The Christian Edge

Keys to Thriving (not just Surviving)

2009-09-30T10:31:00.004-05:00

Something to think about.
This contribution comes from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship - Emerging Scholars Network.
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Keys to Thriving (not just Surviving)

Last week when Dr. Joe Kearns, MD, Emergency Medicine, presented on Keys of Thriving (Not Just Surviving!) in Medical School and Beyond at PSU-Hershey’s Christian Medical Society lunch lecture, I couldn’t help but think this has ESN written all over it. Below are a few main points which I culled/distilled from his presentation. Let me know what you think of their relevance to your graduate school/professional experience. Feel free to highlight, expand upon, or share a story in relationship to one or several points.

“Life is going to get better after…” This is just not true. Life doesn’t get any better after you finish your degree, it only changes. Note: it is particularly important to keep in mind the growing complexity of commitments/responsibilities with family, friends, community, church, workplace, professional societies. …

We must feed upon the Word of God. We need to learn how to live between Genesis and Revelation. As Jesus answered the tempter, by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, “It is written, ‘Man doesn’t live only on bread. He also lives on every word that comes from the mouth of God’ “ (Matthew 4:4, NIV). Do not forget as you treat your patients [translate to your vocation/profession] that although the creation is broken, God created it all good. Furthermore, part of our mission as members of the Kingdom of God is to restore the creation. And one day God will bring full restoration in a new heaven and new earth.

Dwell in the wisdom literature, i.e., Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. Why? Because in school you’ll get a lot of knowledge, but you’ll not engage with wisdom directly. Soak up the poetry, songs. A lot of life is vanity. Don’t take yourself so seriously. It’s important to keep yourself in perspective.

Be troubled by the account of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-30). Why? Because being rich is a mixed blessing. The more you have, the more trouble you have. And having everything doesn’t make you happy.

In summary, the two things necessary to thrive in school and after graduation: read/query the Word of God AND have fellowship with the people of God no matter the work load. If you can’t do the two above, then quit school. Don’t become narrow and seek accolades. Before moving for your job, make sure there is a good match with a local congregation. Don’t focus on making money, limit your hours to be involved with community, church, family. Take time to interact with your patients (translate to your vocation/profession).

Jesus came to give life and give it abundantly, not just to survive in school. Without a relationship with the Creator, you don’t know who you are.

Written by Tom Grosh
September 9th, 2009 at 10:21 am

Day of Jubilee (A Sunday morning story)

2009-08-14T16:23:00.002-05:00

I don't think I know Josh personally. But I know SVC (Sycamore View Church), and this sounds characteristic. It's good to know there are times when Christ is so clearly reflected.
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http://preacherjosh.blogspot.com/2009/07/day-of-jubilee.html

I've never witnessed anything like it. It was bizarre and it was risky.
After preaching from "The Lord's Prayer" with a focus on "Give us this day our daily bread," I ended the sermon by pointing people to the communal function of this prayer. We've often interpreted this phrase as a call to personal reflection about our willingness to trust in God to provide. There is a sermon there; it just isn't the way this prayer functions.
Jesus teaches us to pray, "Give us..."
Jesus teaches us to pray with the world.
The church in Acts 2 and Acts 4 seemed to have been formed by these words of Jesus. They met each other's needs by selling land and homes. They grew because they knew how "to do" compassion.
My prayer this week was that Acts 4 would come to life at SVC today.
And...it did.
We had two baskets up front. Mark Taylor (a good friend and a minster at SVC) was holding one and Stoney Ramsey (a dear friend and a man of compassion) was holding the other. God provided me with $3200 in cash, and I had divided it into 4 piles of $800--2 for the 2 baskets in early service and 2 for the 2 baskets in late service. Then, I invited people to give whatever cash or change they wanted to give, because today we were going to take care of one another.
Then, it got bizarre. Very bizarre.
We have members like many of you do who are struggling with needs. Do they pay for healthcare or do they buy food? Do they pay off credit cards or do they pay the utility bill? Do they buy school supplies or new clothes for the kids?
I invited all who were in need to come and to take handfuls of money. (I know...it sounds crazy, right? I know of a couple of churches who have done something similar, and I was inspired.)
I rebuked the spirit of pride, embarrassment, fear, and shame. We have created a culture where we are unable to say, "I am in need." Needy people are often looked down upon as if they don't work hard enough, or they haven't managed money well, or they just haven't been blessed by God.
I begged those in need to not deprive people from the joy of giving. I pleaded with them to not deprive God of providing for their daily necessities.
And, it happened.
Within the first verse of the first song, people were waiting in line to drop money in the baskets. I was shocked to witness how many people were carrying cash. I had people coming up to me afterwards saying things like, "I never carry cash, but for some reason I went to the ATM yesterday."
I will never forget the lady who came forward with a handful of change and said, "This is all I have, but I want to give it." It was the story of the woman who gave her two coins lived out right in front of me.
We had people dropping checks in the baskets with the "Pay to the order of" left blank. These checks were for $50, $500, $1000 and the memo read, "Acts 4".
As people were putting money in the baskets, others were coming to take money out. There were plenty of tears and even more laughter. Widows were provided for. The needy were taken care of. The people who cried on the way to church today because they didn't know how bills were going to be paid went home rejoicing in the providence of God. We witnessed the power and activity of the Holy Spirit.
We gave away every single penny. We refused to count the money, but I'm assuming we gave away close to $10,000 today. I sent the basket of change home with a 20-year-old college student whose grandmother needed the money.
I am so proud of our people at SVC. I get to preach in front of people every Sunday who have surrendered their lives to the Jesus-story. They teach me something new every week.
Today, at SVC, it was a day of Jubilee. We were leaping for joy because the presence of God was alive and active.

Now, I'm drained. I'm going to sleep.

PS--I wish you could have been at the bank with me when I cashed a $3200 check. I handed it to the lady and I said, "Mam, I need a bunch of cash, preferably in all 20's." She laughed. I told her that it was for a day of Jubilee. Before I knew what was going on, I was explaining to the workers at Bank of America what Jubilee meant for God's people. They couldn't believe that there was a church that was going to give money away to people on a Sunday morning. The workers at the bank went home knowing about the power of God in Acts 4.

Is being Christian "cool"?

2009-05-05T16:06:00.002-05:00

Please read this one! It's an incredible post!

http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2009/04/hip-christianity-part-3-christianity-is.html

Hip Christianity: Part 3, Christianity is Cool

Hip and cool are related even though John Leland in Hip: The History argues that hip and cool should be treated as distinct constructs. However, given the relationship between hip and cool we should, at least once in this series, wrestle with the question:

Is Christianity cool?

Similar to hip,...

Pungent

2009-03-30T14:48:00.002-05:00

In the college group at Westover, we consider "Pungent" our name. It's an unusual word and right out of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. (2:15) A few days ago, another blogger made use of our theme.

Fragrant Jesus

2009 March 24

by Mike

Jesus smelled.

That may not roll off the tongue like the more familiar “Jesus grew” or “Jesus wept” — but it’s still true.

