Jon Kitna: Professional Quarterback and Christian

I was reading through espn.com today and stumbled across this article about Detroit Lion's quarterback Jon Kitna. I'm sure many reading this blog will remember Kitna from the 5 years he played in Cincy, and especially the fine he got for wearing non-NFL sanctioned apparel, aka black hat with an orange cross on it, although the league eventually rescinded the fine.

Anyways, it's always great to hear stories of players being really serious about their faith in Christ, especially when it impacts a team in the way Kitna has impacted Detroit. No, I'm not talking about the 6-2 record (although some have taken to calling the Lion's "God's team" because of Kitna). But rather, the fact that Kitna currently hosts a bible study every Monday for players and their wives, with two dozen of those people being newly converted Christians since his arrival. The article goes on to talk about how he has been open with his faith since day 1, doesn't cram things down people's throats, and his commitment to God's sovereignty. It is so easy today to have no confidence in the truth of any professional athlete's religious convictions, with all the sky pointing after big touchdowns/homeruns/game winning shots.

My favorite quote comes at the end, "Some fancy Kitna as a religious zealot, but if having strong faith is the worst thing we can say about a professional athlete, maybe we're the ones who need to reevaluate our priorities"

Makes me wonder if some significant progress could be made in fixing the Bengals on and off field personnel problems by bringing JK back to a Bengals uniform. . . Shoot, if he moved back to Cincy, we could probably get him to regularly attend The Oaks!!

VICTORY!!!

So, it's been over a month since my last post . . . I hadn't realized it was that long until I looked today. Getting busy, being gone on weekends, sort of has a tendency to knock one out of the habit. That and I didn't want to make my grand re-entry with some YouTube video (nothing wrong with those, I post them occasionally myself, because laughing is always healthy.)

Anyways, this news is way too big to pass up posting. For those that don't know, my family's church in Hudson has been embroiled in leaving the PCUSA for over a year now. It's a pretty big deal, civil court case, lots of emotion and theological nightmares. The case was filed Sept. 28th of 2006, last motions and findings presented in May, and just today the verdict came out. The magistrate found every point of the case in favor of my church and against the Eastminster Presbytery and the PCUSA. Ours is a big case, because many churches were looking to our actions last year before making decisions, and as such the PCUSA has poured alot of attention and resources into trying to win this case. There will most likely be an appeal, but it's way better heading into that from the winning side of the table. Plus there is always the possibility that they simply let the matter go . . . For more information on the bigger happenings surrounding the PCUSA, check out this website.

Praise Jesus, the gospel will continue to be proclaimed!

Videos and Church Plants

This video has officially been viewed over 1,000 times. It's something I uploaded to You Tube about six months ago, and only sent to 30 or 40 people. How folks find stuff on the internet is beyond me.

Anyways, what you are looking at is the Neza trash dump in Mexico City. I was there doing some missions work, and this pan was shot from the doorstep of a little tin shack church they have planted there. It just seems fitting that so soon after The Oaks Community Church has been launched, this video goes past 1,000 views. It's an awesome reminder that no matter what the size and scope is of the work He is doing in Middletown, He is sovereign and moving throughout the world. Our entire existence is upheld by the power of His word. That is our God. Amen.

Walk with me

The Oaks Community Church officially launches to full time in 6 days. While reading the Middletown Journal online, I found a short article talking about this video from a Middie resident. It is a bit long at 6 minutes, but the overall feel does a pretty good job of capturing the "state of the union" if you will. All I can say, is Come Lord Jesus Come.

Life

I'm sitting in class this morning, wishing I'd made a bigger cup of coffee because Econ before noon = death, and making up a list of things I need to do this week. I kid you not, there are easily 30 things on there, and I haven't even added in all the stuff I didn't get done last week that I needed to and can't remember to add. I look at my phone for the time, and see I've missed a call from my mom and that she left a voicemail, which is odd because she knows I'm in class. Slightly ingtrigued but not really worried, I put the phone away, suffer through thirty more minutes of politics vs. economics, and forget.

My phone was in hand checking voicemail before I'd even walked out of the class, and as it turns out, not so good news. I blogged a while back about a little girl with both types of leukemia that our family knows. Well, she just passed away early this morning. It's really strange, because I have known well a decent number of people who have died over the years. But none of them were 11 . . . A few probably went a little early by today's standards, but none spent most of their lives with the knowledge that there existed little chance they would see high school. She only a month or so ago started asking if she was getting close to dying, and I don't even know how you begin to answer a child honestly. That little life is just gone. Her breathing had slowed down alot last night, a good sign it's almost over, so her mother and sisters sat with her all night. At 4:30 AM, she woke up, sat straight up in bed, gave everyone hugs and said she loved them, and promptly drew her last breath. It all kind of makes my list of things that HAVE to get done seem a little less pressing. They do need to happen, and alot of them today . . . But I think there is time to say a prayer for Cheyenne and her family, for strength and understanding and peace, and to reflect a little bit on life. Please say some prayers for her family, because pretty soon football season will be fully underway, school will load more reading on my plate, and I will more than likely forget/move on. I pray that they can too.

