A lot of learning

Wow. There's been a lot of learning tonight.

I went to Voice Cincinnati tonight, after having to miss it last week. It was such a blessing again tonight, to spend time in personal worship, and in receiving a message (albeit through a cd).

On the ride there, I started to think about some of the things that God is doing in my life. I realized that there has been a theme of giving up good things, for Him. Not giving up in terms of quitting, but in terms of surrendering. Each of these things are good things, that God has created for blessing. But while good, they are things that cannot become a focus of mine at all, but rather something that comes out of my pursuit of Jesus. So, He's asked me if I am able to give them up, for Him.

I've been asked to:
♦ Not pursue a girl I liked, because it would be a distraction from my pursuit of God
♦ Make playing with melk about praising and honoring God, not just about myself having fun
♦ Allow someone whose friendship over the years has blessed me so much, and who is closely intertwined with my life, to move further away from me
♦ and, now, a new one. Keep reading.

At Voice Cincinnati, the speaker kept reinforcing this absurdly simple, yet incredibly radical idea. It's the same truth that I learned last year in Deeper. It's that our only focus in life is to know Christ intimately. That's it. Not evangelism, which is supposed to come out of knowing Jesus. Not a career, not a ministry. That the only point in life, the only thing that our lives are made for, is knowing Christ more intimately every day.

As I was sitting there, listening, it came to me,

"Can you give up being married, for Me?"





Now, I have looked forward to marriage for a really long time. A Really Long Time. I have looked forward to the close friendship that will last a lifetime, the intimate knowing of who the other half of me really is. What makes them laugh and cry, what lifts them up. Sharing life together, experiencing the vitality of facing God's creation and laughing with exhilaration. I have looked forward to the deep, intense friendship that marriage is supposed to mean.

And then the question, "Can you give up being married, for Me?"

I have not really dated at all up 'till now, for several reasons. One of them is that I am not in the time or place in my life to devote myself to another person. I'm just too selfish, and not willing to give up my time. That has freed me to do other things, like excelling at Bible Bowl, downhill snow skiing, Boy Scouts, and drumming.

God took this background, along with all that I've been reading about Paul for my Acts class, and said, "See how much more useful you could be, how much more able you could be to respond to me?

In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul says it like this:

29 What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

For those of you who, like me, usually skip the large blocks of text, what he just said was that we are more free to just focus on God's work when we are not married. Married people have a God-given obligation to care for their spouse and family, before anything else. Unmarried people have only God to be concerned about.

Now, I don't take this as an iron-clad decree from on high. This is a question that God is asking me. But, I must answer it in complete sincerity, knowing that how I answer may very well determine a large part of the rest of this life.




Have you ever seen something so beautiful, so exquisite, that you just cried when you saw it? Something so incredibly awesome that it hurt? And they are tears of joy, of happiness. But something so lovely that the only response possible is to cry?

As I was riding back to campus, God showed me a picture of myself, when I'm eighty or ninety. Old, feeble, frail. Not in a bad or disrespectful way at all, but just recognizing the fact that these bodies don't last like they used to.

A picture of me, looking back on my life. Me, thinking of each thing that I've been involved in, each fragment of life. And then seeing the one thread that ran through all of them, the One Thing that bound every single part of my life together. A simple-minded, single-hearted pursuit of intimacy with Christ. And it was so beautiful! To see someone who had poured themself out like a drink offering, basing all of themselves on the simple pursuit of the Lord.

I cried, riding back to campus. I cried out to God, telling Him that I'd much rather be not married, if it meant knowing Him more. I cried over the possibility that I might not marry. I cried at the sight of this life, single-mindedly devoted to Christ. I am not a person who cries, as a general rule. Yet I cried. Tears of joy and sorrow; the only emotion that I could find was crying. Because this exquisite beauty, this intense joy that I was allowed to taste, is the love my Savior feels for me every second.

Intense.

Passionate.

Deep.

Gentle.

Irresistible.

Love.

That's my God.

Pillow Romp

Woohoo! I feel invigorated. Which, right before bed isn't always the best thing.

So, I was laying in my bed, trying to go to sleep. Tim was still up, working on some things. And I just keep making jokes. For example, you know Mandy Metcalf's phrase that she keeps using?

And finally Tim grabs his pillow and takes a swing at me. Me, being the meek person that I am, (meek merely means controlled power), instantly retaliate.

I'm not sure who all reading this has seen my pillow, but I definitely have the advantage. My pillow is at least 1/3 longer than normal pillows. Tim and I were trading blows like professional pillow fighters. He eventually quails before my fierce assualt and runs for the door. Which you can open from the inside, but not from the outside. And Kyle is just across the hall.

Kyle joins in the fun with his own pillow! Meanwhile, I'm listening and chuckling behind my door. I eventually open the door and fight Kyle myself. Tim just trades places with me, and closes the locked door behind him. I'm out in the cold now.

Well, Kyle and I have a nice, short wrestle, during which we each pin each other, as well as disable each other's pillow arms. Tim comes out and rescues me, and we gang up on Kyle. Never fight two skinny guys at the same time, they rock!!!

Well, now I'm totally out of breath, and way to excited to go to sleep. I love college.

And then I found five dollars.

A Wonderful Simile

Last Wednesday night Jesus showed me a wonderful simile. We were all standing around the grass circle in front of the chapel. Each of us held an unlit candle. My eyes were drawn irresistibly to the big spotlight machine in the center of our circle. I kept watching the beams of light as they circled and crossed. They continued to fascinate me as we began singing.

Then a married couple approached me. Stephanie, the person standing on my left, and I, scooted apart to let them into the circle. Both the husband and wife held a lit candle, flaring against the darkness. It dawned on me that I had been chosen as next in line to start spreading the flame from lit candle to unlit one. I felt honored.

I carefully held my wick to his flame, waiting for it to begin burning. Then, just as carefully, I offered my newly lit candle to Eric, standing to my right. My part in the process done, I turned my eyes back to the large light beams in the center of the circle.

But not for long! Eric had carelessly let his candle go out. I gladly held my bright flame to his wick again. But in bringing my candle back in front of me, a stray gust of wind almost blew mine out! I quickly cupped my hand around the flame, warding off any more wandering breezes.

This, however, proved more difficult than it sounded. The night suddenly seemed filled with eddies of wind, fluttering this way and that. Every time I attempted to watch the light beams, I would have to quickly look back down at my own flame. In fact, I realized that I had to give up almost all other outside activities to guard the flame.

At this moment I was given a wonderful word-picture for our life with Christ. I had to focus solely on my flame just to keep it burning. In the same way, we each have been given one task, one responsibility to keep our flame burning. And that is to focus on Jesus as the only thing in our lives. Not that we don’t do other things! But that everything we do is for the purpose of knowing Christ more intimately.

Whether I am attending class, writing a paper, or enjoying recreation, the ultimate goal is spending that time learning from and about different aspects of God. Only in knowing God more intimately each day will I truly allow my flame to burn in the way it was created to.

The Fiddler On The Roof

I love The Fiddler On The Roof.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the music, the humor, and the emotions present in this fantastic story. Last night, I remembered.

The Batesville High School auditorium hosted a community theater event by the RAA, the Rural Alliance for the Arts.

This is the same RAA that sponsors PrairieFire Children's Theater each summer. My sisters, and some of my cousins, have participated in these productions for the past few summers, performing Aladdin, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, and others.

But last night was The Fiddler On The Roof. And, while we couldn't expect them to be Broadway-perfect, the actors still did a tremendous job.


My new quote from the play last night is, "There is no other hand." This line is uttered by Tevya as he is debating with himself. Tevya is famous for comparing the pros and cons with each other, beginning each sentence with, "On the other hand . . ."

The particular incident occurs as his third daughter asks for his blessing on her engagement to a Gentile. Previously, his first and second daughters had, in effect, chosen their own husbands-to-be. These fortunate men, however, had both been Jewish.

When comparing everything else with how much he wanted happiness for his two elder daughters, he always ended up "on the other hand" in their favor.

But when it came down to what his third daughter wanted, he had to choose between his daughter, and his faith. This faith, so very real to him, the very foundation of his being. His daughter, his own flesh and blood, the very sweetest of his children.

He recognized that to bend so far would be to break. While comparing "other hands," he quickly came to the conclusion, "There is no other hand."

Such may our life in the pursuit of God be.








Today, Saturday, we had another mandatory eight hours at work. Which, actually, was fine by me. I, like last Saturday, was planning to work anyway. Making it mandatory just meant that I got to work on my 'home line,' 253, with the people that I knew. It was a pretty good day.


Tomorrow, Sunday afternoon, some of my sisters, my Dad, and I are going up to Indy. One of our Bible Bowl friends is hosting a party, and we are invited. It's been a while since I've been to a party. I'm trying to decide what to wear . . . just kidding! I really don't care.


Just a week and a half of work left, I plan to work through the 17th. Aug. 20th, I'm moving in to my dorm!!!!!! I'm quite excited.


And, you'll all be excited to know, my sixty days on my newest Driving Permit are up today. Next Friday, at 3:30, I will take my driving test for a real license! It still makes me laugh, slightly bitterly, that the BMV wouldn't let me take the test just 'cause I got another permit. Oh well, it will be behind me soon enough.


In His Time,

Prayer Meeting

Last night I attended a prayer meeting with my Mom. As it turned out, the meeting was only supposed to be for us two, since nobody else showed up.