Everywhere he went on passion week, he smelled. The good kind of smell, that is. When he went into the upper room, people caught a whiff. Ditto for his appearances before Pilate and the Sanhedrin — even as he walked the Via Dolorosa. He smelled because his friend Mary of Bethany had anointed him with nard, an expensive spice from India. It was strong; it wouldn’t wash right off; and this was a world where people weren’t washing their hair, splashing on aftershave, or dabbing on perfume daily.

Sunday I spoke about that extravagant gesture of Mary in John 12. Afterward, our dear friend Sherry Rankin shared these thoughts before communion — thoughts that called us not only to talk about Jesus but to be the presence of Jesus in this world.

The Aroma of Christ

They tell us that the sense of smell is the sense most connected to memory, and I believe that. My grandmother has been gone for 25 years, but the smell of Ivory soap transports me back to her tiny, neat bathroom. Just a whiff, and I’m 7 years old again, taking a bath in the deep, porcelain tub, drying off with the towels that were stiff and scratchy from being dried on the line.

The smell of coffee and bacon instantly transports me onto the hide-a-bed in grandma’s living room. I can hear her bustling in the kitchen, making a breakfast for my grandfather before he would go to work, long before daylight, at the gas station down the road.

Many smells are associated for me with specific memories:

The chalky smell of rain after a long dry spell takes me back to the back porch of the house in Wyoming where we lived till I was eight years old.

The odor of Johnson’s baby shampoo, and I am rocking my daughter late at night, holding her head against my chin.

Pine trees, and it’s Christmas time. Wood smoke, and I’m camping. The smell of the ocean at night, or of sawdust in a workshop; freshly washed sheets; hay in a barn; my husband’s favorite cologne; someone smoking a rosewood pipe; laundry starch; lavender and rosewater; the lemon polish used on the dark wood of the church pews where my father preached. Even the distant odor of a skunk. All of these smells come packaged with a specific and wonderful memory.

But then there are the bad smells, and the bad memories.

The reek of mildew, and I’m back at work cleaning dormitory bathrooms in the July heat of Arkansas.

The smell of pimento cheese spread immediately reminds me of an unfortunate morning sickness incident over 20 years ago.

And the smell of a certain brand of disinfectant takes me back to the hospital room where my father died.

Smells are so powerful because they contain within them a story; a memory. A whole event, complete with the emotions, good or bad, that went with it.

So what does it mean for us to be “the aroma of Christ”? Who is smelling us, and what memories will that smell encompass? When someone remembers you, what will their association be? As we’ve all heard and known: Actions, like odors, speak louder than words. If we say one thing but do another, it is our actions, not our words, that will leave a stink in other people’s nostrils.

St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times; only if necessary use words.”

We preach without speaking. We leave an aroma everywhere we go. Let it be the aroma of Christ, poured out upon the feet of others to the eternal glory of God.

(Thanks, Sherry, for letting me put this wonderful communion meditation here.)

http://preachermike.com/2009/03/24/fragrant-jesus

Woes of Weakness

2009-01-31T10:17:00.005-06:00

Throughout school, I’ve always wondered what ‘difficulty’ actually looks like. 15.5 years of formal schooling later, the question persists. This is not to say in any way that the studies I’ve had thus far were any less taxing, challenging, or infuriating than my dismal high school sleeping schedule suggests. However, for me, the idea of difficulty has always been very binary: you either get it or you don’t. Perhaps internalizing Master Yoda’s wise words from an early age, physics problems in which I had poured countless hours in complete befuddlement didn’t seem quite so bad once the solution was apparent. Homer didn’t quite seem the transcendent, enlightened savant once his initial barricade of “winged words” was penetrated. Even courses in college that, at the time, were long, bloody, painful wars of attrition seemed almost elementary once the concepts were mastered (circuits come to mind). Furthermore, this suggests that the process of learning only seemed ‘difficult’ as long as I was failing, not understanding, not cutting it. For some strange reason, hindsight is always 'easy.' Where then does ‘difficulty’ live? Does she only take up residence in the present (gender assignment completely arbitrary I assure you)?

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul says that, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (NIV). For me, the most curious part of this assertion is in the last line; Paul groups together weakness, insults, hardships, indicating that this is the cross we must bear. However, there arises a qualitative discrepancy that I can’t seem to reconcile.

Upon closer examination of this laundry list of struggles, it appears that insults, hardships, and persecutions are all external while both weaknesses and difficulties are deeply internal. For me, the two are worlds apart. While the external persecutions that we face in America are certainly insidious, subtle, and conniving, I certainly don’t fear for my physical safety when attending church. The focus of my dilemma however is on the internal. Weakness and difficulty often like to hold hands and play together. While weakness describes my inability to act/overcome/understand, difficulty perhaps then describes the nature of the need to perform the very same action. Paul himself describes this internal struggle he faces in Romans 7: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” What Paul wants to do is obviously very difficult and where he fails, instead doing what he hates doing, is where lies his weakness.

What then is weakness? What is difficulty? Is it only the storm of internal conflict that rages when I am struggling to do what I know is right and then abates once I make the right choice, then relegated as ‘easy’? Or does weakness depend on my continual failure? Do I understand my own weakness by how persistently I “have the desire to do what is good, but […] cannot carry it out”? If difficulty ends when understanding/action begins, does boasting “all the more gladly about my weaknesses” require my ongoing inability to perform? I know that when I overcome evil, it is not I, but Christ living in me who does it. But if this is true, where is my weakness?

bit of Eternity

2009-01-19T12:14:00.002-06:00

This is from a friend of mine.

bit of Eternity

July 23, 2005

My paternal Grandma lost her sister about 15 years ago. She told me often how hard it was to let her go because they were so close. She told me once about a dream she had about Jodi and in this dream she could feel Jodi’s flesh and even smell her. She said that the dream was refreshing and brought her much comfort.

About a year after Nathan died I laid awake, finally fully aware in one instant that he was completely gone and that I was to for the rest of my life be lonesome for his touch. I wanted so badly to feel him and see him again.

I remembered my Grandma’s dream and begged God for the same small bit of relief. It was some months later that I woke up with tears soaking my face and the feeling of a deep something inside of me that I couldn’t place.

It was one of those dreams that sits right at the front of your brain all day and just on the tip of your tongue until finally, a word is spoken, an image is flashed and the memory of the dream comes flooding back. I was on the phone with Mom when she said something that triggered my memory.

I had dreamed that I saw Nathan. He was in a building that was under construction and he was wearing a suit and a hard hat. I knew somehow that he was in charge of the construction, like a real estate mogul or some sort. He didn’t say anything to me and I didn’t say anything to him, we just embraced.

I could feel every muscle in his arms and I could even hear the deep thudding of his heart. I started to weep, loudly. I cried with a loud, mournful and yet joyous wail that I could actually see reverberating off the walls of the building and then outside into the world. I saw the echo of my cry repel off canyons and skim the waters of the ocean. In one instant I saw the surface of the entire universe, and I saw it all get bathed in my grief and my joy.