All this reminds me of a Dave Matthews song, Bartender

If I go
Before I'm old
Oh, brother of mine
Please don't forget me if I go

Bartender, please
Fill my glass for me
With the wine you gave Jesus that set him free
After three days in the ground

Oh, and if I die
Before my time
Oh, sweet sister of mine
Please don't regret me if I die

Bartender, please
Fill my glass for me
With the wine you gave Jesus that set him free
After three days in the ground

Bartender, please
Fill my glass for me
With the wine you gave Jesus that set him free
After three days in the ground

I'm on bended knees, I pray
Bartender, please

When I was young, I never think about it
Now I can't get it out of my mind

I'm on bended knees
Father, please

Oh, and if all this gold
Should steal my soul away
Oh, sweet mother of mine
Please redirect me in this gold...

Bartender, you see
The wine that's drinking me
Came from the vine that strung Judas from the Devil's tree
His roots deep, deep in the ground

Bartender, you see
The wine that's drinking me
Came from the vine that strung Judas from the Devil's tree
His roots deep, deep in the ground

In the Ground...

I'm on bended knees
Oh, Bartender, please

I'm on bended knees
Father, please

When I was young, I never think about it
Now I just wanna run and die

I'm on bended knees
Oh, Bartender, please
Bartender, please...

Whistle Tips with Bub Rub

So, I discovered this video about five years ago. However, tonight during time around the fire, I was reminded of it and shared it's glory with those around me. We literally passed around an iPhone for 10 minutes as people watched it . . . Now I share it with you!

THE OFFICE SUMMER VACATION

I know, it's been a while since I posted. I've been out of the country, moved back to Oxford, painted, coached . . . oh, AND classes started back up.

So, a few good thoughts coming, but before any of that, a little gift to get you through the day before a long weekend begins.

Antigua

For however many people I have out there actually reading this thing, I apologize for not updating in some time. I was pretty swamped, moving and planning and getting ready for the trip I am currently on.

I am writing to the blogging world from a little resort on the island of Antigua, where I am currently staying until next Saturday with the family. We arrived safe and sound yesterday, and it's pretty hard to update this thing when this is waiting outside your room's patio:















Anyways, lots of good thoughts that I am keeping track of, but won't be posting about for at least a week. If you can't wait that long, well . . . I got nuthin, the only reason I am posting now is it's dark and I'm getting ready for bed. Any more time spent on this computer is time I am not one the beach, sleeping, or both.

P.S. -- I also am not posting because it just doesn't seem fair to put up a ton of pictures of this insanely beautiful island when none of you are here to share it . . . just seems mean.

Where's Truth?

So, I'm talking with a friend today, and he is telling me about a young adult study he is in where they are currently discussing "big topics" in Christianity, which is basically all those questions that always come up. Anyways, I start to probe exactly how the group element works and what sort of conclusions they are coming to, when I realize that their whole process could very easily be naught but a waste.

They started with an associate pastor outlining the subject, and enlightening it with some scripture and his thoughts. Awesome. But it is exactly at this point where untruth can sneak in. I have been in plenty of Christian study groups where we just go in circles for an hour with everyone's personal thoughts and feelings being expressed, and in the end you only changed your mind if someone had a better illustration or seemingly better logic, but mostly you just stayed the same. What a waste! It's like playing "Where's Waldo" with a bunch of people who don't even know what he looks like, completely ignoring a book readily at your disposal that can tell you everything you need to know about Waldo, even where to find him in the picture!

We can so often treat the Bible in much the same way in these situations. The person that brings up scripture in the conversation can sometimes be seen as overly righteous, when in reality that is the one and only place to find ultimate authority in truth. Even more difficult is when a person either in sin does not want to hear what the Bible has to say, or they just simply don't put the Bible in it's proper place of ultimate authority. So, now not only are we looking for Waldo without a clear picture, but some people are completely disagreeing with what they think Waldo looks like in the first place! It's like the big picture at the end of the third book where it is all people who look similar to Waldo, some missing only one small detail. There is only one real Waldo in that last picture, just like there is only one truth and one place to find it: the scriptures.

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
--2 Timothy 2:16-17

So much time, energy, and life is wasted debating amongst Christians, when in reality there is no cohesion on basic principles, which is holding up the entire discussion in the first place. IS the Bible the infallible, inspired word of God, and therefore THE absolute authority in matters of life, death, sin and faith? WAS Jesus fully God in the flesh, the propication for sin, and resurrected King? How sinful is man and what effect does that sin have on his relationship to God and ability to function in this world? All questions that need answering, some more immediately than others, and all out there to be found by the grace of God and diligence of His disciples.

Waldo is out there, I promise. Find Him.

Fight or Flight?

So, it's been a week since the last post, why not update.

I've been thinking some lately about my life, big picture kinds of things.  Where it's going, what it will look like down the road, and also what it's been up to this point.  It's hard to remember that a year ago I was toiling away in plus 100 degree heat for 10 hour days in a glass factory . . . my own fault I ended up there, but still.  I definitely feel like I've come a long way since then, grown, etc.  However, I definitely still need to be mindful of sins that I repeatedly struggle with.  One of my biggest is fight or flight.  Do I repent and deal with problems, sins, even just things I don't feel like doing?  Or do I search for the next distraction, the next "moment" as our culture is so fond of pushing where there is no past, no future, and all problems seem to slip away.  "Live in the moment, for the now", whatever that even means.  What you are inevitably left with is a pile of rubble.  The "moment" probably wasn't all that great in retrospect, all the issues of life are still there when you get back, and more than likely they have only gotten worse because you have delayed dealing with them.  

