Ragamuffin

I saw Ragamuffin this week. The movie.

I don’t normally do reviews here, and I’m struggling to find words to adequately describe the film. Which seems completely appropriate – I never met Rich Mullins, but I have friends who knew him, and invariably the first words out of their mouths are,

“Well, he was different.”

He would appreciate that.

For those not familiar with Rich, he wrote a lot of the Christian music heard in the 80s and 90s. Christian music in that era was Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and Rich Mullins. If you’ve ever set foot in a church, you likely have sung “Awesome God” and others of his.

His songs may seem a bit like golden oldies to some at this point, but he was a rebel in his time. The establishment did not like his rock and roll ways … his lack of appreciation for rules … for shoes.

He may have been the original Jesus freak – a term I first learned while on vacation with my family as a child, when we encountered a hippie dude who totally looked like Jesus. I think we were on the boardwalk in Quebec City. The guy had long dark hair, a beard, some type of robe thing as best I can recall, and sandals. I don’t remember a thing he said, and he didn’t seem threatening to me, but I remember clearly my parents describing the man as a “Jesus freak” once we were out of earshot.

I usually play the piano in flip flops during warmer months. My own blinged out girl version of Jesus sandals. So go ahead, call me a Jesus freak. You may even find me barefoot during rehearsal.

Seriously, everyone tells me Rich was not a fan of shoes, and the movie makes that obvious. Maybe it’s a musician thing.

What makes Rich’s music special is the honesty – sometimes brutal – and complexity of the lyrics, set to melodies that stick in your head. I have always been a fan of smart lyrics.

“So on the road to salvation, I stick out my thumb and he gives me a ride.”

One of my favorites. It says so much in a prophetic few words.

Rich’s legacy is more than just music, though. He challenged people and challenged the establishment without really making people mad. He emphasized faith over religion, but he wasn’t anti-church by any means. He would rather you focus on God than him. He would rather you read scripture for yourself instead of taking his word for it.

Trying to be more like Christ, figuring out what exactly that looks like, and above all recognizing God’s love for us … those were the themes of his life.

Go see this movie if you …

• ever feel like you don’t belong.
• think church people are hypocrites.
• think you have it all figured out.
• think you have nothing figured out.
• ever feel unloved.
• yearn for more authenticity in the church.
• think perfection is required in this life.

Go see Ragamuffin. Take tissues. And prepare to have your thoughts provoked.

Sigh

Sigh. It’s starting out to be a weird January.

Several days ago the temperature was well below zero. Today it’s 54 deg F. The wind is whipping the door to the coffee shop open just enough to turn the automatic heater / blower thingy on and off to an annoying degree. Problem easily solved, though – ear buds are in with the musical stylings of Switchfoot keeping me company.

Continuing in the category of personal problems, my hands are poofy and dried out. Poofy is just something I deal with, an ongoing medical issue. I think the poofy is in my brain today, too. The dried out is just the reality of winter in Ohio. I’m bandaged up with Neosporin to try to keep the fingers as healthy as possible for Sunday.

I predict it’ll be a double-Neuro kind of morning.

Whose holiday season was less stellar than hoped for? I think Christmas and New Year’s rarely fulfill all our hopes and dreams. It seems excessive this year in my world.

Our usual New Year’s activities, if there is such a thing, turned into I stayed in and went to bed before midnight. Partly due to the events of the week, partly due to we just didn’t care. A trip planned for the first few days of the year was canceled by the event organizer. I was looking forward to combining that adventure with a little personal retreat time. Instead I spent a couple extra days hunkered down indoors praying for the electric to stay on (it did) and wrapped up in my new furry polka dot robe. You know, regardless of whether I decided to change out of my pjs before noon on any particular day.

Ah the joys and the luxury of working from home.

And I’m still thinking about that retreat time and figuring out how to make it happen.

In the last couple of weeks we have lost a crazy number of people from our church, some of whom I was fairly close with. There is one big party going in heaven right now. But those still here are pretty much reeling.