When I woke up I had this sense calm and peace that had no tangible identity. It was as though I knew the truth, but I wasn’t sure what the truth was; a feeling of all at once wholeness and longing.

At the remembering of the dream, I realized the word for what I was feeling: Eternity.

That was the feeling deep in my gut that gave me that peace. For just an instant I felt Nathan, I smelled him and I felt the eternity in which he waits. Eternity is the only comfort the grieving have. It is the promise that death is only for a little while and grief knows an end.

I am not sure if any of this makes sense. I just really needed to write about this dream.

Christmas... Hope

2008-12-24T10:33:00.004-06:00

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.

Walking and Talking

2008-12-03T23:36:00.002-06:00

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.”

http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=10635

Prop 8 Post

2008-11-12T17:11:00.003-06:00

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.

Glory, Holiness, and Suffering

2008-11-06T13:34:00.009-06:00

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.

Christianity at the Visitor's Center

2008-09-18T13:08:00.002-05:00

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"?

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani!

2008-06-16T08:35:00.002-05:00

"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?

Apologetics...

2008-05-27T20:19:00.004-05:00

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

Possible answers to "Troubling Thoughts"

2008-05-08T14:45:00.003-05:00

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)"

Two Empowering Verses

2008-04-22T23:41:00.004-05:00

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?

2008-04-22T08:48:00.004-05:00

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?

Really Paying the Price

2008-04-08T11:56:00.002-05:00

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.

A Non-intuitive View on Relationships

2008-04-07T13:41:00.004-05:00

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".

Troubling Thoughts

2008-03-25T21:25:00.002-05:00

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

2008-03-25T00:23:00.003-05:00

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.

Super Blogger, Patrick Mead

2008-03-14T16:08:00.002-05:00

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.

Encouragement

2008-03-10T16:26:00.004-05:00

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:
March 9, 2008 at 3:08 pm
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

Christian Orthodoxy: The Standard vs. The Norm

2008-03-05T12:31:00.002-06:00

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

Mashed Potato Church

2008-02-28T15:50:00.002-06:00

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!

Pastor makes front page news without fornication or being murdered

2008-02-25T14:49:00.008-06:00

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.

By Eileen E. Flynn
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"

2008-02-25T10:45:00.005-06:00

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.

Alma Mater (again)

2008-02-19T13:48:00.002-06:00

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.

Give Recklessly

2008-02-13T16:24:00.004-06:00

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!

I clean up throw up

2008-02-07T13:38:00.000-06:00

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.

1 > 0

2008-02-01T16:54:00.000-06:00

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…”

Girl Scouts

2008-01-22T13:43:00.001-06:00

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

Pastor Kes

2008-01-14T17:47:00.000-06:00

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

Microloans

2008-01-10T11:38:00.000-06:00

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".

unChristian

2008-01-04T11:11:00.000-06:00

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

Brave...Called

2008-01-02T13:54:00.000-06:00

On Rio's mean streets, a rare credibility

Pentecostals' message of transformation is helping Brazil's drug dealers give up their guns for Jesus.

Rio de Janeiro - He felt weak physically. But spiritually, he had never felt stronger.

Alexandre dos Santos, a converted Pentecostal, fasted for two days in the favela, or slum, where he grew up, before getting on his knees to lead 18 others in prayer.

"God protect us," they chanted, before going to persuade a gang of drug traffickers in a violent struggle with the police to put down their arms and accept Jesus.

The group, named "Fishermen of the Night," had no idea what to expect that evening two years ago, Mr. dos Santos recalls. Since then, they have seen men killed. They have been threatened with death. But God has sent them as emissaries, they say, to stop the violence that is suffocating many of Brazil's poor communities....

(http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1218/p01s02-woam.html)

Of Revolutionaries and Atheists

2007-12-11T15:07:00.000-06:00

http://www.markaelrod.net/2007/12/10/the-irresistible-revolution-comes-to-searcy/

A writer sometimes tours to promote his book. Some writers tour to promote their cause(s). Shane Claiborne is of the later group. If you consider Shane's life, then his recent invitation to the Downtown Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas (home of Harding University) if fairly remarkable. Though perhaps not as incredible as the recent appearance of the friendly atheist at ole HU.

Leaving a Legacy

2007-11-14T13:52:00.000-06:00

As I get older, the reality of the ephemeral nature of this life becomes more apparent. We don't much think about it until you get that phone call. "Yeah, Ron and his family just told the church that he has throat cancer. His doctor's are saying it looks like a year or so." Or you come into class and your teacher is out for a "simple" doctor visit and you find out the next year that she's had surgery to remove a cancerous growth. (Twice that happened. Once she made it. Once she didn't.) Or you watch your grandmother slowly slip into eternity.

You can ask my wife. I've always longed to see the reality of my faith, to finally fulfill God's use for my life here, to be absent from the body so I can be present with the Lord. However, I'm now finding the stakes of death are a bit higher than they use to be.

This makes me ask: What legacy will I leave? Christian Psychologist Dr. Paul Faulkner advocates letter writing on an extreme scale: to children and grandchildren (of course), but also to greats and great-greats. Think about it: Would you like to receive a letter one day from a great-great grandparent? Maybe you'd freak out. You'd certainly call mom and ask about him/her. What would you like to know?

More than letter-writing though is the legacy we leave with those who walk with us in life. That legacy consists of the love you pour into their lives. I know Ron's children. They've always shown the rich treasure of love that he and Linda have placed in their hearts. I know because their children have served me and my family. Regardless of his future, his legacy is set. He reflects Christ, he serves his family with humility, and leads those entrusted to him with courage.

So, who has left a legacy in your life? And what would you tell your loved ones before you escape into the arms of God?

I Corinthians 15

Worship - can it be facilitated?

2007-11-06T21:41:00.000-06:00

Recently I find myself not being able to study because I have too many songs playing in my head!

This summer I spent my time in Fort Worth visiting the Village Church in Dallas - 1.5 hrs away from my house. Why drive so much? At first, I was just curious about them since I had heard so much from so many people. I kept going back though because I found something very unique... which until just now, I hadn't been able to explain.

After this past Sunday's sermon I think I've figured it out. Sunday morning we had a speaker from Texas here in the UK. Craziness. yes. One of the things he said was basically that worship is not for us to enjoy but for God to enjoy. For us to desire to enjoy worship means that we are concentrating on ourselves and not Christ. This same concept was life changing for me in my first year of undergrad.

Coming at a time when I have truly been missing the songs I can sing so freely, I have had to wonder if perhaps I have strayed away from worshiping God, to desiring to enjoy worship for myself. I don't really know the answer to this question but I do know that certain songs lead me to think deeper about Who I am singing to. Not just think... but also to cry out louder, to sing freer, to feel fuller. Meaning either that certain songs facilitate worship or that I am completely engrossed with myself!

Most of the songs at the Village Church are written by their music pastor, Michael Bleecker. That man has a gift for writing songs that lead me in worship of Christ! I think maybe because the style is more conversational? I would imagine it would be hard to sing these songs and not give glory to Christ. Yet, I can't help but wonder if I just love and feel greater desire to sing because they are more in line with my style.