The most dangerous part about this desire to not be burdened with problems is when it becomes habitual, such that you are using anything at all as an escape.  I can make a pretty good case, based on personally experience, for just about any action having the potential to be an escape, as opposed to what it may have the potential to be.  Reading, hanging out with friends, eating, trips, sleeping, sports, even just simply sitting and enjoying the sun on a nice summer afternoon.  

This is not a motivational half time speech.  I'm not trying to spur you on towards achieving your best life now.  "You can DO IT, if you only give that extra little bit of effort, dig a little deeper."  I've got news . . . a little deeper, will always be there, you can never dig deep enough.  Rather, repent.  Repent.  Repent.  Repent.  Realize that we are so beyond capable of any good thing on our own that it is downright repulsive.  Pray.

"Its (meditation's) purpose is to clear one's mental and spiritual vision of God, and to let His truth make its full and proper impact on one's mind and heart.  It is a matter of talking to oneself about God and oneself; it is, indeed, often a matter of arguing with oneself, reasoning oneself out of moods of doubt and unbelief into a clear apprehension of God's power and grace."

-- J.I. Packer, Knowing God

Amen.

2+2 leads to Advanced Calculus

Well, since I now have you thoroughly confused from the title of this post, I'll go ahead and start clarifying. First, I love driving, especially at night, by myself. It is just a great time to think about life, listen to a sermon, whatever. Something about smoothly moving through the darkness just lends itself to that kind of time.

Anyways, driving home last night, I was thinking about God's providence and hand in our lives. One thing I've noticed in the last few years is that, for whatever reason, He has become much more direct in rebuking me and showing my my sins. Sometimes He leads me to repentance pretty quick, and other times he lets me run with it, so when I am finally humbled, it hits even harder. In the end, he is working everything towards His perfect will. For example, anytime I try to read or do something in order to make me more righteous, I literally can't focus or do it. Even if I do manage to force myself to sit down, it's like pulling teeth. I have to literally stop, repent and pray, then figure out if there is something else I should be doing with that time instead, or if it was simply my motives getting in the way. However, I firmly believe God does everything and works everything together on His own time and by His own prerogative. I probably wouldn't have as clear an understanding of my own attempts at righteousness being sin, if I hadn't been given so much time to falter in it.

Which brings me to 2+2 = Advanced Calculus. It is unfathomable to understand simple multiplication, let alone Calc, without first understanding simple addition. 6 times 4 is simply adding together the number 6 four times. It is impossible to in any way understand multiplication without addition. The significant distance between addition and calc pales in comparison to the difference between what man at first knows about God and what God really is (any knowledge being solely by the grace of God). However, God starts somewhere, with small matters, in an effort to continually build upon and broaden our understanding of an infinite God, while at the same time sanctifying, and all this largely through the process of repentance and forgiveness. Romans 12:1-3 speaks to the same thing:

"1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."

Amen, the word of the Lord.


P.S. - it's really hard to find a good picture when you talk about three different things in one post . . .

Two Towers Truths

So, I just finished watching the second half of the extended edition of the Lord of the Rings: Two Towers. The whole movie clocks in at just under four hours, quite a commitment. However, I would submit that it is well worth it. The hardest part I think people have with it, besides the entire trilogy lasting almost 12 hours, is that it is such a large and complex story that doesn't fit into simple little metaphorical classifications. However, if you can keep track of what become the three main story lines, there is so much to be found. The seductiveness, deceit, and hate of evil (aka sin), is at times so powerfully apparent, and at other times so slightly influential as to be almost imperceptible, but a bad influence none the less.

Contrasted against this powerful working of evil and the ring, is a sense of purpose, or destiny, or providence evident in the "good guy" characters in the story. At times they are confident they will succeed and live and prosper, and at others they know nothing more than they have no different possible path. But there seems to be something working behind the curtains, almost orchestrating all the events and decisions made, working towards a set outcome or goal. Here we might call it God's providence.

Anyways, you could expect nothing less out of a major story from a close friend of C.S. Lewis, than a beautifully complex adventure, in which can be found profound truths about God, evil, and our existence. If you want to borrow the movies, just let me know. I'd highly recommend the extended versions, or if you want to be real hardcore, just read the books!

God's Revealed Majesty

So, I’m sitting in my room, looking at my walls, and my eyes fall upon some artwork I have up. They are from a street spray paint artist I love in Mexico City, who just layers on the colors, squiggles around bits of paper, and creates these unbelievable pieces of art. I have a couple of different landscapes, with trees, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, birds, clouds and sunsets. All incredibly beautiful (to me anyways). However, what makes it so is that it is a representation of something God created, and in which his glory, majesty, power, grace, and beauty can be seen. Obviously these aren’t mountains and scenes that have been directly copied, but all the elements can be seen in nature.

