I’ve recently become a personal organizer on top of being a personal assistant and working 5 days at pf changs. I don’t have much spare time…to say the least. When I do, I spend it with the Lord or cook to keep myself sane (ok, I manage to fit in Lost every Thursday night).

Also, my laptop is broken…so the desktop will do for now until some major money rolls in. I’m trying to have faith that the Lord can heal my computer…trying.

So, that’s my excuse for not posting.

(go see Ben Stein’s Expelled)

I forgot to mention this a long time ago. It’s a must see (with one really short inappropriate part). It made me laugh…a lot. 

“No matter what I say, it draws controversy. It’s sort of like the abortion issue.” -Billy Mitchell

I am very happy to be home and settling into routine again.  I’m in a little bit of a transitional season…or something.  Maybe it’s the opposite of that. It’s more like a sitting still and waiting season.  I think I’m just supposed to sit and let the Lord love on me for a little while.  I’m hitting a brick wall in the spirit, to be honest.  I need breakthrough in almost every area.  Especially that of receiving love from the Father’s heart.  There’s all this really fun stuff I’d love to write about and I sit down and nothing comes out.  I think I go through times of internal and external processing. This being a time of internal…though maybe this blog marks a change in seasons…who knows. 

(Laura with Shatto Strawberry Milk) 

My dearest housemate Laura moves out on April 3rd. She’s getting married and moving to Colorado. Very exciting yet very very sad. Not only because our rent is going up either… She’s so so fun and we’re going to miss her so so much! On Saturday we are going to the Shatto Milk Farm for her going away er…party? If you don’t know about Shatto Milk you shall visit me and I will open your eyes to milk! I’m sure there will be pictures posted soon. 

The happy news is Laura will be replaced by a new baby Offutt!  We will find out the gender the day Laura moves out!  How fitting!  

hmm…I got my monroe pierced. That’s new. 

Things I’m loving right now:
Horton Hears a Who
Sufjan Stevens (always)
The Gym
Jack Frost (From Slavery to Sonship)
Juice Plus
Sign Language

I have been on 5 flights in 3 months. As much as I love traveling, I’m home and ready to settle down for quite awhile. In fact, I don’t think I’ll be leaving again until June, when I go home to MD for a family vacation. I started to get really excited on the way home from Florida last night about just being home and being on my usual schedule. I do well with structure. I had lots of fun in Florida though. I was pretty busy working during the weekend but before and after I got to hang out with my family (who happened to be down there at the same time) and with Florida friends…mostly the Weeks’. Speaking of…how’s this for cute…


and not so much…

the Weeks’ have a wordpress!!

Check them out!!! 

(I’m home tomorrow…expect blog soon) 

I love taking personality tests. My friend Ashlee and I enjoy nothing more than to psychoanalyze everything and everybody, including ourselves… I heard about the Jung Typology Test through a friend and took it…sans Ashlee…which is very sad. I did, however, take it with Roni and Amanda. I recommend taking it with close friends, and try not to be offended when they tell you how you really are…and not how you want to be.

The Portait of the Counselor (INFJ)

The Counselor Idealists are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in reaching their goals, and enterprising and attentive in their interpersonal roles. Counselors focus on human potentials, think in terms of ethical values, and come easily to decisions. The small number of this type (little more than 2 percent) is regrettable, since Counselors have an unusually strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others and genuinely enjoy helping their companions. Although Counsleors tend to be private, sensitive people, and are not generally visible leaders, they nevertheless work quite intensely with those close to them, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes with their families, friends, and colleagues. This type has great depth of personality; they are themselves complicated, and can understand and deal with complex issues and people.

Counselors can be hard to get to know. They have an unusually rich inner life, but they are reserved and tend not to share their reactions except with those they trust. With their loved ones, certainly, Counselors are not reluctant to express their feelings, their face lighting up with the positive emotions, but darkening like a thunderhead with the negative. Indeed, because of their strong ability to take into themselves the feelings of others, Counselors can be hurt rather easily by those around them, which, perhaps, is one reason why they tend to be private people, mutely withdrawing from human contact. At the same time, friends who have known a Counselor for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that they are inconsistent; Counselors value their integrity a great deal, but they have intricately woven, mysterious personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.

Counselors have strong empathic abilities and can become aware of another’s emotions or intentions — good or evil — even before that person is conscious of them. This “mind-reading” (prophecy anyone? I think so…)can take the form of feeling the hidden distress or illnesses of others to an extent which is difficult for other types to comprehend. Even Counselors can seldom tell how they came to penetrate others’ feelings so keenly. Furthermore, the Counselor is most likely of all the types to demonstrate an ability to understand psychic phenomena and to have visions of human events, past, present, or future. What is known as ESP may well be exceptional intuitive ability-in both its forms, projection and introjection. Such supernormal intuition is found frequently in the Counselor, and can extend to people, things, and often events, taking the form of visions, episodes of foreknowledge, premonitions, auditory and visual images of things to come, as well as uncanny communications with certain individuals at a distance.

Mohandas Gandhi, Sidney Poitier, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Goodall, Emily Bronte, Sir Alec Guiness, Carl Jung, Mary Baker Eddy, Queen Noor are examples of the Counselor Idealist (INFJ).

http://typelogic.com/infj.html has a more extensive look at INFJ’s…

What can I say? I’m a world traveler.

I’ll be in Florida from the 1st until the 8th.