Our church building was smelling like LP gas for some reason, so Mom and I sat outside on the church steps. It was a nice evening, warm, fairly quiet. Birds were chirping, I could smell the sweet freshness of the country. My eyes wandered across the green of the tree leaves and the grass blades, across the parking lot.

We began the meeting with silence, just being quiet. At first I focused on just being, not thinking in words. After a few minutes of this, I started thinking about our church property. I began looking for where God was, and where He was working.

My mind was drawn to our sanctuary, empty at the moment. I mentioned once before that I've been reading in Leviticus and now Deuteronomy, two books of Law. And I pictured our sanctuary continually filled with the sweet incense of praise and worship. Just as the tabernacle and temple would have been filled night and day with the burnt offerings going up before God.

"Yes," I thought, "that is the center. Our praise and worship of God, our seeking Him, is the center and beginning of all that we should try to do." This meeting was to pray for our leaders, elders and the like, as they lead our church through some decisions. And worship and praise, they should be the center.

Mom and I sang "I See The Lord" together, praying that our leaders can be committed to seeing the Lord above all things. And that the focus can be on Him.

As we finished singing, a father and son rode their bikes by on the road. They are neighbors from down the road, and we waved at each other. Just then the boy called ahead to his father, in a young, vulnerable voice, "Where are we going now?"

The father, a muscular man in a yellow shirt, paused in his pedaling. Looking back over his shoulder, he called out, "Just ride. Come on!"


Mom and I waited as they passed by, and then with tears in our eyes shared an incredulous laugh. Us, the young children had been sitting there calling out, "Where are we going now?" Our strong father had seen fit to answer us.

I tried to get past that, to keep praying. But I couldn't. It just kept leaping back into my mind. "Just ride. Come on!"

I've been given my orders!

Joeletter 12.4

The Joeletter


After Monday and Tuesday, the rest of this week has been great at work. The temperature dropped from having 77's to having 58's at 5:30 in the morning, and from having 97's to having 79's at 2:15. Even without a fan, it has been quite comfortable on line 253. I've been loading the plater fairly regularly, and even did it all day a couple times.

Another good friend of mine had her last day of work on Wednesday, lessening the temp. ranks once again. She had (has) a great smile, and is a hard worker. We all miss her.

On Thursday Delta held it's annual Cookout for all the employees. Instead of packing a lunch and eating it in the cafeteria, we all trooped outside for our twenty-minute break. They had erected a large tent in the parking lot and grilled up juicy steaks. If you preferred, you could have chicken instead. They offered us tasty scalloped potatoes and green beans. Ice cream and peach or berry cobbler rounded out the meal. It was quite fantastic, and according to the regular workers it was the best meal that Delta had served in at least five years.

Today, Saturday, we had mandatory overtime. I heard various reasons for why we were all required to come in. One was that Monday and Tuesday being so hot, we didn't get as much work done.

Whatever the case, today was probably the best overtime that I have worked yet. Since everybody was coming in, all the lines were running. This meant I was able to work on my home line, 253, all day. And, all my friends were there today too. It was basically a regular week-day of work, except we were being paid time-and-a-half. I enjoyed it.



Changing gears . . . . .

I really love my little 7-year-old brother. He's great. It's fun to play with him, and do things together. He gives great hugs, and is always enthusiastic.

But he doesn't seem to understand that I just love him. Unreservedly. Whatever he might do, even if I get angry, I still love him. There is nothing that would keep me from loving him.

He seems to think he needs to earn my love. He tries to tell jokes (usually unsuccessfully) so that I'll think he's funny. He's always talking! He tells me things that he's thinking, asks me questions, and keeps talking.

And it's great. He is allowing me to share his life, to be his older brother. This is how it's supposed to be. But sometimes I just want him to be able to sit in silence. I'd like to savor just being together, each of us working on whatever we happen to be doing. To listen, for long periods of time. To be secure in our relationship, knowing that I will always, unconditionally love him.


It's the same way with God, I think. All of our talking, questioning, sharing, all of it, is exactly what we need to do. We need to be constantly opening up our life to Him. But then we also need to make times to sit in silence. Not just being quiet. But being quiet before Him.

Not trying to impress God. Our attempts at impressing Him really just distract us, and are thus annoying. But taking a break from always talking, and always asking, to listen.

God intensely desires that we speak with Him, that we verbally share our hearts, lives, and thoughts with Him. But He also desires that we listen. Much has been taught, and rightly so, on listening through His Word. But we oftentimes neglect to listen in silence as well. Trusting that Jesus is speaking, and that we can hear Him. Part of speaking, is listening.


While I was in Taize, France, at the ecumenical prayer community, I was given the chance to experience this firsthand. I've already written about this before, but it bears repeating.

During each service, immediately before or after a meal, we joined in a time of singing and a time of silence. The first service, I didn't know quite what to expect. And the time of silence seemed a little long.

After that, I was always startled when the silence was over. I always wanted it to last longer. There is something precious in sitting or kneeling quietly, free to merely sit in God's presence. No requests, not necessarily a subject. Just sitting, thinking about and before God.

It might sound kinda boring. It might feel kinda boring, at first. Here at home, I set a timer for fifteen minutes. I commit to staying there and quiet until the beeper goes off. And with time it becomes so much more meaningful.

Sitting in silence is very easy to put off, let me warn you. I, sadly, am lucky to make time once a week. It's not something that comes up and demands doing. It's just like dating and marriage, in that you have to set aside time, and make an effort. When was the last time you accidentally went on a date, or spent time with your spouse? Same principle.

And God is speaking to us. He guarantees that. We can hear Him. He guarantees that too. All it takes is a little time.






Thanks for your interest, prayers, and notes to me on the Harry Potter writing that I'm doing. I have set up a second xanga site to post all of that too. If you're interested in this subject, that is where I'm encouraging everyone to go to. And if you're not interested, this way it won't intrude upon your life. Thanks so much for your prayers.


In His Time,

Heat Index 110F

So, the past two days have had a Heat Index of 110F. I worked both of them. I don't want to whine, so that's all I'll say. Oh, except we did have a fan both days. Speaking of whining, in church on Sunday one of the elders asked us, "What's the difference between a farmer, and a puppy?" Remember, I live in a farming community. Okay, here it is. "The puppy will eventually learn to stop whining! "We all got a kick out of that. I went to the doctor for a physical examination yesterday, to make sure I wasn't going to die in college. All seems to have gone well, and tomorrow (Wed) I go back in to make sure I don't have tuberculosis. Fun fun fun!



I've been reading devotionally in Leviticus, all about the law. (Hey, quiet in the peanut gallery!) The law places quite a lot of emphasis on 'clean' and 'unclean' before God. This is both cleanness of the body, and cleanness of the heart.

As Dad and I were driving home from work a couple days ago, we turned onto a road behind a Bausback Rendering truck. For those of you who don't live in farm communities, you may not be familiar with this kind of truck.It is a big, green, farm-style truck. Not like a pickup, or even a full-sized truck. It's the Big One, designed to haul large amounts of stuff. In the large, tall bed of this particular kind of truck they carry just one thing. Dead animals.You see, in farming communities, animals die. We don't particularly want them to, because that lowers the profit margin. But, they do anyway, jerks.

Each farm has a 'drop-box' located somewhere by a roadway. Inside this 2x4 enclosed square the dead pigs, cows, and other bodies are put. The green truck comes along, picks up the dead animals, and takes them back to the plant to be rendered.

Anyway, Dad and I turn onto the road behind this truck. We can see pig legs sticking above the truckbed walls. And, it being summer in a A/Cless van, we have the windows down.

The most terrible stench immediately assails us. The dead, rotting animals stink sooooo bad. And we're stuck. We have to go the same direction as this truck. There is no escape.

My mind goes back to what I've been reading in Leviticus. Uncleanness. This stench that enveloped me, is what we smell like to God. Under the old Law, it required the sweet smell of sacrifice to cover up the stench of our sin. Under Jesus' covenant, the purpose of the Law, His sacrifice covers up our stench.

Trying to imagine being in among those rotting carcasses, I was again shocked that Jesus came to earth. He chose to live among dead, rotting stench, because He loved what He had created it to be originally. And He restores us from dead and gone, to alive and here. Amazing.

In His Time,

Not on here

I have decided not to put my Harry Potter posts here on my regular blog. Instead, I started a second xanga, HarryPotterBreakdown, for all of that to go on. If I get an overwhelming response asking for it on Blogger.com too, I may start up a second blog as well.

This is the link:
http://www.xanga.com/HarryPotterBreakdown

If you have any comments, questions, or critiques of your own, I would appreciate you putting all of those on the HP site.

Thanks for your interest, comments, and prayer support.

In His Time,
~Joel~

Peachy Keen - Literally!

So, I think peaches are the most amazing, fantastic, wonderful, perfect, flavorburstingfull fruit in the whole wide world.

Now, I'm not talking about those cardboard, store-bought peaches. No, I'm talking about real peaches, the kind you pick off of a tree in an orchard, in southern Indiana. Because that's what we have, courtesy of three of my sisters and my dad.


Saturday morning, while I was working at Delta, they made the hour-an-a-half trip down to Hanover, to a special orchard. I always know when it's time to make the trip, because it's the Saturday directly following the Friday night last performance of Solid Rock.


