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CNN's Heroes for 2009

Thought I'd share something that I've known about but been woefully inadequate in supporting over these last few years. Brad Blauser is an Aggie who has put together an amazing program called Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids. In the last four years, his non-profit group has purchased and distributed nearly 650 specially designed pediatric wheelchairs, each specially outfitted to be useful and mobile in the sometimes difficult Iraqi environment.

Now, CNN is running a promotion Called CNN Heroes. They have identified a large number of people doing great work in various fields to help those in need. From their large group, they have selected 10 finalists. A special on-line vote is ongoing, with the winner slated to receive $100,000 towards their field/"ministry" (my word, not CNN's).

Vote for Brad Blauser

I know of Brad indirectly through TexAgs.com, a Texas A&M social networking site I frequent. From his posts there, I know him to be a good hearted Christian man who is doing great work for God's Kingdom with this project.

Anyways, I encourage you to go to the CNN Heroes site, peruse the various people who are doing such great things in the world, and then vote for Brad. In all honesty, all of the finalists are doing great works and are worthy of your votes, so vote for who you will. I for one, would be very happy to see Brad, and ultimately the children of Iraq, win this prize.

A Drought of Progress

How often do you go through a period where nothing seems to be progressing in your life? Personally, I'm in a serious drought of progress right now. I have many fields planted and tilled, but nothing is happening with any of them.

- My job is slower than it has ever been - several possible contracts have fallen through or been delayed, and we've been without "real" work for several months now. All of our time is spent preparing quotes and working on design changes for potential projects or new concepts.

- My current home has been on the market for two full months. We've had many showings and have received generally positive feedback, but no offers. It really is beginning to feel like we're never going to move forward in this area.

- My evening classes in culinary school are still going well, but I still have anywhere from 2 to 5 semesters remaining, depending on whether I try to pick up a second degree simultaneously. As such, the end of this is well in the distance. And as an added bonus, we're barely a third of the way through the semester, and I'm already feeling drained and over-tired.

- Because of my class schedule (evenings, 4 nights a week), there are several other community service/personal activities that I've had to sacrifice or put off indefinitely. As such, my time is devoted almost entirely between a job that isn't progressing, and a courseload that, while it is progressing, the end is still far afield.

- Life with the missus is fulfilling, but we, too, are in a little bit of a lull while we deal with the house sale, the new house being built, and other marriage-y issues. We can't really even try to plan anything long-term because of these uncertainties. As such, the marriage, while happy, also seems stuck in neutral at the moment.

For those of you who know me, particularly if you have ever been in my car while I'm driving, you know that I'm not a particularly patient man. Yet every one of the above items requires me to sit patiently and rest in faith that fulfillment will ultimately come on God's schedule. I'm doing all I can to maintain a cultivated field for every one of these areas. But in the end, I'm trying to accept that nothing will grow until He sends the rain. And while I certainly understand the truth of that statement, living it out is a whole other matter.

For everybody else who is sitting through a drought of activity in some aspect of your own lives, I hope that you are able and willing to rest peacefully, knowing that God will send the rain when He is ready to see your field grow.

Dude Perfect

Here's something interesting for you today. Check out this group of (basketball) trick shot masters.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Video-World-s-longest-basketball-shot?urn=nba,191193

A group of college guys who collectively nicknamed themselves Dude Perfect manage to make a shot by heaving a basketball from the third deck of Kyle Field to a hoop set up at field level. This is a crazy crazy shot. I've seen these guys' work before, and I'm about 99% certain that it is real.

I'm not normally the type to engage in e-mail forwards, link-throughs, or the like. For this particular site/link, I want to make an exception. I do so for three reasons.

1 - This is a seriously cool shot, as are many of their other videos. I encourage you to revel in their impressive body of work.

2 - These guys are (current, former, I'm not really sure) students at A&M, and a lot of their trick shots occur in and around College Station.

3 - This one was the clincher that earned it a spot on this page, so all 6 of you who like to read my meanderings can hear about it. One of their videos, "Camp Edition" is connected to a special cause. For every 100,000 views they receive of this video, they will sponsor a child through Compassion International (I've been thinking through another blog post about this subject, so stay tuned). Also, I noticed in "researching" this post that these gentlemen affirm their faith in Jesus on their website, http://www.dudeperfect.com/. Combine those two, and you've got a sure-fire linkable phenomenon.

So click through and enjoy.

'Invite your neighbor to church' day

**Writer's note - I started writing this Wednesday am, got frustrated by the topic and stopped. I considered attempting it again that night, and had the same frustations. This will be my third and final attempt. I have a tough time discussing this without becoming agitated toward the earnest, but misguided folks who this is about.**

So last night (Tuesday), as I was driving to class, I was listening to K-Love. During an information update, there was a segment about a "national invite your neighbor to church day", or something of that nature. As far as that part goes, I am completely on board, though I would hope that any Sunday could offer the same opportunity. The snippet from the interviewee was all about making your church more welcoming to these 'unchurched' neighbors. They suggested hanging banners, preparing special sermons/lessons, and a variety of other tweaks to your normal routine to make the invitees feel more welcome and comfortable.


