5.27.2006
Mom's Gift
Here are the notes I had to read to speak at my mom's funeral. I spoke about 10 minutes, I was told. I said some things that aren't here but this is most of what was said. I didn't cry until the end but even then it wound up being more about God's grace than her death. After I sat down, I cried over her. I had to have my gaurd up until then in order to get through the euology, after I sat down it became my mom in the casket and I cried for about 5-7 minutes.
May 22, 2006 will always be known in San Antonio as the night of the Big Loss with the Spurs losing to the Mavericks in Overtime. But those here today know that the real Big Loss that night was losing my mom. I'm here today to share a few things about my mom but first I'd like to apologize for her. To everyone who she promised a dance to, she's sorry she can't be dancing with you but she wanted you to know that she's able to dance now.
I told dad that I'd be good for about 3-5 minutes because I know that she'd want me to speak at her funeral, so this is my last gift to her.
Whether you knew her as Coralie, Ruth, Ruthie, sister, cousin, Aunt, friend, wife, mom, mother-in-law or mimi; she was always herself and I loved her authenticity, at times it'd drive you nuts but she was always herself.
"Your mom always brought great joy when she visited us" "funny" "made us laugh" "always had a joke" All these are things that I've heard or read over the last few days as people expressed their memories to me. I think if we all could have people say we "brought great joy" to them, that'd be a great legacy to have.
I've told people for a long time now that I'm a TexAbamian because even though all our family is in Texas from 4th grade throuch college, Montgomery, AL was home and therefore is to this day. Friends from our neighborhood have called me this past week and shared their memories. We had a great neighborhood where the kids played outside the other parents would call your parents if they saw you doing something you shouldn't be doing. One friend told me, "We all loved going to your house and your mom was like a 2nd mom to us, especially us Chapman boys". This just shows that she was the mother of one and yet the mom of many. She loved the best she could and at times she thought it wasn't enough but we all knew different.
celebrate the incredible legacy she left through your life.
Matt's called and said "get here as soon as possible" and we left immediately. The ironic part was I had just talked to dad 20-30 minutes earlier and he reported that the doctor thought she was doing amazing for where she had been the day before and she was doing well, all things considered. This is why I hate hope.
Hope can kick you in the shins. Hope will let you down when your hope is based on your abilities, plans, resources and on other people. When your hope is in God, he will get you through. Whatever God has brought you to, he can bring you through.
One of my favorite books over the last few years has been Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli.
"I am beginning to understand that faith is not the way around pain, it is the way through pain. Faith doesn't get rid of the opposition, it invites it over for dinner. Faith doesn't give you the winning point at the last second, it ties the game and sends you into overtime. Faith doesn't give you the solution, it forces you to find it." Mike Yaconelli
Another book that has radically changed me and my view of Grace is Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
"I could more easily contain Niagara Falls in a tea cup than I can comprehend the wild, uncontainable love of God." Brennan Manning
Too many of us try and play the game with our faith and put on the masks to make others happy while Jesus just wants us to be with him.
Jesus cared for the authenic seekers more than pious believers.
Jesus spoke about to be with him you need to believe. Not "Believe and. . ." but believe.
The issue isn't how MUCH you believe in him but in how much he believes in you.
It's not about doing things to make him happy it's about being happy that you are his.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, our Lord has never lost a sheep and he never will and I am conviced that she is with him because she was in his hand not because of how well she held unto his hand.
Brennan Manning also said, "Grace means that God is on our side and thus we are victors regardless of how well we have played the game."
That ls Our True Hope
Here are the notes I had to read to speak at my mom's funeral. I spoke about 10 minutes, I was told. I said some things that aren't here but this is most of what was said. I didn't cry until the end but even then it wound up being more about God's grace than her death. After I sat down, I cried over her. I had to have my gaurd up until then in order to get through the euology, after I sat down it became my mom in the casket and I cried for about 5-7 minutes.
May 22, 2006 will always be known in San Antonio as the night of the Big Loss with the Spurs losing to the Mavericks in Overtime. But those here today know that the real Big Loss that night was losing my mom. I'm here today to share a few things about my mom but first I'd like to apologize for her. To everyone who she promised a dance to, she's sorry she can't be dancing with you but she wanted you to know that she's able to dance now.
