Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Christmas... Hope

Here's a little Christmas hope. This is the kind of football I'm trying to teach my son to play.

There are some games where cheering for the other side feels better than winning.

by Rick Reilly

They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas.

It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything about it was upside down. For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field, the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through.

Did you hear that? The other team's fans?

They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end. It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.

It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs. More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side and kept cheering the Gainesville players on—by name.

"I never in my life thought I'd hear people cheering for us to hit their kids," recalls Gainesville's QB and middle linebacker, Isaiah. "I wouldn't expect another parent to tell somebody to hit their kids. But they wanted us to!"

And even though Faith walloped them 33-14, the Gainesville kids were so happy that after the game they gave head coach Mark Williams a sideline squirt-bottle shower like he'd just won state. Gotta be the first Gatorade bath in history for an 0-9 coach.

But then you saw the 12 uniformed officers escorting the 14 Gainesville players off the field and two and two started to make four. They lined the players up in groups of five—handcuffs ready in their back pockets—and marched them to the team bus. That's because Gainesville is a maximum-security correctional facility 75 miles north of Dallas. Every game it plays is on the road.

This all started when Faith's head coach, Kris Hogan, wanted to do something kind for the Gainesville team. Faith had never played Gainesville, but he already knew the score. After all, Faith was 7-2 going into the game, Gainesville 0-8 with 2 TDs all year. Faith has 70 kids, 11 coaches, the latest equipment and involved parents. Gainesville has a lot of kids with convictions for drugs, assault and robbery—many of whose families had disowned them—wearing seven-year-old shoulder pads and ancient helmets.

So Hogan had this idea. What if half of our fans—for one night only—cheered for the other team? He sent out an email asking the Faithful to do just that. "Here's the message I want you to send:" Hogan wrote. "You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."

Some people were naturally confused. One Faith player walked into Hogan's office and asked, "Coach, why are we doing this?"

And Hogan said, "Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you."

Next thing you know, the Gainesville Tornadoes were turning around on their bench to see something they never had before. Hundreds of fans. And actual cheerleaders!

"I thought maybe they were confused," said Alex, a Gainesville lineman (only first names are released by the prison). "They started yelling 'DEE-fense!' when their team had the ball. I said, 'What? Why they cheerin' for us?'"

It was a strange experience for boys who most people cross the street to avoid. "We can tell people are a little afraid of us when we come to the games," says Gerald, a lineman who will wind up doing more than three years. "You can see it in their eyes. They're lookin' at us like we're criminals. But these people, they were yellin' for us! By our names!"

Maybe it figures that Gainesville played better than it had all season, scoring the game's last two touchdowns. Of course, this might be because Hogan put his third-string nose guard at safety and his third-string cornerback at defensive end. Still.

After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."

And it was a good thing everybody's heads were bowed because they might've seen Hogan wiping away tears.

As the Tornadoes walked back to their bus under guard, they each were handed a bag for the ride home—a burger, some fries, a soda, some candy, a Bible and an encouraging letter from a Faith player.

The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard by the shoulders and said, "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."

And as the bus pulled away, all the Gainesville players crammed to one side and pressed their hands to the window, staring at these people they'd never met before, watching their waves and smiles disappearing into the night.

Anyway, with the economy six feet under and Christmas running on about three and a half reindeer, it's nice to know that one of the best presents you can give is still absolutely free.

Hope.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Walking and Talking

I remain totally convinced that when human sperm penetrates human egg, you get a new human immediately. And at that point, it's Life that trumps Liberty and the Pursuit of Happyness every time. (Yes, it's misspelled.) The order was intentional.
Walking and Talking
Pro-Choice as Rhetoric

December 3, 2008

The smartest thing “abortion rights” advocates ever did was to coin the phrase “pro-choice.” That shifted our attention towards the act of choosing and away from what was being chosen—the dismemberment of a human being in utero.

Eventually, however, at some point, “choice” has to go from mere rhetoric to an actual deed. Somebody has to actually perform an abortion if “freedom of choice” is to become a reality, as one medical student learned recently.

The November 23rd issue of the Washington Post Magazine told the story of a medical student named Lesley Wojick. She plans to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology and is unapologetically “pro-choice.” She even helped organize a “day-long abortion seminar” at her medical school.

At the seminar, a medical director for Planned Parenthood of Maryland asked the attendees, “How pro-choice are you?” She asked them what their families and neighbors would think of their performing abortions.

Wojick was determined to “walk the talk,” to make her “actions to be consistent with [her] words.” She thought that if “pro-choice” doctors like her didn’t do this, “the right to abortion might be rendered meaningless.”

Wojick then attempted to “walk the walk.” But not for long. During her obstetrics rotation, she realized that “vacuuming out a uterus and counting the parts of the fetus” wasn’t for her. “Somebody else . . . would become an abortion provider. But it wouldn’t be her.”

It’s not surprising. Once you get past the rhetoric of choice, what’s left is a bloody and, for most people, disreputable business. As Wojick discovered, even people who insist that it’s a right want little to do with the actual practice or the practitioners.

Someone else who understands what abortions really mean is Stojan Adasevic, a Serbian doctor who performed 48,000 abortions in 26 years. Studying medicine in communist Yugoslavia, he was taught that abortion was simply removing a piece of tissue.

Then he began to have nightmares about a field filled with children playing and laughing. When they saw him, they ran away in fear. In the dream, a man in a black and white habit explained to Adasevic that these were the children he had aborted. The man in the habit was St. Thomas Aquinas.

Adasevic insists that he had never heard of Aquinas. In any case, he knew what he had to do. He stopped performing abortions. What he calls his “conversion” came at a cost—the then-communist government “cut his salary in half, fired his daughter from her job, and did not allow his son to enter the university.”

Today, Adasevic is a leader of the pro-life movement in Serbia and persuaded authorities to air the pro-life classic, The Silent Scream, on television. Not surprisingly, he has returned to the “Orthodox faith of his childhood.”