Anyone have any scripture that might indicated whether or not worship can be facilitated? I am not referring to worship as in just singing... but all of what it entails.

In case you desire to hear these songs I've mentioned, you can check them out on my Odeo link http://odeo.com/channel/263863/view

-Overwhelm Me
-My King
-Who You Are
-Glorious Day
-From the Inside Out

Child Preachers?

2007-10-14T09:47:00.000-05:00

When I logged on to Yahoo today, I saw a clip from 20/20 titled "Child Preachers". I can't find the link to it but, if you go on video.yahoo.com, and search child preachers, you will find similar videos. The video starts by showing the 7 year old Baptist preacher from Mississippi.

I believe God uses kids, but something about this is very unsettling. At the end of the clip, the reporter asks him, "what are you saving people from" and the poor kid doesn't know how to answer her! He only knows that the whole world needs to be saved.

I feel this is very sad. This kid is loosing his childhood! He is already taking the role of an adult but in addition to that, probably having to deal with a ton of criticism while he's at it.

How does a kid get to that point? Is it need for attention and desire for parental approval that drives him? Has he been brainwashed? Is he seriously being led by God? Could it be that he is possessed by a demon as was the kid in Mark 9:17? While it might seem like it would not be to the devils advantage to have yet another preacher.. this has in my opinion made a mockery of the Christian faith. Look at the video, the kid does not appear natural... neither kid (african american boy of 9 years)

Anyhow - just thought I'd share about the existence of this video in case yall hadn't see it.

Evelyn

Desperate Faith, Faithful Desperation

2007-10-09T11:27:00.000-05:00

I'm not a man of vision per se. That's not my gift. Thus far at least, that's been my wife's forte. So often, new ideas spring to her mind, but the vision to see them through is rarely clear.

My younger daughter has poor eyesight. This wasn't discovered until a few years ago when the school nurse called us. How had eight years passed with this undetected? Answer: she compensated, knew nothing different, and never complained. Today, I will usually set her glasses on the dresser each night after reading before bed.

For me there seem to be stages of vision in ministry, in service:
1) Everything is so cloudy and so difficult, you just want to run.
2) You hear a voice of hope or see a glimmer of possibility and cling to it.
3) God gives you a totally open door (or more than 1) to let you see "the next step".
4) The embracing of the opportunity and the ensuing harsh reality of new murkiness.

With each completed cycle, God has drawn us closer to his heart. We've found new reasons for hope. We are more profoundly passionate about experiencing his kingdom. These are all gifts poured into our life. And He grows in greater and deeper affection within our hearts. We become more willing to be poured out. Trust is more entrenched. And love toward Him flows more freely.

God Grew Tired of Us

2007-10-04T23:57:00.000-05:00

I strongly encourage viewing National Geographic's God Grew Tired of Us. The movie follows John Dau and Panther Dior, two of the "Lost Boys of Sudan". Both rediscovered family, but many haven't. Both have preserved their culture; many haven't. Both lived and overcame; most didn't. Both John and Panther are finding ways to help their brothers.

The Gift of a Water Buffalo

2007-10-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

"Oh, my God!"

His mercies are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:23

Dragon attacks

2007-09-13T13:35:00.000-05:00

There's a romantic image of the knight in shining armor riding off to fight a ferocious dragon for the sake of helpless, for the sake of the kingdom. In my own experience though, it's usually the other way around. The Dragon finds me. Last night, my son asked what it meant "to be under [spiritual] attack". I tried to explain a bit about the interaction between the world we see, the physical, and the one we cannot see, the spiritual. Then, how there are powers in that unseen world that surpass any we can view here, but that our God is so far above it all, that there is absolutely no comparison. Finally, but for God's own reasons, he has allowed them to exist and have sway to an extent in our own universe.

Such attacks range in duration and intensity. Their affects may even be felt across time. What do these assaults typically look like in your life right now? Has the dragon changed tactics on you over the course of your life?

Also, God has given us both armor and a weapon. Even Christ availed himself of the sword in his own desert defense. (Ephesians 6:10-20, Matt. 4:1ff, Luke 4:1ff) We must remember these truths when undergoing our own temptations. For only with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, our hope of salvation, His Word, and constant prayer for ourselves and others can we stand against such devastating schemes.

In need of prayer

2007-09-06T17:34:00.000-05:00

Howdy to all who read!

I just got caught up on reading all entries of this blog!! This is a major accomplishment as I haven't read since probably two weeks before finals week last semester. Since then, I've graduated, spent 5 weeks working in Brazil, spent the rest of the summer in a temp job, and now have started grad school in the UK at Lancaster University.

It is quite a blessing to find words of needed encouragement from blogs that were written earlier in the year. I am glad I saved it for now ;)

I have recently come to the conclusion that I am truly not a very good individual. My heart and my mind war against God - and I have no idea how to give them over to Christ. I believe I have only come to realize this because I am now in a new setting. I guess I am going through many new emotions as part of being in this new setting. As I have started attempting to analyze why I feel the way I do, I've come to find some ugliness in my heart. I am quiet bothered by all this and even more so because I don't know how to change. It is a mindset... almost as though it were some sort of prejudice one grew up with (although not quite). How does one get rid of years of thinking in a specific manner? Could yall be praying for me?

Evelyn

A Study Prayer

2007-08-24T11:09:00.000-05:00

This was meaningful for me. For full write-up and credit, see http://www.markaelrod.net/a-study-prayer/. (Mark Elrod is a teacher at Harding University, my alma mater.)

Creator of all things, the source of light and wisdom, lofty origin of all being,

Graciously let a ray of your brilliance penetrate into the darkness of my understanding and take me from the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of both sin and ignorance.

Give me a sharp sense of understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.

Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations, and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm.

Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion; through Christ our Lord. Amen

- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Epiphany, Chaos, and Hopeful Redemption

2007-08-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

Important Note: My wife has warned me over-and-over that this topic is volatile and may cause you to dislike me. I accept that risk even though I don't want anyone to hate me. But as I discuss "school choices" you may believe that I'm condemning your own experiences. That is *not* the intention. The choices I make are based on my own struggles and failures. Please bear this in mind.

Epiphany
On July 28th, I "discovered" that I was not going to be able to allow my children to continue at the Christian school that have been in. There was no money for the first payment. However, I had to be shaken from doldrum. That day, Tamara and I and our children went to the store to buy school supplies. We couldn't complete the check-out process. The checking account was empty and the 1 credit card we do use was maxed. Sometimes I wonder at my own stupidity. I knew the month would be tight, but didn't watch closely enough I guess. Then I checked when our first payment for their school was due! I was already 8 days over the due date. The late fee to be applied on the 31st. Again, I was astonished at my own lack of management. Of course, over the next few days conversation swung between chaos and sanity. Finally, on the 31st I went to the school's business office and pulled the children out.