Yes, the past two years I parted tearfully from my SR friends, and then woke up at five the next morning to pick peaches. This year, while still tearfully missing those excellent SR'ers, I passed the job on to my younger siblings. When I returned from work Saturday afternoon, I was able to reap the benefit of their labor, savoring one luscious peach after another.

They keep telling me that if you eat too many peaches, or too much of any fruit, for that matter, that you will develop a severe case of diarrhea, or a stomach ache. Continuing (as I have for the past 18 years of my life) to belive that this is an old wives tale concocted to protect peach reserves, I have eaten at least twenty in the past two days.


So far, I have been quite healthy. And my chin has been drippin'!


In His Time,

Joeletter 12.3

Wow, so I was really whiny in my last letter, J 12.2. Sorry about that. More areas to work on trusting God, and taking each thing to Him every time I meet with Him.

How have you been doing meeting with God? Have you been looking for Him in Bible accounts? Have you been spending time with Him in your imagination? Do you look around and try to find Him in the room with you? I don't ask to make you feel guilty, if you are not currently seeking Him in this way. I don't believe that our God is a God of guilt. I only ask to offer ways to seek God. And I look forward to hearing from you how you have been spending time with Him.

I didn't end up being able to go to another Solid Rock concert, for which I was sad. But on Thursday night I had a chance to be with some friends from Prague, CZ. The Valodines were my surrogate family while I was away from home. They are currently here in the States on furlough, visiting churches and friends. On their way from North Carolina to Illinois they stopped by to visit my family and I. It was really nice spend the evening with them.

Work continues unabated. It has still been hot, but if I am able to stay in front of a fan I am fairly comfortable. My last few blog/xanga posts have chronicled "The Fanless Saga." Parts of this past week we were without a fan on my line, Line 253. That made it a little tougher to function, as I recounted.

Today, Saturday, I worked on my usual overtime line, Line 574. This is the hottest line in the plating department, because we work in a small area bounded by walls on two sides, and the huge drying machine on a third. The dryer heat is thus concentrated on us, in addition to the heat and humidity present due to summer.

But they borrowed two extra fans from other lines, bringing the number up to five. This made it possible to almost always work in a stream of moving air. I was quite comfortable, considering. Although I would only prefer to work on 574 for overtime pay!

I recently got into a debate with a friend over the Harry Potter books. Now, I am not particularly a Harry Pothead basher. So far, I've only read the first and third book. After reading the third, a variety of reasons combined made me decide not to read any more of them. I didn't particularly hate them at all, I just decided not to read them.

The one thing that I really didn't like about the Harry Pothead books was that Harry always got away with breaking the rules, and never received the just punishment. It was always a slap on the wrist, if he was punished at all. Or the punishment was just, but extenuating circumstances rendered the punishment impotent/non-applicable.

The subtle rule that continually gets reinforced is that 1) If you don't get caught, what you're doing is not wrong, or 2) The end justifies the means, or 3) If you're special, you're above the law. The law doesn't apply to you, it applies to everyone else. You have a certain destiny which you must follow. Thus, to follow that destiny, it's okay if you bend/break/blatantly smash rules.

Let's go over that again.
1) If you don't get caught, what you're doing is not wrong, or
2) The end justifies the means, or
3) If you're special, you're above the law. The law doesn't apply to you, it applies to everyone else. You have a certain destiny which you must follow. Thus, to follow that destiny, it's okay if you bend/break/blatantly smash rules.

I don't agree with any of the above logic statements. I suspect (hope!) you don't either. My disagreement is not merely a personal thing, I believe it is grounded in what God has said to us. In opposition to what God has said to us, these statements are being subtly, strongly reinforced by the Harry Pothead books.

My friend challenged my limited scope, saying that in only reading two of the now just available six books, I was not looking at the whole picture. I strongly, strongly disagree. I believe that the worldview of an author will always come through in that author's writing, no matter how much or how little is written.

However, I have agreed with my friend that I will read all seven of the books. As I go, I plan to post to my blog/xanga specific instances where Harry Pothead should receive punishment, but doesn't. I may post other things too, but I plan to make that my main post subject.

If you choose to follow this line of postings, I should make a disclaimer. I do plan to be nitpicky. But only as nitpicky as you would be if you were trying to rid yourself of cancer cells in your body.


In His Time,

Two days of fans!

No, I have not become famous and gone on tour. I'm referring to "The Fanless Saga," days three and four.

Both yesterday and today we've had a fan! It makes it much nicer to work. In addition to having a fan, today brought a big change for me. I doubt that it's permanent, but I did it for today.

Normally, I load faucet parts on racks, and hang the racks up. Someone else takes those racks and puts them on the plating machine. Well, for about four hours today I loaded the plater!

It wasn't too hard, it was just hot. The fan doesn't reach the loading area. The hard part was switching loading hooks.

See, there are a certain number of "spaces" on the plating machine. Each space can hold a loading hook, or it can be left empty. And each loading hook can hold a loaded rack.

Sometimes, when we have a whole bunch of loaded racks ready, we run the plating machine "full on." This means that every space has a loading hook, and thus a loaded rack. But usually we run the plating machine "2 and 1," or "3 and 1." This means two/three spaces with loading hooks, and one space without a loading hook.

When I started loading the plater, we were running "3 and 1." About five minutes after I started loading, we were told to run the machine "2 and 1." Talk about a trial by fire! I had to keep track of how many loading hooks had gone by, and when I should take a hook off, or put one on! The math was intense.

That's my story.

In His Time,

Day Three of the "Fanless Saga"

So, 281 was running again this morning, and thus they had recovered their fan for their own use. That left us on 253, once again, fanless.
Usually it's a bit cooler in the mornings, and thus more bearable in the factory. This morning, however, started out quite warm. In addition, I felt as though I had not gotten the full benefit of the eight hours I had actually slept.
All this combined to make me feel as though I was working through a blanket, both physically and mentally. The one good thing from being 1/4 asleep was that my time sense was waaay off (you know how you never know how much time has passed while you were dreaming? yeah, that was happening while I was awake), so break came pretty fast. Break at 8:30, during which time I ate, made me feel much better.
Also, 281 broke down again. Thus, we were able to borrow their fan once again. This small addition made the rest of the morning and afternoon livable.

I'm still working on what God is speaking to me through this experience. It may be that He's just teaching me to stop whining, I can take whatever He dishes to me. After all, He does know what I can take, better than I do.

I'm kinda sad this evening, Solid Rock is performing in North Vernon, which is the closest they will be getting to my house, aside from being in Cincy. I, however, still don't have a license due to bureacratic snafus. And since I don't have a ride to take me, I am posting here instead of seeing all my favorite SR'ers again this evening.
God and I did quite a bit of talking about this today. I was still hoping a ride might show up. The conclusion I kept coming back to was, "God, I really do want to be where You are more than where my friends are. If You are going to be at home for me, then that's definitely where I want to be. I just still really miss my SR friends......Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing some of them this fall in college, but I miss them now! I still love you more, though, God."
In His Time,

A borrowed fan

Today was better. Line 281 wasn't running, so we borrowed their fan. That was a really good thing. Also, it wasn't sooooooo humid. That also was a big help. It got fairly warm right at 11:20, but it wasn't like walking through a blanket, like Monday was.

Also, after reading J 12.2, a person close to me reminded me of George Mueller. This guy decided that, if God was in charge of everything, He would provide for His work. Thus, George decided not to ask people for anything that he needed - e.g. no support raising and such. Instead, George told God what he thought he needed, and left it there.

He had to have tremendous trust, both that God would provide what was needed (and He always did, go figure), AND that what God didn't provide, he wouldn't need.

So, sorry for whining. Just a chance to spend that much more time talking and listening to God.


Also, I knew I had something more exciting to post about than just me. Last Sunday, my fourth sister, Nashana turned ten. That was fun. But even more exciting, she was baptized on Sunday too!!!!!!! I'm so excited for her, and I wanted to share that with you.

In His Time,

Not Fan

So, today might have qualified for "Worst Day Of Work." It's been raining, as I've written, and that makes it humid. And, we came in this morning to discover that our fan, which provides much needed air-flow, had been stolen.

Now, the fan itself was still in the building. But another line had appropriated it, and put a metal cord on it, in effect bolting it to the wall. So, all eight hours of today, we were without a fan. And the odds don't look good to get a new one. In fact, they flat out said they didn't have the money to get a new fan. Not good.

In His Time,

Joeletter 12.2

As you have probably guessed, I've been busy. 'Nuff said.


Work has been hot. Now, I realize this probably isn't a shock to you, as I have said the same thing in each of my other Joeletters. The difference between the hot of the past, and the hot of the present, is rain.

Don't get me wrong. We really need the rain. It's been too dry, and all our fields really need the drink. But, that means that more moisture is present in the air. The same moisture that makes Indiana green also makes it humid. Work has been a little more difficult because of the humidity this week, and it's not looking to get any better in the week to come.


I was reminded on this past Monday how fleeting our life is, and how seemingly random it can be. Without God, it'd be pretty depressing.

One of my co-workers, a good friend of mine, didn't show up on Monday morning. Another co-worker asked if I'd heard about her. Of course, I hadn't. She went on to say that Julia* was in surgery that morning, Monday. Apparently, Julia's heart had stopped two or three times on Saturday, incorrectly following instructions from her brain.
*Name changed to protect privacy ~ {I get to write fun stuff like that now!}

She was in surgery last Monday to install a pacemaker. Fortunately the surgery went smoothly, if a little longer than planned. All seems to be fine now, and Julia is at home healing up.

