bumper sticker philosophy

no matter what other nations say about the USA, immigration is still the sincerest form of flattery.

proverbs #62

one example is worth a thousand arguments.

join the cause

The North American Mission Board (my new employer) is searching for 1 million people who will commit to praying for our nation, our people, our land, our world.

Click here to be one of those who will stand up and be counted.

I was number 2380 -- so there's plenty of room for you.

proverbs #61

an idle man tempts the devil to tempt him.

proverbs #60

God is constantly withholding from us things we think would be blessings, but which would direct attention to ourselves, instead of to Him.

that tingly brain feeling

I've spent the past six hours coming up with definitions for
loyalty
teamwork
honesty
friendship
compassion


and others (all in a biblically conforming manner), appropriate for 1st -6th graders.

it was one of the toughest things I've done in a while.

I'm going back to my hotel room, putting a bag of ice on my head, and watching something mindless.

proverbs #59

silence isn't always golden. sometimes it is just plain yellow.

proverbs #58

he buys honey dear, who has to lick it off of thorns.

in my office

from the 4th floor at the NAMB office in Alpharetta. pretty day.

a little windy.

for the first time in five years, I'm working on a mac again, so I've got to get used to it. my web page doesn't show up right on this computer. I'm too mind-tired to investigate why not. That, and I don't want to be the new guy who breaks the G4 on his first day on the job.

was oriented today. My biggest observation is the number of folks who are asking me if I am getting 'orientated.' I nod in affirmation, not quite ready to reveal that I'm a big giant language dork inclined to correct misspeaks.

I like the view, but don't like the arrangement of my office because my back is to the door. icantstandhavingmybacktothedoor.

I also learned how to use the phone today. If you want to talk to me, my extension is 6459. but you can't get to me, because I haven't set up my voice mail yet.

before I left on Saturday, I left my atm card in the machine. I had wonderful images of some teenager discover it and thinking "Merry Christmas!" but the machine sucked it in to its protective metal mandibles and preserved it until Kelli could safely retrieve it by offering two quarts of blood and giving away Cotter's inheritance rights. Maybe its just me, but are bank fees getting a little out of hand?

I also got my staff ID card. Photo isn't too bad, but the flash reflection on my glasses makes it look like I have a giant ripe lid zit over my left eye. Other than that, its great. I'm supposed to wear it at all times when in the building, and if I don't, I should expect to be tackled, tickled, and pickled by any employee so loyal to the organization that they be willing to risk doing so to stem any potential danger I pose. When the lady asked my name for the badge, I told her Harry Tick. She just looked at me. Harry Tick. Heretic. get it? She said she got it, but didn't convey a convincing sense of amusement. Dying is easy. comedy's hard.

030303

possibly the coolest date to come across the calendar since, oh, say....

010203

AMBER Alert issued for Colorado Springs baby

Story by 9NEWS Staff

DENVER - Officials issued an AMBER Alert Friday night for a 21-month-old baby who was last seen with a Colorado Springs daycare provider earlier in the day.

Police say Devon Lee Wood was with daycare provider Suzanne Quigley McNatt at 11 a.m.

The baby is described as white, 2 ½ feet tall, 25 pounds, and has blue eyes and blond hair. He was wearing a white body suit with red pants.

The woman, McNatt, is described as white, 39 years old, 5 feet 5 inches, 165 pounds with brown eyes and red hair.

McNatt’s car is a red 1989 Ford Aero Star with Colorado license plate number 864-GBL.

Anyone who has seen the baby or McNatt should call police immediately.

The AMBER Alert allows police and broadcasters to work together to activate an urgent bulletin in possible child-abduction cases with the hope that citizens will be able to help in the search for abducted children.

(Copyright 2003 by 9NEWS KUSA-TV, All Rights Reserved)

uggh

today I leave for two weeks. blogging will likely be spartan at best. I may get an rare chance to blog while in Alpharetta. The second week, though, I go to SC for a few days for a national meeting of all the southern baptist state men's ministry leaders, then a few more days in Taccoa Falls, GA, to be certified as a national men's ministry trainer. Those last meeting times, I will be far away from anything that resembles a PC.

The time will actually be well spent, but I loathe the thought of spending such a long time away from the family. At least we just changed cell phone plans so all our calls to each other don't count against our minutes.

I suppose I better go pack.

bottom of the ninth

I posted my sermon on this subject a while back, but just a reminder...

when Daniel was faced with a new law that made it illegal to worship God, what did he do?

He went home and immediately worshipped God.

While we currently find our courts declaring that the words "under God" are unconstitutional, we better realize that for us to not praise God for giving us a nation of liberty and freedom would be unconscionable.

We must strive to live in favor with both men and God, until such a time of living in favor with men opposes living in favor with God.

and how does that saying go...

when worshipping God is outlawed, only outlaws will worship God.

proverbs #57

clipping a tiger's claws never makes him lose his taste for blood.

I dare you

go ahead.

count the stars.

where'd you lose track?

Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. -- Genesis 1:16

Then He (God) brought him (Abraham) outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.'' And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be.'' -- Genesis 15:5

He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; -- Job 9:7

O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, You who set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen Even the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth! -- Psalm 8

He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. -- Psalm 147:4-5

just doing my part to help keep things in their proper perspective.

fell off the wagon

I'm drinking a Mountain Dew Code Red after two weeks of going without.

MDCR has been a primary sacrifice to the 'healthy-living gods,' but with Kelsi's impending first birthday party tonight, heavily frosted cake will inevitably be consumed, so Friday, Feb. 28, has been written off as a celebratory allowance.

further discovery: strong coffee does not go well with a baloney and cheese sandwich. especially if you use it au jus.

remembering Mr. Rogers

who said, "I have really never considered myself a TV star. I always thought I was a neighbor who just came in for a visit."

more of his statements.

Kelli met Fred Rogers at the NATPE convention a few years ago, before we had children and she was a mover and shaker in the entertainment industry (actually, she was responsible for getting SBC programs on secular stations -- the job that put me through seminary!). She sat in on a "coffee talk" at which he spoke, and said he was 'on the money' with assessing the state of television, as well as the prescription to remedy what ails it.

All I know is this. The Wiggles couldn't even stand in Mr. Roger's shadow.

renewed suspicion

France has bestowed Meryl Streep with its highest award.

Is it coincidence she's made antiwar statements?

a shout out

Rob McClurkan is the artist who puts together Baptist Men On Mission, the publication I now edit.

This is his online comic strip.

Check it out. It's much funnier that BMOM.

you be the judge

Kelli's hypothesis:

Jamie Sale, she of the latest chapter of Olympic figure skating infamy


and Trista Rehn, she of the latest incarnation of unreality television infamy.


are, in fact, the same person.

what do you think?

signs of the impending apocalypse #29

this gal

had surgery to add eight holes in her neck, so that she'd become a human flute.

I can make trumpeting noises periodically, but my wife told me she doesn't like when I blog about that.


now, is this really true? dunno, since the story does come from weekly world news. once you follow the link though, enjoy your time reading about the bat boy (and we ain't talkin' baseball)

how far are you willing to go

for p0rn0gr@phy?

take this test to see if you are addicted.

(thanks presurfer)

here's an interesting page from hollywood jesus on addiction

sung to the tune of tears are fallin

apparently, Phil Donahue is angry that MSNBC cancelled him.

whooda thunk?

and indirectly, he blames Fox, and conservatives. Its our fault that we didn't watch him. Because clearly, {sarcasm} conservatives control the airwaves{/sarcasm}. Unfortunately, we aren't intelligent enough to realize he was (sic) "breaking through the noisy drums of war on cable and was a responsible platform for both sides of the issue."