A great picture of this can be found in the Robin Williams movie What Dreams May Come. It’s about heaven, and is at times really theologically wacked out. But this one scene, right when Robin first arrives in heaven, is so great. He loved oil paintings, especially his wife’s, during his days on earth. When he gets to heaven, the entire place is literally made out of paint. The water, the plants, the house, all of it. But as he comes to grips with death and heaven, it all suddenly becomes real, not just paint, and it literally stops your heart it is so breathtaking. That is the difference between our best efforts and what God can do. Not only is anything beautiful we create an extension of what he has already done in the first place, but it isn’t really even worth comparing our pictures to his creation.

In the end, as so often is the case, the Bible says it best. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19.

Amen

Searching for Life in a Depraved World

So after tantalizing you with some books I have been reading, here are some thoughts from the couple of pieces.

Let me preface this by saying that I am by no means a professional literary critic. Also, I know that there is a lot more to these books and the impact they've had on society than what I'm going to talk about. This isn't a book report, it's trying to look at these through the lens of truths they reveal about life, God, and the world. Anyways, three books I've read in the past month or so are The Great Gatsby, On the Road, and Lord of the Flies. Road was the only one I hadn't read before, which was the reason I picked it up. The other two I just hadn't read in probably six or seven years, and figured I could appreciate them better now than when I was sixteen with lots of other things on the brain.

Anyways, for everything that each one of these books has to offer on it's own, I absolutely could not help but notice this resounding note of uneasy, searching, wandering, lost depression in each story. Gatsby throws parties on just hoping Daisy would wander in. Kerouac and his crew can't seem to stay in one place for more than a couple of months, and go to live life on the road and in bars. And the lost boys end up stripped down to the bare instincts of humanity, completely mad with desire to hunt and run amuck. In all three stories, sin and it's effects are smeared all over the pages, with the result being characters who are just desperate for full life.

The most vivid example of this desperation is portrayed in On the Road by a character named Dean. Dean, over the course of the book and a couple of years, ends up with I believe three partners, two of whom he married and divorced and remarried on opposite coasts, and a couple of kids. Every once in a while, he gets dissatisfied with life, wants to be on the road, and just straight up and leaves his home, wife, kids to go wander the country. Most of his traveling time is spent drunk, high, or some combination thereof. It is literally so sad, he doesn't have any larger motives for leaving ("finding himself", etc.), he is simply bored and keeps wandering.

One of the most amazing things to me is to look at is how all three stories can also be seen as ways we think to deal with the problems of life that ultimately fail. Gatsby has wealth, and that doesn't cut it. Kerouac's crew spend their life on the road, wandering towards a horizon they will never reach and remaining unsatisfied the whole time. And the lost boys escape to an island paradise, with no one or rules to keep them down. Money, freedom, and vacations have no power or ability to fulfill or deal with the problems of sin that in some form or another become brutally apparent to all the main characters in each story. How often do we seek the same things? How often do we lie to ourselves and say just this little bit extra of whatever will make things great, if not at least bearable? How can we see ourselves and our own sins in these situations?

Let the pondering begin!

Fourth of July

First and foremost, I LOVE the Fourth of July.  It's not a crazy big holiday in my family, in that we do the typical stuff (grill out, launch fireworks, hang out with friends, etc.)  But man is it great.  I just realized today that this will be the first time in my 23 years on this earth that I won't be spending the 4th with my family . . . So, in honor of them, here is a list with pictures of  my three favorite parts of the 4th celebrations:

Of course First on the list is FIREWORKS!!!

This photo is of the various fireworks celebrations around San Diego, taken from Mt. Soledad facing over Mission Bay.  Every year until I was a teenager my entire extended family would converge on San Diego for three days, the highlight being setting up a picnic in the park to watch fireworks.  

Next, Grill Outs!

Airshows, more specifically the Blue Angels, greatest fliers on the planet!

So, there you have it, my favorite things about the Fourth of July.  Oh, and obviously friends and family are THE integral part that makes the day special.  So, go forth and have a great day of friends, family, fireworks, grilling, and whatever else makes this day special for you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  And one last note . . . PROBABLY good to remember that the true name of the Holiday isn't the Fourth of July, but rather Independence Day, in honor of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, by which our forefathers began the steady, costly march toward freedom, the benefits of which we are still reaping today, and something that must be constantly be protected and paid for.    I leave with a historically real letter many of you will recognize from it's use in the movie Saving Private Ryan:

"Dear Madam:

 I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

 I pray that our heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom. 

Yours very sincerely and respectfully, 

Abraham Lincoln." 

Sovereignty

The Sovereignty of God is a tough thing for me, and I think most people, to understand.   Lets start with a quote from Piper's Desiring God, which I'll add I agree with.  

". . . the suffering of sickness and the suffering of persecution also have this in common:  They are both intended by Satan for the destruction of our faith and goverened by God for the purifying of our faith . . . Satan is not the only designer in this affair.  God rules over Satan and gives him no more leash than can accomplish His ultimate purposes.  Those purposes are the opposite of Satan's, even in the very same experience of suffering."

He goes on to quote Paul, how we are above all other people to be pitied most if there is no resurrection.  This is because the suffering to which we are called by and in Christ has no honor or value outside of the hope of joyful resurrection.

