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.

Book...

I need a new book to read. Something uplifting yet convicting, for when you're looking for direction in life, trying to figure out what life's all about, why it is the way it is, and how to take up His cross and follow Him, daily, without doubting or wavering.

Any suggestions?

The Aggie Network

The fact that the President of our Lutheran Synod includes stories about Texas A&M in his Pastoral Updates just makes me smile:

Sept 2007 Pastoral Letter

The Aggie Network. You've gotta love it.

Whataweekend

This weekend I went to West Virginia. Why would anyone go to West Virginia, you ask? To quote their state motto, because it's wild and wonderful, of course. I went camping and whitewater rafting, and I had a blast. Rafting isn't for everyone, and I wasn't sure it was for me at first. But after the 2nd rapid, I was lovin' it. Sigh, if only I could find an excuse to spend more of my days outside...

Jay

A few weeks ago, I heard a good family friend Jay was going to have heart surgery for a heart condition he's had since he was born. Yesterday, I found out he passed away after the surgery. He was 28. I remember the last time I saw him, about a year ago. He was so full of life and hope. And it reminded me of two things:

1) Life is short and God calls us to live in the moments He gives us each day, planning for the future, but appreciating the present because we don't know what the future will hold. As I look back at my life a year ago and my life now, I've certainly been learning this lesson. There have been times in the past when I've focused so much on the future that I've forgotten to see the things God has planned for me that day. Slowing down can be a good thing. I guess that's what the phrase "Stop and smell the roses" is all about.

2) Faith, hope, and love are not products of our circumstances. Some of the people I know with the strongest faith, the most abounding hope, and endless love are people who have been through the toughest situations. As John Piper says, "Joy in affliction is rooted in the hope of resurrection, but our experience of suffering also deepens the root of that hope."

Jay will be missed, but he is rejoicing with his Savior now.

Journies

The journey brings happiness, not the destination.

Flying Alarm Clock

Saw this on the History Channel...

Flying Alarm Clock

Good idea!

Beloved

I'm a huge fan of Derek Webb. Huge. I was listening to an old album of his the other day, "She Must and Shall Go Free". It's essentially an album Derek wrote talking about the church and our culture today. On the album, he has a song called "Beloved", written from the perspective of Jesus talking to us, his Beloved children. I really like the chorus:

beloved listen to me
don’t believe all that you see
and don’t you ever let anyone tell you
that there’s anything that you need
but me

Nerds. No, not the candy.

Me: You know, I used to have a crush on him.

Bets: You did?

Me: Yeah, I think it started when we were talking math together one night ;) I'm a nerd.

Bets: Haha! That is NERDY!

Stars

With all the weddings and engagements that have been going on lately, I've had Bryan White's song "Someone Else's Star" in my head for a while. At some point, I will outgrow this song. But for the time being, it still makes me sigh. I've met a lot of amazing guys over the years, but they all seem to end up with someone else. Don't get me wrong, I'm learning to be content with where God has placed me. But a girl can dream, can't she?

Alone again tonight
Without someone to love
The stars are shining bright
So one more wish goes up
Oh I wish I may
And I wish with all my might
For the love I’m dreaming of
And missing in my life

You’d think that I could find
A true love of my own
It happens all the time
To people that I know
Their wishes all come true
So I’ve got to believe
There’s still someone out there who
Is meant for only me

I guess I must be wishing on
Someone else’s star
It seems like someone else keeps getting
What I’m wishing for
Why can’t I be as lucky
As those other people are
I guess I must be wishing
On someone else’s star

I sit here in the dark
And stare up at the sky
But I can’t give my heart
One good reason why
Everywhere I look
It’s lovers that I see
It seems like everyone’s in love
Everyone but me

I guess I must be wishing on
Someone else’s star
It seems like someone else keeps getting
What I’m wishing for
Why can’t I be as lucky
As those other people are
I guess I must be wishing
On someone else’s star

Why can’t I be as lucky
As those other people are
Oh, I guess I must be wishing
On someone else’s star

Socks

Zach's comment on my last post made me think of an analogy I typed up a long time ago, in 2001 to be exact. I dug it out of my archive files and decided to post it here:

"Some people seem to make friends quickly and easily. Others wonder how they do it. Although warped and demented, I see it like this:

Let's say I have $10 and need a pair of socks. I can go to Walmart and get a Value Pack and come home happy with 10 pairs of tube socks. Or I can go to Academy and invest in the super-duper, "nothing short of an armored tank is putting a hole in these puppies" pair of socks -- the kind that has 'comfort' written all over them. Now, there are pros and cons to each. Going to Walmart leaves me with lots of socks. But perhaps the lower quality will cause them to wear out sooner, and after many intense games of basketball, I won't have them when I need them. On the other hand, these Academy socks are durable and will surely hold up to the task. However, I have only one, and if I were to lose it for some reason, it'd be extremely
tough. I'd try to mend it at first, but if that didn't work, I'd have to find a loaner pair, perhaps an old dusty pair or two that I hadn't called into duty for awhile. But rest-assured, the coach, the man-in-charge will see to it that I have the needed pair of socks when I need it most.

It's a cheesy, over-simplification, I know. Personality types and past experiences factor into friendships. I personally go the Academy route, but I'll admit it's much riskier at times. But the coolest part (and perhaps the only thing of value I have to say w/ this analogy) is that we are not measured by the number of socks we have. Nor by the quality of those socks. Rather, what counts is that our Big Game Day Sock is Jesus Christ."

Silver and Gold

My friend Mike made a comment on his blog about how many of his old friends are becoming passing friendships, where you catch up occassionally, but for the most part have moved on to different paths in life. This got me thinking, and realizing how many of my college friendships could be characterized the same way now. For me, the big reason is because I'm 1600 miles away from those friends.

I'm reminded of the kid's song "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." I have "fond" memories of this song b/c Grandma used to make us cousins sing-along to it with the Wee Sing in Sillyville movie. But I seriously digress.

Back to the point....I'm the type of person that builds friendships through quality time: Finding a common interest and building memories together. What do I do when I can't spend quality time with my old friends, the way I wish I could? How do I stay in touch with people and know what's going on in their lives, when I'm not around them? Life (and God) has pulled me in a different direction, but I don't want to lose those memories and those friendships. To those of you that I've been horrible at keeping in touch with lately: I'm sorry. I wish I could throw a koosh with you right now, share a laugh with you, or have you over for another Garden Girls Party. Your friendship has made me into the person I am now, and I miss you. God might lead us down different paths, but you will never be replaced. And if you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods, or need a roadtrip and want to see the sights, don't hesitate to call me up anytime!!

Get Real

Before reading the rest of this post, you have to do some homework:

• 1. Read Tiff's recent blog post


• 2. Click here to listen to Casting Crowns' song "Stained Glass Masquerade" and think about the words
  

Sometimes their music is repetitive, but I absolutely love the lyrics of Casting Crowns' songs. I haven't seen them in concert, maybe someday I'll get to... But I have read a bunch of stuff by Mark Hall, their lead singer. His lyrics are real, his stories cut to your heart and cause you to stop and think. I recommend reading his book LifeStories. It gives insight into the people and events behind his songs. Powerful. Or check out www.castingcrowns.tv.

