In the rain...

I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death. 
Leonardo da Vinci 

While it's fresh...

I was standing in a open court yard with a close friend.  I could not see the moon or the stars but I knew it was night because the sun was not shining.  We were discussing something of little importance, so little that even now the topic of our discussion has faded from my memory.  But what happened next I will not soon forget.  As we were talking I notice a man and a woman slowly approaching us.  I had noticed them pass by earlier but paid them no attention.  As they approached I was troubled by what I saw.  In the lead was the man.  As he came closer I was able to make out his appearance.  He was thin.  Very thin.  I could locate nearly every bone in this man's body as his thin skin did everything it could to contain them.  His face was white, like salt.  At first he appeared to have no hair.  But as I soon discovered he had very thin, barely visible greasy black hair flowing from the sides of his head to shoulder length.  His eyes seemed to be missing, which is unlikely as he was able to navigate his way through the dark courtyard directly toward me.  He had a large mouth, and when he smiled he revealed his disease plagued mouth lined with very small teeth, some of them missing.  He was wearing nothing but a cloth around his waist.  Aside from his white face, the rest of his skin appeared to be charred, as if he were burned.  The skin around the left side of his chest was so thin I could see into the man.  His heart struggled to pump blood as it seemed to want to escape the bondage of this man's body.  He moved slowly but with great intent.  Not far behind him was an old woman.  Commonly.  If she were to have been a color it would be gray.  She was fat.  She seemed to be sweating profusely as she followed the man's every move.  She adorned a gray shawl that matched the color of her thinning shoulder length hair.  She was dirty, like one who had been traveling or living in the streets for years.  There was nothing striking about the woman.  I would have quickly forgotten her if not for the heart stopping presence of her male companion.  As they approached I was troubled.  I had never seen anything like the misery that was this man.  I knew he was coming for me.  The way that he walked toward me as if there was nothing else in the world convinced me that there was no escaping interaction with him.  He stopped just a foot or two from where I was standing.  As our gazes met the reality around me turned to darkness.  I could no longer see my friend standing next to me.  The courtyard had disappeared.  I was standing on darkness and darkness was around me.  To my front stood the man and just behind him the woman was cowering.  The man reached out to shake my hand to greet me and as if I was being controlled by another force I reluctantly placed my hand in his.  Immediately, he tightened his grip and lunged forward shrieking.  I was paralyzed and could not free myself from his grasp.  I heard the name "Jesus Christ" come out of my mouth as if it would free me from my captor restoring me to a normal state of being.  But upon hearing the name, the man looked at me and in a clear, yet disturbing voice he proclaimed, "Jesus Christ accuses you!"

When I awoke I was not frightened.  My heart was not racing.  I was thankful the dream woke me up because I had forgotten to put my sister's empanadas in the fridge and they would have gone bad if I didn't get up to do that.  I have not had a nightmare in years.  I don't know if I would consider my dream a nightmare but it was vivid.  Who was the man?  Who was the woman following him?  What did he mean by what he said?  I don't know.  I'm not sure if I care yet?  After all, I have dreamt stranger things.

To Rev Wright

Dear Rev. Wright

God Damn America?  While I'm living here I'd rather you not make prayers like that.  

People who love to see the bad end up with higher blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease.   Consider an aspirin regimen and anger management.  

We could eliminate our weakness by simply investing in our strengths.  

Love Adam

Good Friday...

Wouldn't it be better to spend every Friday thanking God?

Open for Business...

The only difference between the church and the world is... the church closes at 5.

To the sun...

What if all things were a matter of belief?  Take for example the sun.  You could choose to believe in it's existence or you could deny it.  

Those who chose to acknowledge the sun would accredit it with all of it's characteristics.  Ergo... sunglasses, beach days, tinted windows, ac, sun block, and solar panels, all being things used in response to the existence of the sun provding sunshine, warmth, and energy.  

Those who denied it would blame their skin cancer on a series of random events having nothing to do with the non-existent sun.  

The people who believed in the sun of course would create little groups that would go around passing out brochures that explain why the sun really does exists to all the non-believers who would in turn lobby to have the sun removed from our schools and textbooks. 

That would be weird.

A prayer.

He walked away from Jesus.  I mean sure, he was very sad cause he had great wealth, but still he walked away.  Money was his God.  We pity the young man and say "What could be worth denying an intimate relationship with the creator for?"  But I have denied Christ for less than that.  After all, I certainly don't have great wealth.  I don't even have mediocre wealth.  I have traded my Savior for sin.  I have given him up for myself.  You didn't even see it happen.  Only I did.  Which made it easier.  

But having been chosen for grace I can do no wrong in my Father's eyes.  It's as if the very image of my life is that of Christ.  It's as if every word to come out of my mouth is that of the prophets.  It's as if the deeds of my flesh and the thoughts of my mind are the likeness of the one who created me.  Sure, in your eyes I am not good.  I would even be called "sinner."  But God knows my name.  A name that I have not yet heard, but He has called me by it.  It is in this knowledge that my heart is grateful, because I need a savior the most of all.  

Words spoken against me in this world, if shrewdly strategized, may sting for a moment, but the words spoken by Him will forever fortify my spirit.  This world does not claim ownership over me, nor does anyone in it, instead I have been in His hand since the beginning.  Though you may come against me, I gladly lay myself down for you, I have nothing to gain in this world.  This rebellion in my heart is not a stronghold, but a fire.  

We are not at war with one another, but instead with ourselves.  Surrender.