect on the meaning of your baptism. You might confess your faith in Jesus by reflecting on or reciting the baptismal questions: Who is your lord and savior? Do you trust Him? And do you desire to be a faithful member of his church wherever you may be?

Station Three: Holy Communion
Come to the table, and partake of the bread and wine by way of intinction. Break-off a piece of bread, and dip it in the cup. Remember the Lord's death and resurrection. Remember that He is coming again, and we will feast with Him in Glory.

I was at the Ashes to Ashes station and placed ashes on foreheads and wrists while reminding people, "You are dust and to dust you will return." It touched my heart deeply and reminded me how much I love the members of the church. I had a profound sense of my mortality and the mortality of those I anointed with ashes. We are all finite beings and each of us will return to the earth one day. I was also very moved by remembering one of the prayers from our Christian funeral service - " You only are immortal, the creator and maker of all.
We are mortal, formed of the earth,
and to earth shall we return.
This you ordained when you created us, saying,
“You are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
All of us go down to the dust;
yet even at the grave we make our song:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia."

That prayer is powerful. We are mortal but we have a sure and certain hope in life with God beyond the grave, through Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Any comments on Ash Wednesday? Read more and leave comments at the Lent Adventure Blog http://lentadventure2007.blogspot.com

I admit it! I watch LOST

Yes, I watch LOST... I admit it! Last episode during the preview they promised that next week they would answer the top three questions that viewers have about LOST.
But what are the top three questions asked by viewers of LOST?
I think I have it:
1. What the heck is going on?
2. Really, what is going on?
3. Please! Tell me! What is going on?

Out of the mouths of babes...

Kids are so sweet and innocent - and the things they say so true! I got a gift certificate to a very nice clothing store where I bought a very sharp and expensive Columbia hooded sweatshirt. I bought a bright color (orange) a bit outside my normal comfort zone because I thought it might cheer me up and to tell the truth I thought it was slimming... So it was cold and rainy today and I thought I'd wear my cool, slimming new hooded sweatshirt. I walked into the living room, feeling great but all that soon changed when 2 year old Lily pointed at me a remarked, "Grandpa, are you a pumpkin?"
Anyone want a used orange sweatshirt?

Pathology Report!

If anyone was wondering - the reports were fine on the tumor that was removed! Thanks for your prayers, The Doctor also removed a burn scar that I had since I was an infant. My shoulder feels like I am wearing a shirt that is about 3 sizes to small, but I am told that it will stretch out and feel normal in a few weeks.

A very moving poem

This is a very moving poem from the Writer's Almanac radio show:

Poem: "A Boy in a Bed in the Dark" by Brad Sachs, from In the Desperate Kingdom of Love: Poems 2001-2004. © Chestnut Hills Press, 2004.

A Boy in a Bed in the Dark

Born with a cleft palate,
My two-year-old brother,
Recovering from yet another surgery,
Toddled into our bedroom
Toppled a tower of blocks
That I had patiently built
And in a five-year-old's fury
I grabbed a fallen block
And winged it at him
Ripping open his carefully reconstructed lip.
The next hours were gruesomely compressed
Ending with a boy in a bed in the dark
Mute with fear
Staring out into the hallway with horror
As the pediatrician went in and out of the bathroom
With one vast blood-soaked towel after another
Shaking his head worriedly.
My brother's howls
And my parents' cooed comfort
Became the soundtrack to this milky movie
That plays
In my darkest theatre,
The one that I sidle past each night
With a shudder
And a throb in my fist

Surgery

Just a quick update for those who might be wondering... The surgery went well. They removed a fatty tumor that weighed about 2 LBS! and cyst the size of a large walnut. I ache a bit and pain pills are helping. My folks are here helping me out. I get a pathology report in the next day or so, but I am not expecting any bad news. Thanks for all the prayers! They are being answered.

Poem in progress

I've got a problem
I wish I could dismiss it.
Life would be simpler if there was no meaning
But when I look around me there is no denying God.


I just posted some old pictures of myself at www.revnorman.com - you might find them amusing...

Getting ready for a show

Christmas

We had a great Christmas. More pictures will follow.

Being Grandpa

I've been spending a lot of time with Jedi lately, teaching him the ways of the force... Here are some of the latest pictures

UP Ice Caves

I found this picture while I was sorting through some old papers. It is from an outing our church in upper MI took out to the ice caves on day after worship in the 1980's.

Grandpa's Birthday

I celebrated my birthday a day early this year with Melia, Micah, Lily, Jedi and Peter. We had a great dinner at the Hickory Pit and then went for a walk in to see Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose. The displays were corny as usual - but we had a good time being together. Tomorrow Micah and I will be going out to see the new Mel Gibson movie. Many cards have come in from friends, family and folks from church.

More Birthday photos

Here are some more pictures - I got a great shot of everyone watching the birthday girl.

Lily's Birthday

Lily turned 2 on Nov. 25! In the first picture she is holding up two fingers and telling us that she is two years old. She was very aware that the party was for her. She just glowed when we sang, "Happy Birthday to Lily". Opening presents was a great new adventure for Lily - she tried to very carefully and daintily unwrap each gift as we cheered her on and tried to encourage her just to rip off the wrappings. I was so happy that we could have the party with my parents, Jeff and Veronica and Veronica's mom. Lily says she really likes, "sesents" read presents. I got her a tricycle and she got lots of clothes and a big pink ball - Everything, including the cake, was very Elmo...

Back home

I had an awesome time on my travels and I think I am finally starting to sense some healing in my life. I had a very restful healing time both in Missouri and Florida and spent a day in Georgia. I had a lot of time to read, reflect and pray. I am grieving still and I'm sure that will be part of my life for a long time, but I am feeling more confident that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am beginning to believe that I can be at peace and enjoy life again. Holidays are still pretty tough. I had a wonderful time with just my sons. We went for a bike ride and had a great dinner.

More Florida

great day fly fishing!

Florida

Dave and Debbie have been so kind and gracious to open their home and let me have space to read and pray. They live in a pretty little town and are right across the street from their church. This is a picture of their backyard. The picture does not do it justice - but will give a sense of the serenity and beauty that surround me. I am feeling very rested. I have a sense of healing and peace that I haven't experienced in a long time.