So, back to sovereignty, this all gets tough when we take it out of the context of textbook head knowledge, and look at real lives going through real suffering and real sickness.  For example, a lady my dad works with has a 10 year old daughter, chyenne, who a couple years back was diagnosed with both types of leukemia.  I didn't even know there were two types, and apparently it's unbelievably rare amongst people with leukemia to have both.  Anyways, she has been through two bone marrow transplants, etc. etc., and just recently found out that it's back again.  Since she has had two transplants already, she is not a candidate for a third, which basically gives her a matter of months to live at most.  

Now I know, she isn't in reality an "innocent" little girl, we all are sinners, but still.  How and where is God working to His glory in this girl's struggle and impending death?  What plan of God's do I tell her mother as she prepares to tell her daughter about dying?

I have some thoughts on answers, but would love to hear what everyone else thinks.  I think these types of questions are of paramount importance as we seek to delve deeper in understanding of God and the Gospel.  Not only is it of little use to know a bunch of things that have no impact on your life (see pharisees), but I would challenge how much is truly understood if it doesn't have an impact (again, pharisees).  Let the thoughts flow!

Gotta Love Piper

Sound the trumpets, release the doves, it is here . . . A NEW POST!!!

I've been doing ALOT of reading lately, and it has been fantastic.  A mix of things, all incredibly enlightening on God and life and the world around us.  Bible, Desiring God by John Piper, Systematic Theology, Easy Chairs Hard Words, Knowledge of the Holy, Pursuit of God, The Great Gatsby, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, Lord of the Flies.  There is obviously a distinction between the first six and the last three, but it's amazing what you can learn from fiction books as they reveal the way alot of the world thinks and works and is.  

The first six you study, re read parts (or entire chapters).  The last three you read for a bit of relaxation, maybe before falling asleep (or to put you to sleep!)  However, I think reading both should be approached with prayer.  I don't think anyone will disagree you should pray for guidance with the first six, but prayer before reading Lord of the Flies is probably a bit more foreign.  However, if any truth about God or the world He created can only be truly learned and understood by His providence and through the Holy Spirit, then prayer should naturally be a part of everything we do (eating, sleeping, reading, let it all be to the glory of God.)

Anyways, I've got lots of other thoughts from things I've read, conversations I've had, etc. to throw up here over the next few days, so be watching!  Oh, and any hyperlink above is a book I would highly recommend reading as soon as you get the chance.

Last note, Desiring God is having a sale on all Piper's books today and tomorrow, everything $5.  I haven't been able to place my order yet today, the checkout system seems to be a bit overloaded, but give it a shot, there's plenty of worthwhile stuff on there.

P.S. - I absolutely LOVE me some fireworks!!!  just fyi . . . 

Believe

During the drive home tonight, I was listening to "Believe" by Yellowcard. Probably one of my favorite songs because every time I listen to it certain parts just flat out give me goosebumps. I don't know the specific inspiration for writing it, besides it being in tribute to 9/11; nor do I know exactly what the writer's intentions were with every line, etc., in terms of what he means or is trying to say. I do however know what it makes me think of. Let's start with the song lyrics:

Think about the love inside the strength of heart
Think about the heroes saving life in the dark
Climbing higher through the fire, time was running out
Never knowing you weren't going to be coming down alive
But you still came back for me
You were strong and you believed

Everything is gonna be alright
Everything is gonna be alright
Everything is gonna be alright
Be strong. Believe.
Be strong. Believe.

Think about the chance I never had to say
Thank you for giving up your life that day
Never fearing, only hearing voices calling out
Let it all go, the life that you know, just to bring me down alive
And you still came back for me
You were strong and you believed

I just can't help but picture what it would have been like to be one of the rescue workers sprinting in and out of the building to save lives. Literally everything else in life was of complete disregard, irrelevant to the job at hand. They were called to absolute and complete obedience. Never fearing, only hearing voices calling out. Let it all go, the life that you know, just to bring me down alive.

I think this kind of absolute single minded obedience is what Christ calls us to in a lot of ways. Literally nothing outside of Him and His will and glory has any value or bearing on life and what we are called to. We cannot serve two masters. It's either sin or God. Only then, when we stand in the full power of His grace, can we be strong and believe everything will be all right.

Economics 101

So, I was wandering around CNNMoney.com like I do every day, and came across this article about a new piece of legislation that has been introduced to Congress. There are a couple of things I like about this article.

1) While it may start out sounding like it is going to be a Obama bashing session, it's not. This lady simply acknowledges his involvement, and moves on to really examining the bill. Somewhat of a lost art in journalism anymore, it's much easier to just lash out.

2) It's a gender issue being written about by a person of the same sex, thus removing criticisms of "oh well he's just a biased pig headed man"

3) I LOVE when she calls out the title of the bill. Who isn't for fair pay?? Well, I think most of us are, but not if they have incorrectly identified, overexaggerated, and come up with a bad answer even given the faulty set of assumptions.

4) The author acknowledges both sides of the issues surrounding this legislation. She doesn't just lash back rebuking everything she can; rather, she admits places where there is some rationale, but stands by her conviction.

