Has anyone else fallen victim to such death threat emails of late? This is really the lowest of low:
From the following address:
nullpwmas@gmail.com
"This is the only way I can contact you for now, I want you to be very careful about this and keep this secret with you until I make out space for us to see. You have no need of knowing who I am or where i am from.I know this may sound very surprising to you but it’s the situation.I have been paid some ransom in advance to terminate you with some reasons listed to me by my employer. A person I believe you call a friend, I have followed you closely for a while now and have seen that you are innocent of the accusations leveled against you. Do not contact the police or try to send a copy of this to them,because if you do, I will know,and I might be pushed to do what I have been paid to do.Besides, this is the first time I turn out to be a betrayer in my job.I took pity on you.That is why I have made up my mind to help you if you are willing to help yourself."
If you are getting these, please register them with Google appropriately and then ignore them.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Ain't No Rest for the Weary
It's hot outside. Really hot for Pforzheim. 30 degrees hot. The bus has air conditioning. So that's a plus. ![]()
What I'm not looking forward to, if I may be honest: getting home and going straight to work on sanding the last remaining room down that we are presently remodelling. Don't get me wrong... I'm totally into the remodelling thing per se. Simply the heat and the end of the day, are huge enthusiasm curbers if you know what I mean.
But now the bus has reached it's destination and I'm going sanding. ;-)
But now the bus has reached it's destination and I'm going sanding. ;-)
Sent from my iPhone
Monday, August 08, 2011
Church Business
Today, we visited a church in Kempten. If my information is correct, it is the largest church in the Allgäu region: It is merely to setup my argumentation that I mention this. Upon entering the building, we were greeted warmly by people who seemed to mean it, the perfect balance of stewardship and emotion (i.e. I didn't feel like they were selling the church to me. Just normal people giving us a hello. Nice!)
Walking deeper in, Jamie was greeted by a kid a little older than he, and immediately sucked into the children's program without so much as a goodbye. Nice!
I went up the stairs to the little kids area with Kian. Almost no one there. Just us and this other really friendly guy and his wife. Turns out all the other parents with kids were just taking there time getting to church and began arriving later. Also nice!
Looking down at all the stools, and listening in on the sermon every now and then, I had the impression the service itself was like some irrelevant black hole. While I was upstairs having quite interesting conversations with other parents, about things we were experiencing in the last days, there was this guy at the pulpit trying to convince us all that what he was talking about was worth our listening to. I just couldn't buy it. Admittedly, being upstairs was more than a hindrance to the flow of his words below, though, the more I listened, it wasn't so much what he was saying, as where he was saying it and how, which gave me cause to reflect not only on this one experience but on all church experiences I've ever had.
The whole concept of church takes for granted that you are willing to do your part in the following: put aside what is important for you thus week; the thoughts running around in your head and decisions that need to be made (so far so good), and exchange them for the wisdom of a person on a stage about problems you may or may not have, all the while holding captive the hope that the holy spirit will make clear the meaning of those wise words upon your heart.
To be clear, I am aware that the cross is foolishness to the perishing, but the examples I am referring to leave out the cross altogether and are thus simply foolishness.
The gentleman from the stage this morning hoped i too would experience the clarity of God's speaking into my life, as does he. But to be quite frank... looking back, if I'm honest, there is more confusion of what God has "spoken" into my life than there ever was clarity. In fact, I would say most of the people I know would agree with me. Does that mean we are all simply on the wrong path, ignoring God's still small voice? Certainly not! There are different experiences with God and his leading. Furthermore, and perhaps most important, people will say a bunch of stupid stuff when up on a stage... even pastors!
There is an undeniable, unignorable, possibly deplorable show element to a Sunday service, which must never be forgotten. The whole atmosphere, on a Sunday morning, is quite tongue-in-cheek, considering the only other institution to deliver authoritative messages, in such a frontal manner, being organised government, to which we hold an estranged relationship at best, has taught us in recent decades to not trust the "man behind the curtain".
And even still, here we stand. A man on a stage telling us that God's words are so clear he has to act. "There is no room for compromise" he said. And what if the curtain falls down and we all find out that sometimes he wonders, just like me, if God really exists, and how the hell he's going to continue to pastor, should his faith not be a strong and the voice of God not be as clear, as he once thought it to be?