I'll quote some of my favorite paragraphs from the chapter on the "Stained Glass Masquerade" song:

"In John 3:30, John the Baptist refers to Jesus and says, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

My conversations with students I minister to cast the verse in a different light: I must decrease before the kids so they will have a greater chance to increase. I must become humble, meek, transparent, and approachable. I must become real. I must never become an ivory-tower preacher. I must live a real life in a real world...just as they do.

Instead of building walls to hide my weaknesses---like those I had expertly crafted my entire life---I should expose my weakness. Even when it is humiliating. I have to decrease, even in the students' respect of me, because they don't need a hero. They need a Savior. So if knowing Jesus means they have to discover that I don't have it all together---and if I'm a little less cool in their eyes---then so be it.

I make sure to convey this message in concerts today.

When we're onstage, my goal is to prove to you that God can use anybody. The Apostle Paul took the same approach: "I boast in my weakness." (2 Cor 12:9)"

Mark goes on to say:

"One Godline did not make this song, but I use it in concerts and when I talk to my students. It summarizes the song perfectly: I don't think it bothers the world so much that we sin; I think it bothers the world that we act like we don't.

Growing up in a church that didn't talk about personal sins and struggles, I sketched a mental picture of a strong Christian, someone who truly walks with Jesus. I strived to be that person. If there was anything in my life that didn't fit the mental picture, I had to bury it. I guess subconciously I thought that if my church folks believed i was OK, then maybe I really was.

Sound familiar?

I don't think I'm alone. Our insistence on maintaining an image is the reason most believers rarely confess bitterness, jealousy, addiction, lust, self-hate, greed, and anger at God. If that is the case in our lives, then people at church don't really know us.

I seems we're missing so much in the area of fellowship. If only we authentically knew each other, it would be so much easier to loosen up and accept and love each other."

So, I've been thinking a lot about fellowship lately too. How does one go about building authentic fellowship, true community? I think it starts as a matter of the heart. Do we truly love our neighbors? Are we real with them? Do we love others and ourselves the way Christ loves us, unconditionally?

Purpose for Everything

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

We've all had times we've been encouraged, and we've all had times we've been discouraged. I used to think discouragement was a bad thing, something I ran into only when I wasn't on the right course in life. But the following section from Chuck Swindoll's book "Hand Me Another Brick" has made me think of discouragement in a different light. Don't get me wrong, I certainly prefer those encouraging times, when things make sense and smiles abound. But much like brokenness and suffering, discouragement may have a role to play in building our faith and increasing our dependance on God:

You might think discouragement is only for those not walking with God. That's not true. Many Christian leaders admit that times of discouragement have often been signals from God announcing a whole new direction and plan. Strange though it may seem, discouragement, brought on by a removal of our tangible securities, can become a catalyst for incredible achievements.

Such was the admission of Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest spokesmen for Christ in the history of the church: "Before any great achievement, some measure of the same depression is very usual...Such was my experience when I first became a pastor in London. My success appalled me; and the thought of the career which it seemed to open up, so far from elating me, cast me into the lowest depth, out of which I uttered my miserere and found no room for a gloria in excelsis. Who was I that I should continue to lead so great a multitude? I would betake me to my village obscurity, or emigrate to America, and find a solitary nest in the backwoods, where I might be sufficient for the things that would be demanded of me. It was just then the curtain was rising on my lifework...This depression comes over me whenever the Lord is preparing a larger blessing for my ministry."

I can find nothing in Scripture to prove this, but I am more convinced than ever that discouragement is nothing more than a barrier Satan erects between great people and great achievements. I wonder how many great triumphs we might have seen but didn't because great people simply lost heart.

Perhaps today you find yourself standing before the door of opportunity or change. Your strength has run out. Your confidence has faded. Your vision has grown dim. You're shaking with fear and you want to retreat to safety. A nagging voice somewhere deep within whispers, "It isn't worth it."

Wait! You may be on the verge of the greatest years of your life. On the other side of that barrier---if you just keep pressing on, doing what you know to be right---the reward of faithfulness awaits you.

I especially liked the part where Spurgeon admits that he often wanted to run to places where he "might be sufficient for the things that would be demanded" of him. In those pivotal moments of life, we will be faced with a choice: rely on our own strength, or take a step of faith and rely on God. Growth only occurs when we rely on God. Oh how I wish I could do that more easily!

Two Contrasts

You are passionately loved by the God of the universe.
You are passionately hated by His Enemy.

From the book Captivating, which Tiff got me for my birthday a while back.

Love

I'm probably not one to comment on love. I haven't the faintest clue about how and when to let go. All I know is the amazing picture of love we find in 1 John 4:
--------------------------
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
----------------

There's a quote that says "The difference between friendship and love is how much you can hurt each other." Loving completely can be a risk b/c it means opening yourself up to the possibility of getting hurt. But there's another quote that says "To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing."

We can love only because we are loved completely by God. We fail at loving completely because we are sinners. But we try. With God's grace, we have to try, in spite of the possible hurt.

But are there times when we have to let go and move on? Love keeps no record of wrongs. But is "moving on" not keeping a record of wrongs, or is it simply ignoring the wrongs? Avoidance is not to be confused with love. I think the better description for for "letting go and moving on" is "forgiving". It's not easy; it takes work and prayer. After all, "What we forgive too freely doesn't stay forgiven. --Mignon McLaughlin. But it is possible, and when it's truly heart-felt forgiveness, it becomes a form of love. "You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well. --Lewis B. Smedes"

Colossians 3: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Mexico

I've always said that when I get a real job, I'd use my vacation time in a useful way. Now that I finally have a real job, I finally got a chance to do that, on a week-long mission trip to Mexico with UKANDU:

On June 1, I flew down to Texas and met up with the young adult group from Trinity-Klein in Spring. Aside from my friend Lindsay, I had no idea who would be going, and I really didn't quite know what we would be doing. That's not typical for a Type-A person like myself, who likes to plan and know what I'm getting into, but when the opportunity for me to go on the trip came up at the last minute, I left it in God's hands and went along for the ride.

Our group consisted of 7 folks, pictured below from left to right at El Potrero Chico, an internationally known rock-climbing location:

• Myself


• Tim (My brother went to high school with his sister)


• Linds (we go WAY back)


• John-David (the youth minister at Trinity)


• Anne (I played basketball in high school with her)


• Christine (I was good friends with her brother at A&M)


• Kerri (not pictured. I went to A&M with her sister)

I think it's so cool that even though I didn't know our group, I had common ties with all of them! In Laredo, we met up with the high school youth group from St. Paul, Ft. Worth, where my sister was married and where a number of my friends now attend church. Again, we didn't know this group, but by the end of the week, we had all made new friends. St. Paul has an amazing youth group and awesome adult leaders. There's some great things going on in that place.