Chaos
This left us with the next choice: public or home school? Now, my wife is the best teacher I've ever known, and I took classes for many years! I know that I'm biased, but honestly she ranks with the top 3 teachers I've ever sat under. Also, I must admit that I've never been particularly proud of our neighborhood with the exception of it's fairly unique diversity (even for Austin). But every day, you would find close to a majority of children return home to an empty house. And the impact that this has was confirmed by a student and friend who we faithfully see every Sunday; "Oh, don't get Ms. So-And-So! She gives homework every day. She's way too hard." My 4th grade daughter looked puzzled as she gently replied, "That sounds like every teacher I've ever had." And of course, to this point, I'd had the privilege of controlling which teacher my child had, though 2 or 3 (12 total teachers between the 3 kids) were far from a rosy experience. But, I knew that students were stringently punished for foul language and even expelled for repeated explicit references. And heads would spin and roll if such passed the lips of a teacher. We knew in public school, this could not be the case. The type of infraction that must take place would be much higher. But home school would mean that mommy would sacrifice her own job, one that provided bountiful affirmation (I said she was awesome) and plenty of adult interaction. There is was no financial benefit, but knew the impact on these young minds was significant.

Hope
On August 7th, we sat down as a family to hash things out. Tamara, a product of public school, explained the struggles she encountered. (I remained in silent ignorance.) Then my children one by one expressed their heretofore quiet desperation. Tamara also later recounted to me her silent cries, and saw into their fear. It was not unfounded. The children went to bed without having to cry themselves to sleep, knowing mommy was to be their next teacher.
(Hiatus: sister in town from Aug. 8-13.)

Redemption
But for Tamara and I, the inner struggles didn't stop. How to finance curriculum and the year in general? Last night, we found curriculum that seems fun for everyone. And in a few days, financing should be available. And this should push Tamara and I into a tighter relationship in many ways. We've gotta depend on each other more. But beyond all this, it seems that God is stripping everything away from us that we've been depending on. We're not sure exactly where it's going yet, but we think it may point us to our ministry with college students. In any respect, we know that full surrender is necessary. And that is exactly where we want to be. And perhaps, He will even redeem my pathetic stewardship skills...perhaps.

The Veil of Familiarity

2007-08-06T11:24:00.000-05:00

C.S. Lewis on Tolkien's epic masterpiece

The value of myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which had been hidden by the veil of familiarity.

For more, see Who Were The Inklings?
---
myth (American Heritage Dictionary)

A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society

And as wikipedia explains, "The use of the term ['myth'] by scholars does not imply that the narrative is either true or false."

Christian Service

2007-07-24T17:34:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we call it charity. This word connotes a fairly negative image to many in American culture and even considered taboo. But why? Being rugged, individualistic, and independent is a status symbol. And even reading II Thessalonians 3:10 tells you "If a man does not work, he shall not eat." But we seem to forget to ask, what if he is working, but not earning enough to feed, house, and clothe his family? The answer is clear! And yet too often we hear the cry of the activist spurning God in our ears saying "Where are all of you Christians?" Why do our buildings grow alongside the slums of our towns? Why shouldn't we not rob our sanctuaries in order to paint and repair our "Projects"?

Many are asking these questions. Christianity Today suggests there have been many projects where unbelievers examine us. Take a look at one such story. If you know of other such stories, please, let me know.

However, the question I ask myself is "Who is receiving more?" My outlook on serving others has change dramatically over the last several years. I use to dread it. A feeling of panic would explode in my stomach. But that's because my heart wasn't there. I had no relationship and wanted none with those I "served". It's different now. I'm the one who benefits from the time I spend with those in the projects. Granted, I don't know many and it's still tough starting those friendships, but at least I know what's on the other side now. I know that I need them. Maybe that's why Christ promised "you will always have the poor with you." (Mark 14:1-11) Remember, sacrifice is key, and yet once done, it no longer is a sacrifice because you are the one to receive charity's reward.

Links:
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2007/07/an_excursion_in.html
http://drewmarshall.ca/blog.html

Vacation

2007-07-09T16:57:00.000-05:00

"How I spent my vacation" by Craig Copeland.

Just got back from vacation. It was wonderful this year. We took a long trip to camp at Fall Creek Falls in East Tennessee, an old stompin' ground for me and some old friends. We did lots of biking, hiking, baseball (well, wiffleball), and tons of swimming and creek walking. There's nothing quite as satisfying as cooking and eating outdoors, esp. when mom's doing the cooking. THANKS mom! Oh yeah, and my whole side of the family was there (Mom and Dad, my sister and her family, and my brother and his) along with a couple of our dearest friends. We spent a day at the Georgia Aquarium. Then on top of it all, Tamara and I started and finished "The Golden Compass" together on the drive out and back reading to each other much of the way. (I set the TV up and split the sound to 4 headphones for the kids.)

So, what's up out there? Or maybe no ones reading cause you got better things to do! (I see Kenaz started to Blog about Phuket, but quickly gave up the ghost or changed to another site. And Kirsten hasn't checked-in for a while.)

Christian Unity

2007-06-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

I remember shortly after my baptism "getting serious" about paying attention during the worship service. Miss Bodiford (6th grade) was teaching me to take notes, so why couldn't it enrich the Sunday sermon for me? Amazingly, it did! That year Dr. Jim Howard brought a message of Christian unity and specifically expressed disappointment concerning the obvious lack of brotherhood and even continuing animosity with Baptist assemblies. (It was 6th grade! I can't quote him, though this is what I've taken from the message. Also, I'm sure he received all kinds of flack for that one!) Obviously, it stuck with me.

This last Sunday, an amazing thing happened. The Churches of Christ, Christian Churches, and the Disciples of Christ gathered together in downtown Austin, Texas at the Central Christian Church. It was the first joint worship service of the heirs of the Stone-Campbell Movement* in 120 years in the Greater Austin Area. I was there. We sang together, heard 3 sermons, and took Communion together. Typically, it took ~45 minutes longer than the 1.5 hrs set for it. Probably 300 were there. And typically, I cried through some of it. And not-so-typically, I said "Amen" without prompting many times.

How should Jesus' prayer for unity be fulfilled? (John 17) Though many condemn people like Martin Luther for this transgression, he never wanted a separation to occur. He wanted change within: "Reformation". (Today, the Lutheran Church probably stands closer to the Catholic church than any other body of believers.) The early 1800's heard a similar call in America, restore Christian unity. As the message of "Restoration" gained baggage, soon unity was lost among the grievances. Though my heart cries against the separation among Christian congregations, what can I do? What can we do?

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."

*NOTES: The Stone-Campbell Movement spawned the 3 groups above. Each look back to a tent revival at Cane Ridge, KY in 1801, and 2 primary men: Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell. But during the end of the 1800's and early 1900's these 3 groups broke fellowship with each other. In my amateur opinion, the US Civil War and our lack of compassion during the South's reconstruction created the first split. Inevitably, this set the precedence for the next tragic split. A hero of mine is a man named TB Larimore. During those dark days of disunity, he would preach in any church that asked him. He never took sides, never ranted about issues, and always simply spoke of Jesus. And he suffered for it at the hands of his own people.

