Going Nonverbal

I just ran across this interesting Yahoo article on what body posture communicates, according to sociologists and phsychologists. When I was in broadcasting school, one of the major principles I learned about communication was the importance of the nonverbal. A television camera is designed to capture not just verbal but also nonverbal motion, so if you have bad posture, facial expressions, or head movements, the camera will call you out. I'll never forget one course I took called "Interpersonal Communication" in which we students not only learned the ins and outs of asking questions but also what to do with our faces and bodies when asking and listening to the answers.  Did you know that if you nod your head three times, the interviewee is more likely to give a longer answer to your question? Also, did you know that where you cast your eyes says something about the sincerity of the question?

Nonverbal communication is very important to being understood (and not misunderstood) and being respected. What your face, arms, legs, etc. say is many times just as important as what your mouth says. You don't have to be an actor about it, just be conscious of what your body is saying and quickly correct any possible misconception.

How is your nonverbal communication? Here's the list. Feel free to compare. Looking in a mirror always helps. Click on each picture of the woman to see that section of the story.

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Observations from Aisle 6

Scattershooting while walking down every aisle in the South Lewisville Wal-Mart... (except I'm at home now because I ain't got one of them fancy-schmancy phones to post from the road)...

— I enjoy walking around my local Wal-Mart for many reasons, one of which is the great diversity of people groups represented there. It's like a mini United Nations. There are Hindus and Muslims, Jews and Buddhists, Christians like me, and probably some agnostics, too. A couple weeks back I saw some Buddhist monks shopping in the dairy and meat sections. They were in full garb with shaved heads and everything. That was a first for me. I like being around these other cultures perhaps because deep inside I long to understand more about them and, in the process, squelch my own nature to judge them. There are many different cultures on this planet and people from every culture have made their way to America. And my local Wal-Mart. And I think that's cool. 

— Along those lines, I have little respect for those who despise immigrants in this nation, whether legal or illegal. This is specially true for those who actively seek to ruin a person's reputation because their parents (or a parent) weren't born in this country. I've found that some people are ruled by fear of the unfamiliar and they will do anything they can to rid unfamiliarity from their circle of life. Yet I find it interesting that America, including Texas, was founded by immigrants and our American culture is fully a combination of cultures brought by those immigrants. Odds are that you were most likely the child, grandchild or great-grandchild of an immigrant. Maybe we should fear ourselves! 

— That picking up two items can sometimes take forever at Wal-Mart. Especially when you walk down every aisle... 

— I'm wondering whether or not hand-holding couples notice single people the way single people notice hand-holding couples. When you're lonely, everybody seems to have a somebody. But you know this isn't true. It just seems that way. I see plenty of solo shoppers at Wal-Mart, too, and that's encouraging. 

— For some strange reason, I get a kick out of observing (without staring) couples as they shop. There are so many different dynamics on display. Couples shopping silently, couples arguing, couples just hanging on (literally, clinging to each other), couples that shop together via phone, and some couples that just look plain confused.  

— That the price of groceries keeps creeping higher, much like a weed. It doesn't grow during the day but somehow it's bigger the next morning. 

— That I'm tired after observing so much in such little time.

Good night!
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Ahhhh.... Christmas!

Well, today marks the official beginning of the Christmas season for your truly. Oh, I know that Black Friday and Cyber Monday have already passed but I just wasn't quite able to get into the Christmas spirit back then. Nope. I decided that December 6th was my start for Christmas and not only because it was the day after my church's stress-producing big Christmas concert (which was wonderful, btw) but also because it is one of three orthodox church holidays I observe every year. Today, dear friends is the day this man:

Bishop Nicholas of Myra, died. How sad, eh? Of course he died in 345AD, but it's still sad. Kinda. Sorta. When you think about it. Constantly, I suppose. Ahem... today is the Feast day of St. Nicholas. You may know him better as his modern-era superhero designation: Santa Claus. But as you might suspect the original man wasn't anything like Santa Claus. His story was one of humility and sneaking around in the darkness so as not to be seen. No flying reindeer. No big red coat and sack of presents slung over his back. None of these things. In fact, he didn't even have a white beard! Not when he became famous, anyway.

Not many know that St. Nicholas was a young 20-something when he became bishop of the western Turkey town of Myra in 290-300 AD. He happened into the office in small part to his family (his uncle was a bishop) but in large part to his character. He was a young priest with a stellar reputation who was elevated to bishop upon the death of the prior leader, despite his age. Usually, bishops weren't so young. But Nicholas impressed the other bishops of the region.

St. Nick served for decades, becoming known for his generosity for the poor (he came from a wealthy family), his humility, and for his defense of the historical and biblical truths of the faith. In fact, during the famous Council of Nicea in 325AD, an older Nicholas was among the bishops in attendance and stood with one of my other heroes, Athanasius, in defense of the truth when Arias and his followers threatened to tear it apart. Yes, Santa Claus was at Nicea. St. Nicholas defended the deity of Jesus Christ when it was questioned and stood on the side of truth.

No flying reindeer to be found. Or elves making toys. Just one humble man with the guts to stand up for what he — and the church — historically believed and taught about his Savior.

He's a hero of the faith.

He also was known for his secret giving to the poor. Many legends have emerged of things Nicholas did, and any of them could be true, I suppose, but only God knows which ones actually happened. One common thread is that Nicholas gave for years without being discovered. In a day without checks, credit cards or fingerprinting, a financial donation left on a doorstep couldn't be traced. He eventually was found out by the local townsfolk (who put two and two together, I guess) but instead of parading around, he wished for them to keep quiet about his giving. He gave for the Lord and not for man.

After his death on December 6, 345, local townsfolk decided to continue giving secret gifts to the poor (and to each other) in the name of Nicholas. Many orthodox Christians in Europe still do this. This gift giving was eventually tied in to the early church's celebration of Christ's birth, which was on January 6th and not December 25th. January 6th was called the Feast of Epiphany, and has celebrated many things through the years, including the arrival of the magi.

Our modern Christmas combines several smaller church holidays into one big extravaganza. What's kind of funny to me is that the legends of the original St. Nicholas have nothing to do with Christmas — at all! But still, his official day is in December and gift giving has become a major part of our Christmas holiday, so, for me, I consider December 6th to January 6th to be my official Christmas season. Today I'm assembling my tree (a tradition dating back 500 years) and putting up wreaths (which goes back at least to the days of St. Nick). I'll start my Christmas shopping, too, so I can give gifts in Nick's name. To honor his life. And the Savior he served who said, "It's more blessed to give than receive."

Merry Christmas!

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Looking for a Shut Down

I should be asleep. But I'm not. Why?

This is the question I've been repeatedly asking myself the past few nights. You see, I have sleeping problems. Problems getting asleep, problems staying asleep, problems waking up. Most of the time I can't seem to find my brain's shut down button. I think about the past, the present and, sometimes, the future.

Sometimes I relive past events and make up possible scenarios that could have happened but didn't. Why I do this baffles me greatly. I just do. I think about things I may not have done at work. And I think random thoughts about myself and how I'm feeling. Sometimes I just think about thinking.

In the words of philosopher and theologian Charles Brown, "Good grief."

A lot of Americans seem to have difficulty with getting a good night's sleep these days. According to The Better Sleep Counsel, 32-percent of Americans lose sleep at least one night per week. The majority of them lose sleep because of stress. The National Sleep Foundation reports that 20-percent of Americans sleep less than six hours a night and 52-percent sleep less than eight. One third of all Americans, they report, are losing sleep every week due to economic or financial concerns. That's roughly 100 million of your and my closest friends. OK, maybe your.

