Will the Real Obama Please Stand Up?

KARL MARX FRIEDRICH ENGLES BARAK OBAMA

Which of these three are quoted to say:

"Globalization and technology and automation all weaken the position of workers, and a strong government hand is needed to assure that wealth is distributed more equitably."

"This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably."

"It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

If you hadn't guessed by reading the last quote, it is Barak Obama. He has a socialist agenda for the United States, and it's the kind of Change that we cannot afford! In case you are wondering who Karl Marx is, or Friedrich Engles they are the arguably the most influential people of socialism.


Here are a few quotes from Karl Marx:

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people."

"From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need."

"The first requisite for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion."

Now a quote from Obama about Marx:
"“I chose my friends carefully. The more politically active black students. The foreign students. The Chicanos. The Marxist professors and structural feminists and punk-rock performance poets.”


Finally, Obama is asked during an interview with Rick Warren at the Saddleback church, "Who are you going to rely on heavily in your administration?"

Obama responds, "You mentioned one person I’d be listening to, and that’s Michelle, my wife, who is not only wise, but she’s honest."

Here is a quote which will give you some insight on the kind of advise Obama will be receive from his wife Michelle Obama:

"The truth is most Americans don't want much. Folks don't want the whole pie. Most Americans feel blessed to thrive a little bit, but that's out of reach for them. The truth is, in order to get things like universal health care and a revamped education system, someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more."

Listen up people, if you don't think that is a socialist agenda then you have blinders on! We must not allow our country to be run into the ground by a far-left politician with a socialist agenda!! Socialism doesn't work, and hasn't worked!

Obamajesus

It has been such a long time since I have blogged, and I am sorry to the 4 people who were actually following my mental regurgitations! I have been overwhelmingly swamped with college, I have had a hard time finding a moment to sit and blog!

So, the political race is upon us and it is obviously heating up, and Obama's socialistic agenda is turning my stomach. I want to address the a religious overtone that this race has brought upon us. The statement, "Jesus was a community organizer, Pontius Pilate was a Governor" is just about the most idiotic comparison in the history of politics. There is nothing more preposterous than comparing Barak Obama to Jesus, or to compare Gov. Sarah Palin to Pontius Pilate.

My first thoughts on the issue is that Obama doesn't represent the teachings of Jesus, and from the perspective of a Christ Follower, I do not see Christ in that man. He's no Jesus. My second thought on the issue is that Jesus wasn't a socialist.

I may not fully agree with every platform of the Republican party but I can't see how a person informed of the political arena, and is also a Christ Follower can support the platform of the democratic party, especially the platform of Barak Obama.

As a Christ Follower whose measure should be that of a person that exemplifies Christ's love and following of his teachings (or attempting to as we will not be perfect in this lifetime) do not see the fruits of a genuine walk with Christ. I must ask you, as a Christ Follower, how do you rectify your faith with voting for Obama? He fully supports abortion, has voted against life-saving measures for a surviving fetus that has survived an abortion and he supports the homosexual life-style. I don't even want to delve into his ties with a known terrorist William Ayres, and his long history (20 years) under the racially divisive pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright. For God's sake and for yours…NoBama.

It's not only laughable to compare Barak Obama to Jesus, but it's ludicrous and appalling. Striping away the issues of morality, in which Obama's morality compass only points towards him, we are left with Obama's socialist agenda. Jesus was a socialist? Far from it.

Jesus never calls upon the government to redistribute wealth. Nowhere in the Bible are the people instructed to redistribute wealth through the government. God teaches his people to give to your family, to your church and to others in need (and to do it secretly) but this distribution isn't to come from the hands of the government. God teaches us to rely on our hard work for the furtherance of our income, not to rely on social programs to give an answer for every need of the people…again through the government. Obama's core of his taxation plan is to tax the rich to give to the poor, which is the fundamental cornerstone of a socialist agenda. To Obama, we are just bitter people in small towns that that cling to guns and religion. We are just citizens to him. Citizen's cause problems…subjects don't.

Just remember, Karl Marx promised change in Russia and Castro promised change in Cuba. That's worked out pretty well hasn't it?

We Still Are The People

A couple of months ago, I bought my first pistol for home defense. This is not my first firearm, as I have my hunting rifle as well, but I wanted access to something that would not be so cumbersome to retrieve in the middle of the night. As our neighborhood has slowly degraded during the past 5 years, with our convenience store robbed at gun-point less than ¼ mile from our house 3 times in the past year, and the fact that I have a young daughter to protect, I decided to buy a gun.

I am a conscience individual with a tremendous amount of respect for firearms and their deadly power. I have made steps to insure my family’s safety by pursuing training with my firearm, and my daughter will not have access to the gun at any time. I have further plans to ensure the gun’s safety from my daughter, and will be taking my wife to the gun range so that she can train with the weapon as well, assuring her comfort with safe handling of it.

My main purpose for this blog post is to celebrate our rights as American citizens. We have a wonderful country that affords us freedoms not found around the world. As the US Supreme court ruled in favor of the rights of gun ownership for private citizens this past week, I write this in support of our US Constitution and the freedoms afforded in it.

As we get closer to our Independence Day, I hope that we will all reflect on the rights we have been given. The men and women, who sacrificed with their blood, present to us a nation of freedom and possibility for generations to come. It is with gratitude that I thank our men and women in the armed services at home and abroad. I give you my support and prayers during this time of war, and during our times of peace.

I hope that during this Fourth of July, celebrating our independence that you will spend some time to focus on what the day truly means. It is not just an excuse to have a day off, or a barbecue, or to watch the spectacular fireworks, but the greater purpose is to honor the founders of our nation, and the backs of our service men and women that this country is built upon.

I digress

I am so sorry for having not added much to the blog in the past month. I am in the midst of a heavy summer-semester load at college and I really haven't had much time to sit and formulate any thoughts that hit home for me.

I have been in reflection upon my life recently as my wife and I passed our 11 year anniversary. I had to write a paper based on a poem and when the professor brought the papers back he said they were crap and lacked passion. He said that if we live our lives without passion, like we wrote our papers he'd hate to be married to us. It got me thinking, and re-writing my paper.

We need to live our lives with passion! Here are a few excerpts from my paper based on thoughts from the poem, "When Death Comes", by Mary Oliver:

When facing my end, I want to know my life was full of fervor for friendship, passion for family, and vehemence for life’s experiences. If you are going to live, then make your life worth living. Don’t just suck in oxygen just to spew your greenhouse gas-emitting carbon dioxide with each exhale. Breathe our world into oblivion with zest and purpose! Love with everything that you are and let the exhilaration of each breath permeate all that you do.

I don't want to stop living this life as I want to again share in the wonders of the dancing Northern Lights and the sting of arctic temperatures burning in my nose. I want to kiss my wife again for the very first time and give my daughter her last hug at night for every night to come. I want to hear my father’s story one more time than the countless times he’s shared it. Just once more, I want jump into that frigid pond on a dare, to feel the ice-cold shock coursing through my body like lightning through a copper rod.

I want to live my life to the fullest potential and enjoyment. At the end of my life I don't want to have any doubt of my mark in history and time, or whether or not my life was particular. My life will not be just a visitation, but a fulfillment of longing for love and a great depth of friendship and pursuit of knowing my God.

I hope that as you read this, you can reflect upon your own life and see if you have lived it to your fullest of potential and with great passion. If the answer is no, maybe it's time to start.

I am Iron Man

**Possible Iron Man movie spoilers below**

Well, having a few weeks off school is nice especially with the summer movies starting to roll in. For those who don't know, I am a huge movie-buff and even more so I love superhero movies. I have been a die-hard superhero geek since childhood when I first watched Christopher Reeve as Superman.

