Growing Young

A Change of Address

2011-02-08T21:43:00.000-06:00

You may have noticed that there haven't been any postings here over the past two months. The holidays were busy for me, to be sure, but I also made the decision during that time to move my blogging from Blogspot to Wordpress. While both websites have their strengths and weaknesses, Wordpress allows me to set up more of a "website" with pages and file downloads. It also provided more templates to choose from and more ways to vary those templates. So I have set up "Growing Young" on Wordpress and posted a few times over the past few weeks. I plan to post there every weekend, at least, and sometimes during the week. Here's the address:

http://johncnewton.wordpress.com

Growing Young here on Blogspot will continue to be dormant, so be sure to check out the new site for postings.

— John

Going Nonverbal

2010-12-10T13:17:00.001-06:00

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

2010-12-10T00:05:00.000-06:00

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!

2010-12-06T13:19:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-02T00:33:00.000-06:00

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...

2010-11-28T18:54:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-22T14:49:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-15T15:56:00.000-06:00

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:

Stars
Fresh Air
Peace and Quiet
Greenery
Sounds of Nature
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

2010-11-07T21:35:00.000-06:00

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

2010-10-13T10:06:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-22T23:47:00.003-05:00

"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

2010-09-18T15:25:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-09-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-06T14:49:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-24T18:29:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-21T17:39:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-08-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-09T14:34:00.001-05:00

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?

.

The Domain of Dusk

2010-08-05T01:49:00.001-05:00

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....

.

Quitting Christianity

2010-07-30T13:20:00.000-05:00

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."

.

The Core of Creativity

2010-07-29T12:14:00.001-05:00

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!

.

Talk About a Bad Day!

2010-07-24T11:51:00.000-05:00

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!

.

A Peek into the Creative Frustration

2010-07-14T12:07:00.000-05:00

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?

2010-07-05T12:18:00.000-05:00

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...

Happy 4th!

2010-07-04T21:41:00.000-05:00

"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?

2010-07-03T01:46:00.001-05:00

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

2010-06-29T13:39:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-27T23:17:00.000-05:00

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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Indiana John & the Search for the Hot Water

2010-06-26T23:43:00.000-05:00

Catchy title, methinks, but not too far off from reality. Seems I've been on a search for a hot, reliable shower all month, from the campground to my own home. Here is what I dream about these days:

Here is what I have now:

Or something like that. Here's why:

My water heater has finally reached its lifespan, a good 20 years of faithful service. I noticed a problem last Saturday when I found my bathroom carpet soaked in water and a puddle surrounding my water heater cabinet. The thing was leaking from the top and leaking from the bottom. Ever since, I've been trying to survive on short, leaky bursts of hot water and a lot of hope. My carpet is still damp a week later, though I've been drying it every evening this week. Even brought out a wet/dry vac my folks lent me.

Today I entertained three handymen as they looked over my situation and reported back to my landlord their repair and cost estimates. It's gonna cost. A. Lot. Mainly because of some code issues and the age of my small lake cabin. We'll see if Monday or Tuesday the thing can be replaced. Something tells me it won't be easy.

Such a take-for-granted thing, hot water is. When I was camping during my vacation I longed desperately for a hot shower every day. I got one at a state park the evening of day 4 and had some smaller sponge bath-esque showers along the way but not the long soak my body desired. I longed to return home not because I missed my stuff or even my family (though I did) but because I missed my shower!

I had it for a week. A glorious week. before I must once again embark on... "The Search for the Hot Water" (to be read with a dramatic voice). Stay tuned...

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Vacation Debrief: Sunrises and Sunsets

2010-06-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

I am not a morning person.

But getting up at 5:45 or 6 nearly every morning of my trip proved to be worth it, if only for the feeling of having extra time to my day. Of course, good feelings aside, I really got up for two reasons: because I could not turn off the sunlight in my tent and for photography. As any driven photographer knows, there are only two parts of the day deemed "right" for quality photography. The first part is the 30 minutes before and after sunrise. Similarly, the second good part comes 30 minutes before and after sunset. Why? It all has to do with the lighting. Being outdoors means that you are dependent on the sun's light, which can quickly go from soft to harsh. It starts off soft at sunrise and everything has an even glow. After sunset, the same effect occurs and the lighting is perfect for outdoor photography.

So I snapped a few shots of the sunrises and sunsets along my way and I wanted to share a few with you below.

— John

Sunset over Pecos River Canyon, Villanueva State Park.

This cottonball cloud pattern, called mamatus, occurred on the edge of a thunderstorm that ushered in sunset at Manzano Mtns State Park.

Just after sunset over El Malpais Nat'l Monument you can see a star or planet (it was bright, yet flickering) hovering over daylight's last gasp.

Sunrise over the San Luis Valley and Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado.

Sunrise over Bluewater Canyon.

Sunset over Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Vacation Debrief: Lodging

2010-06-21T01:12:00.001-05:00

Hey all,

Well, a week has passed since I returned home from lands out west and my re-acclimation to North Texas life has not been easy. I was only gone nine days but those nine days were just enough time to flush some of the status quo out of my system and cause me to develop some new routines.

Like getting a campsite set up every evening at dusk. To save money and enhance the traveling experience, I decided to camp during my trip at state parks, public lands, and national forests. I grew up a camp kid, setting up A-frame tents and living with foam pads, sleeping bags and propane stoves since I was a little boy. I didn't like camping so much then and never appreciated it. But now... my heart has turned and I find that life peaceful and desirable. But even though it has much peace, there is always responsibility in camping.

So every night, setting up camp involved selecting a desired campsite (usually on the outer edge of a campground but not too far from other people). I would sometimes drive around a campground three or four times before my indecisive mind would get sick of itself and just pick one. Once I did, I would fill out the appropriate campground paperwork, drop it in the payment box, and then go about claiming my spot before someone beat me to it.

I learned a valuable lesson my first night on the road about staking one's property claim. My first night was spent at Villanueva State Park south of Las Vegas, NM, a charming canyon locale buzzing with activity. The first weekend of June must have been a state holiday or something because the place was packed, save for a few open camp sites.

I circled the upper campground about five times before I spotted a sheltered site back away from the road. It was perfect! The shelter was an adobe building, essentially, with a canyon view that was unmatched among campsites. I set down some of my stuff on a picnic table outside the shelter to lay claim to the spot while I went to the campground entrance to pay. When I got back to my spot... the shelter was taken. Several cars had moved in and their passengers were unloading. Turns out I claimed the wrong picnic table. At the wrong spot. In the right campground, so at least I had that going for me! I settled for something less and swore to never make that mistake again.

My campsite, lower-left, and the nice adobe shelter, upper right.

Setting up a campsite also involved getting stuff out of my car, a task that grew more and more frustrating every night. When I packed my car, I thought I had things perfectly organized, only to find my organization a complete mess once I hit the road. I had camping stuff in the trunk, my guitar and video stuff in the back seat, and my still camera and power supplies in the front seat. Over the course of nine days I think I managed to bury every important thing where it was least accessible, a complete and utter failure of organization and convenience! And I was pulling gobs of stuff out of my car every evening and dragging the needed items to the picnic table.

The morning after the first night, before my campsite became more complicated.

I just set up a tent and campstove that first night, leaving everything else in the car.

And then there was the tent... I had spent all of two night in my NorthPointe tent before this trip, so I was still relatively unfamiliar with it as a home. As the days progressed, I grew in my tenting (is that even a word?) skills and became quite fond of my little home. I never grew completely at ease with sleeping inches away from the outside world, with one or two layers of fabric separating me from the wildlife, but I employed several techniques to help me rest (earplugs, anyone?).

One of my biggest struggles as a camper came in the area of privacy. As much as I wanted to be around other people for community, safety, and comfort, I also wanted to be able to bathe in privacy, find an outdoor men's room, or just be able to shine my flashlight without worrying about disturbing my neighbors. Another struggle dealt with light. I had intended to bring fire starting materials with me but accidentally left them at home. With burn bans across New Mexico that prohibited the collection of firewood, I was left in the dark with only a LED lantern and three small flashlights. I eventually bought a couple of fireplace starter logs but they lasted only briefly.

Mornings brought the biggest joys of camping in scenic locations. At first daylight, which was impossible to ignore in a tent, I looked outside to find myself surrounded by canyons, mountains, desert lands, and beautiful lakes. Here are a few campground locations I enjoyed:

Manzano Mountains State Park, the cleanest campground with amazing mountain atmosphere. I also got a shelter to use for privacy (yay!).

The most rugged of campgrounds, a BLM establishment located next to El Malpais National Monument. There was no water, no security, no pavement, no picnic table and no lights. Just a rocky, cactus-infested spot to camp for free.

Sugarite Canyon State Park, my final stop. I spent my coldest night here but the morning views of the valley with fog rolling through was amazing.

Sometimes campground plans don't work out. For instance, when I went to Great Sand Dunes National Park, I intended to camp at the park itself. However, when I arrived, the campground was full, so I turned around and went to the closest state park. After wrestling with paying the steep camping fee there, I eventually caved and crashed at 11pm. The next morning I was greeted by mountains. In another example, below, I planned to camp at a free campground on the rim of Rio Grande Gorge, and when I arrived I found myself all alone. I soon figured out why. Because my campsite was 30 feet from the rim of the gorge, there was nothing to block the wind. I hung on for dear life for a few hours before calling it quits and finding a state park. I drove for hours as the sun set until I found a suitable place, again crashing at 11pm or later.

Camping was an amazing experience that ignited inner desires to continue it into the future. I loved the peace of wind passing through the trees, of stars burning pin-sized holes in the midnight sky, and amazing sunrises over mountain, meadow, valley, canyon and water. Even though I did not have the comforts of home, there was still comfort in knowing that God was a security more real than He ever seemed before. There was nothing to keep a bear from making a snack out of me or a cougar, or a crazed duck for that matter! And if a branch fell on my tent or a burglar burgled, there was nothing to stop them. But God.

Camping is an act of faith. It takes a lot of nerve for a city slicker like me, but it was well worth it.

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2010-06-14T11:23:00.000-05:00

As I continue to unpack, wash stuff, and get mentally prepared for going back to work, I just wanted to share with you a list of places I ventured off the beaten path the previous nine days. The list is staggering... even to me! The sad thing is that I regret that I didn't go more places.

Santa Rosa and Puerta de Luna (chasing a Cornado legend)
Villanueva and Villaneuva State Park (Spanish colony and amazing canyon area)
The Manzano Mountains of central NM
Abo Ruins church and pueblo (part of Salinas Pueblo Missions Nat'l Monument)
Qurai Ruins church and pueblo (part of same Nat'l Monument)
Albuquerque and Petroglyphs National Monument
El Malpais National Monument (lava flow and volcanoes)
El Morro National Monument (inscription rock for travelers)
The Bisti Badlands Wilderness Area (unique geological formations)
Aztec Ruins National Monument (a gigantic pueblo)
Durango, Pagosa Springs (my future home), Wolf Creek Pass, and Alamosa, Colorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
The Rio Grande Gorge (barely survived)
Taos & Angel Fire, NM
Bandelier National Monument (reached the gatehouse. costs $12 to enter. I said no.)
Valles Caldera National Preserve (a supervolcano)
Jemez State Monument (another pueblo and mission ruin)
Pecos National Historical Park (yet another pueblo and mission)
Fort Union National Monument & the Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Sugarite Canyon & State Park
Capulin Volcano National Monument

By my calculations, I managed to visit to some degree eight national monuments, two national preserves, one national park, one state monument, one wilderness area and five canyons.

A good vacation, I would think. Pictures and video are coming later on. For now I need to enjoy my second hot shower in the last 12 hours and dry my clothes to see which items survived the trip.

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Home, Sweaty Home

2010-06-13T23:27:00.000-05:00

The adventure mobile rolled into the home office at 10pm sharp tonight and one tired, sweaty, scruffy and thinner adventurer got out. Had enough. For today.

It's very difficult to miss 60-percent humidity and 90 degrees. VERY hard to miss it. I didn't. Honestly, I don't think this climate suits me. Not even my suits suit me, but that's a different matter.

My trip was wonderful and tiring at the same time. I did rest, yes, but not so much that I started to dwell on the magnitude and circumstance of my travels. I had a very ambitious agenda for this odyssey and I was going alone.The more time I have to sit still and think, the more I dwell on my loneliness. So I kept moving. And it, for the most part, worked.

I hit seven national monuments, one national park, one national historical park, one national preserve, and one New Mexico state monument during my nine-day journey. I camped in six state parks, one national forest, and one Bureau of Land Management campground. I tried to stay at another national forest site but nearly got blown into the Rio Grande Gorge. But that's another story... I drove 3,200 miles in my little warrior, a 2008 Ford Focus, averaging 36 miles per gallon (with a 14-gallon tank). And I stopped in more McDonald's than I'd like to admit to use the free Wi-Fi and snack on a dollar burger and dollar drink. Hey, I ain't roughin it without Dr. Pepper!

All in all, the trip made me realize that there was so much of this world I have not seen and I want to see it. I want to take pictures of it and video and share it with others who cannot escape their desks to see it in person. Though I wish each and every one of you would at some point in life. I love to travel and I love to drive. Especially down new paths to new places because I enjoy exploration and adventure. I learned many lessons but my energy is gone tongiht, so I'll share them with you in coming days.

Above all, I thank my High Protector for seeing me through this massive mission and getting me out of my own way. For I am my own worst enemy. All the devil has to do is stand back and watch. My pride took many hits during this trip and God's provision shined forth. He alone kept me on the road. And He kept me from hurting any poor New Mexicans as I steamed from place to place! God does care.

Good night!

— "Fearless" Newton

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The Long Road East

2010-06-13T14:14:00.001-05:00

Trip Day 9....

Well, I'm in Dalhart, Texas, on my way home. Should be home around midnight at this pace. The drive back seems longer than the drive to New Mexico. maybe this is because fatigue wasn't an issue then. I'm bushed now. But I'll be all right.

Gotta hit the road (again)!

— John

UPDATE: Just found Wi-Fi at a rest stop in Donley County, TX. Kewl. I'm about 20 miles from Memphis. Sadly, the Dairy Queen that was a regular stopping point for the Newtons has closed down. I didn't see a replacement. On a side note, I do believe I saw more Dairy Queens than McDonald's on my trip. They were in every little town. Nice, new buildings, too. Seems that while DQ is dying in Texas, it's alive and well in New Mexico.

Better hit the road again. Just thought I'd use this cool thing called free Wi-Fi.

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Living Life Inside... a Supervolcano!

2010-06-12T14:22:00.000-05:00

I kid you not. Of course, Valles Caldera isn't active anymore and is of no immediate threat to anyone, but those facts are just plain boring. The more exciting facts to a super-adventurer like me is that Valles Caldera is one of three supervolcano calderas currently monitored by the United States Geological Service for signs of activity. The other two show more life than Valles. One of them you've heard of: Yellowstone. But even while I was there I saw monitoring stations at various places, recording data. I tried to get into the most interesting place in the caldera, a place privately owned and coveted by scientists. It's called Sulfur Canyon and it's the location of most of the caldera's steam emissions, fumeroles (gas and steam vents) and bubbling sulfur springs. But a gate blocked my path. Drats!

On the non-volcanic side, Valles Caldera is a most amazing place to visit. There are vast valleys of green grass, pine-covered mountains (...of lava and ash), cold mountain streams, waterfalls, and crisp, clean air. It was beautiful. I camped inside the caldera (man, was it hot!) at a busy campground (Cub Scout outing and marathon runners) and did some hiking up to a hot spring this morning. The weather was fantastic, though I am constantly reminded of how out of shape I am in! A 200-foot climb left me winded and wishing for death (or a jet pack).

I'm in Santa Fe right now, eating dollar food at a McDonald's so I don't feel guilty for using their free Wi-Fi service. This is a really neat city but buuuuueeeesssssaaaaaayyyyyy (busy). There are people walking all over the place! My next stop will be Fort Union National Monument. It's about two hours away but I'll be on the Interstate which will make the drive much better. Then I head to Raton and Sugarite State Park. It has received rave reviews and has been rated one of the state's best "hidden gems." There's an abandoned coal mining camp inside the park's grounds. Should be cool.

Here are a few pics from the past few days. I'll let you guess where I was and what I was doing. It's more fun that way!

— John

Indiana John?

2010-06-10T12:01:00.001-05:00

Just a fun pic I took yesterday inside a dark, booby-trapped temple of the ancient Aztecs (Aztec National Monument) in the spirit of adventure. I'm at the Alamosa McDonald's (again) eating a dollar menu breakfast and plotting my next path. This morning I visited Great Sand Dunes National Park and had a blast, though it was a bit chilly and windy. Yep. Chilly. 44 degrees. In June. Oh yeah, a guy could get used to this... Next camping destination is a small free campground on the lip of Rio Grande Gorge in New Mexico. I have to get there in plenty of time to claim my spot. I tacked on a few extra pics from Aztec for you.

— John

Aztec Ruins National Monument reminded me a LOT of ancient walled cities of Old Testament Caanan. The walls of this 500-room pueblo/city were 3-4 feet thick on average and the pueblo stood three stories tall. Each family had a 10x10 room for a home and they had a number of kivas (religious meeting places). One had been reconstructed in the 1920's by an archaeologist (pictured at left). Cool yet eerie.

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Trip Diary: Day Three

2010-06-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

TRAVELOR'S NOTE: I'm a day behind in posting these due to computer, Wi-Fi and location issues. One day I will have an iPad just like the two million of you who bought one and my computer worries will cease, no? I'm typing this in Alamosa, Colorado after driving 400 miles. Great Sand Dunes National Park is my next stop. The sun is setting. Gotta go!

Day 3

Manzano Mtns. State Park to El Malpais National Monument

My campsite this time was more than I could have asked. I had quiet, a shelter with picnic table, flat space for my tent, and my car was parked within 10 feet of my shelter. Add to that the beauty of the ponderosa pines, the 7,000-foot altitude and the availability of restrooms with flush toilets and I was in hog heaven. I took it slow this morning and got my gear re-organized. I had found through two nights on the road that my stuff was most inconveniently packed. Sometimes I think a chimpanzee could do a better job than I of getting his ducks in a row. I had toiletries scattered in three places, flashlights in two places (which I could not remember), and electronics scattered all across the front of my car. I had electrical cords wrapped around electrical cords, maps and brochures on the passenger side floorboard, the seat, and in the armrest. Add to that my pillows, guitar (yes, I brought that!), camera cases and other odds and ends, and I must’ve resembled a drifter with all his earthly goods piled in his dirt-covered four-door sedan. I kind of feel like a drifter this week, to be honest. It’s an uneasy feeling. Yet freeing in some strange way.

I arrived at the Quarai Ruins National Monument about 8:30am, or 30 minutes before they officially opened. I got my camera stuff in order (somewhat) and headed around the gate and into the ruins complex. I got a tip from someone high up in the national monument that even though it was technically trespassing on federal land it was all right this morning. I will not reveal my source….

Nevertheless, I had a good 30 minutes all alone inside the cavernous ruins of the Quarai mission church and grounds. It was amazing! Quiet and eerie. Serene and sanctified. Perfect lighting for photography. And then the park ranger showed up. A few minutes before park opening. And saw me in the church with my video camera. Silence……..

It was all right. His name was Murt and he was just fine with my being there. In fact, I got him to talk on-camera about the mission and associated pueblo (score!). We chatted for about 20 minutes and he shadowed me around to point out various parts of the complex. I then took a bunch of pics and headed down the road. It was a wonderful experience.