He's just upset because now he has to go home to that girl.

proverbs #56

the way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.

further evidence of God's creativity...

from Snow Crystal Photo Collections

I can just imagine God creating these and saying, "Oh yeah...that one's COOL!"

on a related note

David Hasselhoff and his wife were injured in a recent accident.

The future UN ambassador from Germany was on his motobike when gusty winds sent him askew. Reports that CIA operatives planted Saddam-Hussein lookalikes on the scene to incite the recalcitrant nation to war have been grossly exaggerated.

Gary Coleman, working as a security guard at a nearby shoe store commented, "Man! Hasselhoff gets ALL the headlines!"

whatchoo talkin' bout, KITT?

If there ever was a photo to capture the essence of my childhood, it would be this one:



click on the photo to go to the host page if it doesn't show. Yes, it is just that important.

not really insanity

but good for at least some eye strain.

proverbs #55

above all, learn to acquiesce in the truth as soon as it is discovered.

read this

Jamie, The Gleeful Extremist --not my brother -- has a good read on the bias of 'hidden bias testing' and another on the incorrectly presumed liberality of all writers.

signs of the impending apocalypse #28

also via Presurfer, I discovered how easy it is to dabble in online witchcraft.

though I myself did not dabble by sending an actual curse, as a cursor, to an actual cursee, I did take the time to read the damning words to invoke halitosis. I promise this is not a joke:

Oh bitter spirits of the inner world,
with toxic and bacteria infecting the world,
I plea for you to curse this soul,
for eternal bad breath, beyond its control.
Your stench has earned this smelly cast,
until removed this curse shall last.

and just to not let it go unsaid:

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord... -Deuteronomy 18:10-12a

a resource

to those grammatically challenged, bookmark this.

thank me later.

why

do I want to spell grammar with an 'e?'

I've done so three times today, and I know better.

maybe God made me this way, because nobody in their sane mind would want to continually misspell grammer grammar.

Except Kelsey Grammer

and it's not like he has a choice.

peeking into pandora's box

amidst reports that we now actually have proof of Iraq's biological weapons, a new question looms:

now what?

the UN had 32 teams of inspectors combing the sand-filled, oil-slicked coiffure that is the nation of Iraq, and actually discovered the tick(ing) that threatens to plague the world -- a biological bomb.

Rather than saying "ohhh goody goody, this must mean Iraq is complying," I think we should be connecting some dots here.

dots like:

where there is one there is more
you don't just 'forget' about bombs
bullets (or even bombs) can be fired from smoking guns

To this discovery, I say....


Smithers, release the hounds!

juxtaposition

this photo:



accompanies this headline:

Blix: Iraq Still Not Cooperating Fully

It's good to see our international pointment grasping the gravity of the moment.

harkening back to days of relative innocence

or...

to days when nobody knew just how much of a freak Michael Jackson really was.

the Presurfer pointed me to this flash animation of an e-dude groovin' to Beat It and Smooth Criminal

there was a point in time in my life where I knew every word, every grunt, every squeal recorded on Thriller

My interest in Michael led to an interest in Bobby Brown, which led to an interesting conversation with my brother (who was into the much cooler Asia, Supertramp, and Alan Parsons Project) that I still vividly recall:

Me: {dancing to My Prerogative}Hey Jamie, what's up?{/dancing to My Prerogative}
Jamie: {incredulity} are you gay?{/incredulity}

another proud moment

last night while working in the garage....

Cotter: {crying}{tears}{whining}Owwwww...{/whining}{/tears}{/crying}
Me: what happened?
Cotter: I bonked my head again. It really hurts
Me: Isn't that the third time?
Cotter: Yessir.
Me: Well, stop doing it.
Cotter: I can't help it. My head is doing it all by itself.

announcement: my son is going into protective custody, so he not be gathered up by liberals who want to sue me, the toy box manufacturer (where he thrice 'bonked his head'), my home builder, my neighborhood association, the city of Florence, the county of Fremont, and the state of Colorado, as well as RJR Reynolds (just because they *must* somehow be complicit in the victimization of this lad). I'm certain they'd affirm that he his not responsible for the actions of his own head, and therefore anyone and everyone else must be held liable for negligence.

disclaimer: my son has not shown any adverse effects from repeatedly striking his head against a self-closing lid of a wooden toybox, apart from apparent forgetfulness, evidenced by the repeated striking of his head against a self-closing lid of a wooden toybox.

proverbs #54

if we allow our worries, anxieties, careworn questionings to brood in our hearts, they will soon break up our peace as tiny gnats will make a paradise uninhabitable.

proverbs #53

the head never begins to swell until the mind stops growing.

signs of the impending apocalypse #27

I confess, I haven't been vigilant on my apocalyptic watch lately (over 50 posts with no update)...so I give you via Dave's Blog

Uncle Cooter's Bumper Dumper


inevitable conversation
me: hey, is that stool on your bumper?
Cooter: it suuuurrrre is.

and Cooter would be correct in more than just one way.

and again, I'm reminded of knowledge gained from growing up in a rural setting:

even pigs go to a secluded place to 'do their business.'

i didn't intend for today to be so porcine.

i've just noticed

I'm filling out all my new health/life insurance forms today, and made this interesting discovery:

my life insurance doesn't pay out if I'm killed in a war against the former Soviet Union (how do you have a war with a former entity?), China, The United Kingdom, or France

what does the insurance conglomerate know about this that I do not?

{suspicion}{raised eyebrow}hmmmm.......{/raised eyebrow}{/suspicion}

lets get ready to rrrrruuummmbbblllleee!

when I hear that Saddam wants to debate W, I'm reminded of the saying...

If you wrestle with a pig, you're bound to get dirty.

I believe the better, more conclusive debate will occur when the forces of a freedom-loving world sweep in from the north and the south, removing this festering dictatorial cancre from the international scene.

a short quiz

c & p from a friend's email...


1. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by:
a. Olga Corbitt
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwartzeneger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

2. In 1979, the U.S. embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

3. During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

4. In 1983, the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo Rivera
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

5. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:
a. The Smurfs
b. Davy Jones
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

6. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a U.S. Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
a. Captain Kid
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

7. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. Scooby Doo
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

8. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

9. In 1998, the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary, to distract attention from Wild Bill's women problems
c. The World Wrestling Federation
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

10. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted to a crash by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by:
a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. The Supreme Court of Florida
c. Mr. Bean
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

11. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
a. Enron
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


the correct answer for each of this is, of course, d. We know you probably already knew this, but thought it was worth reminding you as you waited in line at the airport while the 80 year-old grey hair was getting a full body cavity search, just so the Federal agents can snap off the fingernail file and feel like they're doing their part to keep our skies safe. If you can spot a trend in the above eleven examples, it doesn't make you 'a hater,' 'racist,' or any other silly politicized slanderous label. It makes you sane and observant.

suspending email ops for the short term

until we can figure out why subscribers are getting the multiple sends.

again, I apologize for the tech glitch.

in Jesus' name

interesting article found via Christianity today weblog, about a Jewish state rep who was offended because all the Christian clergy who ended their prayers to open assemblies with the customary 'in Jesus' name.'

Apparently, he felt excluded.

question of the day:

what does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus?

seems to me that this phrase has become the spiritual equivalent of a signature file at the end of an email. It's become the words that 'we have to say' to tap into God's power. its our magical key to open the gate to God's storehouses. we seem disappointed if we pray a completely flesh-oriented prayer, staple on the obligatory "IJN" and expect it to be transformed into some incredibly spiritual petition to be laid at the throne of grace.

this flawed prayer practice has led to faulty prayer theology. How many times have you heard a variation of this:

God answers prayer in one of three ways -- yes, no, or wait. Interpretations on this theme include the alternate go, no, or whoa! and you bet, not yet, and don't fret!