This weekend I got to watch Iron Man. Wow, what a great movie! I loved it. I was never a big fan of Iron Man in the comics, but I was familiar with the character. The movie trailers really peeked my interest, and now having seen it I can't wait to see it again!

What I liked about the character of Iron Man is the man behind the mask. An intelligent man, but greatly flawed, Tony Stark is very much like me. I am not an alcoholic like Tony, and in fact I have never been drunk, but I do have my flaws...and boy do I have plenty of them.

Just like Tony however I have a calling in my life that has taken hold of me, given me great purpose and sense of life and vigor. This calling and the pursuit of it has clothed me in a suit of armor as well, that is able to protect me from head to foot. The armor provides me with an ability to help those who are hurt, gives me strength when I am weak, and courage when I am afraid.

Once you accept this calling in your life, just like Tony, you will begin to improve your life in spontaneous response. Now living your life for a greater calling, you strive to meet the goals of the calling, becoming less of "you" and more of "Him".

I have accepted the life and responsibilities that is part of being a Christ Follower. Being a Christ Follower doesn't mean that you will be perfect, but you are being perfect-"ed". Putting on the armor of faith provides you with more strength than you can possibly imagine, and your life will be changed for eternity.

I have accepted my role as Iron Man for Christ. What superhero are you for Christ?

Satisfaction

There is a great sense of satisfaction when you make steps towards completing a goal. Not only is there the excitement of passing by one more obstacle but the feeling of success drives you towards meeting your next challenge ahead.

Tomorrow is the last part of my final exams for this semester. It has been a real tough semester for me, and my family as we have had to make some sacrifices and adjustments in our schedules to accommodate these changes. I finally get to see some pay off from the long hours of study, slamming my head against my table trying to understand basics of chemistry and learning the hard way that staying up all night to study just does not work. So, walking away from this semester I’ll break away with two A’s and two B’s…unless I really do well on these final exams. Either way, I am pleased.

So, with the close of this short chapter in a book with so many more chapters ahead, I can look back with smile and know that I did it. The downside is that I’ll be back at it again within about 3 weeks as I enter a new challenge…a short summer semester.

Reflecting on taking on this challenge, I could apply this same method of attack and conquer in my life. I face personal challenges of course. The ones that concern me the most are those that distract me from drawing closer to God. These are the challenges that are paramount in my life, which I need to focus in on and see that I can overcome with His help. I need to focus on taking on these challenges and see it through so that at the end I can look back with the same sense of satisfaction I feel in other areas of my life. Then I can look at God and know that I drew closer to Him, and know that He will draw closer to me.

Gotta go…need to finish this chapter up and start the next!

Cutting Grass with the Grassmaster

I once heard a Pastor complaining about people mowing their grass on Sunday mornings. “They should be in the house of the Lord!” he shouted. My thoughts on church attendance notwithstanding, God must draw the hearts of Man before they would have a desire to sit through a Sunday sermon. The hardest of hearts can be softened by God…even while they mow the lawn.

Personally I love mowing the lawn, it is one of my favorite times to be alone in thought and reflection with God. Today, I finally got around to mowing the grass. It’s strange how something so simple as mowing the grass can completely change the look of your property and house. An unkempt lawn can scream laziness, or indifference, but a nicely cut lawn, well manicured makes a home look clean, orderly and well cared for. In truth, after I mowed the lawn I walked into a very messy house. My daughter’s toys were still on the floor from yesterday, last night’s dishes were sitting in the sink, this morning’s Eggo leftovers were on the table, the beds in our rooms weren’t made, laundry sat on the computer chair, and pajamas were on the floor in the bathroom. Yes, I confess, we make messes!! I had to get to my Psychology class so I didn’t have time to clean up after I showered, but I made sure when I got home to get it cleaned up and presentable.

We treat ourselves in the same manner. We can get gussied up, shower, shave, put some foo foo* on, a finely pressed shirt or a hot looking dress and hit the town…or wear your Sunday’s finest to church, getting your kids in their finest clothes as well. For some, this “cutting the grass” is just a covering for the disarray in our lives that we prefer to keep hid. We don’t like to talk about our downfalls, our failures and struggles. In fear that we may lose our status with the Jones’ across the street, or the Jones’ across the church pew we continue our masquerade. It has been my experience that it’s the church people that are more at fault in this regard than others.

Our society has all but killed “talking” in an age of mass communication and electronic media. Smiles have been replaced with emoticons, family time with our American Idol time, and our deepest conversations take place on cell phones.

We need to bring back “talking” with our friends and family. We need to take time to discuss matters of heart and faith with honesty and frequency. An amazing thing will take place when we open deeply honest lines of communication, we’ll find others whose homes were just as messy, but found a reason to clean them up.

So I challenge you, next time you are mowing the lawn, reflect upon the messes “inside” and start honest dialogue with God, family and friends about what you have found within.

*Foo Foo is my childhood name for cologne

ˈal-trü-ˌi-zəm

al·tru·ism

Pronunciation:

\ˈal-trü-ˌi-zəm\

1 : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others

Our culture seriously suffers from a lack of altruism. We so very easily drive past the person disabled on the road without giving a second thought to them and if we do happen to let a micro-thought of concern into your mind we will rationalize our lack of piety. We will tell ourselves that either someone else will render aid, we are too busy, or we are sure they are faking it so they can car jack us!! We walk past the homeless man with the sign, hoping to not make eye contact. We see a man strike a woman and pretend we didn’t. A person shouts for help but we don’t react.

I remember watching the news not too long ago of an elderly man being car jacked, while a group of people stood about 20 feet away from him as he was punched repeatedly in the face. They never did anything to help.

Statistically the best odds of us helping someone occur when:

• The person appears to need and deserve help.
• The person is in some way similar to us.
• We have just observed someone else being helpful.
• We are not in a hurry.
• We are in a small town or rural area.
• We are feeling guilty.
• We are focused on others and not preoccupied.
• We are in a good mood.

When alone with a person in need, assistance is rendered 40% of the time. If in the presence of five other bystanders, only 20% helped. This is called the bystander effect. In a group setting we are more apt to believe “someone else” will do it, versus ourselves.

As a Christ Follower, I am not called to love people just under the conditions listed above! A person has to be similar to us, deserve help and be in a small town? I can’t be in a hurry, must be feeling guilty, but in a good mood to help? Absurd.

As a new creation we are to LOVE or neighbor as ourselves! Everyone is our neighbor, regardless of their situation in life, and regardless of ours! When we look at someone in need…any kind of need, we should see nothing but an opportunity to love our neighbor and HELP.

The Clean Sweep

Growing up in a small town I was afforded opportunities of community involvement that are not readily available in larger cities. In my hometown of Skagway, Alaska, Spring was host to a community wide project called Clean Sweep.

I am not exactly sure how long Clean Sweep has been going, but I remember being involved in it for most of my elementary school years continuing through High School. Most kids in larger cities cannot imagine taking time off from school to go walk around town picking up garbage. I really did not mind picking up trash for half a day, as it was such a reward to just be out of school, and of course at the end of the day the classes gathered for snacks and juice to get us sugared up for our unsuspecting parents!

The cleaning involved everyone from town who would take different sections of town and clean up, putting all their garbage into bags that were collected later. It was a great community building tool, bringing people together for a common goal and it left the town clean and ready for the upcoming tourist season. It was a great moment of pride when finished to look at the work accomplished and to see that we all loved our community enough to keep her clean.

This year my wife and I are tackling our own personal clean sweep in our house. We are ushering in springtime with some deep cleaning in our house. New colors will adorn the walls of the living room, kitchen and my daughter’s room. We will thin out our storage space to make room for our miscellaneous gatherings of junk we have collected in our patio space, and spruce it up for early morning coffee on brisk mornings to watch the birds fight over the feeder. The lawn will be finely trimmed, and the hedges prepped for a summer of growth and the last bit of fall leaves will be raked up. I love this time of year, as it leaves a crisp feeling of cleanliness and beauty that is the herald of summertime beauty.

