For Your Cannons

Perhaps this may come across as stinging.

Why is it that every time I post a devotional excerpt, gratitude activity, multimedic class, appreciation sound bite, or something along those lines--ziiiip, nothing! Everyone is as quiet as mice, except maybe my mom or someone who will open half an eye to say something like, "Alright, very amusing, now let's get back to what we were doing."

But then if I happen to post the slightest little thing that might strike you as more audaciously worded than you are used to, or eccentric in your golden opinion--suddenly I am the Demon of Woe himself, and you are up in arms against this conniving threat to friends and Family. "We can't let this happen! We must stand together! How dare he! Get a life! Curl up and die!"

I'm sorry, what?

Admit it. You come here with your sleeves rolled up, looking for a fight. It's not that I'm a combative person. I have my share of photos and testimonies and perfectly normal things. But you're not here for that. You're looking for someone to slug (possibly me). Aren't you? --Europe? --Africa? --And you in the back there, from California? I see you.

You could find plenty of positive here if you wanted. You could relax and really enjoy yourself--and talk about THAT. And if occasionally something goes down sideways, you could be like, "Yo--molasses? I don't know about that...." And I could take it back to the Lord and we could all be balanced and well-rounded and best of all happy.

But you don't really want that.

Alright, fine. You come here for controversy, that's what you want, who am I to deprive you of it? Have some controversy on a little buttered dish. Sit back and amuse yourself, and if it strikes you wrong, well click that little button and spew your heart out to me (who will only handle it carefully, or delete it if it is a bad sample or spirit).

Go ahead, watch this. You may as well, you came all this way.



Oh, and do come back tomorrow for a picture!

Love, Joe.

Praise Time: Songwriting! (How-To's). Part One: With A Quack

Praise time: Songwriting!
(DISCLAIMER: You don't have to be a musical Home to do this praise idea!)
* Put together a list of song titles. Kids' songs or very common praise songs are ideal. Below is a list of song ideas.
* Divide your Home into a few groups of 2-5 people, depending on the size of your Home. Cut out the song titles and place them in a hat or bowl.
* Have each group pick out a song title and give them 3-5 minutes to come up with praise words that fit the tune of the song they chose.
* Have each team take turns presenting their praise song to the Home.


Part One: With A Quack



First of a 3 part series. Stay tuned for the next juicy episode!

Ethereal

I'm not going to vouch for this "album," simply because, to be quite honest, I don't yet like it. There are very good reasons but I'll leave it at that.
I will direct link you to it, for those willing and adventurous enough to venture forward in the name of new Family music.
I am posting these direct links, 1: because they are there, and 2: because maybe enough people sitting through 2 hours of similar sounding, 10 minute-each "demos" will inspire these guys to actually record something real. Informed of their situation (different locations, busy), I still know they can do better. You get 4 talented European musicians together and you dress them in robes with hoods, give'm the balls enough to go out on stage in front of hundreds of people like that--AND YOU'VE ALREADY GOT CHEMISTRY! It's there! --Just waiting for a little kick in the ...impetus ...to get things started.

I hereby give you: Ethereal, The Album

(Alphabetically)

Art Of Dependence
Blood Of My Eyes
Broken
Choose
Disciple
Enigma
Fill Me
Fly To Fall
Give Us Our Sons
Pitiful World
The Mystery
Time
Why
You Are Mine

Love, Joe.

PS
Since a few comments have been made to the effect of, "Okay, their music isn't that great, but they sure are fun live," --in their defense, I would like to share that live experience with you!

Ethereal, live at EuRoCk.

Fetching Fridays

Isabelle, Virginia!
These smiles are to die for.

Gio Launch

*THIS GUY HAS MY FULL BACKING AND DESERVES YOUR SUPPORT*
Please, even if you don't like or agree with me, this guy is a true missionary, who needs your help!
And his goal is to leave on the 25th.
Of April.

...17 days.

***

Umm… Hi! I’m Gio, and it is very nice to meet you.
I’m a Family missionary and disciple—penniless, of course, but I manage. I have all that I need, as I need it.
You probably haven’t heard yet—but I’m moving to Ukraine.
Okay, I’ll just say it; I need your help. I am estimating this trip at 2,000 USD. That is, the ticket, the landing funds, everything else I will need—it all adds up to that much.
It’s all about adding up. If you can help me with what you can, even almost nothing, and everyone else can too, and ta da, you answer my prayers. It’s just added up pocket change (or, sometimes, your Home’s missionary fund), and I’ll love you for it.
Then, maybe months or maybe years down the line, when you need this same type of help, I’ll be there, and so will 1,999 others, and we’d do what we can to help you.
Of course, you can also pray for me, too.

*IF YOU DIDN'T CLICK THERE, GO BACK AND DO IT*

Let The Magic Begin

Because prayer is a dynamic of the spirit, it tends to conflict with the carnal mind. In the flesh you may see prayers as mere words uttered from your mouth; you don't always see the full effect of your prayers, especially when prayer has always been a part of your life. But if you'd look at prayer through the eyes of the spirit, you'd see the vast amount of heavenly magic that is at your fingertips, magic that turns prayers into reality, that makes the impossible very real and possible.

(What do You mean, magic?)

I am your Great Magician, with the greatest power ever known. In fact, you could never really know all of My power; that concept is beyond you. But what you sometimes neglect to see is that through your prayers you have access to that power. With a mere thought I can change the tides and seasons, give life, and create something from nothing. You are privileged to be able to tap into that power, but I must require some effort on your part. Prayer is that effort, it's the step that you must take that then enables My magic to come alive in your life and in the lives of those you pray for.

(Well, hey, if You're the greatest Magician, and our prayers can make impossible things happen, how come it takes so long for some miracles to come to pass? Why do I have to pray and pray and pray sometimes before I see it work?)

Remember that in Heaven time does not have the same constraints upon you, so what seems like an indefinite period of time for you, in Heaven could be an instant.

(Oh, that's pretty cool.)

You're limited by your carnal view on time, and one of the greatest lacks of humans is patience. You struggle all your lives to learn the meaning of patience. So when I say that prayer works miracles, you want to always see them happen right then, immediately, as much as possible. But in jumping to such conclusions you often miss all the workings that must go on behind the scenes in order for the miracle to come about.Although I can do the miracle magic in an instant, I must also, to a degree, work within the limitation of the physical world, so that not only do you receive the miracle you asked for, but all things are then set in place for greater miracles to come. And through the process you and those you pray for are strengthened and taught lessons in spirit.

(So it's like one of those domino things, just weirder.)

See prayer as the magical phrase that releases the answers you need. Sometimes I may expect you to repeat it numerous times, but that's not because My magic is "broken" or not working, rather it's that there's something for you or the person you're praying for to learn first, before My full magic can be activated. But even when the answer takes a little time in coming, your prayers are still sprinkling the stardust magic on the individual or situation you're praying for, and little miracles are happening, eventually to climax in the complete magical miracle you've requested.

(Isn't it nice when things just... work?)



Love, Joe.