When the going gets tough....

Doesn't take an alpha male to finish this common saying. It's a mantra that
would dangerously suggest that we, as humans, just have to hunker down, face
things head-on and then we will be more likely to succeed.

Jesus promised those who would choose to follow Him that there would be
troubles. In the first century, this often meant persecution for those who would
declare Him in the face of those who wished to eliminate Christians. In our
world today, persecution of Christians, does, in fact, still occur, but for most of
us that live in twenty-first century America, these tough times are more apt to
include the same types of troubles that all Americans can face: financial
setbacks, marital troubles, problems with employment.. the list goes on. Just
as God lets the sun shine on both the righteous and the unrighteous, all lives 
are often beset with times of troubles.

A lot of my personal struggles, and there were some, occurred when I did not
know Jesus on a personal basis. I struggled and even called upon God to help.
Eventually, haphazardly, things got better. Was God involved with me, an
unrepentant sinner as these issues got better? I have to believe that He was both
aware and involved. He, after all, has reached out to one so very undeserving
and has brought grace into my life.

In search of the Omega male. 

Leaning on our own human devices to persevere through problems is, at best,
a poor and painful choice. We need our Father to be with us, guiding us, bringing
us to a result that is in keeping with His plan, not our own. Believing in ourselves
at the price of being unaware of His Grace and Love brings confusion, disillusionment
and pain. Does this mean that there will be no problems or that they will all end
in ways we see as positive, be no means. Dealing on our own terms, without His
grace, means to be alone with a capital A.

He has called us to come to Him, lean on Him, lean on His Holy word and His
loving kindness. When the going gets tough, God gets going. We need to pray, 
glorify His name and depend on the creator of the universe. Praise God!

George, the skeleton, Talked!

My teaching friend and one of the best friends I ever had, kept a replica adult
skeleton at the front of his classroom. Around its neck hung the sign, "George
Talked!" Quite a discipline maneuver. There, of course, was always a bit of
humor in his classroom; he was loved by students and fellow teachers! He died
several years ago of complications of diabetes; I'm not sure where George hangs
out, these days.

We all have skeletons in our closet! They are the things that we really do not want
others to know, and may be things that no one ever finds out. Most of these
skeletons center around things we have done that would fall into the category
of sin. 

I am not sure how I would survive being a Catholic who goes to confession. I
am not sure I believe that a priest would have the power to forgive sins that have
already, by the grace of God, been forgiven. I am guessing that even with a priest,
there would be some skeletons still unknown, and that it wouldn't matter how many
"Hail Mary's" I said, there would still be those things I am embarrassed to share.

There is nothing you can do to make God love you more.
There is nothing you can do to make God love you less.

I love that quote, and I have forgotten who to attribute it to. The point, here, is
that the one avenue of "safe revelation," it seems to me, even for those really
nasty sins, is the avenue of discussing them with our God.  The obvious point is
that God has the key to that skeleton closet. He already knows what hangs in
there and, through the work and blood of His son, Jesus, those skeletons are
a moot point.

He forgives sins of the past, of today and of the future. The priest may say, 'Sin
no more," but we will. God knows this. He is bigger and stronger than our sins.
When we talk to Him, He listens and understands. It's called GRACE! What a 
remarkable God we love!

Jabberwock at the Toes of Jesus

Now you have to admit; that title makes you want to read on, doesn't it. This
blogging is a lot of fun.

My overall goals in life have certainly changed these past few years. Once upon
a time, it was just trying to survive until Friday. Many other goals have come and 
gone as I have reached the end of my teaching career, seen my lovely daughter
become a beautiful young lady and marry a great fella, and, most importantly,
since Jesus has become the all in all in my life.

Well... now I just cannot wait until I can be in His presence, kneel at his feet and
speak to Him. Some of that, I will admit, seems a bit daunting. What will I say to
Him? Will I even be able to speak? 

I do not have the best history when it comes to speaking at eventful moments. My
phone calls to young women, most or all of whom were totally out of my league, did
not go smoothly. I listened for the, "Hello," with full knowledge of what I was
going to say, having practiced an infinity of times prior to the call. However, what came
out of my mouth was completely unintelligible! Often, this girl of my dreams, would
just hang up. Once, at the height of embarrassment, she actually translated these
"words" and said, "Tom?" I hung up!