This brings to mind a few very important questions. Why do so many in the Christian community feel that it is necessary to "change" or spruce up our churches in order to lure outsiders in? Is the problem with the message, the presentation, or the deliverers? This is an area that greatly frustrates and grieves me. God's word and the Gospel of Jesus are immutable, yet we so often want to hide or "package" it to make it more palatable to those who do not believe.

This brings to mind something I occasionally encounter in culinary circles, particularly when dealing with small children. Parents will often try to mask healthy ingredients into dishes in order to get their children to eat it. They usually do this either because the children refuse to eat the good item based on poor past experiences, or out of assumption that the child will reject the item out of hand.

Not having any children myself, I find this practice amusing. The interesting thing to me is that in preparing these alternate versions, some of the nutrients that make the food healthy can sometimes be lost - either through pureeing/blending, removal or specific elements of the food, or other methods. All of this is to say that in trying to fool the child into getting their healthy needs met, they actually strip away some portion of what they are attempting to pass along.

Something to consider - by changing the normal routine and message for these visitors, you will likely accomplish one of two things. Either you will clarify your message, thereby moving closer to presenting the Gospel Truth, or you will obfuscate it in the interest of putting on a good show.

If you accomplish the former, then why is this not your norm? Figure out what was improved, and continue to pursue that. If your result is a further clouding or muddying of the message, then what is accomplished? Even if you do gain some new attendees, under what pretense are they joining? What is gained by attending your church if the Message is lost amid the programs, glitz, and glamour?

My prayer in this matter is that those who are following this dangerous path do not lose sight of the Truth in inviting their neighbors to their church. I pray that the message delivered is clear and compelling, and that all who hear it, current churchgoer or invitee, are swayed to follow Christ with great conviction and a full heart.

10-YO homeschooled child sent to public school by court

I read about this story this afternoon. A 10 yr old is being remanded to public school by a judge in New Hampshire based on her 'strict adherence' to Christianity.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/04/home-schooled-christian-girl-ordered-to-join-publi/print/

This is the only "mainstream" media article I could find directly about this case. Everything else came from Christian and homeschool news sites, which would naturally tend to support the mother and daughter's side. As such, I was seeking something that might attempt to present a fuller account of the other side of this argument.

That being said... I can see no merit for the Judge's ruling. New Hampshire law appears to be pretty clear that the only way that the judge could make this ruling is if the girl's present environment is clearly detrimental to her physical, mental, or emotional health. Given the entirety of the evidence - the girl is at or beyond current educational levels, she is involved in extra-curricular activities, she is socially adept and well adjusted - this is clearly not a case where her well-being is at risk.

I tend to be the type to hesitate at drawing attention to Christian persecution, as a number of cases strike me as "persecussionists", banging their drums to draw attention to perceived slight when little to none intentionally exists. I don't like to see persecussion performed in any arena, whether it is done on grounds of religion, race, gender, or several other common areas. In this case though, there seems to be a clear bias exhibited by the court against the mother and daughter based on their Christian faith.

I hope and pray, and honestly expect, that an appeal to a higher court will reverse this poor decision. I also hope and pray that mother and daughter are able to learn a positive lesson from this, and don't retract into a shell of anti-government distrust. You never know, maybe Amanda will look around at all of her lost schoolmates and convince her mother to let her stay for the purpose of witnessing to a generation in need of it. God can work all things to the good, if we will just let Him.

Are you ready?

I was asked a pair of questions today that gave me reason to stop and really think. While having a discussion about salvation, and about "leading" my colleague to salvation, I was first asked, "Have you ever done this before?" Not an unexpected question if you are still on unsure footing, and seek a steadying hand to help you on your journey. My answer, the truthful response at this point in my journey, was no. Nothing I can do to change that except to move forward in my life and respond to opportunities as they are presented to me.

The second question, however, caught me a little off guard. He next asked me, "Are you ready?" I was a little put-off for a second. Was he questioning my abilities? My knowledge? My conviction? Where was that coming from? Of course, the problem was compounded by his immediate departure - he had to get to an appointment, so we were unable to continue the discussion then and there.

The truth came to me quickly, but I didn't have the time to discuss it with him. It occurred to me that there was nothing to be gained from questioning MY readiness. I am where I am because that is where God wants me to be. If I am called to help lead one of his lost sheep back home to the Lord, then is is at His behest and with His guidance. Most of what I myself would provide would have an adverse effect - my pride, my biases, my faulty opinions and logic. Those were in evidence in my initial reaction to his question. Only by surrendering myself and allowing Jesus to pour out through me will His work and will be done.

This isn't about me leading somebody to Jesus. This is about Jesus bringing a lost sheep home, using my person as His tool. I am excited about the prospect of being that tool, and of being used for such glorious work for His Kingdom.

Subtle Hints and Bold Pronouncements

One of the changes I've been undergoing over the last 6 months as I really surrendered more of my life and self to God's will is an effort to take more time to listen and observe. In doing so, I'm becoming acutely aware of a few developing themes in my observances. The last month, in particular, has brought a few of God's subtle undercurrents and forceful pronouncements into sharper focus.