Clean Sweep is also a spiritual task that I take upon myself. I often reflect on my walk with God, seeking direction from Him. It is during these times in which some clean up might need to be done. Either through lessons learned from life experience, conversations with wise friends, or by reading His words, I find areas in my life, which hold me back from a closer relationship with Him. Pure and simple that’s what life is all about, a relationship with Him, growing closer to Him and following where He leads. When I find my life cluttered with too much junk, it weighs me down and makes my walk with Him laborious and tiresome. There are times He wants to prepare me for a “summer of growth”, which may require some trimming of “self”, or painting His presense in an area that in my life that could use some sprucing up.

I hope that during this Spring you will reflect upon your own life. God just might want to prepare you for your own “summer of growth.”

"Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

Who's The More Foolish?

One of my favorite movie quotes is from Star Wars as Obi-Wan chides Han Solo, "Who's the more foolish: The fool, or the fool who follows him?" And off they went, Han, Luke, Leia, and Chebacca pursuing a path that "old fossil" put them on, and eventually won themselves freedom from the Empire.

Today we will spend the day (if you remember that it is April Fool's Day) wondering what to believe and what not to believe from your friends, co-workers and family. Some of us will endure practical jokes and the like. For some of us, April 2 couldn't come any faster.

Have you ever followed a fool? I was told a story about my Grandfather who years ago pulled a joke on a young co-worker of his. His co-worker showed up at work and when he entered the building Grandpa took off running past him, out the door in shear terror and panic. Not too long after, the co-worker was right on his heels, in utter fear of whatever it was that my Grandpa was running from. Of course, there was nothing to run from and it was all a shenanigan.

We are ALL following a fool. Even in our spiritual lives we are following a fool. Let me tell you who I am a fool for and why it seems foolish.

My spiritual fool-

• Says to turn the other cheek if I am hit
• Says to love my enemies
• Says to pray for those who hurt me
• Says to do good to those who hate me
• Says to feed a hungry enemy
• Says to give my coat too, if someone asks for my shirt
• Says if I lose my life for God's sake, I'll gain it
• Says the greatest among us is the least among us
• Says there is freedom in following Him
  
  Only a fool would would follow these sayings, and only a fool for him would attempt to live to that standard!
  

This same fool-

• Loved us so much he became human for the purpose of dying for us
• Says we can't earn our way into Heaven
• Died for His creation which rejected Him
• Paid a debt that we could never pay
  

Psalm 53:1 (NIV) "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

I challenge you on this April Fool's Day to do something foolish! Pick something from this list and let me know how if felt to be a fool following the Fool!

• Buy the meal/drink for the person behind you in line in the drive through.
• Open the door for someone who isn't even close to the door yet!
  
• Tell at least one person who is rude, or mean to you, something really nice about them.
• Forgive someone in your life who you know doesn't deserve it.
• Sit down with your spouse/love interest and "talk" for 30 minutes. No TV. No interruptions.

Proverbs 12:15 (NIV) "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice."

Finally, if you aren't a Christ Follower, and especially if you are:

• Talk to Him about your day.
  

Ephesians 5:17 (NIV) "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is."

So on this day I hope you reflect upon which fool you follow and for what gain. I am a fool for Christ, who are you a fool for?

Schizophrenic Lying Diety

I was reminded yesterday of a very common argument that arises in response to the beliefs held by the Christ Follower. It is a simple argument that at its core challenges the validity and foundation of the faith that we Christ Followers have. It is not the first time I have heard this argument, and it surely will not be the last.

During my computer class (which I loathe), we were assigned to groups in order to work on projects. The project would be done in Microsoft Power Point, and we would take a topic and subdivide it into four subcategories for each of the participants within a group. As a group, we were first required to agree upon a topic. One member of our group asked if there were any topics we were "passionate" about. I said "God." I explained that I am a Christ Follower, and thought it would be an easy topic to tackle. I explained that we did not have to make the topic argumentative, but we could each give a presentation on a major world religion. After some discussion, it came back around to the classmate who originated the "passionate" question. She said we could tie it all up in the summary of how all the religions are similar.

This same topic has come up repeatedly this year alone, and it seems to be a theme that God would have me meditate upon. My biology teacher, while discussing hypotheses’ and theories exclaimed, "You can’t prove there is a god. Just like you can’t prove that one religion is better than any other." Earlier in the year, while meeting with a Wiccan/Pagan friend for lunch she too made the claim that there is no "one" way, but that all religions offered paths to god/goddess. There was no absolute truth.

At the surface, it is a wonderful notion, to believe God revealed himself to many cultures and people over time, providing each of these groups of people with paths towards him/her. It is a quaint ideal to think that despite all the wars, bickering, fighting and anger, there is but one deity directing many. Once you delve any distance below the surface of the belief that all roads lead to god, you find yourself within a quagmire of confusion, indecision, deception and ultimately a schizophrenic deity that is as confused about its own personality as it is about how to commune with its adherents.

Seriously, how does a deity function within that view? The contrasts between Buddhism and Hinduism are great enough, but how do you reconcile Mormons with Christ Followers? How do you reconcile Christ Followers with any other religion? The God of the Christ Follower declares, "I am the first, I am the last, apart from me there is no God."¹ Lorenzo Snow fifth president of the LDS Church summarized their doctrine of God as a man, and man becoming a god stating, "As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be." So in one breath God declares he is the only One but Mormons believe you can become a god yourself.

We cannot even equate the beliefs of Wicca/Paganism with that of Christ Followers. Wiccan practitioners say there is no sin, therefore no need for a savior. Christ Followers say that we are all sinners (including themselves) and without a savior, we cannot be with God. Wiccans along with some other world religions believe their deity to be female, while the God of the Christ Followers speaks of Himself in masculine terms (though truly has no physical characteristics of man as he is spirit).

If there is but one deity for ALL religions than why does the Christ Follower’s God declare that following His Son is the only path to Him and the Hindu’s believe salvation is called Moksha. Moksha is when enlightened human beings freed from the cycle of life-and-death (the endless cycle of death and reincarnation) enters into a state of completeness. He then becomes one with God.²

The argument is far from sound, and actually paints a picture of a deity that is careless, stupid, and ultimately confused as to its own goals and purpose. If you choose to follow that god, it’s your choice. I’m just saying it’s not as sweet as it seems. After you peel back that initial layer, you’ll find the belief to be convoluted, ill-contrived and without any merit.

So, if not all roads lead to god…how do you figure out which one does? What do you think?

Hello…anyone out there?

________________________________________________________________________

¹Isaiah 45:5 (Paraphrased)

² http://www.evangelical.us/hinduism.html

Got a GPS?

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a marvelous piece of technology and is indispensible for many. With its advent, map sales have plummeted, men no longer have to ask for directions at the gas station and hours of frustration have been eliminated by those who were not born with "internal" navigation.

With a touch of a button, we can now find the closest Starbucks, gas station, or shopping outlet. Completely reliant upon it we can find ourselves guided by the car icon, unaware of how we got to where we are fully trusting upon the GPS to not turn us down a wrong turn, or drive towards oncoming traffic.

A relationship with Christ is much like a GPS, and you can think of the Holy Spirit as the God Positioning System. When relying upon Him for direction in your life, giving full reliance upon Him you will begin to forget how you got to the wondrous places you have been. You will fully trust in where He is leading you, and understand that His path is the best for you. Unlike your car GPS however, God won’t always take you the "fastest route" but will take you the "scenic", "shortest", "least traveled", or the dreaded "long route." Despite the direction He leads, you can be rest assured it is the road He has laid for you and feel the confidence that His map for your life is perfect…if you will just yield.