Reconcile that with this:

But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No.For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us by me, Silvanus, and Timothy was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 2 Cor. 1:18-20

go on. go ahead. I dare you.

you can't.

you see, when you pray in Christ, you are praying for the Father's will. and only the Father's will. Your prayers will sound a lot like those of Jesus. things like:

not my will but thine
glorify me so that I may glorify you
make other people holy with your truth
may your will be done in my life just like it is done in heaven

God is saying that He will answer all these prayers in the affirmative.

is that what your prayers sound like?
if not, why not? Is Jesus your "spiritual santa claus?"
if so, do you really mean it, or are you just going through your "prayer routine?"

It's not wrong to pray for your own needs -- God is eager to meet our needs out of the abundance of His riches in glory. But there's a difference between praying for our 'wants,' our 'lusts,' and praying for our genuine needs.

it's been said before -- to pray in Christ's name is to align our will with God's, not to force Him into our's.

the only way every prayer will be answered 'yes' is to truly desire to want what God wants.

in this light, we reveal much about what we truly believe about God.

if you don't want what God wants -- all the time, no matter what, you reveal doubt about:

His sovereignty
His goodness
His mercy
His grace
His provision

To pray in the name of Christ is to implore God to give you eyes of faith to see His invisible hand conducting life's orchestra, ears of grace and mercy to hear hear His inaudible voice whispering life's clear command to be an ambassador to this world, and flesh of the Spirit, that you may feel His indescribable touch as He fills you, comforts you, and leads you through life's grand adventure.

To bring this full circle, relevant to the original article, we ask the following:

does God hear the prayer of the Hebrew people?

at the risk of not being ecumenical, I point people to the books of Romans, Hebrews and offer this caveat:

If Jewishness is defined by God, it means recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. If your definition matches God's, then I'd dare to say He does.

If not, I'd not necessarily be inclined to agree. Just because someone can trace their heritage back to one of the twelve tribes doesn't mean God is forced to hear their prayer, any more than He is just because I accessorize my "protestant petition" with an authentic-sounding 'IJN.'

God is God. We are not. He is the Creator. We are the creation. To assume anything upon Him inaccurately inverts the true nature of this relationship.

We pray to Him. His Holy Spirit gives the prayers, Jesus doubles them, the Father receives them. We just get to go along for the journey. It's grace that allows us to be involved in the miracle. If you deny any aspect of the Godhead, God does not obligate Himself to hold those petitions on the same footing as the ones His Holy Spirit initiates.

sorry. but if you don't like it, here's what I suggest.

pray about it.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear... Jesus, from Rev. 3:20-22a

disclaimer

I don't know why subscribers are receiving multiple copies of my entries.

sorry.

in fact, I'm so sorry, you'll probably receive this apology 3 or 4 times.

proverbs #52

an empty man is full of himself.

proverbs #51

judicious commendation is to children what the sun is to flowers.

update

my high school principal has been told his cancer has entered his bloodstream.

thanks for your continued prayers.

proverbs #50

every command of God has a promise of God for its kernal.

question of the day

by what right do you choose your King's last command to "Go into the world" as the one thing to be crowded out of your life?

update

for those who prayed for my high school principal:

his surgery went well, and he now has four weeks of radiation treatments. His prognosis is good.

my thanks to you!

proverbs #49

if you can't see the bright side of a thing, then polish the dull side.

home for sale

this is our home:



its for sale.

Please purchase it, or show this entry to someone who will.

We have to stay here until our home sells, and your purchase of our home -- either as a fine residence, or a worthwhile investment property -- will greatly expedite that process.

thank you, and we now return to the show.

I'm a vegetable

actually, I'm a fruit.

a grape

pa grape.

Take the test, by Emily.

for some reason, this depresses me.

proverbs #48

if we are not responsible for the thoughts that pass our door, we are responsible for those we admit and entertain.

proverbs #47

the man who keeps putting his head into the lion's mouth is certain to have his breathing interfered with eventually.

orienteering

Irene has posted a couple of blogs on the issue of homosexuality, and garnered much response in her comments. I've opted to give my perspective here.

Much is being made about terms like 'homosexual,' and 'sexual orientation.' Perhaps a clarification of terms will assist in making a point.

first of all -- the word "homosexual" when used as a noun is such a politically charged word that using it will almost always defeat accomplishing the intended purpose, which is to come to a point of understanding. Perhaps because this word focuses on the sexual aspect of the same-sex lifestyle, rather than involving all the social implications, the way 'gay' and 'lesbian' tend to. The word 'homosexual' tends to be much less objectionable when used as an adjective, because it is then descriptive of a lifestyle. Webster's agrees with me. Maybe the first thing that can be agreed upon is to use the same terms, so everyone is operating from the same starting point. Either restrict the usage of the word to its adjective form, or separate it altogether from the personhood of an individual (the sin is homosexuality, not 'homosexual," simply because the latter is wrapped up in identity [which I'll adress later].)

the second term 'sexual orientation,' is also a confusing one. some people want to use this term to declare an intransitive position of sexual identity. That's an incorrect usage of this word. The correct term for that belief is 'sexual identity.' Orientation simply means 'the direction that one is located.' When you are in Texas, driving to Canada, you are oriented north. It is willful, subject to change according to the dictates of the road. When freshmen enroll in college, they typically go through orientation, which is designed to align them in a theoretical direction toward the goalline of graduation. When a person goes orienteering in the wilderness, they change their direction numerous times according to a map, to accomplish the purpose of picking up objects and winning the event.

Soooo -- sexual orientation is the sexual direction that each individual is located. The two main directions of sexual orientation are heterosexuality and homosexuality, with a myriad of minor directions between and beyond each of them -- like homosexual pedophilia is the south-southwest). Orientation is subject to change. When an individual commits to a path dedicated to a particular orientation, they tend to replace 'orientation' with 'identity.' For most, this happens early in life and never becomes an issue -- for others, it comes later in life, when they become disenchanted with one orientation and willfully determine to pursue another. For me, I've always been oriented toward heterosexuality, and through my years, I re-oriented myself occasionally around that major direction from blondes, to dark haired girls, from athletic, to non-athletic, etc. -- these orientations were my preferential inclinations -- subject to change according to external influences such as peer pressure, my brief infatuation with Pinky Tuscadero from Happy Days, seeing princess Leia in Return of the Jedi, and many many others.

I find it interesting, this common obection that 'noone in their right mind would choose homosexuality.' This is really a strawman argument -- first of all it acknowledges the inherent objectionable qualities of that lifestyle. But this statement is made to legitimize the choice, rather than to affirm its inappropriateness. the line of thought is

no one in their right mind would choose it
but I choose it
so, either I'm not in my right mind or I didn't choose it
and certainly I'm in my right mind...
so I must not have chosen it.

let's just carry this over to any other situation.

nobody in their rightmind would choose to be a murderer (for all the same reasons nobody in their right mind would choose homosexuality -- socially objectionable, spiritually prohibited, relationally damaging, etc.)
but I choose to murder someone (or several someones)
either I'm not in my right mind, or I didn't choose it
...and so on...you get the picture.