So what are the chances that I will come to the ultimate point in my existence
and wax poetic? I'm thinking that awe-struck would be a potential state of mind.
Even though I am sure that Jesus is proficient in all languages, He may have some
difficulty understanding sheer gibberish. 

Not really. I actually am quite sure that He will know what I am trying to say!
He may even help me articulate it. 

I know one thing... I will be bursting with love for Him and just blessed beyond words
at the Grace God has shown me. Beyond words may be a literal situation! :)

Take Off Those Mr. Magoo Glasses!

Dating myself, again! Mr. Magoo was that poor near-sighted old fellow who
couldn't see what was in front of him!

From Brendan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel
     By and large, our world has lost its sense of wonder. We have grown up. We no longer
    catch our breath at the sight of a rainbow or the scent of a rose, as we once did.....
    We get so preoccupied with ourselves, the words we speak, the plans and projects we
    conceive that we become immune to the glory of creation. We barely notice the
    cloud passing over the moon or the dewdrops clinging tho the rose leaves.

I have been blessed for many years with a preoccupation about the
beauty of this world. I think I was able to pass some of this on to my
daughter as we spent a bunch of time, when she was small, just hanging outside
and being amazed at this world.

I can't count the number of times I have mentioned a beautiful sky,
a rainbow or an animal passing by to someone and had them reply that
they didn't notice. I even became pretty accurate at predicting the arrival
of a rainbow based on angle of sunshine after a rain shower. What intense
beauty, and if really lucky, one can see a second bow, less bright.

We all long to know and see God in our lives. The Bible says that we
can see Him in His creation, and, yep, we most certainly can...IF... we
take the time to notice. No one can create like our creator, and even though
this world certainly has its problems, that doesn't diminish the beauty
of what God spoke into being. He was so right when He said that it was
good.

Sometimes one has to turn off the television, unplug the laptop, leave
the confines of the inside world and go into the world determined to
just quietly look, listen, smell and feel. He gave us those senses with a
purpose. It's a glorious creation; we are blessed to be a part of it!

Ignorance Is Bliss....um..not so much!!

That saying is from a Thomas Gray poem of long ago. 
Back in my name calling days, I frequently called folks "ignorant" when I was
angry. To me, it meant that they were just stupid, not so smart... Turned out it
was me who wasn't real bright.

The condition of ignorance is really referring to being unaware or lacking in
knowledge. "What we don't know can't hurt us," is another phrase that
really can cause trouble.

I spent 60 years of my life in ignorance when it comes to Jesus and the gospel
of grace. That is truly frightening. It wasn't that I was uneducated...I did go to
church infrequently, but my life was void of the understanding that there was
a God who offered a "sonship," a God who was reaching out to one who is
totally undeserving, a Holy, Regal, Transcendent, Majestic caring God who
created me. In looking back, I'm convinced that He was patiently tapping me
on my shoulder just waiting to enter into my life and my heart. How
fortunate I am!!!

I was also ignorant of the being who works within the boundaries of this 
world, having been thrown out of heaven. He's the former angel whose
agenda is to bring us down, to make us feel guilty, hopeless, evil, worthless..
I could go on. He has been defeated and sentence has already been passed.
His job, it seems, is to ruin souls, and he works in direct opposition to
the grace of God. The Resurrection of Jesus put an end to death, to Satan
to our inability to ever be righteous in the eyes of our Father in Heaven.
Yet, an unawareness that this being is working against us can effect our
lives and our eternal salvation.

When one is ignorant of the gospel, the hardships, the stress, the sadness,
the miseries of this life are daunting. We are left to stand alone, purposeless,
ignorant of the grace that exists within the loving hands of the Prince of
Peace.  

Turn to Him. Pray to Him. Glorify Him. Ignorance be gone..you too, satan.

Swiftly Tilting Planet

Madelline L'Engle wrote a book with this title. She passed on to write in heaven
recently; her creative genius will be missed!
The title came to mind while I was reading The Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brennan
Manning. let me share a brief paragraph from the book....

   The earth's weight has been estimated at six million tons (that's a six with 21 zeros).  Yet it is
perfectly balanced and turns easily on its axis. It revolves daily at the rate of more than 1,000
miles per hour or 25,000 miles each day. This adds up to 9 million miles a year. Considering
the tremendous weight of six sextillion tons rolling at this fantastic speed around an invisible
axis, held in place by unseen bands of gravitation, the words of Job 26:7 take on an
unparalleled significance: "He poised the earth on nothingness."    