Good the Bad and the Ugly of Friday

As we enter into the Easter weekend we are surrounded by all the wonders that Easter has to offer. We love to indulge in our Easter chocolates, our colorful boiled eggs, stuffed animals, and for some of us a grand meal! I really enjoy all of these parts of Easter, and my daughter is learning that around this time of year there is no short supply of chocolate!

So many of us get caught up in the commercial aspects of this holiday and forget the love story at the core. These few days are about a God who desperately loves His creation. With beauty and love He created with aspects of Himself embedded within. He wanted to have an eternal relationship with them, but also endowed them with free will, allowing his creation to chose to love Him or follow their own path. Selfish and quick to fall to temptation, they left God in their own pursuits.

Leaving the protection of the Creator, they brought upon themselves a great price to pursue their own desires. Death. They would no longer live eternally in body, and their spirit would be judged at death.

From this moment on God made a promise to His people, the Hebrews. If they would be His people, he would be their God. From their descendants a King would free them from all bondage and slavery. Not just the Hebrews would be saved, but the entire race of man.

For thousands of years, God’s promise could be traced as a scarlet thread through history as He zealously protected, guided and watched over his people. Eventually, as God promised the King arrived. Nearly 2000 years ago, God stepped into humanity, with all the frailty of man, born in lowly conditions, and sought for death even in infancy. Living in an impoverished land, occupied by foreigners, and for the Hebrews who rejected Him as the Messiah God dwelt among us for what we call, "Good Friday."

Rejected again, just as He was after creation, now we chose to beat Him, reject Him, deny Him, and crucify Him. However, unknown to us He knew this would all happen and it all fell into his plan of redemption. He willingly became our sacrifice, setting events into motion that would forever change the face of our world. After killing our God, he rose from the dead. He paid a debt that we could not pay, a price we would not for ourselves take upon willingly, He took it all upon Him. All of our rejection of Him He took upon Himself allowing us eternal life with Him. Conquering death, He gave us access to his glory again.

There is nothing that we have done to deserve this. There is nothing we can do to earn it. Is is a gift, but as will all gifts, we must accept it.

The good of this Friday is the final work God did on the cross for us, the Bad is the fact that without Him we are eternally lost, and the Ugly is the truth that we must accept his Sacrifice and choose to follow Him again, completing the circle that was began so long ago.

Are you willing to accept the ugly truth that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one comes to God but through Jesus?

"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;" Romans 10:9 (NASB)

Grid Iron of Christ

If you know me at all, or have the opportunity to hang out with me you will quickly find that I am a die-hard Steelers fan. I am not a casual fan, but I really LOVE the game, and have come to really love the Steelers organization. As this is all true, it wasn’t true at all a few years ago.

When we first moved here to South Carolina, I co-founded a business, with my good friend Lance. Lance who was not a Christ follower entered into a friendship with me like no-other he had previously had. We both were about to enter a wild ride, and God was driving.

One thing that I quickly learned about Lance was that he was a huge Steelers fan. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and came from a long line of Steelers fans in his family. He made it abundantly clear to me that he would work any hours we needed to make our business work, but was adamant that he would not be working during any Steelers games.

"Funny", I thought. So he endured torment from me as I teased him for his devotion to this football team. How silly. I was never a sports-buff in High School, and was more interested in being an EMT, photography and my girlfriend to bother with such things, so the idea of following a team that close was completely foreign to me.

During this time, Lance was seeing a similar aspect in my life, and found it equally as strange. This entire "Christ" devotion in my life was unfamiliar, strange, and made him uncomfortable.

As we continued to work together, Lance became increasingly interested in Christ as he saw us living as Christ Followers…not perfect, but forgiven. I failed in my walk plenty of times and Lance saw those failures. He also saw me get up from those failures, giving God the credit for being able to stand back up, and move forward.

During this time, Lance started talking about the Steelers more often, about this new rookie, Ben Roethlisberger who was playing better than any rookie had before. He started telling me about the history of the Steelers, and about the players, and soon I started getting interested in this game. I began to investigate.

The Steelers organization is family owned. They had a grand history with 4 Super Bowl rings at the time, and this new rookie quarterback was a Christ Follower, as well as a wild Samoan named Troy Polamalu is very open about his love for Christ, and that is just to mention a few of the players that are Christ Followers. They are not a glitz-and-glam team but a blue collar-style, hard hitting football team that stays close to their original roots. Then, I started watching the games and soon became an avid fan. I watch football and see it being very much like the struggles in life as a Christ Follower!

The same thing happened with Lance. Eventually, Lance’s interest in Christ led him to seeking the truth for Himself. He began to look into the claims of Christ, mowing down the weeds of doubt. Eventually he accepted the Savior, and dedicated His life to Him.

When we live for Christ, truly live for Him, others around you will see a difference in your life from theirs. Eventually their curiosity may give way to seeking, and seeking to finding and finding to a life with purpose, love and amazing adventure.

Don’t be afraid to let unbelievers see you fall down and struggle. This is the Grid Iron of Christ! It is when you stand back up they will see the strength of Christ in your life!

It's In Our Nature

In the Late evening, the North sky glistened with pulsating stars and mountain tops reflected dancing lights upon their snow crested peaks. A ballet in the heavens moved with fluidity and elegance as rhythmic motions were choreographed by God Himself.

The Aurora Borealis also known as the Northern Lights, is a phenomenon not seen by many has captivated me since my childhood, growing up in Alaska. I recall the joyous sensation of feeling so privileged to witness such otherworldly illumination.

Dancing streams of gleaming light provided me with a connection to God like no other aspect of nature. Since God created the world, his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been easily seen and understood by what He created. We have no excuse to not know Him.¹

As nature reveals God’s glory, wisdom and power, it does not reveal Him as "nature." "The heavens reveal the glory of God." (Ps 19.1). His glory is shown through His creation for us!

Christianity has dropped the ball, refusing to acknowledge our responsibility as caretakers of this planet He has loaned to us. Even now the multitude of Christians refusing to acknowledge any scientific link between global warming and our contributions of greenhouse gases, have missed the larger picture. If there is no link between our waste emissions and the greenhouse effect, we still have a responsibility as caretakers of something that God entrusted to us.

We are receiving a failing grade and are missing a great opportunity to get involved. Instead, either driven by fear of "jumping ship", and joining up with nature religions who worship nature itself or by pure selfishness and laziness, we have been complacent.

People are taking note. As long as we continue our apathy towards protecting our environment we will be in direct disobedience towards God. We are not being good stewards with that he has provided to us, and nature religions who have recognized the growing concern have legions of God seekers turning towards them in search for answers to our growing planetary crisis.

The Aurora Borealis is my reminder that this planet is not ours to destroy, but to keep for our future generations and to respect the fact that it is part of God’s canvas of art. He has painted a majestic mural specifically for our pleasure and His glory. Let us not tip over the bottle of paint.

So, as a Christ Follower I need to get more involved. Caring for the world does not mean "loving it" as Paul warned in 1 John 2:15-18, so we cannot hide in the cocoon we are so comfortable sheltering ourselves in.

If they don’t see us involved, they won’t see Him caring.


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¹Romans 1:20

Invincible

I remember in the days of my youth feeling completely invincible. Nothing in the world could kill me or hurt me badly enough for me to fully appreciate the risks I took. I was heavily into rock climbing my senior year and I remember climbing Kirmse’s Clock, located around 400ft elevation, and consisted of a 110ft. rock face seen from town, with a huge clock painted upon it. I was determined to climb the sheer face of granite. Up I went without a safety rope, connected only to my friend above with a 9mm main line. From the vantage point I was at I could see the entire town. What I didn’t know is that my Dad watched from the town below.