These stories are reminders that rhetoric can only obscure the truth for so long. Then those on both sides of the abortion debate will have to decide how to “walk the talk.”

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Prop 8 Post

Posted something about Prop 8 on my blog: http://livingonapearl.blogspot.com/

Please feel free to comment here or there if you wish. I posted it there for the sake of some of my church, and even non-church, buddies.

Persecution is heating up.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Glory, Holiness, and Suffering

Confession: Sometimes I post here because I know only our little group ever looks at this, if even you.

I've long wanted to write about how glory, holiness, and suffering collide. Here is a story that illuminates it: Punk Rock Mommy. You see, we cannot solidly be who we are called to be, His holy ones, until we know where we stand in God's eyes, a display of the glory of God. And that will not be clear until we see our suffering in the proper light.

Glory: worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving; to exult with triumph, and rejoice proudly. YES! Highest praise only accompanies sacrifice. Inherant talent isn't sufficient. Pain is required. Even fanciful dreams of our grand requiem flirt in the imagination. But supreme praise is hoarded for supreme self effacement even when thrust upon us. War gruesomely offers examples in rows even inspiring Glory. Mother Teresa's name requires no introduction, engenders deep respect, because she poured out her life selflessly to the very end.

But at the crossroads of glory and affliction, you find holiness. (No! Not piety! Though perhaps a bit in its root, kindness.) In ASL, with palm up and palm down the motion swipes across from heal to fingertips leaving one with the image of cutting. A removal or separation, or to be set apart, to be made unique and special is the reality of the Holy. Jesus sits atop that mountain too. Talk about weird and wonderful, He defied normality in every sense. He trusted the Father to make Him. And the Father sculpted Christ into the perfect man that Adam failed to achieve. And Peter knew it wholeheartedly. Pete's first letter explores sacrifice, death, holiness, and glory. Amazingly, Peter uses Jesus suffering as an example with his point to encourage us in our time of trial. For those who dare to stand outside the World's norm will pay the price, but be encouraged by Jesus' example because the glory of God is completely worth it.

Praise be to the lamb that was slain! Be glory and power and strength. Hallelujah. Amen.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Christianity at the Visitor's Center

Long time, no post.

Here's a vision for our lives. But it requires risk, courage, and faith.

Christianity at the Visitor's Center
Just Courage

September 18, 2008

By Mark Earley.

In his new book, Just Courage, Gary Haugen, president of International Justice Mission, recounts a childhood trip to Mt. Rainier with his father and two brothers. When his dad suggested that they try to reach base camp, 10-year-old Haugen wasn't sure he could make it. His father reassured him he'd be there to help. But Haugen opted to stay in the cushy comfort of the visitor's center. As he writes, "I went on the trip, but missed the adventure."

Haugen uses this to illustrate a widespread malady in the Church today. Christians often choose safety and comfort over courage. We don't believe that risk and suffering may be part of God's plan for our lives. But in cutting ourselves off from the risk, explains Haugen, we also miss the adventure, the joy, and the experience of seeing God meet us at our point of need.

Haugen—the 2007 recipient of BreakPoint's William Wilberforce Award—speaks from experience. He and his colleagues at International Justice Mission take risks for God every day. In some of the world's darkest regions they liberate women and young girls from sexual slavery, families from forced labor, and communities from widespread injustice.

Haugen tells the story of one young man, Sean Litton, a brilliant lawyer, who was at the top of his game professionally when he decided to join IJM's staff. According to Sean, he wasn't afraid of joining the on-the-ground work in the Philippines. But he was afraid of losing that competitive career edge when he came back. But Sean came to decide, "If I can rescue one child from the unspeakable horrors of prostitution, it would outweigh any sacrifice."

Sean got his wish and a lot more. Through his efforts, he and his staff rescued hundreds of women and girls from sexual exploitation.

He knew it was all worth it when, as he says, "I looked into the eyes of a fifteen-year-old girl who had been brutally raped two years previously and no one had done anything to help her: I was able to tell her, 'God loves you. I know he loves you because he sent me here to help you.''

As a result, the man who raped this young girl is now serving a 20-year prison term, while she is now studying social work at a local university. She hopes to help other abused women one day.

Stories like this should thrill you, and I recommend you get yourself a copy of Haugen's book. But, like Haugen, I want to encourage you not just to listen to the stories and be moved, but to join the adventure.

Maybe you'll volunteer your expertise with International Justice Mission. Maybe you'll help to break the chains of men and women enslaved overseas. Maybe you'll move out of your comfort zone to share the Gospel with millions of incarcerated men and women right here in America, helping them loose their chains of addiction and spiritual bondage, helping them reintegrate into society once they leave prison behind.

Perhaps there is some other way that God is asking you to take a risk for Him. But either way, I hope you won't be content to stay put. It's time we all left the visitor's center.

http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=9317

Are we able to pray, "God, help us avoid the rich young man's plight"?

Monday, June 16, 2008

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani!

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" We all know the words Jesus said while he was dying on the cross. Here's the question: Why would Jesus say that? What was he feeling? What was his purpose? Countless speculations have been made online, some including:

1. When Jesus took on the sin of the world, God turned away because He cannot look upon sin. This means that Jesus was left by Himself to suffer. (Although this explanation is discredited by Deut 4:31, 2 Chronicles 15:2, and Psalm 37:25,28, all which show that "God does not forsake the righteous.")
2. When Jesus made the call, He wanted the people to recognize that He was referring to all of Psalm 22, not just the first verse. The people would recognize the quote and later would read all the psalm. Then, they would know that what had just happened had been prophesied long before.
3.
In the introduction to his translation of the Bible, George Lamsa criticizes the various versions in their rendering of Matthew 27: 46. He points out that what they say is in contradiction to the King James Version of John 16: 32 and several instances of the Old Testament (which he does not state). His translation includes:

Psalm 22: 1
My God, my God, why hast thou let me to live? and yet thou hast delayed my salvation from me, because of the words of my folly.
Matthew 27: 46
And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, Eli, Eli, lemana shabakthani! My God, my God, for this was I spared!
Footnote: This was my destiny.
Mark 15: 34
And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lemana shabakthani! which means, My God, my God, for this was I spared.
Footnote: "which means" used by Mark to explain translation from one Aramaic dialect to another.
Luke 23: 46
Then Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, O my Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit. He said this and it was finished.
John 19: 30
When Jesus drank the vinegar, he said, It is fulfilled; and he bowed his head and gave up the spirit.