I am sure that you have read many accounts of the unbelievable majesty of
God's creation. There are many many examples of our big blue planet being
just within the parameters of allowing for life. Many of these facts are provided 
by men of science who then go on to suggest that we are dealing with mere
happenstance.

The image of the earth taken at moon rise from the moon itself is probably one of
of the most amazing images I have ever seen. Yes, man made that trip to the moon
with scientific excellence, but he couldn't have even left the atmosphere without
creative genius provided by God.

At the other extreme, of course, is the amazing nano world; the cell, which when
one studies, becomes not only the building block of our existence, but also a
miniature "solar system" in itself.

These are simply a  couple of examples of the wondrous creative power of        
our majestic God. Sometimes we look at the enormity of the known universe
and feel small and insignificant. We ought to look at the immense power of
our Creator with the realization that each of us matters to Him. We are, after
all, His very creation.

Makes me just smile!

To Err is Human, to Forgive.....

Devine. (Alexander Pope)

Yep, we are pretty good at erring! There's not much doubt that the ability
to do wrongly, or to sin, is a part of our human dna. How we look at this rather
problematic component of ourselves is very important. Sin as quite simply
acting in a way that is counter to God's will and wishes. The middle letter
in the word sIn is symbolic of our acting with ourselves in mind. It is 
amazing that once we are made aware of our sinful nature, we see countless
examples daily of evil in the thoughts, words and actions of our lives.

It would be rather easy to allow this sin to overwhelm us, to make us
depressed, to feel that we are beyond hope. In some instances this might
result in the attitude that we may as well go ahead and live it up, since
there is little hope of finding forgiveness from a Holy God.

It is somewhat ironic that at the same time we are capable of sinning, we
find it very difficult to forgive others. Yet God makes it explicitly clear that
we must forgive others for His forgiveness to apply to our lives.

So the Devine part of the quote is tremendously important. God is fully
aware that we sin, yet He has provided the ultimate sacrifice to atone for
the sins of our lives. The fact that this sacrifice included His only son, Jesus,
makes God's love for us and his ability to forgive us abundantly clear.

The last words of our blessed Lord Jesus, John 19:30..."it is finished,"
indicated that the sacrifice was for all of us who would seek Him through
the blood of the Son. The plan was in place from the beginning. The
payment had been made. Atonement had been realized. Love had
conquered Sin, Death and Satan through the precious blood of Jesus.

Praise and Glory to God!

The Wondrous Hugs of Jesus

Matt: 11:28  Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
   rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
   and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

So hold me Jesus 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace
   Rich Mullins  "Hold Me Jesus"

My wonderful father passed from this world some three years ago, and I miss him each day! My
memories always include the times when he brought comfort, physical comfort. He smelled like
Cherry Blend pipe tobacco, frequently. I loved that aroma! Memories' focus from earliest on are
holding his big hands, riding up on his shoulders as we walked, being tucked in and kissed good-
night, but most of all, the hugs! Those were enveloping hugs, full body, lost yourself hugs, hugs that
took away any bad stuff and made the world just seem right!

Being a 65 year-old, divorced male causes a decline in "hug" possibilities, and when they do
occur, they tend to be polite sorts of hugs. Kind of..."How you doing?" hugs. Even hugging my beloved daughter must include a measure of care... after all she is my daughter.

Well, I have found someone not only worthy of hugging but someone that forces no limits on
the hug quality and length. Jesus. In scripture, He repeatedly tells us to hand over our cares,
our fears, our sadness and tears, our problems... you see the picture. He is not limited by time,
place, dimension... in any way. He gladly reaches into this world and beckons us to take
advantage of His love and care. His shoulders are broad, his arms welcoming. He wants and
desires to be the center of our lives and the place where we honestly share the things of our
heart.

Here's the great part. Open your arms wide enough, often enough and wish with your very
soul, and He will HUG you. It's a hug your soul can feel and, if you get quiet and just
accept, it's a hug that you can actually feel. No kidding. Just give it a try and love Him and
trust Him with all that burdens you. Smell that Cherry Blend?

on a "Need To Know" basis

I just love agent Jethro Gibbs. He's a tough guy with a warm heart. There
are many times when, during a typical NCIS episode, he is approached for
information. His usual response is ,"That's on a need-to-know basis, and
you don't need to know!"

