Fragmented Faith

Sadness to Madness

2007-04-18T19:53:00.000-05:00

Speechless.....

My prayers go out to the families, students, professors, police, and friends impacted by the murders this week by Cho Seung-Hui, a student of Virginia Tech. I know the media has mentioned a significant amount of the time that Cho was a South Korean, but he has resided here since he was 8. He attended elementary, junior high, senior high, and now college all here in the U.S. He was, by all standards, a resident like many of his peers. His disability to cope with his many issues resulted in psychopathic explosion unparalleled in American history. I must take odds with those who would attempt to use this tragedy and moment to soapbox and preach their issue "du jour." Do not exploit this criminal and evil situation nor the people involved to advance your cause. Thats exactly what Cho did. He "used" people and a horrible event to advance his cause. This was demonstrated by his mailing of a package of videos and writings to NBC News. Although much of it presented irreverent ramblings, they meant something to him. Mentioned in them were hedonism and Christianity. Why together? Maybe he found that they were frequently intertwined. For this we should take a strong look at what we Christians have demonstrated to those walking lonely, hurt and isolated all around us. Who reached out to Cho? Who failed to love him? Who physically or mentally hurt him? Who simply wasn't a friend to him? We need to make sure we personally do not aid or inspire other Cho's that may be out there. I hope that this is the last time we ever witness such blatent evil taken out on innocents, but I do not believe that will be the case. The world is full of people who are capable of these acts. Let's make sure we reach them first with the love and healing power of Christ. The alternative is that they reach us and our loved ones with the hate and destructive desires of the devil. Let's care for their sadness before it results in madness.

Wasted

2007-04-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

The Courage and Decision to not Waste Your Life do not come easily or without cost. Have you yet taken inventory of your life and weighed the cost of both doing so and not? Have you figured out what you stand to lose by standing for Christ? I tell you that you stand to lose everything. Everything you currently hold dear. Everything you find your dependency in. Your job or career; your source of food and shelter; the things you hold value in and your dreams as well. All may be lost. Or, shall I say replaced. Or, re-priced. When you make the decision to not waste your life, you make the decision to remove anything that weighs you down. You will discount or consider of less value or even worthless that which hinders what God would have you do. Like Paul reminds us, even our flesh must be made subject. I am not condoning with the practice of many historical sects to brandish, burn or cut themselves to prove worthy or to visibly demonstrate the “submission” of their flesh to things considered godly. No. I also do not think glory is brought to God by re-enacting the crucifixion yearly by dozens of young men in the Philippines to have themselves thrust upward where all can now consider what your cost was 2000 years ago. So what is required? Death. Death to yourself; Death to self-centered desires; Death to having your own way; Death to ego; Death to always having to be right; Death to wasting your life, time, mind, and strength on things that do not matter or benefit anyone. Counting everything except for what God wants you to do at that moment as lost. Nothing else, including you, matters. Embrace this and you will find purpose; see Gods’ value placed in you; Gods’ power and peace; and the reward of losing everything you could never keep in return for that which you can never lose.

See: http://www.desiringgod.org/DWYL/

Sinn Fein, Ourselves Alone

2007-04-07T22:44:00.000-05:00

More correctly translated “Ourselves” the democratic terrorists may be leaning towards true bipartisanship as negotiations with the DUP move them towards a true power-sharing government. Great news! Will the new unity government be referred to as DUPe OURSELVES?

Time magazine (April 2, 2007) has a though-provoking discussion on “Why We Sh ould Teach the Bible in Public Schools.” Read it. I have to strongly agree as not only are we the most ignorant when it comes to math, reading and writing but also to religion and how it impacts everything from politics to current events. We have also become oblivious to our loss of personal freedoms as the ACLU has taken charge of the courts and stripped them away piece by piece under the false premise of protecting the feelings of a random few. Separation of Church and State was never intended to mean freedom from religion or its’ constructive influences or ideas.

So far in 2007, 413,660 people have been arrested for drug law violations. Only 2,833 have ultimately been incarcerated.

World Challenge has posted some great stats which I think serve as a blunt reminder that our priorities are so misplaced that it must make God puke.

6,571,497,332 people now live on Earth
1,200,000,000 people live on 23 cents a day
2,000,000,000 people have no electricity
80% of all people live in substandard housing
1,000,000,000 people are without drinking water
Every 16 seconds someone dies of hunger
57,000,000 people died in 2006
10,500,000 of these were children less than 5 years old
14,000,000 children were orphaned because of HIV/AIDS
2,000,000 children have died in the last decade because of armed conflict
$ 8,000,000,000 were spent on cosmetics in the United States in 2005
$ 11,000,000,000 for ice cream in Europe
$ 17,000,000,000 in the U.S. and Europe on pet food
$105,000,000,000 for alcohol in Europe

What have you spent your time and energy on?

The central problem with mankind today is the concept of self. When we are more concerned with our hair that a child dying from a lack of water; when we want to drive a new and sexy car rather than consider the fact that our gas consumption fuels Islamic militants who in return for our generosity will blow themselves and thousands of innocents up while they pick up food in the market; when we strive ridiculously for that 5 bedroom, 2.5 bath and 3 car garage house while not even genuinely concerned that only 20% of the worlds entire population has decent housing; while the U.S. has to waste roughly $20,000,000,000 on the drug war a year and contributes only about $12,200,000,000 towards pharmaceutical research, Americans will spend approximately $90,000,000,000 on illegal drugs this year; western society dedicates more time listening to news about Britney’s haircut than reaching out to a neighbor in need; when we can engorge ourselves at the local buffet and eat more in 1 night than millions will eat in 2 weeks (remember that every 16 seconds someone dies from hunger); when we are more concerned with what one is wearing than the value of the person themselves; when we choose to sleep late rather than come into God’s presence; when the desires of our flesh outweigh the consequences of our actions, but we don’t care; when more teens will attend spring break in some tropical area than will work on a short-term mission or for a group like Habitat-for-Humanity; when American families throw away more food each year than most families around the world have to eat in a year; when 1 in 4 women in college will report being raped, 1 in 3 face sexual coercion which matches the 1 in 3 women around the world who will be raped in their lifetime; When pornography becomes the largest industry on the web, larger than all others combined; we are all about self.

Did you know that more Christians are presently martyred each year than all years running up until now? One in ten lives in fear of persecution. Barnabus Fund helps support those living in constant fear of jail, beatings or worse. Find out what is happening to our brothers and sisters around the world today.

By the way, are you outraged at the thousands of rapes and millions that have died in the Sudanese war? Millions upon millions of refugees displaced? Is it political? Is it religious? It’s a travesty that the world has allowed these brutal, oil funded regimes to not only take control of the governments but then exact a reign of terror on innocent men, women and children. Many for the sake of their ethnicity; many for their non-Islamic beliefs. Are you unaware of the history? Here the BBC has covered it extensively for years trying to raise awareness. And, if you are a Christian, pray. And then stand! It is expected of us.

O.K. I can understand the grief of losing a favorite pet. We unfortunately had to put our black lab “Babs” down last year. She was 14 and suffering from a number of painful ailments. But committing suicide because your dog died? As Hindu’s, I wonder which is hoping to come back as the dog?

Our pastor’s wife’s mom passed away this past week. I ask that you keep their family in prayer. There is joy, however, in knowing that she found her strength in Christ. It was just a difficult time for it to occur as we were prepping for our annual community egg hunt. For a tiny, new church of roughly 35, we were surprised by the approximately 400-450 kids who came out for the event.

I am filled with peace. No, not because everything in life is going well. It’s not. Not because I am enjoying my job; I am not. I am because I am still on my faith walk. I am encouraged by my wife; and challenged by my kids daily. I do not put my faith in people, but in God. People will disappoint. Even Christians. Especially Christians. I say that because we tend to expect more from brothers and sisters than others. And they will falter. I will too so don’t expect too much from me either. But I am trying and, you can tell me when I have screwed up. I am simply trying to keep the important things in front of me and God’s people. The other stuff: gossip, judgementalism, pettiness, waste, anger, hatred, and self-centeredness can go to… Iran?

Speaking of Iran, what do you think about their gift to the Brits? I say return it. They gave back 7 naval seamen. I say send them back with interest. Send 7 seamen with 7 Aegis Destroyers backed by 70,000 men, backed by 7 supportive nations each with 7 Nuclear Warheads ready to generate 7 glass Petri Dishes in the middle of the desert.

Finally, and most importantly, it is Easter time. I personally want to take this moment to thank God for His willingness to endure the worst of human cruelty to provide redemption for those who cause it. I am as guilty of any, maybe more-so, for making the path He had to walk and endure the only viable means of reaching and saving me.

My daughter and I were involved in a great performance entitled “Y” at the New England Dream Cente r for the last couple of days. Hundreds returned to Christ or made first time professions of faith in the redemptive solution provided for by Jesus. But not all will accept. Some will never. Some preach a different message. I observed a man leaving before the final message. Dragging 2 children of his by the hands and 1 more following closely behind, he naively and loudly stated “say good-by to the cross kids.” This, as he dragged them from the church and out into the cold, violent, crime-ridden streets of Worcester. What hope did he offer them? None. Many will leave a legacy of non-hope for their children. Many provide only a bitter pill sugar-coated as reality. To these I say “Please, if nothing but for the sake of your family, consider Christ verse the answer you have been giving for life’s’ woes. Consider Christ this Easter. Why? Because He first considered you.