I remained a little shaken, though. I was not prepared to lose contact with Julia like that. She had been planning to work two or three more weeks. Then, all of a sudden, she's gone. I was reminded how little control we have over our "own" lives. As another co-worker mentioned to me, we are about 1/16th of an inch away from disaster every second of our lives. Of course, this is disaster from our perspective, not God's. But it's still disaster to us, nonetheless.

Another co-worker, Sandy*, worked at the same station as me, putting pieces on racks. Along with fun, we had some really wonderful conversations that helped the day move along. Somewhat out of the blue, she gets moved to another area. While close, and I can still see her some, it's definitely different. I have so little control over the people who move in and out of my life.
*You guessed it

It would be depressing. But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother . . .



This past Friday was wonderful. All last week the Solid Rock program has been at the CCU campus, practicing this year's program. Friday night they held their first performance, in the CCU worship building. A large part of my family went down with me to watch.

Oh, how I miss Solid Rock. I miss all the people, all the fun, all the music. And all the people. They are so loving. If I can finagle a ride, I may be able to see them one more time in concert this week. They have a really nice program this year. On Wednesday they will be in North Vernon, and on Friday their last program will be in Cincinnati. I sure hope I will be able to get down there one more time. Say do any of you want to drive down and take me with you?


I see-saw back and forth on working in a factory for the next 55 years. On some days, the really bad days, I am completely against it. Other days, the good days, I think, "Hm, yeah, I could stand to do this for living if I needed too." We'll see.


Next Monday, right after work, I go in for a physical. Apparently CCU wants to be sure that I won't die in the first semester. Fun fun fun!

In other news, my church is having VBS this week. My eldest sister is attending Church Camp. I'm working. That's about it.


I keep trying to write something, but it keeps not working out, not flowing. I have three different thoughts that I am trying to synthesize, and apparently I am too tired to make that happen. I should take that as a warning for college!

So I will write it later. Speaking of college, I'm getting really excited!!!!! Some of my Solid Rock friends will be attending, and I'm really looking forward to spending an entire year with them.

I looked at cell phones last night. I would like to have one, along with service and lots of free minutes, plus free texting, and a camera and the ability to be used as a modem. Does anybody feel like making that happen for me? Right now, I keep telling God what I want. He's listening, and getting ready to act, in His good time. Just one more way to know Him better - keep talking with Him about cell phones.


Oh, exciting. I just recently started posting to a Xanga as well as to my blog. I post the same things, but if it's more convenient to you to use Xanga, that is now available. An added plus, Xanga offers a free subscription service, so you can be e-mailed whenever I post. And remember, I try to post extra things to my blog and Xanga that aren't in The Joeletter.

So here are those links that should be in your favorites list:
www.Joeletter.blogspot.com
http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=DeepSky8

Enjoy!

In His Time,
~Joel~

"I learned I knew it all along . . ."

So, this one time, in algebra, I was solving for X. Which, as most of you know, is "the thing" to do in algebra. It's what all the nerds do. And we all want to be nerds.

So, anyway, I was solving for X. I was struggling along, for one reason or another. Then Dad came home for lunch, and I started talking this math problem out loud to him. For some odd reason, talking out loud makes the problem much simpler. Except I never could do it unless there was someone actually there to talk it too.

Back to the subject again. I'm solving for X. All of a sudden, things start clicking. I start eliminating parts of the equation on both sides of the "=" sign. (which is the other "thing to do"). I'm racing along, solving this equation at lightning speed. When, all of a sudden, I pull up short. I look down at my paper, and sigh in disbelief.

I had just conclusively proved that X = X.

A few times since then, I've done something redundant like that. Every time, my mind has flashed back to that moment, doing algebra. "Oh yeah, X equals X."

I had another moment like that this evening. Did you realize that God is real? Like, real, and powerful, and everything? That's so cool!

My next thought is, "What must I do in response to that?" I mean, here we have this real, great, powerful God. What do we have to do simply because of the very fact that He is real?
Yup, the whole point of Deeper. Pursue Him.

Let me veer away for a second, and then segue back into that thought. So hold on to it. I'm currently reading a book entitled "Eragon." I saw it at the Wal-Mart store, for the low low price of $6.47. Having some change burning a hole in my pocket, and having read a little about the story a long time ago, I decided to purchase it.

Oh, and I wanted to try reading a story with Jesus. Like, I'm pretty used to reading stories by myself. But I wanted to try reading this story along with Jesus. Call it a Spiritual Discipline, if you will.

The story is fairly dependable, the characters are pretty well written. This kid gets a dragon egg, hatches a dragon, is on his way to becoming a hero. The usual.

But I've been learning/remembering some great things as I've been discussing this story with Jesus. Like, most everybody wants to be a hero. Most everybody wants to be special. Our fallen self, at least for us guys, wants to be feared and adored. I've been told girls want to be loved, and to special, set apart, sought after.

And as I get caught up in the story, I start wishing all this was happening to me. Being on a great adventure. Being special. Being loved. Having a powerful friend, who I can talk to with just my mind. Not having to be concerned with what might happen in the future, because nothing can harm me. Jesus reminded me that all this is true. Right now. I am on a great adventure. I have no idea where it will end. At this moment I'm in one of those places that only get one or two sentences in the book, but that form my character and discipline my body. It's still just as important as the rest of the sentences.

I am special. So special that another gave up this life, just so that I could begin and continue this adventure. I am loved. And I can look forward to the beautiful girl several chapters away.
And I do have a powerful friend, who I can talk to with just my mind. My friend speaks back, with more wisdom and love than I will ever encompass.

Best of all, I don't have to be concerned with the future. Nothing can harm me. Sure, this tool of a body, much as I like it, can be maimed. At any moment this body, which I call 'I,' could be reduced to a quivering mass of short-circuiting flesh. But my identity is separate from my body. My adventure will continue.

And, to segue back in, I have something that the characters in this book will never have. I am on the side of a real, powerful, great, awesome, mighty, just, merciful, loving, wrathful, righteous, slow-to-anger, thundering God. And He said He's gonna make it all okay.

Beat that, Eragon.

In His Time,

Joeletter 12.1

This past weekend was wonderful. On Saturday, immedately after work, my Mom and three of my sisters picked me up. Having packed the night before, I hopped into the car and we set out for Chicago.

Beginning Sunday afternoon, this week is the National Bible Bowl tournament. I really enjoyed getting to be up there in Chicago for the weekend, visiting with friends and former teammates. In addition, there was a very nice fireworks show on Sunday night.

Monday being a holiday, I was not required to work. I stayed until Monday afternoon, and then caught a ride home with one of the player's fathers, who also had to work on Tuesday.

So, after an all-to-brief hiatus, here I am again, home. And, actually, home alone. Yes, all the rest of my family is up in Chicago for the week, supporting the team and encouraging my sisters. I have been catching a ride with a co-worker to and from work, which is a real blessing. Except for the fact that I have to wake up twenty minutes earlier . . .

Work at Delta continues to be fine, though warm. It really is a good job. And it takes a lot of time. I am growing less and less interested in donating eight hours a day of my time to the factory, for the next fifty-five years. Unless, of course, it is what I need to do to respond to God. This summer, it is.


So, I realized something this week. I keep forgetting how mighty God is. As my sisters have been quoting to me in preparation for the National Bible Bowl Tournament, they keep quoting Luke 22. Every time, verse 69 jumps out at me. "But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." For three or five weeks I was on a continual Jesus high, after reading the "Can You Hear Me?" book by Brad Jersak. I still highly recommend it to everyone. But, so, I was on this great high. Then, last week, I realized that I didn't 'feel' that fountain of joy bubbling up right in the center of my breastbone anymore. I started wondering why. Always before at work, I had a smile on 'cause of the fountain. Now, I was trying to be smiling as an example of a happy Christian. What was wrong with this picture? I realized that I had slipped back into my old pattern of God. While talking with Him, praying to Him, and acknowledging His presence, I was forgetting about His power. And, actually, I was forgetting about His eternal NowHere, too. I was, in effect, returning to my previous God-in-a-box, without realizing it. That was kinda scary. How easy it is to replace God with my false perception of Him. And, thus, how easy it is for everyone else to do the same thing. It has taught me more compassion for those who knew, or think they know, but don't really seem too. For people who are not allowing themselves to live in Christ's freedom.
It helped me see how subtly we can slip away from our Mighty God. We are the only ones who dare, and are allowed, to pare Aslan's claws in our lives, and even (may it never be) in the lives of others. "Come, Lord Jesus, come. Defend your truth. Remove my bumblings. On earth as it is in heaven. Let it be done."


How about you? What are you hearing from God? I'm not kidding, I would love to hear your stories, if they are not too personal. Apparently, you all thought that I was kidding when I asked you to respond last week. That's the only explanation I have come up with for the total lack of responses.

I have found that it is just as beneficial to write about what God is saying and doing, as it is to hear and experience. This is probably why we are encouraged to journal as a spiritual discipline during our times with God. The act of writing forces us to conceptualize God's messages. We have to think back, and connect His dots. And I almost always learn something new when writing. That is, in fact, one reason I write the Joeletter. It's to journal what God is doing in my life right now. You just get to read over my sholder.

And it seems that God's messages are usually timely for the rest of the body, too. I am always encouraged when I see and hear God's messages to other people.