Well, we are all on a Need to Know basis and we DO need to know! We
simply do not know when our time on this earth will come to an end. There
is no guarantee that we will be here tomorrow or the next day. That
realization brings to mind some need to's.

We need to make the most of each day we are blessed to live. 

We need to make sure we let those we love know that they are dear to
our hearts! May as well tell them you love them every day!

We need to have our "house in order." That has nothing to do with
how clean I am keeping my apartment (thankfully) but everything to
do with making sure important things are completed for when we are no
longer here.

WE NEED TO KNOW GOD!!!! 

This should be the number one goal in our lives; the relationship we
have with our God and creator, with Jesus our Savior and with the Holy
Spirit, within us. This relationship needs to be one we are building
each and every day of our lives. We should strive to pray, to read His
word and to praise and worship Him, bring glory to His very name. 

Eternity awaits us. It seems abundantly clear that we will spend this
post-life existence in one of two ways. We will either by taken to live in
Heaven with Jesus, whose blood provided a residence there, or we
will live eternity in the absence of God!  It's an easy and blessed choice!

I'll take "perfection" for $100, Alex

I appear almost daily at a local McDonalds for coffee and morning
paper. I try to avoid the food when I can.

There are a few folks who also frequent this restaurant in north
Texas, and I would describe them as conservative, Republican and
Texan, to the core. Most of the conversation, centered around Fox
News on the TV monitor, is such that I just keep quiet and read my
Columbus Dispatch on the Kindle.

One morning, it was announced that the current governor of Texas,
who I would also describe as a real Texan, had decided that he would
not run for re-election. This, apparently, was met with some consternation
by the group and the following conversation ensued....

Texan: Well I don't blame him for not running!

Texan 2: My neither! Why some folks seem to think he's way too
left and some not conservative enough.

Texan 1: Yes, it's as if people expect him to be perfect!

Texan 3: Yes and we all know that No one is perfect!

Well, at this point, because I saw an excellent opportunity to raise the
level of this conversation, a bit, I said...

Tom: Well, there was, of  course, one person who walked this earth
who was fully perfect, always.

SILENCE......

Texas 2: (After a protracted silence...)  Oh, that's right... Ronald Reagan!!!

Tom: Ah.... I was thinking of our Lord Jesus Christ.

SILENCE.. !

That's why I usually remain quiet!

Perfect: for one day!

That's the challenge. Care to try? Here's some obligatory information before
the start:

1- God cannot accept even one sin because he is Holy
2- God, through loving GRACE, and the blood of His son, Jesus, has provided
     an opportunity to have our sins forgiven
3- Those forgiven sins include sins of the past, present and future
4- We must accept our need for redemption, repent and turn to our Lord Jesus
     in a lifetime relationship of the heart wherein He resides as out Savior and
    Lord

Okay, those are some basic preliminaries. Now, the challenge. One full day,
from wake to sleep, of perfection...no sins. That would include sinful thoughts,
sinful words and sinful actions. 
After all, Jesus was able to do this for approximately 33 years. Okay, He may
have had some advantage in being fully God as well as fully man, but He
was perfectly without sin because He had to be.

I will confess that I'm just presenting this challenge with the full knowledge that
I have absolutely NO SHOT! In one of my previous blog entries I suggested that
I cannot make it from my door to the parking lot without sin. (keeping this
in the family frame, I will just hint at one of my personal problems...)

Poetry in Motion
Johnny Tillotson

..Poetry in motion,
  See her gentle sway,
  A way down by the ocean,
  Could never move that way.

Yep, it's a real problem, even when I try my hardest to have it not be.  But, I still
would challenge all to try.

Realistically, the goal, it seems to me, is to show appreciation for the GRACE given
through the loving-kindness of our Creator by making an attempt from the heart
to avoid sin, and when slippage occurs, to go to God, apologize, repent and move
onward. He loves us and knows we sin. We love Him by giving our all to be holy!

