From Over the Hill

Activity for the Week - 8 seconds is an eternity

2009-06-16T18:40:00.006-06:00

Last Friday Eleutian took our Korean teachers to the Cody Nite Rodeo. A rodeo is something that is unique to North America with some presence in Mexico. It is definitely a western experience you won't see any where else. It is based on skills necessary to run a ranch and started out as just a fun competition during roundup season with some side-bets I am sure. It has now become a major entertainment event.

I tried to explain what was happening and why to the ones sitting next to me. Like always a lot of pictures were taken. The night we went was a PRCA sanctioned event so we had cowboys from several states, although more were from Montana than any other state that night. They kept it moving right along so there was something always happening to hold your attention. I have not been to a rodeo in a while so I was surprised to see and hear the clown with a wireless mike. He was very entertaining. There were the usual events with good competition.

I had a good time and so did out quests.

Driving for Eleutian

2009-06-02T21:48:00.006-06:00

Since the last week of March I have had a fascinating job. I have worked as a driver for a company called Eleutian which is based in WY amazingly. They have been teaching English to Koreans, mostly students but some adults too, over the Internet. Not quite a year ago they brought over 30 Korean teachers, who teach English in their schools, to teach them how to become better English teachers by immersing them in an all English environment. We hosted one of the teachers for six weeks in our house last Jan and Feb. The first group went home and now we have a second group of teachers.

I have been driving them back and forth between Cody and Powell along with two other drivers. It is interesting to talk to them, because they know English quite well but need help with their pronunciation which is what they are here to learn. They are taking classes at our college and living in the dorms this summer and next fall. In Jan they will again go to live in local homes and do practice teaching in the local schools. I also get to take them to do fun tourist activities.

This past week we went to SD and visited Mt Rushmore and several other attractions in the area. It is a fun job, I enjoy it and it pays well - what more could you ask for.

Seeking a Pattern - 3

2009-03-26T17:10:00.001-06:00

When following Jesus through the gospels, I find a couple of paths repeated over and over. These paths are proclaiming and performing the gospel. Jesus not only taught the good news, He also lived by the principles He taught. Luke in his gospel includes 10 different meal settings where Jesus talks about the good news and demonstrates it by eating with different people.

John Mark Hicks does a good job of relating how much of Jesus’ ministry was centered on meals in his book Come to the Table. Jesus ate and fellowshipped with a wide variety people, those that were believers, the just curious, the poor, the rich, the outcast, the religious leaders, in essence anyone He could find. Sometimes He was the host, sometimes He invited himself, or sometimes He was invited to a meal. One of the major differences in their culture between the religious leaders and the common people was the concept of ceremonial cleanliness. The Jewish leaders’ concern for this belief was a major point of disagreement between them and Jesus. When Jesus ate with “tax-gatherers and sinners” the Pharisees just knew he couldn’t be from God as they were unclean, but the common people loved Him for it. These meal sessions are examples of Jesus proclaiming the gospel and performing the gospel.

I believe one reason Luke puts such emphasis on shared meals is because, there is an intimacy that can be shared when eating together that is not present at other times. This intimacy is not a guaranteed result, as it can be stifled, but it is usually the beginning of a bond that grows with more shared meals. Even though eating together is a blessing, it is hard in today’s culture to find time to share meals and get to know others. It’s hard just to get a single family together for a meal, let alone several.

Yea!! March Madness

2009-03-16T20:44:00.004-06:00

It is March Madness time again, and Duke has a better team this year. They won't go all the way but further than last year, if they only had some inside strength. There really hasn't been anyone since Carlos Boozer, in my opinion and of course they won the whole thing that year. If they can consistently hit their 3's they could go to the Elite Eight, which is my pick. What a fun time of year!!!!

Seeking a Pattern -2

2009-03-13T10:17:00.002-06:00

In my previous post, I mentioned that I felt I was looking for a pattern in the wrong place. This is a difficult idea to explain and to some it will probably seem as if there is no difference in my choices. It can be called just a shift of emphasis but it is a shift I want to make. The shift is looking at Jesus and his relationships to be my pattern for living as a Christian, disciple, and follower of Jesus. (One side note, this change is not about right or wrong.)