I read a recent report from some agency I can't recollect that attributed a loss of sleep to modern electronics, especially the artificial light coming from television, cell phone and computer screens. We spend so much time in front of our screens that our brain gets fooled into thinking it's daylight when it's really bedtime. I typically spend eight hours in front of a computer every day at my job but when I get home I have little zeal for computers. In fact, recently I've resorted to using my home computer very sparingly. My eyes can only take so much light every day. I'm starting to feel the same about TV but I'm not quite there yet. It'll keep me up a few extra hours every day.

Back in the olden days, scientists argue, when the sun went down and the candle burned out the human body usually decided it was time to sleep. So farmers and factory workers went to be early and rose with the sun. But this is a different age. And with caffeine, computers, and florescent tubes, our body clocks are all over the place. I know mine is.

It's interesting how the natural clock affects the body clock when we let it. This summer I went camping for eight nights in New Mexico. I've found that when camping — tent camping, anyway — the daily start and end are largely dictated by the natural world around you. The sun goes down each evening and then the campfire burns for a couple hours and then there's nothing left to do but go to bed. It's really different from the norm for most people. Each night I crawled into my sleeping bag shortly after 9 o'clock and woke up with the sun. Thanks to earplugs (I have active ears at night), I got more sleep on that trip, despite the lack of "luxury," than I had in any stretch the previous year. When I got home, however, it was back to my late night routine.

Each generation of the 20th Century has developed later and later daily routines. When I was 22 I went to bed at 3am. When I was 32 I went to bed at 1am. Now I go to bed at midnight. Have I tried to change my routine through the years? You betcha. Some jobs I've held required me to be on the clock at 6am. Did it stick? You betcha not. Oh, I've been going to bed earlier as I get progressively older but stress and an overactive mind usually robs me to whatever sleep there was to be had. I just can't stop thinking!

Oh well, at least I can stare at an electronic screen and write. At least I can put my computer to sleep and, barring a clumsy bump from yours truly, it'll stay that way until I choose to wake it up. As for me.... not so easy. Sigh. 

Maybe this bog will help you get some sleep. Maybe it'll help me!

Good night. And I mean it.
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It's the Holiday Season...

There's no zippity-do or hickory-dock yet but the Christmas season is upon us once again. In fact, as if Black Friday wasn't enough to kick off festivities, today is the first Sunday of Advent, the traditional church celebration leading up to Christmas Day. I've been trying in recent years to align my personal celebrations more with the traditional church calendar than the wall calendar, if for nothing more than to connect with the traditional church and add a bit more structure to my life. Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Advent, etc. — all have had a specific place in the church calendar through the centuries and most find their origins in the first three centuries of the church.

So today is the official start of the Christmas season according to the church. The season will end on January 6th (the 12th day of Christmas).

So... Merry Christmas!

This is a busy time of year for so many people, myself included. Things are hectic and crazy! There are holiday parties and holiday concerts, holiday lights and holiday wreaths. Holiday commercials and holiday sales. Gifts to buy and feasts to plan. And all within a four-week span. (sometimes I spontaneously rhyme) This year I find myself a little behind in just about everything Christmas related. I still haven't put up any decorations. In fact, my tree is sitting in pieces on my front porch. I don't have the will to put it together and garnish it yet.

I haven't even wound the clock. Isn't that sad?

It's the holiday season, a time reserved for peace and joy. The only time of year that actually stopped a war — if only one European battlefront during World War I. Seriously. Here's more. I watched a remarkable film a few years ago called Joyeux Noel about it. It's the holiday season, a time reserved for garland and bows. I love garland and red bows. They can make nearly any surface instantly look nice, from white columns to wrought iron fences to gray composite siding.

It's a good time of year, one that I look forward to every winter. I'll connect off-and-on during the season when time allows (busyness often hits hard during the holidays).

Keep the merry bells ringing and happy holidays to you!

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The First Thanksgiving

In my search for Christmas videos at church I just ran across this one by the Skit Guys for Thanksgiving. Hilarious! Take a look at a unique pilgrim-turkey relationship.



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What City Dwellers Miss

Having lived in both the rural country and the big city, I know that there are some major differences in lifestyle between the two places. For example, rush hour is the city can last for hours, clogging major transportation arteries and causing certain other arteries to get majorly stressed. In the country, rush hour lasts for 15 minutes and consists of two pickups, a sedan, a green tractor, and one beat-up work van missing its license plate.

I just read an article via Yahoo extolling the virtues of choosing the country over the city. Titled, "Six amazing things city dwellers miss out on," it pretty much tells you what you might expect such an article to say: life is more peaceful away from the city.

Here's the full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ygreen/20101111/sc_ygreen/sixamazingthingscitydwellersmissouton/print

The six things are:

1. Stars
2. Fresh Air
3. Peace and Quiet
4. Greenery
5. Sounds of Nature
6. Animals and Wildlife

Is there anything else?

There are other major differences between the city and country, of course, and generally people choose to live in one climate or the other — though these days more and more people are living in the country and commuting to city jobs. While I follow the logic, I question the sanity. Why put so many miles on the car, fight the traffic every day, and miss out on mornings and evenings at home just to get some noise-and-light-free sleep at night?

A suburban product, I once (twice, actually) lived in Gainesville, a city of 16,000 about an hour north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Cooke County has about 32,000 people total. By contrast, Denton County to the south has over a million. I used to love the lower stress on just about every area of life. Traffic wasn't a problem. Pollution wasn't a major problem (it's growing, though). And noise was never a problem. Life was just... simpler.

I could see the stars at night and I was mesmerized by them. Never did I feel so small and God so big than when I started at the mass of twinkling beings above my head. Never did I feel more important than when I realized that God considered me of more value than any of those celestial lights. I guess the stars were a big part of my spiritual life back then.

I also loved the fresh air and greenery. And the peace and quiet and those other things, too. Sometimes God has to be "found" outside of the big city (though He resides there, too). When we have lights and noises and stresses surrounding us it can be very hard to be spiritual. I know I struggle in the city. Those rare times I get to travel are generally my most peaceful, spiritual times. Times when I can forget about life in the concrete jungle and relax.

Maybe that's why Jesus sometimes called His guys to the countryside to pray and relax. They needed to get away. Of course, they had the creator of the universe among them but.. they still needed to get away. Our Lord knew that was important for spiritual health. Do I? Do you? Do we?

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The Willingness to Be Tested

Sorry it's been a while, folks. It's not as though I've lacked thoughts over the past month, just lacked motivation. And sometimes motivation is the hardest thing to find. I actually had some great ideas for blog entries. But never fleshed them out. Sorry. My bad.

You could say that this season of my life is a great period of testing. Testing of my heart. Testing of my desires. Testing of my faith. Testing of all kinds that have left me a bit shaky and bruised but still standing on two feet, albeit feet that are a bit wobbly. Faith wobbles. Or so I've found. Not so much saving faith, mind you, as sustaining faith. Trials and temptations come our way and we shake. Plain and simple. At least I know I do.