(Source)

I keep reflecting onto why we use phrases such as "why have you abandoned me" and the times that I have accused God of exactly that, even though my spirit knows that it is not possible. We know that Jesus was baptized to "fulfill all righteousness" (Matt 3:15) even though He didn't need to wash away any sins, but was fulfilling Scripture the only purpose for his cry?

I wonder if Jesus was really in despair. I wonder if Jesus was expressing an accusation to describe his frustration. I wonder if Jesus doubted God for a split second of his decision to sacrifice his Son. I wonder if Jesus was angry at God. I wonder all these things because all these things I feel toward God- despair, frustration, doubt, and anger- and yet, my Spirit knows that God is in control. Does Jesus truly understand this battle within? And can this battle be attributed to humanness (which Jesus would have endured) or just lack of faith (which Jesus would not have endured...or would he)? And is this kind of "little faith" a sin?

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Apologetics...

Hi everyone!

Recently I've had a very long conversation with a friend who is not a Christian and he raised some very important questions that I do not have the answers to. He is willing to believe the bible (although he doesn't yet), so it's okay and desired that the answer to these questions be backed with bible verses. I thought maybe all of you could help me. Perhaps these questions don't have answers.. but I don't know this for sure. Actually, these are statements that need to be counteracted (and perhaps the statement itself is not spoken in a correct manner)

1) If God created us in His image, than He is not ALL good.. because we are evil. If He created Lucifer, and Lucifer is evil, than God is evil. Questions: Biblically, were angels also created in God's image (or just the humans)? We can explain that humans are evil because we fell prey to the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and that God didn't create us evil. However, He created the tree... and according to the bible everything He created is good. But the tree wasn't good... the tree was the knowledge of evil. So, DID He create evil? Or is evil just the absence of good? In Genesis, when it says that "and He saw that it was good", does it mean that it was "well done, properly created" or that it was "good good, pure and likable good"??? The verse I have found to reference that it was good good is 1 Timothy 4:4... do you all think this is confirmation as well? Lastly, I know we've discussed in this blog before the nature of good and evil (and if evil is the absence of good)... but I don't think the verse which indicates God allows us to go through tribulations to refine us actually proves He CREATED evil... although it does prove He allows evil (or rather, the absence of good in my opinion.. because He gave us choice).

2) Was Lucifer thrown out of heaven before the creation of man? Can we prove this biblically? Was the snake in the Garden of Eden possessed by the Devil? Or was this just a cunning snake, the most intelligent of all the animals (which perhaps had itself already ate from that same tree)?

Ok, I think these are all for now.

God Bless,
Evelyn

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Possible answers to "Troubling Thoughts"

If you read comments on here, you might remember my asking 2 questions: "Does Christianity demean life?" and "Does Christianity hold a lower value on life than other worldviews and specifically atheism?" The first is answered elsewhere. And below is a response to the second. Consider this carefully and honestly.
Theology at the Theater
Atonement

February 21, 2008

The film Atonement won a Golden Globe for Best Drama and has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It may look like just another period drama, but there is something in this film that is resonating deeply with audiences. It might be the love story or the performances or even the look of the film, but I would venture that it is something deeper: the way it touches on one of our deepest spiritual needs. (Before I go on, you need to know that I am not recommending the film. It deserves its "R" rating. But I do think the film's themes are having an impact, and Christians should be ready to discuss them.)

The story revolves around a little girl named Briony Tallis, who tells a lie. She claims she saw a man who molested her cousin one night, when it was actually too dark for her to be sure of what she saw. For reasons of her own, Briony is convinced that she really knows who committed the crime and that she is doing the right thing by swearing that she saw him do it. But her lie sends an innocent man to prison and lets the real rapist go free.

Her guilt, as she comes to realize what she has done, haunts Briony for the rest of her life. The title of the film, though, is deeply ironic, because although she tries in her own way to atone, all her attempts fall short.

It makes the story all the more poignant when you learn that Ian McEwan, author of the critically acclaimed novel on which the film is based, is an atheist. In a recent interview, McEwan told the New Republic, "It is crucial that people who do not have a sky god and do not have a set of supernatural beliefs, assert their belief in moral values and in love and in the transcendence that they might experience in landscape or art or music or sculpture or whatever." He continues, "Since they do not believe in an afterlife, it makes them give more valence to life itself."

But when you apply McEwan's reasoning to his own story, the resulting principle is unbearable. Briony's victim had the only life he could ever know taken away from him. But Briony's plight is even worse. She is never able to earn forgiveness from the people she wronged, and, if McEwan's beliefs are correct, there is no God to forgive her for her disobedience to the "moral values." She has, as the novel suggests, played God with people's lives, but she has neither God's power of omniscience nor His power to bring good out of evil.

As his story suggests, McEwan's universe—as noble as he tries to make it sound—offers no second chances for those who get it wrong. Atonement, the theological doctrine that for Christians provides the path to a restored relationship with God, here becomes only an elusive, mocking wish that can never be fulfilled.

Although McEwan's atheism is not spelled out in the story, the viewer comes away with a sense of tragedy and waste that reflects the author's ideas, perhaps even better than he knows. But the film also makes us face our own desperate need for atonement and forgiveness. It just goes to show, yet again, that the truth of the human condition and the law of God are written on our hearts, no matter what we tell ourselves we believe.

If this still is not enough, try the further thoughts found on The Point.

