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Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
TEAM Kraakevik climbing/training in the back country of some top secret remote sight
IMG00189
Mark Kraakevik
The EDGE Colorado - live the message
http://www.google.com/profiles/Kraakerjack
mkraakevik@mac.com
720-308-4051
We all have demons, don't face your alone***
"Faith is our relationship to and with God. And it is given life and meaning in our relationship to and with each other."
Monday, December 28, 2009
Yesterday's thoughts on communion
Communion Sunday After Christmas 2009
Invited to a table -
Passing around the ham, and the yams, and the green bean casserole, and the potatoes.
Around the table are people you have not seen in a long time.
This morning we gather around the table. And some have joined us from far away.
Big Doug is here. We have done several missions trips together, and although he lives in Seattle, whenever we get together, we remember the adventures we shared together.
Each year is a collection of events, that become your life.
As we look back on 2009 what will we remember. What stories will be told for years to come.
What stories will be forgotten, and lost to history.
Make God your refuge - and what is most important will never be lost.
Isaiah 57
13 When you cry out for help,
let your collection of idols save you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow them away.
But the man who makes me his refuge
will inherit the land
and possess my holy mountain."
As we come to this table we share it with the one we have made our refuge. The one to whom we have entrusted our stories. The one who is writing our story, as we follow and trust him.
Mark Kraakevik
of Littleton, CO. Mark can be reached at 720-308-4051
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The Christmas Letter that never happend - first draft :)
Day after Christmas, 2009
It is quiet in the house. 6:45am. I have been up for a bit. Folded some laundry, check my email and facebook, read some twitter posts, made some updates to my address book, and thought about Ghengis Khan. Now that guy could lead.
I have not done the blogging/jounral thing in awhile. I think I need to return to it in 2010. It is hard to make time, but time seems to fly by "unrecorded" and "unobserved" if I don't do something.
Didn't write a Christmas letter this year. If I had I would have talked about things that happened each month, like all good Christmas letters do...
Jan - The big 4-0. Mark turned 40
Feb - Annika's birthday, and she attended a Revolve Conference. Britta sang in a school choir concert.
March - We had 175 at Easter Service, which we held at Stony Creek Elementary School.
April - Britta's birthday. Mark, Annika and Britta skied the last day of the season at Loveland, using passes purchased in Nov.
May - Annika finished up 6th grade.
June - Attended BGC meetings at Bethel
July - Traveled all over - Jefson reunion in Iowa, Heidi and girls spent time in Montana, while I went to Brazil again.
Aug - Norseman Quartet reunion in Montana.
Nov - Church celebrated its two year birthday.
Dec - Britta performed in her second Colorado Children's Chorale
Typically, these end with some kind of "Have a great Christmas Season, and remember that we can live without fear because God has sent his son to save us."
Mark
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas, Turtles - Don't be afraid.
The New Christmas Turtles made it into the talk to night, since it was all about "be not afraid" Dropped the turtle back into her cage as I took her out - scared her big time!
People we hesitant to take communion after I handled the turtles. But I let the ushers pass out the bread and cup, so a Salmonella outbreak could be averted.
Cold snowy night in Denver, but we still had great turn out. Personal favorite moment was singing Joy to the World A Capella after the second service.
Merry Christmas friends and family
Mark
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Monday, December 07, 2009
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Friday, December 04, 2009
Death/life Two funerals today. Leaving for the first one saw that someone did donuts in snow-i laughed
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Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Archive of today's discussion about whether homosexual should be allowed to adopt kids
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Monday, November 30, 2009
Pray for Kevin Gilman
Kevin is at Swedish Hospital right now. They are doing surgery, going into his neck, removing a disk and fusing two other disks together. He has been in the hospital since Sat. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Please Help us Help The Mitchells - Ella Fans
Hey friends, here is a short note from a family in crisis. Help us if you can. From Amanda Mitchell: Hi everyone. Ella is recovering from her 4th UTI and we are meeting with the doctor on Dec. 9th to set a date for her surgery. We are pretty sure it will be scheduled before the end of the year. We are asking anyone and everyone we know to help us raise money for her over the next two weeks. I know this is forward, but as a mom, you will do anything for your daughter. We have exhausted our funds, Travis' 401K and other savings plans. I am hosting another jewelry/fundraiser party next week. If you know of any way to help us, please let us know. I think if we can just get through the end of the year we can be in a better position and the best thing...have a healthy daughter.