Tonight I went to a leadership meeting at my church and listened to a marvelously deep talk by Hud McWilliams, president of Christian Associates, a church planting ministry. Hud has been a counselor, pastor and missionary in his life, so I'm pretty sure he knows something about testing. And that's what he talked about. He talked about how leaders need to strive for integrity, which he semi-defined as a willingness to be tested. God tests us, Hud said, in order to do good for us, to find out what's in our hearts, or to help us grow. Look at all the people in the Bible. Like, every major character. Over and over again they were tested — sometimes by divine will, sometimes by circumstance, sometimes by both — and they had to deal with it. Sometimes they passed, sometimes they failed. I personally think every one of us will pass and fail testing during a lifetiime. Only one man passed every test, and He's seated at the right hand of the Father.

Back to the Bible. The testing revealed what each person had in their hearts and what they thought of God. When David was tested, he was forced to fall back on his knowledge of God and his experience with God. If you want to know what was going through his mind during times of testing, read the Psalms. His heart is open for all to see. Biblically, Hud said, we should want to be tested. For the willingness to be tested is a mark of leadership. In order for a leader to have integrity (which is wholeness), they need to have that integrity tested and proven. Plus, James said we should count it all joy when we're tested. As if it's a good thing. I don't know about you, but wanting testing is usually down the list of John's desires for life.

"I think that tests are designed to (loosen us up) so we don't rely on what we see," he said. After all, most believers these days seem to want a "seat belt Christianity" — one that's safe — when, in fact, God calls us on an adventure. There will be bumps and scrapes and sometimes broken limbs. We don't want to hear that! I know I don't. But it's true.


Hud talked about a bunch of things related to testing and even though I soaked it all in I won't discuss them now. His conclusion was that God uses this world to test us, though He Himself will not bring evil upon us, and we should let times of testing and adversity build personal integrity. Lean upon what you know about God — what He has revealed to you about Himself. I find myself doing that just about every day, for I've found that tests come every day in my life. I'm in a period of testing right now. I want to pass. Even if I don't, I know there will be grace.

That's a really, really, really great feeling.

Be God's!

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The 34th Miner

Mario Gomez kneels down to pray after being rescued and taken out of the rescue capsule this morning.

 When Chilean miner Mario Gomez was asked about the spiritual wellness of he and his fellow 33 trapped miners recently, he had a surprising, if not unexpected, answer. They all had turned to God for strength and hope. And they were upbeat. I'd heard this before from people stuck in a dire predicament but I've also heard people run the other way from God, claim abandonment, and turn to self-reliance. But when you're in a 30-by-20 concrete chamber 2,200 feet below the surface of the earth and no escape hatch? There was no self-reliance. So they had to turn outside of themselves or face a horrific fate.

Each rescued miner has said they knew they would be rescued. Oh, not really "knew" but they knew. Not because of how but because of Who. This week, while still trapped underground, Mario said that there weren't 33 miners in that tiny concrete shelter underground — there were 34. Because God was with them. I got goosebumps when I heard that.

His wife confirmed her husband's words just this morning in a CNN interview. But when she was asked whether or not Mario was like this before he entered the mine, she said something surprising — "no." It seems the 70 days spent in the mine had reawakened his Catholic faith, and Mario, the eldest at age 63, had become the spiritual leader of the crew. I guess his younger coworkers saw him as a father figure. The youngest, just 18, may have even seen Mario as a grandfather. At home, Mrs. Gomez said, Mario was always sloughing off her attempts to get him to say his daily prayers or be a more spiritual man. He had faith, but it wasn't very active.

It is now.

I'm reminded of three young Hebrew men who were trapped in a heated mine of their own 2,500 years ago. Shad, Mesh and Abe were thrown into a fiery furnace by the king of Babylon after taking a stand for their faith. It was the ultimate trial, a trial so fierce that even the guards couldn't bear it. But Shad, Mesh and Abe did. Oh, and also the 4th trapped Hebrew — God. He was in the furnace and He was in the mine. And he'll be with you and I wherever our next trial lies.

Sometimes it takes a mine for us to see that.

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Josh Hamilton finds strength after misstep in recovery from addiction | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News

There was a great article about Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton in today's Dallas Morning News. He's only 29 but has been on a wild life journey over the past 10 years, a journey that has taken him to the depths of addiction and the heights of glory. He at a high place now in his life and career but it hasn't always been that way. Read more below.

Josh Hamilton finds strength after misstep in recovery from addiction | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News

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Seasons

"Ecologically speaking, a season is a period of the year in which only certain types of floral and animal events happen (e.g.: flowers bloom—spring; hedgehogs hibernate—winter). So, if we can observe a change in daily floral/animal events, the season is changing."

— Wikipedia

No one seems to know who (if there was a who) invented the seasons we have today. At least not as far as Wikipedia is concerned. That's as deep as I searched. But somehow we ended up with four seasons: winter, spring, summer and football. I mean, fall. Ancient cultures sometimes used an average-sunlight formula to reckon their seasons. The day with the most sunlight was the midpoint of summer, for example, and the day with the least sunlight was midwinter. 

For some cultures there were just two seasons: dove and deer. I mean, summer and winter. There was none of this "spring" or "fall" stuff. It was just hot or cold. Black or white. Strike or ball. Some cultures, like the ancient Hindu culture, had six seasons instead of two or four. That's kind of like adding a "lupper" or "linner" to the munch day. Or just a midnight snack (which I happen to be enjoying at the moment). As the ancient Egyptians put the monthly calendar to practice, seasons were reckoned by a dividing of the months of the year. According to moon cycles (about 30 days in a cycle), that put a season at either three months, four or five. Just depended on the culture.

Of course now that summer is gone here in North Texas, it's time to look forward to the new season of life and all it promises. The weather is turning progressively (if slowly) cooler, leaves will start falling from the oaks because nature tells them to instead of dehydration, and hot apple pies will be set on every kitchen windowsill. That's what Glade told me. And the scarecrows will still not be all that scary. 

Ahhh... fall. Greeted with the scent of Cashmere Woods and ragweed, goofy pumpkins and a mild autumn breeze.

I'm ready for it. Are you?

— John

 

P.S. — I was going to make some kind of spiritual analogy to seasons of weather and seasons of personal circumstance but I obviously went a different route. I was going to make a point that we all go through seasons just like the weather. Some of us live multiple winters in a row; others are always in the spring. I know I seem to be going from winter to winter these days. Sometimes I like the cold. Other times I long for spring. And get summer instead. Seasons are funny things, you know. Enough preaching. Enjoy your first full day of autumn!

Observations from a Dugout

When I was in college, my friends and I decided to re-start a student-led sports group that had dissolved years earlier: the baseball club. You see, John Brown University used to have a powerful baseball team in the 1960s and 1970s that was led by former NL Rookie of the Year Wally Moon and even produced a major league player in Jimmy Wynn. I say "even" because JBU was about 400 strong in those days and was more known for its science and engineering schools than its sports teams.

But the baseball program was an exception.

By the beginning of the 1980s, JBU was consistently heading deep into the NAIA national tournament, playing for the title twice in three years. But the school didn't have much tolerance for the bad habits that often accompany baseball players and decided to cut the program in 1983. They cited "budget cuts" but everyone knew that it was the moral failings of the athletes that led to the program's demise.

A group of former varsity players started a baseball club after the program was cut and it survived a few years but by the time I arrived in 1995 JBU only had a group of friends playing catch every so often. So my baseball-minded friends and I added new life to the club with the goal of convincing the JBU leadership to bring baseball back as a varsity sport. We were driven. And we wanted to have post-high school baseball careers to brag about. I did, anyway.