During first service Sunday mornings I’m in the habit of hanging in the lobby, in between worship time and the invitation song. There is a Sunday school class I used to sit in on, but I found myself checking the clock and keeping an ear to the ground for the end of the sermon, listening for my cue more than really participating in the class.

So instead I usually catch up on social media on my phone, read my YouVersion, or chat with whoever is around. The lobby – or is it vestibule? We don’t really have anything we call a vestibule, but I like saying “vestibule”. It’s a great word. Anyway, the lobby is peacefully quiet and serene during first service. And I have often run into one of my friends there, as he takes care of some church duties. We talk about whatever – life, nutrition, family, current events. He is one of those who got to move on to the big party this week. I’ll probably catch myself still expecting to see him in the lobby, with a smile on his face and just matter-of-factly taking care of what needs to be done.

That seems like a great goal for the rest of us … keep a smile on your face and take care of what needs to be done.

Body Language

What is it about men and their body language?

I’m sitting in a coffee shop, trying to hunker down and do some work. There are two men at the next table. One is turned sideways with his elbow propped on the back of his chair. His elbow extends to the back of the other comfy chair at my table.

There are only two comfy chairs in this establishment. Anyone really wanting a comfy chair might steer clear for fear they’ll be whacked in the back of the head.

I prefer the comfy chairs. Allows me to set my laptop on my actual lap. No worries about table height ergonomics.

I am more opposed to being whacked in the back of the head, however.

Men like to occupy as much space as possible. Stop and watch sometime. I’m not saying it’s right, wrong, or indifferent. It’s just a thing.

Women are taught to behave, act, and sit like ladies. Legs or ankles crossed. Arms close to the body. We aren’t told outright to occupy less space, that’s just the result.

I would imagine this gentleman doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. He probably would even adjust his position should anyone say “excuse me” and lay claim to what I am sure must be the last comfy chair on the planet.

Do I look OCD? J No offense to those who actually are, I just like order and organization.

And I try not to judge. Note that judging, in the evil connotation to which it has been relegated in modern society, is different from calling a spade a spade, calling truth truth, and having some discernment.

Interestingly, said space-occupying gentleman just got up and left. His companion stayed behind. What I could not see before from this angle (because of the space our guy was taking up?) is that the other gentleman is sitting with his little laptop and mouse. Looks like he’s working on something. Maybe surfing social media and just looking like he’s working, but he’s definitely focused on the screen.

Which makes one wonder … was super-space-occupying-man an interruption? Did he overstay his welcome? He sat there for a good half hour after I got here. Was it a planned meeting? I’m guessing not. Perhaps his turned-to-the-side body language was really a way of having one foot out the door, saying, “I’m not interrupting.” Was it a welcome interruption? I have no idea.

So. Deeper questions for today, as we approach the new year. As we make resolutions and/or set goals. In this season of renewal.

Are you where you want to be?

Are you just occupying space?

Are you hunkering down when you need to?

On the opposite end of the scale, though, are you allowing God to interrupt and redirect you when needed?

Our time on this earth is finite. What are you doing with yours?

Love God, Love People

Love God and love people. That’s what it comes down to.

Jesus threw those extra couple commandments out there not necessarily to trump anything that had come before, but to say, “Hey. Love. That’s what’s most important.”

Love never fails.

The devil has been working overtime lately to distract us from what’s important. Good grief, it’s like a Pharisees versus heretics versus insert-your-favorite-label-here extravaganza out there these days.

I like to kind of chill in December and refocus on what’s important … as much as possible, anyway. Typically I’m pretty busy in October / November with some love God / love people secret elfin missions, so my own holiday preparations get to wait until closer to Christmas. Decorating, shopping, baking, hanging with the inner circle, prepping for the new year … all good stuff that I like to do. And often I’ll end up eliminating several items on my wish list of activities – because they turn out to be not that important.

As I write this, I’m a little distracted because I’m prepping for routine allergy testing first of the week. That means no antihistamines for several days so the doc can get a true read. It’s been 72 hours since my last Zyrtec, and every cell in my body itches right now. The palms of my hands. The inside of my mouth. My eyeballs. My teeth. My Teeth Itch.