We appreciate all thoughts and prayers during this time. Thank you for listening to a mother's rambling.
We appreciate all thoughts and prayers during this time. Thank you for listening to a mother's rambling.
Sincerely,
Amanda Mitchell
If you want to help, drop me a note and I will get you more info.
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Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
A day in the life of the EDGE - happy birthday Dave
Dave celebrates his birthday with us
Post-church youth group game
Mark Kraakevik
http://www.google.com/profiles/Kraakerjack
To live is Christ, to die is gain.
Britta and I are singing - no school today!!! (Annika is sleeping)
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Oops. Leatherman attached to keys. Thank you airlines security for keeping us safe
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
I have to be up at 4:30am to go to Salt Lake City tomorrow for a Prayer tour
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Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Hosanna Lutheran Church (one of my favorite churches) is leaving the ELCA
This is a fascinating development in the church world. I used to work at the church down the road from Hosanna. In fact I spoke at several of there confirmation retreats. (A Baptist speaking at a confirmation retreat??!!) I am praying for this church and for the leadership. If you can not see the document, click the link below. It will take you to a twitter. When you click on the link in the twitter it will download a PDF doc from Pastor Bill Bohline.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Prayer Requests from a pastor friend in Glenwood Springs
Please pray for Tomas and Luis' brother
This letter came from Juan Lopez, Pastor of Roca De Refugio in Glenwood Springs, CO
"Beloved brothers:
It is a blessing to be able to greet you in the name of Jesus, hoping that you are enjoying His blessings.
I write you to ask that you help us in prayer for the father of Tomas Cardenas. He is the brother who is in charge of the work in Grand Junction. His father is in the hospital and in very grave condition. Tomas needs to go to Nicaragua to visit him. So we ask that you pray that he will make a good decision. His father's name is Bernardo Cardenas.
Another matter is that we need to pray for the tragedy that has occurred in El Salvador. Many people have been left homeless and 125 people have died and many have disappeared in the flooding that has provoked mudslides. The story of brother Luis in Apulo is sad. When he heard that the mudslide was coming he grabbed his two children. He was hit by the current and let loose of the children but managed to catch his daughter but could not reach his son. He only heard him scream, "Papa, papa" each time farther away until he could not hear him anymore. The body of the child has not been found."
Mark Kraakevik
The EDGE Colorado - Live The Message
To live is Christ, to die is gain.
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Saturday, November 07, 2009
Friday, November 06, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
How to write a poem by Wendell Berry
Mark Kraakevik
The EDGE Colorado - Live The Message
720-308-4051
www.theedgecolorado.org
To live is Christ, to die is gain.
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For the record - I disagree with this article, but since when has that stopped me from posting something that will force you to think about your beliefs and how they play out in the real world.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2009/11/gay-adoption.htmlPerhaps we should put the full force of the church behind the movement to ban divorce currently underway in California? (http://tinyurl.com/ban-divorce)
I have heard that if each church in America had an average of one adoption, there would be no children left in foster care available for adoption.
I believe the Bible teaches that homosexuality is wrong. I know people disagree. I am ok with that. I don't expect to agree with everyone on everything, even when it comes to the church and God.
Now, from my frame of reference, if homosexuality is wrong, then placing a child in that situation is also wrong. To argue that it is less wrong than keeping the kid in a crack house is true, but not helpful for public policy. To place a child in a car with someone who can drive but doesn't have a license is better than in a car with someone who has a license but can't drive. Both are wrong, neither situation should be encouraged. Why argue between which is better?