About 3/4 the way up I ran out of hand holds. I spotted a good section of holds that would be a great route to the top. So, I ran sideways from where I was, to the other side of where I needed to go. Mind you, I am attached to the rope, running perpendicular to the rock. If I have lost you, picture me standing straight on your wall...yes, feet planted on the wall. So I ran the opposite direction so that I could build enough momentum on my run to reach the hand hold on the opposite side. This is called a pendulum.

So my Dad is watching from his vantage point. Of course he was terrified. Later that day when I got home, he didn’t forbid me from doing it further but asked if he could persuade me from continuing as I was seriously risking my life or great injury. He offered to buy all my equipment and I could use the money to put towards a new hobby. I actually ended up taking him up on his offer.

The point is that in our youth we feel so invincible. We make decisions based on a false sense of security, which has grand potential for disaster. Usually (not always) we grow out of that feeling. It may be sooner for other and later for some. It might come from wisdom, or it may come from experience. We don’t however do the same with our spiritual life.

When it comes to God we are often very flippant about our invincibility. When he is trying to draw us closer to Him, we resist and say we can deal with that "later," hoping to make a death-bed confession to squeeze into heavens doorway before it shuts on us. We make excuses of how we don’t want to change, or how God makes life boring. We say to Him, "I only have one life to live and I’ll live it my way," all the while missing the bigger picture. You do only have one life to live, but you don’t have to die spiritually.

The reality is we will all face our mortality. For many it will come sooner than we hoped. For a few, life’s years will be long and plentiful. You don’t know where your path lies. God doesn’t offer a life of boredom and gloom. God doesn’t put a yoke upon us to hold us back. God doesn’t want you to know Him in the last moments of your life. God wants to be part of your life.

God was watching me in my spiritual life, making decisions that were harmful and dangerous. Just like my Dad, He made the same offer. He offered to buy more than equipment, he purchased my life. Just like the decision I made with my Dad, I made the choice to allow Christ to be part of my life. With my trust and my heart, He will help guide me through the struggles I will encounter. With Him, I’ll face great trials, wonderful opportunities and I will experience life with a new vision I never could have hoped for alone. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.¹

If you don’t have a mountain to climb in your life, you will. With Christ I will climb my mountains. So can you.



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¹ Phillipians 4:13 (NASB)

Echo in the House

A strange sound resonated through the house this afternoon when I came in the door. It is a sound that I am vaguely familiar with. It was the sound of...nothing. When the door closed, I realized I was totally and utterly alone. At first, the sense of freedom overwhelmed, as the rush of ideas poured through my brain contemplating the possibilities of what I could do with this freedom. I ran out to the mall to get something to eat, then on impulse I went to see a movie! Not very exciting to many of you who are reading this, but to me...this kind of freedom was something I have not tasted in a long time.

Let me explain. Today, my wife and daughter flew to Seattle to see my sister-in-law for her baby shower. This affords me six days of freedom. Six days without a schedule. Six days without being responsible for my daughter. Six days of restful sleep. Ahhh....six days.

However, as the newness of the freedom has sunk in, so has the feeling of loneliness. I am feeling a little out of sorts without my wife and daughter. The house seems cold, and I feel out of touch with the two people I love most on this planet. Tonight as I talked with my daughter on the phone before she went to sleep she said, "Daddy, I want to come home." I will sleep well with that precious voice ringing in my head.

Sometimes during our sojourn with God, we take an absence without leave. You might be discouraged by a constant struggle you haven’t had victory over, or answers sought have not been found or pain has not been soothed, or yet a multitude of voices screaming that your God is nothing, has been finally heard. For some reason, you decided to take a small step off God’s path. Soon you realize, any step off God’s path...is not God’s path.

Now you stand alone. You may feel a sense of freedom. Cultural norms easily become yours, and you take count of your vast possibilities. Soon you are enveloped within your self sufficiency and you don’t expect to cross paths with God again anytime soon.

However, all seasons end. Strings that He attached to your heart so long ago are still attached, and now that string is pulling. Recognition of the emptiness begins, and now you start to hear the echo in the house. You hear the echo of the door you closed on God so long ago.

When you are ready to return to that relationship, when you are ready to engage with Him again, when you reach the point that you say to Him, "Never leave me again," he’ll respond, "I never did."

Is there an echo in your house? Is there a void in your heart because you have stepped away from God? Are you discouraged in your walk? Are the voices of science and reason confusing and contorting the Truth? Don’t walk away, walk closer.

If your house is empty, and you need someone to talk with, need guidance, study resources or encouragement feel free to contact me I’d be glad to assist you in any way.

Remember, as you get closer to Him, He’ll get closer to you.

Just leave Britney Alone!

I was thinking that it is about time that we turn the corner in my blogging posts and start tackling some of the issues of culture, and religion, taking a step outside of my immediate bubble of life.

Lets start by discussing the one person that really doesn't require any further discussion as she has been covered by so many press releases in the past year that a library could be dedicated entirely to her exploits.

My thoughts on the Britney debacle actually resonate with an oddly popular guy pleading to the masses to "just leave Britney alone", a young devotee named Chris Crocker who by some strange measure of fascination also has received his own 15 minutes of fame on the popular viral video site, www.youtube.com.

Our fascination with the pop princess begins with our personal insecurities and sense of inadequacy that we all have at some level...whether we want to admit it or not. Seeing someone at the height of her career crash down with the force of Zeus tossing a lightning bolt from Olympus gives so many of us a sense of gratification and perverted justice. Riding the scales of justice is most enjoyed when our side seems to be so elevated and lofty to those with whom we are measured.

So, like Chris Crocker I do wish we would just leave her alone. I don't plan on video taping myself in a room bathed with Britney pictures, but I will echo his sentiment.

However, I'd like to take Chris's statements a step further. Let's not leave her alone to continue in her self-deprecating spiral of disaster and self destruction. Can't we off her something else? Can't we offer her anything more than flash photography, sound bites on Dr. Phil, or laughing at her most recent fender-bender?

All of us are offered a measure of love that is unmeasurable, and acceptance from the One who has endured the worst of persecution. It is my true hope that someone somewhere can present her with an image of Christ which she will recognize as the path for her freedom, a voice that speaks to the hurt and pain, and escape for a heart that obviously languishes in the ill community of Hollywood-land.

I am not even a fan of Britney's music, however I do think she has talent. I am however a fan of the hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and the struck down. There is an answer who will keep her from being crushed, out of despair, keep her from being forsaken, and not destroyed. The answers she is seeking is still out there, and isn't found in Kabbalah, Hinduism, Humanism, or any other form of revelation through personal works.

I will pray for her from my little corner here in South Carolina, unknowing of her personally, but feeling for a fellow person with struggles and hoping that she will find not just help, but the Helper.

Are you willing to pray too? Let me know your thoughts...

Now That’s Some High Quality H20

Today's news broke a story about US water supplies tainted with a variety of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, mood stabilizers and sex hormones. Immediately I thought, "Finally, a low cost prescription plan!" giving way however to the reality of potential seriousness of the finding.

Of course we can quote from the movie The Waterboy, Coach Klein singing, "Water sucks, it really really sucks!" Or we can accept the fact that our government continues to let us down on more fronts, and now we can watch the "sue-happy" Americans try to cash in on the latest class action lawsuit.

The reason for the problem is our over medicated society passed "left-over" drugs through our waste (urine and feces) into sewers and treatments plants which are not cleaning the waste water adequately to purify it from these trace drugs. The water is pumped into reservoirs, lakes and rivers. Our drinking water supplied from those same reservoirs, lakes and rivers is pumped through water treatment plants, which are not removing the toxins. You then pump it right into your glass to quench your thirst. Another fitting Coach Klein quote, "Gatorade not only quenches your thirst better, it tastes better too."

As I read this report I think of an untainted water-source, purest of any water available, able to quench to greatest thirst and it's not Bling H20 which retails for around $40 a bottle.