Soon I think I may start seeing sounds. Should be an interesting worship service in the morning. Maybe I should take a sketchbook with me and draw pictures of the music when I have a few minutes in the green room.

It probably doesn’t help matters that we’re experiencing torrential rain this weekend. Did I mention I’m allergic to mold? Discovered that one when I lived in Louisiana. Or Wheeze-iana as I like to call it.

Okay, enough whining about me and the color of an F#m7 chord.

Love God and love people.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

~ John 14:15 (NASB)

By the way, on the subject of current events … I have taught on 1 Corinthians 6. I recommend going King James with it. J After you read it, before you open your mouth, maybe contemplate this one, too …

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

~ Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV)

So think of it like this. Love is the Christmas tree. Everything else hangs on it.

It doesn’t go away, it hangs on it.

And without the tree to hold it all together, you have a pile of ornaments.

Love God and love people.

You Are a Daughter of the King

Psssst. You. Yeah you.

You are a daughter of the king. Don’t forget it.

That boss who says you should consider a different career? He’s an idiot. Over time people will desert the company because he’s abusive and impossible to work for. And he definitely doesn’t have Jesus. Find someone of influence who does and ask them to help get you out of there.

And those people who think you need to be pigeonholed into a single career? That you owe some debt to society because of what you studied in school? Ignore their narrow minds. God’s will is the only one that matters.

Friends who profess to be Christians and attend church and read their bible will suddenly decide parts of that bible don’t apply to them. Yes, you are your brother’s keeper, but treat them with grace and don’t be holier-than-thou. It’s okay to distance yourself if you need to. They may assume your approval, but they’ll figure it out eventually. Let God work on them.

Free will is a …. well, you know.

And indeed it takes all kinds in this world.

You are a daughter of the king. Act like it.

When that lady wants everyone to “open up your heart chakra” and air your dirty laundry to complete strangers … stand your ground. Have a quiet discussion of faith, works, and karma with your new Hindu friend who is equally bothered by the suggested exercise. It’ll be better for both of you.

You’ve been given a sharp mind and an independent spirit. Use them for good.

Humility is important. Timidity … not so much.

Be consistent and practice what you preach. Perfection is not required, so don’t worry so much. That whole death and resurrection thing? That covered the gaps for you.

You are a daughter of the king.

Never stop learning new things. You’ll notice those who do, and they’ll seem old, really old. And stagnant. Regardless of their chronological age.

Remove the word “can’t” from your vocabulary.

Trust God.

People will be mean. People will take advantage. People will promise help and then disappear. People will try to tell you what you need to do and how you need to be. Unless their opinion is in line with God’s word and God’s will, it doesn’t matter. Change the rules and move on.

People will resent your growth and the changes you make. Let ‘em.

You are a daughter of the king.

Satan is tricky. The original trickster. He will trick you into questioning things you thought were true. He will lead you to believe that sin isn’t really sin. Pick a sin, any sin. It’ll be subtle. It may take you a while to notice or to realize why you don’t feel quite right about something. Once you do, be strong enough to tell him where to go.

Never give up. You are anything but ordinary.

You are a daughter of the king. Don’t forget it.

Grace and Waffles

I just ate at a Waffle House for the second time ever. I know, I lead a sheltered life. I did learn that cheese grits can be just like regular grits but with a slice of processed American cheese slapped on top. And the waitresses running the juke box are fond of transitions from modern country, to 80s Bon Jovi, to Vince Gill “Go Rest High On That Mountain”, straight into Vanilla Ice. Some dance moves may have been busted out. Just what the doctor ordered, even for this food nazi.

I’m halfway home from Atlanta, somewhere in small town Tennessee, nestled amongst the mountains along the interstate. Bad, bad, dangerous weather is predicted in Ohio tonight, so I didn’t want to drive all the way home.

There are three things I don’t like when it comes to driving. Driving at night, driving in unfamiliar places, and driving in rain or snow. I still do them, they’re just not my favorite. They cause me stress, and they make me tired. Three of the four hours of driving today were in the rain. Interstate driving doesn’t really count as unfamiliar, though, and it was somewhat light outside, albeit overcast. I was hydroplaning like nobody’s business on a regular basis, however.