The drive to Albuquerque was long but had its moments. I never cease to be amazed at the geography of New Mexico and how much it reminds me of another place I’ve been this past year: California. The mountains are the same, the valleys are the same, the vegetation is very similar, and the adobe/Spanish architecture is the same. All New Mexico is missing is the climate and the ocean. And the earthquakes. And the mudslides. And…. Oh, never mind.

I drove through Albuquerque and stopped off at Petroglyphs National Monument, my second monument of this trip. I was excited at seeing my first sight of lava (I don’t know why, just was) but not excited by the weather. Albuquerque was experiencing a record heat wave and temperatures were sweltering. I arrived at the monument in the middle of the day after three hours of driving and… you get the picture. I stopped at the visitor’s center and then drove out to part of a canyon that contained petroglyphs (ancient native paintings on rock). An exhausted man got out of an exhausted car and wandered around a bit, taking silly video, and then retreated to the air conditioning of said car. I went to the volcanoes part of the monument but stayed inside my car. Could’ve walked. Didn’t.

At least I can say I’ve been there.

The drive to Grants was uneventful and shorter than I anticipated. I exited at McCarty’s and made my way south along the eastern edge of El Malpais National Monument, a 117,000-acre lava flow with multiple cinder cone volcanoes and incredible sandstone bluffs. Extremely cool. Uber cool. Totally cool. Even though it was hot. Not the lava. Me. (pause for laughter) I found this place to me incredible and the lava was only one part. The sandstone bluffs and cliffs were unreal. UN-Real. Beautiful. I have pictures to show later. The lava was neat to walk on and observe as it remained frozen in its ancient pose. There was vegetation on a lot of it but not all. In fact, some sections looked like they had just cooled yesterday. Which they hadn’t. Thankfully.

I camped at a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) campground, the most rugged place I’ve been so far. There was no water. And the campsites were very rugged with rocks and cactus everywhere. I had a rough night in large part to the lack of organization of my stuff and my failure to execute the most basic of bathroom/shower shelters. I needed something out there, especially since there weren’t any tall trees and the ones I had on hand were scattered and cracking from drought.

Day 4 Preview…..

Drove Around El Malpais, shot video, took pictures, listened to music, and interacted with folks along the way. Visited the other side of Malpais and El Morro National Monument. Both were incredible places. Picked up some cinder from the side of Bandera Volcano. Quickly. Looked so cool I just had to have some. Besides, the volcano won’t miss it, right? Right? Oh, for the count, that would be four national monuments down, four more to go. Oh yeah. I have Aztec Ruins on tap for Day 5 with Great Sand Dunes National Park. Then Bandelier Nat’l Monument, Pecdon National Historic Park, Ft. Union, and Capulin Volcano.

I’m sitting at a McDonald’s in Grants typing this at the end of day 4. A teenage mom, her boyfriend/husband/friend was next to her and her 2-year-old daughter was at the end of the table. There were other teenagers present at the table. During the whole meal, her daughter was left to fend for herself, poor thing, while her mom denied her attention. Mom was too busy being a teenager with friends. I feel for that little girl because I wonder if she will ever feel loved and wanted. I don’t know the family situation, of course, but gals like that mom need Teen MOPS. I wish more churches would make a conscious effort to help young mothers learn how to be a mother. When a gal and guy choose to have a child (and it is a choice), they need to take that next step in their maturity and become adults, even if they are teenagers. Their old lives are gone.

Anyway, I have to find someplace close to camp. Tomorrow morning I want to go to Bisti Badlands, Aztec and southern Colorado. It’s a long drive but northwest New Mexico is void of good places to camp. I have to get through there tomorrow.

— John

Just after sunset over the rim of Villenueva canyon. I love night photography.

Here's your typical flower picture. or thistle. Or... whatever. This is still from day two. I haven't uploaded any more pics yet due to laptop power issues.

Diary Day Two

2010-06-07T15:36:00.001-05:00

Drove from Villanueva to Manzano Mountains State Park (and other places)

Today was a day of hard-knock lessons for me. Seems I cannot escape this life without them! Maybe they come to help me grow. On the flip side, maybe they come to discourage and stifle me. I can’t say.

Lesson #1 — Stay on the beaten path… if you’re looking for a campground! I drove 84 miles out of my way because I was trying to do “reconnaissance” on a campground. It was in the Cibola National Forest and, supposedly, was a great place to camp if you could find it. (I added that last part) I followed my directions and started down this two-lane asphalt road that looked pretty nice. It had yellow striping down the center, no speed limit, and clear directional signs. Eventually a fork came in the road: one way went to a state park, the other to the national forest campground. I turned towards the forest and… gulp… the road turned into a one-lane thoroughfare that looked as if it had been freshly paved. “Okay,” I thought. “Should be all right as long as no one comes from the other direction.” No one did. Thankfully. Eventually the road came upon the national forest border and, after a cattle guard, it turned into a horror flick for sedans. Dirt upon rock, ruts upon potholes, and an RV slowly making its way towards me. Feeling uneasy far from home in a fairly new passenger sedan, I went against my better judgment and continued on. “Maybe this won’t last long,” I thought. It did. For four miles. I went about 12 miles per hour, dodging ruts and bumps and rocks and fallen tree branches. Eventually I came to the campsite and… it wasn’t too special. It was crowded with people and not very scenic. I then realized that I had to go ALL THE WAY back.

My tale gets worse. Later this afternoon I went to find another campground — a free campground — and, guess what? Five miles of dust, but this road was much worse than the one before. And when I got the campground I found signs that said, “campground closed” all over the place. There wasn’t ANY sign of human habitation. None. And there was evidence that some really big animals had been there recently. Yikes! I wasted 45 minutes and put my poor little car through hell just to teach me a lesson.

What do I do with this knowledge? NEVER LEAVE THE PAVEMENT IF YOU’RE DRIVING A 4-DOOR SEDAN AND ARE THE LEAST BIT RUSTY IN YOUR SURVIVAL SKILLS.

I ended up at a marvelous location at that state park, Manzano Mountains State Park. I have a covered shelter, the crowd is quiet and right now I am listening to the wind roar through the Ponderosa Pines. Nice. Really Nice.

Lesson #2: Sometimes a bad day off the beaten path can turn into a great day off the beaten path if you persevere. I visited two REALLY amazing Spanish missions today, between my campground episodes. Both were off the beaten path. I tried to make it to the third leg of the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument but bad weather forced me to cancel my plans. The two I saw were incredible, and I plan to visit both again tomorrow when I head out of town. I have a special fascination with Spanish missions after my visit to California last summer and that fascination only gets stronger the more I learn about them. I’ll have pictures to share as well as video when I get back.

As for now, I need to finish making my bedding and get some prep work done on tomorrow’s adventures. I plan to go through Albuquerque on my way to El Malpais, or, the “badlands.” It’s a gigantic lava flow. Fun. My volcano adventures begin tomorrow!

Good night! (at 8:58pm)

Trip Diary: Day One

2010-06-06T09:49:00.003-05:00

Day 1

Drove from Flower Mound to Villanueva, New Mexico. On a tank and a half of gas and a Gordon Lightfoot anthology.

Observations: The drive was a long one, though for some reason I expected it to feel longer. Maybe the excitement of finally going someplace new (or long lost) was making the town-to-town journey more bearable. I like driving in populated parts of the country, where you know that every 30 miles there is going to be another town or city and the chances of finding a gas station are good.

The northwestern portion of North Texas isn’t very scenic by most standards. Just field after field of farms, flat as can be, with a few trees scattered about every few miles. When I was driving, I couldn’t help but notice how far I could see. Trees and buildings really block my view in the suburbs. Out on the prairie I could see for 20 miles or more. Around Quanah there are four or so strange hills jutting out of the ground, sticking out like four sore thumbs. They appear to be natural formations but the ancient Comanches thought them to be medicine mounds, homes to spirits who could drive out illness. As a result, the mounds are sacred sites to that tribe. I didn’t have a chance to explore due to time constraints but may on my way back home.

Amarillo was… well, Amarillo. Flat, flat and more flat. But about 20 miles west of Amarillo, the whole landscape changes dramatically. I was floored. I had never been west of Amarillo on Interstate 40 (that I could recall) and missed quite a bit apparently. After miles of flat land, the whole landscape drops off into a large washbasin. The floor essentially gives way and the highway dips a hundred feet or more into a landscape of mesas, buttes and rolling hills. The soil changed, too. Gone was the rich farmland with dark soil. Here was red and orange sand, with semi-arid desert plants. There were yucca and creosote plants, mesquite trees and cactus. It was remarkable.

I wanted some scenery and I got it throughout eastern New Mexico. I wasn’t to the mountains and canyons yet but the mesas and hills were quite a change from what I was used to. At Santa Rosa, I ventured south along old Route 66 to another small highway. I wanted to check out what the official New Mexico state map called “Site of Coronado’s Bridge.” In my research I knew that there was a legend that Spanish explorer Coronado had led his exploring gang across the wild Pecos River at some point in that area and this small village of Puerto de Luna claimed to be the spot. So I went to check it out. It was only nine miles to the village.

Funny thing, this advertising business. When I got to the village of Puerto de Luna I found a historical sign in the middle of town. It talked about this village being one of the oldest settlements in eastern New Mexico. It talked of Billy the Kid and Wild Bill Hitchcock. Coronado? Nope. Nothing. Nada. I did find a “Coronado Road” but no evidence the Spanish explorer was ever there. Many times going off the beaten path pays off. Sometimes it doesn’t. Funny thing, this advertising business.

As I type this I am sitting in my tent at Villanueva State Park, nearly 11pm MDT, and fighting off gnats. They aren’t as bad here as back home but they sure are pesky things! Any source of light or heat brings them in. Some got stuck in my tent when I set it up. Their fault, I say!

Villanueva State Park is located about 20 miles north of I-40 in a beautiful canyon along the Pecos River. When I got here I found the park crowded with people but it was too late to go anywhere else. So I picked a spot on the upper level, pitched my tent and settled in for the night. It is very beautiful and peaceful here. I can’t wait for what the morning may bring. I hope to capture the sunrise in the canyon on camera and then go walking to some old Spanish ruins they have in the park. There’s a rumor that Coronado was here, too….

Tomorrow I also go to another Spanish site: three old mission ruins in and around Mountainair. Spanish missions are more up my alley than phantom bridges. It's called Salinas National Monument. Here's an internet picture of one of the missions I found:

Good night from the windy, semi-peaceful canyon!

— John

UPDATE: As I post this, I'm sitting in a McDonald's in Moriarity, NM, eating hot cakes. I woke up this morning at 5:45am local time and noticed it was getting light. Afraid of missing another sunrise in the desert (or canyon), I got up and quickly dressed and climed the canyon wall for what I thought would be a magical sunrise. It wasn't magical (some clouds hid the sun) but a nice hike. My sunrise photography record is wishy-washy, at best. By the way... I woke up this morning with Gordon Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" running through my head. I still can't stop thinking, "There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run...."

... "The wild, majestic mountains stood alone against the sun..."

... "Long before the white man and long before the wheel..."

Ugh.

"When the deep, dark forest was too silent to be real."

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Off the Beaten Path

2010-06-04T23:01:00.000-05:00

Well, ladies and gents, I can finally let the cat out of the bag (speaking of which, why was the cat in the bag to begin with? And why can't the cat get itself out of the bag?) and announce the theme of my vacation.

"John Newton: Off the Beaten Path"

My goal is to explore the culturally, historically and geographically important sites that lie... off the beaten path. No interstate attractions, no mega-popular tourist traps, no way! I go to visit, document and explore the most interesting sites of America that lie on state highways and isolated byways, country roads and ancient trails. Places you may never know about if you're cruising at 75 mph on the interstate or fighting traffic in the suburbs.

Over the course of my young life I have found that a lot of America's history doesn't have "tourist" written on it. It's that rural bridge that was built during the war to bring supplies to the front lines, speeding up the outcome of battle and saving lives. It's the bayou mansion that was spared from burning during the Civil War, allowing a world famous painter to find refuge there during the South's darkest days and paint his masterpieces. It's the volcano that erupted a long time ago, spewing ash that coated the plains and desert lands, allowing for massive earth sculptures to be carved out of that ash by wind and rain and time. It's that ancient pueblo that sheltered a group of people for hundreds of years until a Spanish explorer came rumbling by and messed with their peaceful lives. It's America. Off the Beaten Path.

I have a fascination with those places that aided and embedded the history of this land and its people. Always have. From Texas history to the Santa Fe Trail to long lost railroads. I have loved it all and spent countless hours researching, reading and soaking it in.

So when I was looking for something to call my vacation adventure, I felt compelled to call it "John Newton: Off the Beaten Path." My dad suggested that I call it "John Versus the Volcano," which I also really like since I am going to New Mexico to see volcanic features. I was thinking more along the lines of "Survivor: El Malpais (The Badlands)." But I hope to avoid every kind of survival situation on this trip. I like the campgrounds, especially those with electricity. And I like Wi-fi and cities.

Tomorrow morning I take off from Flower Mound for the Texas panhandle to document the first few editions of OTBP, on still camera, video camera and in writing.

Oh, and I hope to get some rest. And have fun. I think I deserve it.

I'll check in through this blog whenever I can during my 9-day trip. I've heard that McDonald's now has free Wi-fi, as does Barnes and Noble, Borders, and other bookstores. I just hope my outdated laptop can connect. Otherwise... I shudder at the thought of nine days without the world wide web! Easy, mind, easy...

I need to finish packing for my trip. See y'all on the flip side of tomorrow!

— John

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Dealing With Discouragement

2010-05-31T21:40:00.000-05:00

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." (John 14:2)

Here is a mystery in my ever-shrinking mind: Why do I get so easily disheartened? Why is discouragement and despair always so darn close to me?

Maybe it's the same for you. Why is it so easy to get discouraged?

You see, lately I've been preparing for an eight-day journey to New Mexico and Colorado, places with mountains, mesas, wilderness and, in the case of NM, volcanoes. My adventurous side is compelling me to leave cubicle and florescent lights behind to seek God where I believe He is most easily found — outside our busy zones. It's hard to hear God's voice in the midst of the concrete jungle and structured days. So I need to get away to refocus and retool.

So I planned a vacation — on the cheap — to be frugal with the finances God has blessed me with and step out of my comfort zones. I figure I need $200 total for eight days of driving, camping, and a few meals. Most of my food expense is camp food — you know, dried stuff and powdered stuff. Stuff that costs pennies compared to eating out. I have a circular route of 1,200 miles planned, with stops at seven campgrounds and a bunch of national monuments and parks. I head out alone (for such is the season of my life) with only my camera crew coming with me... well, not really a crew, but I do have a few video cameras and my still camera. I plan to document the entire excursion. I document everything. It annoys my family. But I'm convinced that one day it'll pay off.....

For some, a $200 vacation seems like no great expense, but for me it meant having to skip paying a bill or two. I can't save money every month like most people (I already live very frugally), so taking a vacation means skipping something financial. I hate to do that but such is the price of rest. Besides, I plan to make up those bills next month.

But discouragement came when I checked my bank numbers. What I saw killed my spirit. Always does. If I make it through the trip with no emergency expenses, I'll return with a zero balance (hopefully). If something comes up during my trip or some financial entity decides to withdraw money when I'm gone... I'm sunk. So discouragement has crept in. I'm now looking to cut even more corners. Pretty soon I think I'll have a circle!

Feelings of entrapment are choking me. It seems that I can't ever go anywhere, even if my heart and soul really need it. There is no escape from circumstance. Have you ever felt trapped by where you are? For a long period of time? Kills the spirit, doesn't it?

I searched the Bible this evening for help with my discouragement problem. Maybe scripture has something to say. Usually it does. This time it didn't help much. At least not that I could see. I just got back the same old answer: trust in God even if you don't understand why.

Even though discouragement was a major problem plaguing biblical figures, most times it was tied directly to the execution of a God-given mission. It wasn't just simple circumstance. Usually God gave a specific command (like Joshua's charge to take over the Promised Land) and then opposition to that command arose to cause discouragement. But what if your discouragement doesn't come from opposition to a divine command? What if it is just plain circumstance? Is there such a thing as "just plain circumstance"? I don't know.

At the top of this blog entry I quoted our Lord Jesus talking to his disciples, one of whom, he just announced, would deny him. They didn't understand what was happening to them, so Jesus basically said, "Trust me." I've followed God through this valley and I have no other plans for the future. Even though I don't understand why I'm going through such a tough financial time, I know that God has been faithful to me during this time. He must have been, for I'm still here, you know, with a roof over my head and food in my belly! If he had forsaken me, I'd be lost out in the middle of the barren desert with no hope. But I have hope. As long as I live. Why? Here's God's promise:

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Heb 13:4-6)

Man can take my car, he can take my house, he can take my iPhone (if I had one)... but he cannot take away the love of God for me, even in the midst of my poverty. Even when we feel unloved we still are loved. There must be some assurance in that, right?

Be God's.

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A Whatdo?

2010-05-29T22:51:00.000-05:00

Yoohoo! Have you seen a hoodo? A whatdo? A hoodo! One of these:

Well, this one's kinda small but I've seen them grow much bigger. Or is that shrink much bigger? Hmmm...
What's a hoodo? A whatdo? A hoodo. Oh, right, a hoodo. Well, according to the dictionary, a hoodo is a "column or pinnacle of weathered rock." I'm sure the definition gets more technical than that if you ask a scientist, so I'm not gonna. I just think they're really, really cool. And weird.

Where can I find a hoodo? Well, there aren't any in my neighborhood. Or is that neighborhoodo? Sorry. Couldn't resist. I found out that a bunch of them are located in a small, off-the-beaten-path place called The Bisti Badlands Wilderness in northwestern New Mexico.

The what? The Bisti Badlands. Never heard of it. Neither had I until I ran across a New Mexico photographer's website the other day. Here's one of the other pictures I found (didn't want to post his w/o permission).

Isn't that weird or what? Those towers of rock behind the smooth circular thing are hoodos. The whole wilderness area is basically one big erosion zone, where water, wind and sun are gradually shaping the soft rock, forming quirky, unique formations. Here are a few others, called, "The Cracked Eggs."

Apparently, you can walk right up to these formations and snap as many pictures as desired. No security guards to stop you, no paths to stick to, just a great big hoodo of a good time!

Needless to say, I've added the Bisti Badlands Wilderness to my list of places to visit next week during my Rio Grande adventure. I'll let you know whether or not it was worth it. I'm thinking this may be one of the coolest places on my journey. Here's a parting picture. Click to enlarge.

— John

The Craziness of Adventure

2010-05-27T13:53:00.000-05:00

From the Associated Press news wire today comes a story that strikes a note in my restless heart. Perhaps it is envy that draws me to this story, for I have oft considered doing something so adventurous. Read below...

Adventurer leaves NY career to walk across US

By MARTHA IRVINE, AP National Writer

AVALON, Wis. – In these uncertain times, most of us cling to the things that make us feel secure. Those who have jobs give thanks. We hug our children a little tighter. We wait — and hope — for better times.

So when someone like Matt Green comes along, we shake our heads a little and wonder. Who is this young man, bearded and weather-worn, pushing a cart down a country road, mile after mile? And why would he abandon a solid career as a civil engineer — a roadway designer, ironically — to walk all the way across America?

"Good question," he concedes to those who frequently ask about his motives.