Remember, this life really isn't about this life at all. It's so easy for me to forget that. But, everything in this life is so transitory. Nothing lasts. Nothing is worth all our work, our devotion. It's all gonna burn. Only people, and the Word, will last. And, of course, our Mighty God.


In His Time,

A factory career

So, I've heard from many people that they hated their factory experience. And that it helped them work hard in college. And that's fantastic.

But I honestly don't hate working in a factory. Or, at least, I don't hate my current job. Which, right now, is the same thing. It's a whole lot of work, and the heat has been very tough. But, really, the job itself isn't so bad.

Since my first day, I've been asking myself, "Is this something that I could do for the rest of my working life?" The answer I've arrived at is, Yes. I could, if need be, work in a factory for the rest of my life. That said, I would be just as happy not working in a factory for the rest of my life. I have really come to appreciate how much time is spent working. And how much free time students have! I'm really looking forward to college.

I believe that all students should spend some time, at least one summer, working at a job like this. I have really come to appreciate the value of money, and appreciate even more the gifts that people have given me over the years. Experiencing the work that went into that gift makes it even more precious.

Speaking of experiencing, how have you been doing experiencing God lately? Just as I knew about the work that went into earning a living, it is so easy for us to simply know about God. This kind of knowing, however, does nothing. It does not change us, it makes no demands upon us. It's just 'there.'

But when we experience God, through meeting with Him in Listening Prayer, and His constant presence, it's the difference between life and death. Seeking to know Him as real, to experience Him as a true presence in our lives, lays down demands upon us. These demands are the simplest thing in the world ... and the toughest. Without Jesus doing all the work, we are not strong enough. When we submit and obey what He is saying to us in this moment, for this instant, He changes us.

There is total freedom in simply living to know God more intimately. And to know Him more intimately, you have to first experience Him as real. You may have to give up some things to follow Him. In fact, I guarentee you will. At least your pride. Also, your self-esteem. You'll have to give up other people's approval. And I would believe it if you needed to give up some of the 'stuff' you have. Knowing Jesus intimately is pricey. But I assure you, it's sooooo worth the cost. At least, He thought so.

In His Time,

Joeletter 11.3

The Joeletter


My second week of work, finished. My first paycheck, supposedly received (I had them direct deposit it, and I haven't been to the bank yet). I didn't realize that I have a pay stub to pick up at the temp. office, so I will be going to get it tomorrow.

Something that I had not realized was how much time an eight-hour job eats up! You don't spend just eight hours a day working. By the time it's all done and finished, you are spending more like ten hours. First you must get to work, then afterward run errands and get groceries, and then get home. It makes me really appreciate all the free time a full-time student has!

But, all in all, it's still a really good job. I'm having fun, and learning new things.



How has the Listening Prayer been going for you? I would really enjoy hearing from each of you, whether you have found time to try it or not. Something that Jesus has really been impressing on my heart this week has been that Listening Prayer is merely a tool, not the actual "thing you must do to be a real Christian." Listening Prayer is a method to help you experience Jesus actual presence with you. We've all felt like, "I just wish I could see, or feel Him here with me." Using your imagination this way, you can.

So how 'bout it? Close your eyes, and ask Jesus to help you hear His words that He is speaking to you right now.

Ask Him what about you makes Him smile? In what ways was He pleased with you today?

What things made Him sad today? Things that you did, or didn't do? Things that you saw happen today?

What things has He been doing today? Where has He been working? Where does He want you to work alongside of Him?


Remember, we do hear Him. We have just learned how to be deaf. We have learned how to reject His words with our logic. Wherever He takes your mind, to whatever part of today, look for where He was and what He was working there. What He says will always correspond with He has already said, and what He has said/is saying to others. If you're not sure, just ask! He'll always tell you.

The book that I read that sets this all out can be found at this link,

http://www.freshwindpress.com/

and is entitled "Can You Hear Me?" by Brad Jersak. If you haven't had a chance to look at the site, and/or order the book, I would highly recommend it. Any price is worth the freedom and joy in Christ. If nothing else, His example on the cross proves that. If you want to get the book, but can't afford it right now, talk to me. We'll work something out.


I am reading another book right now that has been really resonating with me, with what I've been learning and growing in. It is called "The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery," by David G. Benner. Here is a link to one of the sites that offers this slim, paperback book for under 10 dollars. You can also just search 'David G. Benner.'

David G. Benner Books - BestPrices.com's David G. Benner Book Catalog

One of the things that David writes about echoes another use of Listening Prayer that Brad Jersak describes. Just as you can look around and find Jesus with you wherever you are in the day, you can enter Biblical accounts and do the same. Pick out your favorite Bible story, find it again in the Bible, and read through it a few times.

Then sit back, preferably in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed and won't go to sleep. Use your imagination and enter the story. Look around, and find Jesus. Don't worry, He'll always be there. Even in the Old Testament He will be present. His plan to reconcile us to Himself was a first-run idea. It started on the first page of the Bible, and goes to the last. More than that, He's on every page in between. It might be a little tougher to find Him sometimes, but He's always there.

Just daydream on that story. You are a spectator, watching the events unfold before you. And, as the story progresses, focus on Jesus. Watch what He does, what He says. Watch His face. David G. Benner acknowledges that he has difficulty imagining much more than the details provided by the Bible. But he says,

"... after I get past my frustration and sense of failure, I realize that simply pondering the event - allowing myself to daydream on it - is sharing Jesus' experiences with him. I am, in fact, slowly moving into a new level of personal knowing of Jesus."

And only in sharing experiences do we build a friendship, a relationship. While going to church contributes to our walk, and springs out of our walk, it does not by itself build up our friendship with Jesus. The same goes for merely reading the Bible, not experiencing it with Him. These things are a fruit of our relationship with Him, not what cause that relationship. Spending time will always lead you right back into the Bible, and back to setting aside time with His people, His church. He will never lead us away from Himself, whether in His body or what He has already revealed.

I would really enjoy hearing from each of you, and things that are a part of your life right now. Your experiences with listening prayer, and whatever else is drawing you to Jesus right now.

Those site links again are:

"Can You Hear Me?" by Brad Jersak
http://www.freshwindpress.com/

"The Gift of Being Yourself" by David G. Benner
David G. Benner Books - BestPrices.com's David G. Benner Book Catalog

Both books are terrific, and have been a tremendous blessing in helping me know Jesus more intimately. I highly recommend them both.


Also, for those of you who haven't heard, I am planning on going to Cincinnati Christian University in the fall. I am signed up for a Bachelor of Arts, with a program in Youth Ministry. That may change, but for the moment that's what I'm signed up for.


Experience life with Him ~ There's no going back


In His Time,

Joeletter 11.2

The Joeletter

For all of you who haven't heard, or haven't checked my blog (tsk tsk - http://www.joeletter.blogspot.com/), I am now a working man.

Contrary to what I wrote last time, a first shift job did present itself at Delta Faucet, and I started last Tuesday at 6:15 a.m. It astonishes me every morning that the sun is up before me, when I wake up at 5:20. Still, I'm glad that it is. If the sun weren't up, I don't think I would be able to drag myself out of bed to eat breakfast and make the twenty-five minute drive to the factory.

So far, my job experience has developed in two completely separate areas. The place where I am assigned, Plating, is a lot of fun. We take faucet parts out of boxes, and put them on metal racks. Then, the racks are put on a a machine that dips them into a nickel solution. Electrolysis plates nickel onto the faucet pieces.

The place where I've worked three of the past five working days is totally different. (And, yes, I started on Tuesday, but I worked today, Saturday, as well. That makes five). I'm not entirely sure what this place is called. It might be Polishing, or Coating, or Finishing. Whatever the name, I have been busy putting pieces into large rock-polishing machines, and taking the same pieces out a few minutes to several minutes later. While slightly more repetitive, this job is also fun.

Now, the fun involved in these jobs does not come from the jobs themselves. I would like to share with you something that has totally revolutionized my personal relationship with Jesus. This thing makes all factory jobs fun, sets you free from what other people think about you, and turns on a huge, never-ceasing fountain of joy right in the middle of your chest.

It's called Listening Prayer. Now, that's just a name, a convenient way to handle this 'thing,' this concept. I don't really care what you call it, if it is bringing you to know Jesus better.

I first learned about Listening Prayer from a book called "The Practice of the Presence of God," by Brother Lawrence. Now, Listening Prayer is not mentioned throughout the entire book. What Brother Lawrence did was try to practice God's presence at all times. When I first read this book while in Deeper, I did not understand how exactly that worked.

What flipped the switch for me was a newer book entitled "Can You Hear Me?" by Brad Jersak. The book is available from Fresh Wind Press - http://www.freshwindpress.com/. The premise is that God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit is always speaking to us. Not always audibly, but always spiritually. Furthermore, that we do hear Him as He speaks to us.

To us, it makes sense that the more we grow toward God, the more He will speak to us. But, how then can we grow close to Him in the first place, if only at a certain 'level' does He begin to speak to us? And, what is this level? When have you attained it? In God's outrageous grace, He speaks to us all the time, just as he causes the rain to fall on the evil and the good.

To listen to Him, we must first believe that He is speaking, and that we can hear Him. This can seem a little scary, opening ourselves up to listening to someone outside ourselves, especially to One in the spiritual world. But, as Brad writes in his book, remember Jesus. He is strong, He is loving, and He is good. His voice is unlike any other. And His message is always consistent with all that He has already said.