5) I know not everyone is an economic guru (education majors . . . haha). However, just because you don't thoroughly understand a topic, especially one that relates to politics and our everyday lives, doesn't mean it can't be critically understood. She breaks this whole thing down pretty simple, and obviously a complete and thorough researching of the subject would reveal some degree of bias in this piece, but that is inevitable. If you have about a 9th grade reading level and 10 minutes to read and think about this, then you can understand it.

6) If you haven't guessed it by now, I agree with most everything she has to say . . . that helps alot when evaluating how much you like an article.

That's all I have. Just doing my part to help the non business minded people of the world understand a little more, especially when it's related to the government's involvement in our free market economy. Oh, and lets not talk about unions, unless you really want to, I just don't have the energy for it, haha.

Non Serious Fridays

So, there is this place called the Mid Ohio Raceway. It's a road style course (aka not a NASCAR oval), and I LOVE IT. Last summer my Dad, brother and I went and spent a weekend watching races, a bunch of different classes of cars, etc. We get free tickets because his company GOJO partially sponsors a team of Porsche's that are SICK, so we get to go walk around in the pits and look at all the cars, etc. Just found out we are going again this summer, and I'm real excited for it. It's one of those things where going into it last year, I felt it would probably be enjoyable, but maybe not great . . . I was wrong. The only downside is for about a week or two after the race, I have trouble trusting myself driving because I just want to freakin haul through corners, go 100 miles an hour on back windy roads, and basically break every safety related traffic law we've got.

So, the racing is real tight. There is a class called the Daytona Prototypes . . . yeah, they are FAST. Those things hit a straight away, coming off a turn, and they accelerate like you wouldn't believe. THEN, when they come into a turn, they go in so fast that literally you think they have no choice but to detonate into a wall. Even better, they run at the same time as the open series featuring souped up mustangs, vets, bmw's, etc. Now those are some fast cars, but the daytona's whip around them like they aren't anything more than big wheels. That's why the picture is blurry, it's kinda hard to get a clear shot of a car doing 100 mph entering a turn . . .















Oh, P.S., it's still dangerous, just fyi. . .

I love swimming

It's Memorial Day weekend, the almost unanimous opening weekend for public and private pools nation wide. For those of you who aren't aware, I spent four summers between high school and early college lifeguarding at various places. Oh how I miss those sunglasses . . . Anyways, this video represents all the reasons why we went through hours of training and preparing for the random chance that someone either goofed up or was just flat out an idiot. Oh, and it's freaking HILARIOUS!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52AB4LcDXlw

K.I.S.S.

Kevin Jamison told me that if I didn't update my blog, he would remove me from his links list on his blog . . . so here is an update.

I have one thought that has been popping up over the past week, but I'm not quite done thinking it through, aka it's not ready for the blogging world.

Then i started on this second one, got two paragraphs in, and realized it was REAL confusing and not quite saying what I wanted. Here is the basics. Our SOLE vehicle for interpreting and living life is the Lord. He does this through his holy scriptures, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and all because of grace that is according to His perfect and good will for His glory. Any man created works HAVE TO BE analyzed and interpreted using the scriptures if they are to be deemed valid and useful. All other logic and methods and techniques are useless. It's as simple as that. I don't care if it's a four hundred year old confession or the latest hot book with the "real" secret to Christianity. The moment we begin to label or otherwise let outside impressions influence our objective, scripturally based evaluation, we crack open the door to let in everything from slight mis-statements to blatent heresy.

Simple and easy aren't the same thing. Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith, every understanding passes through Him. Simple. He's smarter than me so he MUST be right. Easy. I think it's clear which is truth and which is just plain ridiculous. We clearly don't so drastically get influenced, however the simplification helps illustrate the core point.

Oh, random final thought. I was thinking about things today, evaluating in my head and running through arguments, when I noticed something. My thoughts and analysis was progressing as if I was writing all of it into my blog, clarifying points based on whether a reader would be able to follow me. I don't know if that is good or bad, and I don't think I do it often. It just is.

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple, Stupid

I am Overwhelmed by Waters

So today was a good day. No exams today or tomorrow, which means no studying, so I headed up the Hueston Woods. Four hours, 60 pages of A River Runs Through It, 30 pages of Desiring God, one lake and one barefoot creek walk later, and life was feelin allllllright. I've been wanting to just go spend a large chunk of time there for awhile. I sat shirtless on a peninsula into the lake, then headed over to the "Glory" creek to go walk around and read some Piper. I've been so enthralled with the grandeur and overwhelming size of God's creation as of late, it was amazing to just sit by a little babbling brook and realize he intricately designed this as well. Watch the little fish bob in and out of the current, feel the breeze come rushing downstream, sit with my feet in the cool rushing water, hearing nothing but the smooth flow of water and soft rustling of leaves in the trees.

Anyways, I'm moving to Hueston Woods, setting up a tent, and living there like a hermit. Ok, that's ridiculous, but I do wish I could/did spend more time there, in silence before the Lord in His creation.

"My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him." -- Psalm 62:5

PS - Got that verse in a random card from my mom. Judy Pruett - Awesome

Fridays

So, In my recent foray into the world of blogging, I've come to realize something. For me, I often have to stop and check my motives for saying/doing anything. Whether it's to garner to approval of others, look better than I am, hide something, whatever. I do it in life, and am even more susceptible in an environment where I can spend as much time as I want putting together exactly the right words with just the right pictures to envoke deep thoughts. This isn't a new realization for me, nor is it condemning serious thoughts on blogs. It's just a statement that what I sometimes do in life can translate here where it's easier to sound good.