Unlike others who've made cross-country treks, Green is not looking to break a record of any kind. Nor does he want to draw attention to a particular cause. He has no agenda, other than the handwritten list of directions he regularly compiles from Google Maps, in the event his cell phone can't access them from remote areas.

No, for Green, there's just something about the act of walking that makes him really happy, much more content than he ever would have been in his office cubicle in Manhattan, where he used to daydream about doing something epic like this.

On the road, there's a simple purpose to each day, he says. There is camaraderie with the people he meets along the way. There is excitement in discovering what's around the next bend.

"Playing it safe isn't really that safe," he has concluded. "If you do that, you miss out on a lot of the great things life has to offer."

For him, making this journey is freedom.

-------------

Read that last line again: "For him, making this journey is freedom." This is the spirit of adventure, I believe: freedom. Why do people leave the comforts of home, financial security, and other "givens"? For the sake of freedom — actual and imagined. Of course, I see spiritual overtones in all this, though I have no idea whether or not Matt Green is a man of faith.

Truth is, our hearts and our souls were not made to find security and freedom in this world. We were not intended to settle here forever. To get comfortable and satisfied. No, we were intended to long for someplace higher, someplace greater, someplace better than the world we see around us. Look at Abraham. He had everything he needed in Ur. He was wealthy. He had family. He had a home. But he left it behind because God told him there was something better than the status quo waiting for him in Caanan. And so he left, "for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Heb 11:10)." A heavenly city. A better place to dwell. He and his wife, Sarah, saw the promises of God for a better life and they lived by faith, having confessed that "they were strangers and exiles on the earth." And that, my friends, is the key to having a biblical worldview. You must confess that this world is not your final home and live your life accordingly. Once you do that, you will not only find adventure but also freedom from worry, fear and anxiety.

"Playing it safe isn't really that safe," Matt Green concluded. "If you do that, you miss out on a lot of the great things life has to offer."

In less than 10 days, I'm headed off on an adventure of my own. Though I'm not quitting my job like Matt did (of course, he was an engineer and that's two pay grades or more above me), I am heading off across the southwest to find adventure and freedom. I'm not much on walking but I plan to drive across Texas, New Mexico and Colorado by myself in hopes that many wonderful adventures await me along the journey. People to meet, places to see, freedom to be felt. What makes me happy is having the freedom to experience life as it comes to me. The journey is where I find peace. The status quo drives me crazy.

So I can't wait for my next crazy adventure.

The Skinny on Fasting... Skit Guys Style

2010-05-26T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been AWOL on Growing Young the past week, but I'm afraid fatigue, apathy and planning my upcoming summer adventure have been the stressors of my life lately. Adding some levity to it all have been the Skit Guys, Eddie James and Tommy Woodard, who have released several new, hilarious videos. Their latest, "The Skinny on Fasting" addresses misconceptions and exaggerations of the spiritual discipline. Watch at your funny bone's own risk!

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Burying the Past to Live in the Present

2010-05-17T02:03:00.000-05:00

"How did all this happen?" Eugene Sledge said to his best friend Sidney Phillips outside of a dance in Mobile, Alabama in 1946. Sledge had just returned from the War in the Pacific and was suffering the shellshock and regret a lot of veterans battled.

"I mean, look at us, Sid," he resumed. "Sittin here at a dance, drinking punch, not a scratch on either of us. I mean, what the h*** are we doing here? And why? Why did I end up back here when all of those other fellows didn't?"

Sidney, who had returned from the Pacific two years earlier, knew what his friend was talking about.

"I thought that," he said. "Every guy back has thought that. But you've just got to pull yourself out of bed every morning and get on with your day. If we do that enough times in a row, we forget some things. For a while, anyway."

With that, Sidney was called back to the dance and Sledge was left to continue pondering how he was going to resume life after the War. He had changed. No longer was he the innocent teenager who longed to rush off with his friends to fight in the War. No longer was he the same Southern boy who lived in a large home with a wealthy doctor dad and had every need met. His world was turned upside down by the War — by the violence, the vulgarity, and the fear. Getting shot at and seeing men gunned down before his eyes. Experiencing death, fear, hatred, mud, blood... war.

His best friend's solution? Bury it deep, Gene. Get into a daily routine and let it consume you. And Sledge and thousands of veterans did just that. They became routine oriented in order to deal with their horrific memories. Many did not talk about the war for years — decades. They just couldn't process something so ... beyond words.

This was my experience with one of my grandfathers. My dad's dad served in the Atlantic on a bomber plane and wore his service in the military as a badge of honor. He buried many memories deep inside but was always willing to talk about the War. My mom's dad, however, was not so open about his Pacific War experiences. Growing up, the only times I remember him talking about the Pacific were at the few war reunions his division held. I had the privilege of accompanying he and my grandmother to two of them back before I went away to college.

My grandfather didn't fight on Guadalcanal or Pelieu. He didn't crawl on the black sands of Iwo Jima. Those were the headline battles. Instead, he served on several smaller islands and was to be part of the force assembled on Okinawa tasked with invading Japan. That was until the bombs were dropped. I'm not sure how accurate I am with all this info. You see, he rarely talked about the War. I think my grandmother said more about the War than he ever did.

Until one magical night about five years ago. My grandmother brought out several picture albums she had assembled of wartime pictures and set them on the table. We started talking about the war with her, asking about the pictures. My grandfather, ever in his den recliner, got up, walked over to the table, and started looking at the pictures with us. My grandmother asked him questions about people, places and events and he just suddenly opened up. Thirty minutes or more passed as we absorbed and marveled over his memories of serving in the Pacific. It was one of those moments that stay with you the rest of your life. I wish I had a recorder of ANY kind available but, of course, I didn't. I wasn't prepared for this. Who knew?

He didn't open up again about the war when I was around and passed away last November. Now all I'm left with is the memory of a moment.

My dad's dad wrote a memoir of his time over Europe and gave it to his four children (and me). I cherish it very dearly. He couldn't (wouldn't) talk about some things too horrific to recall but at least left us some record of his service. He passed in 2006.

Both men were very routine-oriented. My mom's dad rose at 5am and went to bed at 8pm. When he returned from the Pacific he enrolled in college, got married, and set off on a long distinguished career as a CPA. Life went on. But the war was buried deep. Just like it was for Sledge, Sid Phillips and other vets of the Pacific. They had to move on somehow. So they filled their days with busyness, routine and ambition in hops of forgetting their war trauma.
Some succeeded. Others did not.

I'm so glad my grandfathers won that battle.

P.S. — In case you really couldn't tell, tonight I finished watching the final part of HBO's "The Pacific." (Thanks, Verizon, for the service!) I have been in tears during many moments of this miniseries and stunned at other points. It was caused me to think about the many forces that shaped that generation of men, the biggest of which was World War II. How they were able to regroup at all after returning home is a marvel to me. And makes me appreciate my grandfathers even more.

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A House Divided...

2010-05-15T17:39:00.000-05:00

This just came over the wire from CNN: "Episcopal Church Ordaining First Openly Lesbian Bishop." The article read as follows:

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Despite objections from conservative Anglicans, the Episcopal Church will ordain its first openly lesbian bishop Saturday.

The Rev. Mary Glasspool, 56, becomes bishop surrounded by controversy.

Conservative factions in the Anglican Communion, a 77-million member denomination worldwide, have opposed the ordination of gay bishops.

Glasspool is the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church since Gene Robinson took office in New Hampshire in 2004. Episcopalians instituted a temporary ban on gay bishops after Robinson's ordination but revoked that ban last summer.

The daughter of a priest, Glasspool was one of two openly gay candidates on the slate in the Los Angeles diocese. She has said that her sexual orientation is "not an issue."

Bishop Jon Bruno of Los Angeles said Glasspool was a "highly qualified and experienced" cleric.

"She's not afraid of conflict and is a reconciler," Bruno said, according to the Episcopal Church website.

He added that Glasspool and her partner of 19 years, Becki Sander, are an example of living service and ministry.

But her election drew opposition from Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who said Glasspool's ordination would deepen rifts in the church.

It "raises very serious questions not just for the Episcopal Church and its place in the Anglican Communion, but for the Communion as a whole," said Rowan, according to the church's website.

READ THE REST >>

You know the Anglican Communion is in trouble when its leader — the Archbishop of Canterbury — opposes a lower-church decision and nothing changes. He warned that the ordination of an openly lesbian priest would further divide the Church. The Los Angeles diocese did it anyway.

So much for church unity!

Let me make one thing clear before I continue: the division in the Anglican Communion between the Episcopal Church and the more conservative Anglican Church has been growing for decades, so what is happening right now is nothing new. The church has slowly been unraveling as society pressures it to conform to modern morality and rid itself of its traditional values.

In fact, the Episcopal churches have become so tolerant of sin and ignorant of biblical truth that they are quickly becoming irrelevant as institutions of moral authority. No one looks at the Episcopal Church anymore and says, "Now there's a true defender of the traditional Christian faith." They just don't. Because they can't.

I'm shocked but not surprised at what a fellow L.A. bishop said about Glasspool, that she was a "highly qualified and experienced" cleric. Glasspool herself said her sexual orientation is "not an issue." I guess her personal morality has nothing to do with her ability to lead and shepherd a people. Hmmm.... It's very sad when a resume is valued greater than the character of a person.

This may be condemning, though I hope it's not, but I find myself rooting for a church split in the Anglican Communion. I want the conservative churches to cut ties with the churches who condone sin. Those who disobey God have been warned many times — even by their archbishop — and yet they continue in their transgressions. Our Lord and His apostle Paul recommended this. Confront them in love, then if they refuse to repent, cast them out of the fellowship until they turn from their immorality and come back, Jesus said in Matthew 18:15-17 and Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5.

A house divided may be saved in the Anglican Community. I know big shockwaves were caused by the decision of Christ Church in Plano to split from the Episcopal Church USA communion back in 2006 and temporarily join a conservative communion in Peru. The largest Episcopal Church in the U.S., Christ Church could no longer stand by while its denomination rejected God's truth and blended into the immoral world. Now it exists as a thriving evangelical church under the oversight of an Anglican bishop in Africa. Yes, an evangelical Anglican church. If I lived closer, I'd consider going there to check it out.

You see, sometimes church splits are ugly and unnecessary. But sometimes it is the right thing to do, especially when it comes to dividing truth from error. I'm not talking theological interpretation here but error involving sin. When a church splits, usually a lot of people get hurt and most times any God-given mission gets lost in the midst of bad feelings. I served at a church once that had gone through a church split and know first-hand how it can hinder ministry.

I pray for the Anglican-Episcopal Church. Pray that truth may conquer error. That the priesthood may be sanctified and not further soiled. And that the conservative parts of the Church may know how to godly and graciously part ways with their errant brethren. A house divided may stand firmer than one united in this case. At least for one half. It's clear that the other half is gonna fall.

— John

Got an iProblem?

2010-05-15T13:26:00.001-05:00

Do you fight insomnia like me? Once I fall asleep, I can sleep for days but getting to sleep has always been a problem for me. I've tried all the over-the-counter remedies: Benadryl, melatonin, some chemical I can't pronounce, and so on. Tried warm milk and hot pads for my neck. Turned off lights, turned off the tele. Even gave up caffeine in the evenings. Yet I still struggle to get to sleep. Seems you can't turn off the brain. Know what I mean?

Well, you and I just might have an iProblem. Seriously. Some researchers are drawing a link between insomnia and iPads, laptops, and other electronic devices that emit light. Read the CNN story below:

(CNN) -- J.D. Moyer decided recently to conduct a little experiment with artificial light and his sleep cycle.

The sleep-deprived Oakland, California, resident had read that strong light -- whether it's beaming down from the sun or up from the screens of personal electronics -- can reset a person's internal sleep clock.

So, for one month, whenever the sun set, he turned off all the gadgets and lights in his house -- from the bulb hidden in his refrigerator to his laptop computer.
It worked. Instead of falling asleep at midnight, Moyer's head was hitting the pillow as early as 9 p.m. He felt so well-rested during the test, he said, that friends remarked on his unexpected morning perkiness.

"I had the experience, a number of times, just feeling kind of unreasonably happy for no reason. And it was the sleep," he said. "Sure, you can get by with six or seven hours, but sleeping eight or nine hours -- it's a different state of mind."
Moyer may be onto something.

More than ever, consumer electronics -- particularly laptops, smartphones and Apple's new iPad -- are shining bright light into our eyes until just moments before we doze off.

Now there's growing concern that these glowing gadgets may actually fool our brains into thinking it's daytime. Exposure can disturb sleep patterns and exacerbate insomnia, some sleep researchers said in interviews.

"Potentially, yes, if you're using [the iPad or a laptop] close to bedtime ... that light can be sufficiently stimulating to the brain to make it more awake and delay your ability to sleep," said Phyllis Zee, a neuroscience professor at Northwestern University and director of the school's Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology.

"And I think more importantly, it could also be sufficient to affect your circadian rhythm. This is the clock in your brain that determines when you sleep and when you wake up."

READ MORE >>

Sometimes I wonder how much our electronic lives are hindering our experiential lives, that being the way we experience life. As far as time cycles go, my grandparents slept 9 to 5 and worked 6 to 4. My parents sleep 10 to 7 and work 8 to 5. I try to sleep 12 to 8 and work 9 to 6 (or 7 or 8 or 9).

I credit the electronic age to my different sleep and work cycles. For example, I have always stayed up later because of television, computers, and the availability of electric lights. I usually don't go home at 4 or 5 because I can work later thanks to computers and lights. It doesn't matter when the sun goes down. A recent as 70 years ago people rose and dozed based on the sun's timing. They were asleep by 9 and up with the sun.

So is your iPod, iPad, or laptop keeping you up at night? I don't enjoy turning on my home computer in the evenings because I work on one all day, but I eventually do. And I'll spend about an hour on it after I get home. But only an hour. I'm considering following J.D. Moyer's lead and turning off my electronic distractions for a while to see if that helps me sleep. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. We'll see.

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What a Video Geek Does With His Spare Time

2010-05-10T21:22:00.000-05:00

He makes videos! I had some unexpected off time this afternoon, so I fired up my video editing software, imported some free stock video of timelapses, and edited a 33-second video. Here it is. It's not much but I liked it.

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A Splash of Mother's Day Poetry

2010-05-10T14:52:00.000-05:00

Proverbs 31 is the penultimate passage on the virtues of a godly woman. A woman of virtue is trustworthy, hard working, tender and firm, a provider and of noble reputation to her community. What a remarkable life! Reminds me a lot of Ruth. She was hard-working, trustworthy, a provider for Naomi, and had a great reputation.

About five years ago, on the eve of a Mother's Day, I did a personal study of the Proverbs 31 passage and, being the poet wannabe, I put together a bit of poetry to reflect the woman I found in that passage. I've been sitting on it since then. So I thought I'd share.

A Song for Mothers

Blessed is the woman who’s heart will fear the Lord

Wisdom is her garment, peace comes forth from her word

Her children are her pride, in her heart forever adored

She works hard for no money, is prudent with her time

She gives up her own needs to see that her family is fine

She wears a garland of grace, her beauty is ever sublime

Blessed is the woman who raises her children in faith

And by faith her children shall stand

The strength of the strong man, the wisdom of sages are hers

Blessed is the woman whose children are quick to bless her

She blesses her children with grace, what they don’t deserve

Endurance, Peace and a Whole Lotta Sand

2010-05-08T22:20:00.000-05:00

Hiking may be one of the most spiritual things a person can do. It can be, if you have your eyes open, because lessons about faith and life are everywhere! For weeks now I have been wanting to get out of the house and go on a hike. So this afternoon I tested a new trail, Rocky Point Trail, here on the north shore of Grapevine Lake, not certain of what I'd find but resting confident in the review of a hiking website. "Easy trail with a pretty descent to a sandy beach," the website said. Or something different that I used my powers of interpretation on. The site also said, "may be sandy in places."

Harrumph, I said. I can take sand, I said. The whole shoreline ain't nothing but rock, I said. Harrumph.

Feeling confident in my powers of trail review interpretation, I packed a daypack with a blanket to sit on when I reached the trail's end, my camera should the right moment strike, matches because every survival show says you need matches or flint, and my spirit of adventure. The hike took a few hours this afternoon.

Harrumph, I said when I reached the trail head. Looked like a narrow lane slicing deep into the woods. Nothing special.
Harr, I said as I hit the first of many patches of weeds and thorns leaning over the trail. If not for my jeans, it would've been much tougher to bear the undergrowth. I used my camera tripod as a walking stick to knock some confidently out of my way.
Umph, I said, as I stared down the rocky drop-off in front of me. Thirty feet to the creek bed below. Two paths led down the decline. Both were rough.

At the bottom I relaxed a little. A beautiful meandering creek followed the trail towards the lake. It was postcard purdy but the last "umph" had me feeling like I wanted to just get to the beach and sit down. I work at a desk under florescent lights. Umphs hurt.

So does treading sand. "May be sandy in places?" The entire trail was nothing but deep sand FOR TWO MILES. The entire trail was but 3 1/2 miles. You do the math. There was sand going up hills and sand coming down. Sand in the valleys, sand on the plains. Sand under the vegetation, and sand in the air. Okay, maybe not the air, but I wouldn't have been surprised...

An hour later and ten pounds of sand in my boots, I reached the shore. It was... okay. Grapevine Lake isn't known for its picturesque sandy beaches and this one was actually better than most. I reclined in the sand, took a picture (above) and then prepared for the long haul back. I didn't want to go back. Not because of the beauty of the place. But I was worn out from walking in all that sand! And I had to go back through it? With rubber legs? Harr... umph.... ouch.

My hike taught me lessons in endurance, direction, hope, worry, anticipation, temptation, decision, negligence, accomplishment, adventure, danger, and peace. Yes, peace. In the midst of trial. I brought along my iPod to listen to music but ended up leaving it off. The sound of the birds, wind, water and bugs was very relaxing. It was peaceful. Would have been better without the airplane noise, chainsaws, blowers, and other assorted neighborhood sounds. But for Flower Mound, Texas, it wasn't bad. Kinda spiritual.

I haven't been able to move for hours.

Harrumph.

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Is Loneliness a Disease?

2010-05-08T21:44:00.000-05:00

Is loneliness a disease? According to author Emily White, in her memoir "Lonely," loneliness needs to be treated the same as depression — with clinical study and, perhaps one day, pharmaceutical cure. Writer Daphne Merkin in Elle Magazine (umm... which I found through CNN.com...) describes White's theories by writing,

"Suffering from chronic loneliness as she does, White wants this "stigmatized" experience to be not only officially recognized by the world at large, but to be honored as an affliction worthy of extensive research and, God help us, given its very own category in the next DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), the fifth version of which is due out in 2013.
"This is presumably so that therapists and psychiatrists can look it up as a psychological problem in its own right in what has become an ever-proliferating doorstop of a manual (the fourth version features "caffeine-induced anxiety disorder" and "nicotine dependence"), and deal with its symptoms instead of brushing them aside as part of the human condition or confusing them with the symptoms of depression.
Indeed, throughout her memoir, White, a lawyer, is at pains to distinguish chronic loneliness from depression."

So, is loneliness a disease or disorder like depression? Thankfully for all that's reasonable and sane, Merkin resoundingly disagrees in her commentary, found here.

"And what I'm asking is: Why? What does it accomplish to tease out the one from the other, even if there is a genetic basis for both, and accord them equal pathological weight? What does it clarify? There is no pill for loneliness thus far that I know of, just as there is no pill for boredom; both seem to me to be part of the normal emotional climate of humanness rather than deviations from it."