About a year-and-a-half ago I went on a business trip with a coworker. Our travel arranger had put the rental car in my name. In my past experience, any employee of the company is good to drive the rental car … all part of the contract, yada, yada, yada. I have no idea where my coworker stands on spiritual matters, but I would not be surprised to learn he has legalistic tendencies. He had no interest whatsoever, no way, no how, in driving the rental car. It might not be okay. What if something happened.

Oy vey. So yes indeedy, following some airline delays and re-routing, we had the trifecta of darkness, rainy / wintry mix, and driving two hours from northern Vermont (there are watch-out-for-moose signs) into Quebec ski resort country. I do not mind chivalry at all. I am highly in favor of it, in fact. In my coworker’s defense, he was unaware of my driving preferences, and we ended up with a hilarious story to tell everyone else.

Today’s trip was a day earlier than planned. Normally I’m pretty healthy, and I’m a former road warrior so travel is no big deal, but I do have some chronic health issues that rear their ugly head from time to time. This morning I wasn’t feeling well, so I bailed early on my conference to start heading home. I went to the front desk to check out early, and I chose the riff raff line, as opposed to the I-stay-in-a-hotel-way-too-much line. I do not know where it came from … but my inner wench totally came out. Well, okay, maybe I do know where it came from. In a past life I may have managed unruly, potty-mouthed construction and factory workers with ease, and vicious rhetoric may be among my natural, God-given talents.

The front desk clerk handling the riff raff line called me up, I told her what room I was checking out of, and then … a guy from the hoity toity line interjected to complain that she should be taking care of him first. Keep in mind there were only maybe four or five people total in any line at the time. I politely invited the fine gentleman to “go right ahead and make a lady wait”. He started to take me up on my offer until I added how special he was. J

So I got checked out quickly, thanked the clerk and told her she was doing a great job, and went on my way. I am certain I lost points in the grace department, and feeling ill doesn’t really make it ok. To do list item number one … keep working on that grace thing …

Stuck

I started to write a series of blog posts on healthy eating / what I eat at someone’s request, but good grief, it may actually turn into a book.

So Plan B. And if you want my more detailed advice on healthy eating, get in touch. It’s what I do for a living.

Interesting things and adventures are on the horizon. And I keep getting lessons and whispers and clues along the way. God is so, so funny. Just ask him.

What do you do when you look up and suddenly realize you’ve grown about a bajillion percent? In the spiritual, emotional, and/or intellectual sense of the word. (If you’ve grown physically, and that’s not a good thing, come see me for the aforementioned nutrition advice.)

My answer is keep growing. And don’t apologize for it.

I was mistaken, oh so briefly, for a teenager the other day. Bwahahaha! Wow. I guess I must be doing something right. While I’m cool with perpetuating the myth that I’m twenty-nine, I’m actually hugely flattered when someone thinks I’m in my twenties.

In the words of Audrey Hepburn in “Roman Holiday” … “Thank you.”

I’ve run across a few people lately who seem to be stuck in time. And I mean way back in time. “Are you still doing X? Oh I could never do X. (Insert excuse of the day here.)” Really? It’s not that hard. And it’s a better choice than A through W. Don’t even get me started on the carb fest that was a few feet away during this most interesting conversation.

But the lessons on grace continue. And I’ve been doing pretty well with them. By the grace (ha!) of God.

I’m still a little surprised when I run across those stuck in time fellow-children-of-God. I prefer to keep an open mind on a lot of subjects. What we learned in the past, as schoolchildren for instance, is not always still true. Science and medicine make new discoveries. New inventions and new technologies change the way we do things. History and events happen.

While biblical truth remains the same and always will, and moral relativism makes my head want to explode … eating the processed tv dinners of our youth is bad for us. Period. The way most of us eat is bad for us. Period. Take care of the temple. (Hint, it’s biblical.)

And if you look around and realize you’re stuck – in time, in whatever – I’m here to help expand your horizons and your thinking.

Call me.

P.S. Praise God for growth and his plan.

J