Dream Wedding

2007-06-12T09:49:00.000-05:00

Did you every expect Walmart to fulfill your every need? Evidently that's what's on the executives minds at the super store giant. Billed as the "Lucky in Love Wedding Search", Walmart is giving seven couples the break of a lifetime on the day of their lives on the wedding day of the millennium. There's (at least) one catch: the ceremony is performed in your local Walmart Lawn and Garden Center.

I think Walmart's marketing crew has made some decent, positive arguments positioning this contest in the best of light. Personally, I find a lot of redeeming value in their statements concerning the better utilization of ones finances. Shoot, that's why they stay in business now. (I use to enjoy their better-than-average store management and gracious return policies. There are also many arguments now against their global buying practices as it relates to human rights.)

However, I wonder about the compromises the couples make to accept such an offer. The gotcha with the venue hit me almost immediately. Perhaps the couples registering didn't have a special place in mind, or because of their insistence on using this significant date (7/7/07) lost out on their places of choice. Also, have you seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas"? CB becomes fed up with the commercialization of Christmas; a time for reverence and reflections on His holiness. I feel this intensely for these couples. And execs: DON'T have a contest. Just pick 7 and keep it on the DL. You could bet it would leak out without advertising. Fine! Let you marketing guys plan on company humility and then honor the couples quietly. I guess I wouldn't make a very good marketing guy.

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=30070
http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2007-05-29-ad-track-lucky_N.htm

Ramblings of a Vagabond

2007-06-06T08:05:00.000-05:00

“This world is not my home, I'm just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Chorus
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven's not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

My family used to sing that old song during long car rides to various destinations. Recently, I’ve been challenged to redefine my concept of home.

It’s funny that question, “Where are you from?” I’ve never really had a problem answering it. I’ve retained the immediate reply of “College Station” for the longest time, since if I’m on a trip with Ags, that answer would suffice for anyone, despite the “hometown” situation of each individual. On the other hand, I’m beginning to adopt Austin as more sufficient answer for the given question since my parents now live in Kansas, which is definitely not home due to the lack of unfamiliarity; and now that pretty much everyone I’ve known and loved (excluding one or two people) has disappeared from College Station, I wouldn’t necessarily consider that once-cherished place home as well anymore. When I hang out with Singaporeans, the obvious answer is Singapore, and yet, I am still illiterate of the cultural nuances and lack a command of fluent Singlish. So after these many “rojak”-like experiences, I’ve realized that my physical home has always been defined through other people, and this somewhat jostles my little utopian world.

Why? Because a) I don’t like thinking things just because other people think them and b) what then do I stand for? Accepting the lifestyle of a vagabond means you never see a glass only half empty or half full. You’re neither pessimistic nor optimistic about the place you inhabit because you know the bad and good of your current situation. In fact, because you can see the positive and the negative, you no longer just look at the glass; you taste the water, or in other words, you just tackle the experience. But in my opinion, that experience always seems to taste lukewarm. Okay, this metaphor has gone long enough…

Basically, my point is that I think I can relate when Jesus says, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” And I think as our society seems to be moving toward an era where physical boundaries no longer define who we are, an increasing number of people will soon go through this “crisis” (for the lack of a better word).

And so the hope that we have is this:

“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 5: 1-5)

This Semester, There Was No Spoon

2007-05-20T02:54:00.001-05:00

Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Spoon boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Spoon boy: Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.

I never really enjoyed The Matrix until I started understanding all the Christian undertones. For the past couple of years, God seems to have reiterated a resounding theme throughout each one of my school semesters. One time it was about being proactive, another time it was about loneliness, another time it was about faith. This semester has undoubtedly been about perspective. Driving a car is different from riding in a car. Flying in a plane is different from jumping out of a plane. Hanging out with Singaporeans has definitely been different from representing Singapore. So in the end, I've come to the conclusion that nothing is truth but Jesus Christ because everything else is just based on human perspective (that in itself is continually changing). I think two major events brought me to this view:

1) Grad school - Turns out teachers know squat about their subject and textbooks only contain perspectives passed off for fact; in other words, that whole 3rd grade English assignment where you had to differentiate the "fact" phrases from the "opinion" phrases is completely and utterly useless
2) That fateful day in 2006 when Pluto disappeared from my solar system

Incidentally, I'm a real sucker for pleasing everyone, which is something I've never really liked about myself. Trying to please too many people tends to produce an outcome that never pleases anyone. But I think this blessing (or curse) has stemmed from the ability (or disability) of being able to relate to or to see multiple viewpoints. So, what's interesting to me is that Jesus never outrightly says, "Change your perspective." You can't even find the word "perspective" in the NIV translation of the Bible (but I'm not sure about the other translations). Instead, he gives parables and instructions such as "Do to others what you would have them to do to you" and "Love your enemies" to show us how to seek, not a different perspective for the sake of getting a different perspective, but Truth. With his parables of withering fig trees, prodigal sons, lost coins, and all other illustrations, I think that he hopes that some day we'll truly realize that "there is no spoon". After all, Jesus did say:

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light; no one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

A Time to Retreat

2007-05-10T14:48:00.000-05:00

If you've ever seen the mini-series "Band of Brothers", you begin to understand the horrors of war. The impact that such times have on your soul can weaken you to the point that the irrational appears right. Of course for the members of Easy Company, that could easily mean death. And so, time away of the front lines, an individual or company retreat, may mean the difference in life and death.

While an undergrad student, I decided to escape some Saturday to spend a day purely in prayer. It only remained an intention. Today, I still regret never doing this.

We often see our Lord retreating early in the morning before anyone else was awake. In fact, it's crazy the number of times the gospel writers mention it. I'm betting they asked Jesus what He was up to so early. And I'd bet that's what prompted them to ask Him how to pray.

I don't like war analogies when it comes to our spiritual life. We too often confuse whom we oppose. But Paul was clear that, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." When engaged in a life and death struggle, don't forget that you have to pray, you need to pray, and He longs for you to pray! (Gal. 6:10-20)

Jesus Camp

2007-04-29T15:28:00.001-05:00

This morning I happened to see an interview with the directors of the documentary, Jesus Camp. If you haven't heard about the movie or seen it, it basically follows the lives of three kids at an evangelical church camp in North Dakota. Although the directors didn't mean to turn the film into a political commentary, that's where the movie seemed to end up. So after watching the clip (it's just a featurette I found about the movie on YouTube), I'd like to know your thoughts about the hot button issue of the separation of church and state. Good? Bad? Of course it would be great if everyone was a Christian and we ruled society on Biblical principle. But can we or should we guide secular society by Christian standards if we have the power to do so or encourage it? The Bible seems to only speak of rules within the church.

Working Out

2007-04-23T11:33:00.001-05:00

They tell us that we should exercise at least three times a week for an average of 30 minutes. That means for me, throwing on the sneakers, getting in my car and driving to the gym to turn on a treadmill to run in place for 30 minutes. It occurred to me today that this is how I feel:

I used to ride bikes, shoot basketballs, scurry after squirrels, and run away from the dog down the street (not a pleasant experience, but that's a story for another time). Essentially, I used to exercise not for the sake of exercising but for fun, for discovery, and for purpose. Not just for the sake of staying healthy. Whatever happened to that?