Bingo. There is no pill for loneliness that doesn't end a life. To be lonely is to be human. We all suffer loneliness at some time or another — many times even when other people are near. That's why celebrities are some of the loneliest people. Loneliness is cured by intimate relationships — relationships that break past the ice and touch the warm heart of a person. When you have intimate relationships, you will be less likely to feel alone. It doesn't take a marriage partner to end loneliness. Most counselors will tell you that married people can be just as lonely as singles if their relationship with their partner is no deeper than the surface. When a couple starts "going through the motions" each partner becomes more isolated until they are estranged. Intimate relationships can be with a friend, family member or romantic partner.

Some people choose lives of loneliness. They aren't necessarily suffering from some disease (like social anxiety disorder). They could just be victims of circumstance.

Interesting article by Merkin, if a little boring.

— John

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Scattershooting on a Saturday

2010-05-08T11:40:00.000-05:00

On a lazy Saturday that is! I just wanted to share a few random thoughts from the week that was.

I made my weekly trip to Wal-Mart on Monday evening to shop for myself while observing human society at the same time. Wal-Marts are great places to observe societal behavior. For someone who thinks theologically and philosophically like myself, it's kinda the proverbial candystore of sociology. In no other place do you find the same diversity of races, religions, ages, and behaviors. Just be sure not to stare! After all, I was there to shop first.

Lately, I've been noticing a disturbing trend in the people I see. Many of them wear a sour or sad look on their faces and their body language seems to back up that expression. People just don't look happy. Couples come in, grab their cart, and then scowl as they walk silently towards their desired isle. Maybe they're perfectly happy inside and just happen to look dour on the outside. I don't know. But people do seem less joyous now compared to years past.

I've found that church ministry, in any form, is one of the hardest things I've ever done. Because of the dual nature of the local church, we are both a physical organization that need structure, budgets, salaries, and the like, but we are also a spiritual organization responsible for carrying out our part of the will of God on earth. This involves the shepherding of people's hearts, minds and, according to Hebrews 13:17, their souls. I've always taken this responsibility very seriously, no matter what my official position may be. I may not be paid to be a pastor anymore but my calling remains no matter where I work. If I see someone in need of something I believe I can provide, then I won't wait for a paid pastor to show up. I'll act. I hope you're bold enough to do the same. It's not easy fulfilling both the organizational and the spiritual functions of the local church. Many times there are sharp disagreements on the organizational part but agreement in the mission. Other times the organization is fine but there is contrast in the theological/spiritual realm. If both happen at the same time... when that happens it makes life difficult on all involved in church ministry.
Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? What are you passionate about? Discovering one's spiritual gifts feels tough at first and can often take a long time. I've been in the church all my life and I'm still discovering mine. I've tested the waters of most areas of church ministry, from childcare to children's ministry, Sunday school, small groups, worship, preaching, men's ministry, outreach, missions, etc. Some things I was gifted for. Others I clearly wasn't! So I've gradually weeded out some areas from my list of potential uses for my spiritual gifts and, in the process, have discovered a few of my gifts. I suggest you try a few new areas of ministry and service (don't commit long-term to them) and see what happens. Like me, in the process you may discover a few of your gifts. And I think you'll be really excited when you do.

Be God's!

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Radioactive Church Attendance

2010-05-05T00:42:00.002-05:00

Every now and then I read something that gives me pause. Very rarely do I read something that gives me pause after I had a discourse with a friend about the same topic that had left me on pause. And as you know, if you hit pause twice you get "play" so I decided to blog about it. Here is the article I found by a pastor up in Denver. Dave Terpstra leads a young Gen-X and Gen-Y fellowship and has noticed some things about the modern nature of churchgoing. As he states at the end of this 2006 blog post, he doesn't have stats to back up his points. He just has observations. And he's open to hearing other observations. Read below...

Radioactive Church Attendance: predicting your congregation’s half-life | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

As a young man in ministry (albeit non-clergy right now), I totally see his points. People do go through churchgoing half-lives, especially in their younger years. Let's take college students. I've discovered second-hand that it's really difficult to get a college ministry off the ground and grow it. I know at my church I have seen some really good people invest in ministry to college-aged students but grow frustrated at the task. Most eventually quit or got too busy to continue. Sadly, I've seen college students become "disengaged" from the church body. Is it the church's fault? Could be. I just know that many who graduate from the high school group never come back to church. This year we have 18 or so graduates in our church. I pray they all get involved in a church during their college years but I know the odds are stacked against that. Many college students leave the churches they grew up in and getting them back in church — any church — is not easy. I know. I was one of them. During four years of college I went to four churches for a total of nine times combined. That's once a semester plus a summer. If not for a "come-to-Jesus" period during my junior year, I may not have gotten back involved in church after I graduated.

It's funny how things tend to come back around in ways you least expect. I now lead the young singles ministry at my church and have struggled for almost two years just to get young adults engaged in the group and in our church. Not even personal invites have worked. In-person invites. Some young adults are very apathetic towards church, especially the church they grew up in. They don't yet see relevance between the Bible and real life. Those who do get it many times feel that the church has overlooked the young unmarried demographic in favor of people with kids at home. While I support the family, as a single man I have just as much value in the kingdom as a married man with kids. And I want to be wanted by my church, too. If a church has given up on young adults altogether, it is not healthy but dying. You cannot ignore a major wound and expect to have good health.

Dave Terpstra makes several good points, especially:

1. "Don't just go after the "easy" target of young families. Students and singles need the church too. Especially considering how unstable their lives are, perhaps they need us even more than young families. Deal with the instability and reach young people for the Kingdom!" One of the reasons young adults are not in church is that we feel the church isn't interested in us. We have "family-this" and "family-that" but a whole segment of the Body of Christ is being left out by default. So we either wander into this world for answers or keep our faith private, personal, and within the confines of our moral conscience.

3. "Pay attention to an increased adult population nearing a transition point. If a couple of families every year become empty-nesters that may not be a significant change. If 1/2 of all your families go through that transition in three years time, you may see a major drop in attendance or participation." Sometimes empty-nesters are just as overlooked as young adults. I had a talk with an empty-nester a few weeks back about this very subject and she told me that the "family-this" and "family-that" focus of the church made her and her husband feel left out, too. They don't have kids at home anymore. They are members of a small group and come to a Sunday service but their family is now just two, so kids activities probably don't interest them. I believe a church needs to help parents make the transition from "child-at-home" to "child-on-their-own." It's a hard time for parents, especially mothers. Just ask any empty-nester.

Finally,

5. "Pay attention to staff members going through transition points as well. It should not be a surprise when a staff member leaves after getting married, having kids, or becoming an empty nester. Life transitions lead to job transitions as well." This one strikes very close to home for me. I'm a staff member going through a very tough transition right now. I'm moving from young single to middle aged single, from job-focused to career-focused, from oriented to disoriented and I'm pretty sure I'm nearing a major life transition. How can a church help a person like me? Will the church even notice? These are the things on the back of my brain as I go in to work every day. All but one of our pastors is an empty-nester. Only one director has a young child at home. So the majority of our major leadership has been through a major transition. If the staff has been through major transitions, the body surely has, too.

Every church is faced with its own demise at one point in its life or another. What I mean is this: a church has to engage generations at some point in order to keep a cycle of life going. A church that loses a generation is in BIG trouble because it is much harder to recapture a generation lost than keep it from going away.

Be God's.

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"Jennifer Knapp Comes Out"

2010-04-30T22:05:00.004-05:00

I had wondered what happened to Jennifer Knapp, the hotshot Christian folk artist who hit the music scene 13 years ago when I was still a college lad. The songs off her debut album "Kansas" struck a chord with Christians across the country because the acoustic-driven, brutally honest and theologically rich tunes stood out from the mainstream of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM).

Well, she disappeared, indeed, around 2002. Gave up music, turned into a wanderer, moved to Australia, and battled a number of inner demons. She's back stateside now with a new album and a new identity. Music fans will hardly recognize her now and she just may have to build a brand new audience. Here's an interview conducted by Christianity Today a few weeks ago. The preamble sets the stage:

Seven years ago, while at the top of her game, Jennifer Knapp announced what seemed to many a sudden decision: She was stepping away from Christian music, taking an indefinite hiatus. Rumors began to swirl—she was burned out, she needed a rest, she was upset about something, she was gay. Turns out that all the rumors were true, as Knapp reveals in this rambling, exclusive interview with Christianity Today.

Jennifer Knapp Comes Out | Music | Christianity Today

Knapp says she is at her most joyous place in her life now, though she appears to be battling her faith and the community of faith at large. She says she is "in love" with her partner and is angry at the way the evangelical church has hated her kind. I don't like the judgmental church, either, but I also don't like her choice to pursue homosexuality and be OK with it.

On a side note: I do wish believers would show more love and grace to those in open sin instead of judgment. We don't have to condone their sin, just keep the door open for repentance and restoration. How does that old saying go, "Love the sinner, hate the sin"? It's a tough two-step to dance, but if we bathe their lives with our prayers, maybe the Holy Spirit's ministry will result in repentance and restoration. Always remember that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin. That's His job. Our mission is not to go to every public sinner and point fingers and cast stones. What did Jesus say, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone"?

Yet still, I'm quite shocked at Jennifer Knapp's revelation to the world. After reading the interview, it is obvious that she has lost her grounding in the absolute truth of God's word. She says she has found comfort in His word but that same word seems to be less of an anchor and more of a crab pot. She has been swallowed up in the popular sea of relativity, where everyone must find their own faith, stick to it, and expect others to accept it. You know, it's that dreadful philosophy, "Your way is good for you, my way is good for me, let's just leave each others faith alone, okay?" But what if there is really only one Faith in one God?

I believe Jennifer to be saved. But her path of life is wayward. Please pray for her. Love her. And show her grace. For her sake. And for the sake of the kingdom.

Be God's.

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More From the 'Ark'

2010-04-28T23:37:00.000-05:00

Here is video of the exploration team posted on YouTube. They have found something remarkable, it appears. But can it be Noah's Ark?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGIUfWXvwJI&feature=player_embedded

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The Lord Told Noah To Build Him an Arky, Arky...

2010-04-28T23:23:00.000-05:00

My dad showed me something most remarkable yesterday. A group of Christian explorers and scientists claim to have found a wooden structure that they believe to be Noah's Ark buried in a glacier on Mount Ararat. Noah's Ark? The group of Turkish and Chinese Christians (no Americans involved) say that they have found a multi-room wooden structure preserved in the ice. Carbon dating says the wood is 4,800 years old, according to the group, which equates to 2,800 B.C. According to a literal dating of Genesis, the flood would have happened between 3,000 and 2,500 B.C.

Here's an excerpt from a Fox News article posted yesterday:

Representatives of Noah's Ark Ministries said the structure contained several compartments, some with wooden beams, that they believe were used to house animals.The group of evangelical archaeologists ruled out an established human settlement on the grounds none have ever been found above 11,000 feet in the vicinity, Yeung said.

During the press conference, team member Panda Lee described visiting the site. “In October 2008, I climbed the mountain with the Turkish team. At an elevation of more than 4,000 meters, I saw a structure built with plank-like timber. Each plank was about 8 inches wide. I could see tenons, proof of ancient construction predating the use of metal nails."

As you might expect, the news has been met with a mix of excitement and skepticism. I have both. It's exciting if the find is real and there is no fraud involved. Whether or not this is Noah's Ark or just an old mountain cabin will probably be debated for eons to come, much like the Shroud of Turin. The bottom line is that faith must be present before proof becomes proof.

The skeptic in me says that this is too good to be true and makes me hold off belief until I see another set of scientific analysis. Does this structure really exist? Don't forget that we live in the age of Photoshop and Twitter, where fakes can be manufactured and distributed quickly. And... I wonder why this would come to light now, at this time? I briefly saw an article in which even an old ark hunter is skeptical about this new find. Then there are those linguists who claim Genesis 8:4 refers to the mountain range of Ararat and not the mountain itself.

Anyway, here was the Fox News article from yesterday. It's fascinating and I hope it's true. But I can't get super-excited yet.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/27/noahs-ark-found-turkey-ararat/

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A Song About Adventure

2010-04-24T12:45:00.001-05:00

I wrote this one a few years back as a lullaby for a young boy. In some ways it sheds light on my yearning for adventure.

— John

Sweet Dreams

Standing on the beach I watch the tide roll out

Sending the boats out to sea

And I wonder, young man, how you’re doing right now

Chasing your heart’s deepest dream

Cause right here on the shore, it is such a bore

I’d rather be out on the sea

Sailing away to some far away land

There’s adventure just waiting for me!

So drift off away to a far away land

Of paupers and prophets and kings

May God ever hold you in the palm of His hand

And fill your young mind with sweet dreams

In every boy’s mind there’s a treasure to find

Of stories too good to believe

Of heroes and giants, villains and kings

Who play out a breathtaking scene

Maybe there are pirates! Maybe a storm!

Maybe a princess in need!

I’m never gonna know if I never go

To follow my heart’s deepest dream!

And I pray that you know what it means to find love

And love what it means to be free…

An Adventure Awaits!

2010-04-24T12:38:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking about going on an adventure this summer. A real journey of epic proportions. Or so I've imagined it.

Maybe I'll go volcano hunting in New Mexico, where hundreds of extinct volcanoes dot the landscape. I just read the other day that one of them is not yet considered extinct because it still shows signs of volcanic activity. I've always been attracted to volcanoes. They're just kinda really... cool.

Maybe I'll go on a mountain expedition to Colorado, hiking up 14,000-foot peaks and descending into 2,000-foot canyons. I haven't been to Colorado in nine years; not on my own since the mid 1990's.There's a lot of history there, too. Maybe I'll find me some gold...

Maybe I'll seek out some sun and sand by the sea. I have a desktop background that always seems to beckon me to come to the Caribbean (or the South Pacific) and relax by its scenic waters. I can see it now... sitting in a hammock stretched between palm trees, my hat pulled over my eyes, an ice cold lemonade in my hand, listening to the sound of the surf...

Maybe I'll do something with deeper meaning, and go serve on the mission field this summer in some far-off place. I think I can work with my hands, even though I make my living in front of a computer.

Wherever I go, there's adventure waiting for me! I just know it! And my camera crew will be coming with me....

I have discovered during the journey of my life that I have a spirit of adventure infused into my soul. Like a tapestry, it is woven into the fibers of my being. You cannot take the desire for adventure away from me without destroying me in the process. I long to explore new places, meet new faces, and do new things (non-crazy things, that is). I'm rarely content with where I am in my life if there is a lack of adventure, challenge or growth. I cannot accept the status quot if it isn't taking me or those I love somewhere better than this.

I have recently concluded that sitting in a desk chair all day is the antithesis of adventure. But since it is my job at present, I need to stretch my explorer side this summer. Where I go is what I have to determine.

There are some challenges to going on adventures. Take being single, for example. Without a traveling buddy, anywhere I go for extended periods of time will have to be done alone. And as I discovered last summer during my vacation to California, being alone in strange places can be tough. I did a LOT of talking to myself. And to my camera crew (a Panasonic, a JVC, and a Canon).

Finances are another challenge to adventure. Right now I'm struggling to get my financial head above water, so wherever I go needs to be cheap AND satisfying. I have been blessed with a newer car that gets great gas mileage, so I'll probably drive wherever I go this summer. That limits my range of adventure, unfortunately, and I wish it wasn't that way. But every adventure needs to be balanced by some (if little) reality.

There's something spiritual in adventure, too. My heart is restless and I can tell you with confidence that this is not a thing of the flesh but of the spirit. I am not at home in this world and my heart knows it. I am different than the world and I see it everyday by observing people around me. Oh, I look like them, for sure, but the eyes of my heart have been opened and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, while those who do not know Him are still asleep. One of my favorite movie lines comes from an adventure movie, "Joe Versus the Volcano." The female lead says this to an adventure-seeking Joe, "My father says almost the whole world's asleep. Everybody you know, everybody you see, everybody you talk to. He says only a few people are awake. And they live in a state of constant total amazement."

My restless heart comes from a yearning for freedom, freedom of the mind, freedom of the heart, and freedom of the body. I want to be free! I also want to find a place of rest for my weary heart and mushy head. I've been taxing my body in that desk chair and straining my eyes and my mind for way too long. I owe them a break. I need a place of rest.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 55. In that song, David is stressed out by the revelation that his enemies are slandering him and his best friend has betrayed him. His heart and his soul are weary. So he says,

"Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

Behold, I would wander far away,

I would lodge in the wilderness.

I would hasten to my place of refuge

From the stormy wind and tempest.”

This is the relief for which my heart longs. An adventure that brings rest. Is there one waiting for me? I hope so! I just know I have to get away to find it. No metaphorical "adventures in life" for me — I need real, physical adventures.

So I plan and dream until I find one.

— John

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We Be Mass Communicatin!

2010-04-18T19:36:00.000-05:00

A very young me on local TV. Note the sports tie.

I've collected a few dozen of those! See those peeling letters on the backdrop?

I cut those out of copy paper and taped them to the backdrop my senior year,

hoping to "up" the quality of our broadcast!

When I first stepped into the TV studio at John Brown University's broadcasting department 15 years ago, I was awestruck. The room was absolutely huge! Twenty-foot ceilings with hanging studio lights, a sit-com set in one corner and a news set in another. A big green screen on the wall and really big cameras on wheels. It was a freshman geek's heaven!

When I first visited JBU the spring before, I fell in love with the idea of broadcasting. After talking to one of the television profs, I made up my mind that I wanted to learn as much about radio and television as possible during my four years there and that fall I set about obtaining my lofty ambition. The first semester, I took "beginning radio" and learned about putting together radio newscasts, advertisements, and doing dramatic readings. I wasn't on the air yet, but I knew that if I was good enough, I'd be on the air in just a few months.

The next semester I was on-air to Northwest Arkansas via music station KLRC-FM and starting my courses in TV production and mass communications. By my third semester I was calling basketball games and anchoring sportscasts on television, working on-air at the campus radio station and has started to write news articles for the campus paper. Add to that a budding (and bumbling) baseball career, and I was in heaven.

Mass communication was so fun! Students were reading my written words, common folks were hearing my voice in their cars and at work, and I was sending basketball broadcasts through the telephone from far off gymnasiums. I was learning the importance of sending and receiving messages and how the manner of our delivery often shapes the message we deliver.

The Newest Oldest Technology

As I recall the "good old days" of the late 1990s, I have on my mind how much mass communication has changed in just a few years. There are still messages to deliver and the method still matters, but there are so many more methods now than there were 10 or 15 years ago. Just look at the development of the Internet, for example. It existed when I went off to college but its potential to be a source of news gathering and relay had yet to be tapped. Journalism entities were slow to jump on the e-bandwagon, perhaps for fear of the unknown. If you wanted to dig up a story, you used the telephone. If you wanted to videotape an interview, you sent a camera crew. If you wanted to broadcast the footage, you edited it from tape-to-tape and stuck the edited tape in a tape deck, ready for TV or cable broadcast.

Audio recording was done on 8-track-like "carts" that varied in length and could be recorded on only once before needing to be magnetically erased. Later, radio stations used either mini-discs or CD recorders for recording audio. Editing took place with multiple cart/disc decks and the skillful timing of a producer.

I was first exposed to computer editing at JBU but it was viewed as experimental technology. Now, there are no more tape-to-tape editing decks (or very few) and carts, mini-discs and CD recorders have followed suit. Everything is computer-based and digital.