Blessed Surveillance

Luke 12:7  But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Many folks have expressed concern about the government programs that
seem to be intruding into our lives. The NSA, the FBI, the CIA, TSA.. the list
goes on. Are our emails being flagged and shared with folks that we haven't
sent them to? Are there cameras everywhere that record our movements
here and there? (1984 reference) is Big Brother watching?

One obvious reaction to all of this is to lack concern if one's life is as
boring and simple as mine! We can always argue about whether or not
these types of interventions are necessary in today's world where
terrorism is a term we hear often.

Well, we ARE under surveillance!  The living God knows all! Because He
is omnipresent and omniscient, He is aware of everything at all times. 
Amazing, isn't it! The Bible tells us that His awareness of us, right down
to the hairs upon our heads (and there are fewer and fewer on this head)
is a loving, caring value that He places upon those He has created. Jesus
was assuring those He spoke to that God certainly valued even the
sparrows that fall from the sky. We, therefore, should not be worried.

So how do we feel about this constant surveillance? I am reminded
daily that God is fully aware of my sinful thoughts, words and actions.
This is a deterrent that guides and shapes my ways because, despite my
sinful nature, I desire NOT to disappoint God, the Spirit and Jesus, who
died for me. There's no hiding from His awareness of my life. He knows
my inner heart...reads me like a book, as it were.

God doesn't need to hack into my heart, doesn't need satellite imaging,
doesn't need a wire tap nor hidden cameras. He is right here and that,
in my opinion, is a good and comforting thing!

Praise His Holy name!

The Saddest Kiss of All

Matthew 26:49  Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.

It's more than a bit embarrassing to note that despite being an English teacher
for many years, and having a liking for idioms and colloquial expressions, I never
knew what the phrase.."The Kiss of Death." meant. That just shows the
frightening reality that people can so easily live their lives outside the knowledge
of the Bible, Jesus and the Gospel.

It's obvious that Judas was sending a signal to those who were about to
apprehend Jesus, one that he had previously discussed with them in exchange
for a handful of silver coins. It is also obvious that Jesus foreknew which of His
disciples would betray Him.

Matthew 26:23-25 The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will
betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to
that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not
been born.
Then Judas, the one who would betray Him, said, "Surely you don't mean me,
Rabbi?
Jesus answered, "You have said so."

There is scripture that suggests that Satan entered Judas about this time. It's
interesting to wonder about the chain of events that we know had to play themselves
out for the divine plan for salvation to occur. The savage treatment and horrific
death that Jesus was to encounter were necessary and inevitable. He knew what
"the cup" entailed and willfully accepted the role that He had to play.

Judas may not have had a choice; it may have been part of the plan. He may have
had free will and made the decision based on some sort of rejection that the
messiah could die before doing what was expected or he may have been driven
by satan...  we can only speculate.

The reality is that this kiss of sadness was one of many events
that brought about the greatest gift ever given, the grace-filled path to
redemption and reconciliation with God. A gift paid in full by the blood of
Jesus.


  

Take a Knee (s)

These titles are fun! Taking a knee can be an adventure for someone my age, 65.  
In a sports vernacular, it means purposely ending a play with the realization
that the eventual result of the competition had already been decided. For
we men, taking a knee, usually one, is sort of a common position, if you will,
for purposing marriage to a lady.

Prayer can also involve taking a knee, or two. There really aren't prescribed
ways that we must speak to God. Jesus presented his disciples with a prayer
format in The Lord's Prayer. It was a guide or sequence that contained the
components for a proper prayer to the Father. Different people pray in
different ways, at different times. The most important thing is to pray a lot,
frequently.

I have found, and would recommend, getting down on both knees, wherever and 
whenever possible to commune with God the father. Yes, getting down and
managing to get back up can be challenging, but it seems to me that this
position of reverence, of supplication, of dependence sends a message that one
is very aware that God is above His creation and that the one in prayer
is glorifying and in a position to praise. I've never been one to think clearly
on my feet, anyway! 

I have the luxury of access to our church and can, therefore, find time 
during the day, to drive up and walk down the aisle to speak with my father
in heaven. It's quiet and calm so He can hear me, even if I am speaking in
reverent softness. It's just He and I. 

Try it if you haven't.... it's a wonderful communication, and you don't need
that cell phone!

Epiphany

I purposely give my daughter, Olivia, a journal each holiday season because I, myself, never
took the time to write down events that happened along this 65 year journey."Depending
on my memory"has become a bit of a joke!