Things Are Hot & Cold In New England & Elsewhere

2007-03-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

Hey baby it's cold outside. I can't say that without of thinking about "Elf" the movie. Today was the coldest day in Massachusetts since 1950. I don't think I can take any more of this global warming! It should actually be brutal this year and next thanks to La Niña. No not El Niño. The opposette occurence and opposing results.

Things are looking hot for our Patriots here as we picked up Adalius Thomas from the Ravens. I think this is a great fit and probably to be one of the best pick ups this season, across the league. I'm looking forward to what else transpires through the magic of Kraft for positioning and molding by Bill Belichick. Another championship will be ours this year.

Libby was found guilty. I am pretty certain that the decision and sentence are both correct and appropriate. Can we now change the channel?

I have decided that I am glad I am not in Indonesia this week. Albeit the weather would be more tolerable than the -20 made possible through our 47 mph wind chill factoring. Just today another earthquake struck the island of Sumatra but fortunately, since it was land based, no tsunami would result. However with over 70 killed and hundreds wounded, there will be much need there. Consider making a contribution to efforts made by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. You may do so here: http://donate.ifrc.org/ Indonesia is also dealing with an airliner crash in which at least 8 but up to 54 were killed as the plane caught fire and became engulfed in flames upon landing. Thank God many escaped. For the one's who didn't, please pray for their families. It's a hard season in Indonesia.

Well, I'm flying out again tomorrow so a packing I must go. God Belss & Good Night.

Nothing Left To Lose

2007-03-05T22:17:00.000-05:00

Many thanks go out to the friends of mine who keep me reminded via "semi-daily" to "weekly" devotionals that I am merely a traveler on a path to eternity. The stepping stone, or should I say scandalon was "nothing is more dangerous than a man with nothing left to lose." I have had many diverse thoughts about this one factoid, so much so that I thought some of you may find it wonder-filled too. This devotional I was sent described a movie where the villain goes after the main characters wife and children. You've seen the movies, usually starring men like Bruce Willis or you. Or at least the "you" you hope would be under such circumstances such as the villain has your family tied to a nuclear warhead in a well-guarded subterranean bunker underneath the city of New York. Of course the police don't believe the story you have shared in trying to enlist their help, say for one cop with great instinct but no friends within the force. And together, you and he, unlikely allies, negotiate the treacherous lair set up for your demise by your well-funded, and tool-enabled foes. It's a likely story resulting in millions in opening day ticket sales and an exhausting, sweat-soaked, dream festered sleep. I want you to consider the man who has had everything taken from him in Jobian fashion and one who has had maybe 1 child taken while the kidnappers insist that whatever action he takes against them will result in his other children or wife being taken or killed. Leverage. They have him considering now what he has to lose by taking a particular action. He must make smaller, safer choices. Nothing visible. Nothing with the mind-set that "If this fails..."

The first guy has lost everything. The thought of "what if I fail..." never enters his mind. As the Bon Jovi song rings "I'm goin' down in a blaze of glory," he relentlessly pummels his adversary in a firefight. He wins because his opponent usually has something to lose, or if not, it's because our hero has only 1 significant goal in mind. There can be only 1 solution. The end of the enemy and his entrapment's and the safe recovery of his family.

I think often about the early settlers in North America. There were no jobs in the filthy, over-populated and violent cities on the eastern seaboard. They took their possessions (usually merely what they had on their backs, some small necessities, a knife, a gun, their wife and kids) and headed bravely into unchartered and should we say, barely charted territory. They faced unpredictable odds, famine, blight, sickness, hunger, blizzards, drought, wild animals, Indians, bears, snakes, accidents, and disease. They didn't have MapQuest or Google; no HMO's or health insurance cards; no spare tires or AAA; no Holiday Inn's or mini-mart gas stations; no Walmarts or McDonalds; no GameBoy or DVD players. They had themselves, their own wisdom and knowledge, God and His word; a gun and their physical strength; prayer and nature. That's it. A very small list. Why did they survive? How was it possible? Like our hero, there was little outside of their tented-wagon that would hold them back or cause them to second guess themselves.

Have we Americans become so burdened with our own "stuff" that we can't move forward any more? Has our focus become so diluted that we cannot muster the effort required to bring down an enemy who threatens us, our family. our country and our faith? We think we make bold steps when we speak against poverty? But what have you actually accomplished? Did you devise a way to defeat it? How about rancid, liberal, anti-God lessons from the classroom? How about the pornographic tentacles that are reaching through your television, radio, or computer and trying to drag your husbands, wives and children into a life of enslavement and addiction? How about the racist groups that spew hatred and entice your sons with a phony power? How about the media telling your daughters that the sexuality that is uniquely theirs can be used for pleasure and power? How about the lies that one-more trip to the spa or one more visit to St. Lucia and you will be eternally at peace? How about the lie that a one-night fling or a simple peak will not affect me or my family negatively? How about, how about, how about? Fill it in.

What real battles have you fought lately? Have your children seen you fight for anything of eternal value? Do they go to bed at night saying "my dad, my hero"? Is the world a better place because you're here and because of what you've done? Do people see purpose and power in your presence? It's time for all of us to consider what is weighing us down and keeping us from depending upon God. You see, we depend on technology, not our ability to think. We rely on mechanisms and not our feet, hands, eyes, and ears. We would rather buy something then learn how to build it. We would rather have welfare take care of us than to develop a new skill-set and take care of our selves. We would rather ask a doctor to fix it than to eat well and exercise. Maybe we need to lose everything before we see it clearly. I hope not. I choose to become effective, purposed and "dangerous" to things coming against me and my family. I hope my life would someday make a great movie. Not just exciting to watch, but exciting to live out personally.

If you've seen "Gladiator" then you've seen evil helplessly defeated by "a man with nothing left to lose." If Americans, men and women alike, would choose to be dangerous to the things that are destroying our society and families, this country could never be brought to ruin until by God himself.

Media Ménage à Trash

2007-02-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

In a day where you can watch the death of someone occur on your video cell-phone and post a comment about it's validity or worthwhile-ness, even before the person drops dead to the ground, you would think that the quality of what we have access to would be enhanced by the elimination of the middle men, the editors, the sponsors, the D-Jockeys. But it hasn't. Quite the opposite has occurred. Everyone is now a photojournalist. High School students with a cam-ready, wi-fi caffeinated, and possessing a quick-publishing automat-on-the-web interface have turned the old-fashioned web-bulletin boards into the NY Times of Easy-Bake News. It's called news; but it is opinion. It is not fact; it is viewpoint. It is not objective; it is decidedly sided. The upside, we have access to any piece of information being broadcast from any piece of the planet. It doesn't have to be deemed important by an editor before it is allowed a medium. It doesn't need to be of the highest quality in order to be viewed by millions. The downside, include the same. It doesn't have to be fact-checked, nor source protected. The quality can be poor and so our standards become lax. It doesn't have to be worthwhile for people to invest time reviewing it. It can be an immense waste of society’s time and resources.

We now spend an incredible amount of our salaried time reading useless emails, surfing useless internet sites and blindly following useless links around the web-world. A study involving 10,000 workers cites the random surfing of the web as the leading cause of productivity loss every day. The average hours per day spent? A whopping 2.09 hours. And that’s while on the job. The salaried cost for this unproductive use of FTE's is a mind-boggling $759 Billion a year. For more info you can investigate this (on your own time) at www.salary.com.

My thoughts, and these are merely my opines so you should weight them all in light of eternity, and the possible loss of your jobs, is to leave the surfing to your lunch time and after hours activities. Put your work, family, fitness and faith first. Then putting on your spelunking gear and head into the dark crevices’ of the internet.

Now for some news commentary. If you are interested in Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, or Anna Nicole, Daniel Radcliffe, Beyonce, Jessica, Pitt, Cruise or the rest, find yourself another blog to waste your time on. I have no interest in individuals who's greatest desire is to coin-toss between one bad decision or another. And to do it well aware that a brain-dead population of imbeciles who live vicariously through their escapades vie E or the Enquirer will be waiting to tune in nightly. Have I made myself clear?

Now I start of tonight with a "Bravo" to Michael Flaherty of Walden Media for having the courage to fly in the face of the Media Elite and produce films that are of a good quality and of great value to families with children. His works range from "Holes" to "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," to "Because of Winn Dixie," to his latest releases "Amazing Grace" and "Bridge to Terabithia." His desire has been to encourage reading of the classics and writings of the greatest authors such as Thoreau (from whose book Flaherty draws his company's name, Walden) and C.S. Lewis. I thank Mr. Flaherty for using his ability in the Media world to give us something we can safely take or children to; use for moral grounding; and that gives our kids hero's they can proudly emulate.

