Showing posts with label Carolina Beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carolina Beach. Show all posts
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Yucca Moth
Yesterday afternoon, Susan, one of the owners of The Grind, a coffeeshop in Carolina Beach with great coffee and free wifi saw this beautiful moth and pointed it out to me.
This photo doesn't quite do justice to the delicate nature emanated from this little creature. I tried to identify it online, and the closest I could come was to say that it was a yucca moth.
It looked like something spiritual and pure in contrast to the landscape of the tourist filled beach community. It appeared clean and light, not damaged or burdened a bit by the cares of this world.
Of course it is a moth and probably is quite destructive to the yucca seeds on which it feeds. But there's something about it that seems other-worldly and out of place when seeing it. It drew me kind of like a moth to the flame (forgive me for that one).
I wonder if that's what we look like when we live for Christ? A familiar form, but something about us is different, intriguing, engaging. Just a little early morning thought as we each strive to reflect the glory of the risen Son in a world looking for something of lasting beauty.
This photo doesn't quite do justice to the delicate nature emanated from this little creature. I tried to identify it online, and the closest I could come was to say that it was a yucca moth.
It looked like something spiritual and pure in contrast to the landscape of the tourist filled beach community. It appeared clean and light, not damaged or burdened a bit by the cares of this world.
Of course it is a moth and probably is quite destructive to the yucca seeds on which it feeds. But there's something about it that seems other-worldly and out of place when seeing it. It drew me kind of like a moth to the flame (forgive me for that one).
I wonder if that's what we look like when we live for Christ? A familiar form, but something about us is different, intriguing, engaging. Just a little early morning thought as we each strive to reflect the glory of the risen Son in a world looking for something of lasting beauty.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Carolina Shores
Although I was extremely exhausted after a long day of gardening and a longer drive into the wee hours of the night, I began the GCM Leadership Training program with a group of others from Ball State University, Virginia Tech, and WVU early Sunday morning at a park near Carolina Beach, NC. That's where I took this sweet photo of the grass and sand along the intracoastal waterway down here.
People were catching some fish while I was there. Among the types caught were perch and sheepshead. Kind of made me regret not having a rod to join in the action.
But that's not why I was walking along this waterway. Nor was it to snap photos. I was asked to ponder a passage from Luke 18 about a blind beggar. I don't know if you've ever read it, but I know I've never meditated upon it like I did Sunday morning.
The synopsis goes something like this. A crowd was following Jesus (as per usual), and a blind beggar asks folks what's going on. They tell him that Jesus is in the area. So then this guy starts crying out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" People try to shut him up, but he just keeps getting louder. Then Jesus cuts through the crowd and walks up to him and says, "what do you want me to do for you?"
You should read the rest and find out what happens at the end of Luke 18.
After hearing the story, we were encouraged to ask the same question. What do I want Jesus to do for me this summer? What is it that I really want God to do in my life? What do I want Jesus to do while I'm away in Carolina Beach? While you may not be able to join us on the Atlantic coast, you can ask yourself the same question.
What is it that you really want God to do in your life? What is it that you are desperate for Jesus to do in your life? May you zealously seek him this summer, and may you be radically transformed as a result of your seeking.
People were catching some fish while I was there. Among the types caught were perch and sheepshead. Kind of made me regret not having a rod to join in the action.
But that's not why I was walking along this waterway. Nor was it to snap photos. I was asked to ponder a passage from Luke 18 about a blind beggar. I don't know if you've ever read it, but I know I've never meditated upon it like I did Sunday morning.
The synopsis goes something like this. A crowd was following Jesus (as per usual), and a blind beggar asks folks what's going on. They tell him that Jesus is in the area. So then this guy starts crying out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" People try to shut him up, but he just keeps getting louder. Then Jesus cuts through the crowd and walks up to him and says, "what do you want me to do for you?"
You should read the rest and find out what happens at the end of Luke 18.
After hearing the story, we were encouraged to ask the same question. What do I want Jesus to do for me this summer? What is it that I really want God to do in my life? What do I want Jesus to do while I'm away in Carolina Beach? While you may not be able to join us on the Atlantic coast, you can ask yourself the same question.
What is it that you really want God to do in your life? What is it that you are desperate for Jesus to do in your life? May you zealously seek him this summer, and may you be radically transformed as a result of your seeking.
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Yesterday evening, I made the drive back to North Carolina, and had arrived at LT at about 2AM. Last time, it was because I left really late. This time it was because I included a couple of stops along the way, like going to see my friend Ricky Beamer who is keeping a blog here, and is quite a photographer. One other stop was at Pilot Mountain in North Carolina. If you've ever made the journey from Morgantown to WInston-Salem, you've seen this mountain.
Well, last night, after many trips past it, and with additional encouragement from my friend Brittani Kokot, I finally made the stop. It was AWESOME. It's right next to the highway, so it really doesn't take you out of the way on a trip--beyond that, it provided a great opportunity to stretch my legs, and take in some wonderful scenery. Although slightly hazy from the top, it really was breathtaking to look down upon the piedmont and the atlantic Coastal basin from this vista that sits 1400 feet above the rest of the plateau.
Today I am back at The Grind, not so much figuratively, but literally. I'm trying to take it easy today, and get re-oriented to LT, but I did stop by my favorite spot to hang out, grab a coffee, work, and just connect with people--The Grind at Carolina Beach. These folks are just getting their business started, and it's a phenomenal place. If you are in the area, you need to make a stop here! As I stepped into the space it felt like a reunion and an opportunity to catch up. What a great group of people!
Anyhoo, ironically, I feel like these next two weeks promise a degree of "normalcy" for my life. I may be living in a tent along the north end of the island for a few days while a family is using the place where I typically stay. It's a different world down here at LT, and there is a wonderful familiarity to the whole experience. I'm looking forward to savoring every moment to serve and to grow with students, staff, and community before I head back into Almost Heaven.