Now, the discussion needs to really be oriented (didja see how I did that, bringing this all together?)...to what is really the heart of the matter matter. We can reduce any person down to the simplest issue and inaccurately place their whole identity in the context of their most objectionable sin. this is how, from a 'Christian' perspective people choosing homosexuality become homos. How would any of us like to have to walk through life with the big banner across our forehead declaring our worst sin and that become the title by which we are known.

no - that's not Frank-- ever since we found out about him -- now he's Wife Beater
no - that's not Wilma -- ever since we found out about her -- now she's Booze Hound
no - that's not Morty -- ever since we found out about him -- now he's Horny Morty the Porny Shorty

You see, we get so good at splitting hairs that we fail to realize why we do it. We condemn others so that we ourselves might be justified. There is no grace in any of that. No mercy. No dignity. And certainly no Jesus.

God took care of this practice by giving a word that lumps everyone together, rather than trying to classify us according to transgressing genus, family and species. That word is sin. To sin comes from the word hamar, which means "to miss the mark." It doesn't matter if you miss it by a micrometer or a kilometer. It doesn't matter if you miss it willfully or accidentally. It simply means to miss the mark.

What's the mark? God's holy perfection. and to sin means to miss that mark. What else is relevant?

1. all miss the mark -- everyone. Gays and Lesbians. Wife Beater. Booze Hound. Horny Morty the Porny Shorty. Everyone. you. me. and everyone in between. And because of that we have earned the title sinner. even though you cannot see it, every person born in this world is born with that label stitched on their hearts.

2. while you were a sinner, Christ still died for you -- it doesn't matter who you are or what you did -- Christ's death is sufficient to atone for your actions that fell short. And he didn't wait for you to quit doing what you were doing. He did it when you were at your worst.

3. When you receive the redemption atonement of Christ, you are re-oriented (See 2 Corinthians 5:17). It doesn't matter if you don't think you chose it. It doesn't matter. Even if you thought you were born with a genetic predisposition to a lifestyle that falls short and shouldn't be blamed, the prescription is the same -- you must be born again! Only by the redeeming blood of Christ can that banner of sinner be painted over. And it can only be received by faith (Rom. 10-9-13). there is hope for all of -- no matter the offense!

One of the last discussions I had as a pastor was with a lady who learned her new neighbors were lesbians. She had been talking with them, and they expressed a desire to worship God somewhere. She wanted to know my position on the matter. I told her that they were welcome to come to our church, and the lady looked surprised. I told her the only different between that lesbian couple and everyone else in the church guilty of unrepentant sin is that they were just bold enough to admit their sin in front of everyone else. Churches are filled with people who are wearing their sin banners proudly, just under their clothes, thinking nobody else knows what a liar/cheat/hater/etc they really are. And if they really want to come worship God, then I better invite them here, because its only by the word of God they can receive the conviction of the Holy Spirit that they are falling short. I did inform her, though, that known sin must be confronted by a pastor in love. Just like I confronted the man taking his children to the bar with him, and the man and woman in adultery, and the youth in premarital sex, and so on. If they were willing to discuss the matter in the light of God's Word and in the context of what grace offers and expects, then they absolutely would be welcomed here.

They never came. I don't think she ever went back to them, to be honest. But despite what I said, and truly believe, I don't know of many churches who would openly receive a gay couple, trusting God to redeem them. We have so confused the difference between accepting the person without accepting their homosexuality, despite our mantra professing otherwise. And not many other sins exclude the sinner the way homosexuality does. Molestation, murder -- probably. But how many overt, unrepentant gossips, lust-ers, liars, cheaters, adulterers, and bigots did you hug on last Sunday during the welcome time? If you really knew, would it change you?

I've said it many times before -- but once more -- its by our love for one another that people will know we belong to Christ. It's by who we are for, and not what we are against. Can you love a person choosing (cognitively or otherwise) homosexuality? Can you do your job, and just trust that the Holy Spirit will do His job? Can you demonstrate grace and mercy without prejudice? Just remember that's how it was demonstrated to you.

when you were at your worst.

we've got 414 on Kabul Hiway 67...

give me your best caption to this lovely photo (courtesy of MSNBC, via Cellar Pic of the Day):

celebrating the culture of death

I'm surprised MSNBC didn't pipe in a midi file of Amazing Grace for this feature to elicit even more pseudo-pathos out of this emotionally contrived subject, where Reuters went to extraordinary lengths to make the terminally seriously-ill choosing suicide to appear heroic. (note: 'terminally' was struck because it eliminates the reality of the miracles of God)

‘I don’t want to die in the hospital. I would rather be sitting in my backyard.’
— JEANNE GUNNING
Terminally ill teacher from Salem, Ore.

to quote the famous saying: I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather, not crying and screaming like all the passengers in his car.

and to quote another famous saying or two:

that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live (deut. 30:19)

I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9b-10a)

There is nothing noble about suicide. There is nothing heroic about assisting in suicide. Killing somebody who wants to die is still murder. Our unalienable rights are...hmm, let me see...oh yeah, here they are:

life

liberty

the pursuit of happiness
***
no right to death here. no right to pursue death. Some may argue that their right to liberty includes the right to kill themselves, and to that I say, "OK" I'm not stopping you. But do you need a law to do it? Are you afraid of going to jail? Hellooooo....you'll be dead. And why do you need somebody to assist you?

simple equation: tall building +gravity = success

what about those who survive a suicide?

well, they probably need to be incarcerated. How hard can it be? Thousands of people succeed in this endeavor every year. If you succeed, you will probably avoid prosecution. If you fail, people will likely go to determinate lengths to protect you from a very dangerous person -- yourself! be thankful that somebody cares!

Please know this, too. I'm not just being glib about this very serious matter. When I was a sophmore in high school, I lost a very dear relation to suicide, which was likely induced by medications that were massive depressants, prescribed for a very serious physical ailment. That death left me and many in my family with many questions, much sorrow, and many difficult times. I was angry for several years, and while anger gave way to acceptance, understanding that decision will never come. Instead, we are all forced to make excuses and apologies for that decision, to rationalize and justify our acceptance. This is so because suicide is inherently wrong. Now, fifteen years later, even having accepted the terms of a suicidal death, I still certainly would have enjoyed additional years of a relationship, even if it were marked with pain and suffering, for I believe God has much to teach us and others through the challenges of life.

For Christ's sake (literally), choose life!

call me trigger

I'm a horse, who'da thunk?

Horse


What Is Your Animal Personality?
brought to you by Quizilla

now I understand my enjoyment of rolled oats and drinking out of a trough.

proverbs #46

The fellow who treats love like a lottery, usually proves it by drawing a blank.

I'm a has been or never will be, thanks for giving me attention

we then watched approximately 7 collective minutes of their followup 'reality' fare, I'm a celebrity, get me out of here.

I only want to know a couple of things:

who are these people?

can we vote to throw them all into the crocodile pit?

did ABC realize how much 'face time' the host would have on the air before selecting the doofus that continually reminds us that they're "Live in the Australian rain forest?"

Unless they've got a promo of a Lord of the Flies-like scenario with Tyson Beckford and Chris Judd chasing Robin Leach with a spear and calling him Piggy, I'm done with this mess.

Colorado proud

Ryan won!

OK, the fact that I'm even blogging about the bachelorette causes me extreme self-loathing. But I determined that I've committed to a theme today of love -- marital love. Last night, Kelli and I observed as Trista pined over the gut-wrenching decision of who to manipulate, agonize, and make miserable for the foreseeable future. And we were shocked that she chose Ryan, the firefighter from Vail who, in Trista, found his muse to write rhyming poetry and draw carnival-booth-quality drawings of tigers that are most familiar on a velvet canvas.