Have you ever thought of God as a “sending God?” Didn’t the Father send the Son, and then the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit and now the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are sending me (us). Sending me to do what, to continue what Jesus started and the disciples kept doing. Each of the gospel writers may have had a different way of expressing Jesus’ mission, but it seems they agreed on the results.

Matthew 4:23 says he went preaching the good news and healing people.
Mark 1:14 says Jesus went proclaiming the good news of God.
Luke 4:18 says Jesus was anointed to preach the good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and to release the oppressed.
John doesn’t use the word gospel or good news but the story in John 4 with the woman at the well I think carries the same theme.

Jesus’ mission was an all encompassing one. He had compassion on all aspects of their lives, their physical as well as spiritual. This is where I feel we have been too limited in our thinking. I know I have in the past been primarily (almost exclusively) only concerned about getting someone baptized. Relationships and concerns about a non-Christian’s physical life was there, but it was “on the back burner” until they were saved.

David Dunbar phrased it this way.
"We stressed the importance of teaching and preaching the gospel
clearly--most of it within the church and for the church. Good
works were encouraged as a response to the gospel and as a way of
saying "thank you" to God for his mercy."

I see the relationships Jesus had with people encompassing all aspects of their lives. The gospel message is more than just a way to get heaven. There is a life to be lived here and Christians are apart of God’s continuing plan to restore the relationships that were broken and are broken because of sin.

We no longer live in the age of Christendom, a time when the church was a partner and an influence in society. We have to earn our right to be heard again. We have to follow Jesus out of our buildings and among people who don’t know Jesus.

Seeking a Pattern

2009-02-26T21:17:00.002-07:00

One of the goals of the restoration movement of the early 1800’s was to restore “New Testament Christianity.” Some people of that day felt that their churches had left New Testament teaching far behind. The opinion as to how much varied from place to place. The idea of restoring “New Testament Christianity” is still evident in many of our churches today.

I am not enamored with the term “restoration”, but I am desirous of pleasing God and living according to His will. I don’t want to try and reproduce a 1st century church in the 21st century. It is not what I believe God wants. My understanding is that God’s pattern for His church and for being a Christian was designed so that it could exist in any culture or time. We do need a pattern to follow. I just believe, along with a lot of other Christians, we have been looking in the wrong place for the pattern. The pattern is Jesus and His relationship with the Father, the Spirit, and people.

Relationships are not easy to understand, there is not a step 1,2,3 plan to follow. They stand outside the physical world that is so familiar to us. When I was growing up, it seemed that everything was a five-step process.

Five steps to salvation: hear, believe, repent, confess, baptism.
Five acts of worship: sing, pray, give, teach, communion.
Five levels of leadership: God, Christ, elders, deacons, members.

This was the pattern I sought to follow. Each one of these parts is good and I still believe in them, but now they are not my primary patterns. The pattern I seek to follow now is Jesus and these tangible items above are shaped by my relationship to Jesus. I must admit the pattern I grew up with made it easier to know if I had the right pattern or not.

Relationships cannot be set on idle, at least not for long periods of time; a relationship is either growing or declining. Our relationship with Jesus follows this path. Hopefully we are continually expanding our understanding of how Jesus lived, his reaction to different people, and situations. It seems the closer I get to Jesus the more details I see in the pattern.

This is why I not interested in restoration but an improvement in my relationship with the Father, Son, Spirit, and other people. I believe the same has to happen to our church communities. We must be a growing group that changes as our understanding improves or we will become stagnant and decline.

In coming posts I want discuss the changes and challenges I believe we need to consider.

Seeking shalom
Johnny

Hello Fiber optics

2009-01-26T09:34:00.004-07:00

Well, fiber optics have finally come to Powell. It has been a long time coming. Getting all the financing was a major hurdle. It was all done with private financing essentially. I am glad that was done several years ago because it would have never made it out of the inbox today. Hooray for the private sector. 95% of the entire town now has fiber optics to their home or business, the rest are not connected by the residents choice. Getting enough workers was also a problem and the completion date was missed by about two months, but it is here and I am glad. We celebrated our first weekend with TV in over a year by watching a Duke game (I know that made Jason's heart warm). The Dukies demonished Maryland which has not been an easy team for them to beat even at home.

It has gone winter on us again with the highs at only 5-8 degrees Fahrenheit, and 5 inches of new snow that is not going where with these tempatures. They say we will have a warm spell later this week and it may get up to 32, but that is still cold.