Prior to a few months ago, I was largely (self-?)inoculated against the local and worldwide crises of childhood hunger and starvation. I knew it was there, but rarely heard or had impetus to think about it. But in the last month or month and a half, I can think of no fewer than four different arenas, three of which are almost completely unrelated outside of God's influence, where this was discussed, highlighted, or otherwise placed on my consciousness. While I wait for clarity on what I am to do about this in my life, I'm doing the usual "church" responses - financial support, prayer, compassion, and sharing education and knowledge. All told, I am being impressed upon that this is an inadequate response in the end, but I still haven't found my avenue of greater expression. Hopefully soon...

As way of another example, I had an interesting experience this morning. I've recently been making an effort to begin my day with a few minutes of uninterrupted, focused prayer. This is from another "subtle undercurrent", in which the value and necessity of morning prayer has been pressed upon me, again from multiple unrelated sources. This morning, I was running a little late, so I made a mental promise to "take care of it during lunch".

During my mid-morning break, I typically read a daily devotional from a book I purchased this spring. After reading each day's devotional, I sometimes flip to a previous day that I hadn't already read to glean a little more nourishment. Wouldn't you know it, the one I flipped to "at random" was a direct rebuke of my shirk from this morning. It began quite directly - "Dear friend, never go out into the danger of the world without praying first. ... When the morning breaks, resist the temptation to skip your early devotion or hurry through it." There was more worth pondering and discussing, but I needn't rewrite the entire devotional. The stength of the rebuke was impactful enough to induce this broader post.

God is speaking to us constantly. Make sure you stop to listen to what He has to say. I'm sure I've missed countless messages and nudges over the years. Who's to say where I might be today if I were actually attentive to His intended plans for me. And to multiply that by the billions who ignore or don't hear His whispers, it's provocative to consider how different the world might be.

A new perspective

For those of you who know me, you are likely aware of my generally cynical nature, and somewhat bleak outlook on the state of the US and the world. Maybe it is just residual endorphins from my last weekend (see previous post), but I've suddenly become aware of a tremendous shift in my outlook on life, and particularly in God's plan for the world.

I've generally been highly patriotic (jingoistic?) in my belief that since the turn of the last century, America has been the shining light on the hill. Europe held that position until probably the early 1900's, but regional squabbles and two continental wars, combined with cultural decay and a clear shift away from Christian ideals and outreach, has caused their beacon to diminish.

America, the land of innovation, the land of eminent domain, the land of opportunity, took the torch, and lead the world through the 20th century in into the 21st. Nowhere else were the combined ideals of innovation, freedom, faith, hope, love, brotherhood, and moral direction championed with such fervor, and by an incomparable diversity of race, ethnicity, religious expression, and thought. Even through some of the most trying times of the century - the great depression, the civil rights struggles, Vietnam, stagflation, the cold war - America always came through, and our particular brand of democracy always seemed to win out.

But as it states in Ecclesiastes, "there is a season for everything under heaven... A time to tear down and a time to build." And my view is that the time for tearing down is approaching for America, much like it already has come for Europe. Our government has become largely separated from its people. The people themselves are losing their faith, love and hope, and are isolating from one another. Our moral and spiritual compass is wavering, and we are rapidly losing our way in our leadership of the world.

And to make matters worse, there is no "next" America to take the torch this time. Europe is still stumbling. China has the strength, but are not under God and lack the morality for competent world stewardship. India has the resources, but neither the will nor the faith to press forward. The Middle East, Africa, Russia, Southeast Asia - all are too poor in resources and government.

I had been concerned for some time that the world was approaching towards a chasm, with no leadership to steer us away from it. But over the weekend, I learned a number of valuable lessons which have greatly uplifted my spirit.

Even as our institutions may lay crumbling around us, God still works to His benefit through millions of His disciples throughout the world. The short version is that institutions seem to be listing, and government, business, and large portions of society are hyperventilating about our current financial "crisis", which is incidentally making things worse - apologies, as that is off topic and worth a whole different discussion. Yet through all of that, tremendous numbers of individuals and charitable organizations have developed inroads all over the world, and are making monumental progress in enriching and improving the lives of countless people through their love, compassion, and giving of themselves.

I still feel strongly that we are moving towards a time where the American "light on the hill" is beginning to flicker, fade and darken. But in its place, where I previously only saw darkness, I am beginning to see that millions of smaller candles are being lit all over the world to pierce that darkness and to cover the world with their glow.

As it is again late, and I am finding it difficult to concentrate, I urge you to do some research into the work of organizations such as Compassion International, Kiva.org, Campus Crusade for Christ, International School Project, or innumerable other groups that are providing charity, training, resources, support, and service for some of the poorest and worthiest communities in the world. Most importantly, they are providing these communities with a light, and a renewed hope for the future.

And always remember, it doesn't take much for you to provide a little bit of light as well. I hope you find one that calls to you.

Four days of glory

The last four days have been an incredible and unexpected blessing to me.