We were surprised because the whole episode, Trista was shown as having a much more 'real' relationship with Charlie, the stockbroker who obviously had major holdings in a hair gel manufacturer. I was actually dealing with the children in their bedroom the moment the 'big decision' was revealed (Kaylyn was having visions of 'scary feet' when she closed her eyes -- that's the last time we show that Bigfood documentary right before bedtime). From the living room, Kelli hollered "Oh my goodness!" loud enough for the ABC executives in New York to hear and smile. Upon later review, Kaylyn thought she had seen a spider, Cotter thought she had seen a grasshopper. Which makes perfect sense, given our 12 inches of snow outside, and our natural benevolence to the insect that plays its fiddle all summer instead of preparing for winter like the industrious ant. I came to make sure somebody hadn't accidently driven through our front door.

"Charlie's going first," she said. I nodded like I knew what that meant, completely revealing that I was clueless. "That means she's picking Ryan." Well, I automatically felt like a moron, since i had spent the previous two hours making statemtents like:

she's picking Charlie
look at their faces -- Charlie's happy, Ryan's sad. She's picking Charlie.
Does anyone in America actually think she's going to pick Ryan?
She's totally shacking up with Charlie. She's definitely picking Charlie.

by this time, my wife was convinced that she was married to Rain Man. And even more important, I once again revealed my amazing acumen on observing and perceiving human nature.

They then kissed and recited poorly-rehearsed speeches and kissed for the next 10 minutes. There was a proposal by Ryan. Trista's response was a shrill sound that resembled something like:

EEEYYYYYIIIIIEEEEESSSSSSsssss

I could see Ryan's puzzled look as he slid the ring on her finger, which showed me he didn't understand what she said any better than did I. I saw later that ABC issued a statement that they would neither confirm nor deny that Trista actually uttered a discernable word in that moment.

My summary:
1. If I were Ryan, I'd be unhappy. ABC made you look sappy, unable to be joyful, and definitely not the 'tiger' Trista wanted to tame while she played the game. unless that's how you are - in which case, Trista should be unhappy.
2. I have milk in the fridge with a longer shelf life than this relationship.
3. The most captivating portion of the show was the teaser for tonight's expose: The Bachelor -- Aaron & Helene: What Went Wrong. This is must see TV.

proverbs #45

love at first sight never happens before breakfast.

mini me, you complete me

Thanks to presurfer, I went and created a wee me.

Here's my wee me at the Statue of Liberty. Now I can live the life of leisure I had always wanted, without ever leaving my home.



God bless America.

kein rückgrat

this is how you say "spineless" in German.

I opened MSNBC today to see the headline of the first conviction in connection to Sept 11.

Guilty of 3,045 counts of accessory to murder.

I was really surprised to see Germany taking a hard stand and enforcing accountability.

Then I read this:

15 year sentence

Fifteen years?!? This means that each for death of which he was convicted earned him a grueling 1.798 days in prison.

This guy is a student -- 28 years old. This also means that this terrorist will be 43-44 years old by the time he is released from his prison, thus ensuring his 'hero' status to his brothers-in-subversion, as well as guaranteeing a perpetuation of terrorism. Certainly, the German penal system doesn't pretend to think they will rehabilitate this fellow into becoming a freedom-loving, democracy-embracing individual. He will -- over his decade and a half of incarceration -- fester, ferment, plot, and scheme to accomplish even better what was accomplished with the World Trade Center. He should have to do his time here in Florence at our Supermax. I'll let your thoughts go where they may if that were to happen, because your wildest imaginations would likely be accurate. Let's just say he probably wouldn't serve the length of his term.

To paraphrase an old sitcom: He can do fifteen years standing on his head -- though I wouldn't recommend it; that's just inviting trouble.

Here is the poster boy for America's call to advance without the assistance of certtain watch-making, Volkswagen-driving weasels.



Remember, Germany is our ally.

Thanks, freund, for nothing.

waking up to a surprise

Our power went out this morning. So I woke up to my clock flashing "12:08." Which means I just missed the big event of the outage. I wondered if we were having a stormy morning, and opened the window. We have a foot of snow outside. My shovel is still at the church, too! I hadn't seen this in the forecast. Its all good though, because our part of the state desperately needs precipitation.

kaylynism

after having shared numerous cotterisms, I last night heard my oldest daughter make a statement that was not only blogworthy, but completely representative of the personality God has given her:

"No, no Kelsi girl. You're not allowed to play in that lotion with your face."

question of the day

I know some of you who read Clarity regularly are educators. I want to ask you -- has relativity become an unofficial official doctrine taught in public schools? I want to be clear not to make this a religious or spiritual question, but whether or not it can be taught that truth is truth.

This may seem like a pollyannish question, but are our individual educators able to loudly say, 'wrong is wrong?' or does it have to be conveyed covertly?

proverbs #44

The certainty of truth is not at all affected by persistent rejection of it.

prayer request

my former high school principal is undergoing surgery tomorrow to remove a brain tumor, and also a scan to see if there is any cancer elsewhere in his body.

He is a married man with four adult children.

He also cut me slack on a few many occasions during a short time in my life I call 1986-1990.

thanks!

its official

more people have now come across my site looking for Terry Tate, office linebacker than those looking for Daniel Isioma, the journalist being hunted by muslims for writing that Mohammed would've dug beauty contestants.

there's deep meaning in this, but it eludes me.

irony defined

Girl Scout Cookies Thin Mints

fearless prediction: a lawsuit against Girl Scouts of America by the person who will be traumatized that thin mints did not make him/her so.

question of the day

how many people have you made homesick to know God?

proverbs #43

anything is wrong that is almost right.

angry at France, reason 613

cut-and-pasted verbatim from Mikey's Funnies:

Here's Jewish comedian Jackie Mason's take on Starbuck's:

You want coffee in a coffee shop, that's 60 cents. But at Starbucks, if it's Cafe Latte: $3.50. Cafe Creamier: $4.50. Caffe Suisse: $9.50. For each French word, another four dollars. Why does a little cream in coffee make it worth $3.50?

Go into any coffee shop; they'll give you all the cream you want until you're blue in the face. Forty million people are walking around in coffee shops with jars of cream: "Here's all the cream you want!" And it's still 60 cents. You know why? Because it's called "coffee."

You want cinnamon in your coffee? Ask for cinnamon in a coffee shop; they'll give you all the cinnamon you want. Do they ask you for more money because it's cinnamon? It's the same price for cinnamon in your coffee as for coffee without cinnamon - 60 cents, that's it.

But not in Starbucks. Over there, it's Cinnamonnier - $9.50. You want a refill in a regular coffee shop, they'll give you all the refills you want until you drop dead. You can come in when you're 27 and keep drinking coffee until you're 98. And they'll start begging you: "Here, you want more coffee, you want more, you want more?"

Do you know that you can't get a refill at Starbucks? A refill is a dollar fifty. two refills, $4.50. Three refills, $19.50 So, for four cups of coffee - $35.00. And it's burnt coffee. It's burnt coffee at Starbucks, let's be honest about it. If you get burnt coffee in a coffee shop, you call a cop. You say, "It's the bottom of the pot. I don't drink from the bottom of the pot. But when it's burnt at Starbucks, they say, "Oh, it's a blend. It's a special bean from Argentina..." The bean is in your head.

And there're no chairs in those Starbucks. Instead, they have these high stools. You ever see these stools? You haven't been on a chair that high since you were two. Seventy-three-year-old Jews are climbing and climbing to get to the top of the chair. And when they get to the top, they can't even drink the coffee because there's 12 people around one little table, and everybody's saying, "Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me....." Then they can't get off the chair. Old Jews are begging Gentiles, "Mister, could you get me off this?"

Do you remember what a cafeteria was? In poor neighborhoods all over this country, they went to a cafeteria because there were no waiters and no service. And so poor people could save money on a tip. Cafeterias didn't have regular tables or chairs either. They gave coffee to you in a cardboard cup. So because of that you paid less for the coffee. You got less, so you paid less.