How many of you have been staying abreast of the discovery of the entombed Ossuaries in Jerusalem labeled with the names Jesus, son of Joseph; Maria (Mary); Yose (Joseph); Mariamne (Mary Magdalene); Matia (Matthew); James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus; and Judah, son of Jesus. Filmmaker James Cameron is producing a film entitled “The Lost Tomb of Jesus.” If you haven’t thought this one through yet, you need to. Albeit it entirely possible that this is just one of the merely hundreds of possible tombs with a name Yeshua inscribed on at least one of the ossuaries contain within; this one has some unique distinctions. First, the combination of these names together is somewhat obvious. Second, although a family tomb, DNA testing of remains found in the ossuaries indicate family relationships and non-family remains exactly as one would predict. The implications should this be authentic are going to cut deep into Christian belief and theological core. If true, Jesus’ bodily resurrection may not be supportable in spite of Matthew’s insistence in the Gospels. Was it then a spiritual ascension then what Christ foretold? It’s a good time for Christians to refresh their memory as to the text and context of the resurrection and come to an understanding, with the assistance of God’s spirit, as to what we are to know and understand from the history of Christ.

Looks like the race will be heating up. John McCain announced his intent to run for the Presidency on “Late Night with David Letterman.” I personally think he should have first used YouTube.

Here’s a young guy you haven’t heard of but who I think has contributed more in a couple of years towards bettering the world than 90% of the Hollywood Elite will in their lifetime. And, he’s only 15 years old. His name is Zach Hunter and his cause is human slavery. Reported by the International Labor Organization to be a number as high as 12.3 Million people (most are women and children), it is largely invisible to the West. The organization he created is called “Loose Change to Loosen Chains” and can be found at www.lc2lc.org . I encourage you all to become abolitionist in 2007. Like Wilberforce in Flaherty’s “Amazing Grace” we as Christians must be agents for positive change. Whether God has given you a heart for the elderly, the enslaved, the poor, the handicapped, youth, pregnant teens, the suicidal, the environment, animal welfare, or the ability to teach a skill, build or repair a home, bless with musical abilities, fix a car, fix a marriage, or befriend the lonely, you can’t keep putting it off.

That’s the news, now get to work.

James 1:27

Coming Home

2007-02-07T21:13:00.000-05:00

To My Male Friends…

I want to start this letter by stating unequivocally that I believe that God is…

Strange way to start a discussion. There is something hanging intentionally. Unfinished. Incomplete. Imperfect. Like short sentences we utter daily never really getting out the flood of words, ideas and thoughts that barrage our minds daily. A million stars twinkling in our heads every hour, yet, we speak short insignificant nothings. To our peers, wives, children, wives. We have become the Windows Blue Screen. It’s recognizable, but hardly detailing the billions of bits of operations that were and are going on behind it. We dare commit to voicing our perceptions, ideas, understandings, revelations from God: Truth. We have become the empty syringe or pill, a placebo. In our own minds effective. In truth however, we fail to get in the face of those we love with serious conviction and probable solutions. We can’t bring ourselves to tell someone that they have a terrible disease or life pattern. We can’t bring ourselves to say that we might have the same issue.

There is no doubt in my mind that God wants…

I have had several friends dealing with issues of infidelity. Infidelity: to their wives and children; to their bodies; to their God given talents; to their work; to their purpose in life.
The guilt is overwhelming. For them, you, and me. Some of you (let’s get honest) may not have gotten involved with the destructive behaviors if someone had intercepted; if someone had spent more time with you asking questions and being present within your’ personal space. I do not pretend that I am better, that I make better choices or understand the greatest mysteries of life, passion, sociology, psychology, God’s creation or how we are driven or impulsed in one area or another. Quite the contrary. I have come to recognize that I am quite capable of making the same mistakes that you have. I have struggled with various temptations over the years and thank God that He continually works on me.

God, for eternity, has been in the business of…

I want to see my friends successful. But really, what does that mean? Does it mean a solid career path in a high paying job? I suppose that it could. But it is not a clear indication. I would rather the evidence bring light to their abilities as a father to their children; as a dedicated lover of their wives; as men who seek God’s wisdom over their own; as friends who truly care for one another and speak truth when necessary. God is in the reconstruction business. Like things in my home of 5 children, they were once constructed but almost everything needs to be reconstructed at some point. I bet you know what I mean. God created. It’s a simple statement. But even more empowering is He is still creating. He’s creating new futures for us all of the time. He is creating beauty from the ashes where we once trespassed.

God has never…

Knowing that we are all prone to foul up, there is no division between us. Whether its’ doing our jobs well; remaining faithful to our wives; developing a dependence on drugs or alcohol; not taking care of the bodies and possessions God has given us; not helping the poor and lonely; stealing or developing a welfare attitude; having hopeless or suicidal thoughts; failing to demonstrate our faith to our children; or forgetting to be real friends, we are all similarly guilty and worthy of the crap we create.

This is why I say to you all today, I care about you and your families. I care that you may have destructive, addictive tendencies that maybe you’ve had for years and don’t know how to beat. I care that you may not be on the path that God has planned for your lives nor are you living that purpose out successfully.

And, I am sorry. I am sorry that I didn’t say it sooner. Or, that I allowed busyness and fear to get in the way of saying things that needed to be said. I am sorry for trying to pretend that I had everything together when a better friend would have said “let’s get through these life situations together.” I will not judge you, only be there to help in any way that I am able.

The good thing to remind yourself of is that God will…

He will restore a heart that has become cold and separated from Him. He will paint a masterpiece depicting a new future for us. He will walk and talk with us when we reach out for Him and seek Him first, above all other things. He will bring the beauty from ashes that we all desperately need. It’s about coming home.

Now go back to the statements unfinished above and complete them in a quiet discussion with God. Because for each one of us, the answer will be a little bit different. And that’s o.k. I just want to hear back from you what He completes each sentence with.

Road Trip

2007-01-30T22:58:00.000-05:00

I want to welcome you all back as I am committed to restoring routine blog activities. Well, here we are. It's 2007 and I don't feel a day over, say 40. I am on the road as usual, in NJ and came down with a flu bug. Makes one feel like I had a successful day as a speedbump on the Mass Turnpike.

A good friend of mine is turning 40 and we enjoyed a nice get togethor, wine-tasting, good discussions, good times. The same day, I attended the funeral for a young man who lost his battle with cancer at 40. I have numerous friends and neighbors battling cancer. Many friends whose marriages are in jeopardy; some battling various addictions; and some carreer unstable. My oldest is preparing for college (blows my mind) while I am trying my hardest performance-wise to make sure I do not lose my job. We recently had to put our dog down after 13 years with us. She was 14 which is quite old for a lab. She was the best dog one could ask for. Bye "Babs." I am just getting over pneumonia and my wifes transmission blew for the 4th time since September. Yes. Life is crazy. But you know what, I have much, much, much to be thankful for. I have a wonderful wife and great kids. I have a roof over my head. I can afford to go to the doctor when ill and I can effectively feed my children. I have friends who do care about me. I have started singing again. Many years of playing in bands, performing around the world, and singing or leading worship made me unable to give it up. It is a part of me. A part of what makes me enjoy living. It's a passion. Thank you God for giving me another chance to sing for you. I hope to be able to take it to the next level.

Yeah, life is like a road trip. Sometimes a little bumpy. Sometimes you accidentally swerve into the rumble strip and are not-so-gently reminded to get back on course. Sometimes you need to pull over for gas. Sometimes you find that you are unable to see the road. Sometimes the road is treacherous. and sometimes you get lost. Wherever you find yourself today, remember that there is a God who wants to traverse the road with you. Will offer correction and forgiveness when you find yourself lost and off course. He wants to refresh you when you're out of gas. He is the God who knows where your going and where you should be heading. He sees the road conditions even when it's dark outside. He's the gentle voice saying "turn left" or "turn around. You're heading over a cliff and you don't even know it." What I have come to recognize are the signs. Much better than when I was a teen or in college. There are signs everywhere. Some stay "Yield," some "One Way." Some are those funny curvy ones indicating you're in for a shaking up ahead. Some just say "Stop." Life too is full of signs. Fooling around with drugs and you apt to get addicted, lose your job and destroy your family. "Messin wit yo bro's lady" as my ebonics bible hilariously put it will only ruin the relationships in your life. Laziness will make you lose your job. And avoiding doing what God designed your to do will leave you without satisfaction and joy in life. I am reminded of Jim Carey in "Bruce Almighty" where he is questioning what he is supposed to do and is asking God repeatedly for a sign when in actuality the signs are everywhere he goes. Sometimes they are big and right in front of us. Some take the form of other peoples examples from which we should learn. Remember the old adage: it's good to learn from experience; it's better to learn from other people's experiences.

Yeah, life's a road trip. Often a brutal, difficult one. I'm just happy to be on the road. The right road with the right companion in my car.