As a group of about 50 folks, we drove to El Carmen, where we would be working on an orphanage. The orphanage now has 25 kids staying on the lower level. We were working to prepare the upper level so they could take care of 25 more kids. The long-term vision is to support 10 such orphanages, caring for 500 kids total. At the orphanage, the kids receive food, clothing, education, love, and Christ.

I was on the "Tiling Team", and quickly became a pro at laying ceramic tile. The "Grout Girls" came behind us to finish up with grout. Here's a pic of the main room with the diagonal pink "rug" in the middle:




The kids were still in school during the day, so we only got to play with them in the evenings. Before they were allowed to play, they had to finish their homework. I tried to help a 5-year-old with her homework...Let's just say my Spanish skills need some brushing up:



On Wednesday, we went to the market in Saltillo. This was my 4th time in Saltillo. In 2003, on my first trip to Saltillo, we were waiting around in the parking garage, so as always, I pulled out my koosh ball and tried to stay entertained. Without thinking, I chucked my koosh ball up as high as I could. It went up, up, up, but never came down! It got stuck in the lip of an I-beam in the rafters of the garage. I was very sad to leave it there, but every year since then, we always parked in the same garage and I got to check on my koosh ball. I was curious if it would still be there now in 2007. Sure enough, it is! Granted, now it is very black and hardly recognizable, but I know it is there:



All in all, this was a good, refreshing trip. Seeing a different culture, different ways to worship, and different lifestyles always renews my perspective on things. God is great, and the diversity He has created in the world is amazing. How great that day will be when we see all nations worshipping the Lord, as in Revelations 15:4:

"Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

But as Romans 10:12-15 says, how can all nations come and worship unless we share the hope we have:

"For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Piper

A lady at work hosts a weekly Bible study. I was finally able to join in one week and they were talking about John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life. I was really interested by the discussion, so I decided to read it when I got some free time. I'm only about 3 chapters in right now, but I really like this quote that was on a window decoration in Piper's kitchen growing up:

Only one life,

twill soon be past,

only what's done for Christ will last.

Quote

Quote of the day from my niece Bethany, while talking to her grandma, after seeing a stray cat across the yard:

"Bethy can't pet that kitty cat, that kitty cat is very old, like you grandma."

[FYI: The twins talk about themselves in the 3rd person. I'm not sure if all kids do that. Kinda cute, but I would hope they grow out of it at some point...]

Following Christ

A friend sent me this excerpt from “New Way to Be Human” by Charlie Peacock:

Charlie speaking:

“Here’s what I’ve figured out for myself: My life is going to tell a
story whether I try to or not. It’s going to tell a story that says,
'This is what a follower of Jeus is , this is what he or she is
interested in, this is what he or she believes and trusts, this is what
he or she thinks is important.' Because this is going to happen and can’t
be stopped, I’d better make sure I know my role and my job description-a
student-follower of Jesus is a living explanation. As I go about living,
I will either make the teaching about God the Savior attractive, or I
won’t. It’s attractive on its own. I make it attractive to others by
living it out. My work should be to represent it accurately. This
doesn’t mean that my life will look just as his looked. That’s not even
possible. I’ll be doing well if I can, stepwise, become the kind of
person he’s teaching me to be.”

Tharseo

"Tharseo is an Ancient Greek word that means "Have Courage!" or "Be of Good Cheer!" or "Take Heart!" Jesus uses this term often after healing people and in John 16:33 (NIV): "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.""

Prayer

LCMS President's Statement about Virginia Tech

As I think about people asking "Where was God?", I can't help of a book I read stating the natural follow-up to this question is "Where are God's people?" May God and God's people be a light to those affected by this tragedy, and may they portray God's love and peace to those who are hurting. Keep them in your prayers.


This weekend, International Justice Mission is hosting a Global Prayer Gathering this weekend. IJM is an amazing Christian human rights agency consisting of professional lawyers, social workers, and investigators who seek to rescue people from horrendous injustices. Here are some resources and a prayer guide if you want to keep their mission in your prayers as well.

Temporary Shiite Marriage

I just read about a Shitte Muslim custom that really appalled me. It's called "mutaa", a temporary marriage contract for the sole purpose of having intimate relations, believed by Shiite Muslims to be sanctioned by Islamic law. Apparently it's becoming more widespread in Iraq, now that there is religious freedom, instead of Sadaam's Sunni-led control. Those who practice mutaa say these types of marriages are beneficial for reduce promiscuity among youth and help support widowed or divorced women. I don't understand how people justify these things. Washington Post article here.

Good Ol' Abe

Here are some words to ponder from Lincoln's speech when appointing a National Fast Day in March 1863:

It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentence will lead to mercy and pardon and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord. We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have daily imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

Scattered

"Jesus said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to all the ends of the earth." Acts 1:7-8

"On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria....Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." Acts 8:1-4

We talked about these verses in Bible study this week, and the note in my study Bible really caught my attention. "Chapter 8 (where the church is persecuted and scattered) is the beginning of the fulfillment of the commission in 1:8 -- not by the church's plan, but by events beyond the believers' control."

How reassuring to be reminded that everything is in God's control. The church was scattered and persecuted, but thankfully the believers didn't give up. They continued preaching and spreading the message of Christ, regardless of their location or well-being. What passion and dedication!

Very Deep New Blog Post

I spent a lot of time pondering the other day, and came up with some deep thoughts I thought worthy of sharing on the blog:

"What do you get when you graduate from scuba diving school?...A deep-loma."


April Fools. Nothing deep here. Move along.

Good Deeds

At Bible study last night, we discussed the following passage:

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. -- Matthew 5:14-16

We began talking about good deeds and the difference between good deeds done for God's glory and good deeds done for other reasons. A question was raised which got me thinking: "If the whole world was deaf and no one knew sign language, how could we ensure that God received the praise for our good deeds? We wouldn't be able to verbally tell people about Christ and how He is the reason for the hope within us."

Certainly a person can exhibit their faith without using words. In fact, many times actions speak louder than words. But if we don't/can't use words to tell people that Jesus is the reason we are who we are and why we live how we live, then how do we show people that?

Is there a way to distinguish good deeds done for the wrong reason and good deeds done for God's glory? If a nonbeliever sees a good deed, they don't automatically praise God. How do we motivate that praise, praise vertically directed toward God?

Barometers

I read the following story on the Internet. It's fictional, but it got me thinking:

Some time ago I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, while the student claimed a perfect score. The instructor and the student agreed to an impartial arbiter, and I was selected. I read the examination question:

"Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer."

The student had answered: "Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to the street, and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building."

The student really had a strong case for full credit since he had really answered the question completely and correctly! On the other hand, if full credit were given, it could well contribute to a high grade in his physics course and certify competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this.

I suggested that the student have another try. I gave the student Six minutes to answer the question with the warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. At the end of five minutes, he hadn't written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said he had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one.

I excused myself for interrupting him and asked him to please go on. In the next minute, he dashed off his answer, which read, "Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, using the formula x=0.5*a*t^2, calculate the height of the building."