It's all the same at Starbucks - no chairs, no service, a cardboard cup for your coffee - except in Starbucks, the less you get, the more it costs. By the time they give you nothing, it's worth four times as much !

Am I exaggerating? Did you ever try to buy a cookie in Starbucks?

Buy a cookie in a regular coffee shop. You can tear down a building with that cookie. And the whole cookie is 60 cents. At Starbucks, you're going to have to hire a detective to find that cookie, and it's $9.50. And you can't put butter on it because they want extra. Do you know that if you buy a bagel, you pay extra for cream cheese in Starbucks?

Cream cheese, another 60 Cents. A knife to put it on, 32 cents. If it reaches the bagel, 48 cents. That bagel costs you $312.

And they don't give you the butter or the cream cheese. They don't give it to you. They tell you where it is. "Oh, you want butter? It's over there. Cream cheese? Over here. Sugar? Sugar is here." Now you become your own waiter. You walk around with a tray. "I'll take the cookie. Where's the butter? The butter's here. Where's the cream cheese? The cream cheese is there." You walked around for an hour and a half selecting items, and then the guy at the cash register has a glass in front of him that says "Tips."

You're waiting on tables for an hour, and you owe him money? Then there's a sign that says please clean it up when you're finished.

They don't give you a waiter or a busboy. Now you've become the janitor. Now you have to start cleaning up the place. Old Jews are walking around cleaning up Starbucks. "Oh, he's got dirt too? Wait, I'll clean this up." They clean up the place for an hour and a half.

If I said to you, "I have a great idea for a business. I'll open a whole new type of a coffee shop. A whole new type. Instead of 60 cents for coffee I'll charge $2.50, $3.50, $4.50, and $5.50. Not only that, I'll have no tables, no chairs, no water, no busboy, and you'll clean it up for 20 minutes after you're finished." Would you say to me, "That's the greatest idea for a business I ever heard! We can open a chain of these all over the world!" No, you would put me right into a sanitarium.

Starbucks can only get away with it because they have French titles for everything, the schmucks. And I say this with the highest respect, because I don't like to talk about people.

my personal boycott

I will no longer purchase, use, enjoy, or consume the following:

Parfum
baguettes
french bread
french salad dressing
French Stewart
Victor French
Pepe' LePew
champagne
Frenchy, from Grease
The French Open
Guy LeFleur
Guy Carbonneau
Any guys named "Guy" and pronounced "ghee"
French cajun cuisine
The French Quarter
The French Nickel
Any French currency whatsoever
The French Connection, Forget Paris, Last Tango in Paris, etc.
The Eiffel Tower -- both in Paris, and Las Vegas.
One word: fromage
Napoleon
French kissing
French kissing Napoleon
Jacques Chirac
Jack Kerouac
Inspector Clousseau
The Pink Panther
Maurice Chevalier
chivalry
Jean Paul Gaultier
Bustiers
Bureaus
French Guyana
French Polynesia
French Canadians
French Lick, Indiana
The French Revolution
French Toast
Bleu Cheese Dressing
Roquefort Dressing
Rogue Villians
Cadillac Seville
Cadillad Deville
Cruella Deville
Croissants
Crescent Rolls (you can't trick me you weasely Franco-bakers!)
French tongue twisters
French Luggage

just trying to do my part to show my support!

proverbs #42

fear makes men believe the worst.

my new office has a lovely view

of the kids' swing set.

I'm officially 'on the job.' So far, I've checked my email and am waiting for the call that will tell me what to do.

Time for a coffee break.

I agree

heard from Fox News:

it appears that France would prefer to be an important country in a disorganized world, rather than an unimportant country in an organized one.

final sermon at fsbc, florence

Edward Steichen is a name you may not recognize, but he is a man considered by many to be a master of photography. When he was 16 years old, he began his new hobby by purchasing a camera and taking fifty photographs. Only one of the fifty turned out – a portrait of his sister at the piano. His father thought that this was a pretty poor showing, but his mother gave him lavish praise – saying the one success was so good it compensated for the other 49. It was because of that encouragement that he stuck with his hobby and gained renown for his skill and artful eye.

It is my observation that the line between failure and success is a fine one indeed. In fact, it was once stated that success is just failure with a fresh coat of paint. It seems to me that too few experience success too little of the time, not because they do not possess the potential, but because failure can be incredibly intimidating, and encouragement seems to be in scarce supply.

In praying about the final message the Lord would give to me, and in searching the Scriptures for the Word that would speak to your collective heart, I believe God led me to the book of 2nd Corinthians for a specific word of encouragement. And its probably fitting that we come to this book to the second letter to this church, and that we’d receive today that which the Lord has prepared for us for the purposes He set forth before time began.

As many of you know quite well, the church in Corinth was not necessarily an exemplary model of a healthy church. It had many problems in its short history, by the time the two letters penned by Paul reached the congregation. It had problems with doctrine, it had problems with orderly worship, it had problems with sin in the congregation, it had problems with legalism, it had problems with loving fellowship. As far as all things were considered, the church in Corinth was a failure on many fronts. Probably, many had the perspective similar to Edward Steichen’s father, and thought the church had a poor showing, and may be better well served to just shut its doors and quit embarrassing the name of Christ. And to be honest, from an outsider’s perspective, it’s hard not to at least say, “sure, I can understand where those guys are coming from.”

Paul, however, was not of that opinion. He was like Edward Steichen’s mother. He saw the same failures that everyone else saw. He recognized all the shortcomings. But He saw potential. He saw promise. He had hope. And accordingly, he was compelled to do that which the Lord called him to do for their benefit – he encouraged them.

These are the words he wrote to them, found in 2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

It’s important to note that these final words of encouragement do in fact come at the heels of strong words of criticism from Paul over the things that the Lord revealed were done incorrectly or dishonorably. But Paul could not and would not leave his address to the church in Corinth in a negative tone, thus leaving them without any real sense of hope. So he concludes with an encouragement.

The last two messages the Lord led me to preach were, I believe essential to the future success of the ministry and calling of this church to the cause of the King. I remind you that those two messages were, first – a call to repentance, and second – a call for the men to rise up and be accountable. And I am pleased to see that the Holy Spirit has been working in the hearts of men and women throughout the body, and you are responding to His leading. So today, I conclude my ministry with you using the same words that Paul used to conclude his second letter to the church in Corinth.

Paul says “farewell.” Some translations read simply “goodbye.” The literal translation, though, expresses the true heart of the sentiment, and that is, “be of good cheer.” When we shared with you four weeks ago that the Lord had called us to a new ministry, it was certainly with mixed emotions that we shared that news. We have grown in our love for our church family, and you will be missed very much. I will forever hold dear the countless conversations we’ve shared in my office, between the pews, and in your homes. I will cherish the notes and words of encouragement, and even more so the untold number of prayers that you offered to the Lord on my behalf. We are forever indebted to you for the generosity you showed to us time and again with gifts and benevolence that were both selfless and sacrificial. Being allowed to be a recipient of this multitude of blessings for sixteen months made it difficult to take that step of faith that said, “yes, God is calling us elsewhere.”

It was also difficult because, in my flesh, I can be a pretty stubborn fighter. When we came to Florence, we came prepared to establish our lives here. And as we became integrated in the life of the church, I quickly developed passion for our mission and ministry and the vision of the church. To leave after such a brief time is difficult because I am the type of person that wants to see all those dreams become reality, to see the vision manifested. Again, without seeing the fullness of the promised fruit, it was a difficult step of faith to say, “yes, God is calling me elsewhere.”