My, how mass communication has changed!

When I was in broadcasting and journalism school, mass communication was through radio, television, newspapers and film. Now newspapers are dying, radio is quick to follow, television news has become entertainment and films... well, films are still films. It's sad to see my industries fade away. The very equipment I was trained on is no longer used in the communications professions. Most of what I've learned about shooting, editing and distributing media has come post-college. And college was only 11 years ago.

Information is communicated almost instantaneously these days thanks to the development of cell phones, social media websites, and computer media software. A person can shoot, edit and post anything within five minutes, sometimes quicker. They can video a fiery car crash with their iPhone and e-mail it to the local news station before the drivers even get out of their mangled vehicles.

On last week's Deadliest Catch TV show, I was blown away by something I saw. After a small fishing vessel capsized off the Aleutian Islands coast, a nearby ship rushed to the coordinates to assist the boat's four-man crew. The following rescue was captured on video, not by a documentary film crew, but by a camera phone. The whole five-minute sequence, with clear audio, was shot by one of the rescuing crew and the quality was amazing. I have an old Panasonic digital camcorder that couldn't capture better video. The Discovery Channel obtained the video from the fisherman and included it in their show. It was powerful.

During the recent earthquakes, camera phones captured both rubble and rescue and video from the impact zones was on the Internet within a half hour of the quakes. Texting has also revolutionized communication. Within minutes of each earthquake, Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites were flooded with on-the-scene reports. Before a single journalist had landed on the ground — before a single helicopter had taken off to survey the scene, the whole world knew what had happened and how bad it was.

ABC News surprised the media world last month by announcing a new approach to the way its journalism is done. The major media entity will rely more on regular folks with cell phone cameras and other handheld devices to collect news stories, interviews and opinions than its paid news staff. As a result, a lot of producers, reporters, cameramen and behind-the-scenes folks will be out of work soon, as the network trims its budget and tries to streamline its news operation. CNN already uses "iReporters" to gather news and create online media content. These iReporters may be paid a few bucks, but I gather that most are just citizens with cameras and a healthy dose of curiosity.

Mass communication has been turned on its head in some ways. Ten to 15 years ago, mass communication was sent from selected entities to the masses. Now, it's sent from the masses to selected entities. The messages are the same: hard news, soft news, entertainment. The methods are changing, however. Those who hold broadcast-journalism degrees and have multi-point resumes like myself are wary of the way things are going, not because the people have been empowered but because anything and everything can be reported as news. No filters. In the old days, the professionals were the editors, weeding out fact from fiction. Now, each person is his or her own filter, and there are some awfully porous filters out there!

As I seek to use mass communication in the context of church ministry, I am wondering how the new age of communication is going to affect my efforts. Is simple video good enough anymore? Can I put ink to paper and have it be effective communication, or do I need to text message my words? How can I make sure a message I deliver is the message received?

It is a different age, though I hardly feel 11 years older than when I graduated. Time is a funny thing, you know.

Oh, and the fact that I am blogging is, in itself, evidence of the new communication age. Didn't have THAT when I was in school, either!

A few more pics for your amusement...

I actually won some awards for column writing during my junior and senior years of college from the Arkansas Collegiate Media Association. Here I am posing with a first place award at my Siloam Springs townhouse.

I cut my broadcasting teeth on college basketball, calling four years of JBU Golden Eagle hoops on both TV and radio (taped simulcast at home, live radio on the road). I also announced local high school hoops, including a state championship run for the Siloam Springs gals, and football. I loved doing on-camera work. Getting paid for it was a big bonus!

Random Thoughts from Center Field

2010-04-18T17:37:00.000-05:00

Scattershooting while deeply hoping the sinus and throat stuff I'm fighting isn't anything more than simple allergies.

I'm thinking that....

The grace of God is a marvelous mystery that must be embraced to live the Christian life to its fullest. Why would God accept me — fallen and broken with two left feet and stubbed toes — as His child? Why would He not only save me but also justify me for life? I SO don't deserve it but I must embrace it. Knowing that He set me free from guilt and shame allows me to move on with my life and be devoted to His service.
I'm very thankful for the sound of raindrops on my front lawn. yesterday I opened my windows, turned off my electronic distractions, and just listened to the sound of rain falling on the ground outside. The air was a little cool but I didn't care. The pitter-patters, plops, drops, and splashes were incredibly relaxing and just made me plain happy. It's funny how we tend to collect a lot of "stuff" in this world with the goal of being happy yet often find our truest happiness in the sound of simple raindrops.
That it's hard to ask people to give money to different causes every Sunday morning, yet even harder to choose one to ignore for the sake of others. Like many churches, my fellowship is in a budget shortfall and the deficit is growing each week. Our general giving is down but it's difficult to ask people to give more when many are holding on for dear life out in this world. Everyone needs funds to operate in this world (which is something I really don't like about this place but it's a reality I'm forced to embrace). Missionaries need money, the poor need money, student ministries need money, our lawn and custodial people need money, our staff needs to be paid, etc. Folks are stretched thin, financially, and I think a lot of churches are re-evaluating how they do ministry right now as a result. For instance, my church is increasing its reliance on volunteer labor and cutting programs out of the budget. As the church publisher, I've reduced paper consumption and am trying to minimize machine wear.
That scratchy throats and runny nasal passages make typing the only bearable activity for my body on a Sunday afternoon. But, alas, I am out of random thoughts.

Be God's!

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Strange in Time and Space

2010-04-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

Tis a strange time we live in. Or so I have concluded. Earthquakes every week, a pesky volcano in Iceland, calm weather on the Bering Sea... just plain weird.

Some would point to the end times and say what we're experiencing is the like the "lead-in" or warm-up act. The only thing we're missing is a major war, which it seems this world is missing right now. Knock on wood. Call me a pessimist, but I tend to think the lead-in has been happening for nearly 2,000 years. Is this the precursor to the rapture or tribulation? No one knows. People in Saint Peter's day thought the end was near (or had somehow passed, 2 Peter 3). When the end comes is God the Father's responsibility to decide. And I'm pretty sure we're not going to know before Jesus, the Son, knows (Matt 24:36, Acts 1:7).

I just find this time in life to be strange yet fascinating. Deadly times for those in Haiti, Chile, Sumatra, Mexico or China. Frustrating times for those waiting for a flight to or from northern Europe. Scientists are saying that the number of earthquakes we're experiencing is nothing unusual compared to modern history. They just happen to be hitting close to heavily-populated areas and are being reported instantaneously through media like Twitter, Facebook, and camera-loaded cell phones. This shift in mass media communication is fascinating in itself and I may blog on it later.

Adding to the strangeness of this age we find ourselves in is the quirky movement of time. Maybe it's just a part of getting older, but I'm finding that time is passing really, really fast. Goodness, it's April 17th for crying out loud! What happened to March? It just whizzed by. I'd like to personally blame those earthquakes. After all, scientists say the 8.8-magnitude Chilean quake sped up the earth's rotation 1.26 microseconds, which means each earth day is now that much shorter. I thought so! I guess the earth's axis got shifted or something. Seems like scientists are saying a lot these days. About everything.

Strange times, I say. For both time and space. Strange.

I'm thankful that God is not like the earth (or, is not the earth). Otherwise, that earthquake may have just well knocked him off his throne! But there is no shifting with God, no turning out of character or place (James 1:17). He is the only steady thing, the only trustworthy being and even in these shorter days I find it very important to look towards Him and find my constant.

Be God's.

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Of Dual Citizenship & Kingly Lessons

2010-04-15T17:09:00.003-05:00

A tricky scholar came up to Jesus one day in an attempt to trick the wise teacher. Knowing that tension with the federal government was at an all-time high, the scholar asked, "Is it spiritually and religiously all right to pay taxes to our overreaching, repressive government?" Jesus saw right through the question. The scholar wanted the teacher to say, "Heck, no!" and then report his answer to the governing authorities. Twas a twicky pwoposition. Jesus asked a question in reply, which he always seemed to do. "Does anyone have a quarter?" the teacher asked. I imagine a couple of bystanders snickered at his reply. Jesus wants a quarter? What, is he going to pay his taxes or something? Hmm... can I deduct that quarter if I give him one, you know, as a gift to charity?

After a few awkward moments, a bystander reached out with a silver coin but Jesus didn't reach out to grab it. Instead he reached out to point at it. "Whose image and name is on the quarter?" he asked the scholar. "Ceasar," the scholar answered, thinking, "No duh!" since everyone around knew who was on the common coin. The teacher shook his head in agreement. "Then give what belongs to Caesar to Caesar and what belongs to God to God." The scholar was speechless. The crowd just nodded and slowly shrunk away. Twas a good answer! But what did it mean?

A few days later, Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, paraded as the king of Israel. The same king who told his subjects to pay taxes to Caesar, whom they loathed. Last time they had a tea party, Caesar's governor sent soldiers in to kill and disperse the crowd. And they were to fund his reckless governmental operation with their tax money? Seems wrong. But the king said they were supposed to do it. And give their allegiance to God at the same time. Strange answer!

We who belong to the king, who are called by His name, are all dual citizens. We belong to the kingdom of heaven on one hand and yet we live in a kingdom on earth (or for most, a country). We are asked by our earthly government to do things for the benefit of that government and for its citizens. We are also asked by our heavenly King and His Father to do things for the benefit of the heavenly kingdom and its citizens. Loving our brother, for instance, and giving to the poor among us.

We are dual citizens and, thus, have to live a balance of responsibility. Yet these two institutions are not completely separate. The heavenly has established the earthly. When the King of heaven was standing before a governor of earth in John 19, He said, "You would have no authority if it wasn't granted to you from above." Such a gutsy statement considering that the King of heaven was bound and bleeding, one small proclamation away from His own death.

Heaven establishes earth. And while we live on this earth, we need to recognize this fact.

I think Romans 13 is the preeminent passage on the relationship of God and government in the New Testament. The apostle Paul writes, "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." Just like Jesus, he was instructing people in subjection to an oppressive government who were wondering what their attitude should reflect. Were they to resist, hide, or run away? None of the above, Paul said, they were to obey. For God establishes governments, even when they fail to recognize His existence or mandate laws to repress His people. Part of obeying the government, he would later write, involves paying taxes and not speeding (umm... or the 1st Century equivalent). Honor those in charge, Paul writes, fear them and follow their lead. Tough to swallow for independent folks, but in doing so we actually honor the God who establishes governors and governments.

There are some caveats to this obedience, as spelled out in Acts 5, when Peter and John appeared before the Sanhedrin ruling counsel. They were commanded to refrain from proselytizing in the Temple courts but did it anyway. Their response: "We must obey God rather than men." Their point is that when God gives a command, we must follow, regardless of what the secular or religious authorities say. This is the "out" from obeying earthly authorities. But it is a narrow "out." God has spoken through His Word and given His commands. One such command is to pay taxes. And so, on April 15th, we pay them.

Heaven establishes earth but it never takes a back seat.

In Philippians 3, Paul writes that men of this earth (non-believers) are focused on things of this earth but Christians need to devote themselves to a different focus, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." We are never to forget that we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom, ruled by a just King, and worthy of our first attention and first devotion. You can wave your flags all you want but if you're not going to church, your priorities are out of whack. If you aren't praying to the Father, serving the poor and needy, carrying your brother or sister, and living a life reflecting grace, your life will be out of balance.

Our King wants us to obey our government and pay our taxes. Even if we don't like that government. It part of being a dual citizen of heaven and earth. But always remember that your allegiance lies with your King first, from whom all authority is given and taken. (Matt 6:33)

And that's my tax day lesson!

Be God's!

P.S. — People sometimes ask me if I'm a Democrat or Republican and I usually respond, "I'm a Biblicist." Upon seeing confused faces, I explain, "When God speaks in His word about a subject, I follow His lead. When He is silent or the issue is gray, I use my best discretion. I don't follow political parties or political ideology. I seek to follow my King." I believe (and have come to find out personally) that there are sincere believers all over the political landscape who are seeking God and doing what they believe is wise. This is a lesson I learned in college. And I don't "demonize" them based on their party or how they vote on a bill. To be honest, I'm more interested in serving my church and my brother than worrying about the upcoming midterm elections.

UPDATE: Add to the list of government mandates the 2010 census. Have you mailed in yours yet? It's fitting that the census forms and tax deadline fall in the same period of time. I guess God and government has been on my mind a lot lately.

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Slugs and Bugs and Lullabies

2010-04-08T19:43:00.000-05:00

Here's a really neat video posted on The Rabbit Room's blog by songwriter Randall Goodgame that accompanies his song "God Made Me." It's really cute. The song is, too. It seems more and more artists are making kids albums this year and Randall and his pal Andrew Peterson released one a few years back called "Slugs and Bugs and Lullabies." I hear it's really awesome. Enjoy the video!

Slugs & Bugs - God Made Me from Scott Brignac on Vimeo.

Empty Saturday

2010-04-03T12:05:00.001-05:00

Easter Week blog #2

I've always been fascinated by Empty Saturday. Sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, Empty Saturday is the day when the body of Jesus lay in the tomb, stone rolled over the entrance, dead as a dead body can be. There was no messiah walking the earth. No Son of God in heaven. No spirit of the Son dwelling on earth. Just a drab, dreary, dull, disturbing, empty day. For those living in the then and there, it must have been the worst day ever.

Can you imagine what it must have been like? The birds stopped singing. The flowers refused to unfurl. The wildlife stowed away in their secret houses. The wind calm as a sleeping baby.

Can you imagine it? Hard to, isn't it?

Scripture tells us of only one event happening on Empty Saturday. It can be found at the end of Matthew 27.

"Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I [am to] rise again.’ Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it [as] secure as you know how.” And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone."

That's it. On Empty Saturday, the only action came from those who put Jesus in that grave, the troubled Pharisees and an obviously annoyed Pilate. It's funny the reactions of the two main parties in the life of Jesus. The Pharisees were worried about the disciples stealing the body. Meanwhile, the disciples had given up hope and were mourning in the Upper Room. The meek who became mighty in the presence of majesty became meek once again. They weren't even entertaining the thought of stealing the body. They were just trying to get their wits in order!

On the spiritual side, there was more going on that Saturday. Exactly what happened to Jesus' spirit is the subject of great and wide debate among theologians because Scripture does not make it clear. The 2nd Century Apostles Creed says that he descended into "hell." That's one view. Some say he preached to the fallen angels, proclaiming his victory. Some say he opened the gates of Hades, the place of the dead, to release the spirits of the righteous ones, sending them to heaven. Truth is... nobody knows for sure but all have their bible verses to support their views. I'm staying away from this argument. I'll just conclude that Jesus' spirit was not with his body in the tomb that Saturday. His body was dead.

What a bummer! Empty Saturday is a strange, forgotten day in the Church calendar, too. We celebrate Good Friday with a solemn service, then make plans for Easter Sunday. There's not usually anything liturgical going on Saturday. It's a preparation day, of sorts. In fact, I'll be heading to my church, myself, in a few minutes to prepare for tomorrow morning.

Maybe Empty Saturday and Good Friday serve as emotional foundation stones for Easter Sunday. We know their spiritual value, but maybe their solemn tones help us celebrate on Sunday morning. Kind of like riding a roller coaster. After all, without the valleys there are no heights.

May you have a blessed Empty Saturday and a marvelous Easter Sunday!

-- John

The Face of Christ?

2010-03-30T22:44:00.001-05:00

Wow.

Could it be that the face of the crucified Christ has finally been revealed to the world? If you were watching the History Channel tonight, you might think so. I certainly wonder if it has. And I'm stunned.

Tonight's 2-hour special focused on the Shroud of Turin, an ancient linen cloth that many faithful believe is the burial cloth of Jesus. The Catholic Church guards it like we guard Fort Knox, though the church has cautiously allowed scientists to study it in recent years. The linen bears the faint image of a man, though how that image got on the cloth has baffled scientists to this day. Still, after the two hour program, scientists don't know. There is no paint or other artistic element on the linen. Nothing to explain how the image got there. It's just there!

The man in the image appears to have gone through a traumatic ordeal before he died. Blood stains are splattered upon the image. The biggest stains are on the head, the hands, the side and the feet. These were the biggest wounds suffered by this poor man. The face is somber, as you would expect a dead man to be! But it is also haunting, mysterious, and intriguing. Who was this man? How did he die? Isaiah 52 and 53 says that Jesus would be marred by His ordeal, almost unrecognizable. His wounds would cause ordinary folks to turn their faces away in disgust. This shroud man met that description.

Whether or not you believe the shroud to be authentic or something otherworldly, the scientists could not explain it. They were speechless. The linen has collected pollen, some of which come from Israel. One type of pollen comes from a plant that grows within 30 miles of Jerusalem. But the shroud first appears in Church history in Italy somewhere in the 1200s. It's next appearance was in France 150 year later. Yet it was in the Jerusalem area at one point in its history. A piece of the cloth was carbon dated to the mid 1200s but a lot of evidence seems to show the shroud is much older. For example, the blood stains on the face match a 7th-Century piece of linen exactly, as if the two linens covered the same face. The coincidence is not coincidence.

Intrigued you yet?

How's this: The TV documentary producers hired a 3D model maker to take the image on the shroud and using its 3D characteristics, create a model that included all the characteristics recorded in the shroud image, including the blood, hair, nose shape and figure. Apparently the shroud image is like a recording of 3D data, they said and can be scanned like a topographical map using the shadows, or something like that. The result of the scan is a 180-degree profile of the face of the man in the shroud. The model maker added a middle eastern skin tone and brown hair, then revealed the image at the end of the program.

It was amazing. Spooky. Totally cool. History.com didn't post an image of the final reconstruction. I guess they want you to watch the special to see for yourself!

Was it the face of Christ? I don't know. If the shroud is authentic, then, yes, in a way, it is. If the shroud is not the burial cloth of Jesus, then, of course not. But it was a reminder of the passion of our Savior that trumps all other 3D models.

What strikes me about every Shroud of Turin special I've watched is how even scientists have left open the possibility of the resurrection of this battered man. They cannot explain the source of the image and how it is so clear. Some think it was caused by a massive release of light or radiation. No human body has done this. Yet this man's body seems to have done it. Or something else remarkable.

By the way, the 3D image of of the shroud looked just like: Jim Caveziel's depiction of Jesus in The Passion of the Christ. It was an amazing likeness. I had already thought his Jesus was the most realistic and now I am even more convinced.

Check out the History Channel special, if you dare. I'm sure it will be repeated sometime this week (maybe Saturday). But be prepared to be blown away.

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Interpretation & Ignorance: A Very Bad Mix

2010-03-29T23:32:00.002-05:00

Dominating the headlines today was this story:

'Christian warrior' militia accused in plot to kill police
(CNN) -- Nine people federal prosecutors say belong to a "Christian warrior" militia were accused Monday of plotting to kill a Michigan law enforcement officer and then attack other police at the funeral.
Six Michigan residents, two residents of Ohio and an Indiana resident were indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit, Michigan, on charges of seditious conspiracy, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, teaching the use of explosive materials and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade and FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew Arena announced.
The group says on its Web site that Hutaree means "Christian warrior" and proclaims on its home page, "Preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive."
In the "About Us" section of the Hutaree Web site, the group says, "We believe that one day, as prophecy says, there will be an Anti-Christ. All Christians must know this and prepare, just as Christ commanded."