This water provides life, washes you cleaner than any anti-bacterial soap, and also comes from an endless well. This life sustaining water is offered from Christ and He invites you to drink this water, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink."¹ The best part of this water is that it won't cost a cent. The only free water I know available is now possibly tainted with prescribed medications! Christ said, "I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost."²

I've tasted this water personally, and I can tell you it is the purest available, and my soul will never thirst again. You too are invited to drink. Will you?

As Billy Boucher in The Waterboy would say, "Now that's some high quality H20!"

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¹ John 7:37
² Revelation 21:6 (NASB ©2005)

I Love Technology, but not as Much as You, You See

We are beset by technology. It is inter-fused with every aspect of our lives. From the moment you wake to the sound of your alarm, to the turning off of the lights at night, we are enclosed in a technological membrane that encompasses our lives in circuitry, waves, bytes and joules.

I am a tech-junkie. I have been a "junkie" since I owned my first tape player that had a digital radio that I could present my radio channels. Very handy in a small Alaskan town with only 1 radio station.

I have an addiction which millions of Americans share in with me. I thank God it isn't illegal as our ratio of 1:100 Americans imprisoned would greatly increase. I am addicted to my cell phone. I feel completely naked without it. I wake up to the phone's alarm in the morning. I use it as my watch during the day. It is my calender for planning, my movie time resource, my GPS, my line of communication for friends and family, my link to news, my NFL Network connection for my football fix, my radio, my MP3 player and more and more.

So as I sit here having forgotten my phone at home, I am naked, disconnected, vulnerable and out of touch. I cannot figure out how I ever lived without it. How did I survive high school? How did I survive college in my early days? How did i survive living in Seattle my first few years there without it? I am going through withdrawals as I write this. I can feel the DT's starting - Not Delirium Tremens, which withdrawing addicts of certain drugs suffer from, my DT's are a side-effects of techno-withdrawal. I can't wait to get home to my phone!

Is this the kind of addiction you have towards God? He should invade your life. He should be involved in every moment in your day, from your morning alarm to when you rest your head on your pillow at night. He allows for your daily provisional and your next breath. He is involved in all your relationships and is with you in every failure.

When you walk away from Him do you feel the separation? when you choose to follow your own path to leave Him at His do you suffer DT's (Deity Tremors)? We should! Great loss should be felt and urning to return our addiction should be so considerable that when we depart, we ache, we hurt and we are desperate to return. If you are not feeling the desire to return, it must be asked...Were you His to begin with?

If you are devoid of missing Him, maybe you should let Him in your life for the first time. You will contemplate how you made it through life without the greatest addiction ever encountered.

This addiction is not only healthy- it provides eternal life!

Starbuck Serving Venti Implants

A second glance in a mirror during a morning rush to get out of the house all of the sudden I stop, and take note. When did this happen? Where went the smoothness of my face? Dark hair that once adorned the sides of my head are now peppered with ghostly flickers of silver. Glasses I once only needed occasionally find themselves perched on my nose garnishing my face for the entire day. Cheekbones formally exuding youth and vigor now give way to a fullness that inflates with my smile. I hardly recognize my eyes anymore. I see wrinkles and lines that are not my own, but my grandfathers whose years of life were written on his face. They are now being transposed upon mine.

This isn't an opportunity to loathe the years that wear on my face, but a moment to capture and appreciate. In a world of plastic and silicone, surgical improvements are soon to be ordered up with the ease of a Starbucks coffee. A barista will now use a scalpel instead of the steamer, a venti will be a new breast size, and superficiality will be served with a dollop of whip cream.

Our culture screams our imperfections at us, and we are measured up with every change of the channel, every flip of the magazine, and in musical lyrics which sing not-so-sweat nothings about how we will never have enough, be enough or do enough.

I think we need to start embracing the person we see in the mirror. Accept that the Creator made us beautiful and we were formed wonderfully. Look into the mirror and see the gray, the wrinkles and the wondrous changes you endured as you aged and count them as reminders of a life worth lived. Maybe we'll be thankful instead of disappointed.

I hope that the wrinkles around my eyes develop enough over time to tell the same story that my grandfather's did. He was a beautiful man...and he never once ordered from Starbucks.



Photo: Oscar Selmer, my late-grandfather

Feminism’s Accomplice to Killing Chivalry

Chivalry is the antiquated idea that came from the knightly system of the middle-ages for the virtues and qualities it inspired. These virtues included taking vows and keeping them. Other virtues included honor, and avoiding being offensive to women. The idea has evolved in our current culture to simple acts of opening the door for a woman, or holding an umbrella for a woman in the rain, even the boy-scout act of helping a woman across the street would be considered chivalrous.

The heartbeat of chivalry has all but stopped; its arteries are clogged with greed, selfishness, and ego. It languishes in a culture that despises it, and we would prefer to leave it to wither and die hoping to never think of it again.

We are in a society dominated by self-indulgence, self-worship, and an egocentric preservation of self-love. If we see a person fall, we stand and watch. Rarely do people offer a hand to help. Not too long ago I watched the news of an elderly man, well into or past his seventies being car-jacked and beaten while a group of people stood and watched not two cars away in the parking lot.

We are fed the perpetual baby food of indifference by media outlets and we are forced to seek refuge in a chivalry-less society in pawn shops and gun stores to self-arm. We are told by self-help gurus that no one will help you but yourself. This sentiment was echoed in Die Hard III, as Zeus played by Samuel Jackson speaks to his nephews, "Who's gonna help you?" "Nobody." Replied his nephew. Repeating himself Zeus says, "So who's gonna help you?" His other nephew chimes in, "We're gonna help ourselves!"

While helping ourselves, we fail to see the world around us that desperately needs help. People are hurting, but we pass these problems as if a diseased rat is begging for food.

As a member of society it is my responsibility to help assure that we will leave behind a greater culture for our future generations, not the decaying slice of ego we are currently serving up. As a Christ Follower I have a greater responsibility to every individual I come across to have a loving impact on their lives. This impact, is in essence the same age-old idea of chivalry based on compassion, generosity and self-sacrifice.

When was the last time you drove by someone disabled on the road? How about offering to call for help, or get them some gas? When was the last time you gave any of your time to help a good cause? When was the last time you expressed genuine concern for someone other than yourself? When was the last time you gave a gift anonymously?

The root of the problem isn't feminism, which got a bad rap as the lone source for the decline of chivalry. It has had a part in the problem, but it certainly isn't root cause. The root is me. It's you. We are the problem. Looking at society with self-colored glasses we missed the great happiness which accompanies the smallest acts of kindness.

So, I will strive to open the door, walk little old ladies across the street, giving without reward and be as chivalrous as I possibly can. I will try to be rid of self which hinders, and replace it with self-sacrifice which allows growth and amazing possibilities.

What will you be doing with your self?

Christian No More

I figure I've been writing this blog long enough to finally explore something very personal that only a select few people have been privy to. Putting it plainly, I am Christian no more. Those few words carry the weight of many implications, however with further investigation you might gain some understanding and insight into my beliefs, faith and my relationship with God.

My decision to distance myself from the label of Christianity isn't a knee jerk response, but comes from much thought and discussion that has lead me to this important conclusion.

Those who I have shared my revelation with have responded in some form of disbelief, either they assume that something has happened to me to alter the course of my beliefs, or they think I am kidding. Truly, neither has taken place.

The term Christianity over the years has lost the essence of it's original meaning, which is "to follow Christ." Followers of Jesus were first called "Christians" in Antioch (Acts 11:26). Now the term carries certain connotations, most of which are not so kindly received nor perceived.

First is the "atrocities" at the hands of Christians. Horrible wars have been fought under the banner of Christian-dom. Of course there were those of Christianity during the "burning-times" of the middle-ages involved in the murder of countless innocents. The list can go on and on of "atrocities" that Christians have had their hands in.

