finale week

I am sure that everyone has experienced one of those days that feel like they will never end. Mine started on Monday. It ended on Wednesday night. After a few very meaningful moments and conversations with some friends who care so much about me this is what I've been learning:

God is here and He is with us.

When you're in a lake and its nighttime and you can't see what is underneath you and you prefer it that way, daytime isn't bad, even if it exposes the monsters waiting to attack you just below.

a storyl: "[There was] a man [who Baba, a Bishop] knew, who
felt called into ministry, and so decided to go to seminary. After
being at seminary for a few months he went to Baba exultant saying
that he used to struggle with temptations, and it seemed like life was
always out to get him, but now life was easy and that he never really
had to struggle with sin any more. Baba, far from being pleased, said
that he almost cried-- that it was one of the saddest things that he
had ever heard. For it meant that this man was no longer doing
anything worthwhile for the Kingdom, for the Devil had decided that he
was no threat and that there was very little room for God to move in
this man's life. For God proves himself in adversity, and purifies us
with suffering. Baba prays that he will never know a life where he
does not have to continually go down on his knees to beg God for the
strength and the ability to persevere."

You know that you are in a real and true community of believers when your friends step up and feed you when you need food, take you out when you need to get fresh air, and give you a car when yours is shitting up on you, and give you a floatie to keep you from going under when the monsters in the lake smell blood.
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Today is Thursday and it is a new day. Chris Rice says, "What were you doing while I dreamt the night away? Cause I can tell that something's different and my eyes ain't even open yet." I woke up today to a new peace and the warmth of a loving God. There are days that don't seem to end. And there are some you wish wouldn't. The truth, however, is that they all do. The good and the bad. And God remains involved, loving, caring, and good.

PLUS! XMen III tonigth at midnight! what can I say? I'm a little kid!

emily

Last week my mother was in town. She and I went to the Dollar Store and while I was there I saw a doll, named Emily, with a rather unfortunate disformity on her face. She touched my soul however. I took a picture with my cell phone and hared it with friends later that night. My new friend Luccia went out and brought Emily to me. She is great and now, not only is Luccia my friend, but so is Emily.

Here are some recent pictures of Emily. Love her as all of Watermark does.

word of the day

another word from the beautiful German language:

Schadenfreude: (Sha-den-Froy-Duh)
Happiness at the misfortune of others.

How much more German can you get?

By the way, I actually have a whole lot of German friends and I LOVE Germany, the German language, the German people...pretty much anything German. I just think its great that they have a word so specific.

Use it in conversation today.

how long has this been going on?

Today is such an amazing working day, but only under the right circumstances. I am at a coffee shop sitting by a window staring out at the rain threatening clouds, the ones with that mysterious blue-grey tone to it that blankets the whole world, seemingly, with headphones on and Ella's voice flipping around inside my soul. This isn't a blog entry to make anyone feel jealous, I am just very aware of goodness in the world and it is a bit inspiring.

one anothers

Last Sunday I mentioned that in the New Testament there were 46 references to "each other" or "one another" phrases. I was wrong. Here is my list and I counted 58. It is pretty exciting to go through and read them and maybe a challenge would be to try to memorize one a day. If nothing else, it is a neat way to see how it is that Scripture tells us to be with one another and just how many times our behavior to each other is mentioned.

Love –
John 13:34, 13:35,15:12, 15:17
Romans 13:8
1 Thessalonians 3:12, 4:9
1 Peter 1:22
1 John 3:11, 3:23, 4:7, 4:11, 4:12
2 John 1:5
Implead –
Acts 19:38
Excuse –
Romans 2:15
Affectioned –
Romans 12:10
Receive –
Romans 15:7
Admonish –
Romans 15:14, Colossians 3:16
Salute –
Romans 16:16
Greet –
1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Peter 5:14
Serve –
Galatians 5:13
Forbearing –
Ephesians 4:2, Colossians 3:13
Be kind –
Ephesians 4:32
Forgive –
Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13
Teach –
Colossians 3:16
Comfort –
1 Thessalonians 4:18
Edify –
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Exhort –
Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:25
Consider –
Hebrews 10:24
Questioning –
Mark 9:10
Peace –
Mark 9:50
Calling –
Luke 7:32
Trode –
Luke 12:1
Same mind –
Romans 12:16
Likeminded –
Romans 15:15
Tarry –
1 Corinthians 11:33
Care –
1 Corinthians 12:25
Confess –
James 5:16
Compassion –
1 Peter 3:8
Hospitality –
1 Peter 4:9
Minister –
1 Peter 4:10
Be subject –
1 Peter 5:5
Fellowship –
1 John 1:7
Send gifts –
Revelation 11:10

* on the negative -
Don’t judge – Romans 14:13
Be not consumed – Galatians 5:15
Not provoking – Galatians 5:26
Not envying – Galatians 5:26
Lie not – Colossians 3:9
Speak not evil – James 4:11

word of the day

The other day I learned a new German word.

Klugscheisse (kloog-shy-sa)
noun
one who shits wisdom

I love that the Germans have a word this specific.

God, I pray that you fill my speech with wisdom, not so that I become a Klugscheisse, but so that I can teach your Truth, and not simply through words but through my actions as well.

communnitea

For several weeks we have looked at the idea of community at Watermark; first Kobby shared and helped us paint a picture of what the first century church looked like, then RJ guided us through a discussion of love as the fruit that comes out of the church when it is as God intended it to be. If there is something that Watermark as a community has a pretty stable understanding of, it is how to live as a community of love, and spending three weeks on the subject seems a bit much, however, when we continue into the book of Acts and follow with almost all of the letters, or epistles, of the New Testament we see that soon after Christ's resurrection problems arose that threatened the continued beauty of the loving Christian church.

What are some of those things that could set us in the wrong direction? How do we continue to love one another? How do we learn to love more? In reality, if we think we are doing everything right at Watermark, then we have some serious issues to deal with. How exciting would it be if we all thought about our little Watermark family, where we do look like that Church that Kobby painted for us, where we do act out the love that RJ shared with us, and and sought to figure out how to grow more in that direction.

This Sunday we will be looking at some tough passages in Scripture and taking a hard look at ourself and, hopefully, find the grace and hope that God pours over us.

michael anthony lopez.