Our Korean teacher is still with us for another 3 weeks. She is really enjoyable to have around. Check out Carol's blog .

Core Values (amended post)

2009-01-17T21:08:00.002-07:00

This an amended version of a post I didn't like and deleted.

I have used the term Core Values several times in this series, so what does it mean. I have a friend who says, “It stands for something that I would die for.” He takes his Core Values very seriously. I guess to me, it means the foundation of what I believe, everything is molded by these beliefs. Having Core Values can also mean that I have some beliefs that I like and abide by, but they fit more into the realm of opinion.
This idea of Core Values and non-core values is relatively new to me, as in the last few years. Before, I was taught you either held all your religious beliefs equally or you in essence didn’t believe in the Bible. The goal was to be right in everything – plan of salvation, acts of worship, organization of the church, etc. Everything I did had to be based on the Bible not my opinion. If you couldn’t find “book, chapter, and verse” for a belief or action then don’t do it. Opinions were equal to doubtful and you never did anything that might be doubtful. Doubtful was equal to slippery slope and we all knew where that would lead. I’m glad I am no longer there.

I have come to realize that I can’t understand everything about God. I can’t explain why there is evil, or why bad things happen to good people and good things to bad people. I’m not always sure what God wants me to do. I no longer have to be right about everything because I don’t know everything. Now this doesn’t leave me in a total state of confusion though, because there are concepts and facts that I do know. It is from these that I get my Core Values. I haven’t made a list of them because in my opinion that would put me right back in the situation of “having to the right set of values.” To give an example though, the verses from 1 John 4:7-12 express my Core Values as well as anything right now.

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Ever think about your Core Values?

Seeking Shalom (seeking the way things are supposed to be)

How do we know, what we know -part 3

2009-01-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

I was one of those people that accepted whatever I was taught by those in authority. I was never rebellious and hardly ever got into trouble, I was a very boring kid. When it came to what I should believe about God, I accepted without question what my religious tribe taught. I was told we were right and we could prove it. A lot of what I was taught was right, but not all of it.

How does this fit in with our topic? Last time I mentioned a group of scholars for which I have very little respect. Well, there is another group that has slipped down the ladder of respect. It consists of some of the teachers from my younger years. They were the scholars who were supposed to have studied the original, the primary sources with unbiased minds, therefore their interpretations would be right, and they were qualified to help the rest of us understand God's truth, at least that was what I was told. Another companion belief was that everyone would understand the Bible alike if they unbiased. If you disagreed with the accepted belief then you were being intellectually dishonest.

I now realize it is impossible to be unbiased no matter how sincere, and how much you try, consequently people are never going to totally understand the Bible alike. This claim to totally understand God and know the correct pattern is one of the quickest ways to lose my respect.

To me this brings us back to our core values and then the rest is applied in a way that fits the core values into our situation.

A Cool Story

2009-01-01T22:06:00.004-07:00

Are you familiar with the cartoonish story of the husband who arrives home and is met at the door by his wife with a list of things that have gone wrong that day, forget the "loving hello and I'm glad to see you because I've missed you." That has never happened to me, for which I am thankful until last Monday but not to the extent of the typical storyline. I walked in and smelt something with a slightly burnt odor to it. My wife is a great cook so it would be very unusual for her to burn something. It wasn't supper but the motor that drives the fan for our furnace. Just what you don't want to have happen in the middle of winter, a winter that has been very cold so far. After a quick look at the situation, what we needed was a new electrical motor. The heating part of the furnace still worked after I disconnected the fan motor, so we would still have some heat - thankfully heat rises and the furnace is in the basement. Also thankfully we had a warm wind blow in that day and it was up in the forties. But where to get a motor for a fifty year old furnace in our small town. We found one the first place we went, the "we" is my oldest son that was here for Christmas and was a great help. It only took us two trips to get all the right bolts and nuts to attach it (of course the old ones wouldn't work), which is good for an amateur. The happy ending - we had it up and running the next day.

Through this whole adventure (?) I kept thinking about the cartoonish beginning and smiling.

On a cold winter's day

2008-12-20T15:07:00.002-07:00

On a cold (-1F) winter's day, when it is snowing outside there is nothing better than a hot cup of coffee (currently drinking a Kona Blend) and a good book (reading "Tell it Slant" by Eugene Peterson).