Long Awaited, Much Adoo

2006-09-26T22:13:00.000-05:00

Over 9 months have passed since my last entry. Mind cluttered with thoughts, angst, fears, confusion, anger, busyness, and... so many more thoughts. In the past 9 months the world has undergone amazing changes and our lives, the lives of me, my wife, and our children has changed more than the entire period of our existance togethor. I now have a daughter who is a senior and beginning to really investigate colleges and leaving us. But that is small. I bought a nice Toshiba Quosmio. A nice digital-enhancement to my life. Still small. I changed jobs. But that really paled in comparison to the biggest life altering event. The most dramatic decision and life-altering choice was to leave our church.

For many of you this seems insignificant. And for many, it would be. But for us, it meant leaving the only church family our children had ever known. It meant yielding my positions in ministries that I had held for many, many years. Some of you had read some of my previous entries and understand some of the difficulties. It meant that my wife would lose her job as teacher and head of the Math Department at the church's K-12 Academy. It meant that sports teams for the church on which we played would no longer allow us to play with them. It meant awkward runnings-in with members in supermarkets, post offices, soccer fields, and coffee shops and trying to explain the reasons without breaking confidence and parlaying disatisfactions that we bore for years. It meant our children not being invited to birthday parties, or us being invited to cookouts as the "out-of-sight / out-of-mind" fact proves reliable. My involvement with youth of over 14 years ended. My college-aged ministry completely folded as it was driven into non-existance after we left. It meant moving into a realm of non-familiarity and an uncomfortableness with where we were heading.

What have the results been. ooooh. Too many to note but here are some. My wife has begun homeschooling our 3 youngest and they are doing very well. My son attends the local public school and joined the football team. He has wanted to play for as long as I can remember. And, he appears to finally be taking on some responsibility for getting his homework done. We'll see how long this lasts. We immediately started attending a small start-up church that meets in my sons high school. It's a school devoted to having an impact on the local Bellingham community.

We took a nice family vacation to Germany, France and Belgium. The kids had a blast and are looking forward to a European-Nite we will have on the 1st to look at our digital photos, tell stories, eat crepes and baguettes and cheese and chocolates and whatever else we can scrounge up. And reminisce. Paris was fun. Brugge was as perfect as usual. But Mont St. Michel was absolutely inspiring. (see picture)

We are trying to finaly get our home more organized, we're enjoying life a little more, each other a little more, being challenged by each other and God to spend time with Him figuring out our purpose for being. Maybe someday I can say for certain 1 good reason why we left. For now, it remains 100 lesser things that amounted to an inability to enjoy the sermons; feel welcome or trusted; feel used by some and forgotten by many; or simply hear from God. I just know that my heart had left there a decade earlier and my addiction to the church and it's activities drove me to remain.

How am I doing? I am still fighting God. I wonder even into my dreams why when He chooses to miraculously work in the lives of some, He chooses to remain silent or actionless in the pains of others. I wonder why God heartens someone for an area of ministry but doors remain closed. I wonder about how He really feels about war, the wars we wage in America and the wars we avoid waging because the nationals there are black. I wonder about our willingness to kill unborn children and our unwillingness to use their pieces to enable research to stave off MS, Parkinsons, and many other diseases. I'm not saying that I know the answers and have understanding of all right and wrong. But can't anyone site rationaly and discuss it. Without emotions bashing the opponent into the ground? Why we just can't discuss immigration, the problems, the possible courses of action, the likely results, and get something accomplished. Why we have so many different types of churches? Why Sunday Christians are Monday-Saturday idiots? Why believers in Creation, Evolution, microevolution and punctuated equilibrium can't sit down and look at the data (food, flies, fish, fossils, and physics) and decide, whether you believe God exists or not, that we don't have to resort to name calling and stereotypes of ignorance. Why ignorance is rampant in America. Why our kids can't read; can't perform the simplest of mathmatical equations; are fat and overweight; committing suicide or killing one another; who think sex-isn't-sex if it has the word oral in front of it; are the most lazy workers I've seen in 20 years; who think that Fast-Food jobs are O.K. for a career; and whose vocabulary is so vulgar that it could make a trucker blush. Why "till-death-do-us-part" are only Hallmark greeting card words void of responsibility or meaning. Why should we be concerned with the earths warming trend when it has happened religiously over periods of millions of years? How much of it is mankinds fault? Does it matter? Why the media wont call someone who hides his face when reading a letter "praising allah" and then viciously beheads his victim with a long knife while on video a terrorist? God forbid they should use the word Muslim to draw association to their cause. We can't report the facts. I guess I have a lot of whys. I am hopeful however. I know that we made the right decision. Of this I am convinced. It was hard. It was painful. It was necessary. Like a tooth canal. But I am happy with the friends we have kept and who have stayed with us during this process. I am happy to be able to get involved with a small, growing church. I am especially excitied about some of the new friends he has put into our paths. And with that, I'll depart tonight. I promise to return and keep this going again. Thanks for coming to visit.

Politics, Politics, Politics

2005-12-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

Media Bias? California researcher say that they have compiled the most exhaustive sorting of headlines, news reports, placement, word selection and such and have found that "yes indeed, there is media bias and it is left leaning." I'm sure you're all surprised by this, right? After all, a rediculously high number of reporters and editors vote left of center and view reality with the same shaded spectacles as most of the Hollywood elite. I bet you can guess which papers and which news programs were left, centrist, or right winged. Fox was one of the more right of center but did have a significantly high amount of centrist commentaries.

Are you concerned about the government surveilance of communications? I'm not but then again, I have nothing to hide. But I am disturbed by the media's pounding of the liberal drums that the government is evesdropping on us all and we are at risk. And, It's a Bush thing. It is not a Bush thing.

Bill Clinton Signed Executive Order that allowed Attorney General to do searches without court approval

Clinton, February 9, 1995: "The Attorney General is authorized to approve physical searches, without a court order"

Jimmy Carter Signed Executive Order on May 23, 1979: "Attorney General is authorized to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order."

WASH POST, July 15, 1994: Extend not only to searches of the homes of U.S. citizens but also -- in the delicate words of a Justice Department official - to "places where you wouldn't find or would be unlikely to find information involving a U.S. citizen... would allow the government to use classified electronic surveillance techniques, such as infrared sensors to observe people inside their homes, without a court order."Deputy Attorney General Jamie S. Gorelick, the Clinton administration believes the president "has inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches for foreign intelligence purposes."

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Gen. Michael Hayden, the principle deputy director of national intelligence, in defense of the National Security Agency's (NSA) program that eavesdrops on Americans' communications: Gonzales said one party to the communication must be outside the United States and linked with al-Qaida or an affiliate organization. "The president has not authorized ... blanket surveillance of communications here in the United States."

Gonzales would not provide the documents laying out the legal arguments for the program, but he didn't rule out releasing more information later. "We're engaged now in a process of educating the American people ... and educating the Congress."

So, since Watergate really opened our eyes to the potential uses and misuses of surveilance, we are now ready to throw out the baby. Even at the risk of our own peril. Welcome to America.

But you know, we'll insist it's because of the inherent check-and-balences that make the American experiment work. If that's so, then they shouldn't be almost fascist against gun in the hands of ordinary civilians. After all, the Right-to-Bear means that the government is controlled by the public and, if it assumes too much control, then the public can forcibly put it in its' place. BTW, did you notice how please Harry Reid seemed to be when the Patriot Act was originally being signed? See the picture of him right next to "W."

I read an interesting, but not surprising, article on Stalin. He actually initiated a program to try to create a type of ultimate warrior by genetically merging humans and apes. They were to be physically stronger, less prone to complain over food and living conditions, and more pain tolerant. As you can guess, their experiments of implanting ape sperm with human eggs failed miserably. The scary thing is that they actually had human "volunteers." I wonder how they were "made into" volunteers.

I am worried that Bolivia may be heading into coca-mass-production as the "only viable way" that they might bring themselves out of poverty. We had better start considering the consequences of how we handle the election of a coca farmer named Evo Morales to the position of president there. Maybe our drug policy should be the cheapest one-way fair for any addict who would like to retire with cheap drugs. Send them via planes down to Bolivia. Great weather, free drugs. If they hate to fly, then just send them a little north to Canada.

Speaking of Canada. I just read that the U.S. operated a nuclear sub, the USS Charlotte, through a part of the Canadian's Northwest Passage on up to the North Pole during its' recent tour. The Canadian government is silent on whether they authorized the U.S. navy to traverse its' territorial waters but I'm sure we'll hear accusations flying onto the front pages of the Canadian Post soon. It's election time up there and it's always considered good politics in Canada to speak down to and play verbal challenge to the United States. It garners support for either party that employs it. It's rampant up there now. I think it would be justified policy that we completely shut off all trade and close the northern borders 6 months prior to Canadian elections. This way, they can win elections by who has the best plan on aiding relations with the United States and restoring their economy. After all, let's be realistic, the Canadian economy survives because we are their southern partner. If Mexico was Canada's southern alliance, it would resemble a large version of the island of Dominica with the DR on one side and Haiti on the other. One side twice as prosperous as the other but both still desperately poor in lieu of the worlds' status. I will assume that the 2 planes that Harper hopes to boost the Canadian Air Force by are made in the U.S. too. Hate to see that price tag in Canadian dollars though. Ouch! BTW, Harper is a nutcase second only to some of those south of us and presiding over places such as Iran and Syria. If you don't believe me, let's talk again in 6 months if he is elected. Check out his plan for trade with the U.S. here.