Picture it this way, with an illustration from "Can You Hear Me?" You and a close friend are camping outside in a tent. It is pitch black, and you can't even see your hand in front of your face. You and your buddy are talking together. Outside the tent, however, are several of your enemies. They keep trying to sound like your friend, and cut in on the conversation. They keep lying to you.

Now think about it. Your friend is right there. He can hear all this. He loves you. He won't let these lies and impostors deceive you! Every time, He will tell you if it was Him or not. All you have to do is ask!

That is some background for listening prayer, but not the listening itself. Listening to Jesus involves the imagination. I realize that raises several red flags, again. We have been taught from childhood to live in the real world, not our imaginations. The imagination is where we make things up, not a place where anything serious happens.

I'm not sure that what we have been taught is entirely true. While it is true that we make things up with our imagination, I don't believe that our imagination is to blame. The imagination is, so to speak, a projection screen. You might think of the large, drop-down screens being installed in many of our churches today. The imagination is where we can 'see' things happening. But the 'screen' doesn't determine what is played upon it. The projector does.

If we ourselves act as the projector, then the screen of the imagination is only going to show what we decide. This, then, is where the limitations on imagination come from. We record our own movies, and then watch them play out in our imagination. But what if Jesus is the projector? Would not our perfect Savior show us only what is good, and true, and noble, and right?

This, then, is the core of listening prayer. Using our imaginations to meet with Jesus, the person. Using our imaginations to realize our relationship with Him.

For some, it's easier to first try with eyes closed, while others find it easier to listen in prayer with eyes open. Look and see what Jesus is wearing. For me, He is usually wearing the white robe and blue sash shown in Standard Publishing's depictions of Jesus. And that's fine. For you, He may be wearing jeans and a t-shirt. That also is fine. The point is spending time with Him, not his outfit.

Next, look up at His face. What expression is He wearing as He looks at you? Along with whatever other expression, you know that there will be love. He will never tell you something opposed to His word, because He does not change. He will never make you feel bad, or ashamed. If you're not sure it's really Him, just ask! He, our strong Lord, will always be right by your side, answering you.

Open your eyes, and look around. Where is Jesus? Is He sitting in one of the chairs by the table? Is he up on a tree branch? Is He right beside you? Practice finding Him wherever you are. He has promised never to leave. We just have to realize that.

At this point, you might be concerned that you're just making all this up in your head. To a point, you are. Remember, Jesus is working with your imagination. But the question to ask is not, "Am I just making this up?" That introduces doubt. Doubt in God is one of the primary weapons of Satan. Eve was tempted to doubt that God had her best interests in mind. James tells us that he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think that he will receive anything he asks for in prayer.

So don't doubt. The question is not, "Is this just my imagination?" Rather, the question should be, "Is this true? Is this You, Jesus?" Whether it is your imagination or not doesn't really matter. All that matters in life is what is true; what is Jesus. The one way to know what is true, and what is truly Him, is to know what He is like. Only through reading and knowing the Bible will you be able to hear Jesus clearly.

Listening prayer doesn't lead you away from the Bible and into your own little world. Rather, listening prayer (like all parts of the pursuit of Jesus) loops right back into His Word. What He says will always be consistent, both with the Bible, and with the messages that other people are hearing from Him.

There is a whole lot more that I will write about in the following Joeletters. But, for now, look around. Where is Jesus? What is He saying to me? How do I need to respond?

This is the thing makes all factory jobs fun, that sets you free from what other people think about you, and that turns on a huge fountain of joy right in the middle of your chest. It's hearing and seeing Jesus in a relationship. "And the things of earth / will grow strangely dim / in the light of His glory and grace."

If you have any questions before the next Joeletter, just let me know. I would highly recommend obtaining a copy of Brad Jersak's book, "Can You Hear Me?" for yourself and to share. I have not yet found a Christian bookstore that sells it, but the website is http://www.freshwindpress.com/. They also sell a children's story/picturebook version, appropriately entitled, "Children, can you hear me?" This beautifully illustrated book captures the heart and the message of listening to Jesus, our best friend. It's never to early, or too late, to start listening to Jesus. It might even be easier to understand than the adult version!


I have thought some more about writing of all that happened in Taize and afterward. Unless one of you really, really wants to know, I'm just not gonna write about it. It's over, done, and gone, and I'm living in the now.

In His Time,

Change in Schedule

So, I went in yesterday to the temp. office to pick up the piece of paper I would need to give to the guard at the factory where I was to work. And, yes, it was every bit as involved as that sentence.

I showed up at the office, explained it all, and found that they could move me to a first-shift job which would start today, Tuesday. Well, that was what I was hoping for, really, because that means that I could probably see the Solid Rock concert and friends when they perform later this summer. Plus, that helps me to wake up at a regular hour each morning, and get into that good habit. College will probably change that, but at least I'm trying.

So, the gist of all this, is that today I woke up at 5:30 a.m., stumbled out of bed, and saw that the sun was shining. I ate breakfast, hurried to work, and entered the work force!

My shift runs from 6:15 to 14:15 (that's 2:15 p.m., for all you non-European people). I am in Plating. It's the part of the production process that takes the metal faucet fittings and change their color. Today, at least, we were changing the fittings from a copper/bronze color to a pretty silver.

This is accomplished through electrolysis. For all of you who are out of high school and can't remember what exactly that means, it's a process of running electric current through metal (in this case the fittings) that forces nickel molecules in a nickel-solution to bond to the metal in a nice, smooth finish.

My job today was to take the faucet pieces from their boxes and fasten them onto racks. These special racks were hung on the plating machine. The machine dipped the racks and the fittings into the nickel solution. It is kind of a repetitive job, in that I did it for eight hours. But there were enough different kinds of pieces and different kinds of racks that I never became bored.

We get a break from 8:30 to 8:40, and then lunch from 11:00 to 11:20. Today we also had a fire drill/alarm. I never did hear if it was just a drill, or if it was an actual alarm. Either way, we got to go outside for about five minutes and stand in the fresh, cool air. It got warm in there. Fortunately it was a fairly dry heat, so the sweat didn't ever become too unbearable. But I drank a whole lot of water.

Okay, I've gotta get to bed. This working man has to be back at it tomorrow morning. Later.

In His Time,

College Kid

Yesterday, when I was posting, I thought I had something more exciting to write about than just starting work today. This morning, I remembered it.

Friday, the 10th, I registered to become a College Kid! Woohoo! I am now registered for classes. And even more importantly, I have a student ID card with my picture on it.

Yes, I'm getting excited. I'm looking forward to this new experience, and seeing friends from Solid Rock. My roommate, in fact, if all goes well, will be a guy that I met on Solid Rock 2004. We ran together in the mornings on campus.

Also, I got to visit the Kentucky Christian University Bible Bowl Tournament Friday night and Saturday! It was really, really nice to be there, and see all my friends without having to worry about studying, or playing the games. I enjoyed that a whole lot.

I did watch several games. I know, I've said before that Bible Bowl is one of the most boring things to watch, probably rating right above fishing. And, I still stand by that, somewhat. But it was a little more fun watching this year, probably 'cause I don't know the text, so the entire game is a surprise, watching people buzz in and answer.

I really enjoyed spending time catching up with friends that I had played with and against. I even made some new friends! Bible Bowl people, as a general rule, are a pretty nice crowd.

All right, I just wanted to let all the rest of you know what I did over the weekend. Peace Out!

In His Time,

"You're in the factory now..."

If all goes as planned, I will be starting work tomorrow. Delta Faucet, 2nd shift, 4-12 p.m. No life, moderate amount of money. They keep telling me this will help me want to go to college. But, I already want to go to college! That line doesn't seem to be a get out of jail free pass, at least around here ;-)

In His Time,

Wow, I really am different

Yesterday, I did something I never, never in my wildest dreams, thought I would ever do. I bought a pair of sandals.

Yes, I know that doesn't sound very earthshattering. But, you have to understand, I have been against sandals for a very long time.

I just don't feel like they provide very much safety for my feet. I always feel like they are going to fall off any second. And you can forget about trying to run in them!

But I have really come to appreciate dry feet during my time in Prague. Not that I had wet feet before, mind you, but you know how feet naturally sweat when encased in shoes. The custom in Europe, as in much of the rest of the world, it would seem, is to take off your shoes when entering a person's home. This includes your own home. Thus, much of the time your shoes are off your feet.

When I returned home, I realized how much I missed leaving my shoes off . So, I began taking them off. Real simple, I know. Then I moved to sockless. While in Wal-mart, I passed a rack of sale sandals. The rest is history.

Now, I am still against flip-flops. They still hold all of the negatives that I dislike about sandals. But these sandals that I bought have three straps, holding my foot fairly secure, but allowing it to breath.

Thank you, Tina and Lisa, for your efforts during Deeper to reconcile my feet with flip-flops. I now report to you that you have somewhat triumphed.

In His Time,

Joeletter 11.1

The Joeletter

Another month, another letter. Well, now that I'm home I hope to write more often again.

Yes, I, Joel Jackson, am home. After nine wonderful months of Deeper, and two 'most excellent' weeks of vacation with my family, I am back for the summer in good old Indiana. Funny, it's still pretty much the same as when I left it. It's me that different.

One difference is how much more I love my country. I still dislike American tourists, but I definitely love my country even more than I did before both Deeper and this vacation. Let me explain why:

We started out the trip by flying from Indianapolis to Boston. This was the first time for some of my siblings to fly, or at least be old enough to appreciate it. It was neat to fly with them.

