Halloween

What does a Texan do to celebrate Halloween in Maryland?

Before:


After:


I really don't "celebrate" Halloween though. Today was Reformation Sunday at church, however. In honor of Martin Luther, I'll include a quote from "Church History in Plain Language" by Bruce Shelley:

In his third pamphlet published in 1520, The Freedom of a Christian Man, Luther set forth in conciliatory but firm tones his views on Christian behavior and salvation. This is probably the best introduction available to his central ideas. He did not discourage good works but argued that the inner spiritual freedom that comes from the certainty found in faith leads to the performance of good works---by all true Christians. "Good works do not make a man good," he said, "but a good man does good works." Thus, on the threshold of his excommunication from the Roman Church, Luther removed the necessity of monasticism by stressing that the essence of Christian living lies in serving God in one's calling whether secular or ecclesiastical. All useful callings, he said, are equally sacred in God's eyes....

Luther's greatest contribution to history was not political. It was religious. He took four basic Catholic concerns and offered invigorating new answers. To the question how is a person saved, Luther repled: not by works but by faith alone. To the question where does religious authority lie, he answered: not in the visible institution called the Roman church but in the Word of God found in the Bible. To the question---what is the church?---he responded: the whole community of Christian believers, since all are priests before God. And to the question---what is the essence of Christian living?---he replied: serving God in any useful calling, whether ordained or lay. To this day any classical description of Protestantism must echo these central truths.

Prayer

Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness. —Martin Luther

I'm thinking of doing a series on prayer for our next Bible study. If y'all have any good resources, books, or ideas, let me know! God's blessings and peace,

Laser

Check it:

How to Create a Laser from a Flashlight and CDROM drive

Good Reminder

I read the following in an Assembly Language book, of all places. Thought it was a good reminder:

I say this only because so many of you are considerably younger than I, and may forget in the fever of young life: Time passes, and so do the people who believe in us, and urge us through the walls as we hit them so that we may arrive at midlife with something to show for it. Fathers and mothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles can add immeasurably to our lives, and often do, even when we're too busy to notice. Cherish them while you have them, because cherishing them after they're gone is a lonely business indeed.

The Jesus Film

Apparently, about 99% of the world can view "The Jesus Film" in a language they know, and about 50% of the world has done so. I haven't watched "The Jesus Film" yet, but I found out today that you can view it online. As soon as I come across 2-hours of free time with RealPlayer, I just might see what this Jesus Film is like.

Sifting

I was unpacking my stuff from the recent move, and I came across the "Sifting Song" that Lindsay, Jake, Kyle, and I came up with while we were the "dirt sifting crew" on the Mexico mission trip in 2005. Shifted dirt was needed by the cement mixing crew, but needless to say, sifting dirt is a boring task, unless you make it fun with fun songs and entertainment. We jotted down the lyrics of the song on paper, so we wouldn't forget them, and I post them here, in that same spirit. The lyrics are written on the back of a coloring page that says "Con Dios puedes hacer todo" (With God, you are able to do all things). How fitting, and how true:

Sifting Song
(Sung to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas):
On the ___ shift of sifting my true love gave to me:
10 - 10 second breaks
9 - hacking coughs
8 - drops of spit
7 - cementers behind us
6 - gloves full o' rocks
5 - rusty nails
4 - sore limbs
3 - nagging bucketers
2 - sexy shakers
and a wheelbarrow full of dirt.

The Yellow Brick Road

I read this in "Waking the Dead" by John Eldridge on the plane to St. Louis:

"[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz] movie left out a crucial point [related to the Tin Woodman], which the author gave in his original fairy tale. The Tin Woodman had once been a real man, who had been in love with a beautiful maiden. It was his dream to marry her, once he could earn enough money to build them a cottage in the woods. The Wicked Witch hated his love, and she cast spells upon the man that caused him injury, so that one by one his limbs needed to be replaced with artificial ones, made of tin. At first, it seemed an advantage, for his metal frame allowed him to work nearly as powerfully as a machine. With a heart of love and arms that never tired, he seemed sure to win.

"I thought I had beaten the Wicked Witch then, and I worked harder than ever; but I little knew how cruel my enemy could be. She thought of a new way to kill my love for the beautiful Munchkin maiden, and made my axe slip again, so that it cut right through my body, splitting it into two halves. Once more the tinner came to my help and made me a body of tin. Fastening my tin arms and legs and head to it, by means of joints, so that I could move around as well as ever. But alas! I now had no heart, so that I lost all my love for the Munchkin girl, and did not care whether I married her or not..."

"My body shone so brightly in the sun that I felt very proud of it and it did not matter now if my axe slipped, for it could not cut me. There was only one danger---that my joints would rust; but I kept an oil-can in the cottage and took care to oil myself whenever I need it. However, there came a day when I forgot to do this, and, being caught in a rainstorm, before I had thought of the danger my joints had rusted, and I was left to stand in the woods until you came to help me."

"It was a terrible thing to undergo, but during the year I stood there I had time to think that the greatest loss I had known was the loss of my heart. While I was in love I was the happiest man on earth; but no one can love who has not a heart, and so I am resolved to ask Oz to give me one. If he does, I will go back to the Munchkin maiden and marry her."