So we got on our hands and knees at an old baseball diamond off campus, pulling weeds, painting benches, mending fences, tilling the infield, building the mound. We came to school early in 1996 to spend a week at the field, getting it ready for game action. It was small for a college field but it was our home. Thanks to my roommate Mark and his dad, we designed a new team logo, ordered new uniforms, T-shirts and hats, purchased equipment and went about promoting the team and scheduling games. We even bought team jackets with our names on the back. Mine's still in my closet.

The club went strong for two years and I tried to lead it into a third year but the career-minded life of a senior got in the way. We played high schools and adult club teams, an occasional small college, and college club teams from Nebraska, North Texas and Angelo State. It was a fun time for all of us. Frustrating... but somehow fun. We talked with UNT about starting a college club baseball league. Some of my teammates wanted to call it the "Big South" conference but, as one of us pointed out, the initials weren't so flattering. So nothing ever happened. I graduated in 1999 and moved on, leaving our equipment, leftover uniforms, trophies and other memorabilia with a friend. I never heard what happened to the club.

Until yesterday.

Eleven years later I had a desire to check out the JBU website to see what was happening with my old Alma mater these days. I knew that the school had dramatically changed since I left, going on a growth spurt that would make any 12-year-old proud. The enrollment skyrocketed. New buildings popped up, others were leveled to the ground. New sports were added, including cross country, golf and women's soccer. But no baseball or softball.

I clicked on the "student groups" link to see if anything new or interesting had formed and there it was — "baseball club."  I clicked it and memories came flooding back.

In 2004 or 2005 another group of friends decided to breathe life into the baseball club and got on their hands and knees to pick weeds, mend fences and get old Franklin Field ready for college action. It was identical to what I went through a decade earlier. They got new uniforms and scheduled games against club teams — eventually joining a new baseball conference of other college club teams and enjoyed the fruit of their labor. There were pictures on the website of some of their club action and it was wonderful to see a new batch of young men follow in footsteps they probably had no idea already existed. I doubt if they knew of me or Mark or Sam or Clint or John-Alex or any of us. But their dream was the same.

"It's baseball, Ray. Baseball."

I only have a few pictures, an old uniform top and a bum left knee to remind me of my days as a Golden Eagle baseball player. I hit .310 over two injury-plagued seasons. 11 singles in 30 at-bats. Not even an extra base hit! I stole a base or two but mostly walked, struck out and hit singles. I was the Ichiro of my day.... not!

I'm proud of what my friends and I accomplished at JBU and proud of the new group of guys who did likewise — only better. But the cycle continues. The website was last updated in 2006. I would think that means the baseball club is dormant again. The players have all graduated now and moved on with life. That happens most of the time. I'll check back in a few years to see what the next wave of JBU baseball players is up to.

But for now... I'm just glad I found out what happened... from my Flower Mound dugout.

— John

#34 — third base, second base, first base, right field and pitcher (the ultimate utility player!) Here I'm at 2nd after heading for a grounder up the middle. We were playing Nebraska's club team in Siloam Springs, Ark. I don't know why this is in black and white. It was taken for the school newspaper.

My greatest game — 4-4, 2 RBI, run scored, against an adult club team. We had to get games were we could from whomever we could, including a men's baseball league tournament in Pea Ridge, Ark.

One Picture is Worth...

LOVED this one I found through Yahoo this afternoon. It is a classic.

A cat eyes a squirrel as it makes it's way along a fence in Ormond Beach Fla., Wednesday morning, September 8, 2010. Cat and squirrel parted without incident.

(AP Photo/Daytona Beach News-Journal, Jim Tiller)

 

 

And the age-old struggle between cats and the little creatures of the world continues... What an awesome shot!


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The Role of Sovereignty & Free Choice

My pastor, Steve, has been preaching through the first chapter of Romans the past few Sundays as part of his latest sermon series and yesterday he arrived a a most-disturbing section of the text, verses 18-32. In these verses is, in my opinion, an explanation of the evil we see happening all around us and a thesis on why so many people refuse to accept the truths of God as laid out in creation and in the Bible. I know of so many who are crying out these days because of the evil they see in the world and many of those same individuals are, for reasons I cannot understand, blaming God for seemingly doing nothing to stop it. Here's the reason Paul gave for the evil: sovereign free choice.

From 1:24-29 —

"Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them..."
"God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men..."
"God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil..."

God let us have our own way, which is what we wanted in the first place, right? After all, who wants a God pulling strings and taking away our free will to run our lives the way we want?

Our God is not like that. Yet He is sovereign over all things. This is mystery — how a sovereign God could have a handle on all things yet leave room for our choices. I'm not sure I can explain it satisfactorily for you. The answer to sovereignty and free will is "yes" and "yes." So there! Scripture gives a prominent role to both, with sovereignty taking the overseeing role in all human events and bringing about the will of God in whatever manner He sees fit.

It's interesting to me, when studying Romans 1, how the interaction of sovereignty and free choice plays out in human behavior. We all have suppressed the truth about God — from unreached people groups to the Vatican. Creation declares both the might and the intimacy of God. His blessings and His curses. No one can say to God, "I did not know you existed. No one ever told me!" because every person knows that God exists and has had to make decisions based on that knowledge. And all have suppressed Him in some way to some degree. All are guilty, Paul would go on to point out in chapter 3. Even worse, we ignored the Creator and started worshiping created things, including our own selves! Humanism is our idol here in America. "I love mesa-me!" We worship ourselves and mankind in general. In other parts of the world, carved idols still exist. One trip to India will show you that.

So God said, "You want to go your own way? Fine!" His sovereignty looked on our free choices and let us wander further astray. But He did not leave His throne while mankind wandered. He continually reached down to us, revealing Himself and His holiness, calling us to fellowship, bestowing His grace, and, finally, His eternal forgiveness in His Son. We chose but God still won.

As Rich Mullins coined it: "You can argue with your Maker but you know you cannot win." The act of arguing is free will, the winning is sovereignty.

There's so much more to say but I'll stop with this: The cause of the evil and degradation in our culture and our world is God's causing only in that He let us, out of His sovereignty, have our own way. Which is what we wanted. And still want. But He never left us on our own. He gave his Son to take our wandering evil upon Himself, die as punishment to satisfy divine wrath, and become righteousness for all who choose to believe in the Son. Even as you and I continue to suppress truth and do wrong out of our choice (hopefully much less now than before we believed!), we have the righteousness of Christ to continually cleanse us and keep us in right standing with God. We choose but God wins.

I'm relieved to know that!

Be God's,

— John

Fall is in the Air

Okay, maybe it's not fall but it sure feels nice here in North Texas! A cool/mild/bland front blew through the summer high that has camped over my neighborhood for seven weeks and it, honestly, feels cool outside. Cool still being 87 degrees, of course! But after a high of 107 yesterday... yeah. I have my outdoor fountain hooked up under my arbor and flowing each evening under strands of lights and I plan to spend several hours outside the next few evenings, basking in 70-degree temperatures and picking my six-string. Played a few personal favs the other night. Christmas tunes. Oh yeah.

Wait a minute, is that the sound of sleigh bells I hear in the distance........?

— John


P.S. — If you see the trees turning color with the leaves falling gently to the soil below and the calendar says August, don't be confused. Fall has not arrived. It's just another good 'ol Texas summer. And those leaves? Poor things died of thirst, they did.

My Front Yard and Other Thoughts

Taking a break from gardening in my front yard this afternoon.....

Scattershooting on a slightly-more-than-extremely-searing afternoon in the Flowerplex...