And then I was thinking, sometimes I do that even with my spiritual walk. I make the time in my life to hang out with God, but sometimes I do it just because I should do it to stay spiritually healthy, to get me through the day. Not to say that that's a negative thing, but sometimes I feel I'm just running on the same ideas and insights whenever I read my Bible, and even though I am encouraged to have enough energy for the day, I really yearn to be energized for the week, or at least, for the next few days.

There are a million and one ways to experience God from service, from being out in nature, from talking with people from different backgrounds, from tackling problems in different ways, from even walking to school by a different route, etc. so why must I stay on the spiritual treadmill where I sometimes find myself? I guess what I'm saying is that books, written commentary, group Bible studies, radio programs, and service projects are definitely beyond commendable to find insight and feed our faith; but, what other kinds of methods does God speak to you through? Basically, what are other ways does God talks to you out of the box (or outside the cage if you're a hamster)?

Hello, week! Thy name is chaos.

2007-04-22T14:39:00.000-05:00

As we finish off the semester, just thought I would share what God reminded me of today.

"This is the day that the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"
Psalm 118:24

God made TODAY for us to REJOICE in it! Pray. Push. Carpe Diem!

Needed by God

2007-04-14T21:07:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but it seems to me that people like to be needed. We like to feel that we have some sort of purpose and that we're not just doing things for the sake of doing them. In that light, it occurred to me that God needs me. He needs you. He needs His family to do things on this Earth. Now I realize that God doesn't need anything and in fact, Philippians asserts that God will meet all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. But how awesome is the thought that God needs us to be bold, to be courageous, to be helpful, and to be willing to do His will whenever he calls? He leads us down a specific path, gives us a specific situation, and sends specific people to us because He needs us to hack through the brush, He needs us to learn a certain lesson, or He needs us to encourage His people and those who are not part of His family yet. I dunno, but this just changes a lot of perspective for me. I'm yet again getting worried and concerned about the usual stuff and some not usual stuff, but whether or not the "important" or desired things get done or happens, God needed me to do the things that has happened. He needed me to be there for the people I talked to. He needed me to learn lessons of humility, friendship, and faith despite the expectations I had. Anyway, this may not make sense at all to anyone, but heh, at least it makes sense to me. :)

Let's Make More Room

2007-04-10T20:05:00.000-05:00

So I've been really encouraged to see the dialogue that has come out of this blog and would really like to widen the circle of contributors. As to keep the discussion somewhat small and personal, if you know of one or two persons who you think would like to contribute, please email me his or her email address at kirstenkwa@gmail.com so that I can send him or her an invite. Cheers!

The Nature of Sin

2007-04-07T22:29:00.000-05:00

I was listening to a radio program by Chuck Swindoll and he was talking about how Jesus' trial was possibly the worst case in the history of jurisprudence. Jesus had 11 charges placed on him but was found guilty for none. His charge had been changed from blasphemy (which was not punishable by a Roman court) to treason. And so I wondered, how it could it possibly be that such an event could happen to a man who was innocent on all accounts despite having done nothing deserving of death or even some punishment. Yet he received many ruthless beatings, the cat of nine tails, being spit on by those who once welcomed him with "Hosanna", and a horrible crucifixion. By the time the Roman soldiers were done with him, the bible says that he barely looked like a man.

And when I thought a little more carefully, i realized that it was sin. Christ was not up against the devil. He was up against sin. Christ stood in the face of sin and sin could not bear the presence of one so holy and one who spoke truth like He did. And so against all logic and without any real reason for death sin took our savior beat him senseless, left no skin on his body unbroken and buried those nails into his hands. Our world has become so sin saturated that sin seems so normal and rational and its only when we look in to what Jesus and the Apostles said about us that we start to realize that there is something really wrong with the sin in our lives. Many of us cling to our sin in some secret compartment of our lives (myself included) and cling onto it tightly because sin feels better or seems better. And so there is a need to see sin for what it is and how it rationalizes the illogical. Or else it continues to creep into our lives slowly killing off every existence of truth or love in our life till we are an empty shell.

Know your enemy. When we start to realize the nature of sin with all our hearts then we move one step closer to enjoying Christ and being able to savor him for what he truly is.

"I've Got the Powah!"

2007-04-07T18:51:00.000-05:00

It occurred to me at one point a while ago that I should explain the title of this blog. As I see it, the basic routine of life is sleep, eat, work, play (a little), sleep, eat, work, play (a little), etc. On another dimension, the basic routine of life is desire, strive, attain, desire, strive, attain, etc. And even when we're striving for the "right" reasons (i.e. working for God), we still go through this cycle. It's inevitable. But as Christians living on Earth, we've got the edge over our fellow human counterparts.

My dad emailed me a presentation that he used for his Faith and Business class which illustrated the "Sources of Power from the Human Point of View". These sources included: Positional power, Informational power, Charismatic power, Networking power, Influence power, and Capital power (i.e. PICNIC). Basically, humans love power. Nay, we crave it. But what is Biblical power?

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 says "but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" and later in 1 Corinthians 6:14, Paul says "By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also." Overall, Jesus is POWER. We shouldn't have to crave human power because in Ephesians 1:18-19 Paul writes, "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know [...] his incomparably great power for us who believe."

What does this mean today? While we strive to get the grade and desire to get the job or just hope to please the Father, just know that we already have the POWER of God. Paul prays for the Thessalonians that "our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith" (2 Thessalonians 1:11). Later, Peter also writes "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 Peter 1:3). And therefore, we have no concern about the world's goals because the POWER we already have is so much greater than the power for which the world strives.

Not to say that there's anything wrong with striving for the good grades and desiring that dream job. It's just that, unlike the World, we as Christians have faith that the future will iron itself out despite the bad grades, despite the lack of money, despite being passed over for a promotion at work, despite the difficult questions, despite the lack of answers, despite the seeming silence of the Maker's voice.... Why? Cause through Jesus, we have POWER. Through Jesus, we have The Christian Edge.

•

God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Which one do you pray to?

2007-04-07T18:33:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I was talking to a muslim friend about Easter and several questions led up to these which I have listed below. How I answered her is also below but I would really love to hear if yall would've explained it differently.

Do you think Jesus is God?

Yes. While Jesus was the SON of God, because of the trinity, He is also God.

Do you think Jesus was a prophet?

No. Well, initially I answered yes then I thought about it and switched my answer. If Jesus was the expected Messiah, He did not need to prophesy about his own coming because He had come. Therefore by definition, he can't be a prophet. He's what the prophets prophesied about.

Do you pray to Jesus or God? (I had previously discussed with her that because of Jesus, we can talk to God - He's our connection. I said this when explaining the difference between Christianity and Catholisism as the Catholics believe they need to pray to Mary so she can talk to Jesus. The Christians know Jesus is all they need and that Jesus interceeds on our behalf to God).

I pray to both because they are the same "individual".