No, I am sceptical and cynical of anyone claiming to here the voice of God clearly. Especially when they use themselves as the measurement for clarity.
No, I do not want to hear God's voice as clear as you, Mr. Pastor! I just want to know if he's listening to me and if he really speaks one of my two languages!
Call me strange, but the people who spoke to me the most today were those who said the least. The late coming of the parents with kids in droves, the quick "hello" from the people at the door. The words of encouragement before leaving. Not the guy getting the clear messages from "God Direct", but the second hand smoke of what remained from a personal experience one of those well-intentioned normal people had with a holy creator. Or was it all maybe just smoke?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Walking deeper in, Jamie was greeted by a kid a little older than he, and immediately sucked into the children's program without so much as a goodbye. Nice!
I went up the stairs to the little kids area with Kian. Almost no one there. Just us and this other really friendly guy and his wife. Turns out all the other parents with kids were just taking there time getting to church and began arriving later. Also nice!
Looking down at all the stools, and listening in on the sermon every now and then, I had the impression the service itself was like some irrelevant black hole. While I was upstairs having quite interesting conversations with other parents, about things we were experiencing in the last days, there was this guy at the pulpit trying to convince us all that what he was talking about was worth our listening to. I just couldn't buy it. Admittedly, being upstairs was more than a hindrance to the flow of his words below, though, the more I listened, it wasn't so much what he was saying, as where he was saying it and how, which gave me cause to reflect not only on this one experience but on all church experiences I've ever had.
The whole concept of church takes for granted that you are willing to do your part in the following: put aside what is important for you thus week; the thoughts running around in your head and decisions that need to be made (so far so good), and exchange them for the wisdom of a person on a stage about problems you may or may not have, all the while holding captive the hope that the holy spirit will make clear the meaning of those wise words upon your heart.
To be clear, I am aware that the cross is foolishness to the perishing, but the examples I am referring to leave out the cross altogether and are thus simply foolishness.
The gentleman from the stage this morning hoped i too would experience the clarity of God's speaking into my life, as does he. But to be quite frank... looking back, if I'm honest, there is more confusion of what God has "spoken" into my life than there ever was clarity. In fact, I would say most of the people I know would agree with me. Does that mean we are all simply on the wrong path, ignoring God's still small voice? Certainly not! There are different experiences with God and his leading. Furthermore, and perhaps most important, people will say a bunch of stupid stuff when up on a stage... even pastors!
There is an undeniable, unignorable, possibly deplorable show element to a Sunday service, which must never be forgotten. The whole atmosphere, on a Sunday morning, is quite tongue-in-cheek, considering the only other institution to deliver authoritative messages, in such a frontal manner, being organised government, to which we hold an estranged relationship at best, has taught us in recent decades to not trust the "man behind the curtain".
And even still, here we stand. A man on a stage telling us that God's words are so clear he has to act. "There is no room for compromise" he said. And what if the curtain falls down and we all find out that sometimes he wonders, just like me, if God really exists, and how the hell he's going to continue to pastor, should his faith not be a strong and the voice of God not be as clear, as he once thought it to be?
No, I am sceptical and cynical of anyone claiming to here the voice of God clearly. Especially when they use themselves as the measurement for clarity.
No, I do not want to hear God's voice as clear as you, Mr. Pastor! I just want to know if he's listening to me and if he really speaks one of my two languages!
Call me strange, but the people who spoke to me the most today were those who said the least. The late coming of the parents with kids in droves, the quick "hello" from the people at the door. The words of encouragement before leaving. Not the guy getting the clear messages from "God Direct", but the second hand smoke of what remained from a personal experience one of those well-intentioned normal people had with a holy creator. Or was it all maybe just smoke?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Time to Say Goodbye
It's been a wonderful last week in Moosbach, Germany. We've had lots of sweet moments together: silly walks, karate kid wannabe fights, intimate conversations, trashy pirate talk, and just beautiful serene family time (not to mention yelling, kicking, screaming, bleeding, whining, and limitless remarks laden with hopelessness and world angst).