This is the real-world, Mark. We don't always get to choose from what we'd consider ideal solutions or generate win-win situations. You're right, I disagree that we've been taught that homosexuality is wrong, but assuming that premise is correct, then consider this as well, if more heterosexual couples stepped up to the plate to take in children that needed homes this wouldn't even be an issue. Yet, instead, there are hundreds of thousands of children that go to bed every night wishing they had a stable, loving home.
Many of those children are the result of pregnant teens listening to the anti-abortion rhetoric and giving the children up for adoption. The church rushed to tell those unprepared children not to terminate their pregnancies, but where is the aftercare? Were those unexpected children only of value in-utero? If Jim's statistic is true, there shouldn't be a single child that goes without a loving home, whether it be to hetero- or homosexual couples
[And for the record, after having been a party to three pregnancies and seeing a child developing through ultrasounds, I can't imagine anyone wanting to terminate a pregnancy voluntarily or as a means of birth control, but I stand behind a woman's right to choose, especially in cases of incest and rape or where the mother's health may be at risk.]
I will return to an argument that has got me in a good deal of hot water on this wall previously. If I hate someone that is a sin. If I kill someone, that is also a sin. If I hate someone, I can still raise a kid. If I kill someone, I will likely spend my life in jail, and should not raise a kid.
One of the underlying assumptions is that being raised by two mom's is morally neutral. I would contend that it is not.
This is the way I see it. There is so much hate, judgement, and unhappiness in the world shouldn't people be with the ones they love? Part of the problem with the world today is people get involved in stuff that isn't their business. If it doesn't directly affect you, why does it bother you? Let people be happy.
At the risk of being hated on a Pastor's page (Sorry Mark) this is one of the main reasons I don't attend church. I feel as though people with religious beliefs are the first to pass judgement.
@ Mark, yes, same sex marriage is still illegal but in 25 years we are going to look back on this debate and wonder why same sex marriage wasn't legal. It will be the same way with this situation as a woman's right to vote and civil rights equality.
Secondly, I have to say that this situation is a direct result of the previous generation failing to teach their kids to be good fathers and mothers, and of the LIE that sex is anything other than a prayer to God for children, and you shouldn't pray for what you don't want.
Ok, having said that, there is idealism and there is reality. I believe that the law, even secular law, should call us to ideal situations. It should be written to teach as well as punish. But how we implement/enforce the law should mirror reality more. Therefore, I believe both that homosexual couples adopting should be illegal- and that given the choice between no parents or very bad parents and homosexual parents, homosexual parents is the right choice
Ideally, every child should have two parents of the opposite sex- studies have shown that proper development is dependent upon this. But these kids aren't in an ideal situation to begin with. In fact, they're in very bad situations to begin with.
I know many think I'm a bigot for saying that- but defending the truth means that sometimes you're bigoted.
Oh, and I'm all for banning divorce as well, or at the very least, making it well known that divorce is not and should not be a method of escaping parenthood (there should be no outs to the implied contract of having sex, at all- once you have sex you should be bound to that person for life, no outs.).
Should interracial couples be allowed to adopt? Should divorce be made illegal as is being proposed in California?
But that's ideals. And the reality is quite often as you say.
@Nikki, unfortunately the American story is often far more greedy than what a few churches have shown.
That means gay marriage is illegal in (almost) 45 states, not 47. So 10% of the nation recognizes that law should not be dictated by religion (unlike Texas that has deftly avoided the entire issue by banning ALL marriages).
@Nikki- the day our government abandoned God, our society was doomed to begin with.
Having said that - not going to church because people are judgmental is a poor excuse. (I know its a bit ironic to judge you on not wanting to be judged)
I believe in truth. Everyone believes in something. When two truths come into conflict, debate happens. When debate is handled poorly, people withdraw. When debate is handled maturely, people grow closer. They feel their opinions are being heard, and that the issue being addressed is being handled fairly.
Having said that - this debate is not about who loves the kids more. Everyone in this debate wants to see children raised in the best possible environment. The question is, "what does that environment look like?"