At this point, I asked my colleague if he would give up. He conceded, and gave the student almost full credit. While leaving my colleague's office, I recalled that the student had said that he had other answers to the problem, so I asked him what they were.

"Well," said the student, "there are many ways of getting the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer. For example, you could take the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the barometer, the length of its shadow, and the length of the shadow of the building, and by the use of simple proportion, determine the height of the building."

"Fine," I said, "and others?"

"Yes," said the student, "there is a very basic measurement method you will like. In this method, you take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As you climb the stairs, you mark off the length of the barometer along the wall. You then count the number of marks, and this will give you the height of the building in barometer units. A very direct method."

"Of course. If you want a more sophisticated method, you can tie the barometer to the end of a string, swing it as a pendulum, and determine the value of g [gravity] at the street level and at the top of the building. From the difference between the two values of g, the height of the building, in principle, can be calculated."

"On this same tack, you could take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to just above the street, and then swing it as a pendulum. You could then calculate the height of the building by the period of the precession".

"Finally," he concluded, "there are many other ways of solving the problem. Probably the best," he said, "is to take the barometer to the basement and knock on the superintendent's door. When the superintendent answers, you speak to him as follows: 'Mr. Superintendent, here is a fine barometer. If you will tell me the height of the building, I will give you this barometer.'"

At this point, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.

Girly and Sappy

[Warning: This post gets kinda girly and sappy. I wrote this over a year ago, but never posted it...]

I was driving down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway the other day, (otherwise known as the "BW"), and I heard Brad Paisley's song "She's Everything" on the radio. I love Brad Paisley's lyrics; he's a great song-writer. As I was listening to this song, I couldn't help but think the lady in the song was so lucky. And it made me recall a recent conversation with a friend. It was the sweetest thing hearing him talk about his wife. He said things I've heard many people say before:
"I thought I was in love before, but I didn't really know what love was back then."
"I'd have never guessed I could ever feel this way about someone."
"I hope everyone finds what I've found, instead of settling."
"You just know."

Times like that I get hit by 2 emotions: a continued conviction to trust God's plan and wait for His will, and a skeptical cynicism that tries to convince me such love is too elusive and risky.

But maybe, just maybe, I will know what everyone else is talking about someday. Maybe, just maybe, someday I'll sing too.

He's a dirty pair of overalls
From a day spent out a'working
He looks great in untucked polos
He looks great standing tall by me
He's "I want a brand new laptop"
"Take me to a Best Buy"
He's "I can't sit still for very long"
Now and then he's silly

He's a pickup with a side step
With his country music blaring
He's a strong shoulder for me
And a safe feeling hugging
He's a confident intellectual
That I wouldn't doubt for nothing
He's addicting when he's passionate
And he's a natural when he's leading

And he's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
I think about him, I go on and on and on
'Cause he's everything to me

He's a Saturday at Habitat
And an usher on Sunday
He's a guitar around his neck
And his singing's kinda goofy
He's a snowball fight with snowmen
"Baby come and get me"
He's a one girl kinda guy
And he sure knows how to get me

He's the faith I wish I could have
And doubts I have everyday
He's a picture in my own head
But he's gotta be out there somewhere
He's the hand that holds me close
When I'm scared and take off running
He's the answer to my prayers
And he's the song that I'm dreaming

And he's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
I dream about him, I go on and on and on
'Cause he's everything to me

He's the funky face I'd love to see
Someday when I'm ninety
He'll make that wooden rocking chair
I want rocking right beside me
Everyday that passes
I'll only love him more
Yeah, he's the one
That I've waited so long for

And he's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
He's everything to me
Yeah he's everything to me

Everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
He's everything to me

Recommendation

Go see Amazing Grace in the theater. I highly recommend it. And let me know what you think.

Pigeons

My brother sent me this article about scientists who implanted electrodes into pigeon brains, allowing the scientist to control the direction in which the pigeon flies. I liked the end of the article, stating "the scientists hoped the technology could be put to practical use in the future, but did not specify what practical uses the scientists saw for remote-controlled pigeons."

Hmm... what would I do with a remote-controlled pigeon? Well, I'm sure I could have a lot of fun with it, fun that PETA folks wouldn't appreciate.
1) Get 2 pigeons and play "chicken" with each other. See if their natural instincts kick in, or if they succumb to the electrodes and fly into each other.
2) Implant an electrode in the pigeon's digestive system. Fly the pigeon over your least favorite person. Hit the trigger. 'Nuf said.
3) Drive a cat crazy by keeping the pigeon *just* out of its reach.

Are any of these ideas "practical"? Nope. Anyone out there got a practical use for a remote-controlled pigeon???

Whenever I talk about pigeons, I can't help but think about the Pigeonhole Principle . Ahh, the good ole' days of discrete math... If you have fewer scientists than pigeons, and every pigeon has to be given to a scientist, then at least one scientist will end up with more than one pigeon. But unfortunately, all pigeons will end up with an electrode in their brain. :)

Holiday

How did you celebrate President's Day? As for me, I went snowboarding! The proof:



"How'd it go?" Well, I'm definitely MUCH better at skiing. I spent most of the day on the ground. Although, observations seem to indicate that a lot of snowboarders spend most of the time on the ground, so maybe I'm not too far behind. And I'll probably spend most of tomorrow on a cushion, due to a sore behind! ;) But, no injuries, other than perhaps some slightly wounded pride. So, I'd say it was a success and a good bit of fun!

Life Together

We experienced some real winter weather this week, which shut things down for about a day and a half. The proof? Check out the icicles on my 'stang:


The slow pace gave me an opportunity to take a stab at the pile of "To Be Read" books on my shelf. Finally got a chance to read "Life Together" by Bonhoeffer. If I had read this book while at A&M, I think I would have completely missed some of the points in the book. But reading it now, while starting anew and facing new challenges in life, I could really let Bonhoeffer's point sink in. I particularly liked Chapter 1 about community. It reminded me that Christian Community is a blessing from God. Through the ebb and flows of life, we may find ourselves surrounded by Christian community, or we may find ourselves looking for such community. But in either situation, God is our source of strength and Christ should be the focus of our lives. God can use community to teach us, but he can also use lack of community to teach us. And until Christ comes again, God's people remain scattered, held together only in Christ. "Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participiate. The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground and strength and promise of all our fellowship is in Jesus Christ alone, the more serenely shall we think of our fellowship and pray and hope for it."

Since love is essential in the Christian's life and community, Bonhoeffer also talked about the difference between human love and spiritual love, a fitting topic for February. As he says, human love is directed to the other person for his own sake and focuses on desire; spiritual love loves him for Christ's sake and focuses on service. "The existence of any Christian life together depends on whether it succeeds at the right time in bringing out the ability to distinguish between a human ideal and God's reality, between spiritual and human community."

Bonhoeffer than continues for 4 more chapters, discussing "The Day with Others", "The Day Alone", "Ministry", and "Confession and Communion." It's a pretty quick read, and the content makes you think. Two characteristics of a worthwhile read.