• I've been dreaming lately about what I would do first if I was (Update: WERE) given a large sum of money, say 10,000 dollars or something like that. Of course, I have no reason to think that any such benevolence is coming my way and any financial venture I can think of would net, at most, a small loss. But what if... I won a competition. Or someone wanted to hire me as a consultant. Or my friend Chef Jerry and I sold about 2,000 911 Diet Plan: Kitchen Secrets videos.What would I knock out first (after giving some to my church)? Debt? Car Payment? Landlord? Help my folks? A little to all? Or would I do something crazy and get in my car, head down SH 114 west, and keep going until I hit the Pacific? Sounds fun. Like I said, I've been dreaming. 
• Braved the heat and bought some more plants today. Rescued some abused bell pepper plants at Wal-Mart and bought some basil and thyme at Calloways. I was looking for fall veggies but the price was WAY too high ($4 for six seedings? You kidding me, Wal-Mart?). I now have a good herb collection that I hope to only grow (pun intended) in the future. I have rosemary, parsley, basil and thyme. I grew some sage to complete the Scarborough Faire quartet but it died a few months ago. I love fresh herbs. They turn my cooking into a pseudo-gourmet affair.
• Went on a search for Christian media production companies last night and came to some stomach-turning conclusions. I have grown to kinda dislike Christian terms "faith-based," "family-friendly" and "safe." In themselves, they're okay, but when attached to an artistic endeavor they usually mean I'm going to receive a poorer-quality product. Point in case, I went to one media website and they came clean up-front about how their company existed to make movies promoting a socially conservative agenda. That's fine and good, I thought to myself, but as a consumer, I only want to know one thing: are the movies any good? How's the screenplay, the acting, the direction and the cinematography? Are the characters "real" and relatable or are they cardboard cutouts? Is the movie so scrubbed clean of reality that it can no longer be identified as reality? I watched the movie trailer for their newest movie and I couldn't finish it. It was baaaad. Wooden dialogue, fake emotions, poor camera angles, and not very compelling. I'm glad the company has a conservative Christian viewpoint as the movie's bones but it's going to stink if it doesn't have good flesh and skin. Many of the companies I found want to produce "faith-based, family-friendly, safe entertainment" but if that entertainment isn't any good, it won't find a market. Even in the church.
• I decided today that if I started up my production company again I would have the slogan, "Our agenda is to not have an agenda." My goal would be to produce documentary films and series that contain information that entertains. No "faith-based" agenda. I'm just a man of faith doing what he finds amusing and hoping others are amused, too. Simple as that.
• I soon after realized that if I did that I wouldn't have the 10,000 dollars to spend. And the beat goes on.....

Have a great Saturday afternoon!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

Christmas!

Or so the song says. For me, it's beginning to look a lot like the death march that leads to Christmas, then January activities.

As a communications professional working in a church environment, there are only a few times of the year that I find myself twirling my hair, twiddling my thumbs, and reading Yahoo articles on the 10 best places to live because of boredom. Those times are May 23rd, July 29th, December 26th, and April 18th. I'm busy every other time of the year. Never more than the period that begins August 1st and ends February 1st. THIS is the "March to Winter," when fall ministries are signing-up participants, other ministries are recruiting volunteers, Thanksgiving and Christmas planning begins, and, eventually, winter/spring ministry planning begins and is executed (along with my brain cells, I must add). We have new sermon series and returning mission teams, changes to the auditorium and electronic ministries. And everyone wants something from me and my good nature wants to give it to them — even at my own expense.

I enjoy it, though, and am very happy to be using my college and life skills to benefit my church. Do I want to be a park ranger or travel guide most days out of the year? You bet your socks I do! Sitting under a pine tree at 8,000 feet of elevation, explaining how Kit Carson, Coronado, or Lewis and Clark navigated their way across an impassible pass. Ahhh... dreams. But then a voice calls from outside my office: "John? John!? WHERE'S JOHN?!?). Everyone knows where I am. Bolted to my desk chair, mouse in one hand, keyboard in the other, hair disheveled, large drink parked precariously close to the desk edge. Been that way for hours. Got six or more hours to go. Even though I enjoy a lot of my job, I think my adventurous side is still on vacation in New Mexico. The fact that I'm still editing my vacation video doesn't help me mentally break from my June trip.

I've entered a stressful time starting this month and I'll be relying upon the grace and rest of God even more than I have before. Actually, I'm getting excited just thinking about Christmastime. Last year we had an amazing concert called, "A Christmas to Remember" that knocked everyone's socks off. I was the technical director for it and I can't wait to help produce this year's concert. I also can't wait to put together new graphics with Thanksgiving and Christmas themes. The graphic material for winter/Christmas is plentiful.

The snowman on my desk? Now that may be overkill.

We are, in some ways, entering the most wonderful time of the year. After Labor Day the weather generally starts cooling, the holidays are looming, and people return to a normal pace of life after the summer.

I'll try to post more frequently but fatigue zaps me most evenings. I work in front of a computer all day, leading me to want to leave mine off when I get home. I think my eyeballs can only look at artificial light for yay so long.

Have a great Saturday!



Looking ahead......

The Purest Religion

Micah 6:6-8

With what shall I come to the LORD

[And] bow myself before the God on high?

Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,

With yearling calves? 

Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams,

In ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I present my firstborn [for] my rebellious acts,

The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 

He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the LORD require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness (Heb. "chesed" meaning lovingkindness or mercy),

And to walk humbly with your God?

What does the Lord require of His people? What does God want from me? The prophet Micah laid it out plainly in his oracle before the people of Judah: do justice, love mercy and walk humbly before God. Three imperatives, all three tied together. To do justice is to make things right, to be on the side of fairness and righteousness. But what is mercy/kindness? By definition it is the withholding of deserved punishment, or... dare I say... the opposite of justice. Be just, God says, but develop a love for showing mercy to your fellow man. They deserve justice but God chooses to show mercy. Blessed are the merciful, our Lord said. One who is just and kind will walk humbly, for he or she is fully aware of their own need for mercy and that God is a just being who demands perfection as a standard. Any spiritually broken person tends to be a humble person. Blessed are the poor in spirit.

I love Micah's prophecy, not just this chapter but the whole thing. When I first truly studied it at seminary my mind, heart and imagination went wild. I connected with the prophet and his subjects and the oracle came alive to me. Same thing happened with Habakkuk. Micah is prophesying to Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel, which had lost its spiritual way. A couple of bad kings had come to David's throne, Jotham and Ahaz, and even though the nation had turned away from God it still found itself quite prosperous as a result of His divine blessing. People had become comfortable with their wealth and riches. Their economy was good. But Assyria was gaining power to the far north and Israel, the northern kingdom, had become militarily aggressive. All was not well. So the people complained to God.

In Micah 6, the Lord responded. In verses 1-5, God calls His people to trial. They consider Him unfair? God calls the mountains to the jury box and then recounts His mighty deliverance of the nation from Egypt and his faithfulness to them through the centuries.

Through Micah, the people respond in verses 6 and 7. What should we do to get back right with you, O Lord? They offer three options:

1. Shall we come with burnt offerings, with the very best calves?
2. Shall we offer a mass of offerings, quantity for our sin?
3. Shall we offer our most precious thing, our firstborn sons — our inheritance?

Micah says no. God has laid out what is good in His Law and sacrifices are good things but they are not the spirit of the Law. It's not about ritual and frequency. Ten prayers are no better than one if you're praying them for the sake of quantity. What is the Law really about? It's about the character and holiness of God. How is the character of God reflected by man?