Finally, I often find that I should pay closer attention to atheists' own words, particularly the more qualified ladies and gents. The disparity in how our beliefs play out in the real world becomes more apparent. This from Peter Singer is a pretty good example.

I'm still concocting a response for Kenaz first question: "Does there need to be a BAD for every GOOD or is BAD only the absence of GOOD? If there is no hardship, then there is no discipline, and thus no true sonship. (Hebrews 12:7)"

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Two Empowering Verses

In light of recent events including the absolute ownage by both my engineering classes and other unpleasantries throughout the week, here are two verses that i've "meditated" on:

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40: 29-31 (future tattoo)

"Now when my heart is troubled, and what shall i say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"

John 12: 27 (emphasis added)

Why Would I Need Salvation?

Not referencing any Biblical verses, why would someone like me need to be saved? I don't murder, cheat, steal, smoke, hate, cuss, commit adultery, or covet. I'm obedient, polite, respectful, helpful, loving, serving, and I even give a buck to the hobo down the street once in a while. I'm happy with my friends, family, and position in life. Sure, I'd like to be rich and not have to worry about a job or money for the rest of my life, but I believe that when a door closes on one opportunity, a window opens somewhere else. I know I'm lucky to have grown up with both my mom and my dad, to have received thousands of dollars worth of stuff over the years, and to have enough resources to live an above-average lifestyle while making $0 a year.

Sure being a Christian has its benefits. There is love, joy, and peace in a Christian household. There is patience, kindness, and goodness in a fellowship of believers. There is faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control grounded in a belief that God will, essentially, provide the next meal. But how is that different from a Jewish household or a Muslim household? What difference is there between believing in Jesus (and that he was raised to life) and just believing in his teaching as a good prophet?

Basically, what have I done since birth that I should feel some sort of remorse for? Yes, I've fibbed here and there, and gossiped during that seventh grade slumber party, but I've reconciled all of that with the people whom it hurt. What evidence is there (not referencing the Bible) that I need to "make right" with God? What evidence is there that God was hurt? What evidence is there that I, personally (not mankind), need to be saved? And saved from what?

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Really Paying the Price

Have you ever wondered about passages like Exodus 22:16-17? This article might be helpful.

Melting Hearts
Crime and Accountability

April 2, 2008

As she sat in her boyfriend's car, a young Texas woman named Dee Dee Washington was shot and killed—an innocent bystander of a drug deal gone bad. For 14 years, the man who fired the shot, Ron Flowers, never admitted to killing her—not until, that is, Ron was admitted to the InnerChange Freedom Initiative® (IFI), the prison program launched by Prison Fellowship in Texas.

IFI applies principles of restorative justice by confronting offenders with the harm they have done to their victims. During one of IFI's Victim Awareness sessions, Ron finally admitted that he did commit the murder, and he prayed that his victim's family would forgive him. He wrote a letter to Dee Dee's mother, Mrs. Anna Washington, expressing his repentance and deep remorse.

For her part, Mrs. Washington had written angry letters every year to the parole board, urging them to deny Ron parole. But when Ron confessed, Mrs. Washington felt an overwhelming conviction that she should meet the man who had killed her daughter.

Prison Fellowship staff carefully prepared Mrs. Washington and Ron for the meeting. Mrs. Washington finally could ask the questions that virtually every victim wants to ask: "Why did you do it?" "How did it happen?" Ron reassured her that her daughter was not involved in the drug deal. As Ron told her about the day that he killed her daughter, Mrs. Washington took his hands in hers and said, "I forgive you."

I was in Houston for Ron's graduation from IFI. As Ron crossed the stage to receive his diploma, Mrs. Washington rose from her seat and walked over to embrace Ron, the man who had murdered her daughter. She then told all of us in the audience, "This young man is my adopted son."

After Ron's release, Mrs. Washington helped him adjust to the community, sat with him at church, had him over for dinner, and even stood by him when he was married.

Only God could bring about such reconciliation and healing.

Unlike our criminal justice system, which focuses solely on public safety and order, restorative justice is also about repairing the harm caused by crime. An important part of the reparative process is victim-offender reconciliation. These meetings allow "victims, offenders, and community members" to discuss what happened and its "aftermath"—to seek repentance and forgiveness.

This is more than an ill-defined sense of "closure." Coming face-to-face with victims can cause offenders to think about their actions and their consequences in a way that punishment alone never can.

Anyone who has spent time around inmates knows that many view themselves as victims—something that is harder to do when you have spoken to the real victims. Research suggests that inmates who meet with their victims are more likely to pay court-ordered restitution than those who do not.

You see, as I have said countless times, crime is a moral and spiritual issue. That being the case, rehabilitation can happen only when offenders see their offenses as more than rule-breaking: They must see them as a transgression against God and other people.

While promoting order is the God-given role of government, there is more to justice than police, prosecutors, and prison. Justice also means repairing the harm caused by crime, which requires going where government cannot go—to the human heart.

Monday, April 7, 2008

A Non-intuitive View on Relationships

Why I Don't Watch Grays Anatomy

"You deserve to be with somebody who makes you happy, somebody who's not gonna complicate your life, somebody who won't hurt you."
-from the television show Gray's Anatomy
It's possible that I'm taking this quote completely out of context (I came across it on someone's blog as a sort of "credo of love"), but it seems like one of those things we think we deserve that really we wouldn't even want.

Now, you don't want to be with someone who is always making you unhappy or someone who is always complicating your life unnecessarily or someone who is always hurting you.

But I am married to the most amazing person I know and the idea that all she does is make me happy or that she never complicates my life or that she never hurts me...well, that's absurd. If that were my ideal, I'd be with someone far less interesting and exciting or else I'd be someone far less interesting or exciting.

You folks that seek out chaos and confuse it with love, I'm not talking to you.

But you folks who think love is the final scene in "Sleepless In Seattle", I am talking to you. All that scene is is two strangers in love with the idea of being in love.