My career was as a classroom teacher. I spent thirty-four years teaching middle
school English in the Worthingon, Ohio school system. I wouldn't trade those years
for anything; they were filled with wonderful students, great teacher friends and
many many good memories.

I cannot name the date, month or year beyond saying that this moment of revelation
occurred some time in the middle of my career, and transformed me both as a person 
and a teacher. It's been too long to remember what I was teaching, but I CAN recall the
atmosphere or feeling in that moment that may have led to my epiphany.

It was one of those teaching moments when things were just going right! That room
was filled with a bunch of great young people who were following my every word and
movement. (I never did a lot of sitting while teaching!) For whatever the reason,
the moment just froze in time. Along with this extended moment came a realization.
A major realization. 

I was not just teaching some lesson on literature or grammar, I was standing in front
of God's souls, precious young people who were children of God, created lovingly
to be on this earth. And that wondrous God had given me the privilege to be the focus
of their attention. The moment passed; the lesson never left me.

Never underestimate the effect you have on those you love, those you encounter, those
you impact. I learned, at that moment, to respect and care for those young people to
the maximum of my ability. They were precious...they were human children...they were
God's!!!

The Enigmatic Alpha and Omega Lamb

Had some fun with that title, but... there is no equal to the mysterious, splendid
God/person, Jesus Christ. 

John 1:29   Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.

His arrival on this earth was quiet and foretold His goal of servitude to mankind and
His Father. He came as an unassuming man who walked among the imperfect,
healed afflictions and spoke the truth. 

When one thinks of the images of Jesus, He comes across as gentle, often surrounded
by children. I know that it was almost shocking to me to understand His scorn and
challenging words to the Pharisees. His compassion for His followers is truly evident
in His teachings and His walk. His words were full of warnings, of the need to
treat others well, of the goal of loving His Father with all one's being, of wanting
people to not be afraid. He was the ultimate teacher who made it clear that there would
be judgement upon the earth. His courage is beyond question; he marched ahead
toward a torturous death upon the cross because of His love for mankind and His
Father. A victorious God/man who rose in triumph over death and Satan.

Revelation 22: 12  Behold I am coming soon!... I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

The power of these words, spoken from Heaven, is symbolic of the Jesus one
meets in Revelation; a powerful Lord who has defeated the armies of Satan and ushered
in the end times, the new Heaven and Earth, the final judgement. He is the
all-powerful Lord over all creation and one doesn't have any difficulty understanding
His glory, His sovereignty and His Strength. I don't believe that He is the
antithesis of the Lamb born into the world; He is simply the completion of
the embodiment of our glorious savior and king.

Can't wait to fall on my knees in His presence! What a glorious moment that will be!

The Wondrous Curse of Free Will

God's plan for this world included the concept of human free will. A creation that had
no free will brings to mind things like "The Borg," where resistance was "Futile!"  A creation that is controlled like a puppet show would surely not provide satisfaction. Although
mankind quickly fell into sin using free will , I would suggest that God foreknew this
as an eventuality as part of His plan for eventual salvation through the Lord Jesus
Christ.

Nevertheless, free will creates all sorts of problems and dilemmas because we are
broken and susceptible to sinful wrong choices. If it is really free will, then I would
suppose that God does not control or predetermine what our choices will be. I do
believe that prayer and faith may lead to clarity of choice. I am sure that God does
not want or encourage us in any way to make choices that are sinful. The fact
that only one human being ever made all the right choices means that God is aware
of the pitfalls that come along with human free will. This world and the influence of
the great deceiver make choices difficult even if we have the best intentions.

God, nonetheless, has provided some safety nets. His word in His Holy Book offers
hope and direction through the lives of those within. The Holy Spirit within us
makes us aware, when we grieve Him, that we have reason to repent and pray for
guidance. Being in the presence of fellow Christians and the church provides 
encouragement and support when we need it and even when we, on our own, may
be unaware of a choice poorly made.

Of course, the most devastating and calamitous decision would be to reject the
gospel of Jesus Christ, a decision that would literally be eternally damning!

The greatest provision is the Gospel message of forgiveness, atonement and
love that asks us to accept the One who died on the cross to make us righteous
through His blood and acceptable to God. It was always part of the plan. We are
created beings blessed by the love and will of our holy God.