To do justly — to be just in righting wrongs and defending the poor, orphaned and widowed. This is justice to God. It's also pure religion. Listen to Saint James: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (Jas. 1:27)." Justice for the God-follower means defending the defenseless. It means being justice where there is an absence of justice. Not to judge the world, for this is not our job (it's God's), but to be God's ambassadors in upholding what is right and good and fair in God's eyes.

To love kindness/mercy/loving kindness — to be wanting to forgive the deserved-burden of others. After telling the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus asked a teacher of the Law: “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’  [hands]?” And he said,  “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” Loving mercy is ingrained in the task of following Christ. Just like the blind men Jesus came across, we once cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us!" and He did. Now he asks us to to the same when others cry out for mercy. We should WANT to show mercy. This what it means to "love" mercy. It's not obligation. It's intention.

To walk humbly — to live in a state of brokenness mixed with healing. To know that God is just and you are not, by nature. To know that God has had mercy on you despite your unfaithfulness and His grace will sustain you. A person who lives in a constant state of self-awareness will walk humbly because they do not have any pride to stand on. Like Paul said in Ephesians 2, we were dead in our transgressions but, in His mercy, God has made us alive in Christ Jesus. Humbling ourselves before God is an acknowledgment of this transaction that has taken place — a transaction done only by God's power with no help from us.

The fact that spirit trumps ritual is seen in other places of the Old Testament, too. David, in Psalm 51:16-17, realized, "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." In Isaiah, as quoted by our Lord Jesus, God condemns worship without heart, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men (Matt15:8-9)."

God is interested in our hearts more than our hands. Why do you act? What's your motivation? Back when I was a worship pastor I used to tell my congregation — gasp — that they should sing if their heart wants to sing but they should refrain from singing if they didn't mean it. For it was better to keep silent than offer empty praise. I was responsible to God first, my congregation second, and myself third.

On the flip side, what we do with our hands often directly reflects our hearts. If you truly believe something, you will act on that belief. This is where justice fits in. Justice is not just a belief. It is a cause that leads to action. If you see that brother on the side of the road, beat up and barely hanging on, don't just say a quick prayer for him. Help him! You may not have the money the Good Samaritan did but you can still help. Bandage the wounds, lift up the spirit, call for assistance. Minister unto the man. Be God's ambassador to him.

That is true religion. That is true justice. To right a wrong through the showing of mercy with an attitude of humility.

I wrote and performed a song half a decade ago called, "The Other Side." I don't have a good recording of it, otherwise I'd share, but here are the words.

The Other Side

Luke 10:25-37; Matt 5:7; 25:34-46; James 1:26-27

I am a stranger, I am a brother

I’ve fallen upon painful times

What I have had now is missing

How can you say that I’ll be fine?

Can’t you see my lowly condition?

Why pass me by on the other side?

Can’t you lend me some compassion?

Why pass me by on the other side?

I am a father, I am a neighbor

You see me struggle every day

For just a cloak or some cool water

Send some mercy along my way

Jesus said blessed are the merciful ones

For God has shown them great kindness

Tell me, dear brother, why do you wait

To bear your mercy, to show your faith?


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The Domain of Dusk

Tis a strange world, this domain of dusk that separates asleep and awake. It's a realm that knows no mercy; knows little grace. Where sleep is denied yet alertness wanes. This strange kingdom of semi-awake or semi-sleep.

As I ponder this awkward universe at one o'clock in the morning I must confess that I have no reason to be awake right now. I haven't slept well for days now for reasons beyond grasp. Every night I spend what feels like hours as an exhausted man desperate for unconsciousness but unable to achieve it. I just can't receive peaceful sleep. My mind doesn't seem to want it. Maybe it just doesn't realize that it needs it. Don't know. All I know is that I'm very, very tired but unable to do anything about it.

Before you start suggesting sleep aids, let me admit that I've tried most if not all and what they do is put me into some sort of semi-coma. They make my eyes heavy, for sure, and my head loses feeling but my mind and my heart stay active. It's pretty frustrating. I've tried prayer and confession but after a few minutes of silent peace my mind resumes its worry and strife. I keep hitting the anxiety snooze bar but my brain waves keep coming back... every... nine... minutes. Or so it seems. I'm off caffeine in the afternoons and turn off the TV long before bed. I don't read newspapers or go through my stack of bills. I really do want my brain to shut down. Just can't find that cranial power button.

Do you have problems sleeping, too? Maybe it's this hot weather, or the economy, or global warming, or... something... else. Maybe it's my stage of life or the wounds of recent experience or dissatisfaction with my spiritual life. Or all of the above. Don't you just hate those cocktails of contentious consciousness?

I wish I could turn to the New Testament to find theological help with my sleep problem but it doesn't seem to address physical sleep very much. Usually sleep is a metaphor for sin, darkness or blindness. The world is said to be asleep. So maybe I don't want to sleep after all! In the Old Testament, when Saul was asleep David stole his water jug and spear. Delilah cut Samson's hair when he was asleep and he got beat up and thrown in jail. Theology aside, thieves really like it when people sleep. In the New Testament, Jesus said, "watch and pray" to his exhausted disciples and chided them when they fell asleep in Gethsemane. So maybe being awake isn't such a bad thing!

After all, God never sleeps, does He?

But I'm not God. I'm a human who needs sleep. He made me that way. And He's fully capable of causing someone to fall asleep. Just like the prophet Jeremiah, who fell asleep during a vision he was having and when he woke up he was refreshed (Jer. 31:26).

Maybe God needs to give me a vision.

Maybe not. I probably couldn't handle it.

When I was younger I used to recite this psalm to myself during sleepless nights as a source of comfort.

"To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side." (Psalm 3:4-6)

As an adult I love to pray this prayer from The Book of Common Prayer: "Guide me waking and guard me sleeping; that awake I may wait with Christ and asleep I may rest in peace."

The domain of dusk isn't fun. It isn't really daylight and it isn't really night. It's that realm in between where visions are hazy and emotions confused. You'd rather be anywhere but there, be it night or day, asleep or awake.

It's two o'clock now. Time to aim for asleep once again in hopes of sailing away from this kingdom of the inbetween....

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Quitting Christianity

This headline just came across the newswire: "Anne Rice Leaves Christianity."

And here's the rest of the story:

Legendary author Anne Rice has announced that she’s quitting Christianity.
The “Interview with a Vampire” author, who wrote a book about her spirituality titled "Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession" in 2008, said Wednesday that she refuses to be “anti-gay,” “anti-feminist," “anti-science” and “anti-Democrat.”
Rice wrote, “For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian ... It's simply impossible for me to ‘belong’ to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.”

Rice then added another post explaining her decision on Thursday:
“My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me," Rice wrote. "But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been or might become.”

 My two cents:

When I first saw the headline, I thought, "Oh no. That's a shame. Guess she didn't have enough endurance to continue following the faith. I hope she reconsiders."

After I read the article, I thought, "Great point. I'm glad she's still a believer and I really can't blame her for wanting to separate Christ from His people in America."

Of course, Anne, the saddest thing is that even though Christ is represented — many times very badly — by His people in this country you cannot separate Christ from His Body, the Church. Removing yourself from association with other believers because of their political agendas really hurts both parties. They can stand to learn from you and you can stand to learn from them.

I hate the judgmental attitude of the church in America, too, Anne, but they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. I must learn to live with them and focus on modeling Christ-likeness before them to the best of my effort. It hurts me, too, when I see so-called Christians showing up at the funeral of a homosexual man with protest signs that say, "God hates (slur)" or "(Slurs) are going to hell." It hurts when die-hard political junkies say that God wants me to only vote Republican. Straight ticket. Or that anyone who supports (or is silent about) abortion is lost on the highway to hell.