Give me someone who makes me happy and also makes me so much more. Give me someone worth complicating my life over. Give me someone I care enough about to be hurt by as well as someone who loves me enough to not want to hurt me.

Give me the love that doesn't feel like work, but takes work nonetheless. Give me a third choice besides Gray's Anatomy drama and Gray's Anatomy platitudes. Give me the challenges of real life love.
Credit: PastorKes at "The Dope Is That There's Still Hope".

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Troubling Thoughts

So I often feel like I spend more time thinking about the seeming inconsistencies with the tenets of Biblical philosophy than I do about all the happy good things about being a Christian. Every time I run into one of these troubling questions I write it down, think about it, and usually let it simmer. Nevertheless, I frequently go back and see how my viewpoint has changed. While I normally am able to reconcile to at least a passable extent most of the initial disconnect I encounter, there are two questions which I feel have plagued my thoughts more frequently than others:

Hebrews 12:7 states that we must "endure hardship as discipline. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons." We can only interpret this, as far as I can see, in one of two ways. The first implies that the father causes this hardship in the same way that the father causes discipline. If this were so, then how can we say hardships (that is discouragement, depression, anger etc.) are not then caused by God but by Satan? Who is then the father? The other interpretation is that God allows hardship as a matter of necessity so through hardship, we may be disciplined and become "true sons." Although this interpretation seems to be more in line with conventional credo, it is not any more comforting. The crux of this interpretation stands on the fact that hardship, like discipline, is absolutely essential. If we are to believe that all hardship is born of Satan, then are we to say that Satan is essential? Does there need to be a BAD for every GOOD or is BAD only the absence of GOOD? If there is no hardship, then there is no discipline, and thus no true sonship. How then does hardship not come from God for, without it, we could not be called "sons of God"?

And even more troubling in my mind:

Opponents of atheism claim that atheism inherently diminishes the value of human life. The claim of absolute nihility of God and therefore of meaning or purpose in life certainly supports this accusation. After all, if the forces-that-be orchestrated matter to, by an infinite series of coin flips, give one species on one planet in one galaxy to possess an itching need to know why it has been given such a gift and the search ultimately come up fruitless, then indeed life is rather pointless. Nevertheless, the question then is doesn't Christianity trivialize the human life even more? Doesn't scripture say that "you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes"? If our ultimate goal is reunion with God and that reunion is only achieved by corporal death, are we not then diminishing the value of human life? The mothers on the news who intentionally kill their young children are seen, rightfully, so as abominations of society. However what can be said about the mother who, rather than risking her children growing up and turning away from God, children who will stumble in the righteous race and are very likely to be sucked in by the world, pays the ultimate sacrifice by ensuring her children's salvation while sacrificing her own?

These thoughts have been bothering me a lot. The second one is largely from this man's refutation of Lee Strobel's A Case for Faith (http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/paul_doland/strobel.html#obj4).

Any input would be appreciated!

Leaving your Mark vs. Leaving a Bruise

When I stop & think, I recall times that I've laid people to waste. No, I wasn't a great football player. No... I mean with my words. Honestly, I don't remember hurting people when I was young. Maybe I just don't remember my youth with clarity and honesty. Unfortunately, most of the pain I remember inflicting has come more recently. Perhaps this is because my words now weigh more than they once did because of the much greater intensity of relationship I now experience. Perhaps I'm worse, less thoughtful, less holy, than I once was. Perhaps my eyes are being opened more clearly to what I say and how I say it. I'm not sure. But I feel like I've been leaving a lot of bruises lately.

When I stop & think, it is easier to pick out the times that I think I've left a positive mark. I remember a study partner who confided her pain with hometown churches. Just discussing those hard times and giving comfort was worth the time. I remember first comforting my (then future) wife regarding fearful revelations being made to her. And there are other moments I've honestly and openly attempted to encourage and uplift. I've even been told of a moment I gave loving correction, which was rejected by the receiver and reported to another, who properly took those painful words (about him) with humility as an exhortation, and urged him on to reconcile with God. He's still God's child.

Do you easily forget leaving bruises? And easily remember leaving your mark? I do. Why is that? Is it extraordinary pride? Or is it God's grace, his free offer to remove guilt? I honestly don't know.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Super Blogger, Patrick Mead

I've now seen several mentions of a blogger named Patrick Mead, and every one has been that he is an extraordinary blogger. So here's my plug...yeah, he's good. And he got a sub-blog where he answers particular questions about God called Tentpegs. Now that is good stuff.

Enjoy.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Encouragement

On another blog, I attempted to answer a question about abortion.
One question: Did I encourage or discourage Jen?

Thanks for any feedback,
Craig
Jen Says:

I would like to ask a question. Please don’t attack me violently, because I promise I struggle and internally debate this issue. I’m not taking a side, just asking a question.

Several of you have set forth the idea of, “Abortion is wrong - we can’t kill innocents. The end.” Where does this mandate come from? I know the places in the Bible used to suggest this idea (”Before you knew me in the womb,” the passage about hitting a pregnant woman and killing the Bible), etc. However, I’ve talked to lots of people with lots of different interpretations of all those scriptures.

Can we really be 100% sure abortion is the same to God as murder?

----------
Jen,
It is good to ask your question. Please know that many ask it, but you have the guts to voice it. It's admirable to honestly question. The Bereans in Acts were honored for it.

Most of the controversy from both the pro-life and pro-choice camps surround the following passage:
Exodus 21:22-25
"If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise."

3 questions to ask regarding this passage:
1) Is there a reason to think that the child born is dead?
2) Just reading the above, what would imply that the child has died?
3) Ancient Hebrew has a specific word (actually 2) for "miscarriage", so why wouldn't it have been used here?

An article specifically about this passage, which I picked up these question from, can be found here on a site called Stand To Reason. It seems to be a good apology of why many people believe the Bible condemns abortion.