Despite those difficulties, and perhaps ironically, it is with good cheer that we accept His good will for us and take those steps. We know the Lord is sovereign. We know He’s got a plan for me. And I know that His purpose for me here is complete. And so, the difficult becomes easy. And with smiles on our faces, we prepare for the next chapter of life’s grand adventure that God has ordained for us.

And to our church family, I exhort you to be of good cheer, too. I’ve heard some talk of disappointment that your pastors have seemed to have short tenures. I’ve heard others a bit down that some families felt called to move their memberships. Please don’t let that tone season your perspective. Yes, my time here was short. And yes, God did move a few families. But His will is good. He moved those families so that they could prosper, and so that you could prosper, too. The void they have left is your opportunity to stand up and take responsibility. And God is preparing your next pastor even now, even this day, to take this church to a new level of commitment, of vision, of hope, of ministry, and of blessing. And you are wise to praise God today for the provision of tomorrow’s blessing.

Paul also says, “be complete.” Again, the literal translation perhaps expresses it better, which declares, “perfect yourself.” This term carries with it the connotation of making the necessary repairs or adjustments to accomplish the perfection toward which God exhorts you.

You see, for this church to truly be “of good cheer,” it must be willing to perfect itself, through the conviction, help, and encouragement of the Holy Spirit. Every part of the body of Christ must take the time to stand before the holy judging discernment of God and say, “show me where I fall short.” If you are a gossip, God wants you to shut your mouth. If you are a hypocrite, God wants your words to be consistent. If you are divisive, God wants you to stop the division, and begin working to bring healing. If you are lazy, God wants you to stand up and get busy. And whether you are up to your ankles or up to your next in sin, God wants you to get out of the pigpen, be cleansed by the forgiveness of the Father, and return to fellowship. God’s word has declared that He has made you complete:
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:9-10)
It’s now time that you live as you have been created in your new life in Christ.

Paul continues by saying “be of good comfort.” Once more, the literal translation expands the thought, by exhorting us to “be encouraged by being of the same mind.” I know I’ve said it numerous times over my time with you, and I’ll say it one last time because Paul found it important enough to say here – there must be unity within the family of God if it is ever to accomplish the purposes that God has designed. I implore you to make the commitment to come to unity on the issues that have divided this congregation for years, so that they may divide the congregation no longer. My prayer has been and will continue to be that you will fervently seek the Lord and be willing to do anything and everything you must do to close the divide, to heal the wounds, and to move forward.

Next, he writes, “live in peace.” To this I’ll make this point clear – people are more important than a ministry. Ministry exists for the benefit and blessing of people, not to the frustration and broken fellowship of people. If a ministry is at the root of a broken relationship, whether it be private, corporate, professional, or otherwise, then man’s priorities have been turned upside down and glory has gone to the flesh. If ministry is contentious, my encouragement to you is to suspend the work of the ministry, so that you can place your energy in re-developing peaceable relationships with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Living in peace is not just a suggestion, it is a command from God.

If you seek to do these things, look at what God promises: the God of love and peace will be with you. Oh what a promise that is! We must pay attention that is a conditional statement. Too often, Christians think that God is obligated to accompany them and bless them simply because they wear a Christian tee shirt and have a fish on their bumper. God refuses to have fellowship with the ungodly, even (and perhaps especially) if the one being ungodly claims to be a child of God Himself.

But the real good news is that the converse of this is presented as truth here – you have the promise of God’s presence if you will live in peace, if you will not just accept unity, but actually pursue it; if you will seek to perfect yourself and have the discipline to conform your life to the mandates of Christ and if you will be of good cheer. God will be with you. You will be aware of His presence. He will be as real to you as when He led Israel by a pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. He is eager to heal the hurts and rain a flood of blessing upon this congregation. If you are willing to do what God wants you to do, He will do what He has promised to do.

And I close today with Paul’s final words. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

I pray these simple desires for you – the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to come from you just as it came to you – liberally, abundantly, and without prejudice; the love of God to overwhelm you and flow freely from you so this community will know that God loves them and calls them to repentance and salvation; and the communion of the Holy Spirit on an ongoing basis, so your walk with God will grow deeper and more intimate until all your faith is realized in glory.

I know that's what I said, but...

here's an excellent post from Pressed on hypocrisy.

two quick notes:

1. I almost wrote, an excellent post from Craig (his name), but I thought that'd confuse those readers who know my city of origin is Craig, Colorado. If you want news from that Craig, go here. It appears the Moffat County Commissioners are amidst quite a fiasco regard fiscal responsibility. But, I digress; so on to #2.

2. and actually germaine to the issue -- YES, Christians ARE a bunch of hypocrites! We are sinners! We are liars, cheats, and thieves (which causes me to flash back to my childhood and my dad saying numerous times, "I can tolerate a lot, but I can't tolerate a liar, a cheat, or a thief."). And, according to Christ's standard, we are also murderers and adulterers. We earn that 'hypocrite' label when we try to pretend that we are none of these things. And to exacerbate the problem, we present ourselves as HOLY before others.


butwaitaminute

Doesn't God's word say we ARE holy?

(it does)

Doesn't It also say His righteousness has been imputed unto us?

(it does)

Doesn't it also say all the old things have passed away, that we are new creations, that we have been raised to walk in the newness of life, and that we are now children of the Spirit instead of children of flesh?

(it does, does,does, and does)

So what I basically see here are two problems (ALERT: IDEALISTIC STATEMENTS AHEAD! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK).

1. We don't know who we are! Perhaps the worst form of hypocrisy of all is that we are children of the King and we are living like paupers. We are reborn and we're living in dead men's clothes. We have been forgiven and we live like we are under perpetual condemnation. We are hypocrites because we are refusing to live in the eternal reality! We claim Christ, but we live in bondage to our flesh! Shame on us for this self-deception. Ironically, we then pridefully boast in self-righteousness because we take credit for being Christian, like it was a merit badge earned for Scripture memorization, but refuse to live by anything imputed upon us by the atoning death of Christ. And we wonder why the unbelieving world is so disgusted with us!

Simple Equation: Christ's Indwelling + Unregenerate Man = Changed Life

If there be no change, it is fair to assume there be no Christ in the life of that individual (note to the outraged reader: I am not anyone's judge -- this determination of a lack of change is the responsibility of each believer upon him/herself -- See Galatians 6:4 -- I don't judge you, only myself. And my kids. And televangelists. And liberals. I'm kidding, of course. I don't judge my kids. Oh, yes I really do. Anyway, again, I digress). Christianity will only mean something to someone else if they see the manifestation of a changed life IN YOU. There is no room for any attitude other than humility when we talk about the nature of our identity in Christ (take heed to Paul's accurate words, I am chief among sinners, and strive to emulate the attitude). If you boast, boast in Christ. Otherwise, keep your piehole shut.