First, I was given an unexpected opportunity over Thursday and Friday to attend Leadership Summit, a two-day conference produced by Willow Creek church in Illinois, and telecasted locally by Grace Point Church in San Antonio. While there, I was exposed to lectures by a number of phenomenally gifted and blessed speakers. A couple of notes on the strongest lessons and lasting impressions:

- Gary Hamel absolutely blew me away with his presentation on adjusting to and "outrunning" change, balancing the changing demands and flow of life with the immovable rock of God's immutable Word, and structuring your life and organization for prolonged success. His was a completely unexpected revelation from the list of presenters.

- Tim Keller, a Presbyterian pastor from Brooklyn, provided an excellent topical discussion of the parable of the prodigal son, turning the conventional reading on its head, and providing excellent new insight into a well known but inadequately understood lesson. His style wasn't the most attention grabbing, but his message has stuck with me very strongly.

- Jessica Jackley, the co-founder of a website called Kiva.org, discussed her project and the tremendous impact it is having in the world. If you don't know about Kiva, I strongly encourage you to visit the website, plug in and get involved. I'll likely be adding a permalink on my page in the near future.

- Harvey Carey wrapped up the first day with an incredible, motivational, inspirational, nigh on indescribable sermon. This incredible leader has voluntarily placed himself into what many would consider one of the least desirable jobs in America (senior pastor at a small church in the poorest part of Detroit), and filled his congregation with life, love and hope. I cannot do justice to the incredible power of his words, but even more awesome is the power of his church's actions to support those words.

There were a number of other presenters not listed here, and each provided valuable insights and information from which to grow and develop. There were also strong lessons to be learned from such dignitaries and titans of business as Carly Fiorina, David Gergen, Bono, and the Rt Hon. Tony Blair.

I also have to give special recognition to one other presenter. Dr Wess Stafford is the CEO of Compassion International. His story and presentation deeply affected me, and I am still pained by the vivid imagery that his presentation left on my mind and heart. I ache for the children that Dr Stafford is working so hard to serve and protect, and I am in prayer to God to find clearer understanding for what he wants me to do about this yearning.

......

As if the awesome blessings from Leadership Summit were not enough, we were provided with another amazing gift from God this weekend. Two of our closest and dearest friends (temporarily living out of state to complete their schooling) surprised us all with a visit over the weekend. We got to pick them up at the airport Saturday morning after finding out on Friday afternoon that they were coming into town. We took several opportunities to spend time with them and their two precious boys over the weekend. The life and love that emanates from this family is truly uplifting, and I am deeply thankful for being able to share in their life and friendship.

We also had special guests at Church on Sunday evening, we had our church "officially" launched Sunday morning, my wife got a nice raise, and I'm sure there were two or three other things that happened that I'll remember once I've had a chance to rest.

After having all of this pile up item after item, I haven't come close to having the time to process everything. My cup runneth over in ways it never has before. As exhausted as I should be from the excitement and busyness of the last four days, I'm still so wired that I find myself sitting here writing to re-experience the weekend. I don't want it to end. Nevertheless, as I write this, my clock is showing 12:57 am, and I do have to go to work in less than 7 hours. As such, the two or three other things I originally intended to write about will just have to wait until later.

May God bless all who read this, and I hope you get to experience a "cup runneth over" weekend like mine sooner than later, if you haven't already.

Blessed be the peacemakers

This past Saturday, I was presented with an awesome opportunity to meet and serve some members of a valuable, yet under-noticed profession. Our church was granted the privilege of sponsoring a picnic for the San Antonio District office of Texas Parole Officers. These wonderful ladies and gentlemen do the often thankless job of supervising parolees, helping them transition back into society and assisting in their continued rehabilitation after their conviction.

As I understand it, the parole office structure has recently undergone a fairly notable shift. The chaplaincy is a newly created position within the district office. Jim, the wonderful gentleman who has been hired into this role, has done an outstanding job of hitting the ground running in his efforts to support and encourage the men and women in the San Antonio branch of the district office. I hope his efforts will be as fruitful as he expands his efforts to offering the same services to the other cities and towns within his district.

Jim first met our pastor at a small church conference, which Jim did not even really want to attend. His reluctant attendance opened a door for our church, when the two happened a strike up a conversation and an exchange of contact info. Further meetings between Jim and some of our leadership team evolved into an opportunity to serve in a small capacity by sponsoring their appreciation picnic. While at the picnic, I was impressed by the friendliness and appreciation of a group who probably get little to no recognition and thanks in their daily jobs. Looking ahead, I am excited for the opportunity to serve these wonderful people in a further capacity, and to develop a closer relationship between their office and our church.

I am frequently awed by the intricacy and subtlety of God's work. There were a number of small steps that had to be taken, and a multitude of small blessings and nudges required to put our two groups in alignment. For all of that, I'm very hopeful that this will not be a one-time event, and we will have many further chances to serve and minister to these folks.

A small aside here - While at the picnic, several of our group had a chance to talk a little with Mike, the district director. He told us how in the early 90's, the recidivism rate in the state of Texas used to be around 58%. To translate, 58% of parolees used to turn back to crime, and usually end up back in prison, due to any combination of factors and influences. In or around 1994, then-Governor Bush initiated a faith-based initiative to offer a different path to help parolees reintegrate into free society. Since the implementation of this faith-based program, the recidivism rate in Texas has dropped to around 28%.