The problem in all of this is, how do I explain the trinity? Especially after already having made a distinction between the Son of God and God. I eventually told her that, due to our imperfect human minds we cannot comprehend God and so we make a distinction betwee Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit - and we name it the trinity but essentially its just God. God is able to take more than one form but God is God and Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Was this the correct answer? I am confused now.

Christ is risen!!!! Happy Easter :)
Evelyn

Good music and letter to the ladies

2007-04-02T19:17:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

I went to Island Party (a big free christian outdoor concert) in Aggieland this weekend. Jimmy Needham, one of the artists who performed really caught my attention (lyrics and music style). It turns out he is a student at A&M, class of 07 and married! So, as I went to his myspace account to listen to his music, I saw a letter his wife wrote to other ladies. It was definately something I was in need of being reminded and thought that the ladies in this blog might appreciate reading it also. So - sorry guys, probably not of use to yal but you can go listen to the great songs!

http://myspace.com/jimmyneedham

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=21876848&blogID=165355953&MyToken=d6541f22-9e60-4778-b210-45526bb1840d

Evelyn

Christian Cursing

2007-03-27T00:29:00.000-05:00

First, thanks for posting! It's so encouraging to me to see your feedback. Okay, now back to the point. I recently read the following off a Facebook post, and I thought it was pretty interesting. With the permission of the author, I'm posting it for discussion.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fucking, Fuck, God, Damn, God Damn, Ass, Shit, Holy Shit, Hell ARE THE SAME AS Freaking, Fudge, Gosh, Darn, Gosh Darn, Butt, Crap/Crud, Holy Crud, Heck AND SO ON

I suppose this is mainly to Christians, or just those curious to read this because of the title.

What makes these words different from each other? Nothing! You can argue it all you want, but really it's nothing except one's a less formal way of talking *they're both non formal ways of talking and looked down upon by higher classes, but one is higher than the other*.
When are people going to realize it's not the words you say, but how you say them that determines the word "profanity". I'm not sure where we got all that wrong because even in the Bible it's made clear that cursing is specifically hurting someone with your words.

**If you'd like me to prove it to you, I shall pick scripture and we can sit down and DISCUSS this... But I have no intentions of arguing with you if you're not going to have an open mind and just be stubborn about it...

Back to what I was saying though... According to the Christian Bible *the only one I've read* saying "You Dummy" is cursing. It is lowering someone's moral, someones standards. It seems that cursing, according to everything the bible says, is hurting someone intentionally... So where did we get substitutes for words that aren't effecting anyone?
If you watch Good Will Hunting, they say those "curse" words almost every other line. But that's how they were raised, that's the language they learned growing up. They're not hurting anyone by saying "Fuck You" when they say it, they're saying what you'd normally say "whatever" or "yeah right". It might seem a bit harsh because everywhere around us we see that those words are "curse words" thus hurtful to society. You're not even allowed to say FUCK on national TV, but FUDGE and FREAK is just fine when using it in the same sense. It's so ridiculous. And why do we stand for it? A bunch of ignorant folks decided to change the meaning of cursing because they weren't please with the phonics of the words...

BTW, this post was caused by me watching the NIGER South Park Episode. Great show, interesting concept... And not what they were trying to get across, but it drove my attention span a bit over the line. :-P
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I decided to post the actual words without bleeping it out because well, this is life. (And I'm a firm believer of telling it how it is.) This has been another topic that I've had to think through in the past, and I've even Wikied it for answers. There's even an article on the "4-letter words". After all, if Wikipedia is any indication of general trends, it should give a pretty good definition of what our *society* thinks of curse words. (Really, who knows what we consider society to be over the Net??) Anyhow, I'd like to hear your thoughts before I give mine.

Is everyone going to Heaven?

2007-03-25T11:55:00.000-05:00

Ok Ill post something controversial that I thought up when reading Jonah recently. In that book, God says hes going to destroy Nineveh because everyone there is evil. Jonah goes and warns the people that God is going to destroy them, and then they all change their ways and worship God. And then God changes his mind and doesn't destroy the city, which makes Jonah angry because now he looks stupid.

Anyway, all throughout the Bible God says that unless you believe in him and follow his commands, you will go to Hell. But one thing none of us can say for sure is that God won't change his mind. In the end he might say, "oh all right, everyone get in here (Heaven). I just said that so hopefully a lot of you would change your ways."

Of course almost every indication in the Bible says that he WON'T do that, but my point is that he can, and might, do that. We should all live our lives based on the information that we must follow God to go to Heaven, but leave open the possibility that others too might join us.

This thinking is helpful when working in a place where 99% of the population is not Christian, and hundreds of them die every day not ever having heard the word of God. Ok Ive said enough!

The First Post

2007-03-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

So I just found out that struggling doesn't have to be as difficult as I make it out to be. Recently, I've been struggling through the onslaught of homework, but instead of asking God to take away the pain, I've been thanking God for the pain. And you know what? The change in perspective has made all the difference.

A while later, I was reminded about this verse: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7

What was cool to me was that I could come up with this revelation before I read the verse, which yet again proves that the Spirit is truly our helper.

The Christian Edge

Keys to Thriving (not just Surviving)

Day of Jubilee (A Sunday morning story)

Is being Christian "cool"?

Hip Christianity: Part 3, Christianity is Cool

Pungent

Fragrant Jesus

Woes of Weakness

bit of Eternity

bit of Eternity

Christmas... Hope

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

Walking and Talking

Prop 8 Post

Glory, Holiness, and Suffering

Christianity at the Visitor's Center

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani!

Apologetics...

Possible answers to "Troubling Thoughts"

Two Empowering Verses

Why Would I Need Salvation?

Really Paying the Price

A Non-intuitive View on Relationships

Troubling Thoughts

Leaving your Mark vs. Leaving a Bruise

Super Blogger, Patrick Mead

Encouragement

Christian Orthodoxy: The Standard vs. The Norm

Mashed Potato Church

Pastor makes front page news without fornication or being murdered

Evangelicals divided on presidential candidates

Formidable voting group is expanding its political priorities.

"The devil is in the details"

Alma Mater (again)

Give Recklessly

I clean up throw up

1 > 0

Girl Scouts

Pastor Kes

Microloans

unChristian

Brave...Called

Of Revolutionaries and Atheists

Leaving a Legacy

Worship - can it be facilitated?

Child Preachers?

Desperate Faith, Faithful Desperation

God Grew Tired of Us

The Gift of a Water Buffalo

Dragon attacks

In need of prayer

A Study Prayer

Epiphany, Chaos, and Hopeful Redemption

The Veil of Familiarity

Christian Service

Vacation

Christian Unity

Dream Wedding

Ramblings of a Vagabond

This Semester, There Was No Spoon

A Time to Retreat

Recommended Reading Continued

Recommended Reading (my first post)

Jesus Camp

Working Out

Hello, week! Thy name is chaos.

Needed by God

Let's Make More Room

The Nature of Sin

"I've Got the Powah!"

God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Which one do you pray to?

Good music and letter to the ladies

Christian Cursing

Is everyone going to Heaven?

The First Post