I told dad that I'd be good for about 3-5 minutes because I know that she'd want me to speak at her funeral, so this is my last gift to her.
Whether you knew her as Coralie, Ruth, Ruthie, sister, cousin, Aunt, friend, wife, mom, mother-in-law or mimi; she was always herself and I loved her authenticity, at times it'd drive you nuts but she was always herself.
"Your mom always brought great joy when she visited us" "funny" "made us laugh" "always had a joke" All these are things that I've heard or read over the last few days as people expressed their memories to me. I think if we all could have people say we "brought great joy" to them, that'd be a great legacy to have.
I've told people for a long time now that I'm a TexAbamian because even though all our family is in Texas from 4th grade throuch college, Montgomery, AL was home and therefore is to this day. Friends from our neighborhood have called me this past week and shared their memories. We had a great neighborhood where the kids played outside the other parents would call your parents if they saw you doing something you shouldn't be doing. One friend told me, "We all loved going to your house and your mom was like a 2nd mom to us, especially us Chapman boys". This just shows that she was the mother of one and yet the mom of many. She loved the best she could and at times she thought it wasn't enough but we all knew different.
celebrate the incredible legacy she left through your life.
Matt's called and said "get here as soon as possible" and we left immediately. The ironic part was I had just talked to dad 20-30 minutes earlier and he reported that the doctor thought she was doing amazing for where she had been the day before and she was doing well, all things considered. This is why I hate hope.
Hope can kick you in the shins. Hope will let you down when your hope is based on your abilities, plans, resources and on other people. When your hope is in God, he will get you through. Whatever God has brought you to, he can bring you through.
One of my favorite books over the last few years has been Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli.
"I am beginning to understand that faith is not the way around pain, it is the way through pain. Faith doesn't get rid of the opposition, it invites it over for dinner. Faith doesn't give you the winning point at the last second, it ties the game and sends you into overtime. Faith doesn't give you the solution, it forces you to find it." Mike Yaconelli
Another book that has radically changed me and my view of Grace is Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
"I could more easily contain Niagara Falls in a tea cup than I can comprehend the wild, uncontainable love of God." Brennan Manning
Too many of us try and play the game with our faith and put on the masks to make others happy while Jesus just wants us to be with him.
Jesus cared for the authenic seekers more than pious believers.
Jesus spoke about to be with him you need to believe. Not "Believe and. . ." but believe.
The issue isn't how MUCH you believe in him but in how much he believes in you.
It's not about doing things to make him happy it's about being happy that you are his.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, our Lord has never lost a sheep and he never will and I am conviced that she is with him because she was in his hand not because of how well she held unto his hand.
Brennan Manning also said, "Grace means that God is on our side and thus we are victors regardless of how well we have played the game."
That ls Our True Hope
Blog Posts that made me go Wow!
Prayers in Jesus’ name by Chaplain Daniel Sparks
Death by Ministry by Mark Driscoll
I want to be Chad by Seth Barnes
In Seth's blog isn't on your must read blog list yet and you are in youth ministry, you need to update your must read blog list.
what would I do differently that would help my reading and writing? by Scot McKnight
On Marking Books by Scot McKnight
I am full of earth and dirt and You by Renee
Spiritual Goonies by LJ
Prayers in Jesus’ name by Chaplain Daniel Sparks
Death by Ministry by Mark Driscoll
I want to be Chad by Seth Barnes
In Seth's blog isn't on your must read blog list yet and you are in youth ministry, you need to update your must read blog list.
what would I do differently that would help my reading and writing? by Scot McKnight
On Marking Books by Scot McKnight
I am full of earth and dirt and You by Renee
Spiritual Goonies by LJ
Your results:
You are Green Lantern
Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...
You are Green Lantern
| Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.  |
Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...
A funny
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath.
This made him (oh, man, this is so bad, it's good)...A super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
From MikeysFunnies.com
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath.
This made him (oh, man, this is so bad, it's good)...A super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
From MikeysFunnies.com
5.23.2006
My Mom
Mom, Ruth Evans, passed away on Monday, May 22 around 9:30pm. Her heart grew too weak with all the strain. Family was with her when she died and it was painfree, for which we are thankful. Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. The funeral will be at First Baptist Church, La Vernia, TX on Thursday, May 25th.