Thank you God for warm blessings. I know there are many who are not able to enjoy what I have, and I do what I can for them and pray God will protect them.

How Do We Know What We Know? part 2

2008-12-18T21:20:00.005-07:00

I do respect scholarship because without it there would be no Bible in our native languages, but I also realize the translators are just men/women, although very sincere, with biases. On any given topic that is controversial at all there are scholars with varying opinions on what that passage of scripture means. Whose opinion would you believe? Generally all sides can present convincing arguments to those of us unskilled in those areas. I know I have read one side and thought that sounds reasonable and then read a conflicting opinion and thought that sounds reasonable too.

How do I chose? I have developed a certain opinion or way of looking at God's word. There is a set of core values I have, and everything is compared to it. When I find a new writer I compare his/hers opinions on these core values. The more we agree, the further they move up the ladder of respect, and the more willing I am to listen to their views in other areas. This may appear as if I only respect those that agree with me, and in some sense this is true.

There are Christian (?) scholars that deny the deity of Jesus, or that the resurrection took place, as a result it would be very unlikely that I would respect their teachings in other areas even though they may have great credentials and many degrees. The shortcoming to this plan is these scholars may have a good insight in another area, but I feel like I just don't have the time to wade through all the bad stuff just to find a few pearls.

Do you have set of beliefs to compare others to?

How Do We Know, What We Know?

2008-12-16T22:57:00.001-07:00

On one of the blogs I read, the Jesus Creed, this question was brought up, "How do you 'know and understand' in areas where you are not an expert?" This is sort of a corollary to my posts on "How you look at God's word" so I thought I would write a few posts about it and see if anyone had any thoughts they might want to share. How many of us read Greek, Hebrew, or have real expertise in 1st century Roman and Jewish culture?

I certainly don't know Greek or Hebrew and know just a smattering of the culture of that time,so what am I to do? What I do know is rarely from primary sources, meaning I didn't learn it from the original. I usually depend on others whose knowledge and understanding I respect. This where the tricky part comes in who do I respect and why?

How about you? More next time.

Thanksgiving Adventure

2008-12-01T21:40:00.003-07:00

Thanksgiving has to be one of the best holidays going. We went to Denver again this year, as we have for the past several years. The difference is we are not celebrating with the Elzeys this year because of Tamara's accident. This has only happened two or three times over the past 20 years. Josh was able to join us this year, which was great. This year Blake smoked the turkey after soaking it in apple juice over night. Not all night though because we got up at 4:30am to put it in the smoker. It was so moist, even the white meat was moist. We have roasted, fried, and bar-bar-qued turkeys over the years but smoking has to be the best. The rest of the feast was great too, although I did miss my cornbread dressing.

We had fun playing with the grandkids, talking, watching some football, talking, learning some new games, and talking. Yes, we did do some shopping, but not till Saturday. We basically just got things we are going to need when our Korean Students come to stay for 6 weeks in Jan. We have decided to be apart of the Advent Conspiracy this Christmas and limit the gifts we are giving to just the kids.

The weather was great for traveling, both going and coming. Friday night Denver received 4-5" of snow which was pretty and then it melted off the roads Saturday which was nice.

Our trip would have been perfect except about 20 miles from home a small hubcap came spinning down the road and caused a flat. Thankfully Carol didn't have any trouble controlling the car and getting it off to the side even though it was a front tire. I had checked the spare and the jack before we left so changing the tires was pretty simple. All I have to do now is go buy a new tire :>). This is the first flat tire I can remember that has happened during a trip for a long time, so I don't feel upset about it happening, as if being upset would matter anyway.

Good to be home again.

How Do You Look at God's Word? part 6

2008-11-24T20:38:00.005-07:00

I was sort of wondering where to go with this next post. I must confess that I have rewritten it several times. I have finally decided to just tell you how I decide what to pick and choose from the Bible. I know using the terms "pick and choose" sound bad when applied to the Bible, and I thought of listing examples where we actually do this but I decided not to, as this series of posts is getting pretty long, at least for me. I figure either you recognize that we all do it or you don't.

I read and apply the Bible based on these concepts: (1) God loves me and wants the very best for me, (2) He wants me to love Him in return, and to follow His commands, (3) He wants me to love my neighbors and help them out anyway I can. In this way I believe God's word is applicable to any age and any culture.