What is immediately clear is that these people are doing God's work, and doing a fine job of it. What also becomes apparent at closer inspection is that for all that they pour out, they need and deserve to have more poured into them. I heard a great description of the Christian life tonight. It was said that we, as followers of Christ, need to be like rivers. As we are fed and poured into by many different sources, so we need to pour forth of ourselves, continuing to give the water of life further down the line. In looking at the lives and jobs of these parole officers, it is clear that they live this way, as they pour their lives into people who are desperately in need of it. Even granting what an awesome job they already do, how much better could their service be if their river is more amply fed by heartfelt service and ministry?

I'm so thankful for the small glimpse I got on Saturday into this previously unnoticed niche of our community. I look forward in the future to finding many more opportunities to share in their lives.

The long and short of it

Over the last week, I've become acutely aware of an odd paradox taking place in our communications.

On the one hand, individual communication is becoming increasingly clipped and shortened. Between such quick fire mediums as e-mail, texting, and Facebook updates, grammatically correct and complete written interchanges are becoming a thing of the past. The phenomenon has been kicked into warp speed by the massive and viral growth of Twitter as a communications medium. It is disconcerting to see the dwindling of written eloquence in everyday communication. Our entire culture seems to be shifting in this direction. It's been rehashed over and over, but the truth remains - we're becoming an ADD society. If you can't sell your idea in 10 seconds flat, you're likely to lose your audience altogether.

On the other end of the spectrum are the "big" ideas of government, and the absurdly complex legalese and verbosity coming from those who purport to be the champions of these ideas. Just take a look at a few big legislative items that have recently passed or are currently being debated. Stimulus was an 800? page bill. Cap and Trade was, I believe, around 1,600 pages, and that included "placeholders" where the legislation would be more fully fleshed out at a later date. Healthcare reform is another several thousand pages long, and seemingly growing by the day.

I reread a passage from Ecclesiastes a few nights ago that seems particularly apropos in this regard:

Ecc 6:11 - "The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?"

So why the disconnect? How has a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" evolved to the point where the way government thinks and operates is so antithetical to the lives and styles of the people it aims to represent? I have several theories, some conspiratorial, some innocuous, and some outlandish. But they don't matter a whole lot. The actual reasons for the disconnect are ultimately only marginally important. What is more important is how to bridge that gap and bring the two more closely in line.

I claim no feel-good answer to this. As I see it, there is no quick fix, only a difficult commitment. That commitment is to the task of reengaging and reining in our government. Of course, it would take more than a few activists, as small-scale activism combined with large-scale nonchalance is what has gotten us into this situation in the first place.

So I make this plea to everybody. Get involved. Take time to understand the issues. Demand honesty, trasnsparency, and simplicity. Question everything. Engage people about the issues. Discuss the problems, not the soundbites. Forget about the D, R, L, I, or whatever next to somebody's name. We need to pay more attention to what people believe, and less to whose side they're on.

Baptism

For those of you who know me, but were not aware, my wife and I were baptised this weekend. My pastor had told us that each of us might be expected to say a little bit to our assembled friends and family as part of the celebration. That opportunity did not present itself, and as I am somewhat gunshy when it comes to talking publicly, or off the cuff in those types of situations, I let it pass.


But as I sit here tonight, I feel a renewed urge to say what I intended to say on Saturday afternoon. So here it is, more or less. (I'll omit the stammering and verbal pauses for the sake of you, dear reader)

I understand my commission as a follower of Christ, but I so often fall short of that task. From my short amount of study, I feel woefully unprepared to present or discuss the Scripture. I know so many of my own shortcomings that I feel meek in opening myself up to examination. As a result, I have in the past shied away from discussing matters of faith with non-believers for fear of being "exposed".

In reading and praying on baptism, I have come to understand two things that have had a powerful impact on my faith and courage. The first is that baptism, as with the commission, is an act of obedience. By my baptism, I am making an outward declaration that Christ dwells inside of me. With that indwelling, I gain His strength, courage, and glory. When speaking for Him, I am really a mouthpiece, saying what He would have me say. For how can I truly fail when He is leading?

Secondly, I understood that no amount of reading, or memorization, or biblical knowledge, can adequately prepare me for baptism. Baptism is not a culmination of my knowledge, but a declaration of my faith. My growth in the knowledge of the Word will continue so long as I continue to read the Bible and seek understanding with an open mind. Likewise, my faith in Christ will continue to flourish so long as I am obedient to His will. His Will is clearly that I, as should all of his followers, be baptised. How can I deny His will, when it is so clearly placed upon my heart?

Running ahead of God

(note - this post was started on 7.6, but not posted until the night of 7.12)

I am often amazed by the obstinance and rebellious attitude of the human mind. It is so easy for people to claim to want to do something grand and helpful. Yet when given the opportunity, they immediately veer off course, whether via distraction, poor understanding of the situation, or misrepresentation of their original intent. I am, of course, referring to this blog experiment.