Just the way I imagined our time to be together. Running across the playground today toward lake Rottach, enjoying the squishy feeling of the wet ground beneath my feet, I was stopped by Jamie who came towards me, fanny first, informing me he needed new pants after falling in the wet grass.
Yes, even though our time here has been clouded by stormy weather, we leave her tomorrow fulfilled with what we experienced here. What we learned from each other, what we gave to another.
Tomorrow, we head for home to finish remodelling our three rooms upstairs in our house, while preparing for Jacob's visit on Thursday.
The certainty of the end of the third pregnancy is clear in our anxiety, as Kristine reaches the conclusion of the final term. There is still quite a lot to prepare for and new things to organise. Our biggest issue, now, is getting all our kids in our car simultaneously: we need three kids seats that fit side by side on the middle bench of the car, so as to allow enough space in the trunk for the buggy. And I thought we were done with worrying about car seats, but the ones we presently have will not fit all together side by side on one bench. Good grief! :-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Just the way I imagined our time to be together. Running across the playground today toward lake Rottach, enjoying the squishy feeling of the wet ground beneath my feet, I was stopped by Jamie who came towards me, fanny first, informing me he needed new pants after falling in the wet grass.
Yes, even though our time here has been clouded by stormy weather, we leave her tomorrow fulfilled with what we experienced here. What we learned from each other, what we gave to another.
Tomorrow, we head for home to finish remodelling our three rooms upstairs in our house, while preparing for Jacob's visit on Thursday.
The certainty of the end of the third pregnancy is clear in our anxiety, as Kristine reaches the conclusion of the final term. There is still quite a lot to prepare for and new things to organise. Our biggest issue, now, is getting all our kids in our car simultaneously: we need three kids seats that fit side by side on the middle bench of the car, so as to allow enough space in the trunk for the buggy. And I thought we were done with worrying about car seats, but the ones we presently have will not fit all together side by side on one bench. Good grief! :-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Allgäulino kicked our arses
We should have seen the warning signs as our youngest said this morning: "I want to go home!" But, evil sadistic parents that we are, naturally, we pressed on.
This was shot before entering the temple of doom.
And this was shot, shortly after a complete meltdown within said doom temple.
Both photos intimately capturing water and the human spirit. The former giving glimpse to the raw, untamed possibility, which is anticipation of all things humanly possible. The latter a testimony to the intrinsic human need to rest in the flow of natural earthly currents, cascading forth from a seemingly limitless source.
Suffice it to say, our mission to Conquer Allgäulino: failed. Most completely. We are now back at the apartment attempting to gather-up the remaining pieces of what is left of our children. May all that is holy be merciful upon us.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
This was shot before entering the temple of doom.
And this was shot, shortly after a complete meltdown within said doom temple.
Both photos intimately capturing water and the human spirit. The former giving glimpse to the raw, untamed possibility, which is anticipation of all things humanly possible. The latter a testimony to the intrinsic human need to rest in the flow of natural earthly currents, cascading forth from a seemingly limitless source.
Suffice it to say, our mission to Conquer Allgäulino: failed. Most completely. We are now back at the apartment attempting to gather-up the remaining pieces of what is left of our children. May all that is holy be merciful upon us.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Bathing in family
It really is something incredible to have the time to relax and be alone with my family. Time to rest and not think about Ecommerce. Time to come down and let my thoughts race wildly on, until there are no longer thoughts at all.
My nose is running, my head feels heavy, I'm tired and need to go to bed, but my heart is so happy.
This is the place worth coming back to again and again. This is where vacation has led me. This is my home.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
My nose is running, my head feels heavy, I'm tired and need to go to bed, but my heart is so happy.
This is the place worth coming back to again and again. This is where vacation has led me. This is my home.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Those beside me
Gone are the days when we really needed, or were truly interested in the lives of, those to the left and right of us. With each passing decade our cultural psyche becomes increasingly strained with the thought of having to invest in someone else's life in a way, which does not show apparent, immediate gain or furtherance of our own journey.
Karl Marx was right about us was he not?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Karl Marx was right about us was he not?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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