I understand that you don't want to get wrapped up in the Western-based sociological judging that has given Christians a black eye for centuries. I don't either. You say, "following Christ does not mean following His followers" and you're very right. Follow Christ! Read the Gospels. Live out His example. But also look for His example in the lives of the saints and those who are truly following Him. Following Christ means rejecting what you know to be false and cleaving to what is true.

I wish you the very best, Anne, as you continue to follow Christ. But please do what His followers so often fail to do by showing them some grace and the love of Christ. You don't have to follow them. Follow Christ. Leave religion behind and engage Him in a lasting relationship.

As one of my fellow ministers said, "Follow the Christ who IS rather than the Christ we want him to be."

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The Core of Creativity

Last night I taught my final Creative Writing class of the summer at the church. Five weeks have passed since I embarked on this new adventure. I've taught the Bible and theology and spiritual discipline but never a creative subject like writing. As I approached the course, I didn't even feel remotely qualified to teach the subject. I despised English classes in high school and college and have run away from good grammar ever since. Sometimes I read books. Sometimes. Rarely do I finish a book. In fact, last night I stared at my foot-high bedside stack of books and just sighed. I've started every one over the past two years. Been neglecting each ever since. I read a lot of magazine and newspaper articles every day, though.

One thing I love is a good story. You know, hero or heroine battles dragon or pirate, with adventure, suspense and the sort. Maybe that's why I find myself drawn to movies and music, history and legend. My imagination can hardly contain its excitement when I hear the Marty Robbins ballads "El Paso"and "Big Iron" or when my eyes marvel at "Forrest Gump" or "Lord of the Rings." I wish I was talented enough to write such marvelous stories and maybe someday I'll come close. Maybe not. Back in the day I used to tell stories in my newspaper columns and I've relayed a tale or two via e-mail, blog and journal, but I've never finished writing that "great American novel" every writer dreams of penning.

Teaching creative writing was a wonderful experience not because of my own skill but because of my students. I had a good class size for the subject. Not too many, not too few. They were all able to share and do the assignments and laugh along with me. And they were all very creative, even if they didn't think they were!

Last night I closed the course with an observation about creativity made by songwriter, author and Bible teacher Michael Card. Michael sees creativity as being a response to God and not something that originates within us. We don't cause creativity to happen, he wrote in his book, Scribbling in the Sand, just like we don't cause worship to happen. Worship comes as a response to who God is and what he has done. So it is with being creative. We create because we were created. And we were made in the image of our Creator. So our expressions of creativity, like worship, are responses to God's person and work. So we should, as followers of His, be active in creating not because we think we're talented and awesome and such but instead because it's a response of praise and worship towards our Creator.

Interesting, eh?

But I don't think art (creativity's physical expression) has to be "biblical" to bring praise to our Creator. It doesn't have to include a cross or folded hands or a Bible character. As musician and author Charlie Peacock notes, "Everything God created is good. Therefore, everywhere and everything should be the subject matter of the lyrics Christians write (and art they create, I add). Christians should speak to what they know, and what they know should represent every aspect of creation." He does add a caveat, though, in the recognition that the arts, like the rest of creation, is fallen and subject to the twisted darkness of sin. As a result there is a lot of unholy art in this world. But if the Christian reflects a kingdom mindset (all is God's) when they go about the work of creating then it will glorify our Creator.

Makes me want to go out and create!

— Be God's!

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Talk About a Bad Day!

From CNN.com this morning comes this humorous tale. Next time you think you're having a bad day, think of this poor black bear, who got itself into quite a predicament.

Bear gets stuck in car, goes on brief ride

By Phil Gast, CNN

(CNN) -- If you think you've heard it all, follow this tale of a hungry black bear who went for a ride — literally.

Douglas County (Colorado) Sheriff's deputies early Friday got a call about a honking car and a commotion inside. Perhaps it was teenagers or a thief, they thought as they approached Ralph Story's 2008 Toyota Corolla.

It turns out it was a thief, albeit the furry variety.

The deputies' first clue to something unusual was that the car was 125 feet below its normal parking spot in the driveway of the Storys' Larkspur home, which sits on five acres.

Imagine their further surprise when they turned on their flashlights and got a peek inside.

It was a full-grown black bear.

The deputies had earlier received a call from a neighbor. She had heard honking and came up to the Story home, where the family was asleep. She noticed the car was rocking back and both and she called deputies shortly after 3 a.m., according to spokeswoman Michelle Rademacher of the Sheriff's Department in the community 45 miles south of Denver.

Story said the bear was probably drawn to a peanut butter sandwich left inside by his 17-year-old son Ben. He said the family didn't realize what was going on until deputies arrived and the neighbor came back and called them. By then the car was no longer in the driveway.

Incredulous, Story, his wife and three teen children -- who have lived in Larkspur for 17 years -- rushed outside to see the red Toyota down the hill and near a tree.
Somehow, the bear had either opened the unlocked back door or pushed a window down to get inside. Understandably agitated, it bumped into the horn repeatedly and eventually knocked the car's gear into neutral. The Toyota rolled down the hill. The door added to the bear's indignity by closing at some point during the ordeal.

A sergeant and two deputies who arrived on the scene "were stymied on how to proceed," Story said. Finally, the officers decided the best outcome for all would be to keep everyone safe and let the bear live to see more adventures.
After taking pictures, one of them tied a long rope to a door handle and pulled. After a few moments, Story said, the bear bounded out around 5 a.m., at least two hours after it had gotten inside.

Rademacher said deputies have enough experience not to be shocked during a day's work. But this will make for a great memory. Ralph Story admitted the incident was pretty comical. He's glad the animal got away and no one was hurt.

"There's a bear in the car. Who are you gonna get mad at?"

Now, you talk about a bad day... especially for the bear! 

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A Peek into the Creative Frustration

Artists beware!

Sometimes when a seed gets planted for a project, and you start to water it, it begins to grow. Now growth is nothing bad in itself, in fact, it is quite necessary for a project to come to maturity or completion. But sometimes the seed you planted is not the seed you imagined and the growth you experience becomes more than you anticipated. And pretty soon you're up the proverbial creek without a paddle because the seed has grown into a massive tree and you're just a rice farmer. (I always wondered where the canoe was in that adage, or if you're just floating in the water...)

What I refer to is the ever-present notion of creative frustration — frustration not from the lack of a project or idea, but from the enormous scale a project develops.

Such is the case with my June vacation video. Four weeks ago I started editing nine hours of video into segments, and segments into sound bites, and sound bites into gamma rays and... well, I'd better stop there. The bottom line is that I've spent the past week or so up late at night swimming in a bottomless pit of video cutting, computer rendering, music creation, and sound editing. I like what I'm currently working on but... it's quickly becoming a dragon I'm forced to slay and not the cute little lizard I started with. Minus the princess in distress. Or the fire. Or the castle. Or... I'd better stop there.

There are so many varieties of creative frustration in this world. I know artists who are struggling to focus a simple idea into a simple project, others who have reached the halfway mark of a grand adventure and found a desert, still others have completed their project but don't know what to do with it. And me? I think I live in a constant state of all of the above. In one way or another.