Next is the long procession of televangelist ministers who claim to have the "power" from the Holy Spirit, and are amazingly able to "speak" into your life with supernatural accuracy, only to be shown as frauds with earpieces not hearing from God, but their paid staff. Then there are those televangelists who speak so gently into your ear, and tell you about all the riches available to you because God wants you to be wealthy! The newest trend is to offer "miracle water" which has the power to heal...in trade for a few financial commitments.

Christianity carries on through the superficiality of countless others who claim to be Christians, only to say they don't believe in the Bible, or to even say they don't believe Jesus was the Son of God, creating a paradigm of confusion.

Christianity is host to scores of protesters outside of abortion clinics telling people that God hates them! Christianity is the name in which a group has been picketing during the funeral services for fallen US soldiers. It is the name that is used to scream to the homosexuals..."GOD HATES FAGS!!"

So, how do I feel about the "Christians" in the atrocities? Due to a state-run Catholic church that manipulated the people and prevented them from gaining any personal knowledge of God, people had been force fed "another gospel", one that was a far cry from Christ's teachings.

What about the ministers? I am not saying that all ministers are corrupt. Far from it as I know many ministers who have the love of Christ firmly planted within their hearts. However the ministers that are defrauding people such as Peter Popoff who was proved to be a fraud years ago, and ministers like Benny Hinn who manipulate scripture and people for their own gain will receive their just reward. To those that picket in hatred, stating they are representatives of Christ I shake my head in disgust and shame. They don't know Christ, or his message of love and offering of freedom from the cage of sin we are all enclosed in.

The entire issue can be likened to football. If you have a football play book, and watch all the football games at the stadium it won't make you a football player. You can call yourself a football player, make others around you believe you are football player, but it won't change the cold hard fact that you are not.

A real Christian is a person who has confessed with their mouthes and believed in their hearts that Jesus died for them...and follows Him. Since that definition no longer holds true in today's society, but my beliefs in Christ do...I will be Christian no more.

I am a believer in Christ. I believe in the Word. I believe in the teachings of God. When people ask me what religion are you, I will first tell you that I don't believe in a religion. Second I'll tell you that I follow Christ. It's about a relationship, not a rule book.

I am a Christ Follower. What are you?

Who's the Point?

The question ought not be what's the point but who's the point. Each day we wake up, we set our eyes towards the day to accomplish our own "honey-do" list. The question is who is the "honey" for which you do? Many of us, if not all, focus so much of our energy and talent for our self accomplishments that we forget that if you are a Christ Follower we have a great mandate to live our lives for much more than ourselves, but for each person we come in contact with.

If we focus our purpose on Him, then we'll find that we will become greater individuals that are no longer making ourselves the focus, but we will aim to accomplish for those around us. When we learn to set our sights on Christ, we will become better friends, lovers, family members, neighbors and yes…even better employees and employers.

I think it's time we figure out who's the point, don't you?

Making A Pancake

I am home today with my daughter as she is sick and was up most of the night coughing. So I get the privilege to stay at our abode together, sharing some laughter, smiles, and hopefully a nap at some point this afternoon!

This morning we made pancakes together. I put the mix in the bowl, and got sidetracked with a text message. When I finished with the text, I turned and saw that Jenna was sticking her finger in the bowl of pancake mix and licking it. First of all, I didn't need to tell her to stop because after the first dipping, the taste alone was enough of a deterrent.

As I continued to make the pancakes, I again received another text. Distracted yet again, turning my back to the cooking batter in the pan I ended up leaving it in too long and burned one side of the pancake. That really ruins the taste of pancakes...or really just about anything!

This morning, going through the simple process of making pancakes, I reflect on the process of sharing my faith as a Christ Follower and the balance that needs to considered when sharing. The seeker is likened to the pancake mix. Alone, the seeker will never find the true purpose of this life, and will lack the "taste" that God promises. The first step is to simply add some water, which is living your faith (showing love in all situations, following Christ's example in your life, etc) which gets noticed by the seeker. Next you mix the water with the batter, and that is the friendship that grows.

The next part is the delicate part of the process when cooking a pancake...leaving it in the pan for "just" enough time. This is the process in which a seeker is finding, and you need to be ready to give answers for why you believe, you need to be the friend, the minister, the counselor and most of all, a person in prayer. Eventually, with the right time, the right temperature, the pancake can be taken off the pan and is finished! The same is true for the seeker, but this is where we must be mindful of Christ's leading. A judgmental, condemning approach will burn seekers and soon all you say will fall on deaf ears.

An significant part of sharing your faith is the understanding that you might not be involved in the entire process! You might just be living your faith in front of countless seekers who see Christ in your life. You may only be involved in the final stage, answering questions, sharing the Word, and talking a seeker through the quagmire of obstacles that this life offers us instead of the acceptance and freedom that Jesus does.

So...when was the last time that you helped out in the kitchen?

The Crutch

Today I was ready to do part of a science project for my Biology class. I took the time to watch the instructional video last week and read the directions then as well. Due to a problem with my printer I wasn't able to print the instructions off. So today I sat at a computer at the school library and behold not one piece of instruction was available online. In fact, the attempt to open it crashed the computer. Frustrated, yet defiant I proceeded with this part of my project. However, I was forced to rely on others to help me get through it. I just didn't have enough information to rely on to get through by myself.

When it comes to rapport with God, there comes a point that we cannot rely on information we were fed a week ago. There are times that we cannot rely on others to walk us through. There are times that we need to get into the "notes" that God has prepared for us, and do it during the times that the instruction is needed the most.

Often during our spiritual saunter we find ourselves complacent in our relationship. We figure we can rely on our past experiences with God to get us through our future moments with Him without feeding the relationship with current and relevant understanding.

It's time to toss the crutch of relying on other Christ Followers, and the crutch of relying on old instructions. It's time to engage God and walk with Him freely and with abandon.

Maybe it's time to "bone-up" on some of His notes.

A Hole in Won

No, it's not a typo in the subject, just a play on words. This past weekend something profound happened to me and I have been thinking about it all week...now it's time to regurgitate this processed spiritual cud.

This past weekend I challenged my friend Lance to a game of ultimate skill, mastery of hand-eye coordination, and psychological warfare....miniature golf. We decided that we wouldn't play per shot, but per hole, so in other words whoever won the hole got one point, so 18 points were up for grabs.

I took the early lead of 2 holes ahead and carried it through nearly to the end, but I found that lead slowly slipping out of my grasp until eventually we faced off on the last hole. Hole 18. He caught up with me and we tied on a few holes. One hole would define who was man, and who was still a miniature golf youngling. Lance took the first shot towards the end of the green at a large box that said, "Hole in one". If he would have made it, it would have dumped his ball for a guaranteed hole in one. He hit just the side of the box sending his ball out of the green. He was forced to take a drop, which sent his ball well past the hole. Surely I could make this shot! Any infantile idiot could make it, proving once and for all that I was the King of Frankie's Funpark Miniature Golf!! I hit the ball for which time seemed to slow for, as it glided further and further from the mouth of the guaranteed hole in one, towards the opposite edge of where Lance shanked his ball...Nooooo! I shanked mine too! I had to take a drop as well...sending my ball just inches from his.