Abdullah Khadr, the oldest son of a (you guessed it) Canadian family confessed to American authorities he bought weapons two years earlier for al-Qaida. Khadr admitted his involvement in a plot to kill Americans and the prime minister of Pakistan.

"During a six-month period in 2003, Khadr bought about $20,000 worth of AK-47 rounds, rocket-propelled grenades, rockets and mortar rounds, Jenkins said in the document supporting Khadr's extradition to the U.S. "In addition, he confessed that he provided explosive components, namely hydrogen peroxide, to make mines for al-Qaida's use," said Jenkins, a member of a national security enforcement unit which investigates criminal extremism in Canada. "These mines were to be used against U.S. and Coalition Forces. Khadr knew of approximately 60 land mines that were completed and some of these contained the hydrogen peroxide he provided."

Let's keep an eye on what happens in this Toronto courtroom. It may be that since it IS election time that Khadr may be raised up as a Canadian hero fighting against the tyranny of the United States.

If all this bad news makes you want to kill yourself, check yourself in to a Swiss hospital named the Vaud. They will allow you an exit strategy with the assistance of the Exit Society. They join the Nederlands and Belgium as European nations that have legalized euthanasia. Obviously Germany and France will not be far behind with maybe Spain beating them to the altar of liberalism.

Some Great Video Postings

2005-12-18T23:40:00.000-05:00

So, do you like watching movies, clips and shorts? I do. Here's a mix that I'll hope you enjoy.

Wild Feet - Freestyle
TBN Movies for free download
Invisible Skateboards
Glass Door Humor
Behind the Plane
All Things To All Mankind

Have a Good Night!

"Why Do I Do What I don't Want To Do?"

2005-12-18T23:17:00.000-05:00

“Why do I always do what I don’t want to do?” This famous question by Paul still rings true today. Yet I would not forget, “Why don’t I do the things that I want to do?”

I think some of the following translations make it even more personal.

“I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. NLT

In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate. Contemporary English Version

In the immortal words of Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

It’s true. It has no base in that God is distant or that we are incapable of self-management. It has everything to do with us…and the choices we make. That’s it.

Oh, I know it’s a little oversimplified, maybe. But outside of tragic events or systemic, long-lasting abuse, we should be easily enabled to make wise decisions.

Decisions that are in-line with God’s plans for us.

In-line with His way of thinking.

Who here has ever said “Why do I always do what I don’t want to do?”

Isn’t it true that we all have particular struggles? Areas we wish we could do better?

What are some?

Our temper, over-spending, eating, mood swings, drinking, sexual desires are just a few of the issues that we all deal with.

Here is a list of some of the substances, attitudes, and behaviors that most commonly become addictions (remember that anything can become an addiction):

Work Perfectionism Control
Sex Intellectualization Relationships
Drugs (illegal and legal, including nicotine and caffeine)
Misery (negaholism) Gossip Alcohol
"Rescuing" Others Religious Activity Food
Gambling Criticism Rage
Adrenaline Lust Materialism
Self Hate Thoughts of Death Self Abuse

"Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1: 14, KJV (Word "lust" is translated "evil desire" in the NIV) or…

“We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us.” CEV

“A man is tempted to do wrong when he lets himself be led by what his bad thoughts tell him to do.” New Life Version

"The sin that is inside of me, that is stronger that I am makes me do these evil things" Rom 7:17

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." I Peter 2:11 KJV

“Dear friends, your real home is not here on earth. You are strangers here. I ask you to keep away from all the sinful desires of the flesh. These things fight to get hold of your soul. When you are around people who do not know God, be careful how you act. CEV

Peter beseeched us, not even as a new Christian, for he was many years a believer when discussing his own struggles and temptations. He equated our bound-ness to sin as being a “slave to the flesh.”

He said, "Who will deliver me from this body of death?" And we know that that was a way of Roman capital punishment. A man convicted of murder was made to carry the body of the man he killed chained to his back. He would do this as the body was decomposing and decaying. Eventually contaminating and fusing with his own back.

Paul uses that body of death as a metaphor now in regards to his own life of sin.

God has dominion over the chains that bound the old dead guy to your back. They’ve been broken.

The problem is that we’ve grabbed a-hold of the ends of those chains and are holding that dead body to ourselves.

Fearful of the pain it would cause to let go. After all, it’s become one with us. A part of us and a part of who we are.

We have given a birth to a fear of losing the sin nature that we’ve allowed more power than the fear of not letting him go.

The Experience of the Numinous: It's the Real Thing

What we become frustrated with is the way sin acts itself out in our own personal experience, but to understand it fully we must first look at what’s referred to as the experience of the numinous. A Greek work best described by William Shakespeare.

The experience of the Numinous: A profound disturbance in the soul, excited by the presence of One so great that "Under it my genius is rebuked..." (Shakespeare)

Numinous is the awe-debilitating presence of one so great and powerful that we become as nothing. It is caused by nothing of this earth.

It is what I think is missing from the experience and relationship of most Christians.

John the Revelator "fell on his face as one dead" at the feet of Christ in a numinous experience. (See Revelation 1:17)

Even Adam and Eve who had never had a reason to experience fear, his from God when they had entertained sin.

Numinous awe is what Jacob experienced when he awakened from the vision of the ladder to Heaven and sensed the presence of God in that place. (See Genesis 28)

In the numinous experience, all else but the worship of God fades into insignificance. The emotion can be intense as in surges of joy and gratitude mixed with the awe.

Or it can be accompanied by a deep sense of peace.

Either way, sin and self are unable to stand as an affront to God.

It’s a place where we are left speechless.

It’s a place where we are left feeling altogether small but wonderfully loved.

It’s a place where our thoughts are His thoughts.

It’s a place where we can see and recognize the awesome power of a newborn in a manger and of a dead man brutalized upon a cross.

It’s a place where all addictions and lusts are replaced by this one source.

Again, the question. “Why do I always do what I don’t want to do?”

It’s because I haven’t been continually in the numinous experience. Or have left it, or have forgotten it or never experienced it.

And, because of this, our capacity to sin flies in the face of a God who offers us freedom.

We are created for a numinous experience with God. There is a place deep inside us that can only be filled by the presence of God Himself, in what John Eldridge calls "the sacred romance". Deep connection with the Divine is the only thing that can ever satisfy our hearts most profound longing.

Facing the truth about our problems, we must:

"CONFESS your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you" James 5:16 (New Century Version)

DEDICATE: "…Give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life (Rom 6:12-13 NLT)

Experience the Numinous and the “old man” will be seen for what he is, merely a dead guy we’ve been carrying around of our own strength.

The Earth is a Conflicted Place

2005-12-01T23:14:00.000-05:00

Crazy news lately. I was fascinated by the poll of the national media which found that 67% of reporters, pundits and editors believed that the United States mission in Iraq was failing miserably. While 78% of our military personal on the ground in Iraq felt things were going well and as planned. I'm more predisposed to believe the ones who are actually on the front lines doing the work than those sitting at their wall-facing-desks a thousand miles away.

How about the Supreme Court hearings on the NH Parental Notification Law. The arguments seemed to almost entirely focus on the incredulous chance that a minor might need an immediate emergency abortion and no parent can be found. First of all, the process most referred to today was in cases such as eclampsia. Often an abortion is contraindicated in cases of such. BUT NOT IMMEDIATELY. Usually the individuals blood pressure is so unstable that an abortion SHOULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY PERFORMED until the pressure, amongst other conditional functionals, are stabilized. Justice Scalia retorted brilliantly that if it's such a time critical emergency that no time for a phone call exists, then for God's sake, the doctor probably doesn't have time to scrub or don gloves. Even in cases where there might be an immediate emergency need to do such an drastic technique, there are already laws and statutes on the books authorizing AND mandating that the medical personnel do such. Hence, no one would be left to die on a table because they NEEDED and emergency abortion because they couldn't reach a parent or guardian. Think of it. The child, and I'll call them children because they still are, could potentially go in for an abortion requiring no notification. But, if something went wrong during the process, the doctor would need to stop and contact a parent or guardian because now the corrective treatment requires that notification occur. My kids can't get an aspirin from the school nurse without her calling me for permission but could get an abortion and potentially suffer major consequences without them feeling the need to inform me? Are they out of their minds? If you get the chance to download the oral arguments today, they speak for themselves. It's about money and power. Nothing else.

Did you hear about the Caucasian and female suicide bomber? Born and bread in "white-bread" Belgium, this 37 year-old named Murielle Degauque, donned a belt of explosives and tried to kill members of an American Patrol Unit in Iraq. Fortunately, she was the only fatality. She has, however, been referred to as a "typical girl-next-door." But how typical is she really? She had a habit of hanging out with "difficult kids." She explored drugs. I guess that's typical for Europeans at least. She had married and divorced a Turkish man; met and then left an Algerian; and then met a Moroccan....oh wait, I mean a Belgian of Moroccan extraction (named Issam Goris), who then married her, took her to Morocco and helped her convert to Islam. This conversion to Islam is what predicated her sympathy for Osama-Bin-Satan and her desire to commit Jihad. For what, I don't know. The 79 virgins are for the males only. This is what European news says typifies the common girl-next-door. If this is what we can expect as the typical European girl, I'll tell my sons to not only buy American but marry American!