We rented two 7-passenger vans there in Boston, and drove up to Maine. It was wet, rainy, and cold, but walking along the coast was still an amazing and wonderful experience. We got to see the real New England ocean, stormy and raw. Looking at the rocky coastline, it made us appreciate how difficult it would have been for the Pilgrims to land, farther down the coast at Plymouth. Here at this hotel we enjoyed the indoor pool and Roman Spa.

The next day we drove back down to Boston to see several sights. My favorite was the USS Constitution, the oldest warship afloat still under commission. This ship, nicknamed "Old Ironsides," never lost an engagement.

We also stopped by a visitor's center that had a 270 degree ( not 360) movie about the Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill), as well as some displays. We drove by the Old North Church (one if by land...). And we parked on the Lexington Green, where the shot heard round the world was fired. Did you know that the Patriots and the British soldiers began the war with the same type of musket? The Americans had been equipped by the British previous to the Revolution, and thus had very similar equipment.

The next day, having picked up our relatives from Kansas, who flew into Boston, we toured the area around Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower 2 was anchored in the bay, modeled as close to the original Mayflower as possible. Just 50 yards from the Mayflower 2 lies Plymouth Rock, the rock the Pilgrims were said to have landed at. Plymouth Plantation, a recreation of the original settlement, was a fantastic place to visit. People in the character of 1627 residents spoke with us about their lives and histories. Detailed research allowed them to role-play these characters down to accent, personal history from before crossing the ocean to America, and current occupation.

In Philadelphia we visited Matt and Melissa Johnson and their children Miles and Nina. The Johnsons are a loved part of our church family. God called them to serve in the Levittown, Pennsylvania Church of Christ.

While in Philly, we also saw the Liberty Bell, and a lights and music show entitled "Lights of Liberty." It was in this show that I understood how uncertain our future really was, back when we were revolting from British control. There was a lot of uncertainty.

I got to see the room where they wrote and signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. Later, in D.C. I got to see both of these original documents. It was pretty cool to have stood where they started out.

Speaking of D.C., that's where we drove to next. We saw the Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Memorials, the Vietnam memorial, and the new W.W.II memorial. The Capitol, the outside of the White House, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and quite a few metal detectors. It was an amazing trip.

Btw, if you ever go to the Library of Congress, don't take your shoes off. Well, let me back up. Don't wear steel-toed boots on a trip where you know you will be encountering the heaviest security precautions in our country. Don't be an idiot.

See, the airports don't mind if you send your shoes through the metal detectors. You just pop your shoes off, set them on the machine, and walk through the metal detector. No sweat. But not in the Library of Congress! No Sir! You can't even explain that you have metal in your shoes, and you know that they will set off the detector, and you just want to send them through the x-ray machine, and save everyone a whole lot of time. No, you have to be wanded. Every time. Every. Time. The worst part is that they don't have a standardized procedure for wanding you. So I never knew if they wanted my to put my Mt. Pleasant sweatshirt and jacket through the machine, or leave them on my person, or hand them to someone to feel through to make sure I wasn't smuggling a pair of nail clippers into the building.

Don't wear steel-toed boots to Washington D.C.

In His Time,

So I'm home...

I have been trying desperetely to finish Joeletter 11.1, and let that be the first thing I post on my blog. In it I am writing about the highlights from our (my family's vacation). But with my sisters needing the computer to practice Bible Bowl, me cleaning my room, me playing with Jathan, and trying to nail down a job, I haven't had enough time to finish it.

So, I am actually home now. As you will read about soon, the trip was fantastic.

I will update you on the job search. I went in to the temp. office again today, and finished all the paperwork and orientation. They are currently waiting to see if a 1st-shift job becomes available. If nothing shows up by Friday, (and I really don't expect anything too), then I will call and switch to 2nd shift, which I believe they have available. So, I hope to be starting work next Monday, 2:oo p.m.

"Where at?" you say? Yes, I just realized that I neglected to specify where they hope to place me. Delta Faucet, one of the factories here in the area.

Yes, I am also trying to coordinate haying, and mowing grass. I keep worrying about how that will all work out, 'cause I don't want to not be available for any of these places after asking if I could work for these guys. (Yeah, that was a run-on sentence).

I'm on a simplicity kick after coming back from Prague. Hence, the room cleaning. See, I used to be a major packrat. I would save anything that I might be able to use in the future, including things that held some sort of sentimental value, or that I couldn't bear to let anyone else have. So, my room is crammed with junk. Absolutely crammed.

But with lots of work parts of my room are being reclaimed. It's really pretty exciting to see the how much more space will be available when I'm done. This same simplicity kick is really helping me pack for trips. My suitcase was one of the smallest on our vacation. (The downside to that is that someone else carries my suitcase, while I get two of the biggest ones. Oh well, I've been workin' out).

In His Time,

Joeletter 10.1

The Joeletter

I realize that it's been quite a while since I last wrote a Joeletter. This is partly due to my schedule over the past month, and partly due to my own laziness. To be honest, I haven't felt like writing since after Taize. In addition, I felt like I needed to "be" there in Prague while finishing up our time there. Then, this past week we've been at our Indiana base site, debriefing. I wanted to spend my time there, being there. So I didn't take any time to write. I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

Now, here I am. I am home, after nine/ten months of Deeper. As the next couple months progress I plan to write more about what all has happened this past month since my last Joeletter. But I will share some of the things that I did in this letter.


The first place that we went to following the last Joeletter was Taize, in France. It's been a while since I wrote about Taize, so let me refresh your memory. Taize is an ecumenical prayer community located in the charming countryside region of Burgundy.

We drove from Prague to Taize, one long drive beginning at 3:oo a.m. We drove to Germany and got onto the Autobahn. Let me tell you about the Autobahn. It's insane. But, like all things German, it's not just any crazy mess of insanity. It is most definitely a well ordered insanity.

You may have heard of the German autobahn, and how there are no speed limits. And you may, like me, have pictured this nice, four lane, divided, interstate-like roadway. Nope. In most places the German autobahn looks like a divided highway. Both sides of the highway have two lanes, but most of it still looks like a highway.

We got onto the autobahn, and we are doing about 75 mph. I must specify mph, because over there everything is in kilometers, including the speedometers. So we were doing 120 kph. Most of the other vehicles were going just a little bit faster than us, I'd guess doing 135 to 145 kph. But every so often, some car would come screaming past us. Every time it happened I would almost get goosebumps. They had to be going at least twice as fast as us - and it was legal!

While on the way to Taize, we passed a large number of cars parked on both sides of the Autobahn, on dirt Frontage roads. After maybe a minute of passing all these vehicles parked on both sides of the autobahn, we started wondering what the crowd was gathering for, especially in the drizzle that was coming down. Then we saw the outside of the track, and realized that these people were attending Europe's answer to Brickyard racing - Formula 1.

The rest of the day went well, except for the rain that continued coming down. By the time we arrived in France and were close to Taize, a large number of the fields were flooded. Several roads were impassible, and a bridge was out. This forced us to follow a detour and make a couple of educated guesses as to how to get to Taize. At one point the question was asked, "With all this raining/flooding, what if they close Taize for the week?!"

Fortunately, Taize was open, and we did make it. Ben and I attended the "Welcome" for people under thirty, and Jeff attended the Welcome for all those over thirty. It was at this welcome that we received sleeping assignments and work assignments. At it was at this Welcome that I received the best job on the Taize campus. This job, difficult as it may sound, was preparing lunch for from 300 to 2000 people.

But it was the best! We had a wonderful team leader, a Swedish girl named Erika. She, along with several other guys and gals, was a "permanent." This meant that they were there at Taize for an extended period of time, rather than the week that most people came for.

I say that my job was the best because of what all we didn't have to do. We didn't have to wash dishes. We didn't have to work every minute that we were there. In fact, we would arrive, prepare all the serving boxes, and then have 30 -45 minutes for tea and cookies. I enjoyed spending time with my fellow workers. Christian, Philip, Michael, Annika, and Danielle were their names, all from Germany. Fortunately for me, everyone in the group spoke English, at least to some extent. I must confess, spending that week at Taize made me feel quite dumb. Everyone spoke at least two languages, several three or four. Me, I limped through high school with Spanish, which I'm definitely not fluent in. And spending three months in Prague didn't help my Spanish retention at all! I would try to speak one or the other, in my limited way, and always come up with the word in the other language. Very frustrating.

But enough people spoke English, and could translate for me, that it worked out okay. Here is a like for the pictures that I personally took or had taken while at Taize. Ben and Jeff took many, many more, but I didn't have access to them to put them on the website.

http://photobucket.com/albums/y84/DeepSky8/Taize/?start=20



I'm feeling a bit tired now, so I think I will go to bed. Tomorrow I have to get up at 6:00 to go with my sisters to a Bible Bowl tournament, the Indy Round Robin. I'm looking forward to seeing all my Bible Bowl friends again, and seeing my sisters play. So, good night.


Oh, yes...

Next Monday, the 23rd, my family will be taking a vacation. So, I won't be writing for a couple of weeks, unless I get Internet access. And I don't expect that.

But you ask what we will be doing. We will fly from Indianapolis to Boston, drive up to Maine for a day, and then work our way down the coast to Washington D.C., and see our capitol. Then, we will fly back from D.C. to Indy, getting home on June 4. I must say, after Deeper I'm really looking forward to getting back into a plane and a van, even if only for the two weeks that we will be gone! But it will be really nice to be with my family, and to see all the sights.