(partial) transcription of Allen Hood’s “The Playfulness of God” (1 of 4)

Oh! But there is confusion in the body of Christ…It’s as if we come into the kingdom, we believe in Jesus because we’re told we have to, to be born again and live forever. Then once we come in we’re so confused and we just do things in order to earn His favor. We just hope that if we get the right combination right He’ll like me maybe…No, it’s not going to be like that. God is not like that. God is not moody. He’s not capricious. He never has a bad, moody day. He never wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. Every moment, 24 hours a day, His heart is dreaming of ways to encounter you! He has mental genius incomparable in its focus right on you. But the reason why we are in confusion is we have no idea who we were made to be and where we are going at the end. If we understand that, it breaks off one massive thing, the misery of living in shame. Let me tell you, there is a no more miserable thing to be a Christian and not be able to enjoy God. It’s horrible! Think of the millions of Christians who never are able to enjoy God! And it’s all about Him! There’s only one good thing about being in the kingdom of God…it’s God! There’s only one good thing about heaven…it’s Him! And beloved, when He comes back to earth there’s only going to be one good thing about that…it’s Him! God. He’s awesome and He’s beautiful. But we have no idea the height from which we’ve fallen. God purchased us with royal blood for one reason, He wants to enjoy you!

I remember in my life I would argue with Him about all the little things I’d done. I’d plead, and bargain and beg that He’d hopefully like me. I remember the time He spoke to me, He said,

“Allen! You keep thinking all these little things are your problem! You have a much bigger issue with me! You have a whole bigger issue with me that we have to set straight than these little things you think you’re doing wrong…” He says, “They’re serious, but I have a much more serious problem…you hate the very thing I died for. You don’t like that which I love, and gave everything for! You hate you! You don’t like your life! You think you’ve got the wrong package. You think if you could have that person’s package…if you could just be like Mike you would have the God thing down and know that you’re His favorite… You don’t like you and I’m madly in love with you! We have a massive problem! You see, we’re incompatible in the way you’re thinking right now. You hate what I love! You hide in shame because you hate what I love. You despise yourself. We’re incompatible…and until you change, guess what? I don’t change. I’m not budging on this issue.”

You cannot talk God out of loving you. Your quiet time cannot talk Him out and your accusing voices can’t convince Him you’re not worth it. Even in your most suicidal moment he says, “bah humbug! I’m not listening! I shed royal blood to get you! I purchased you with the very life force that I had in my own being. I poured it out. I came as a man, I humbled myself. I courted you and tried to fascinate your heart…and at the very fullness of time I even gave myself for you. I broke the power of death! I came out of the grave! I am convinced that I’m going to have you or nobody will! You can’t talk me out of it. I’m lovesick.”

You see, we have no idea who we are. We speak of the cross only in the terms of legal atonement. We say, Jesus came to atone for our sin. He bailed us out. He was the righteous layer who came and made a defense before the Righteous Judge, the Father. We were on trial and in the middle of the court scene, when we we’re about to get the death penalty, the layer says, “I’ll take it. They’re a mess but Father, I’ll do it”. And He takes the punishment. And now the layer rises from the dead and says, “I did it. I was an atoning sacrifice for your sin. Believe in me, and you’ll live. If you don’t, you won’t. And I’m watching you very closely…because I gave My life to make up for your mess and the least you can do is get it right!”

That’s how we picture Him! Let me tell you…you were not born in a courtroom! And you’re not going to a courtroom! And the cross is not just about legal equital! It’s about a lovesick God who dreamed up a creature that’s so noble that He’s willing to take on your form and give His life for you! Do you know who we are!? We have no idea the height from which we’ve fallen! Our hearts accuse us. The enemy rages against us. And there’s a lone voice in the wilderness shouting, “it’s not true! I formed you in your mother’s womb! You are the nobility of another age! I’m madly in love with you! I’ve made you an image barer of myself! There’s no other creature like you…and you can’t talk me out of it. I’m lovesick.”

Let me tell you, your God is no passive judge. He is a turbulent, burning, fiery, passionate, ardent lover and you’re the one creature He’s set His affections on. Deuteronomy 10:14 says this, the heavens are His, the highest heavens are His, and the earth and everything in them…He owned it all but he set His affections on you. What do you do when a burning, jealous being sets His affections on you? We’re talking the ultimate stalker in the universe. For real. He will stalk you all the way to the pit of hell to win your love. But this one’s not violent…He gives his own life that you can live. He comes after you. He’s waiting at every turn. He’s setting up ambushes. He seems to think He has the right to enjoy you. He seems to have it in His mind that He loves you like no other creature and is willing to go to the depths to get you. You can’t talk Him out of it.

a scripture I’ve been meditating on and may follow up with some thoughts later…

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have strength.
By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of the earth.
I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
I traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the world.
When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
Rejoicing in His inhabited world,

And my delight was with the sons of men.

“Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the LORD

Proverbs 8:14-35

I’m on my way to Maryland at 5am tomorrow!  This is a blog to procrastinate packing…  

The past couple months I’ve had an overwhelming sense of peace about where I am right now in my life. Physically, emotionally, spiritually…  I’ve been feeling more and more at home here in Kansas City.  More settled.  I feel like I have two homes now. 

I don’t know if I’ve taken the time to tell all five people who read this that I have the best housemates in the entire world.  Well, I do.  I’ve learned a lot about Godly community the past few years.  However, the past three months I’ve settled into a few relationships I’ve worked on for years and they’re just very…comfortable…I guess.  I think we’re touching what it means to dwell in unity. 

Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  Psalm 133:1

I haven’t been posting about much lately…I don’t know what’s going on.  I have a bunch of half finished blogs saved.  I’ve been pretty contemplative this past month.  I guess sometime soon I’ll verbally throw up on you guys….