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I shake my head every time I'm made aware of an extremist group like the Hutaree. The people attracted to such a group share the same characteristics, it seems: gun-toting, anti-government, pseudo-military, rural fanatics. They cling to guns like they are bibles. They wear fatigues as if they are vestry garments. They don't like Democrats, they don't like Republicans. They don't follow the laws of the land because they believe those laws are opposed to Christ. All of them. And if the law enforcers ever come calling... bang, bang, bang.

And in their struggle against the government (which they consider the Satanic agent of the Antichrist), they are willing to take human life — any life — and in any way justify it. The ninth member of this Hutaree group was arrested Monday night, charged in a plot to kill a Michigan police officer and then gun down his funeral procession. All in the name of their "general" Jesus Christ.

How do groups like this form? How in the midst of the Gospel writings, the words of the apostles, and the examples of the saints can they develop such extreme theology? Are they even true Christians?

I'm still shaking my head at all this. Almost all Christian "cults" have two foundational elements at their base: a radically different interpretation of the scriptures and an ignorant view of the end times. When interpretation and ignorance meet, disaster follows.

Know your Bibles, folks! Study the Scriptures! Surround yourselves with more than one viewpoint so you may know, through the Holy Spirit's guidance, which theology is wise and just.

It doesn't take much for a person, a couple, or an entire family to go from sound to extreme theology. Sometimes they listen too much to a popular radio preacher, read every book by a best-selling author, or subscribe to a nationwide ministry. What starts out as new and exciting can soon consume the mind and spiritual life of an individual. Please don't let strange and new theologies consume you! There is no wave of theology new under the sun. Everything has crept up before in church history. If something has been rejected repeatedly, it probably isn't worth following today.

The Hutaree are wrong. Jesus did not preach war. He did not command His followers to fight. As a sheep before its shearers is silent, He laid down His life willingly, enduring great scorn and great shame. In the Upper Room He said that His followers would be known by their love (and not their semi-automatic assault rifles and military fatigues). As for using brute force, didn't Jesus tell Peter in Gethsemane, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword"? And didn't the apostle Paul tell the early church, "But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need"?

Blessed is the meek one. Blessed are the persecuted. Blessed are the righteous who are wronged, whether by government or by neighbor. Our God will see from heaven and act on our behalf in His timing.
Pray for peace.

-- Brother John

Palm Sunday: Proclamation of the King

2010-03-28T22:33:00.000-05:00

Easter Week Blog #1

"They brought [the colt] to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:35-38)

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Here in America it is tough to imagine our nation under the rule of a monarch. After all, in 1776, an army of patriots fought to free America from kingly rule and those same patriots established a government free of monarchy. I deeply long to know what it's like to live under a king. I was born here and raised here so I know only of presidents and governors. Not kings or queens. So even I have trouble with the whole "king thing."

So when we approach the subject of Jesus being king of Israel we mustn't let our lack of monarchical knowledge and experience dampen the incredible significance of Palm Sunday. The Jewish people cried out to Jesus of Nazareth, "Hosanna!" which means "Save us!" They cried out, "Blessed is the KING who comes in the name of the Lord! When Jesus rode through the eastern gates of Jerusalem, He entered the city not as a teacher or rabbi, not as a miracle worker or prophet. Not as a rebel and a beggar. But as a king. And not just any king: the king of that there city in that there land.

The first so-called king of Jewish birth since 586 BC. Herod the Great was given the title "king" by the Roman ruler Augustus and set himself and his family up as monarchs of Israel, but their Jewish credentials were iffy at best. Herod was an Idumean, not a Jew, and he had no place in the royal blood line of David. Jesus? He had the blood AND the legal authority of David's line. Jesus grew up as the crown prince of Israel. I'm baffled to deduce that lost in all this is the fact that his legal father, Joseph, may have been, in fact, the rightful king! Yet the king was a carpenter and the prince the carpenter's son. Amazing.

Matthew chapter 1 traces the lineage of Joseph back to the last king of Judah, Jehoiachin, a young man who was carried off into exile after only three months on the throne (2 Kings 24). Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon and, after some time in prison there, was released to live our his remaining years as a "permanent guest" of the king. Eleven years later, Jehoiachin's brother Zedekiah was kicked off the throne and Judah was devastated by Babylon. No more king. The line of Jehoiachin kept going through the rest of the Old Testament, with Zerubbabel reasserting Davidic authority after the exile but he could not be crowned king. Israel was not free.

In the time of Christ, Israel was not free, either. Any attempt to crown a man king would be seen as rebellion against Rome and most certainly be met with swift Roman military action. So what the people did with Jesus that Sunday was dangerous. And He let them parade Him as king. After all, He was!

Knowing that Joseph was a descendant of Jehoiachin (also called Jeconiah), I can't help but wonder if it could be true that good ole righteous Joe was the legal king of Israel! Could it be that the true king was building tables and benches for a measly living in Podunkville? One thing is certain. According to the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer. 22:30), even if Joe was of kingly right, he could not claim the throne for himself. God had cursed Jehoiachin's descendants and sworn that not a one would prosper sitting on David's throne. Since Jesus was not technically one of Joseph's children, He was free from this curse.

What about Mary? Mary could have claimed queenship of Israel. According to Luke 4, which many think traces Mary's bloodline, she was the descendant of Nathan, one of David's sons. It was her blood that Jesus received and in Joseph's household that Jesus was raised -- a double shot of kingship! How a simple man of trade in Nazareth and a lowly handmaiden could be so qualified yet so forgotten is one of those marvelous mysteries of God's providence.

Jesus was the rightful king of Israel who came to Jerusalem on that Sunday somewhere around AD 33. The people had longed for someone of Jewish blood to crown king and the teaching miracle-worker from Galilee seemed a likely candidate. He may not have possessed the beauty or majesty of a celebrity, but the buzz of the nation surrounded Jesus. He worked miracles like Elijah and Elisha, Moses and Joshua. And He had built a following of men and women who hung on His every word.

For being a simple teacher and miracle worker, it amazes me that the people had Jesus nailed for who He was — at least in regards to His royal right. Here's what they shouted according to Mark 11: "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest!” The people shouting these things knew several things about Jesus:

That He came in the name of the Lord.
That He carried with him the kingdom of David.
That He had the power or ability to save them.

There was great hope in their hearts when they laid their cloaks and palm branches down on the rocky ground. What they did not know is that His mission was to save them from a greater foe than Rome — their own sin. They did not know that their king would be dead five days later. And that their own people would bear some of the blame.

On Palm Sunday the people of Israel welcomed Jesus as king of the Jews, crying out for the restoration of the Davidic kingdom after over 600 years of exile. Early on Good Friday Jesus would stand before the nation's leaders as king. The crown belonged to Him. But what He received was rejection and scorn.

And by His scorn we would be healed.

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Scattershooting on a Monday

2010-03-23T00:12:00.000-05:00

Scattershooting while engaging in the spiritual discipline of dish washing...

I'm thinking.

That I find it rather disturbing that on the first day of spring it snowed here in North Texas. 1.3 inches at the airport 10 miles away. Just recently I had done some spring planting and bought seedlings, assuming that the last freeze of the winter had come and gone. Wrong! Oh well. I covered the plants with plastic sheeting (more like a tent than a sweater) and even kept a candle-lit lantern under one of the coverings to keep the temperature up. I thought it was kinda brilliant. And the plant survived.
That it's been a taxing time on my brain recently on many fronts. I've heard it said that 90-percent of the struggles we face in life come from that 6-inch space between our ears. Maybe that number is a bit too high but the principle is definitely true. We can think ourselves into a frenzy quickly and with quite a fervor. I've had several emotional burdens in the past week that have weighed my mind and heart down. They aren't caused by me nor can they be solved by me. I just carry little pieces of burden around for others, it seems. I asked a counselor and pastor friend of mine once about how he handles the burden of listening to people's problems or comforting them in their grief. He hears burdens every day as part of his calling. He told me he has to compartmentalize his life otherwise the troubles would weigh him down more than he could bear. But when he goes home after work, he leaves what he's heard behind and switches "modes." I imagine such a skill didn't come easily to my friend. I've always struggled with compartmentalizing burdens. On one hand I feel most alive when I'm helping people with their spiritual or personal burdens. As if it is part of my role in the kingdom. On the other hand, my heart hurts for people so much that what they say impacts me to the point it weighs me down. It's as if their problem has, in some way, become my problem because they are my friend, my brother, my sister. I have the utmost respect for counselors. How they stay sane is a mystery to me. I'm just glad they do!

That it is very important for a church to cease its striving to be everything for all people, for in its striving to please all it can easily lose its identity as a church and its God-given mission. If your goal is to please man, you will not please the Lord. Be authentic. People can smell a fake.
That it is very important for a church to cease striving to be like another church in its community, for in its striving to be like the other it can destroy its own identity and set itself up as a rival instead of a sister. Again, be authentic.
That I thought the younger generations were unique in their attraction to social justice and social action. Then my dad reminded me yesterday that his generation did it when they were our age. And the world called them hippies. Like us, they also didn't think their parents were awake to the social needs in their communities and their world. That the men who returned from the War set up homes and built industries but then tried for to shut out the world and its problems. But I think that as the Boomers have aged, they have grown comfortable with their world and their kids are now the ones awake to poverty, slavery, racism, and the other forms of injustice that plague the world. I now wonder if my grandparents did the same with their parents, and so on back? Maybe this interest in world injustice corresponds with the rise of mass media? I don't know. It has me thinking, though.

That the music of John Michael Talbot continues to offer great spiritual encouragement, refreshment and worship to my soul, just as it first did when I stumbled across it back in 2005. I knew then that John Michael was a friend of Michael Card, who is one of my favorite artists, and their styles share many similarities. So I bought a discounted collections album at a Lifeway store and was hooked from first listen. I later found out that John Michael is the biggest-selling Christian musician in history, with 50 albums to his name over 30-plus years. He is the most famous Catholic songwriter and performer in church history. What I also did not know was that he's the Franciscan father of a unique community of Catholics in northern Arkansas called The Brothers and Sisters of Charity at Little Portion Hermitage. It's unlike any other religious community in the world. Like all monastic communities, it is open to those who choose to be under vow to the Franciscan order (monks, nuns, and the sort). But it is also open to singles who have not taken vows but choose to live in chastity and service, married couples who choose to serve and worship there, and to those seeking retreat and spiritual refreshment. I know of evangelicals who have sought and found refreshment in the Ozark hills. It is a "charismatic catholic" community, which means they dance, love to sing, and are not always solemn and stoic, which is the religious stereotype. They are very ecumenical and, I think, very spiritually alive. Which is how JMT's music makes me feel. He sings the psalms, words of Christ and the apostles, and words of the saints and church liturgy. His songs uplift my soul and my heart must respond in the emotions praise. Very cool. I highly recommend his music, whether you are Catholic, an Orthodox sympathizer like myself, or an evangelical "fundamentalist" (whatever that means!).
That writing blogs takes time. I started this when the dishwater was warm. That was two hours ago! It's after midnight now. Good night!

Quips and Proverbs

2010-03-17T13:38:00.000-05:00

Been storing up a few observations about life and human nature lately. Since proverbs have always been popular (you know, "a stitch in time saves nine," etc.), I thought I'd give it my best shot.

Insurance that does not insure is not insurance. It's a scam.
When you want to go fast, traffic moves slow; but when you are in no hurry, traffic runs you over.
Switching to Geico could save you hundreds of dollars.... err... that just slipped out. Sorry.
Plowing a garden is only fun if there are no rocks, twigs, roots, leaves, snakes or little plastic golf balls with round holes in them waiting under the surface.
The older a man gets, the less he knows yet the wiser he becomes.

That's all for now. There will, undoubtedly, be more in the future.

Be God's!

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The Struggles of Singlehood

2010-03-16T12:23:00.000-05:00

For many single adults, the older they get the more despondent they become about their single state. Why won't God bring the right person into my life? Am I doomed to a life of singleness, of being all alone? Why can't I be married and happy like my friends? I stumbled across this Bluefish video today when searching for Easter illustrations. It chronicles one single woman's mental and emotional battle with her singleness. She doesn't see the blessings of singleness (just like most younger singles). Her battle is with her hopes and dreams and, maybe, even a bit of jealousy. It's a battle I have fought over and over and I have yet to meet a younger single who hasn't, to some degree, fought it, too.

There is great blessing in being a single believer, just as there is great blessing in finding a partner and raising a family. Our times before marriage (for some, that is a lifetime) are perfect times to sink our roots into God's eternal truth and grow deep. Times to become disciples and servants in the Church and to minister to the needs of those like us. It's my prayer that this gal chooses to sit at the feet of Jesus during this tough time of her life.

Oscar Watch... Out

2010-03-07T21:40:00.001-06:00

Every year I usually get excited to watch the annual Academy Awards, usually with hopes of seeing one of the movies I watched win an award or two. Not this year, though. I think that I've just finally had enough of the rich and famous tooting their own horns during ceremonies like the Oscars. Just sick of it. Aren't you? They gather as aristocracy to act nice, look pretty, and applaud hypocrisy. It's hard for a plain, broke guy like me to enjoy.

When I watch award shows like the Oscars, Golden Globes or SAG Awards, I'm reminded of a brief scene in Titanic (which won a bushel of awards back in 1998). In this scene, Rose, the young fiancee of a wealthy New Englander has invited Jack, her third class friend of interest, to a formal first class dinner. After dinner, the wealthy first class men retreat into the parlor for cigars, brandy and upper class "chit chat." She says to Jack, "Next it'll be brandies in the Smoking Room." After the men get up to leave, Rose continues opining, "Now they retreat into a cloud of smoke and congratulate each other on being masters of the universe."

I love movies like everyone else. And I think I know how to identify great acting in the midst of a lot of good acting. But the celebrities I am most drawn to are not those who appear on Entertainment Tonight, TMZ or Inside Edition. I usually like those who stay out of the starlight as much as possible. They always seem to be more genuine. More real.

I was looking for a Bible verse that captured what I was thinking tonight and stumbled across Proverbs 15:25. It seems to sum up God's opinion of the wealthy and the weak: "The LORD tears down the proud man’s house but he keeps the widow’s boundaries intact." Those who are proud of heart, of mind, and of emotion are destined for a fall. Sounds cliche but it's true. The Lord doesn't defend those who believe they can provide or protect themselves. They need to learn their place. Usually the fall is hard. Just ask Tiger Woods.

God doesn't value great acting or a dynamic screenplay. He doesn't stand and applaud the proud and famous. He looks after the widow and the orphan. The poor and afflicted when no one is near to help. Those who have been broken to now know that their lives are dependent on the Lord's provision. Those who fly below the radar and those who guard their steps.

The danger of celebrity is that we are setting people up to fall. We fill their minds and hearts with more pride than they naturally have from being sinful humans and once they rise on the pedestal it immediately starts shaking. For pride does not accompany stability. The only solid rock is humility. It is the way of the cross. It is the joy of the empty tomb.

It is the path of growing young.

Be God's!

UPDATE: Okay, I caved. If only for two minutes. And just in time to see the one category I care about: original musical score. Michael Giacchino won for "Up" and I couldn't be more thrilled. His score was amazing! Brought me to tears when I first listened to it. I definitely recommend Giacchino's music. He is the John Williams of the next generation of composers. He also gave new life to Star Trek last year, as well as several other Pixar films. Okay... Watching the news now...

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Prepping the Soil

2010-03-06T23:05:00.000-06:00

Eccl. 3:1 — There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...

Is. 28:24 — When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil?

Is. 61:11 — For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

Today was soil preparation day for yours truly. Every one of the past five years I have planted some form of a garden, usually one in the spring and another for the fall. I usually plant a variety of vegetables, from cucumbers to bell peppers to broccoli. I've grown jalapenos, watermelon, strawberries, okra, zucchini, herbs of many varieties, green onions, lettuce and tried to grow a few others. Tried. And failed. This year I've added a lemon tree to my farmer's resume. Since I've just started planning my 2010 garden, I may add some berries, onions and cabbage. One day I'd love to grow grapes, though I understand they can be tricky to nurture.

But all planning must start with the soil because the soil is the most important element to the whole growing process. Where you plant your seed (or seedlings) determines how well they will grow. Example: my family used to live in a very rocky part of North Texas called the Cedar Mountains. Large hills were more like it. Down in Southwestern Dallas the rock is predominately limestone, with a lot of evergreen trees, thorns, thistles, and other less-desirable flora. Gardening was tough. My mom, who passed down her love of gardening, planted a garden out back of our house and had to do a LOT of soil prepping to get rid of the rocks underneath the topsoil. The bits of limestone were everywhere! She added good soil to the topsoil and did her best to grow a garden and, to the delight of her children, succeeded. Our delight was tempered a bit one year because she, in her wisdom, grew brussel sprouts and fed them to her children....

The soil is not much better where I live now. There's a lot of sand, clay and leaf compost around my house, a great mix for trees but not so much for gardens. You'll find that most farms are located where there is rich black soil and lots of sunshine. That ain't here. So I've struggled to find the right mix of soil for growing vegetables. I hope that this year I've finally got it with a new brew of three compositions layered and mixed for success. Or so I hope! I planted a rosemary bush and some broccoli seedlings this afternoon, so we'll see.

Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes that there is a time and season for everything. I'll bet he could plant a mighty fine garden! Throughout the centuries, farmers have deciphered those seasons and planned their crops according to their calculations. Isaiah asks rhetorically if a farmer keeps plowing the soil even after he has planted his seed. The obvious answer is, "No way!" Why? Because there is a time for plowing and a time for planting, a time for watering, a time for weeding, and a time for harvesting. The farmer plows the soil to get it ready for planting.

God does the same thing in the soil of our hearts. He initially prepares our hearts for the seed of the Gospel message and then, when that seed is planted, watered and grows, He harvests salvation. Then He sets to work all over again, though this time with a different crop in mind. He prepares the soil of our hearts through the Holy Spirit to plant and eventually reap righteousness and holiness. We have a part in the process from planting to reaping. I love how James puts it: "Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save (lit. "rescue or deliver") you." We can choose to take the seed of holiness God has planted through His Spirit and nurture it, make sure it has plenty of water, and enjoy the blessing of its growth. After all, God is still the gardener but we are the garden.

And so we have a responsibility as God's garden to do all that we can, under His all-sufficient grace, to nurture and water the seed of faith He has planted within us. Watering involves many things: digging deeper into His word, practicing various spiritual disciplines, and obeying the commands of Christ, just to name a few. Doing these things will cause righteousness to sprout forth from the soil of our hearts and bring God, the Great Gardener, a beautiful crop of glory.

Happy growing!

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A Glorious Day Long Forgotten

2010-03-02T18:46:00.000-06:00

Watch this message and we'll discuss...............

...........................................................

I'll bet this was the first time today you heard about today's holiday. For any native Texan, today should be a special day, but it is one that the media and even the state seems to have forgotten existed. After all, we have party primaries today! Woo hoo!

Today is Texas Independence Day. As Senator John Cornyn (inappropriately with an American flag in the background) described, on March 2nd, 1836, a group of Texian leaders gathered in a small wood frame building at Washington-on-the-Brazos in south Texas to sign a declaration of independence from Mexico. The flag that flew over the Alamo, at San Jacinto, and for nine years afterward over Austin, was not the U.S. flag. It was the Lone Star flag that still represents the people of Texas today.

I was born in Texas, by the grace of God, to immigrants from Louisiana (ask them. they'll admit to being immigrants who got here as fast as they could.). And as far as I'm concerned, I consider myself to be a Texan first and everything else second. This is not ego as much as it is civic pride. Or patriotism. We are a unique people here in Texas and I'm glad to be counted among them.