Also, several early church fathers, like Turtullian, have addressed abortion specifically. But looking at just 1, I'd choose one from the Didache, which means "Teaching". It was probably codified initially around the early 2nd century (~135 ACE), and holds this passage addressing abortion:
"The second commandment of the teaching: You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not seduce boys. You shall not commit fornication. You shall not steal. You shall not practice magic. You shall not use potions. You shall not procure [an] abortion, nor destroy a newborn child" (Didache 2:1–2 [A.D. 70]).

Anyway, I hope I've been an encouragement to you. You've asked a good question and it's worthy of thought and investigation.

Grace and peace,
Craig

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Christian Orthodoxy: The Standard vs. The Norm

What's normal for you? Do you feel satisfied with your life? Is that contentment (or lack thereof) based on the Father's prompting? Here's a couple of stories Chuck Colson told that challenged me.
Irreducible and Non-Negotiable
Christian Orthodoxy

February 4, 2008

What is the Christian faith all about? Two stories, 18 centuries apart, provide a clue.

Across an ancient Roman city, a deadly plague was spreading. The wealthy, including the doctors, all fled to their country estates, abandoning the poor. Paganism, you see, did not teach that human life is sacred.

But the growing number of Christians in Rome at that time believed that humans are made in the image of a loving God. They stayed and cared for the sick, sacrificing themselves for others.

Imagine a young Roman Christian—let's call him Fortunus—pulling a hand-drawn cart toward the fountain at the city's center, where the sick were going for water once their families had abandoned them. Today Fortunus finds 20 plague victims, loads them up, and takes them to a make-shift hospital for care.

Fortunus and his fellow Christians know they are risking their own lives. But paradoxically, their compassion did not deplete Christian ranks in the long term—quite the reverse. Tending to the sick increased the disease survival rate by as much as two-thirds—and this witness of Christian sacrifice attracted many new converts. The Church grew.

By acting on the teachings of Christ, without regard to their own welfare, these Christians progressed from being a small sect to the dominant cultural group.

Flash forward 18 centuries, to October 5, 2006, Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. Charles Roberts burst into an Amish school house and shot 10 girls at point-blank range, killing five. He then shot himself.

But what happened next astonished the world. Amish families attended Robert's funeral, for the Bible says to mourn with those who mourn. As money poured in to pay for the wounded girls' medical bills, Amish leaders insisted that funds also be set aside to care for the killer's family.

Many were amazed at the love the Amish showed the family of their children's murderer—but it was the same love that every Christian ought to practice. It is nothing but the Gospel, although admittedly an all-too-rare instance of its full practice. But why don't Christianity's critics understand that the practice of love and forgiveness are hallmarks of Christianity—real Christianity?...

http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7500

Personally, I need motivation, but I also know some of you need encouragement because you are already pursuing those God-given objectives and it's terribly long, slow, patience-building work. Or it's not going quite in the direction you thought. Or the problems you're facing aren't the "right" problems. Remember, He's in the business of building your character, and the circumstances surrounding you...well, honestly, He's not as concerned with. He loves you and is excited about making you the best you can be.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow..." Matt 6:33-34a

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Mashed Potato Church

This is vintage Terry Rush:
I may be off an author or two but I think it was Juan Carlos Ortiz who wrote a book in the 70s discussing unity. He pointed out boiled potatoes in one bowl does not equal unity just because they are all together. Mashed potatoes is unity. He went on to explain: boiled ones are still individuals simply at the same location. The mashed are blended in with all others to serve one purpose as a unit.

Boiled? These members are in but not committed. They are in the church for their welfare, but not in it for the sake of the body. There is a thin line which calls for personal examination. Are we in the church for experiencing what makes me happy or to extend the body of Christ to the current and the next generations? Are we in it because our kids like it and need it or because God has burdened our hearts to live for Him? Are we in it to give us something good to do or to show mercy and love to a rude society? Are we boiled or mashed?

If boiled we find it easier to pick up our blankets and toys and find a new picnic. If mashed we find we can’t breathe without the body of Christ…He is our total life. What makes a boiled potato a mashed one? Beaters. Jesus asked us to face the beaters every day…take up your beaters and follow me…he said, sorta. Each congregation is so much healthier mashed. There is found complete harmony. Only boiled? Oh, we may sit in the same bowl but we aren’t in it for the others. While we may sit together, we are still in this for self.

Take up your beaters. Let us submit to the beatings we take realizing we are simply in the wonderful kingdom process of God growing His people into one selfless body.

Thanks Terry. I want to "take up your beaters" with you!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Pastor makes front page news without fornication or being murdered

statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/02/24/0224faithful.html

Well, a group that I'm marginally a part of made the front page of the Sunday Statesman. The "church members", with whom Kester and Andrew are talking, are in fact called the Austin Inklings group. I'd love to know what anyone else thinks about this article.

Evangelicals divided on presidential candidates

Formidable voting group is expanding its political priorities.


AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Sunday, February 24, 2008

They gathered late on a Tuesday night, as they usually do, in a quiet upstairs room at Opal Divine's Freehouse on West Sixth Street. The group of mostly 20- and 30-something Christians drank iced tea, red wine and Belgian ale and traded thoughts about the war in Iraq, abortion and immigration reform....

"The devil is in the details"

This Sunday morning, Kanez taught class for us. One of the more brilliant facts is that Kirsten asked him to teach. That is really cool on multiple levels, not the least of which is that she totally felt comfortable in deciding this without "checking up". So if you ever hear about the "college class" at Westover, it really is the college student's class.

Kanez expounded from Psalms 26. He moved us though David's thoughts on walking with God, and not just his rejection of strolling with the wicked, but an all out hatred of those deeds. We postulated, "How do we get to that point" because it's not so simple. Being surrounded by temptation, slipping into evil isn't hard. A book on economics and trends, The Tipping Point, describes in detail how doing the little things, when seen together, make the difference. And this is the way our lives are lived. Small decisions. Incremental steps. As we've been reading in The Screwtape Letters, it's those small thoughts, often placed by a tempter, that we allow to get a foothold that start the seeds of sin.