On that note, I've decided that every Friday will be solely dedicated to the ridiculous. Maybe other times I'll use this blog will be used for the lighthearted, but Friday's are reserved for the funny. I mean, what is the point of a blog anyways? Put your thoughts out there . . . yeah. Convince other people of your position . . . well, i think less than 5 people regularly read this, and they are all in line w/ me on important matters, so not much there. I guess for me, I'd like to use it for ideas. I'm smart enough to know I'm not THAT smart, so this will be a forum for thoughts that aren't necessarily completely developed or maybe even right. But rather thoughts that the contemplation of which will hopefully push myself and others closer to Jesus and fullness of life in Him. Or just spend more time reading our Bibles instead of checking all the blogs you follow for new posts 15-20 times a day . . . or maybe that's just me.


Anyways, here is the humor. A picture I just found on my laptop from three years ago this weekend. J Crew U party . . . Band of Brothers house . . . The then four leaders of Young Life at Edgewood High School. Adam no longer rocks hair like that, Maren is gunna be a full time real deal teacher at Colerain, Dannie Ball is soon to be Dannie Gatliff, and I . . . well, I lost that hat, and that was definitely a major deal . . .

So, yeah, there's your post. Deciding to be random every Friday, with some "deep thoughts" on why sprinkled in too. Hope you have enjoyed this update!

P.S. - It's pretty freeing to not reserve blogging for serious thoughts only, because otherwise I feel required to make it a certain length, and can only write things that are revolutionary enough to make the cut.

Drive

If I could just drive for a living, I probably would. Not like NASCAR racing drive, or any racing for that matter. Just get paid to drive. Mountains. Forests. Plains. Sea side. Anywhere, just drive. On the way home tonight, I had, for lack of a better word, and epiphany. Not in the truest, life-altering, mind bending kind of way. Sometimes things just click in my head, like a giant jigsaw puzzle that suddenly all magically comes together. That's what I mean by epiphany.

Anyways, I'm scanning around on the radio, desperately searching for something to listen to, becoming frustrated because I've heard all the songs so many times, I just want something new. Then it dawns on me, hey, why don't you just TURN IT OFF!!! Huzzah! So I've got the radio off, just talking to Jesus, thinking about how great it is to just drive on an empty winding road, and it hits me. A lot of my life that I've been wrestling with lately can be understood in my radio dilemma. I sometimes get caught up searching for whatever will seem to satisfy me at any given moment. And eventually, it all gets boring because I've had it or done it or heard it too many times. Sometimes I even approach righteousness in this way, reading or praying or listening to a sermon because I want to, not because the Spirit moves me but because it will make me feel more holy. What is eternally more satisfying, long lasting, and just flat out better is putting myself at the feet of my God, my Father, my Savior, my King. It can be painful, different, and always involves sacrificing my pride. But the best things I can learn to do for full life in Christ is this daily realization.

It's moments like tonight, when some seemingly mundane or unspiritual thing clicks and opens a whole new way to see God and my relationship with Him, that I realize he truly works for the good of those who love him, in every part of creation and moment of my days.

Oh, and PS, a lot of radio HAS gone to crap. Case in point, Avril's new song "Hey You I Don't Like Your Girlfriend" I generally like her stuff, but this song . . . such a bad message but disgustingly catchy. If you catch me whistling it, singing it, humming it, or in any way supporting it, increasingly harder smacks to the back of the head are completely appropriate and appreciated.

Good night, blogging world (you 5 people that actually probably have ever read this, lol)

Deafening Silence

I think the biggest obstacle to hearing the God of the universe is us. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10
I really like the NASB, because it says "Cease striving." That's why when we spend time, say, in the mountains of God's creation, we often experience an overwhelming sense of His grandeur and presence. We are removed from our lives in all the noise. He is always there, he is actively speaking to us. It is just so critical to the entire outcome of my day that it starts with a few minutes of silence. Be it prayer, reading the word, listening to a worship song, that communion with God sets everything back in rhythm. Read the beginning of a River Runs Through It, if you haven't ever, or for a much more articulate explanation of this.

Small side point, completely unrelated, I feel like so many things that I am convicted of are head knowledge that is being thrust into understanding in the soul. More often than not, I have at times had the same convictions. Maybe they dim in the soul over time because of my sin, or maybe He lets/makes it. Because in the end, the conviction comes, draws me closer to Him, and all works to His glory, His highest aim.

It's 1:30 AM, I've been hanging out w/ a small glass of the Rangpur and tonic, and I need bed. G'night.

If you build it . . .

Terence Mann: "Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come"


Take me out to the ballgame . . .

Mountain High

Montana















Tennessee













Colorado















My soul longs for the mountains, for living in the midst of God's grandeur and glory as expressed in his creation. I've been to two of these places (TN and CO), I want to make it to all three within, oh, the next year. Let's make that happen.