How about this one from my home state: A mall in Massachusetts issued an apology after a 4-year-old girl was apparently told she was not allowed to sit on Santa's lap unless she purchased a $21 picture of the meeting. "I See Stupid People..."

How about this scary one: Russian Squirrels bit a stray dog to death which had been barking at them in a Russian park. Them are some tough squirrels my friend!

And finally, is nothing sacred anymore: Nativity Video Link As if that's the worst they can do.

Spinning On My Stress Ball, The Earth

2005-12-01T23:03:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have those days? You know, when you say "God, I'm gonna do my best to try to get it right!" And then, all of a sudden, you put your leg over the side of the bed and dropped your feet to the floor and it's all over from there? Well, that was today. A Thursday much like most Monday mornings except it was all day. Unexpected construction zones and an old lady driving 10 mph under our already ridiculously slow speed limits had me pulling into the train station as the train was pulling away. I then toyed (for 5 seconds) with the crazy idea of racing at the speed of sound to the next station and beating the train. Well, I'm sure you can guess what I did. I knelt in prayer and said "O.K. God, your in control here and I'm not. What would you..." Not. I gunned it and beat the train to the next station. Couldn't find a parking space so I parked illegally in the woods. Figured the squirrels would protect my truck from being towed. I then jumped on board and tried to get some work done. I fell asleep and missed my rail stop. Ooops. Now I had to bus it back to where I supposed to get off. And you know what? That was the good part of my day. How was yours?

In The News Today

2005-11-29T23:07:00.000-05:00

Everybody has heard the latest on K-Street politics that hit the press from CA earlier this week. Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham tearfully resigned his post after admitting to taking as much as $2.4M in bribes in return for driving business towards particular defense contracts. It is still not yet altogether clear how the co-conspirators, Mitchell J. Wade, president of Washington-based MZM Inc., and Brent Wilkes, head of San Diego area defense contractor ADCS Inc., will respond to the court submitted documents charging them with bribery. This may, as I believe we will find, open up a rusty can of righteous worms and expose the hypocrisy rampant amongst the progressive corporate lobbyist and those elected to conscript laws on our behalf. It is well understood that the lobbyist actually play a huge part in the actual drafting of many laws and bills, but the back-scratching has profited both sides of the Avenue. Just not the voters or our trust of those involved. I do give Rep. Cunningham credit for oweing up to what he has done, admitting it publicly, apologizing for it publicly and willingly taking his punishment like a man. Hear his public announcement here. Whether Democrat, Republican, or Bostonian, actions deemed illegal must be dealt with swiftly and openly. I hope that this starts a fire under the entire Washington Federal bureaucracy encouraging them to make themselves accountable to their constituents for their decisions and actions. Maybe then, we'll see it trickle down to the State levels of government as well.

Have you hear of 15-year-old Ram Bahadur Bamjon, who, people say, has been meditating without food or water under a "pipal" tree for six months? They say he may be the next Buddha incarnate. And this means what for the world today?

I have to admit that I was impressed with his afrontedness by admitting that indeed "we do have a strategy. We do have a plan. I saw a strategy that is being implemented in Iraq." These were bold statements for a Democrat. But then again, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman has never been politically correct and has usually presented a more honest front when faced when truth and facts. He has asked President Bush to detail to the American public the progress that our servicemen and women have made over in Iraq - "from military triumphs to the proliferation of cellphones and satellite dishes."

Fayetteville, Arkansas abortionist, Dr. William F. Harrison offers a difficult perspective on the abortions he does: New Life through the Death of another. His perspective is that the end justifies the means. But even the simplest lessons from college Psychology 101 such as the Life-Boat quickly reveal that this doesn't always hold much water. No pun intended here. In short, if Christians are to ever win the war on death, we must offer life. Not judgment and condemnation but love, money, personal assistance, a warm shelter, food, clothing, an education, and whatever it will take to persuade a young mother to not kill her child. If we fail to do this, we are as bad or worse than the abortionist who is offering her an albeit painful and guilt-filled second chance at life.

And, on a more interesting note, laser guns will soon not be relegated to the Star Wars Conventions in Las Vegas. The U.S. Air Force has launched into beta testing in real situations the "first man-portable, non-lethal deterrent weapon and is intended for protecting troops and controlling hostile crowds." Check it out and other incredible tools being developed to enable and protect our military personnel.

What Are Our Children Exposed To?

2005-11-28T21:48:00.000-05:00

I am and have always been concened as to what people allow children to be exposed to and at what age certain things should and need to be discussed. Having 5 children at an assortment of ages, I have found that there are no set rules by age but by maturity and other social and relational factors. I tend to be conservative, and probably a little over protective, having seen the negative effects on our youth culture over the years of negative exposures that they either report to me or I find out about.

In general though, children are our future (to quote a passe phrase) but they are even more so becoming a reflection of us and our past mistakes. The obvious demonstration of this fact is that as a whole, children are more inclined to try drugs, to drink, to commit suicide, to kill or beat-up someone, to act disrespectfully, to quit school, to graduate illiterate, to enjoy the spoils of welfare, to insert the F-word into every breath, to have sex or perform sexual acts, to cut themselves, to pierce themselves, to overeat, to have anorexia or bullemia, to hate mariage, to not get involved politically, to never help someone less fortunate, to be self-centered, to worship money, to watch TV more than they read or communicate, to have a poor self esteem or to actually hate themselves, to constantly quit or lose jobs, to elevate friends over family, to not play sports or work out, to not serve in the military, to cheat, to steal and lie, to not know where they live on a map, to judge according to clothes or appearance, or to call "stupid" anything they don't understand.

What does it sound like? It sounds a lot like the adults I know. Our children mimic what they see and hear. They call it rebellion. But impersonation is the greatest form of flattery. They tell us they want to be treated like adults because they are acting like the irresponsible adults they see around them. They repeat the sins of their mothers and fathers.

Hey Western World, wake up! Do we have the passion or desire to see them differently? If so, we need to start emmulating the behavious that we want them to demonstrate. If you want them to enjoy reading, then spend time reading to them. If you want them healthy and concerned for their health, then you should play ball or go for bike rides with them. If you want them to understand the power of prayer, then let them see you praying for them. If you want them to remain sexually pure, then show them what clothes are for and teach them the real differences between the sexes that the classroom won't detail correctly. If you want them to not smoke, discuss the dangers of it and do not smoke yourself. If you want them to be hard working, work hard yourself and tell them why it's important to do so. If you want them to act respectfully, demonstrate it to one another in your speach and actions.

Now, to the "not-so-western-world," you're not off the hook. How about treating your young girls like they are beautiful? How about letting them be equal to boys? Let them learn. Let your children envision a future where people can learn to get along. Let them see that people really do have a lot of the same concerns everywhere on this little blue bulb in space. How about that each and every one of them is precious and that God truly does love them?

When I turn on MTV, I see video's where rappers praise shooting cops and where angry teens give the middle finger to all authority and adults in their lives. That's sick. But did you know that there is an Iranian music video that depicts a young man as a suicide bomber driving his explosive vehicle to glory instead of home to his new family. That's sick too.

I saw a cartoon from Iran on www.memri.org that is for children and is meant to convey the glory of blowing ones-self up for Allah's glory. That's sick. I would say that if it came from a "christian," "hindu," "muslim," or an atheist source. It's just plain sick and validates my previous statement that we teach our children to reflect us. The adults.

If the people would wake up and start making decisions based upon helping fulfill the potential of every child on the planet, then we would all have a future we could be proud of. If we don't, then what are we hangin' on for? The ride?

Healing: Complex Question with a Baffling Answer

2005-11-22T19:55:00.000-05:00

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching..., proclaiming..., and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23) Note, Jesus healed EVERY-one.

In the New Testament it is also very clear that Jesus healed. When Jesus healed, people were completely healed. "A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy" (Matthew 8:2-3; and Matthew 9:1-8)

Jesus brought back the dead; "As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother" (Luke 7:12-15). The man had to do something too. Get up.

Jesus healed all who came to Him; "News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.": "When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick" (Matthew 4:24, 8:16).

It is also worth noting that while Jesus said in many cases it was faith in Him that lead to healing, it was not necessary to have faith to be healed. In John chapter 5, we read of the healing of a crippled man who not only didn't have faith in Jesus, he didn't even know who Jesus was.

Does God want everyone healed? Paul had his thorn in the flesh. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me (2 Corinthians 12:7). So, it is obvious that “no” is often God’s answer. More examples include the following:

Timothy apparently had recurring stomach troubles and the suggested cure wasn't prayer but a little wine, (1 Timothy 5:23).

Trophimus was so sick Paul left him behind, (2 Timothy 4:20) and in Philippians, we hear that Epaphrodites almost died. He was not healed by Paul but by God later. These examples show that healing wasn't lacking because faith was. These were the faith leaders of the church and if God chose not to heal, then what can be said?