2. The other side of this two-faced hypocritical coin is that the world is guilty of imposing an unfair (hypocritical) standard upon the church (and this is the issue that Pressed addresses, so I hope not to tread on ground he covered so well). If the church had a nickel for every strawman 'church-is-full-of-hypocrites' argument used to justify not coming to Christ, the church universal would be able to have a fully-funded, fully staffed Hypocrite Recovery Center replete with jogging path, full size gym, olympic swimming pool, and luxury accomodations for the population of conventions the size of Tanzania. To imply that the church is the home of hypocrites is to imply the world is free from hypocrites, which aside from being hypocritical, is really just a big, fat, lazy lie. The problem is, hypocrisy is expected in the world. In the ideal sanctuary (word used as a function, not a locale) of the church, hypocrisy is supposed to not exist. So, when it does not, the ideal is not met in the mind of the unbeliever, and the ideal looks no different from the rest of the world, so the ideal holds nothing compelling to draw the unbeliever. And because of this -- I say shame. Shame on the....church. Shame on the bride of Christ. Shame on the body for allowing the filth of hypocrisy to become so indentified with our nature and character that the unbelieving world (justified or not) can see no difference in us. The first church stood for purity, for holiness, for conformity to the image of Christ. But in approximately 20 centuries, we have accepted all forms of ungodliness and made excuses for it, we have compromised our doctrines, and we have failed to exercise godly discipline in the ungodly name of fleshly 'love.' We should exist in such a manner that when someone throws out an accusation of 'hypocrite' to the church, they should look silly. Instead, the response is 'yeah, I can see that.' We must cease excusing the church's hypocrisy, and instead overcome it by conforming to the image of Christ.

And, as is right and just, God gets the final word:

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:16-27, empshases mine

a recent discussion

yesterday, Cotter and I had another important father-son conversation.

Cotter: Daddy, who's playing basketball on TV?

Me: The Bulls and the Nuggets.

Cotter: Who are you roopin' for?

Me: Well, the Nuggets, I guess. They're the Denver team.

Cotter: Oh.

(short pause)

Cotter: Daddy which is the white team?

Me: That's the Bulls. The Nuggets are the blue team.

Cotter: Oh.

(longer pause)

Cotter: Daddy?

Me: Yes?

Cotter: Like the soup bowls?

Me: Huh?

Cotter: the soup bowls.

Me: Boy -- I have no idea what you are talking about.

Cotter: the team. The Bowls. Like soup bowls.

Me: Ohhhh! No, son. Bulls. Not Bowls. Bulls. Like cows with horns on their heads.

Cotter: Oh. Now I get it.

(another short pause)

Cotter: Daddy?

Me: Yes?

Cotter: and like chicken nuggets?

Me: the Chicken nuggets....hmmm...

(pondering...pondering...pondering)

Me: Yes, son. Just like chicken nuggets.

proverbs #41

of all the troubles great and small, the greatest are those that don't happen at all.

update on the music

I heard Buck's song. First, he's a mighty fine crooner. Second, he's quite an orignal songwrite, as well. I can't repeat the entire song, as I've only overheard it, but one line stands out:

cupid shoots the arrows
and the're fallin' down like rain
but God chooses where they land
and thank Him we're in love again.

btw

happy valentine's day

sung to the tune of ch-ch-ch-changes

we just received word at 4 PM that we will not be moving to Atlanta on Tuesday like we expected. Instead, I will be starting my new job as a telecommuter. Sooooooo, we won't be in the home we thought we'd be in. We will be in the home we thought we were leaving. Our daughter will need to re-enroll in school, and we'll have to cancel all the utility closures and set-ups that have been arranged.

I read it on another blog that said, "I guess the only one who likes change is a wet baby." So, in our home you can guess that Kelsi is happy. The rest of us are still making the adjustment. I can see the long term benefit, but I'm having to deal with the immediate littany of inconveniences.

Such is life.

proverbs #40

when the devil compliments you, you are a flat failure

or in French
quand le diable vous complimente, vous êtes un échec plat

or in German
wenn der Teufel Sie beglückwünscht, sind Sie ein flacher Ausfall

proverbs #39

a short intellect usually has a long tongue

or in French
un intellect court a habituellement une languette longue

or in German
ein kurzer Intellekt hat normalerweise eine lange Zunge

a thousand words

also from the cellar's image of the day...

many of you probably saw this, but it was new to me.

a satellite image of Columbia's break-up.

Buck & Terry

I'll be marrying Buck & Terry tomorrow night. Buck will be singing a song to his bride during the ceremony. Every time I've mentioned the song in front of Terry and her friends, the friends start laughing uncontrollably. Should I be concerned?

sometimes it's just a potato

Do you see the Virgin Mary here?

apparently, many do -- this time here in Sydney.

I see a fence. although if I look at the fuzzy picture long enough, I see Kelsi with a blanket over her head playing peek-a-boo. Interesting, but hardly worth the hulabaloo.

but then again, I'm often guilty of taking God's Word at face value (see Rom.1:18-22).

image courtesy of the cellar's photo of the day

note: this is the first time I've ever used the word 'hulabaloo,' and probably the last. Instead, I will use either brouhaugh or imbroglio.

proverbs #38

have no friends you dare not bring home.

proverbs #37

if we desire an increase in faith, we must consent to its testings.

wouldn't you know it....

this page, as cheesy as it is, actually accomplished its purpose with me.

did it for you?

I hate these things!

because they reveal that I'm not smart enough to figure it out...or patient enough...

the psychic web page


thanks to the presurfer.

no, really. thanks. I needed to feel inadequate today.

UPDATE: ok, I did it again an intentionally thought of the wrong number and it still came up correct. How did that work? I feel like a cow next to a ringing telephone, If I only had opposible thumbs! Why can't I figure this out?!? Someone hook me up here and tell me the secret!

proverbs #36

you are the very best Christian somebody knows.

its a small recycled world after all

methinks the creative force behind Disney justmightbe on autopilot.

evidence:

exhibit a: The Jungle Book 2
exhibit b: 101 Dalmations...2
exhibit c: 102 Dalmations
exhibit d: Hunchback of Notre Dame... 2
exhibit e: Lion King...2: Simba's Pride
exhibit f: Beauty & the Beast....re-released
exhibit g: Lion King....re-released
exhibit h: Cinderella....2
exhibit i: Peter Pan... 2: return to Never Land
exhibit j: Inspector Gadget....2
exhibit k: Spy Kids...2
exhibit l: Spy Kids...3 (coming soon)
exhibit m: Pocohontas...2
exhibit n: Tarzan...and Jane
exhibit o: Lady & The Tramp...2
exhibit p: The Princess Diaries...2
exhibit q: Treasure Island Planet

and i have on good authority they have planned the release of the following titles:

Jungle Book 3: Baloo Gets a taste of Human Flesh
102 Dalmatians 2, Too
Hunchback of Notre Dame 3: Quasimodo the Fighting Irish Water Boy
Lion King 3: Ed's Revenge
Cinderella 3: Stepmother Hires Johnny Cochran & Sues for Unspecified Damages for Disney's Pattern of Negative Stereotypesof Maternal Images in Blended Marriages
Peter Pan 3: Sharing a Neverland Bed with Jacko
Pocohontas 3: The Incident at Little Big Horn
Tarzan & Cheetah & the Ebola Outbreak
Lady & The Tramp 3: Scamp's Distemper
Jungle 2 Jungle 2
Jungle 2 Jungle 2 Jungle
Jungle 2 Jungle 2 Jungle 2
The Princess Diaries: Meeting Joe Millionaire
Treasure Mobile Home Park
Lilo & Stitch: Reloaded
Lilo & Stitch: Revolution

signs of the impending apocalypse #26

click on the pic to see more.


what I found interesting:

1. the link to free chocolate
2. the pimping of an online game and cartoon strip.
3. the assumption that the messenger will arrive at the same eternal locale as the messengee.
4. bragging of 'birthing an industry.' Welcome to the annals filled with the busts of the Pet Psychic, the Crossing-Over guy, Phil Donahue, and Hitler. You must be proud.
5. yet another cutesy graphic of a cherubic child angel. Aren't they cute? I hope I have a thousand Precious Moments angels dancing on my fingernails as I type this tribute to them.
6. the declarations of non-exploitation. by definition this affirms exploitation.
7. the ad to rid the world of landmines. It seems to me to be counter-productive to their industry of afterlife telegrams, no?