I enjoy living in this wild and beautiful land called Texas and days like today remind me that the history people have have forgotten forged the foundation of the place they now reside. If you want a spiritual analogy, think of the Hebrews coming out of Egypt. They forgot about what God had done for them in the past and ended up wandering for 40 years in the wilderness. When Joshua led them across the Jordan, the next generation gathered as a people in the Promised Land to celebrate their own independence day and recall the blessings of God in the past.

So there. Happy Independence Day, y'all! I hope you celebrate with some Blue Bell and a cold Dr. Pepper.

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A Picture Perfect Day

2010-02-27T18:12:00.000-06:00

What a great day this was! It's the day before the last day of February and spring made an early appearance, with temperatures in the 60's and sunshine that melted the frost away. As I drove around the area on a pleasure drive I noticed that the whole community seemed to come out of the woodwork to enjoy this day. Entire families hit the parks and others joined me on the roads with no agenda but to enjoy the weather. After I returned home I did some yardwork (I'm feeling a bit better today) and just took a deep breath. A much needed deep breath. I can't wait for spring.

Oh, this photo is not one of mine but it reminded me of a picture perfect day. I found it online.

I hope you had the chance to enjoy this day!

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Observations About Being Content

2010-02-27T13:12:00.001-06:00

Just about everyone I know has battled with contentment at one point or another in their lives. We all seem to want more for ourselves, for our families, for our communities than what we currently experience. Have you fought this fight as well? Some people, like myself, seem to fight against contentment on a daily basis, choosing to be restless about where we are instead of choosing to stay put and let whatever happens happen.

I had a conversation with a co-worker the other day about this subject and the aftermath of our conversation led me where all great conversations lead — into the word of God. For years I've had this phrase stuck in my head: "be content in whatever circumstance you're in." I've repeated it to myself over and over in hopes that one day my head and my heart would reconcile it as truth and be OK with that. I knew the passage the phrase came from: Philippians 4:10-12ff ("ff" means "and following"). And I knew that Paul had been the one talking about contentment.

But this question came into my head: Is it wrong, then, to want something more for your life, your family, or your community, than is currently experienced? In other words, is it a sin to want to change your circumstances? For a long time I thought it might be. Let's look at what Paul says to the Philippians in 4:10-12ff:

"But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned [before], but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share [with me] in my affliction."

Paul was on the mission field and lived largely on the support he received from churches he had encountered. At times, he earned his own living through labor and business (Acts 18:1-3). His goal was not to be poor nor was it to be rich. Tough he desired that the churches play an active role supporting his work of ministry, he did not want to burden them with his support (1 Cor. 9:12-15). So Paul rejoiced when he had money coming in and learned to make do when he didn't. He didn't guilt his readers into supporting his ministry, for "God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7)." So it is clear that Paul did not receive a steady paycheck! He was, in today's language, a "consultant." An expert in his field who didn't just labor for one church or two, but many churches at many times. Some churches were big, like Ephesus, and could provide higher financial compensation. Others were small, like those in Galtaia, and most likely didn't provide huge support.

What does this have to do with being content in 21st Century America? I think it is this: Paul's secret was not in his ability to adapt to changing times nor in his ability to clip and use coupons. His "secret to being filled" is faith that God will be His strength in every circumstance. Paul's faith, just like his joy, was not dependent on what was happening to him or around him. His faith was in the one person who never changes: God. And his trust was in the unchanging truth of God's love and grace towards him: Paul.

One major note from this passage: I don't think Paul is giving a teaching on contentment for the churches and I don't think Paul's circumstances are the norm for believers. Paul was a single man who did not have children to feed, clothe and nurture, nor a business to keep open, nor a mortgage on a house. He didn't have $10,000 in credit card debt. Paul traveled from city to city, church to church, with a band of disciples (Timothy, Titus, Luke, Clement and the sort), so his lifestyle of contentment was not a model for all believers at all times. But the truth Paul unveils in this passage does transcend time and location: God should be the source of our strength in tough times as well as good times.

So it it wrong to want more for yourself, your family, or your community? Depends on the motive.

Are you seeking change for selfish reasons? To satisfy the ego, for example? If so, you're motives are very wrong. Paul (the same guy who both suffered and celebrated) wrote to the Romans: "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you (Rom 12:3)." The sinful flesh is constantly calling all men to reject the good of others and build up themselves. It is pride, ego, arrogance... whatever you want to call it... and it is not good, right and holy. Change for ego's sake is not good change. Be content as a lesser and let God be the decider of if or when to elevate you to a higher position. If you're walking with Him in humility, He will exalt you to a higher place in His perfect timing (I highly suggest you read Philippians 2:1-11 for Paul's explanation).

Or are you seeking change for selfless reasons, for your wife and children, for your neighbors and friends, for the Church? This is where contentment and change cross paths. It is not wrong to seek change for the benefit of others. Paul told the Philippians that this is what Christ did, leaving His place in glory to take on flesh and blood (extreme change) and suffer for our benefit. Indeed, I dare say it is right to do anything selflessly, for it goes against the sinful flesh and the system of this fallen world.

Or maybe you're seeking to use your spiritual gifts to a fuller measure. The Apostle Peter said that each person should actively seek to use their gifts to serve others (1 Pet 4:10). It is not a sin to seek to use your gifts (assuming pure motive) for it honors the Lord and benefits the Church. What is a sin is to suppress or ignore the spiritual gifts of others. I personally believe that any shepherd of the church who seeks to keep his sheep "in their place" is no shepherd at all. This means that the person in charge is suppressing the gifts of the body for the sake of either keeping his own power or position or preventing change. Seek opportunity to use your spiritual gifts. Pray that places will open up where you are. If not, then, pray that, if the Lord wills, He open up places elsewhere for you to serve. Just remember your motive through all this. Keep it pure and it will be right.

Being content is not about having money or not having money. It's about keeping reliance on the Lord for your strength to endure whatever circumstance you find yourself in. I'm not going to tell you that you need a new job (if you have one) or a change of location. I'm not going to tell you to stay where you are and stop whining. Being content and seeking change for your circumstance depends on your motivation. If it is selfless, it is right. If it is selfish, it is wrong.

Be God's.

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The Strange Feeling of Relief

2010-02-24T22:35:00.002-06:00

Have you ever had times when you're not quite sure how you feel? When your thoughts and emotions are just swimming around in some kind of subconscious sea of goo? Ever had those times?

Well, that's how I felt today. I had a strange sense of relief mixed with thankfulness mixed with fatigue mixed with concern. A strange concoction of emotion, no doubt. Here's why.

I got my diagnosis this morning from my neurologist. The great news is that I do not have a disease, such as multiple sclerosis or worse. My brain MRI showed no abnormalities (and confirmed I have a brain...). My nerve endings in my spine were also normal, which ruled out a neurological disorder. I was so relieved!

What isn't normal is my spine. I have scoliosis of the spine, a fact I've known since I was a boy. Got it from my father, assuming such a thing can be inherited. My scoliosis has led to various back pains through the years but the pains have always gone away. In recent times, though a few of my discs, gelatinous ares between the bone vertebrae, have become compacted and are now bulging out of position. One such disc is bulging into my spinal cord, causing my leg and arm weakness and other nerve issues. My doctor showed me the spinal MRI and even an untrained person like me could see the problem. My blood work further revealed that my level of vitamin B12 was a little low, which in 10-percent of people causes nerve tingling and numbness. I count myself among the 10-percent!

So the diagnosis of my bulging disc and vitamin deficiency problem was a huge relief for me. I had tried not to think of the worse possibilities for my symptoms but I must confess that they slipped into my consciousness from time to time. I knew that come whatever may, God would take care of me and I would seek to glorify Him in my circumstance. Yet, like any person of sound mind, I was concerned for my health. And I really don't like what's happening to my body!

Yet I'm mixed in emotion for some reason, treading water in the emotional goo of ambivalence. I'm relieved to know my condition is treatable. It may require surgery but I'll find out for certain later. I'm thankful to the Lord for a diagnosis and that the diagnosis was certain and specific. Yet I'm tired from watching my health deteriorate each week since before Christmas. But I'm also ready to start my back therapy and eat more chicken (for vitamin B12). So tonight I'm a bit mixed.

Ever had those times?

Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers during this trial. I have a long recovery ahead that may require several major life changes. My spine needs work and I need to find a better way to work/rest that does not compress it. Thankfully, I have a plethora of friends around me to offer input, support and, occasionally, the name of a doctor they really like. They are making this trial so much easier to bear and I am eternally thankful.

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Here's to Being Real

2010-02-22T20:17:00.000-06:00

Those who know me well know that I love the Discovery Channel show Deadliest Catch. In case you've been hiding on the other side of a big boulder or watching some crime-flavored drama, Deadliest Catch chronicles the plight of crab fishermen in Alaska's Bering Sea, one of the most violent bodies of water on the planet. The show, which is about to start its 7th season, I believe, follows four crab boat crews through the ups and downs of crab fishing — human drama, tragedy and triumph. One such crew manned the eight-man fishing vessel Cornelia Marie, captained by the crusty, crude and some folks think cuddly (hey, I needed a third C, okay?) Captain Phil Harris. Phil doesn't spare his opinion on anything. He's not afraid to challenge his crew, to the man, and he won't take flack from nobody.

Thanks to the show, Phil became a celebrity, with his "famous status" rising with the show's ratings. Everywhere he went he was hounded for autographs. Simple fishermen, Phil and his fellow boat captains were hesitant to accept their new public status at first but they have grown to enjoy their popularity.

On February 9th, Captain Phil died, the victim of a stroke brought on by many years of hard living. His boat was off-loading crab at a port when he suffered the attack. Ten days later he died, his sons and best friends at his side.

Mike Rowe is another Discovery Channel personality and show host. For the past six seasons, Mike has also been the narrator voice on Deadliest Catch, describing to viewers the ins and outs of fishing activity and fishing drama. In looking back on the life of Phil Harris, the best he knew, Mike blogged these words:

"I guess it comes down to this. The world is desperate for authenticity. In business and in real life. In work and play. We crave it I think, because it’s in such short supply. Consequently, when we see it, we’ll wait for it. We’ll watch it on TV. We’ll stand in line for a chance to be near it. Fans, fishermen, CEO’s – we know authenticity when we see it, even if we’re not looking for it. And Phil Harris had it in spades.
"I didn’t know Phil well enough to properly eulogize him. However, I knew him enough to like him, and more than enough to miss him. He was the real deal. Flawed, human, decent, kind, and totally authentic. And one h*** of a Captain."

What Mike observed is a truth that cannot be overstated. Authenticity stands out in this world of phonies and fakes. When people see authenticity, they are drawn to it, even if it is appalling to us. The world is desperate for authenticity because it is alien — foreign — to the world's own standards of life. Society loves to celebrate fakes but it is deeply drawn to what is real. Earthquake coverage in Haiti drew monstrous ratings for cable news networks, for example.

If the world is desperately looking for authenticity, what are we waiting for, Church of the Living God? Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matt 5:16)." People were drawn to Captain Phil because they saw authenticity in him. If we were doing our part, as true followers of the Light, to live authentic, transparent lives in front of the world, imagine how great the impact would be!

Authenticity is a powerful tool we all need in our toolboxes of everyday life. Don't try to hide who you are. Be real! Be genuine. Be authentic. I think people will notice and pay attention.

Be God's!

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The Joy of Being Chosen

2010-02-22T12:10:00.001-06:00

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."

My young singles small group just started a study of First Peter last night and, two verses into the letter, my heart is already overwhelmed with joy. The saint who speaks his mind, Peter addressed his letter to Jewish Christians in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) who were, by their new faith in Christ, now even bigger "aliens" to their hometowns. It was tough enough being Jews in a Gentile world, but now they were Christians, which made them aliens (lit. "strangers") to both Jew and Gentile alike. How disheartening that would've been!

But they were not worthless because of their new faith. And in the midst of whatever persecution they faced, they were not forgotten by the God who saved them. No, they were special to God. And He was actively working in their lives.

I love the fact that Peter tells these young believers that they were "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." It was no accident or coincidence that the Gospel was preached to many of them in Jerusalem at Pentecost (see Acts 2:9-11). And it was no accident or coincidence that their hearts were receptive to the message. God looked, in His foreknowledge, upon them and chose them to become sons of God through faith in Christ. They were special to Him!

God considers you and I to be His special treasure, his beloved possession. Throughout Scripture, we see that God calls people to Himself out of His love for them with the intention of blessing them (see Deut. 7:6-9, Romans 9:17, Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12). All of this brings Him glory by displaying His mercy and love. He chose us to be special — set apart by the power of the Holy Spirit — to grow in our obedience to the commands of Jesus and be continually cleansed from all sin and guilt (Heb. 10:22).

He chose us to be free from guilt! How awesome is that! Who doesn't want to have a clean conscience?

In the midst of our times of suffering, when we tend to feel the most alone, the most rejected, the most unloved, God has not rejected you and me. He chose US to be His special treasure, His beloved possession, free from the weight of sin and guilt, and with the intention of growing into a stronger relationship with Him.

You are not rejected and alone. He is with you. He has chosen you by name. You are loved.

May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure!

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Of Mardi Gras, Lent, and Saint Athanasius

2010-02-17T18:42:00.004-06:00

Well, today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Christian season of Lent. Have you bought your "Happy Ash Wednesday!" cards yet? Wrapped your presents and put them under the Lenten tree?

I'm just kidding about that.

Lent is one of the seasons of the traditional Church calendar that predates calendars — at least the modern Western calendar. In most denominations that observe Lent the period lasts 40 days, starting with Ash Wednesday and ending on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. The 40 days represent the time that Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan.

Ash Wednesday gets its name from a strange ritual performed at high churches (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, etc.) that involves the placing of ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of repentance. First, the priest will make a cross on his own forehead and then mark the congregants. Interesting, huh?

In more modern times, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday has become a wild and crazy holiday of vice called Mardi Gras. Don't be fooled. Mardi Gras is not meant to be harmless fun. It's a day to let loose and have as much uninhibited sinful fun as possible before the stroke of midnight. Why go party-wild before a holiday season? Well, here's the definition of Lent on Wikipedia:

"Lent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Got it? Lent is a period of self-reflection and personal denial. It's a time to focus on the sinfulness of man (fresh in the minds of Mardi Gras revelers, no doubt) in preparation for remembering the sacrificial death of Christ and His glorious resurrection.

Historically, the origins of Lent are a mystery. We know through ancient church sources that there was some period of pre-Easter remembrance celebrated by churches as early as the AD 100's. But the length of the observance differed from group to group, as did the method of observance. It appears that some level of fasting was involved, whether complete fasting (total denial of food and water) or moderated fasting (water only or one small meal with water). The reason for fasting was purely spiritual: to deny the cravings of the body in order to focus on the sufficiency of Christ. Fasting was also sometimes accompanied by sexual abstinence, which added to the denial of bodily desire. Now can you understand the behavior of Mardi Gras celebrants? The day before they were to give up food and sex, they went hog wild to get their fill. Mardi Gras literally means "Fat Tuesday."

One such proponent of the 40-day fasting and abstinence festival was a personal hero of mine: St. Athanasius, who lived in the 300's. Athanasius was a devout man with a fire for holiness and truth. He is best known as a defender of traditional Christian doctrine in the face of the Arian heresy that resulted in the famed Council of Nicea. Well, in AD 331 Athanasius instructed his flock in Alexandria, Egypt, to observe the 40-day period of remembrance in preparation for Holy Week (Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday). At the time, it appears much of the Eastern Church was observing a form of Lent.

Still today the different denominations celebrate Lent differently. The Orthodox Church celebrates the 40 weekdays before Holy Week, leaving weekends to splurge on food as they celebrate Christ's death and resurrection. Other groups observe an 8-day Lent. And it's not just fasting and abstinence anymore. Some Protestant denominations (Methodist, Lutheran, Anglican) will allow a person to give up a specific vice of theirs, like chocolate, caffeine, or iPhones (just kidding!) in keeping with the spirit of Lent. It's kind of a cop-out, if you ask me, but better than missing meals!

So happy Lent, everyone! Or maybe I shouldn't say, "happy." May your heart be filled with thankfulness for the bountiful grace of God in Christ, who redeemed our sin-soiled lives and gave us a new and abundant life.

Be God's!

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Checking In

2010-02-15T21:34:00.002-06:00

Figure skating came back on TV, so I "figure" I'll step away from the tube and blog about something. Something that's not figure skating.

A lot of you have been praying for my health lately and I just wanted to tell you how much that means to me. We serve an almighty God who has a reputation as the great healer. And I know that it is full well within His power to heal me, if He chooses. Even better, aside from the power and almightiness, He also arms Himself with tenderness. And He wants to hear from His children as they pour their concerns and desires as an offering before Him. So I appreciate your offering your requests for me before the Lord who hears.

On the medical front, I still don't have a diagnosis of my condition, only a narrowing of possibilities. I don't want to say what they are, specifically, but I will say that I don't like any of them. My friend Sammy pointed out today that what I really need is a data port on my side that the doctor could plug into for a readout! Well, the best I could do today was turn in my MRI film to the neurologist's office and wait for him to start looking for answers. My condition hasn't improved in recent days, though I've tried a variety of home treatments. Just today I started taking vitamin B6, which purports to help the nervous and muscular system. We'll see in a few days if it helps, I guess. I do know that my arms and legs have started to tighten up on me a little. I don't know what causes this. But it feels like I just ran a marathon and cooled down. That type of feeling, but probably not as severe. So I'd appreciate it if you keep praying for me. I'm supposed to go back to the neurologist on March 3rd but I'm hoping to move that date up.

I'm sure all things will be all right at the end of this period of trial in my life. I just need to keep the faith and seek God's glory. When St. James said, "consider it all joy, brothers, when you encounter all kinds of trials..." it wasn't laughter he envisioned or a jolly demeanor. Joy in the face of suffering is not fun and games. Suffering is suffering and trials hurt. This "joy" James talks about is a joy in something you know, not something you feel. It's joy in knowing that whatever you face will gradually build endurance in you (if you choose to endure and not to sour). It's a joy in knowing that God is god and you are not and that He has promised to NOT forsake His children. He won't turn His back on you and me (even if we turn our backs on Him). This is grace. This is love. This is our God.

Be His.

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Snow Nice To See Ya

2010-02-11T15:24:00.004-06:00

"He sends forth His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes.
He casts forth His ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His cold?"
— Psalm 147:15-17

I'm not sure if I've ever seen such an extended snowfall here in North Texas. It's been snowing consistently since 3 a.m., yielding about five inches of snow on outside objects. My roof is buried. It has been fun to stay inside today and watch the snow come down.

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My Afternoon in a Metal Tube

2010-02-10T17:26:00.003-06:00

One thing I have concluded after spending a spiffy afternoon keeping still inside a noisy metal tube: I was not made for they and they were not made for me.

This afternoon I enjoyed tremendously (tongue in cheek here) a series of five MRI tests at a wonderful place here in Flower Mound. The place was nice, I must confess, and the people there were friendly and helpful, even when they chided me in the middle of my spinal exam, "Try to keep still as much as possible!" I had been in the metal MRI tube for 30 minutes and my shoulders, arms, backside, and neck were absolutely killing me.

Keeping still ain't easy. Especially when (confession time...) I'm not used to sleeping on my back. I'm a side sleeper. Always have been. if they had asked me to roll over on my side, I would've been good for hours. But on my back...? Can't stand it. But I had to. For five tests.

