Today's post brought to you by:

the words boldness and sincerity.

They've been sticking out to me lately, those two words. They come to mind at random times, they are sometimes all I hear in a conversation. (Those and patience and frustration, but for five entirely different reasons.)

Anyway, there has to be some grand correlation between the two. I'm thinking both are essential for effective ministry.

More to come.

Me and the boys

I'm still not quite sure what to think about what I wrote yesterday. It is true, but...I just don't want it to come across that everything is just peachy keen, not to say that it isn't because it is, I just...ok, I give up trying to figure it out. Something just isn't sitting right with me, probably more of a semantic rather than substantive issue.

Forgive me, my brain has already strayed from the ways of big people talk. I find that I'm having to correct myself and speak in complete sentences with at least some hint of a varied vocabulary.

For the past couple of days my class has consisted of five boys: three going into first grade and two into second. These boys are going to wear me out, but I do love them. One of them told me yesterday that Cocoa Puffs and Reese's Puffs were brothers. This is the same one who is determined that everybody is somebody's cousin. Ok, so that may be...but what he comes up with is beyond me.

My attention span must be shortening as well, I've forgotten what all I wanted to write. Next you know my speling is going to slip.

By this they shall know.

There is this great song that goes: "I love to be in Your presence, with Your people, singing praises." I may have used it before, but it truly is one of my favorite songs mostly because it is absolutely true. My favorite places are in God's presence and with His people.

I love His people. Sure we have our moments, but there is that dynamic when you are among people who are truly seeking God, truly following after Him. It's like that X factor that Keegan talks about.

It is amazing, that we each other. Only His love, grace, wisdom would bring such mixes together. Take the summer intern group here in Chester--there are personalities, characteristics, idiosyncrasies that in any other group would have already led to discussion, conflict, and battle. True for many a group of Christians living and working together. But that we, bound and unified by His very blood, can look past so much and love through all so long as we hold this Truth..it is testimony in itself to His wonder and might. By this they shall know.