I began this blog upon the urging of God to explore the philosophies of His kingdom. Within a week, I had already diverged from that path, and re-branded this as MY blog. It took all of 6 posts before I began to acutely stray from the original intent, which was to post based the philosophies and ideas which He wants me to consider. I felt my own stirrings to set up rules - I want to post x number of times a week. No politics (a "rule" which I immediately broke). The first thing I did every time I logged in was to check for new followers, and then check for new comments. When I didn't find either, I took it as a sign of discouragement that nobody was reading, or cared what I thought.

And the worst thing was that I lost all sense of direction. The urgings and ideas that had been swarming around became faint, muddled, and eventually unintelligible. In very short order, I went from clarity of vision to blindly grasping. At that point, I felt that I needed to forge ahead anyways. After all, I had to meet my quota. And surely new ideas would come.

I was given a small revelation last weekend. Turns out I had run off ahead, and lost the path that God laid out for me. I started to write this post that night, but was uncomfortable with posting it, for whatever reason. A week of prayer followed, along with consideration and meditation on the direction forward. I hope that I've now rediscovered that path.

I always look for a central point when I post. As far as I can tell this time, it is this. Always be aware of your place in your journey. If the next step is not illuminated right now, resist the urge to charge blindly ahead. The path will become clear on His timing, not yours. If you take off on your own direction, you will more than likely lose the path that He desires for you, and you may be unable to recover it at all.

I, for one, am thankful for the small lesson in this regard, and can only hope that I remember as the larger journey continues to unfold.

Follow-up to Monday's item

As I accused our President of prevarication in my Monday item, I wish to clarify my statement.

During the president's press conference, he stated that California residents used 40% less energy per capita than the US average. According to this table - http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/esr/table5.html - the statement was truthful, and not in and of itself a prevarication.

In reality, CA's low per capita usage is likely due to a combination of several factors, none of which are directly applicable, and only the first of which might be desirable in the rest of the US. 1 - The CA climate is far more temperate during the summer and winter months than most of the rest of the US. They don't get the frigid winters seen in MN and MI, for example. For a large portion of the state, they don't see the heat of summer found in places like TX and AZ. 2 - As mentioned in the original post, rolling blackouts have been a problem in previous years, and when the energy isn't flowing, usage typically stays at or very near 0. 3 - At the high usage rates mentioned below, there is an added incentive to cut back wherever possible.

From that same report, the next column over provides the average retail price per kw-hr. This is what Californians 'pay' for their electricity relative to the rest of the US, and is therefore a more relevant and applicable data set. Here, we find that CA pays, on average, 14.42 cents/kw-hr, which ranks as the 7th highest rate in the contiguous 48 states (I don't include AK and HI, as they have unique energy requirements and circumstances owing to their geographical isolation from the rest of the US). It is also 35% ABOVE the national average.

So, while the President's statement was factually true, it was either grossly intellectually dishonest, or representative of a terrible misunderstanding of reality with respect to the rest of America. Either way, I would hope that the President of the United States would be held to a higher standard when it comes to presenting factual, accurate and intellectually honest data to the American People he was elected to represent.

I realize that this is a second politics related post in three days, but I feel that this one is more in-line with the intent of my blog. Among other goals, I seek to urge people to reclaim honesty, integrity, and accountability in every day life. But more than that, I want people to hold their neighbors, friends, colleagues, and leaders to that same elevated standard. And that goes all the way up to the President, if he can be demonstrated to fall from these ideals.

Miscellaneous short topics

My mind is all over the map tonight, and as a result I am having a difficult time making headway on any sort of coherent entry tonight. Nevertheless, I'd like to get something on the books. As such, I just want to toss out a few short items that are on my heart and mind.

- I am continually saddened and disappointed by the continued slow march of our country into depravity and heartlessness. I heard from a close friend over the weekend that the hosts of a sports radio program here in SA took a perverse pleasure in the death of Michael Jackson. Regardless of your feelings toward the man, or his past dealings, to rejoice in his passing and to take comfort that he is "burning in Hell" indicates a malice toward humanity that is to be reviled and repudiated at every opportunity.

- I hope that as the media focus on Jackson's passing wanes, they remember to return their attention to the still-ongoing issues in Iran. The potential for a democratic and religious awakening in that country invigorates me. I pray for a positive outcome from the strife currently ongoing.

- I'd prefer to avoid issues of politics as much as possible on this blog, but when the President openly prevaricates with such callous disregard to reality, I feel compelled to bring light to it. In a press conference today, discussing the passage of Cap & Trade legislation in the House, President Obama pointed to California as proof of the positive benefits of this legislation. He directly praised their energy consumption, job creation, and economic growth.