God's word spoke to Moses, in his age, and in his way.

God's word spoke to David, in his age, and in his way.

God's word spoke to Paul, in his age, and in his way.

God's word speaks to us, in our age, and in our way.

This view probably would not be described as a scholarly one, but to me it fits the story that reveals God's relationship to people. Does it answer every question that can be asked, I doubt it? But if I knew all the answers then I would be God.

If you have made it through all these posts, thanks for your time. Shalom

How Do You Look at God's Word? part 5

2008-11-17T22:26:00.004-07:00

After having progressed through these 5 shortcuts at least to some extent at one time or another, I have come to view the Bible as a story. A story that is true, not some made up legend or myth. It is a large over-arcing story with many smaller stories, which though separate from each other in time and writership still follow a central theme - God and His relationship with those made in His image.

A characteristic of a good story is that it draws its readers into the story and they begin to relate to the characters and the plot. It matters what happens the people in the story and the path of the plot keeps the reader intrigued. It is this relationship with the story and its characters, of which I have become one, that I started using a relational approach to read and study the Bible.

Scot Mcknight describes an incident that happened to him early on in his profession that helps explain this concept. Scot says he asked a wise and gentle professor: "What do you teach?" His reply stunned me: "I teach students. What do you teach?" Scot says about 99% of professors when asked that question will give the subject they teach. Good teachers are teaching students a particular subject matter. They are not teaching a subject to students.

There are a couple of points that result from this viewpoint that I want to mention. The first is that the relational approach distinguishes God from the Bible. I don't have a relationship with the paper and ink that make up the Bible, but I have one with God the author. This is an important distinction. It is through these words written in ink on paper that we learn of the love of God and how to love Him in return, but this book is not God. We have many different translations of which most are very good with a few not so good. I may have doubts, or questions about these different versions and there are ones I prefer for study and some just for reading. But my God is unchanging, He is God. He is not subject to the whims of translators. A further example that this distinction is important is the story of the Red Sea crossing during the exodus from Egypt. A person can study for a lifetime trying to figure out if the Red Sea is really the Reed Sea and consequently was not all that deep, or whether a earthquake in the Mediterranean made the crossing possible and never meet God. The story is about God's leading not the Red Sea.

The second is: the Bible is God's written communication with us. It is similar to a letter I would write to someone I love. The letter is not me, it does not love the person to whom it is addressed but contains words of love from the sender.

Thirdly the relational approach causes me to listen to what God is communicating and to engage in what God is doing.

Scot Mcknight summarizes all this by saying," A relational approach believes our relationship to the Bible is transformed into a relationship with the God who speaks to us in and through the Bible."

How Do You Look at God's Word? part 4

2008-11-13T08:44:00.003-07:00

3.The Bible as a Mirror or Inkblot. Are you familiar with the inkblot test designed by Hermann Rorschach? The way I understand the test is you look at a inkblot and then describe what you see. The inkblot has no meaning at all, its purpose is to allow the therapist a glimpse into your personality, emotions, and thought processes. People who look at the Bible this way are mirroring what they already believe onto the Bible. The Bible is only a mirror for what they already believe and they will miss or disregard anything that doesn't fit into their perceived notions. For example, anytime someone writes a new book that claims to tell us what Jesus is really like, rest assured all it will do is tell us what the author is like.

4. The Bible as a puzzle. You open a box of puzzle pieces and dump them onto a table and spend the next few hours, or days, or weeks, or even years trying to reconstruct the picture on the front of the box. Imagine viewing the Bible as a puzzle with pieces of God's plan or even His mind scattered throughout its pages. Your job is to pick the right piece to start with and then to search through the Bible to reconstruct the picture of who God is and His plan. Once you have done this, you are finished you don't have to read or study it any more and can confidently tell everyone what it is all about. Do you see the problem here? Which is the right piece what does the picture look on the front of the box look like? The picture is whatever you imagine. Following this shortcut you believe you can master the Bible, but God gave us His word so that it could master us.

5.The Bible through a Maestro. A maestro is the master of any art. I grew up in a tradition where everything was seen through the lens of the maestro apostle Paul. Oh sure, Jesus was Lord but I learned about Jesus from Paul not the gospels (a small exaggeration but not much). 80 to 90% of our studying consisted of the book of Acts and Paul's letters. When we met new people, our opening line was, "Are you a member of the church? Not are you a Christian." But to say I am only going to ask, "What would Jesus do?" also misses the point. What about all the other stories in the Bible. It takes the complete story of God.