The technician and radiologist were swell folks and did their best to bear with me. I did my best to bear with them. Two and a half hours later, the radiologist informed me "we're all done!" After laying down for so long, I wondered if I could still walk. And if my insides would forgive me for violating their privacy. I can walk. But like a woman who didn't get flowers on Valentine's, my stomach's giving me the cold shoulder.

I've had seven tests done in the first three days of this week. Seen so many doctors, aides and techs, I'm starting to wonder if there's a convention somewhere around. Still no definitive answers on what is the cause of my arm and leg troubles. I'm really hoping the MRIs will shed light on what's going on at the brain and spine level. Those two areas seem to be the leading suspects in my case. Maybe it will be something less intimidating than the diseases mentioned. Maybe it will all go away one morning.

Maybe I just need to go somewhere where there's warm water, lots of sunshine, coconut trees, a hammock, and a cold glass of... iced tea. With sugar and a twist of lemon.

Can I get paid to do that?

Be God's!

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Testing... 1...2...3...4...5...

2010-02-06T11:59:00.006-06:00

I imagine that even doctors would, if cornered, confess that the human body is still a mystery to them. The most complex living computers on earth, we are. And just like that pesky desktop computer that each of us has, our bodies sometimes behave in a frustrating manner that will drive a sane man mad. I know that mine is doing so at this moment, and I keep hearing insanity knocking on the door. Don't worry. I'm not answering my door... yet.

Next week I have five tests scheduled that I hope determine what's going on with my failing body. For those who don't know, over the past six months I have been gradually losing my grip in my hands — both of them. I've dropped countless things, from the mundane (a bowl of salsa) to the expensive (a digital camera). At first it was only an occasional drop, but the frequency grew over the months. I thought it was pure clumsiness at first. I tend to be that way by nature. But after Christmas it became epidemic. During these six months I also felt my strength leaving my arms. I could not lift the weights I used to lift. I found my arms growing tired after carrying something -- anything.

And when I started waking up in the mornings with both of my arms numb and burning, I knew I was in trouble. I shook my arms awake every morning but couldn't stop the tingling. Matters got worse three weeks ago when my legs started to give out on me like rock turned to rubble. Now I struggle just to climb the same flight of stairs I bounded up two steps at a time before Christmas. Two weeks ago my hands started shaking subtly when I reached to pick up or touch something. So I saw a doctor and then a neurologist. After a pint of drawn blood on Thursday, I have five tests ahead of me next week. I'd appreciate your prayers. On Monday morning I have nerve and muscle testing at my neurologist's office in Grapevine. On Wednesday afternoon I have four, gulp, four MRI exams in one sitting. I know the brain and spine will be examined. Not sure where else. I report back to my neurologist on March 3 for his evaluation of all this testing.

To be honest, I'm really not scared of this predicament. Annoyed, maybe, but not scared. Oh sure there's some concern because my body has gone downhill so quickly since Christmas, but right now my faith is securely in the hands of the Great Physician, the maker of my complex and mysterious body. He knows every blood cell my bones have created and every nerve that now bugs me. He saw me in my mother's womb and gave me life there. He did the same for you, too! And I know that I've never slipped out of His divine peripheral vision. There are no blind spots with God.

So I see this whole period of time as an opportunity instead to glorify God in my trial. What I'm going through is nothing compared to the suffering seen around the world right now — and not even in my own neighborhood. So I will largely keep silent about it. But my humble prayer is that God is glorified in all this through my words, my conduct, and my faith. Would you pray for me that this happens? It's what my heart wants. And I think it's what God wants, too.

Be God's!

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Random Thoughts...

2010-02-01T21:14:00.002-06:00

Scattershooting while intentionally not looking at an emotional Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episode (I mean it's about a dying mother for crying out loud!)...

-- Dropping your keys can get pretty darn annoying. Dropping a pencil, however, is the norm.

-- Having a friend who cares is worth more than gold. Especially so when he has clues to solving your mysteries.

-- Duct tape can fix almost anything... except an old desk chair that lowers a quarter inch every five minutes. Maybe it just needs more duct tape...

-- That six degrees of separation sometimes becomes two. I don't usually expect to hear about someone I know on the radio or television. I just don't run in those circles. But I found out this afternoon that the daughter of an old mentor died unexpectedly. Suicide, police think. Her husband was famous in these parts. My heart is very heavy for my friend and his family.

-- That haste makes waste in SO many ways. Especially when it involves my health.

-- I found out tonight I can cook fish. That's a first for me. Tilapia coated with seasoning salt, and cooked in butter with green onion and parsley. Still yet to be conquered: raw shrimp, lamb, and goat. Don't hold your breath for that last one...

-- A little note of encouragement can make a day. A Bible verse that ministers, even more.

-- That I like this format of blogging but I imagine it gets annoying to read...

-- That when God says "no," it's because He's in the know. I went to buy a camcorder the other day with some extra cash I'd saved but the store was all out of the camera model I wanted. Every store around was out of stock. Turns out I needed the money for a high utility bill and doctor's stuff. I was bummed at the store. I am blessed now.

Be God's!

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Love Words From... The Skit Guys

2010-02-01T21:07:00.001-06:00

Gotta love The Skit Guys. They have a new Valentine's Day-themed video. Take a look. The link takes you to their website. Click on "Watch Preview."

Love Words « Videos « The Skit Guys

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Suffering Well

2010-02-01T16:27:00.003-06:00

As some of you may know, a dynamic pastor in the Flower Mound area is going through a really difficult trial right now thanks to a brain tumor. Matt Chandler is senior pastor at The Village Church, a fellowship some 6,000 strong, and was diagnosed with the cancerous intruder last Thanksgiving. He's currently undergoing aggressive radiation. He's 35. One of our staff here at Crossroads Bible discovered this story on Yahoo about Matt's brave battle and I wanted to share it with you. It really moved me. Get your tissues out and join me in praying for the young man and his young family.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100131/ap_on_re/us_rel_the_pastor_s_cancer_1

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God in the Darkness

2010-01-30T22:12:00.005-06:00

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me."

I have recited this fourth verse of Psalm 23 so many times over the years, and yet I have not to my memory, until tonight, discovered a very important truth revealed its first words, "even though." Even though? You mean it's a given that I'll walk through the dark valley? Or is this an "if" and not a "when"? I'm completely thrown by this word, for some reason. Let's explore what it means.

In the Hebrew language, the word "even" (gam) can also mean "surely" or "yet." There is no trace of "if." It's not a conditional thing, this valley of shadows. It comes in all of our lives. Sometimes it leads to physical death. Other times it is a period of trial in the midst of life. In the author David's life, he walked through this valley often. Saul was out to kill him, as were the Philistines, and several other minor nations that David had managed to offend. David had to live for decades as a fugitive, diving behind boulders, scrambling down cliffs, and swinging into caves. Valleys were a regular part of his young life. If you search for pictures of the Judean wilderness, you'll see just how vital valleys were to David's very existence.

Even though that was David's life and you and I have our own circumstances, I believe the truth that opens Psalm 23:4 remains. We all will go through the valley of the shadow of death during our lives -- some of us will go through this valley many times. Sometimes we'll emerge ont he other side quickly. Other times we'll spend ages staring longingly at the mountaintops and hoping that we'll make it up there someday. The valley of shadows is not pleasant. It's cold, dark and scary. Uncertainty surrounds us like the air we breathe and it is very easy to lose heart and break down. But "even though" is not only a certainty, it's also a clause -- a statement to be continued, a comparison to be made.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..."

"... I will fear no evil." Why not? Evil is all around you, David. Why not cry? Why not shake? Why not break down and lose heart?

"for You are with me." Wait a minute... God is in the darkness? He's in the valley? I thought God was the mountaintops. What's He doing in the valley? My valley?

This truth I have discovered over the past few years of my life, and never more so than the past eight months: God is not just god in the light but also in the darkness. And He is present even when you think He has gone away. Even when you think He has no reason to care. He is still god in the darkness. And He is with you. And He is with me. As you journey through the valley.

Right now I'm in another valley, personally. This time it involves my deteriorating health. I'll be honest with you: I see shadows everywhere. I'm concerned and even a bit frightened. This valley is getting deeper. But I'm not in this valley alone.

Charles Swindoll observed the following: "Notice that the psalmist says because "Thou art with me" he is kept from being afraid. Mark it down, my friend. There is no experience, no valley (no matter how severe or uncertain) that we must journey alone." ("Living Beyond the Daily Grind," p. 76)

I am not alone. Not now. Not ever. And neither are you.

There is a lot that can be said about the darkness — about the valley — and I have observed a lot in recent times. But I'll save my thoughts for a later date.

I just want to leave youw ith this verse which I latch onto like a loved one: "God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb. 13:5)

Be God's! Even in the darkness.

The Sword-Bearer

2010-01-27T21:38:00.004-06:00

"For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake." (Rom. 13:3-5)

As I watched the State of the Union speech tonight, my mind once again wandered to thoughts of the relationship of God and governments. I was especially thoughtful about this question: What is the government's responsibility when it comes to morality? Should governments "regulate" morality or leave it up to each person to decide what is right and wrong? And, if someone or something is wicked and evil, taking advantage of people and property, what is the government's responsibility of response?

Scripture makes several things clear: God is not opposed to governments, even if they are opposed to God. And God calls His followers to follow their governments, even if those governments persecute followers of God. It's all part of the witness of His children — witness of their obedience to God's authority and witness of God's grace to governors and governments.

So what is the government to do in regards to morality, according to God's mandate?

Our government is to uphold justice by rewarding those who do good and punishing those who do wrong. This is good and acceptable in God's sight. Paul even calls the government a "minister of God." Yowsers! So obey the laws of the land. There is a big exception, laid out in Acts 4, but that exception (if the command of God and law of the land conflict) does not exempt you from speed limit signs, school zones, or not displaying the 10 Commandments in government buildings.

But when it comes to corporations, insurance companies, banks, and other large organizations, who is to hold them accountable for their actions? Well, according to the Apostle Paul governments are the sword-bearers for punishing corruption. That means our government is responsible for going after corrupt executives and greedy boards, unfair insurance companies and filthy oil companies.

If we believe God's word and are called by His Name, we must stand up for a right view of the government God has established. We may not like the president or his party (maybe we do), but he is the ruler and they are the rulers God has established to wield His sword and reward the just. Please rest assured, in THIS American government, just as every other government He has established, God will ordain praise and bring Himself glory. He always does, in every situation at every time. And we are to pray for it and obey it... for God's sake, as well as our own conscience.

Be God's!

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When It Rains...

2010-01-25T19:49:00.004-06:00

There is an old adage that all-too-often applies to life:

"Sometimes when it rains, it pours."

Ever had one of those days? I'm sure most of us would rather not have any rain at all, but the human condition tells us that's just an empty wish. Into all of our lives a little rain must fall. For some, a few drops turn into a downpour that is quick but violent. Others experience a steady rain. Rather depressing, I think.

I know that lately a lot of rain has fallen in my life. I don't know why. I'd love to know why. Don't you wonder why the rain falls? I just know that I'm soaking wet. Brrrr..... My rain has been part financial. For the past four years I have been skating by, by the grace of God. Some of you have been there with me. From poverty to provision, God has watched over me during this time. Today I received a bucket of rain in the form of an electric bill. It read $437.79. Now I know that everybody has different-sized electric bills each month because we each have different size houses and different temperature tastes. Let me put mine in perspective: my bill costs me just about one dollar for every square foot I have to keep warm. And without wall insulation in my wood-and-siding blessing, it gets mighty cold in the winter. Seriously. As I type this I don't know how I'll pay this bill. The funds aren't there. But God still is. And I'm sure He has a plan in place.

Even so, I get soaked anyway.

Some rain is physical. Right now I'm suffering from some serious ailments, the extent of which I won't know until I see a doctor tomorrow. My body is breaking down on me progressively and it's starting to significantly affect my life. And my job. That stinks. More rain is emotional. I'll keep those details to myself but let's just say that last year was a really rough ride for me.

I wonder why the Lord brings rain on the righteous, those who find their identity in Christ, and not just the wicked. Why we must go through trial and temptation — agony of the spirit — on our path of salvation. I know God is sovereign and has promised to care for His children but why must His children get wet when it rains and pours? A Holy Spirit parka would be nice. In Ephesians 6, Paul mentions a wonderful litany of armor for us to wear in self-defense. But nowhere in that list is there an umbrella. Bummer.

I hate the rain. Maybe I'll learn something from it.

Be God's! (even when you get drenched)

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A Renewed Focus

2010-01-21T20:26:00.003-06:00

(Two years ago I blogged my way through Israel's history (Genesis-Nehemiah), covering a chapter of the Bible every day. My church is currently studying Joshua and this Sunday we'll cover chapters 3-5, a section I covered two years ago. I wanted to post it for you because these words have come back to me recently. I'm in a period of refocusing as I seek God's will for my life and ministry. I pray these words speak to you, as well.)

"At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again." So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth." (5:2-3)

"On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan." (v. 10-12)

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Every now and then it's usually a good idea to take a deep breath and refocus. For we all need to refocus every now and then.

What we refocus depends on what has become blurry, what has become undesirable, what has become unhealthy. Maybe it’s a focus on the family, spending more time with a spouse or child and less time at work. Or maybe it’s a focus on a hobby that you've let deteriorate for one reason or another. For certain, a refocusing on spiritual things is usually a good step to take. For the Israelites, that refocus came soon after they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land.

First of all, the Lord commanded Joshua to see that all the males were circumcised. The first generation had been circumcised soon after leaving Egypt. But their children had not been forced to bear the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant and now the Lord wanted to rectify this human oversight. The sign of circumcision identified the Hebrews as a people group, and was a physical sign that every male wore of God's pledge to Abraham to make his descendants a great nation and bless the world through them.

Second, the people celebrated Passover, yet another reminder of God's working in the past. It's very fitting that the date of Passover came when they entered the land. It was a ceremonial end to the Exodus, which, of course, started with the original Passover. Another ending took place that day. The question, "Manna, again?" was never uttered again. God had delivered His people to a land of food and water. They can live off of its nourishment now. So the manna stopped.

Third, the Lord appeared before Joshua in a mighty display at the end of chapter 5, showing up in human form as a warrior, sword drawn. Joshua was thrown off track at first (as would I!) but the figure identified Himself as the commander of the army of the Lord. Dude! God's commander-in-chief, sword in hand, ready to fight. With this guy leading the way, who can stand against us? The angel helps Joshua refocus on the task at hand and the reality of who would be doing the fighting. This land conquest was God's to win.

Sometimes we just need to refocus on what matters most, our family, our friends, and our faith. Here in chapter 5, God took time to refocus not only His nation but also His chosen leader. Afterwards, they were better able to face the challenges ahead. Sometimes we need to take a step back and pray that the Lord would open our eyes to areas in our lives we need to strengthen. Knowing who we are, both as individuals and who we are in Christ, is invaluable in helping us face the challenges that lie ahead.

So if you think you have strayed away from an important area of your life, or just feel that there is something missing, take a step back, pray and seek the focus that only God can provide. It will help you face whatever challenges lie ahead.

Like the walls of Jericho.

Be God's.

Oh, My Word...

2010-01-13T21:16:00.003-06:00

He never fails... to make headlines that infuriate. Here's today's, as relayed by CNN.com:

Pat Robertson, the host of the "700 Club," blamed the tragedy on something that "happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it."

The Haitians "were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever," Robertson said on his broadcast Wednesday. "And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.' True story. And so, the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.' "

I know he's a brother in Christ but... does Pat Robertson not have a compassionate bone in his body? Does he believe he is a prophet of doom, wired to the thoughts of the Almighty? He also has made proclamations of judgment after other natural disasters and tragedies, including 9/11. He blamed Hurricane Katrina on the sin of New Orleans. Why does he do this?

Why can't a natural disaster be... a natural disaster? Oh, my word.

I'm speechless that Robertson even went there.

Not every natural disaster is the judgment of God on specific or national sin. In my studies of God's word, I have not been able to find any prophecy for natural disaster-judgments during the Church age. Natural disasters happen because this world is falling apart, winding down, and in the progressive decline of decay (Romans 8:20-22). This is a result of God's curse on ALL mankind after Adam's fall and affects ALL mankind ALL the time.

Scientifically, earthquakes happen because the earth's tectonic plates are in constant motion and the friction between them causes the earth to tremble. Did God cause judgmental earthquakes at specific times in the course of human history? You bet. But most, if not all, of His were unexplainable by science. They were supernatural and can only be seen as so (like Korah's rebellion in Num 16:31). But the Haitian earthquake was geological and not abnormal. The country was warned in 2004 and 2008 that it was at risk for an earthquake. Not because of sin but because of two major fault lines that run under the land.

Oh, my word. Please know that God loves the Haitian people. He wants each one to come to salvation and many have already come. I've been there and seen the church in action. Our Lord's heart goes out to the hurting and the concerned. And His people are currently forming an army of compassion to reach out with the love of Christ in the midst of this tragedy. God loves Haiti. And He will somehow bring glory to Himself in the midst of all of this.

Keep the faith. Reject the ridiculous.

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Music and Prayer

2010-01-13T11:36:00.003-06:00

"It's 8:44 p.m. and we're still getting aftershocks! Can hear people gathered in the distance singing prayers."

So wrote Richard Morse, hotel manager at the Oloffson Hotel in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, on Twitter.com.

Does Mr. Morse's quote remind you of anything? Earthquake in the night and the sound of singing? Read this...

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" (Acts 16:25-28)

Interestingly, the Haiti earthquake caused the national prison to collapse, freeing the prisoners... who then escaped.

I've found that singing and prayer come in handy during times of crisis. I cannot even begin to tell you the number of times I have been calmed during a time of trouble by music and what I call "shotgun prayers." It doesn't matter what your nationality or part of the world. The same truth applies: music and prayer soothe a troubled heart.

Be God's.

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Praying for Haiti

2010-01-12T23:21:00.003-06:00

As most of you are probably aware by now, the tiny Caribbean nation of Haiti was rocked by a major 7.0 earthquake this evening, utterly devastating the poorest country in the Hemisphere. My heart is torn as I watch the news coverage right now, the darkness concealing what dawn first light will most certainly reveal: massive death and destruction. It's a sad day for Haiti.

I was shocked tonight to see the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince in ruins. It was such a beautiful building. Seeing it was a highlight of my trip to Haiti in 1995. I even managed to snap two quick pictures of it from the back of a van as RMI ministries ferried my mission team through the city. It was Port-au-Prince's main tourist attraction and a historic building. But now it is totaled. Much like the nation, I imagine.

I was so relieved to hear this afternoon from several missionaries in southern Haiti who experienced the quake. They had not ventured out into the southern city of Les Cayes to survey the damage. But the mission compound they live in survived with little damage. My church has a sister church in Chambellan, a remote town near the end of the Haitian peninsula, that I'm also really worried about. Chambellan is located in a river valley, built on one side of the river against the mountains. The dwellings there are but shacks compared even to the poorest places of America. Tin roofs and cinder block walls for the ritzier places. Thatched roofs and mud for the poorer folks. I'm worried sick, to be honest. But God is sovereign and He will not forsake His own. They are in His hands and He will not drop them. So I wait for news and pray.

Will you pray with me for Haiti, especially the believers there? It is a beautiful yet poor land, a place populated with impoverished people, many of whom rely on outside help to make it to another day. Thank You.

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