We also read of a city visited by Jesus where not much of anything went on. Why? A defined lack of faith in this example. "Jesus did not do many deeds of power there because of their unbelief." (Matthew 13:58) Sure seems like God doesn’t want to be figured out.

So...God didn't heal their sicknesses because of their lack of faith in Him.

So...should we even bother to ask God to heal?

"Whatever we ask according to His will...He will hear us" (1 John 5:14). The key here is though according to HIS will, not ours. God does heal when He knows it is appropriate.

Hence, there are times He is simply waiting for us to ask on behalf of someone. One can safely assume that He would allow sickness or death because we failed to take Him at His word.

James teaches that we are to pray and get medical care. "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5:14).

So, how should we approach healing when we are sick, diseased, or dis-enabled?

Get up, ask for healing, have Faith that God does heal and oft chooses to do so, and believe that He is Lord regardless of His decision. Meaning, He still loves you and will support you even when His answer must be “no.” Will you still trust Him? Or, is your trust entirely dependant on the outcome?

I Owe God An Apology

2005-11-22T17:40:00.000-05:00

For my life. For my failures. For my lack of faith and trust. For trying to achieve on my own. For my sinful nature. For my unbelief. For looking at the world simply through my own eyes. For my temper. For my laziness. For my death-grip on hurt and sorrow. For my unforgiveness. For putting myself first. For not considering others as more important than I. For my wastefulness. For my lack of appreciation in the small things. For my impatience. For my not seeing His hand in life. For my not trusting even into death. For my idolatry. For my lack of caring and love towards all people. For my judging nature. For my ignorance of His word and character. For my failure to say "I'm sorry." At least I can start somewhere. "God, I'm Sorry."

The Stem Cell Debate – Slippery Slope or Responsible Hope?

2005-11-18T09:11:00.000-05:00

Let me be up front with my readers about the fact that I am still markedly undecided about the use of human embryo or clone derived stem cells. As a scientist, I am piqued at the possibility of any substantial key discovered in the fight against the diseases and bodily disintegrations that plague mankind today. I am awed by the awesome intricacies of the human design and the powerful mind-power we have to investigate and comprehend it in laboratories around the world. I am frightened by the prospect that someone will abuse the capabilities uncovered by science resulting in harm to mankind physically, socially, psychologically, emotionally, culturally, morally, and spiritually. I am equally cognizant of the fact that when you give man an inch, he then blasts off into space before you even discover that he’s no longer on the planet.

They say “there are two sides to every story” but I have found that this debate has many sides. The following are a potpourri of viewpoints that I encounter on a daily basis and that may or may not represent your thoughts on this debate. There are those who would say “let’s throw off the gauntlet of morality for it is nothing more than opinion and run full-force into the yet undiscovered potential of scientific discovery.” Cloning in all its’ majesty should be allowed, even for the creation of “spare part.” Maybe it’s o.k. to clone animals, bacteria and corn but not people. Some would argue that morality is best decided but that which results in the greater good. Many have decided for themselves that since embryos created for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) are just going to be discarded, then we should not waste the but use them for the betterment of mankind through research. Maybe the creation of an embryo for both IVF and for stem cell research is morally wrong but since it’s going to be done anyway, then we should have proper safeguards in place to prevent abuse. There are some who insist that it’s o.k. to create embryos for IVF but not for destruction for research purposes. Many in the world believe that life begins at conception, that all life is sacred and that it should be protected and not used for research. A lot of people I talk to would like to see some alternatives to the destruction of an embryo in order to avoid the current passionate debate. Many newer techniques for Stem Cell “acquisition” have been developed recently which is beginning to “address” this issue by working around it. There are a lot of undecided individuals floating and bouncing somewhere in-between each of the aforementioned. Have you found where you fall amongst these choices? Have you thought long and hard about it researching the facts or merely repeating media by-lines? What is there to gain? Where would a slippery slope take us? What are the potential downfalls? These all need to be considered, discussed and weighed out.

Maybe the name Dr. Hoo Suk Hwang causes you to shiver. Maybe it causes you to bow in worship. Maybe you haven’t heard of him. He’s the researcher from South Korea who is breaking ground, and possibly even moral laws, through his developments and scientific accomplishments in human and animal cloning. I’m sure you heard about the recently cloned dog and the reports of a successful, living human clone. Are you concerned? I am not surprised that this happened first in a nation in a region where life has historically been disposable. There are less of the moral “restraints” that one would encounter in the west. Oddly though, much of Korean culture considered your age to include time spent in the womb. But who am I to point out that coincidence. I think that the reason that China didn’t beat them to the goal was due to funding issues, slower momentum in China, and a little luck. But it would have been done regardless. Now what? Is he a hero, hypocrite, or human whore? Will he become the Mack-Daddy pimp of stem cells? People thought for the lat dozen years about whether they could do it. Now they need to think about whether they should do it.

What is the next new horizon for mankind? Cloning for body parts? Remember, it was China who historically slaughtered prisoners and immediately surgically removed their body parts. Sounded ethical since lives would be saved, right? Except there was the fact that some of those murdered were in prison for things such as propaganda against the mother-land, for attending a non-state-sanctioned Christian church or for political dissent. And, since testing was not up-to-par, many diseases were transmitted from these transplanted organs. Some even made their way to the U.S. where it is expressly illegal to acquire such trafficked organs.

Now what? Sex selection? Exactly. A funded study at Baylor University will study the effects of sex selection on families. Their goal? It is to ultimately demonstrate that there are no negative effects from selecting the sex of your child. After all, look what it did in countries such as China? They are scrambling now with such an almost completely male society to reverse the trend which caused female infanticide to become commonplace. Where are the feminists and women of NARAL when only females are being killed?

It will be only a matter of time once sex selection is “normalized” that one will be able to select embryos that will yield a particular hair or eye color, weight predisposition, or personality. And so, the great Aryan experiment continues in the bedrooms and Petri dishes of the world today. So, as the debate moves forward, it must do so with full consideration of the results, good and bad, moral and immoral, possible and not yet possible, until we are willing to safeguard ourselves, others and the yet unborn who will ultimately be sacrificed either as cells, or as parts for our benefit.

My Worth

2005-11-13T23:11:00.000-05:00

“A diamond is a girl’s best friend” We’ve all heard this before. But is it true? Is it the value we “mistakenly” attribute to the diamond that we feel as inherent or is it that we feel valued when such a rare product is presented to us? A diamond, after all is nothing more than a pressurized rearrangement of standard and commonplace carbon molecules done under immense pressure and heat over long periods of time. It’s a lump of coal.

If people decided that the diamond, beautiful as it may be once precisely cut, is of no value, would the diamond be any different? Would it feel bad? Of course not. Value is something placed upon people and things by people and God. The one that really matters is the latter.

Self-Esteem, your true worth or value is not something derived from your assets, your job title, your bank account your appearance, your skills, or how many wonderful and unique things you have accomplished.

It is not even something you can come up with yourself. Like a diamond, you don’t name your price. The one who made or understands the every facet of a diamonds make-up (no pun intended) sets the value.

But even today in our age of enlightenment we find ourselves hurt and slighted by someone else’s lack of perception of OUR intrinsic value. A lack of recognition for work well done. Undeserved blame. Passed over for promotion in lieu of excellence we find ourselves in limbo. Stapled in place by hurts and angry feelings.

And why? Why are we so in need of the acceptance of others?

I believe it is because we are failing to recognize our own intrinsic value as placed by the one who created us. And, as we move farther out of relationship with Him, we seek to find our value, to replace it, or reassess it through worldly means. Jobs. Successes. Recreational busyness. Appearance. Highly visible activities. You name it. We've seen it in a thousand flavors in people around us and in ourselves.

But like I said earlier, an objects value is determined not by the art but by the artist.

God set your value. Keep in mind that His word says that you were made in His image.

So, what does God say about your inherent value? I’m going to let you do a little research here for yourself. Try the following verses:

Psalm 8: 3-5
Psalm 139: 17-18
Luke 12: 6-7

Do you believe it? Or, do you have lingering doubts?

I think young people today have a big issue with this. An instilled doubt as to their worth. I’ve noticed that this generation has a very hard time looking me or others in the eye. But, as I dig deeper in, I find that most will not even look themselves in the eye. They despise what they see when they look into the mirror. This is so sad. What they are failing to see is the person that God loves so very much in all their uniqueness.

Remember this by the late theologian Helmut Thielicke: “God does not love you because you are valuable; you are valuable because He loves you.”

.
Norman Vincent Peale, in Power of the Plus Factor, tells how he came across a tattoo studio in Kowloon in Hong Kong. In the window, among samples of words or images one could have tattooed on one's body, were the words Born to lose.

Peal says: I entered the shop in astonishment and, pointing to those words, asked the Chinese tattoo artist, "Does anyone really have that terrible phrase, Born to lose, tattooed on his body?"

.
He replied, "Yes, sometimes."

.
"But," I said, "I just can't believe that anyone in his right mind would do that."