In reality, California's energy infrastructure is terribly lacking - their onerous state restrictions on power production have resulted in the majority of their energy needs being produced by neighboring states, then sold to Californians at a much higher cost than is seen in much of the rest of America. The regulations have even hampered their power distribution networks, as evidenced by the rolling blackouts they endure every summer. Their current unemployment is 11.5% (2% above the national average) and continuing to rise faster than the national rate. And their budget problems have been national news for months now, and have reached the point where their credit rating is in danger of being reduced to 'junk' status. I believe that they would be the only state in the union with that particular designation.

press conference notes here - http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-Energy/

And don't even get me started on the Cap and Trade legislation itself. Part of me wants to download it, review it and post the most egregious sections for the world to see, but I don't have the stamina to crush my own will in that way. Besides, at 1200 pages, I'd be one of about 7 people in the country who have actually read it, including those who just voted on it.

/end political section, hopefully not to return for quite a while

- I love my wife. She is unable to avoid my political rantings, my philisophical ramblings, or my various other foibles and vagaries, yet she puts up with me anyways. She seemingly has infinite patience for my mental acrobatics, and I am always grateful.

- Go out and talk to somebody new. We could all use a little pick me up every now and then, and unexpected, random human interaction often seems to pack a little extra wallop. Especially when the person you talk to feels a genuine interest in their well-being and life.

I hope that I haven't alienated too many of you tonight. If you have an issue with my political views, let me know, and I'll make more of an effort to avoid them in the future. If you want to engage in debate, I'd be happy to seek an alternative forum.

Mike Rowe is an awesome individual

If you've got 20 minutes or so, I HIGHLY recommend you watch this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-udsIV4Hmc

For those who don't know the name, Mike Rowe is the guy who hosts Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel. That's the show where he works alongside various people, doing some unquestionably difficult and, in some cases, awful jobs all over America. I love his show when I get to watch it. He is clearly in over his head on about 50% of the jobs he does, but he gives it his all, keeps his excellent sense of humor about him, and in so doing gives great respect to those men and women who actually do these jobs for a living.

Mike turns an anecdote about goat castration - be forewarned, you might have to survive a few minutes of mental discomfort to hear the broader message - into an awesome message on the value of the American blue collar worker, and their steady decline in our society.

The moral of the story is this - there is a great deal to be admired and lauded regarding manual labor as a profession. These people are the backbone of our country, and literally work to keep that backbone intact. Not every child can - or should - go to college. Trade schools offer excellent jobs, professions, and lives for those who follow that path. I cannot understand the logic behind pushing these professions into a "lesser" category. Mike is right when he states that people who do this kind of work, or "real" jobs, if you will, are happier with their lives. Speaking as a desk drone/engineer, and speaking as a friend of some wonderful people who do real work for a living, I have no doubt that they live healthy, fulfilling lives, probably moreso than me.

If I have a point, I guess that it is this. We need to break the mindset that every child needs to be prepped for college, and that college is the only way to "success". We need to de-stigmatize blue collar work, and promote its virtues, necessities, and value to our country and our future. The revitalization of our trades is about to become a big deal. I'm going from hearsay, but my understanding is that our workforces of plumbers, electricians, welders, carpenters, and other skilled laborers are steadily aging as a profession, with the veterans getting up in years and fewer and fewer apprentices coming up behind them. We're getting close to a point (maybe 10-20 years) where these guys will be retiring in large numbers, with inadequate numbers to take their places. Things are going to get rough if this trend doesn't get reversed soon.

I don't know of a broader solution to this, but we need to start pushing back against the forces that are subhumanizing the value of manual work. These people are the true lifeblood of America, and we're sucking ourselves dry in the name of "progress."

Romans 13:1-7

"1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."

(Copied from http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Romans%2013&tniv=yes - TNIV online.)


This morning, I was presented with part of this passage from Paul, as justification for accepting the size, scope, and graft that have come to represent the American government. To be clear, I don't intend this to be construed as an attack on the current administration per se. Rather, I worry that an accumulation of years of poor stewardship, corruption, and partisanship have left the American experiment on the precipice - if not already over the edge - of irreparable harm. In addition, looking outside our borders, human history has shown numerous examples of governments and rulers who I am unable to comprehend a way in which they could possibly be described as "God's servant for your good". As a result, I am struggling greatly with how to understand and live this passage.

Part of me questions whether the "authority" and "rulers" in question are our government entities at all, but rather the real Authority who has the true power in our lives. This seems a stretch to me, with the interspersal of singular and plural references; also from v6, with its reference to taxes supporting the authorities who "give their full time to governing."

I put this to you, dear reader. What is your view on this? Do you have a particular insight that may shed light? Can you point to related biblical text that adds clarity to the situation? Do you know of historical context that may answer my concerns? Your input is desired and sought.

Chased by the wind

A good friend of mine just completed the IronMan Triathalon at Coeur 'D Alene. A quick 2.4 mile swim, followed by a brisk 112 mile bike ride, capped off with a short 26.2 mile run. It took him a bit over 12 hours to complete the trifecta, which is about 12 days less than I would need.

A heartfelt congratulations to you for an impressive accomplishment. Though I'll openly admit that aspiring to that level of physical accomplishment is beyond my mental grasp, I can certainly appreciate the level of training, sacrifice, and dedication that it took for you to reach your goal.

Weighing my unworthiness

I want to try to enunciate the Reason for my ever-growing, overflowing Faith in Christ.