This is where we are going next time.

How Do You Look at God's Word? part 3

2008-11-10T21:50:00.007-07:00

Do you pick and choose what commands, examples, or inferences from the Bible you follow? In the past I would have said, "Of course NOT." I have since come to realize that if you don't follow all of them, then you pick and choose. Maybe if we used the terms suggested by Scot McKnight, which are adopting and adapting it would sound better but it's the same process. The question I have been asking myself is, "Why and how do I pick what I pick and why and how do I choose what I choose?" Scot McKnight lists five different "short-cuts" people use to try and understand the Bible in his book "The Blue Parakeet - Rethinking How You Read the Bible." In my opinion these are not a good basis for your adopting and adapting.

1. The Bible as a collection of Laws. This method does have some basis as there are lots of laws in the Bible. Moses gave the Israelites 613 laws by some counts. Having a list of do's and don'ts makes it easy to know where you stand and where others stand. It is even easier when you can pick and choose the laws you want to follow, and of course you pick the ones you can follow. In short, law book readers tend to become self-righteous and look down on others who can't follow their particular set of "God's Laws." Did someone say Pharisee? This doesn't mean laws don't have an important place in God's story. It is just that they are not the whole story.

2. The Bible as a collection of blessings and promises. This way is another extreme but in a different direction. There are calendars that list a different blessing or promise for every day and books that promote a "Health and Wealth form of gospel." They seem to be saying that all you have to do is believe in Jesus and you will be happy and everything will be great. This is a very superficial type of faith. It seems to ignore the real life stories that make up God's story. For example, David often experienced mountain top moments but also spent time in the lowly valley of doubt as in Psalms 22:1 "My God, My God why have you forsaken me?" It is comforting to know the blessings and promises of God, but we must also realize that we live in a broken world and some days are tough.

more next time - shalom

How do you look at God's Word? part 2

2008-11-09T22:40:00.003-07:00

I remember when I was younger, there was this phrase - "God said it, I believe it, that settles it." To me this meant whatever God said, I was to do it no questions asked. It was simple and sounded easy to do, also it was a "catchy phrase." (Personal commentary I have always been a sucker for "catchy phrases.") In order to carry out this "catchy phrase" all you had to do was read the Bible and do what it said. What could be easier than that? The truth of the matter is that no one does this, because to do this literally, it would mean actually reliving the 1st century in the 20th century (when the phrase came out). That was not going to happen, so what ended up happening was picking and choosing what you believed and practiced. It was never stated this blatantly, but was glossed over with better terms. Of course, this was a cause of much division and still is, because we pick and choose different facts to be important.

Our fellowship also had a "catch phrase." It was - Restoring New Testament Christianity. We believed that the Christianity practiced in the 1st century had to be right because it came directly from the apostles inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it seemed logical that if we could reproduce 1st century Christianity we would be obeying God. All we needed was a pattern. A search was made and out of a combination of commands, examples and inferences a pattern for the church was established including a five-step plan of salvation, five items of worship and an organizational chart. This was done by very sincere men seeking to unify a much divided and often ineffectual Christian church. But their goal has not been reached, we are still divided and are not reaching the majority of people.

More next time -

shalom Johnny

How do you see God's Word? part 1

2008-11-06T09:36:00.004-07:00

It seems to me that when discussions about living as a disciple and figuring out what God wants or says it best for us, it often becomes strained and even argumentive because even though we are using the same basis (the Bible) we are talking in different languages. Those different languages are the ways we look at or intrepet the Bible. I think it would be helpful if we realized this and understood at least a little bit of why others can read the same passage and come to a different conclusion. So over the next several posts I will mention some of the different ways people look at the Bible. This not an attempt to convert you to a particular way of intrepeting the Bible, I just want to make you aware of the differences and help us see that when we disagree the "other person" isn't just being obstanate (generally speaking :>).

I have my own way of looking at the Bible which of course I think is the "right" one or I wouldn't use it. Through this discussion (feel free to comment anytime) although someone may change some of their opinions, the goal is for us to be more understanding of each other.