The next round of volleys was something like a death-match between two Titans on Mount Olympus. Back and forth, back and forth we tapped our golf balls until we both had 4 hits. Lance was close…so close to the hole. He lined up and hit the ball with the grace and ease of a demolition construction worker wielding a sledge hammer. Then that horrid sound followed...jingle...jingle. He knocked it in. Now it was my turn with an easy shot from just about 12" from the hole. No slope, no curves, no breeze. Just me and my uncanny ability to completely block out all external stimuli, something Spiderman would even be jealous of. I pull back my swing with precise execution, and swing with the fluidity of a pendulum, tapping the ball in the sweetest sweet spot ever. It was so beautiful it was as if the one perfect atomic sweet spot on my club hit the sub-atomic sweet spot of the ball. This was a connection fabled in the greatest romance books. The ball moved effortlessly towards its destiny. The ball sought out the hole like a heat-seeking missile screaming towards its target. Then....the sound....jingle...jingle...pop. Pop? What is this pop? The pop was divine. The "pop" was the ball literally popping back out of the hole, after it had gone in! Lance, I hate to say it, overcame and defeated me by...one...lousy...shot.

Since then I have been thinking about that one single solitary moment of my weekend. The moment that God smacked me in the head and said, "You're laughing, and I'm glad you are, but I plan on teaching you something from this." I have been in deep introspection since that moment.

In life we strive for perfection in so much of what we do. I might strive for perfection at school (getting A's), perfection at work (gotta earn that raise), perfection at home (don't let anyone know you might have problems), perfection with your kids (don't let your kids sully your name), and on and on. In life, we are going to miss those "holes in one" far more often then we get it in. Sitting there, mocking me with defiance, that ball reminded me that failures are inevitable.

Being a Christ Follower doesn't prevent us from failure. Following Christ doesn't always mean we are going to win our battles, nor does it mean we will live a perfect life. In fact, being a Christ follower guarantees that we will struggle, we will suffer. Being human guarantees that we will fail.

All that being said, I can tell you that Christ does make a promise that even through all these times, the failures, the lost battles, the imperfections in our lives, He will be there to make things perfect, He has won the war, and He conquered our imperfections when He died on the cross.

Be thankful when you are reminded of your imperfections. It's then that you are reminded that you are His, and perfected in Him.

Now as for me, it's time to play a game of basketball with Lance :)

Dehydration of Self

Well, it's been a long week of school, quizzes and tests. I am hanging in there though and I am really enjoying going back to school. It's a challenge but that's okay! It's good to be stretched and molded into something new. Hopefully if I continue on this path I'll be working as an RN in a few short years providing some stability to our lives. In order to do this however, sacrifices have to be made. Robin and I have discussed the changes we are facing as I am back in school. First we've changed is our spending habits. We have to focus on meeting our regular bills, and not go out to eat as often. We might have to stay in a few extra days a month instead of getting a babysitter. I have had to walk away from my business that I helped build from the ground up to have enough time to dedicate to school. It is like walking away from 5 years of my identity!

This all reminds me of something we are learning in Biology. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but in essence, it's all about dehydration! In a nut shell, small structures can join other small structures and become large structures, but something special has to happen...yes, dehydration. In other words, that small structure is losing a single molecule of water, but by doing so it becomes something soooo much bigger. It now has a greater function!

This is the process that I am going through right now. I am going through the dehydration of my selfish desires. The water molecule that I am losing is actually the sacrifice I have to make in order to reach my ultimate goal. In order to become something better, in other words, in order to have a greater function I may have to lose something in the process.

God does the exact same thing with all of us. If you are His, then He will use this exact process. He will continually break things off, in order to make you function better...in order to make you a better friend, husband, wife, brother, or neighbor. God may challenge you to walk away from your desires, so that others may desire Him.

Let go of the H20 in your life.

The Groundhog Day

This morning I was reminded that yesterday was the official Groundhog Day as I sat on my couch and watched Bill Murray (Phil) in the movie of the same name. It really is a great movie with an excellent theme within. As Phil is captured within the day, reliving it over and over, seemingly without end and ultimately what seems to be nearly of year of reliving the exact same day, he is finally released from his cyclical prison cell when he has transformed into something he was far from in the beginning of the film...a self centered ego-centric chauvinistic pig with a propensity of doing anything for his own gain. By the final moments of the movie he has been transformed, having tried all else within the vacuum of his time continuum including manipulating women for the sole purpose of "landing them in bed", abusing people that annoy him, and with constant failure he commits suicide day after day to end his misery. All of his attempts of removal from the land of the eternal 24 hours were completely in vain and he remained confined.

In reality we will never experience a day like Phil did in that movie. We won't get a "do-over" once we make a fatal relationship mistake. We won't get a "do-over" when we pass by the man on the corner begging for a meal. We won't get a "do-over" when we have lived our entire lives for selfish gain and self supremacy.

A life fulfilled, as Phil learned is a life lived for others. A life full of love and delight is accomplished when we turn from self, and turn towards God. When we see the world through "crimson-colored" glasses we will see a world that needs us to help feed the man on the corner begging for a meal. We will see a relationship needing invigoration instead of invalidation, and ultimately we will see our lives with the true worth that God deemed having absolute value, rather than our own valuation of life based on material ownership and ostentatious love.

I hope that when you have your Groundhog Day in your life, that the Creator of Punxsutawney Phil, the Ultimate Seer of Seers, the Perfect Prognosticator of all Prognosticators; you will see that Winter can soon end for you...that soon, Spring given through Him will bring new life and new direction to you.

The Mom Chaser

Before you get any wild ideas about the title of this blog, let me explain. I have just spent the better part of 15 minutes running around the house with my daughter chasing her mommy..."I wanna chase Mommy!" she was screaming at me. The idea is that Robin hides in the house, somewhere not too difficult for Jenna to find her, but difficult enough that she is surprised when she does. The last "chase" ended when she opened up the laundry doors and sees Mom sitting on the washer! Sometimes Jenna jumps back in surprise, a little scared, but absolutely loves finding her.

I envision the spiritual journey of looking for God in the same light. We all have an inherent need to seek Him out, and sometimes it can feel a bit intimidating to venture into the unknown.

All of us are born into the world with a God shaped space in our hearts and in one way or another we are looking for Him...looking to fill that void. In desperation to fill that God-shaped vacuum we sometimes get sidetracked either temporarily, or sometimes for an eternity. Sidetracked by the pursuit of money, sex, popularity, false religion or some humanistic ideology, we stall out and stop searching any further. The void will never be filled, and is akin to light beer..."Tastes great, less filling."

The difference between the game I played with my daughter, and the spiritual sojourn towards a reconciliation with God is that He isn't silent. God isn't hiding on the wash machine waiting for you to find Him. The very creation He prepared for you screams, "I AM here!"

So my friend, are you sidetracked on your spiritual sojourn? Jesus gives great direction.

Take the Test Now!!

Funny thing is, as I just began to type this out, wondering what in the world I would have to say in my blog, an advertisement popped up here on MySpace. It states "The Religion Test", "Find the perfect religion for you." I chuckle to myself at the thought. I can find my OWN religion!!! Yes, finally, I can figure out what faith MY beliefs lean towards too I can finally define my religion.

Unfortunately I believe this is the way so many people view their search for the "spiritual", their way of believing is nothing short of picking what makes THEM feel good about themselves. Sigh...

I understand the thought process, I really do, but instead of seeking out any form of truth we settle for the easy way. It is the "path of least resistance." In actuality all we are doing is defining our own god, instead of letting God define Himself to us.

"Oh, wait," you say. "How can you assume that your belief is true and the others are wrong? Why would your belief in your God be better than in the god that I believe in, or created myself?"

My answer is simple. There are absolutes. We live in a culture and society that proclaims that there is no truth, there are no absolutes. Do what feels good for YOU.

Question. What is 8x8? Seriously. What is it? Well, I say it's 62. Am I wrong? You believe there are not absolutes, and there is no truth so I am just as right in my answer as you are in yours! But in reality we both know that the answer is 64. I can die believing that its 62, but it won't change the fact that it IS 64.

As a culture we have the propensity to choose what feels best for us, what is most convenient.

The problem is that there is TRUTH. It's out there people. Go and find it.