I am bathed in sin. I am constantly awash in it. Compared to the perfection of Jesus Christ, I am utterly deplorable. I'm lazy. I think ill of others. I cuss those who slight me (real and perceived alike). I judge those who I view to be more wrong than I am. I am prideful. I harbor animosities, grievances, and grudges too numerous to account for. In these regards, I am like every other man (save One) who has ever walked on this planet.

By some accountings, there are many worse than I in their sins, but I no longer look at it this way. The distance in sin between me and every other human, from the most pious to the most deplorable, is nothing when compared with the distance from any of us to God. That is a seemingly impassable chasm. How can anybody have even the vaguest comprehension of God, given the vastness of the spiritual distance that separates us?

Since we are utterly incapable of bridging that chasm by ourselves, the Lord has provided for us. We are, at least in my mind, completely unworthy of His love, yet he provided it anyways. He sent his Son to be our sacrifice. In strictly human terms, the crucifixion of Christ was the greatest atrocity in history, without anything remotely comparable. One perfect, blameless being died, that all of humanity may be saved. To paraphrase Alistair Begg, it was as if a good lawyer (oxymoron, I know) came to represent a defendant at trial, and once the defendant was found guilty of his crime, the lawyer was put to death. Only instead of one defendant, it is every human who has ever lived.

I don't think it can truly be stated how tremendous, how overwhelming, or how incomprehensible that sacrifice truly is. Once I came to realize the Truth of his sacrifice, I've really began to look at my life more critically, and every day I see more that is false or sinful in my life. For Jesus to take only my own sin is astounding to me, but to view the sin of all of human history? I can't begin to wrap my mind around that.

Who are we to benefit from such profound love? I won't speak for the rest of the world, but in my view, I'm completely unworthy of such a monumental act. But it has been granted to me regardless of my self views. And that being said, I'll gladly accept. I have no doubt in my mind that this is the greatest gife that humanity could ever receive. I would that more people truly knew and recognized it as such.

My recognition has caused a profound shift in my outlook on life. If Jesus has taken the whole of my sin burden on Himself, then who am I to continue to haphazardly pile it on without regard for that sacrifice? I seek fervently for God's help in living a purer, more pious life, so as to lessen my constant addition to that already immeasurable burden, and hopefully to bring others to that same understanding.


I ask the Lord to give me the strength and wisdom to face and recognize the sin in my life, and to give me guidance in cleansing it, so as to show even a little of my gratitude for your Son's sacrifice in my name.

Stand for Yourself

I don't understand people today.

How have we devolved so fully into the realm of blaming others for our problems? When did it become standard for us to point fingers ever outward, never inward? How has it become a given that the other guy is the problem? and why do we let these externalized fallacies drive our thoughts and actions?

First, an open admission. I do it too. I blame the driver in front of me for going too slow when I'm driving 45 in a 35. I complain that my boss has unrealistic expectations for workloads, and mistreats his employees, when I could be buckling down and addressing the problems with the project, or treating him with a higher level of respect. I complain that the government is stealing my hard earned money to pay for policies that I think are doomed to fail, yet I sit back and allow other people to do the heavy lifting of developing, proposing, and spreading alternatives.

Even in faith, I externalize. I bemoan what I consider the slow fading of true Christianity as so many pastors spread the apostasies of 'your best life now', and 'Christ will solve your problems,' and yet I sit silently by while friends and family members fall victim to these misrepresentations. Worst of all, I pity or question the direction of those who do not have Christ in their lives, yet every day I let countless opportunities pass by to share the Truth with those who do not know or believe it.

As I look around, I am constantly bombarded with terrible exernalizations. Infidelity by a man who feels that his wife mistreats or ignores him. Drunkenness to escape the pain of an unfulfilling life. Suicide attempts by a woman because she feels she has no friends. Spousal abuse. Rape. Theft. Murder. So many detestable acts that, in the mind, are some how the other guy's fault.

Looking at that list compared to my own personal admission, one could be tempted to say, "Well, yours really aren't that bad." In my view, my list really isn't all the different. It's just a question of scale. It's essentially one step beyond from cussing a guy for driving too slow, to letting road rage take control. It's a fairly short step from blaming the boss for mistreating you to pocketing a little cash from the till because "They owe it to you."

So the next time you get angry at the other guy for what he's screwed up for you, turn the camera on your self. What role did you play? What is your appropriate share of the blame? What can you do going forward to improve the situation? My hope is that if even a few of us begin to put more of the blame where it truly belongs, and take appropriate, Godly actions in response, the world will be just that little bit better of a place.

I ask the Lord for the strength and humility to follow my own advice in this.

Chasing after a Blog

After much consternation and disavowal of the idea, I've finally accepted the inevitable and started my own blog. As a fervent follower of Christ, I'm seeking new means of reaching out to new discussions and ideas of His word and works. Hopefully this will be a place of growth and development for me and for those who share in my thoughts.

In my church, we are two weeks into a study in Ecclesiastes. "Everything [is] meaningless, a chasing after the wind." My goal with this blog is to bring more to understand the truth and liberation of that statement, and the good news that is often forgotten underneath.