If you're an artist, even if you don't consider yourself to be one, don't give up. Sometimes projects get too big, sometimes the well dries up, and sometimes the painting sits on the office bookshelf. Put things aside for a while if you need to or start looking at that dragon as just an overgrown lizard that needs a warm meal and some tender, loving care. I've reduced my massive project to bite-sized pieces. I think I'm nearing the completion of my current effort.

It's a good feeling. And one I'll cling to next time my mustard seed decides to grow into an oak tree.

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Does Hard Work Always Net a Profit?

Yesterday our pastor, Steve, continued his wonderful series in Proverbs by exploring the topic of work. The book of Proverbs has a LOT to say about work and in those hallowed verses you can find great comparison between the man who chooses not to work (the sluggard) and the hard worker. Here's an example:

THE SLUGGARD


Prov. 20:4 —

A sluggard does not plow in season; 

so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.

Prov. 26:13-16 —

The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road, 

a fierce lion roaming the streets!” (aka "I can't go outside and work!")

As a door turns on its hinges, 

so a sluggard turns on his bed. 

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; 

he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. 

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes 

than seven men who answer discreetly.

THE HARD WORKER

Prov. 10:4 —

Lazy hands make a man poor, 

but diligent hands bring wealth. 

Prov. 14:23 —

All hard work brings a profit, 

but mere talk leads only to poverty.

These are two extremes mentioned in Proverbs. The sluggard is lazy and makes excuses for not working. He would rather sleep than make a living. The hard worker, however, is diligent and the fruit of his labor is profit — maybe even wealth. I understand these two positions but I was perplexed by another scenario, one which Proverbs doesn't address.

What if a man works hard for a living and still does not reap a profit from his diligent labor?

I know of many men who work very, very hard as entrepreneurs, sacrificing family time and vacations in order to scrounge up enough money for their families. I see them struggle despite their labor and it confuses me. Also, where does ministry fall under the category of "hard work and profit"? Can someone be called to work hard for no profit for the sake of the kingdom of God? Where does that fit into the sayings of Proverbs? What about a man like Paul, who lived largely on the gifts of others to survive. He worked very hard yet financial wealth was far from him.

Like some of you I wonder about these things. As for me, I work very hard and have even given up many sabbath rests but am still struggling financially. I sometimes wonder where wealth and prosperity are and why they don't come my way. Then again, I've given up on wealth for the sake of church ministry. People in my professional field usually make a lot of money. But not at churches. Where does that fit in to the whole work scheme? 

So, does hard work always net a profit? I'm just wonderin...

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Happy 4th!

"The blood of the martyr is the seed of the Church."

— Tertullian, 2nd Century AD 

And with that joyful quote, I wish you all a happy July 4th! 

Actually, it is for that quote that I am happy to live in the United States of America — Texas branch. The church is facing great persecution in this world and many martyrs are shedding their blood as I type these words. Quite a few nations are closed to evangelism (though they cannot stop the Holy Spirit) and some are violently opposed to the Christian God. I remember sitting in the chairs at Gainesville Bible Church one Sunday evening and listening to a pastor from Pakistan share about the struggles believers are enduring in his country as well as across the Middle East. My eyes were opened even wider to the suffering facing Christians around the globe.


Tertullian was right. The church was born into persecution and persecution has caused it to grow through the ages. But what we believers face here in America, from ridicule to... well... ridicule is nothing compared to what the church has faced through the ages. Persecution has been light here. And I see this as a great blessing of God to those living in America.

Many times I fear that we Americans take our religious freedom for granted. We assume that we'll be able to use God's name in public anytime or continue meeting in church buildings without a government monitor. But America is the exception and not the rule. We are free! And we should be ever so thankful that God has given us such freedom.

That's why I take a deep breath here on July 4th. I am SO thankful to live in a place that, despite any political opinion, is still free for Christians to worship the Lord our God. The freest religious society on earth, I believe. I am thankful for God's many blessings on America, from financial wealth to victory in war. God has given us rain on our crops so our country has never suffered from a lack of food. And He has worked through our political system to bring about His will in our land and in our world.


God has blessed America. I think He will continue to bless us. And I'm ever so thankful to Him for allowing me to live here. 


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Did I Have Fun?

When I got back from my New Mexico vacation nearly three weeks ago, one question seemed to be on people's minds: did I have fun? Words could not express the depth of my southwestern adventure, so I put together a little teaser video to show you whether or not I had fun on my trip. You may need to let it finish loading in order to watch it without any issues.

Enjoy.



Off the Beaten Path (trailer) from John Newton on Vimeo.

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New Mexico: A Photographic Journey

I just uploaded some photos to my Flickr account and made a slideshow. (I'm waiting at home for my new water heater to be installed). The photos are small for now but I'll get bigger versions uploaded sometime in the future.

For those wondering... the photography placed second to the videography as the trip progressed. I shot 1200 photos over nine days, which may seem like a lot but it was much less than I had anticipated. However, I also shot seven hours of video footage on three cameras that I plan to turn into several video projects. Over the past 10 days I've been uploading the video to my computer and starting the editing process. It'll take some time. But the "trailer" is almost finished. I'll post that sometime later this week. It'll give you insight into the adventurous nature of my journey and, hopefully, make you chuckle a bit, too.

For now, a few of the still pics...



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An Evening With Bob Bennett

I just got home after a most wonderful evening of music, fellowship and dinner with church friends, one of whom now includes artist Bob Bennett. Bob is an amazing songwriter whose voice instantly sinks to the soul as his words penetrate the heart with truth, honesty and thoughtfulness. I highly encourage you to read and hear more about him on his website: www.bob-bennett.com.

Bob put on a concert tonight at Crossroads in front of a small but blessed crowd. And we got quite a blessing. It was just Bob, his guitar, his humor, and his songs. He needed no band behind him, no flashy lights, and no eloquent introduction. It was just musician, songwriter and Christian brother Bob Bennett, unveiled in authenticity. (Authenticity for the owner of a fleet of No. 1 songs and one of Christian music's 20 greatest albums, "Matters of the Heart"!)

Having dinner with him and several folks from the church was just icing on the cake. I could tell he was tired (and who wouldn't be after singing for 90 minutes straight?) but he humored us. And I was greatly appreciative.

Bob is one of those Christian music artists that time forgot. As the CCM business moved towards artists like Steven Curtis Chapman, Third Day, Chris Tomlin and others, the "old guard" was left outside the camp, so to speak. The men and women who built the industry became the outsiders and took to touring and private concerts to make a living. Heard much from Dallas Holm, Billy Sprague, Twila Paris, Bruce Carroll, David Meece, Billy Crockett, Kathy Trocolli, Wayne Watson, Randy Stonehill and Russ Taff lately? These are the artists I grew up listening to. These artists and... Bob Bennett.

When Bob made his debut on the Christian music scene in 1979, he was one of a number of stars added to the young but growing CCM movement. For example, his debut came about the same time as Wayne Watson, Amy Grant, Roby Duke, Carman, and several others. Bands like Petra and the Imperials had been around but hit their peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Bob's debut album and the two following were hits and he found himself touring with the likes of Amy Grant.

But when Bob faded to the background around 1990, mainstream Christian music left him there. He has released four albums in the last 20 years and does mostly concerts now just to bring in income for he and his wife. But the infrequency of recordings means that the quality is better, I think. He is an amazing songwriter and I would love to sit at his feet and ask questions about how he does it. I didn't get the chance tonight but maybe one day I will.

Here's a video of Bob shot a few years ago when his son was in the Marines. It the song of a military dad called, "My Heart Across the Ocean." Enjoy!



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