5.21.2006
Any And All Prayers Are Appreciated
My mom is in ICU with pneumonia. She was okay Friday night but took a bad turn Saturday morning. It doesn't look good. She's having multiple organ issues as her heartbeat is weak, blood pressure is low and her lungs are infected with the pneumonia which is causing ARDS so she is on a ventilation machine and heavily sedated.
The doctors are trying to hold out some hope but it's a tough sell considering all that is wrong. Family from around the area has made the trip here. Prayer for comfort for the family would be best it seems.
Thanks.
My mom is in ICU with pneumonia. She was okay Friday night but took a bad turn Saturday morning. It doesn't look good. She's having multiple organ issues as her heartbeat is weak, blood pressure is low and her lungs are infected with the pneumonia which is causing ARDS so she is on a ventilation machine and heavily sedated.
The doctors are trying to hold out some hope but it's a tough sell considering all that is wrong. Family from around the area has made the trip here. Prayer for comfort for the family would be best it seems.
Thanks.
5.19.2006
Great NYTimes Op-Ed Piece on Virginity Pledges
by Lauren F. Winner (author of Girl Meets God and Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity )
The recent Harvard study that found teenagers' virginity pledges to be ineffective should come as a surprise to no one. Several studies had already come to that conclusion. If we are truly to help our teenagers adopt the countercultural sexual ethic of abstinence until marriage, Christians concerned about the rampant premarital sex in our communities need to rethink, rather than simply defend, young people's abstinence pledges.
It is awfully easy for Christians to blame our community's sexual sins on the mores of post-sexual revolution America — to criticize Abercrombie & Fitch catalogs, to natter on about how "Grey's Anatomy" portrays sexual behavior that doesn't square with Christianity.
But perhaps it's more important that we reconsider how we talk about sex in the church. . . . . Words of grace and communal commitment are perhaps a firmer basis for sexual ethics than simple virginity pledges.
by Lauren F. Winner (author of Girl Meets God and Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity )
The recent Harvard study that found teenagers' virginity pledges to be ineffective should come as a surprise to no one. Several studies had already come to that conclusion. If we are truly to help our teenagers adopt the countercultural sexual ethic of abstinence until marriage, Christians concerned about the rampant premarital sex in our communities need to rethink, rather than simply defend, young people's abstinence pledges.
It is awfully easy for Christians to blame our community's sexual sins on the mores of post-sexual revolution America — to criticize Abercrombie & Fitch catalogs, to natter on about how "Grey's Anatomy" portrays sexual behavior that doesn't square with Christianity.
But perhaps it's more important that we reconsider how we talk about sex in the church. . . . . Words of grace and communal commitment are perhaps a firmer basis for sexual ethics than simple virginity pledges.
5.18.2006
Catching My Breath
I'm finished with 3 of my 4 classes and should polish off the last one over the next two weeks. Two books landed on my door step this past week that I'm looking forward to reading, Contemplative Youth Ministry : Practicing the Presence of Jesus & The Secret Message of Jesus : Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything. Which one would you read first and why?
I'm finished with 3 of my 4 classes and should polish off the last one over the next two weeks. Two books landed on my door step this past week that I'm looking forward to reading, Contemplative Youth Ministry : Practicing the Presence of Jesus & The Secret Message of Jesus : Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything. Which one would you read first and why?
5.15.2006
Who is Dan Brown?
He is an evangelist proclaiming the message that there is no orthodoxy other than his liberating orthodoxy that says traditional Christianity is heresy. His goal is to liberate Jesus from all those picky ancient creeds.
Terry Mattingly Read full article @ "Who is Dan Brown?"
He is an evangelist proclaiming the message that there is no orthodoxy other than his liberating orthodoxy that says traditional Christianity is heresy. His goal is to liberate Jesus from all those picky ancient creeds.Terry Mattingly Read full article @ "Who is Dan Brown?"
5.11.2006
Am I crazy?
I hold onto this belief that the church is God's design to love and impact the world and somewhere they understand Grace enough to be honest about brokenness and loving the lost more than loving the saved.
5.06.2006
A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words
