jamiewamsley.com http://jamiewamsley.com a place to experience God Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:15:13 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 10 Reasons to Love St. Patrick Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me. - Saint Patrick
I am starting to love St. Patrick's Day, and it's not because I crave corned beef and cabbage, or radioactive green beer or even because I have 34% native Irish blood...
]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2011/03/17/10-reasons-to-love-st-patrick/ On Failure “I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning..." - Joseph Priestly]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/11/20/on-failure/ Pour Some Salt on Me "Salt is what makes things taste bad when it isn't in them." - Anonymous Sometimes I will read a passage of Scripture that will remind me of a different passage of Scripture, and as I consider those two semi-related ideas, they will turn my mind in a whole new direction...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/07/09/pour-some-salt-on-me/ Conditions for Growth "I think that if ever a mortal heard the voice of God it would be in a garden at the cool of the day." - F. Frankfort Moore Yesterday, I planted my Father's Day gift in the backyard. My wife bought me six blueberry bushes of differing varieties from an on-line nursery in Arkansas. In a good year, the website says, these bushes may yield as much as 10-12 pounds of blueberries each. I am not optimistic...
]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/07/03/conditions-for-growth/ A Question of Faith "To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible." - Thomas Aquinas I have been thinking lately how faith in God is a difficult thing. It's difficult because my faith in God often revolves around His changing my circumstances...
]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/06/22/a-question-of-faith/ Flat Tire “There are those who would misteach us that to stick in a rut is consistency- and a virtue; and that to climb out of the rut is inconsistency- and a vice.” - Mark Twain Yesterday, the truck suddenly began pulling hard to the right. At first, I didn't think much of it - just gripped the wheel tighter and pulled it harder back to the left. Eventually though, it occurred to me that there might be an actual reason the truck kept pulling against me...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/05/12/flat-tire/ A Christian in Vegas "Las Vegas is sort of like how God would do it if he had money." - Steve Wynn (The man credited with spearheading the dramatic resurgence and expansion of the Las Vegas Strip in the 1990s.) This weekend, I went somewhere that I have never gone before. My wife’s brothers wanted to get all the guys together for a weekend of family bonding, and the rendezvous spot was Las Vegas. I was actually curious to come visit...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/04/24/a-christian-in-vegas/ Wanting a Better Story "Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story." - Max Ehrman I just finished reading Donald Miller's latest book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and I admit it - it got to me. In the context of his own journey towards meaning and significance, Don does a phenomenal job of processing our everyday lives as a story. I am genuinely grateful for his perspective, and how it has shaped my understanding over the past few days. Here is a short example thought from his book ...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/04/22/wanting-a-better-story/ God Springs Eternal "I want the presence of God Himself, or I don't want anything at all to do with religion." - A.W. Tozer Spring has finally arrived in Chicago. Just this week, the tulips bloomed - a vibrant display of  living red splattered across my front yard. The old man inside me is smiling  - few things delight me as much as witnessing nature's yearly coup against the tyrannical reign of winter...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/04/17/god-springs-eternal/ Lessons from a Dummy "You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." - Robin Williams My wife and I went to see a ventriloquist perform last night. Afterwards, at the home of a friend, we had the chance to talk with him personally. It turns out that this particular ventriloquist is the only person in the world that actively performs with a 'McElroy Brothers' dummy. Less than 24 hours ago, that was a relatively meaningless statement to me...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/04/15/lessons-from-a-dummy/ In Search of my Own Resurrection "Nothing hath separated us from God but our own will, or rather our own will is our separation from God." - William Law I have been in the midst of a difficult spiritual season. Not really 'dry' in the sense that I have not been able to see or feel God, but 'difficult' - in that every step forward seems to be a hard-fought battle. My life does not seem to be characterized by a sense of supernatural power...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/04/13/in-search-of-my-own-resurrection/ Preparing for Good Friday The cross was two pieces of dead wood; and a helpless, unresisting Man was nailed to it; yet it was mightier than the world, and triumphed, and will ever triumph over it. - Augustus William Hare More often than not, I allow the rushed pace of my life to propel me past Good Friday and Easter without taking the time to fully appreciate what these days represent - and how central they are to both my identity and my calling...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/04/01/preparing-for-good-friday/ Rapture Ready! "A culture is made - or destroyed - by its articulate voices.” - Ayn Rand DISCLAIMER: If you consider yourself a Christian and are somewhat easy to offend, please do not read the remainder of this post - and by all means, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK! You will have a less than pleasant day. If, on the other hand, you are genuinely interested to know how many of our friends and neighbors view evangelical Christians, you will find Rapture Ready! by Daniel Radosh to be a very interesting, very thought-provoking and all-too-often-true perspective on Christian culture... ]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/03/31/rapture-ready/ The Game of Death “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” - Norman Cousins One of my great joys (when I have the chance) is to immerse myself in a wide-range of blogs and on-line periodicals. Yesterday, in his daily 'BreakPoint' perspective piece, Chuck Colson referenced something that I thought was worth sharing. (Excerpts from his piece are in italics) I hope you enjoy... ]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/03/26/the-game-of-death/ Revolutionary Faith “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” - 1 Corinthians 15:55 On a recent trip to Virginia, I had the opportunity to visit Bruton Parish Episcopal Church in downtown Williamsburg. In continuous operation since 1715, this church has a tremendous history. Prior to the American Revolution, when they were members of the Virginia House of Burgesses, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/03/24/revolutionary-faith/ Institutions and Movements "... I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it." - Matthew 16.18b It seems like there is an endless array of church types and styles, doesn't it? To begin with, there are, literally, hundreds of different denominations. In each, there are small churches, big churches and even mega-size churches. There are liturgical churches and contemporary churches; churches that meet in a single location, and those that gather in multiple places. There are "white" churches, "black" churches, Hispanic churches, Asian churches - and even the occasional "mixed" church...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/03/09/institutions-and-movements/ Death by Pride "I never cease to amaze my own self. I say that humbly." - Don King, as reported by the Los Angeles Times I have heard it said that pride is the sin of all sins, the one that gives rise to all others. I suppose that's true - but regardless, pride is a sin that wreaks havoc on my emotions...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/02/27/death-by-pride/ Over the Edge of Unthinkable "It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." - Edmund Hillary This is less of a 'forgotten legend' than a recent legend-in-the-making. It's about a man named Scott Rigsby - who, at the age of 18, was in a terrible accident that ultimately led to the amputation of both his legs. Scott would eventually become the first double-amputee to complete the Hawaiian Ironman Triathalon...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/02/26/over-the-edge-of-unthinkable/ Switching to Black "A great work is made out of a combination of obedience and liberty." - Nadia Boulanger It used to be that I took my cream and sugar with just a little bit of coffee. But now that the days of careless youth have passed me by (I'm 36) , I *have* to count the calories that I consume. Frankly, this is not a practice that I recommend - unless you really want to be healthy. Becoming aware of how many calories I will consume in a day when I don't limit myself was a somewhat depressing exercise. For that reason, though I still drink coffee, I now take it with just a little bit of cream. Even that small luxury is on the way out - I am pushing myself to drink it straight black...]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/02/23/switching-to-black/ Alone, Cold and in the Dark ]]> http://jamiewamsley.com/2010/02/19/alone-cold-and-in-the-dark/