LCMS wiki

Have you ever visited the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod page on wikipedia?

Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is part of the WikiProject Christianity, an attempt to build a comprehensive guide to Christianity on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can edit articles, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion. If you are new to editing Wikipedia, visit the welcome page to become familiar with the guidelines.

InstaVerse

"Do you visit Christian web sites or receive daily devotional emails? Ever want to look up a scripture fast? InstaVerse™ by WORDsearch will let you instantly see the actual Bible text for scripture references like John 3:16 — install InstaVerse, point your mouse at the reference, and the text pops up in your preferred translation! The best part is that InstaVerse with the KJV Bible is FREE!"

I installed InstaVerse, and I think it's pretty cool. Jump on the bandwagon, download today!

Justification

A recent email caused me to think about justification, so I started looking stuff up and dusted the cobwebs off some good theological terms. By faith in Christ, we are declared just before God. What does this mean? Christ's death fully atoned for all sin, God has forgiven all sin, and the Gospel reveals this forgiveness to all men. (1 John 2:1-2) We are sinners and we are worthy of death. But when we believe in Christ's atoning sacrifice, we are declared righteous before God. (Romans 3:21-26) We are still sinners, but that sin does not count against us. Instead, it is credited with the merits of Christ. (Rom 4:5-8)

So where does faith come in? The book I'm reading says it better than I could: "Christ paid for the sins of all men, and God, accepting this payment, has in His heart forgiven all sins of all men. This is called objective or universal justification. The moment our faith trusts in the promise of God...God confirms the gift upon us personally. This is called personal or subjective justification." Thus by faith we receive personal possession of that justification, which the Gospel offers to all men in general. As Derek pointed out, faith itself is also a gift from God (Eph 2:8-9). That's amazing and reassuring, for us sinners who fall short in every way without Christ's sacrifice, God's love, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Illustration: On 01 JAN 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and declared slaves to be free. This was a general statement that applied to all men. But an individual slave was not personally freed until he heard about Lincoln's proclamation and it was applied to his life. In the same way, when Christ died on the cross 2000 years ago, the reconciliation of the world and forgiveness of sins through Christ became an accomplished fact. The attitude of men, whether he belives or not, cannot change that fact. Yet when a man believes this fact, he has the forgiveness of sins and is personally justified before God.

"Thus it appears that universal justification does not benefit anyone unless it is followed by personal justifcation, and that personal justification is possible only because of the preceding universal justification." Don't get lost in the terminology, it's actually quite simple. Illustration: "Bread will not nourish us, unless we eat it; but we cannot eat it unless it is there."

Justification is not an internal transformation that makes the sinner less sinful. It is an act performed by God, taking place outside the sinner, in which God absolves the sin of sinful men who believe in Christ. He absolves them not on their own merit or worth, but solely on the merit and righteousness of Christ and their faith in Christ's righteousness. "Faith is absolutely necessary as a means of salvation, but faith is not the Savior. Not the act of eating, but the food we eat nourishes us. Thus, not the act of believing, but what we believe saves us."

Justification is complete and perfect. All sins are forgiven, completely. I liked this part: "For this reason, faith does not look forward to forgiveness of sins, as a thing to be hoped for, but forgiveness and justification are a present possession, which we have and hold in their completeness as long as we continue in the faith. There are degrees of faith, weak and strong, but there are no degrees of justification."

That's all for now. But this review of justification made me read up on sanctification as well, so I may blog on that soon, if I have the luxury of time to do so.

PS: I have a new first cousin, once removed. Congrats Julie and Brian!!

Snow

I went snow skiing for the first time ever this weekend. And I had a BLAST! I'm definitely going again, except next time I'm going to learn to snowboard. :) Thanks to everyone who gave me advice beforehand, like "Just remember pizza /\ and french fries ||", "lean forward, even though it's scary", "you will be sore the next day", and "you will love it". Y'all were all right, especially about the being sore part!

It doesn't snow much up here, so the resort was mostly man-made snow. Did you know that you can make your own snow at home by building your own snow machine?

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A man and his wife were having an argument as to who should make the coffee in the morning. The wife thought it was her husband's job, since he was always the first to wake up in the morning. The husband thought it was his wife's job, since she was, after all, the wife and keeper of the kitchen. After some harmless and not so harmless bickering, the wife finally said in desperation "Let's see what the Scriptures have to say about this!" She opened up her Bible and say "Aha! See that! It clearly says it's the man's job: He-brews."

And for something more worthwhile to think about than a punchline groan or chuckle, Hebrews 10:

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

Terrify No More

A while back, I went to a Sara Groves concert. While there, I saw her Nomad Series DVD which is a reality-type show telling of Sara's travels to Rowanda and New Orleans. I'm a sucker when it comes to hearing people's stories, adventures, and life lessons, so I bought a copy. In this DVD, Sara meets with Gary Haugen, a former UN war-crimes investigator, who now uses his law and investigative talent as President of International Justice Mission to investigate and intervene on behalf of victims of oppression throughout the world. He instantly caught my attention as I thought "Way cool. This guy's not a lawyer living on Easy Street. He's in the trenches using his skills and talents in a direct way, to make an impact on this world." So, I decided to learn more about him and his work.

So I just finished reading Haugen's book Terrify No More. It's a disturbing story of IJM operations, mainly to free young girls from horrific experiences in Cambodia. The book reminded me that we live in a sinful world, and yet it reminded me of the tremendous things God can do through those who give their talents to His purposes and put their trust in Him. Two quotes that impacted me from the book:

Describing Bob Mosier, an IJM staff member: "Scripture describes faith as 'the assurance of things hoped for, and conviction of things not seen,' and Mosier has core convictions about some things he cannot see. He believes that he was made by a God who exists and can be known. He believes this God cares about him and has given him work to do in the world--the work of helping people in desperate need. And finally, he believes that God is on his side in this work and will help him do it. I (the auther Haugen) am willing to assert that he believes these things for one simple reason: He acts as if these things are true. Mosier is a great example of what Dallas Willard has written so clearly about regarding the nature of faith (amplifying the message of the epistle of James): Namely, we believe something not when we SAY we do or even when we BELIEVE we do, but when we ACT as if we do."

"For many of us, the ugliness of abuse and oppression in our world leads us, quite understandably, to ask: 'Where is God in the midst of such sorrow?' But over time, having seen the suffering of the innocent and the crushing of the weak all around the world, more and more I (the auther Haugen) find myself asking not 'Where is God?' but 'Where are God's people?' As a global force, America and its people are able to generate wealth, exert governmental power, and impact the world in a way that's unprecedented in the history of nation-states. And we live here at a time when the world is full of massive and profound poverty, injustice, oppression, and suffering. Accordingly, the first step in good stewardship is to understand what God has given us by placing us here. How can we, as good stewards of American influence and liberty, turn those blessings into actions on behalf of the oppressed? It takes each one of us, faithfully offering what he or she has and allowing God to multiply it into something great."

Just food for thought.