Thank you all for your interest in my year at Deeper. I have enjoyed hearing back from you, and I'm glad you have (seemingly, at least) enjoyed reading about what all has happened. Like I said at the beginning of 10.1, I am planning to continue writing The Joeletter, and continue to write about what all happened in this past month. At the same time, I realize that now that Deeper is done you may wish to be removed from the Joeletter mailing list. Unlike the list reformatting this past Christmas, I am not going to actively drop anyone from the list. If you would like to be removed simply send me an e-mail from the address you wish removed, and I'll do it. Thanks.

In His Time,

Name Game

I stumbled across this site, and found out that my name means "God is Willing." I'm sure I knew that at some point, and had been told that by my parents. But, I had forgotten it. It was kinda neat to hear that again today - God is Willing.

I also found that in the past 100 years, the 80's had the highest number of Joel's. Joel was actually the 69th most popular name of my birth decade. Neat.

Here's what the site says about itself:

"Find out how popular your first name has been over the past 100 years, just click below and enter your first name."

http://www.birthdayalarm.com/name

Enjoy!

In His Time,

Back Home

Wow. I'm back home, here in the States. It has taken a little getting used to. Everyone around me speaks English! I actually hesitated about going into Wal-Mart for that very reason. And when strangers around me spoke, I would turn my head toward them. It just seemed like they were talking to me, since they spoke in English!

I slept for twelve hours last night, and that has been a good start to getting over jet lag. Right now, at 5:30, I'm quite tired again. At home in the Czech it would be tomorrow, 12:30 a.m. Time changes are still quite difficult for me to completely comprehend.

Speaking of time changes, I just heard that the Indiana State government voted to adopt Daylight Savings Time. I was quite upset when I heard that. Now I , along with the rest of the country, will have to deal with the foolishness of changing my clock twice a year, and adjusting my sleeping pattern accordingly. Why couldn't they leave well enough alone!? I was quite happy when the rest of the country changed to our time zone, and we didn't have to worry about it. grrr.

Anyway, it was very good to get back and see my family. They came to the airport to greet me! It was great to give them all hugs, and hear little bits of what all has been happening in their lives.

All right, I'm tired.

In His Time,

Going Home

Hi all,

Yes, I realize that I haven't posted anything meaningful since before going to Taize. I will, but not yet. We have been very busy, and it's only going to get worse.

This is because we will be flying home on Thursday. I am sad to leave here, and to leave this season of my life, but I am glad to see my family again. I'm starting to miss them.

In His Time,

Salzburg Salt Mine Slide!

Bumper Sticker of the Day

When I pasted this link in, I didn't realize that it changes what it says each week. So, I have no idea what it says right now. But it's usually kinda funny.

BumperSticker of the Day

Courtesy of BumperTalk.com

Divoka Sarka

As I have mentioned before, there are small parks sprinkled throughout Praha. It's very nice to be able to walk just a few blocks to find grass and trees.

But around the outside of Praha there are a few larger parks. Nice places filled with trees, paths, benches, and sunshine. Yesterday afternoon I visited the largest one, called Divoka Sarka.

Divoka Sarka, in Czech, means "Crazy Sarka." The S in Sarka has a small mark above it called a hatchek. This small mark means that the S sounds like "Sh." According to the story, a woman named Sarka ran off a cliff there. Thus, crazy Sarka.

But when I visited yesterday, I saw no good reason for anyone to run off a cliff. The sun was shining brightly on the first broad expanse of grass. It reflected back as a brilliant green. I walked down, and then up again. On one rock I found five of the largest snails I have ever seen. Their shells were at least 1 and 1/4 in. across. At the top of this second cliff craggy rocks poked their way through the lush grasses and small trees.

I found a nice place to sit on one of the sides, and contemplated the valley before me. Most of the trees were of the evergreen or pine variety. That is something that it a bit different from America to here. Most of these trees are not deciduous, but pine.

The sun was shining in my face, telling me I was looking west. Below, large swaths of grass ran between the forest. To my right, off quite a ways, some people were clambering over the rocks. They looked like mere dots of color from where I was.

Behind me lay the city, with all its noise and bustle. Seeing it, my heart was filled with love and compassion for this great city which I am living in for now. Before me lay the forest and the clearings. And both were beautiful, though each in a different way.

There, on the grassy cliffside, I napped.

Returning from my mountaintop experience, I crossed a crick running through Divoka Sarka. Just as I reached it I caught the scent of fresh streams, the cooler breath of refreshing air. I paused to enjoy it, filling my lungs with sweet stream oxygen.

Yeah, I really like Divoka Sarka. I think I'm gonna go back today.

In His Time,

Joeletter 9.1

There are two things that keep me from writing Joeletters. One is being too busy. Not having a computer at our flat, Ben and I must work out times to be on other people's computers. With all the other things that are going on here in Praha that can be difficult.

The other thing that keeps me from consistently writing Joeletters is not having anything to write about. It seems like we are either ridiculously busy, or not doing much of anything. It's quite silly.

Tonight, Monday night, Ben, Jeff, and I will attend the Ski Trip Reunion. All the people who went on the trip to Austria to ski in the Alps are getting back together. We'll see how everyone's doing now, and each get a CD with all the pictures that we took on the trip. That will be very nice. I'm looking forward to having everyone's pictures of the Alps, and of the participants.

This Saturday Jeff, Ben, Steve Cone, and myself, will drive to Taize, France. Located in the south of Burgundy, the community began in 1940. In 1949 a monastery was established out of that initial community. Today, pilgrims from all over the world flock to Taize (pronounced with the first e as in the name Ed, and the second e like a long "a". Phonetically, it's Tezaaa). It promises to be a wonderful week of introspection and discovery. These websites explain about the origin and current function of Taize.

http://www.taize.fr/en_rubrique8.html - The Community

http://www.taize.fr/en_article166.html - Beginning to Today

Part of the experience is sharing in the work. We will each be assigned jobs helping to serve all the visitors at Taize, of whom we are a part. We will also be put into discussion groups to talk over things that we've heard, been taught, or just thought about each day. I'm looking forward to the week. I've heard wonderful things from all the people who have already spent time there.

Jeff has rented a car to make the trip in, as it would be much too expensive to get to Taize otherwise. Even in a car, it will be a little expensive getting there and back again. Gas here is over five dollars a gallon. It makes the high prices back in the states seem cheap in comparison. Now, I'm not sure if I've talked about this, but we there is a big difference between American cars and European cars. American cars are HUGE! It's so funny to see cars from America over here, because they are so much bigger than what I've grown used to. Over here cars are much smaller, which helps when finding parking places in the city. Also, smaller cars equal less gas consumption.

But, here's the kicker, there will be four of us in this small Czech car. Now, four people in an American car is no problem. Even four large people. But in a Czech car there is much less space. And all four of us have spent some time in the gym here in Praha. I'm definitely the smallest one of the group. And we will be driving for a very long time. If you refer to a map, the Czech Republic and France aren't exactly next door neighbors. Yeehaw.


On the way back from Taize we will stop in Munich, Germany. We plan to spend the night at a friend's flat. Then Jeff, Steve, and Ben will return to Prague, and I will stay in Munich for a week. It's a chance to spend some time with Sandy Graham, a wonderful woman of God. One of the reasons we traveled up to Munich about a month ago was to see here. She came down to see us over Easter weekend and participated in our Easter Prayer Vigil.

But I didn't get a chance to spend much time with her either visit. Since that didn't happen she invited me up to Munich. So, immediately after Taize I will spend a week in Munich, then ride the train home. I'm looking forward to talking and praying with her.


Our time here draws swiftly to a close. I am both glad and sad. I am going to miss the time spent here, and the people that I have met. At the same time, I do miss my family. It will be good to be with them again.

It may sound a little funny to be talking like this right now, since we have about a month left before we have to leave. But with all that will be happening, I know that it's going to fly by very fast.

Well, that's all that I can think of to write to you about. I know I'll have quite a lot to write about after Taize and Munich, so take this Joeletter as the calm before the storm - sol.

In His Time,

Create A Trend - Sol

I am writing today to offer you a once-in-a-lifetime chance. You are being invited to join a trend at the ground level. You, yes you, are being offered the chance to become a trendsetter.

"What does it take?" you ask. "Will it involve any financial expenditure? Because if it does, I'm out of here."

Never fear, this is a no-risk, non-profit trend. Continue reading for full details.

I, Joel Jackson, have invented a new acronym for cyberworld use. It is "sol." That's right, sol. It stands for Smile Out Loud. I became rather tired of seeing "lol" all the time, especially when something was kind of funny, but not funny enough to really Laugh Out Loud about. Thus, I coined the term Sol, or sol in it's uncapitalized version.

This blog post is your official invitation to join a cutting-edge trend. If each of us make an effort to use sol as much as applicably possible when writing e-mails and instant messaging, and invite our friends to do the same, the cyberworld will take notice. Already I receive instant messages and e-mails from my friends that include this hip new phrase. You are invited to do the same.

For those of you who are interested, there are a couple other cyberslang acronyms that are also starting to catch on. These are syk - Slap Your Knee; and gol - Grin Out Loud. Yes, gol is merely a variant of sol. But it's kinda catchy, and has a LOTR ring to it - it reminds me of Gollum every time I see it.

Thank you for your time, and remember to always SOL!

In His Time,