Both Dorothy and the Scarecrow had been greatly interested in the story of the Tin Woodman, and now they knew why he was so anxious to get a new heart. "All the same," said the Scarecrow, "I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one." "I shall take the heart," returned the Tin Woodman; "for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world." L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

As I grow up (gasp, yes, I'm afraid I'm actually growing up! It was bound to happen sooner or later, despite my attempts to prevent it with koosh balls and corny jokes)I'm continually convinced that the yellow brick road we should follow in this life revolves around relationships. How many times have I missed out on wonderful friendships because I was too caught up in everything I had to do, and didn't make time to just hang out and build relationships? Perhaps I even missed some of those opportunities with you when our paths crossed. I agree with the Tin Woodman that brains do not make one happy, nor does work.

I disagree with the Tin Woodman in that happiness is the best thing in the world. Resting assured in your salvation, being content with who God made you to be, and knowing that you are carrying out His purposes---these are the best things in this world. My friend Tiff gave me a "homework assignment" to define what success means to me. I've turned that into a term paper, which I'm not ready to post just yet. But it revolves around quotes like these:

"Success is a journey, not a destination."

"Success is not permanent. The same is also true of failure."

"Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture...

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes...

If the LORD delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand..." Psalm 37

Good Times!

1 totally awesome pastor
+ 1 wonderful pastor's wife
+ 4 great friends
+ 1 Federal holiday
=
A GRRREAT weekend in St. Louis!

The gang:


Goofing off in the van, cuz we can:


Musing with Martin Luther at the Seminary:


The Arch:



As always, my annual trip to see the Kruegers was quite a blessing. And now, only 2 more weeks until I'll get to goof off in Texas! Whoop!!

Eyes

I love the fact that iGoogle has a "Joke of the Day" feature...

Now, to more serious matters:

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Ephesians 5:15-17

John Eldridge, in Waking the Dead:

After a while, the accumulation of event after event that we do not like and do not understand erodes our confidence that we are part of something grand and good, and reduces us to a survivalist mind-set. I know, I know---we've been told that we matter to God. And part of us partly believes it. But life has a way of chipping away at that conviction, undermining our settled belief that he means us well. I mean, if that's true, then why didn't he ____? Fill in the blank. Heal your mom. Save your marriage. Get you married. Help you out more.

Either (a) we're blowing it, or (b) God is holding out on us. Or some combination of both, which is where most people land. Think about it. Isn't this where you land, with all things that haven't gone the way you'd hoped and wanted? Isn't it some version of "I'm blowing it"? in that it's your fault, you could have done better, you could have been braver or wiser or more beautiful or something? Or "God is holding out on me", in that you know he could come through, but he hasn't come through---and what are you to make of that?

This is The Big Question, by the way...What is really go on here? Good grief---life is brutal. Day after day it hammers us, until we lose sight of what God intends toward us, and we haven't the foggiest idea why the things that are happening to us are happening to us.

[We must pray] "That we would have eyes to see what's going on." That is exactly what we need. Eyes to see. Isn't that what Jesus offered us---clarity? Recovery of sight for the blind? We need clarity and we need it badly.

...

How do we not lose heart? "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen." 2 Corinthians 4:18...There is a way of looking at life, and those who discover it are able to live from the heart no matter what. How do we do this? By seeing with the eyes of the heart.

...

Things are not what they seem. We are not what we seem. Of all the Eternal Truths we don't believe, we doubt most of all [that we have a crucial role to play in this life.] Our days are not extraordinary. They are filled with the mundane, with hassles mostly. And we? We are...a dime a dozen. Nothing special really. Probably a disappointment to God. But...you are not what you think you are. There is a glory to your life that your Enemy fears, and he is hell-bent on destroying that glory before you act on it....Once you begin to see with those eyes, once you have begun to know it is true from the bottom of your heart, it will change everything.

The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it.

I quote all the above because it really speaks to me at this point in life. I once had direction and felt in tune with God's calling on my life. But life gets in the way sometimes, and lately I've been doubting a lot of things, including some of the decisions I made a year ago. I know who I want to be, but am I really becoming that person, or am I falling into the trap of a comfortable life? More importantly, what does God want me to be? What is he molding me into? And am I resisting, or am I content to be the clay? Sometimes I just want answers. But really I just need prayers. So, if you would, pray that the Lord would give me eyes to see.

Hudson Taylor

Quotes by J. Hudson Taylor, English missionary and founder of the China Inland Mission:

Let us never forget that what we are is more important than what we do.

I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking Him to do his work through me.

After proving God’s faithfulness for many years, I can testify that times of want have ever been times of spiritual blessing, or have led to them.

At home you can never know what it is to be alone – absolutely alone, amidst thousands, as you can in a Chinese city, without one friend, one companion, everyone looking on you with curiosity, with contempt, with suspicion or with dislike. Thus to learn what it is to be despised and rejected of men – of those you wish to benefit, your motives not understood . . . and then to have the love of Jesus applied to your heart by the Holy Spirit . . . this is worth coming for.

The more we rest on this fact, – that we do not know the way we are going, but that we have a GUIDE who does know; that we do not know how to accomplish our service, but that He never leaves us to devise our own service; – the more restful does our life become.