In ancient literature, authors did not grapple with a person's thought processes, but simply reported on their actions. The reader was expected to determine the "why". We must probe ourselves to determine the "why" for our own decisions! As Christ said on the Sermon on the Mount, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

As Screwtape himself would tell us, "The devil is in the details". But then, so is the Spirit.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Alma Mater (again)

So, I just know some of you are dying to know what education was like back in '88. Here is a marketing video done by Harding University in that year. It has something for everyone! Marketing/Accounting, Engineering, Video/MassComm, Education, Style criticisms, etc. (Please keep in mind that my family was typically too poor to possess some of these finer styles.)

Enjoy! (Part I)


Find Part II and Part III here.

Pingback: Credit goes to Mark Elrod, current prof at HU for reference to this video.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Give Recklessly

Here's something a friend from Ghana, Tommy Drinnen, wrote a little while back.
Salamatu is a young orphaned girl at the Village of Hope. She is in the 2nd grade (Class 2) and is just one of the most amazing little girls. She is a girl that cannot hide any emotion she is experiencing - it comes out all over her face and body. If she likes something she claps and jumps and screams - i love her passion. She received some stickers in the mail as a gift from someone - she was jumping up and down and so excited. Then she wrote a letter to the person saying thanks and on the letter put every sticker that she had received to decorate the letter nicely. She literally gave away her entire gift to say thank you.

Maybe that’s the answer...maybe that’s how we lead, how we live. We do not simply talk about or worship the center - we live the center - we live the cross - we give recklessly and passionately. I define "reckless" as behavior that causes people to say, "you're crazy, that is enough, stop now." And yet we go on. And we only make the distinctions that Jesus made - which, by the way, were none. He gave recklessly to those who got it and those who did not. He gave to those who deserved it, and those who did not. He gave to those who were accepted and those who were not. And in those acts of reckless giving, he revealed the center of it all.
Though Tommy is American pouring out his life in another land, these thoughts still plague him. How provoking this is for me and the way I deal inside my [selfish] little world!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

I clean up throw up

I'm sure that people threw up in the ancient world. Surely Sarah or one of her servants undercooked the pork and caused Abe's food poisoning one night. (He was wishin' he had the Law that night.) I'm sure Moses picked up the stomach flu while on the wilderness trail. I'd bet throwing up was part of David's insanity act before Achish (or Abimelech?). And it's tough to see how that third captain didn't at least soil his shorts when required to "bring Elijah in", the burninator. Of course there's all those times as the king of Israel looked over the walls to see the invading army approaching. Definitely a yak moment. On the NT side, all those demons.... Surely that afforded for a bit of stomach acid.

When Jesus bends to wash the feet of the Passover guests, and the commentator's say it was a gross job, which only the lowest of the servants did, I have to think it wasn't physically pleasant. I'd bet those manual labor, backwoods zealots didn't pay much attention to the [literal] crap they stepped into that day. How much did they chagrin to see their Master begin this task? (By the way, can you imagine give Simon Peter, the former fishmonger, a sponge bath? You can understand why Jesus demurred at that task. ;-) ) But now, when I consider my own feet, this task doesn't even compare. It's only my 8 and 11/12ths year old son's feet that even come close and he's not even negotiating dog poop in our yard, though my precious wife often hollers when his shoes come off unexpectedly warm and odoriferous. But that's about our extent of foot grossdom.

I've heard tales of those volunteering to clean latrines/outhouse holes. I've seen the "dirty jobs" guy do some horrendous stuff. But none of those things are part of my normal life! That's why I clean up throw up. Though I'll find myself avoiding the direct fire and often even the "innocent victim" side swipe, I will almost always come to the rescue. You see, Christ cleaned very dirty feet that day. Honestly, that was a normal job in his day, but it doesn't directly translate to me. So, I go for the vomit. I imagine the smells I catch are almost as bad as those feet that day, especially if it's the stomach flu!

In terms of holiness, baptism and The Lord's Supper are set apart. But here's a command that could be a rite and eucharistic as well: "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet." (John 13:14)

So, when you are called forth on such an errand of mercy, consider Jesus, your Lord and Master, who did it first. You may want to ask Him to hold your nose for you.

Friday, February 1, 2008

1 > 0

One is Greater Than None
(Thanks to Mike Cope for this article.)

Eight junior high girls saw the Oprah show with my sister-in-law last year. You can read about the result here. They’re supposed to be interviewed on “The Today Show” tomorrow morning.

This is from their website:

For months, a group of 14 year-old girls talked about starting a charity. These eight girls were determined to make a difference in someone’s life, but never seemed to agree on “who, what, where or how”. They did however have the answer to the most important question. “Why?”...

One of the girls saw an Oprah episode “The Little Boy Oprah Couldn’t Forget” featuring children from Ghana, Africa, being sold for as little as $20 by their families, unknowingly, into a life of servitude. In April 2007, during a school break, the girls gathered to watch that Oprah episode. They were all heartbroken that something like this was actually happening in the world. Ghana was so far away but the International Organization for Migration (IOM) was making it possible for people to sponsor rescue missions that would save these trafficked children from a life of hard labor and abuse. They found out it would cost about $4300* to rescue one child. This would fund 2 ½ years of food, shelter, an education and love. Oprah urged everyone to reach inside themselves and find their potential to make even a small difference.

The girls were determined to save some of these children. One of the girls asked, “What if we only raise enough money to save one child?” The response was “Well, one is better than none.” And that is how “One is Greater than None” began. The girls decided to make bracelets and package them on cards that would educate people about what was going on in the fishing villages of Ghana. They designed a necklace with eight wooden beads, representing each girl, which surrounds a recycled glass bead made in Ghana. Tee shirts were made with their logo, (1>0), and their tag line “Be Part of the Equation.”