Clara Barton

Quick, do you remember who Clara Barton is? I was driving to an old friend's house tonight and saw "Clara Barton Pkwy". The name rang a bell, but I couldn't remember what she was famous for (my brain's getting rusty in my old age...). Google quickly told me she was the founder of the Red Cross. Aha, that's right. Speaking of the Red Cross, I gave blood for the second time last week. Didn't go quite as well as the first time: This time I had the luck of getting a lady who didn't know what she was doing and ended up with an impressive bruise on my arm. But, I'm tough, and besides, if they use my blood to help someone else, it's worth it. But here's hoping next time I get a pro!

Life

At church this morning, I found out that Doug was in the hospital. I met Doug one of the first weeks I was up here. We found out that we both grew up in Houston, went to A&M for grad school, and then moved to DC for a job. Granted, he did so about 40 years before I did, but the point is that we have a lot in common and I've always enjoyed talking with him and hearing about his experiences. So I went with another lady in the church to visit him, especially b/c he doesn't have any family in the area.

When was the last time you were in a hospital? I can't remember the last time I was. Doug was doing well: smart and stubborn as ever. But I couldn't get over the emotions of being in that place. It reminded me of when I was a kid and would visit my grandpa in the hospital and nursing home. I never really knew what to say and there wasn't really anything I could do for him. Just being there, that's all I could do.

But that got me thinking. I'm a strong proponent of the phrase "Actions speak louder than words." Maybe that's why I don't always talk much; maybe that's why "service" always ranks up there in my "spiritual gifts inventory". And then there's the fact that I'm a Type-A personality and a workaholic. In any event, I get very uncomfortable when I'm in situations where I can't actively "do" something. But sometimes "being" is better than "doing". Being in a hospital is one of those situations. I'm not a doctor, I can't physically do anything to help anyone get better faster. But I can be there to listen to them and give a smile.

Life is not about the number of things we can accomplish, or the number of ministries we can get involved in. It's about the journey, the process of growing closer to Christ and closer to others. In this fast-paced world we live in, we need to make sure we don't get so busy and over-loaded that we miss out on simple opportunities to be there for others, and opportunities to "Be still and know that He is God". I say this b/c I often forget to do just that, and something like a trip to the hospital helps put life back in perspective.

Happy New Year!

Most of y'all know me as an analytical girl who weighs the pros and cons from all angles before making a decision. This characteristic is both good and bad. Good because it keeps me from ending up in "what was I thinking?" situations; bad because "the opportunity of a lifetime must be siezed within the lifetime of the opportunity". Sometimes we just have to be spontaneous, take a risk, and trust God with the rest.

Speaking of being spontaneous, my first spontaneous decision of the year was to book a last minute flight to come visit Betsy in Cedar Rapids, IA. We've had a blast catching up, reminiscing about the good old days, and speculating about things to come. Waiting in the airport for my flight, I was listening to some old Breakaway talks. Gregg's Sept 28, 2001 "Faith in the Unknown" talk really hit me, talking about Hebrews 11.

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."

Gregg talks about what it means to walk by faith:
- Faith is a step-by-step continual "Yes" in your heart. We won't be perfect people tomorrow, but each day, God will grow us closer to Him and reveal His will for us in His time.
- Faith in God, not in the location. It's when we say "God, I trust that you are enough to meet my needs. Your love is better than life. I'm trusting in God, not in the provision of God."

Each new year brings new opportunities and new hope. I honestly don't know what God has in store for me this year. Good or bad, I'm trusting Him with 2007. Happy New Year, everyone!

Perspectives

I've been talking to Mandy about the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course, and figured I'd put in a little plug to anyone out there in cyberspace:

Q: Should I take Perspectives?

A: First off, pray about it. If it seems like something you are interested in, are willing to put time into, and God leads you that direction, then I definitely encourage it. I haven't taken the course yet, but I've heard about it from a number of sources, and I've heard nothing but good things. I just finished up a similar course on Islam, and man, as I reflect on the class and the material, it's good stuff. It just doesn't get any better than to hear stories of people living for Christ, go to class with people searching after God's will, to discuss faith issues, and contemplate what's really important in life. The course is offered in a number of cities throughout the USA. Check it out.

Great Commission or Great Commandment

My homework tonight asked this question: "Which is more significant, obeying the Great Commission (making disciples) or the Great Commandment (loving God and your neighbor)?"

Something about this question intrigues me. I'm typically bad at answering "either or" questions (mainly because I'm indecisive. Ok, that needs a qualifier: extremely indecisive.) Of course, both the Great Commission and the Great Commandment are extremely significant, so perhaps it's not right to judge one over the other. But for the sake of answering the question, here's the answer I came up with:

"I think the Great Commandment is more significant because by loving God and our neighbors, we are being a light of Christ to those around us, which can open doors and pathways to make disciples through these acts of service. Both are important, but the Great Commandment is a heart-matter. We need to change inwardly and have the right motives before we can be truly effective in our outward expressions and activities to make disciples."

If anyone has an answer or reasoning for the other viewpoint, I'd be interested in hearing it.

Sara Groves

Went to a Sara Groves concert this weekend. Went by myself because I absolutely love Sara Groves' music, and I didn't know anyone who could come with me. Events of the evening:

- Sat next to a lady who was also sitting alone. Turns out she owns a Christian bookstore in Vienna, VA. We had a nice little chat and instead of being alone, I made a friend for the evening. Little Miss Introvert can learn to branch out!

- Sara played her songs on the piano. Just piano. It was absolutely amazing. Made me miss Betsy and her amazing piano skills.

- The concert benefited Young Life's Capernaum for children with special needs. Very moving.

Monkeying Around

Who says party favors are only for the kids?




Along with Thanksgiving, we celebrated my brother's birthday and the twins birthday over the holiday weekend. My, my, time flies.


In other monkeying around business, go to Colin's website and comment on his insightful Jerry MacGuire observation. Derek, thanks for the "prank". It's good to joke around with the old gang again, even if it has to be via the Internet these days.


Here's some interesting Chinese research. "The ant and ladybug appeared fine after 30 minutes of levitation, although the fish did not fare as well, due to the inadequate water supply, the scientists report."


And finally, I got my blood donor card today and found out I'm A positive. Got this reply from my brother: "I wouldn't expect anything but A+ blood coming from you... Man, you can't even get a B in a blood test, good job!" ;)

Suffering Again

After thinking about some comments on my last post, I decided to write a follow-up post. This was written mainly for my own benefit, but pull up a chair and read awhile if you're so inclined. Warning: This is long. That's what happens when you get me on a topic that's interesting.

I generally try to avoid generalizations, but sometimes they are useful for the sake of argument or analysis. So bear with me as I generalize "society". I've been considering what claims the typical American society might make concerning how American Christians suffer. Along with that is my response to why those things aren't really suffering.

Some may claim getting up early on Sunday mornings for church is suffering. This is not suffering. It is a joy when your heart is in the right place.

Some may claim spending time in Bible study is suffering and consumes too much time. This is an investment and a necessity, not a waste of time, and it's far from suffering.