.
The Chinese man simply tapped his forehead and said in broken English, "Before tattoo on body, tattoo on mind."

.
Do you constantly compare yourself to others? See yourself as less capable, less attractive, or less successful? Why? Consider the following:

Philippians 2: 3
Romans 12: 3

So, thinking yourself, or should I say considering yourself less than others means we will consider other more.

If we are to think about others and the situations of others before our own, what should the results be? We’ll see that we are capable of great things. We’ll see that God can work through us. We’ll see that we are truly important to Him and that He wants to spend eternity with us. We’ll learn through experience that we are truly valuable to Him and that He already paid the ultimate cost to prove it to us.

"Poor" Excuse...

2005-10-28T14:56:00.000-05:00

I mentally and spiritually battle within myself about how best to help the poor. We live in a society that has tried many a wonderful and many a devastating things. Some with good results. Some with marginal results. Many with bad after-shocks that trapped people into a variety of classes of poor. A serious discussion needs to happen, starting with people who are truly compassionate, and ending with the politicians.

Empowerment. A strong word that indicates a partnership. Not with a social program, although it may be driven or funded through such agents, but a person-to-person relationship that speaks truth, challenges, encourages and takes ownership of the upward mobility of another. I was challenged and yet know that the problem is bigger than simply I. It is wider and deeper than even those who are stuck within it can imagine. It does have cultural truths that must be parlayed without fear of retribution. And, it does have grey zones.

The following monologue is by Doug Pagitt (pastor of Solomon's Porch and prolific author):

.
"In our Minneapolis community, I’m really caught up in the complexities of the difference between people who don’t yet have the money that they need and those who are truly poor, meaning they could never get the money that they need. The Hispanic families that we work work with are just poor for a while. They are not going to be poor forever. They have a strong work ethic, and they’ll learn how to work the system. There are other people in our neighborhood, oftentimes poor white families or African-American families stuck in more systemic problems, and there doesn’t seem to be any solution. Now that’s a different conversation from what happens in Guatemala and Jamaica and other places.

.
"So it gets really complicated when I see the term “the poor.” It also complicates it for me because I know that most of our "theology of the poor" in North American evangelicalism comes out of work that the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) has done. If you’re not familiar with that group, it's been very active. Its central concept is to relocate, to redistribute and to reconcile. Those are its three major emphases about how you make a difference in the world.

.
"It’s my opinion that the CCDA was developed rightly and properly during a time when global economics was in a period of scarcity, meaning there wasn’t enough. You could've said to someone, “Eat what’s on your plate. There are people starving in China,” and rightly so. It’s also my opinion that we don’t live in a world of economic scarcity anymore; we live in a world of surplus. Our problem is not that we have too little food or too few economic resources; the problem is the poor distribution system that’s funneling food through complicated global mechanisms and multi-national corporations. All of which is to say, we live in an industrialized, global economy that’s no longer made up of simple agricultural societies.

Christianity has played out the great majority of its history and a great majority of its theology in agrarian societies that don’t exist in this world anymore. We have to be engaged with the question, What does it mean to be a people who are involved in systems of poverty in our world that go beyond any personal involvement that we have?

.
"The world has changed in some profound ways that make it a real issue for me to live as a good neighbor. So in my life, I’ve had to reduce all of this down to a question: How do I live as a good neighbor and never remain satisfied with that being enough? I’d love to have a conversation about what it means to truly live as a good neighbor in the world that we all live in — especially to those people who literally live next door to us."

And with that I say "let's get to work,"

Wettin' my whistle

2005-10-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

An ice cold glass of Coke. Or maybe for you it's a giant, icey Mountain Dew. It's that lip restoring, tongue rehydrating, mouth moisturizing, flood of refreshing that can only be met with a certain thing. Something that at any time can be good, but at certain times it's greater than great. Those certain times are usually times of fatigue, thirst, weariness, sadness, loneliness, hunger, desparation, and generalized "down-ness." Now I'll be the first to admid that I wish things never went wrong and that I never got depressed or I never felt overwhelmed. But I do. And I think that we all do to a varying extent. But to each of us, life happens. To some, more than others. But I've always said "life and death, everyone gets their fair share of both." What differentiates people of faith is that they can demonstrate hope in the midst of great sorrow and a joy that surpasses all "human" understanding.

Like the woman Christ met at Jacob's well, he offered her a water she had never tried. One of which after drinking, she would never thirst again. It was life-giving. It refreshed us like an ice cold Coke would someone crawling out after 3 days in the desert. Life parches us. And sometimes we settle for less. We settle for worldly refreshment. Things to relax us. Things to stimulate us. Things to feed us. And what God is saying is "come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest." The woman drank from what Christ was offering her and she was never the same again.

Yeah, I know that although I have a relationship with God that bad things will still continue to happen. And that's o.k. I know however, because of the tastes of heaven I have enjoyed thus far, that it will always be better to wet my whistle with the presence of God than the things of this world.

Churchs of Hate

2005-10-26T21:16:00.000-05:00

They say we’re evolving. Getting smarter, Living longer. Loving more. I guess I just don’t see it. Do you? I mean we have a Hollywood elite that has completely lost touch with reality. A majority of them cannot comprehend what is required to make a relationship successful so bank on their career exploding after their third or fourth divorce and child out of wedlock. We have a soapish generation of teens vying to emulate what they are told is “reality” by MTV. Shock-Jocks make millions by hurtling all common-sense aside and spreading the gospel of lust and self-centeredness across the airwaves 24x7. We have left-wing people calling for the extermination of the president and demonstrating amid laughter the beating and kicking of a conservative on TV. We have police officers stealing from those they trained to protect after the hurricanes watchful eye had passed on by. We have Nazi’s protesting gay marriage amendments. We have the communist organization now known as the ACLU fighting against your right to pray in school or at work but vocally and financially fighting for your kids right to experiment with homosexuality while still in elementary school. The litmus test for Supreme Court nominee’s now includes that the candidate “must be Pro-Choice” and “cannot profess Christ” and, if we include Teddy Kennedy’s fear “that you might interpret the law too narrowly.” Terrorists who are dissatisfied with their lives think it their “god-given right” to kill innocent men, women and children for a cause that they could never define on paper. We have beautiful young girls and ladies trying desperately to escape the poverty of their former “cinder-block” eastern nations only to be tricked by pimps into a life of “indebted” gratitude from which they cannot escape. Gangs all over the world make sport of randomly killing someone to prove their “worth or manhood.” People are killed for a few dollars of packet change by strangers trying to finance their next fix. Junior High School students consider hooking up and oral sex as just something friends do for one another. Father’s ignite in fury and beat-up coaches at schooling events in which they should be proudly rooting for their children at play and promoting life-skills. Suicide has become all to common. So common in Japan that there are web-sites that you can use to sign up for suicide partners. It’s so nice when someone can share your pain. The rainforest is being deforested at an alarming rate to support industries like lumber and coca farming. Ethnic cleansing still routinely occurs in nations around the world while the U.N. and U.S. plays it politically safe through “engaging dialogue.” Millions of unborn are aborted each year for matters of personal convenience. Female infanticide occurs in many countries where limits have been placed on children and males are preferred. In the aftermath of so many natural disasters of unprecedented number and scale, talk-show pundits stepped up the microphone to complain and point fingers, Hillary passed the plate for her election hopes, and churches stepped up to the plate to feed, shelter and clothe. Even today, in 2005, in numerous Muslim nations, people are put to death for converting to Christianity or for sharing their beliefs with other Muslims. Liberal tenured professors can not only keep their jobs, but make millions writing books for stating the idea that those who perished in 9/11 were like little Heimans deserving of their fate. We have churches proselytizing that homosexuals are fags and that they deserve what comes to them. We have people who will be denied life-saving treatments because their HMO doesn’t cover it or they have been cut back to 38 hours. Children raised in homes of hate are spreading their "gospel" over the airwaves and at concerts. We have millions upon millions of people dying world-wide from preventable diseases, lack of water and hunger.

What to offer? by: Dean P. Remy

2005-10-25T20:02:00.000-05:00

I see your sadness

Pain on your face

Pulse I feel through the walls

No words are offered

Random thought like rain they fall

Wear your wardrobe

Walk your hallways

Concrete bed on which to lay

Freedom's fancy

Loving no one

Never here allowed to stay

Hand outstretched,

Pretend to notice

I dare not meet eye to glare

An empty cup

I offer you

It's something that we both share

Possess no answers

Can offer no joy

Cannot give you what I don't have

Smugly dressed

I pass on by

While you model your rags

What have I

To offer you

Besides my empty life

You're better off

The way you are

Then I pretend to be like

Feast on the fact

That you are content

With a pair of unmatched shoes

What have I

To offer you

When I am empty too

What have I to offer you...?

What have I to offer...?

What have I too...?

What have I...?

Farewell Rosa

2005-10-24T22:49:00.000-05:00

We lost a great person today. Ms. Rosa Parks, who acted as a catalyst for social and racial reform by refusing to yield her seat to a white passenger. I wish more people had the courage to stand against injustice even when it becomes "uncomfortable." God Bless Rosa Parks.