There’s no real reason for this post, other than I took a picture of a toad today on a white background (thanks for dropping it off, Mark!), and this blog has a white background, so…

Carl Linneaus, the father of modern taxonomy (you can thank him for having to learn that whole family-genus-species thing) said this of toads:

“These foul and loathsome animals are abhorrent because of their cold body, pale color, filthy skin, fierce aspect, calculating eye, offensive smell, harsh voice, squalid habitation, and terrible venom…and so their Creator has not exerted his powers to make many of them.”

A bit harsh, I think.

I just posted a new photo gallery from a trip to the other side of Stevens Pass yesterday.  The point was to simply take photos and/or sketch what we saw…sort of an exercise in living with eyes wide open.

“Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary.  What we need is to love without getting tired.”

- Mother Teresa of Calcutta

It’s been a while since I posted a song.  Here’s one to remedy that:

…unless someone has a camera and takes pictures.

Just a reminder (which I forgot to announce this morning during the service) that there won’t be any Thursday Night gathering this week (June 5) since I’ll be out of town. Please pass this along to anyone who might need to know.

See you the following week!

“The journey through time…is a journey in search. We search for a self to be. We search for other selves to love. We search for work to do.”

- Frederick Buechner

This week we’ll watch Rob Bell’s Everything is Spiritual DVD at our gathering (still meet at the same time: 7pm).  We’ll have time afterward to discuss and ask questions.  If you want, bring snacks to share with everyone.

This week we’ll finish up going through John’s Revelation…so read chapters 21 and 22 if you want before Thursday night.  Bring your questions and thoughts along to help seed the discussion.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away…’”

“All the troubles we experience can be traced to one thing: not knowing how to sit peacefully in a room.”
- Blaise Pascal (loosely translated)