Some may claim tithing and giving money to charities is suffering because then you can't afford things like big-screen TVs. My response would be that eventually TV and material possessions will lose their appeal, especially when you realize that money can go to better use elsewhere. Perhaps it's a result of placing too much emphasis on stuff when I was younger and over the years realizing that stuff can never satisfy. I'm far from perfect, and I still revert to my greedy self who wants to cling to my stuff and have all the latest gadgets and gizmos, but with prayer and the right perspective, it's easy to realize we don't really need half of the things we think we do.

Some may claim spending vacation time on mission trips is suffering. Again, not suffering. A week on a mission trip is what motivates me to get through the rest of the year. Need to start praying about where God wants me this year, right now I have no clue.

Some may claim throwing in the towel on society's view of dating is suffering. Ok, so being single certainly involves a suffering of its own kind, but it's nothing compared to the pain of society's twisted view on relationships. That much I know first hand unfortunately. And in His timing, God will provide what I need and what fits His will, either contentment with being single or a relationship that He gets all the credit for. [Commercial break sponsored by Derek : Sacred Singles Video]

Some may claim leaving the comforts of family and friends is suffering. To that I say it isn't easy, but decisions should not ruled by money or comfort level. And as Camille said, "sometimes God leads us one place so that He can lead us to the next place He has in store for us."

So, our society might look at the lives of American Christians and claim we are suffering. But as a whole, we aren't anywhere close to suffering, especially when viewed from a global perspective. Let me caveat that by saying I'm certain there are many who genuinely suffer for Christ in America, but it's in ways far more extreme and important than the trivialities I listed above. It's the people whose stories bring tears to your eyes, causes your jaw to drop, and makes you instantly ask yourself "How did they find the strength to get through that or accomplish that? Through Christ alone."

My source of conflict arises when considering if I should "suffer for Christ" or "accept His blessings". Often times, those two things seem mutually exclusive to me. But I must remind myself that suffering for Christ does not mean rejecting His blessings. And accepting His blessings does not mean a person isn't struggling with hardships and isn't relying on Christ. I guess the goal is to have both, appreciate all the blessings He lavishes on us, while recognizing the source of those blessings and being ready and willing to follow Him, regardless of the cost. SO MUCH easier said than done. Zach's right though, the one who tries to hold on to their own definition of life, the one who builds castles in the sand, really loses out on Christ's definition of life and the true joy experienced from living for Christ.

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." (John Piper) This is most certainly true. If your earthly father knows how to give good gifts to his children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? God wants us to be satisfied in Him. God wants to give us blessings. God wants to give us the desires of our heart, when our heart is in the right place and when it glorifies Him. But sometimes suffering is involved so that we realize that we can only be satisfied in Christ. Other times suffering is involved to demonstrate the all-surpassing power and peace found in Christ. The problem is that we're sinful and don't get our priorities right and we start thinking about ourself and our "needs" instead of God. So, how do we determine if something is a blessing from God or a desire of the flesh? How about measuring things by the fruit of the Spirit? A blessing from God will result in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God might bless us with a good job so we can give to others. This is good. Or we might desire a good job because we are greedy, jealous, selfish. This is bad.

We are Christian. We are living in America. As Besty said in her comment, why are we here with a good life when there's a woman of great faith in Africa without hands? That question can only be answered by God. All I know is that God calls us to grow where we are put; He's in the driver's seat and will lead the way if only we would stop grabbing the wheel. Someday God might call us to go to Africa. Someday God might call us to go down the street and help at the soup kitchen. The key is realizing that God is calling us and has great plans for us, if only we would listen.

Suffering for Christ

I love Thanksgiving. It's always good to count one's blessings and thank the Lord for all the ways He provides for us. And to sit around with family and friends, realizing how special they are. Shouldn't everyday be Thanksgiving?

So, after a few days of relaxation, peace, and giving thanks, I'm confronted again with the concept of suffering for Christ. One of the questions brought up in my class was "Most Muslim-background believers in Christ suffer for their faith, and some have given their lives. What does "suffering for Christ" mean to you and your community?" For some reason, I haven't been able to come up with a good answer for this question.

This summer, a friend gave a talk about suffering and quoted John Piper saying "It's hard to be a Christian in America. The psychological benefits, the relational benefits, the prosperity benefits, the health benefits, etc. of believing in Jesus make a pretty good life. Such that if it is wrong in the end, well, who cares, we still lived a pretty good life." And that's so different from the New Testament church and the examples of faith that we have.

I've been thinking about this stuff for a while, and nothing has settled in my head yet. When living "the American dream" where we are free to worship and proclaim Christ when, where, and however we want, do we "suffer for Christ"? If so, what does that look like? Insight anyone?

Chris Rice

Pulled out an old Chris Rice CD driving this weekend. Haven't listened to Chris Rice in a while, but he really has a way with words. Liked the chorus of this song:

Why does the past always seem safer?
Maybe because at least we know we made it.
And why do we worry about the future?
When every day will come just the way the Lord ordained it.

Writing

For the past week, I've been thinking about books. Mainly wondering what kind of book I'd want to write if I ever wrote one. When I was little, I used to want to write textbooks. Yeah, call me crazy, wouldn't be the first time. The appeal of textbooks has since worn off, don't worry. I'm not sure I have any good book ideas, but then I heard from the rumor mill that OJ Simpson is writing a book called If I Did It. (shaking head) Sounds like we need some good book ideas out there...

Second, a friend sent me this link to Dr. Gates Yell Practice speech last week. "I got degrees from 3 other universities, but for the rest of my life, I will always be an Aggie. Y'all are blessed to go here, and I have only one request of you as Aggies: and that is to never forget the importance of duty and honor and country. I love you. I'll miss you. God bless Texas A&M, God bless you, and God bless America." Gotta love it.

Third, last Sunday in church with Sara and Gottfried, I was flipping through the hymnal and came across this hymn. After reading through the lyrics again, I just love it:

If you but trust in God to guide you
And place your confidence in Him
You’ll find Him always there beside you
To give you hope and strength within
For those who trust God’s changeless love
Build on the rock that will not move

What gain is there in futile weeping
In helpless anger and distress?
If you are in His care and keeping
In sorrow will He love you less?
For He who took for you a cross
Will bring you safe through every loss

In patient trust await His leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er your Father’s pleasure
And all discerning love have sent
Doubt not your inmost wants are known
To Him who chose you for His own

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving
Offer your service faithfully
And trust His word though undeserving
You’ll find His promise true to be
God never will forsake in need
The soul that trusts in Him indeed

Foxtrot

Got to visit Molecular Man, his awesome wife, and his cool trick bird this weekend in North Carolina!! Yay fun. :-) He told me about this recent comic:

Computer Joke

I've gotta get back in the habit of reading Foxtrot again...

ChAnGe

I was doing my "homework" tonight, and had to answer this question:
"How should Christians respond to change in the culture around them?" Coupled with Betsy's recent post, I decided to blog some thoughts:

Change is the only constant in life. Winston Churchill had a number of quotes on change, some that relate more to the topic of this post than others :)
"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."
"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."
"There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction."