Our Underestimation of God

An infinite God can give all of Himself'
to His children. He does not distribute Himself
that each may have a part, but to each one
He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were
no other.

A W Tozer


I love Tozer! I invite you to read the above quote several times so that its
message may sink in. 

As we study and experience the qualities of God, we have every reason to be amazed
and fearful out of respect and awe. We may be created in His image, but we are
obviously so very very different from Him. That's what makes Him holy, holy holy.
The concepts are very tough to get a hold of; His transcendent abilities, such as the
ability to be in all places at all times, His knowledge of everything that is happening,
even every thought we have, just seems unbelievable... because it is.

Yet this awe and respect may have the effect of making Him appear distant. We
may have the feeling that we simply can not possibly matter in the scheme of things.
How could the creator of he entire universe care for our daily comings and goings,
the path our lives take, the tears that fall when we are sad.

Well the Bible is full of scriptures that suggest, much as Tozer has stated, that these
incredible characteristics and Godly abilities, do, in fact, make it fully possible that
God knows each hair on our head, each tear that falls, each care and concern. He
wants and wills to be an active part of our lives because He created us and loves
us. He delights in our successes and has compassion for the roadblocks that this
world throws our way.

He also has expectations; that we will be aware of the incredible opportunity created
by the very death of His own son. That we will strive to live lives of righteousness
because of the blood of Christ, that we will strive to humble ourselves and follow His
ways with diligence and consistency.

He is God... we are His children. What a comforting thought!

The TRINITY at The Shack

This is an interesting combination, eh? Probably one of the most difficult concepts for we humans to attempt to understand is the notion of the Trinity, and one of the most 
controversial manifestations of that concept is revealed in the book, The Shack. 
One God in three persons... Christianity may be monotheistic, but this makes things,
"interesting!"  
If you haven't read the book, a man trying to recover from the tragic kidnapping
and murder of his youngest daughter, is beckoned by a mysterious note
back to the very location where his daughter was killed. The
fact that the note is signed, papa, plays a part in his decision to return since his
wife refers to God in this manner.
Long story short, he is met after a transformation of the location from winter to
spring, by God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The presentation of these three persons
in one God is what many find problematic or worse. God is pictured as a large,
black woman, Jesus as a plain-looking middle eastern handyman and the Spirit as
a shimmering entity that comes and goes. The story never suggests that Father God
is female in gender, only that this manifestation will help this grieving father as he
attempts to come to terms with a world where tragic things happen.
The interaction among these three God components is very interesting and, to me,
rather refreshing.  Their purpose is to guide the father through a process that allows
him to understand sorrow, grief and God's love for him, his daughter and us all.
Personally, I feel this book, that became a sensation, could be considered a success
if it allowed people to spend some time thinking about the tri-une nature of God,
the love that He has for those He created and the realization that He is in control of
all things at all times. 
Sounds like a book report...but if you haven't read this book, you might enjoy it.

Atheism is a lie

One of the best parts of blogging is that one doesn't need to argue, just state an opinion.
I have never known or met an atheist. I have certainly spoken to people I would call
agnostics.

I simply do not believe that anyone, in the depth of his heart, can deny the existence of a
creator. Having been born in the image of He who created us, I contend that there is an inborn
desire to know God. Even someone who has never entered a church or picked up a Bible,
must "see" around them the design and beauty of a creator. It is this innate need to find God
that leads me to believe that an atheist is simply not telling himself the truth.

I'm skipping the ridiculous notion that our ancestors crawled out of a pond somewhere and
evolved into humans. Things do evolve but not cross-specie. Even on the days when I
wake up slowly and feel like slithering, I'm human and related to humans, only.

I'm perplexed that anyone could go through life feeling that there is no purpose, no meaning,
no hope, not future beyond this life. When such a person reaches his final moments, they may
state that they know no God, yet I am wondering if they, deep down, are searching and
praying, to themselves perhaps, that there is one.

Can people simply turn away, decide not to believe or place themselves in the position of'
God themselves? Yes, we are all able to reject God since He gave us free will. I wouldn't
suggest it! Nevertheless, I still believe that atheists are simply telling themselves a very
dangerous and ill-advised lie. I find this very sad, indeed.

God is the reason we live this life; praise Him and glorify Him with your lives!