The girls wanted to raise money, but they were equally determined to raise social awareness. Do anything. Do something. It is such a simple premise, but how easily the world could change if everyone embraced that philosophy. On June 8th, the final bracelet cards were packaged. On June 16th the girls officially raised enough money to save their first child! So many great things have come from what the girls have started. The website was generously donated, which will make their goals even more attainable. Printing, legal consultation, photographers, tee shirts etc… have all been donated by people wanting to contribute in any way they can to help save the trafficked children in Ghana.

The International Organization for Migration have been wonderful. On July 31st, Eric Peasah, the gentleman who runs the rescue missions came to New York to meet the girls. They were excited and honored. WABC filmed the meeting and the response was amazing.

In August, the “1>0″ apparel line was successfully launched in NYC. An editor of Teen Vogue loved the clothing line but more important, the initiative the girls have taken to save these children. “One is Greater than None” was featured in their Dec/January issue. They have been featured on National Television and Bloomingdales will be carrying the 1>0 apparel line in February. For updates and store locations check out their website. In January the International Organization for Migration has a scheduled rescue mission. With the support of hundreds of people, the girls of “One is Greater than None” have raised enough money to sponsor eight of these children. They are working on sponsoring a full rescue mission of 25 children. Your support is invaluable so please spread the word. More children need to come home.

There are problems everywhere. In so many cases there are solutions. The girls are asking everyone to look around and then look inside. The answers are there. It’s time to ask how you can “Be part of the equation”. They are an inspiration to everyone, that anyone can make a difference no matter how limited their resources. These girls are full of love and hope. Who would have imagined what eight 14 year-old girls could accomplish in just 6 months? We should be in awe of how the universe has made it possible for the 1>0 girls to reach across the world, take a child’s hand and say, “You were not forgotten…”

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Girl Scouts

Once upon a time, I was a girl scout. It didn't last long- my mother was my troop leader and we're pretty different, so I quit going (which was hard because the meetings were at my house!). Every time I see girl scouts selling cookies, I buy some. I currently have a CASE of Samoas (they're now reduced to 'Caramel DeLites!') and I made two little girls (and my dad, who got some cookies) really happy. 
Once upon a time, I led a group called PB&J. A group of girls From 7th grade to 12th grade, though we had a few 5th and 6th graders in there. I inherited the group from an older woman who didn't click with 'the girls', and since I was the oldest girl, I led. PB&J had always been at Starbucks, eventually, we moved to my house where we made cookies and had koolaide. Many of the girls tell me this was their favorite part, and the reason they opened up at all- it made them feel at home and like part of the group. And when they opened up, some of the stories they had were amazing. One time one of the girls suggested a mini-mission. We all like mission trips- going somewhere far away and doing something like building a school- but... a mini mission... just a day trip to somewhere nearby (usually in our city) to do some good for our own community. I knew of a nursing home for low-income elderly people. We painted many nails some wacky colors and heard many a story (and many, many horrible christmas carols banged out on the out-of-tune piano by a tiny lady who only sorta knew christmas carols...).  We painted houses for people who couldn't paint their own house. 

I challenge you: Do some random nice thing for someone. I don't mean hold a door for someone with their arms full- I know your momma taught you to do this anyways. It doesn't have to be painting a house, just go out of your way, out of your comfort zone, and DO SOMETHING. Anything. Bake cookies and meet your neighbors, volunteer at an animal shelter, buy the homeless guy on the corner a .99 cent hamburger, anything! The only thing you should get from it is good karma... no CAS hours!! Remember- if you make someone feel loved, and at home, and as part of the group, they will open up and it can benefit you BOTH in many ways.

If you guys want to do or know someone who needs a mini-mission, let me know and we'll see if we can't come up with something. 


"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can." -- John Wesley

Monday, January 14, 2008

Pastor Kes

If you live in Austin and are on Facebook, then you are probably already "friends" with Kester Smith. He works at BookPeople and is a local pastor for a church called Immanuel. My point? He's got a great blog with really good insights: http://PastorKes.blogspot.com

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Microloans

Yes, Micro-Loans. Not Micro-Brews!

A year ago or so, I watched a program on PBS about the concept of microloans. The idea is really very simple. For people who cannot afford to borrow money from traditional banks, which are typically the poor in developing countries, but have a good idea for a business and eager to implement it, a private lender loans them money to implement their idea. The "micro" part is 2 fold: the amount is fairly small, and the interest is very low. This idea has been not only been advocated but also personally tested by Mahammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Now, a fairly new corporation (Fall, 2005) has been started called Kiva. This lets you be personally involved. Check out the site for details, but it sounds really exciting!

The Bible's addresses the topic of money more than any other topic! Just a few points that stand out (or perhaps have been more emphasized) to me:
  • "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." (Prov. 22:7)
  • "If you lend to one who is needy, charge him no interest." (Ex. 22:25-27)
  • "'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you." (Lev. 25:35-36, but view the whole chapter.)
  • "He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor." (Prov. 28:8)
  • Extortion through excessive interest is condemned beside other vile crimes (Ez. 18)
  • "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matt. 6:24, but pay close attention to the context, the surrounding verses! POWERFUL!)
The pattern within this tapestry that I see woven is one of compassion and a high regard for life. It screams of how justice and mercy must work together, and how it strengthens each other. My first brusque glance of Kiva seems good to me. I will look further at it and be in prayer.
---
Credit to Mark Elrod's Lame-O Weblog (aka, M.E.) for "Kiva: Loans That Change Lives" and "Muhammad Yunus".

Friday, January 4, 2008

unChristian

I strongly encourage you to check out today's Breakpoint commentary by Chuck Colson: unChristian, What People Really Think of Us.

A constant re-examination of how we live and what we do must be part of who we are. I can think of probably a dozen ways to live in closer step with Christ right now without even trying hard. But the question to myself becomes, what am I going to do about it.

Jesus told a parable about 2 sons. The first rejected his father's request to do something, but then did it. The second agreeably accepted the request, but then failed to fulfill his promise. Though the first was brash, he is the one who loved his father. (Matt 12:28ff)

Full commentary: unChristian