As Christians, we must learn how to address cultural change, especially as society becomes seemingly more and more immoral. Christ was often found with sinners and tax-collectors. He did not participate in their sin, but he did not shun them because they were sinful. He met them where they were, by embracing who they were and sharing the truth. So my question, would Christ be hanging out in movie theaters today? Would he watch the filth that is plastered across the big screen? To be fair, I don't think it's an important question because it only addresses the activity, not the motivation. If Christ could use going to a bad movie with someone as an opportunity to share the truth with them, I'd think he would be there in a heartbeat. So the question becomes, can we use the elements in this changing society to share the truth with others around us? There's two approaches I can think of:
(1) Take an an existing element and point out Biblical truths (or lack thereof) in it. That was the reasoning behind my movie Bible study (scroll down to summer 2005) last year.
(2) Take an existing element that and inject Biblical truths into it. That was the reasoning behind my Christian music Bible study (scroll down to Fall 2004) a few years ago.

The tricky part is not becoming so wrapped up in society and catering to society's demands that the Biblial truths get lost or washed over. Both approaches must be done with care; both require conscious effort and prayer. And honestly I'm no good at either one. I have found that I either shun society and ignore it, or brainlessly participate in what society has to offer, siphoning off the entertainment factor and discarding the rest. But I can't help but think of what an impact we could all make if we engaged in society like Jesus did and thought about how to point people to Christ in the midst of our changing culture.

Temple

Imagine this: You're driving around the lovely, traffic-filled Capital Beltway(that's I-495 for those out of the loop), enjoying the beautiful scenery of trees and autumn leaves that make Maryland what it is. When all of the sudden, just beyond the trees, out of nowhere, rises a gleaming white, massive structure. "What in the world?" you wonder, as you slam on the brakes and try to get a better look. That, my friends, is the Washington DC Mormon Temple. This thing is crazy, especially at night when it is lit up and almost looks like it is floating. Definitely something to Google Sightsee for a better image, but here's my attempt to capture a picture of it while driving the other night:




I won't get into the topic of Mormons, but it really gets me thinking about church buildings. A church building is a place people gather, fellowship, and worship the Lord. Many old cathedrals are beautiful and ornate, signifying respect and honor in a holy place. Many new church building consist of multi-purpose rooms full of activities, signifying life and joyful fellowship. And keep in mind, some churches don't even have a building. But each type of church building and each type of church has a place in history, and each meets a need. The important part: that all glory and honor is given to *Christ Jesus*, our SAVIOR, the only way to salvation.

Aggie Network

Aggie Network in the Pentagon - it goes all the way to the top! Any other Aggies out there want to hop on the bandwagon and head to DC?

In a statement posted on the university's Web site today, Gates said he was "deeply honored" to be appointed defense secretary, "but also deeply saddened" to be leaving College Station, Texas. "I love Texas A&M deeply, but I love our country more and, like the many Aggies in uniform, I am obligated to do my duty," he said. "And so I must go."

Press Conference
News Story
Gates "Rising in the Ranks" Photos

Comfort

Mandy pointed out that I have my own line of comforters at
Bed Bath and Beyond. Apparently I'm exclusively theirs!

Not sure what I think about the pattern, but I'll go with the "fun and fresh" description. Watch out for those Stefani shams though! Haha.

Water

Heard about this at a Derek Webb concert awhile back. Ran across it again recently:

The bad news: Millions of Africans lack access to clean water, including those living with HIV/AIDS. Countless women and children walk up to ten miles a day to get water.

The good news: One dollar provides one year of clean water for an African.

Blood:Water Mission's 1,000 Wells Project is building 1,000 wells and clean water projects in 1,000 African communities. Find out how to donate your dollar—and hopefully do even more—at www.bloodwatermission.com.

Politics

Comment from a high school friend:
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"You study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."
-Sen. John Kerry on the Campaign trail, 30OCT06 @ Pasadena City College in Pasadena, CA.

Dear friends, this is what I like to call crap. I defend this man's right to say such comments, my soldiers are prepared to die for this very ideal. Surprisingly enough I'm not writing this in an outrage. This man is entitled to say comments exactly like this, I'm writing this because this is a perfect opportunity to discuss politician’s behavior, in this situation we have a politician who is trying to capitalize on 'anti-war' sentiment in order to turn out votes. Just as opposing politicians are trying to capitalize on security issues.
Unfortunately that's the real problem; we have a lack of statesmen and an abundance of politicians. What's the difference you might ask? A statesman is concerned about the generation after him while the politician is concerned about capturing the next election. It's actually disgusting how much ignorance is flying around out there (what I call VDI or Vulgar Display of Ignorance). Again this comment is a prime example, here's some quick facts you can take to the bank...
-Enlistee's have a higher education rate than the US general public
-Most colleges approve military occupational specialty training for credit
-99% of the Military has a High School/GED/College degree
-95% of the Officer Corps has AT LEAST a Bachelor's degree
-A majority of Senior Officers (Major and Above) have Master's degrees.
-Our military is the most educated and technical military force in the world

Just to be clear again I'm not specifically trying to slam Sen. Kerry. I am, however, attempting to point out that words just get thrown around to beat the band. On all sides. So what I'm asking you all as voters to do is quite simply, pay attention and be skeptical of all politicians. Not right or left, but every last one them. And above all vote! Don't let anyone tell you who to vote for, discuss the options 'ad nausea' if you like... Just make your own choice and be responsible enough to do some research before you vote a 'straight ticket'- be choosey. The future is in the hands of your ballot...
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A picture to close out the post.

Wise Words

Words from a wise friend:
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"Things will come with time. Despite the world's trying to convince us that instant gratification is the course of all things, that is really not the case. The Scripture reminds us that to the Lord a day is as a thousand years.

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this." Psalm
37:5

I used to think that verse had everything to do with me - you know, the
committing and trusting part - and I strove really hard to do just that.
The only thing was, in making it about me, I confused the "do" in this
verse. I thought it was all about me doing. So, you know what happened
- I missed the good part about His doing. The verse reads, "He will do
this." And the verses that follow verse 5 read as follows: "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." It is really pretty clear, isn't it? God is the doer - "He will
do" - "He will make." As I think about those verses these days, my
committing and trusting revolves more around what He is already doing,
not what I think I should do. So, I try to see, "What is God doing that
I can commit to and trust in?" What is He already doing around me of
which I simply need to be aware, or pray to understand, not to change,
AND TO WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM."
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A few days later, my pastor made the following points in his sermon:
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Christ gives us freedom from the sin of self-centeredness, the addiction of immediacy, and the tyranny of our senses. We are given freedom to cultivate Christ-centered relationships, character, and discipleship. Sometimes the Lord teaches us and calls us to wait. But He is never content where we are; the Christian life is about growth and adventure.
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I *know* all these things in my head, but sometimes life makes it hard to remember them. That's why God surrounds us with Christian examples and encouragers to challenge us and keep us walking with Christ.