Disqus - Latest Comments for dukeslee

Re: Work With Others

dukeslee — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:52:06 -0000

I'm camping on these words here:

"I am not responsible for the outcome, but I am responsible for the effort. I need to have my own spiritual house in order and be well grounded in what I know and believe, and know what my mission orders are as well as what they are not."

And these:

"What He does through me is not mine to judge."

Methinks everyone (alcoholic or not) should be in the 12-Step Program. ... Wow. Powerful stuff.

Re: Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus 1; Do you have the 'anointin'?

dukeslee — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:58:15 -0000

Just stopping by, listening and taking in the conversation here.

I think it is good to consider such things, even if they aren't bluntly explained in the text. It's part of the mystery of Christ, and it draws us closer to Him, as we search deeper into the Bible as if on a treasure hunt.

I found a treasure here today, for I had never considered that he was covered in the scent of royalty.

Thank you for that.

Re: Quote to Ponder: Is Giving to Charity the Easy Way Out? Shane Claiborne

dukeslee — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:58:39 -0000

An interesting discussion going on here. I don't know if I agree with the assumption that financially stable Christians don't "get to know the poor." That hasn't been my experience -- and I would consider myself financially stable, and certianly "rich" by global standards. But do I do enough? No. Yet, our family -- along with our two kids -- make a pretty concerted effort to serve the poor VERY directly, beyond just mailing in a check to those in need.

Great, great discussion though. Love your blog.

Re: Trust God

dukeslee — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:54:05 -0000

Rick, So glad you're willing to share your story. I'm especially intrigued by the way those small seeds of the Word planted something in your heart. Now, you're planting seeds all over the place. Bless you, brother.

Re: Church or Club?

dukeslee — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:13:00 -0000

Oh, so true, Rick. I love this: "And if we do not live it out in front of others, we're not following simple instructions."

I immediately think of my girls, who I'm "living it out in front of" the very most. But of course, there are others, even here in what is known as the Midwestern Bible Belt. There are a lot of hurting people here, some of whose main hurts have been inflicted by the church.

Thanks for making me think.

Re: Church or Club?

dukeslee — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:31:57 -0000

What will it take to move past this? As you say, Paul wrote about this 2,000 years ago. How do we break a 2,000-year-old habit?

Re: Synchronicity spoken here

dukeslee — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:53:32 -0000

Yes, there has been some good discussion in the community about community. :-) ... I have enjoyed your contributions to this as well. I was hoping to have an offline encounter with you at your workplace. My husband and I looked for you (we were taking our family to Orlando), but didn't see you there. Someday perhaps ...

Re: Making good progress…

dukeslee — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:16:13 -0000

Rick, I agree with your comments about community. I have been in awe. My husband was moved deeply when I told him that you were praying for his father. Rick, you're a blessing. ... And then now, to hear what you were going through some years ago, is simply amazing. Thank you for stepping out and sharing that story with us.

Re: Qua iam?

dukeslee — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:23:52 -0000

Sometimes, folks ask me why I spend time blogging. Sometimes, I ask myself that question. And then, I see the end of this post, and how this community of believers is standing with us in prayer, and then the question is answered. Rick, thank you for your words. ... And regarding this post, I love your take on this, seeing the spiritual truth within the worldly chaos. "I work as unto the Lord, and not unto men."

Re: Bella

dukeslee — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:21:12 -0000

So, is this why I haven't seen you at Bracco or Minerva's??? I guess I'll have to come to the airport to find you. :-) ... But seriously, thanks for the movie recommendation. We don't see many movies either -- unless it's from Pixar or Disney. (We are parents to two little girls).

Re: Atheist Wants ‘God’ Out Of Inauguration

dukeslee — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:37:47 -0000

It's always interesting to me that someone would fight against something that "doesn't exist." If it doesn't exist, then why fight it? You know what I mean? ... Happy New Year, brother.

Re: 3 Christmas Gift Themes

dukeslee — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:23:11 -0000

This is a wonderful idea. It keeps gift-giving in check, and brings the focus back to the Giver -- instead of the gifts.
Also, I love this whole "12 lists of Christmas" thing you have going on here. Cool.

Re: Where is Christ in Christmas?

dukeslee — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:08:28 -0000

Thought-provoking, as usual. The hijacking of Christmas by "holiday" well-wishers is very unsettling to me. You know, maybe we ought to change the date of Christmas to, say, May 23 and start fresh.

Re: Not out of the woods yet…

dukeslee — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:51:25 -0000

Your friend came to mind today, and I'm praying for him this afternoon. Any new news? There's a whole group of men I'm praying for today -- all struggling with cancer. Your Jon. Another Jon from this area. A guy named Bob from these parts. And, of course, my father-in-law, battling leukemia. Three of these guys are Vietnam vets -- true fighters. Anyhow, wanted to let you know that your Jon came to mind during prayer time today ...

Re: Sioux Falls to Shenzhen

dukeslee — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:47:34 -0000

Yes, God is active. And He is moving through the hands and feet of people like you who are willing to sit and pray with a sick friend, and then be an accountability partner to an angry young man. God is active -- and He is using You as He does His thing in Sioux Falls, SD!

Re: Thanksgiving, Coffee and The Squanto Hop

dukeslee — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:33:39 -0000

A friend of mine, whose 4-year-old son recently survived a battle with e-coli, says she has been trying to come up with a new word for "thanks." Sometimes, the words "Thank you" can feel that way -- an inadequate way to express gratitude deep within. But beneath the words here, Marcus -- and then over at Ann's -- the deeper thanks rise to the surface. I appreciate what you've shared here.

Re: Some Hard Questions about God for Thanksgiving

dukeslee — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:42:41 -0000

My seven-year-old and I had a conversation about this today while visiting another church. She saw a sign that said 'Seek, and you will find.' She says to me, "I keep looking but I don't see Him, Mom. Why is that?" I explained to her that God really is there, and that we can trust that He really is there, if we can't see Him or hear Him talking back to us. ... I think we cheapen this Thing we have with God, when we boil it down to a "personal relationship." As if you can define this mystery by using terms created expressly for human relationships. God is so much bigger than any of it. He's not a "boyfriend" with whom we have a "personal relationship." He's God.

Re: How to Edit Poetry and Meter

dukeslee — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:31:19 -0000

Any blogger who uses "vermicious knid" in a post, is a blogger I want to follow.
Hey -- I'm loving HighCallingBlogs.com. Thanks for your work.

Re: What if religion could be “biologized”?

dukeslee — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:31:57 -0000

What’s your take? If it were shown that religious belief was a biological impulse—a mechanical function of our genetics—would that make you reconsider your faith? Would such a revelation kill your faith in Christianity (and all other religions)... or would it not shake your faith? Why?

Would it shake my faith? No. In fact, scientific proof of this nature would actually strengthen it. Actually, this perceptible need for humans to believe in something bigger than themselves is one of the key reasons I turned from agnosticism/atheism to Christianity. If we allow scientific findings of any nature to undermine our faith, our God is too small. We have to believe that God is bigger than any of this. Because He is.

One last thing: The fact that Jesus walked out of a tomb one Sunday morning trumps all of this.