Back Home Safely

Well, I am back home in Oxford, Ohio safe and sound. Yesterday was sort of a whirlwind. We decided to try staying up all night, since we had to be in the hotel lobby at 5 AM to catch our shuttle to the airport. Well, we made it to about 230, at which point Adam Jacob and I were so tired we just wanted to pack and get a quick power nap. Well, I packed, Adam decided to wait until 4:30 to throw everything in, or at least that was the plan. He set his watch alarm and set up a wake up call, neither of which worked. Eric Albers fortunately called us at 5:03 to see if we were ready, and Adam packed as fast as any person I have ever seen. We made it to the airport, had a sweet conversation w/ the driver about OSI and what we do.

So, left Mexico City at 745 AM, arrive in Chicago about four hours later. Ate a big American Bacon Cheeseburger, and then waited three hours for our flight to Cincy. That flight was uneventful, got into Cincy around 6:30. Then three good friends picked me up from the airport, and from there we went straight to the Hofbrauhaus in Newport, where we dined in the German Fashion. Then I picked up my car, drove back to Oxford, and slept, hard. So from 7 AM Friday morning, I served at a church, played Goliath, died, did more interviews, loved on some kids, repacked the OSI warehouse, ate dinner, wandered around Mexico City, tried to stay up all night, took a 2 hr. power nap, caught a flight out of Mexico, slept 3 hrs. on the plane, chilled in Chicago, flew to Cincy, then did some German dining, then home. I'm not even sure how I'm awake now come to think of it.

Anyways, the picture is from the Bonita Vista, where we served the last two days. It is a partially built structure next to the two pastor's houses, and I think it is going to be their church given the cross they have put on the top. It currently has a floor, almost completely walls, spaces in the walls for two windows and a door, and is probably smaller than my living room in the house I live at in Oxford. I love those people. I love Mexico City. I hope in 50 years, God willing, I'll have had kids and maybe grandkids, and have taken them all there multiple times. But whatever course God takes me, I'll always feel a pull south, and can hopefully share the experience with great people in my life.

Only four pictures today, because we were at the same location, so it will pretty much all look the same. This is the soccer field we played on for almost two hours. Children's ministry is a bit broad in scope, when you consider that people up to 18 or even older need something to do. So, today, we decided to take some of the older ones down to play soccer. Face painting and balloons just don't seem to hold the same appeal for them! who knew. This is one of the physically worst fields I have ever played on, but the view MORE than made up for it. Not to mention these kids just love to have someone to play with.


This is a picture I took while we were singing simple children's songs in Spanish. The man in the blue shirt is one of the pastor's in the area trying to reach this community. He was passing out little booklets to every kid called "El Mejor Regalo", which means the Great Gift. These kids were so eager to sing and praise, it was awesome.








These next two pictures are of a skit we put on to tell a story from the Bible. I'm sure you don't need too long to guess who my character was, given my enormously large size advantage over these children. You might even say that to them I appear about nine feet tall. Every single person there ended up watching the performance, mostly to see what this ridiculous American was up to. The second picture was after David hits me in the head with a "stone" aka wiffle ball, and the kids got a real big kick out of poking the dead giant. I should also probably mention that when I
came out and roared, then chased the children who were playing Israelites, I made two little girls cry. No big deal. I felt really bad, and we paused the skit to pull down my beard and show her I wasn't a horrendous monster.

One More Picture

At the request of mi madre, here is a picture that includes me. These kids are absolutely in love with digital cameras, because most of them rarely if ever see a picture of themselves. These two saw I was taking pictures, and instantly wanted in one with me. I didn't know their names, or anything about them, but we look like right ole chums in this pic.

Mexico City Pics Day 4

So, in an effort to provide more and better pictures with a smaller email, it has been brought to my attention that a blog is the perfect way to do this! So, without further ado, the pictures.


The first is of a small room in one of the houses, where the church served us lunch. We rotated through as soon as we arrived, mainly because we were so late. It was absolutely one of the most fulfilling meals I have had in awhile. It was a simple meal, chicken, potatoes, rice, sauce, white bread, bananas, water, and grapes the size of a golf ball, but it felt like a feast because I was so satisfied when it was over and could literally feel the love and devotion and care and appreciation that was put into serving us. I sometimes wonder if we are called on such mission trips more for an impact on the people we serve or the way God moves in our own hearts and lives.


This next picture is of this tiny little girl that spent a lot of the day in our children’s area. Just for reference, the girl painting her hand is 13, from Alaska, and significantly smaller than me (although that applies to a lot of people anyways). This Mexican child is tiny compared to her, so when she put her hand in mine, it hardly even knew it was there. She was so cute, couldn’t hardly speak any Spanish, carried her little espada (sword) around everywhere. It is so encouraging to know that this small life will be growing up surrounded by people completely dedicated to living out and spreading the gospel of Christ.


This picture is the view from out in front of the two homes the church currently meets at. As far as they eye can see, it's dirt roads and cinder block homes. We are technically outside the boundaries of Mexico City here, and into the State of Mexico.










The last picture is the dirt road we set the tents up on. In the forefront is the children's area, with registration behind and left, medical behind and right. Directly to the left of the children's area is the room the church set up for counseling.











Well, that's it for today's pictures, I don't want to put too much in here, or else it would take forever to get through, and if you 've made it this far, you've already invested enough time reading my email!

--MCP