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robbymac

Yesterday's post from Rob McAlpine's blog is as good a place as any to start this morning, I guess...

I've been thinking about blogging and what it is that I hope to accomplish (there goes that performance orientation again!) by doing it. Some days I'm happy to just be putting my thoughts "out there" where others can hold me accountable and other times I get pissed off and self-pitying because I think "no one's reading my blog".

Boo-f***ing-hoo!

I was particularly struck by this:

If we're wanting to be in community with people who are open, accepting, patient, and loving, then maybe we need to invite the Holy Spirit to cultivate those same qualities in us. Our communities -- house church or cell group in a larger church -- need to be known for what they are "for", rather than what they're reacting against. These are the kind of groups that are attractive to others who are seeking a "safe place" to belong and mature as followers of Jesus.

It may even affect the way we "blog". :)

Just this morning, I was watching FoxNews with my wife before she went to work at Regent and we were watching footage of last night's Democratic Presidential Debates, and as I watched the parade of "Bush-bashers", I said something like, "You know, it's pretty pathetic when you're entire platform consists only of pointing out someone else's alleged faults (They're wrong about Bush IMHO) instead of saying what you would do differently," when suddenly I "heard" God say, "You know? That's exactly how I feel when you talk about My Church."

I was stopped dead in my tracks. And now I read Rob's post. You think someone's trying to tell me something?!

I want to apologize if I have been doing an excessive amount of whining and plain old wallowing in my angst here lately. I have not asked the Holy Spirit to cultivate those qualities of openness, acceptance, patience, and love in me; at least not consistently.

++Holy Spirit,
won't you make me for others
exactly
what I want others to be for me?
Please help me to stop whining
and responding to others
from a place of hurt.
I desire to reflect Jesus today.++