The more technical or scholarly comments are based on my study of more learned men than myself. These will include N. T. Wright, Scot Mcknight and Patrick Mead among others I have probably forgotten.

I am going to try and keep each post short so it will readable as you open it and not something you feel is so long you have to come to when you have more time. So until next time - Shalom

Difficult Questions

2008-10-19T22:18:00.003-06:00

Last Friday was our third Celebrate Recovery meeting and we had new people attend. More good news, even through the leadership team is still learning, we are having people return each week, we feel good about that.

I was noticing a difference in the way CR's small groups are run and a "normal Bible class". They are both based on the Bible and use lots of scripture, but a major difference is in the types of questions asked. In the Bible class the questions are looking for answers from the Bible, usually a fact, or a general application to life. Rarely is a personal answer required. The CR questions all require a personal answer. "How does this affect you?" "What are you doing about this?" From my background these are hard questions to answer, I have been into factual answers, or this is the way the church should do it or not do it. The CR questions if answered truthfully are hard to answer because they demand openness and commitment. I am impressed.

Celebrate Recovery

2008-10-12T21:52:00.004-06:00

We have started a celebrate Recovery Ministry, and last Friday was our second week. We thought it went well. Our group has been praying and looking for ways in which we can be apart of what God is doing to expand His Kingdom. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ based recovery ministry. Here is a short explanation we put in our brochure.

Celebrate Recovery is designed to address all types of hurts, habits and hang-ups. It is not just for alcoholics and drug addicts.
No one is untainted by sin. Some may sin in more socially destructive ways than others, but the Bible teaches that all have sinned. In terms of its power to separate us from God, all sin is one and the same.
The Purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to fellowship and celebrate God’s healing power in our lives through the 12 Steps and 8 Recovery principles.
By working and applying these Biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually. We become free from our addictive, compulsive and dysfunctional behaviors. This freedom creates peace, serenity, joy and most importantly a stronger personal relationship with God and others. As we progress through the program we discover our personal, loving and Higher Power – JESUS.

We meet every Friday night from 6:30 to 8:30 with a general assembly for everyone first. During it we have a worship time, several readings, and a training lesson. The second half consists two small group meetings, one for women and one for men. One of the concepts I like about this is that even though there are leaders they are still considered part of the participants, because we are all in this together, overcoming sin. I could go on and on, but I'll stop here and write more later, as we do more meetings and get more familiar with this ministry.

CELEBRATION TIME!!!!!

2008-10-05T16:26:00.004-06:00

It is time to celebrate!! I just mowed my lawn for the last time this year. I don't care if it does rain (which it did last night after I mowed) and turns warm so that the grass continues to grow, I have put the lawnmower up and up it will stay until next spring.

So let's have a Coke and some Fritos to celebrate.

God singing

2008-09-26T22:59:00.003-06:00

We were at a Celebrate Recovery gathering Friday night and Caleb Quay, the speaker and worship leader, was leading us in the song "Beautiful One". As we were singing the words:

Beautiful one I love
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing

he stopped us and quoted

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

He said something like, "just as we love God and love singing to Him, He also loves us as His children and loves singing to us as stated in these verses." Thinking about God singing and calling me beautiful, and one He loves and adores just made me feel all warm and tingly.
I have never thought about God singing to me. It is a humbling and awesome thought.

Celebrating the 4th

2008-07-04T15:20:00.004-06:00

We went to the 4th of July parade in Cody today and enjoyed listening to our band, the Wyoming All State High School Marching Band. I am truly glad that I live in these United States and I thank God that He has blessed this country. We are such a blessed country physically, intellectually, and socially it is hard not to think of ourselves as God's favorite, as the "new Israel." I ask that I not fall in the trap of associating my country with God's kingdom. Two great documents follow, Lord help us to keep them in the proper context of our lives.

Matt 6:9-15

"This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Declaration of Independence

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation upon such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are long accustomed. But [our grievances are neither light nor transient, and a list of them follows….]
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good people of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

I can't Believe He said that

2008-07-03T21:44:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I gave a sermon with the tag line of "I can't believe he did/said that." I was trying to show how Jesus turned his world upset down with his actions and teachings. We talked about him not only healing lepers but actually touching them even before they were healed. He accepted invitations to the houses of unclean sinners and let prostitutes touch him. He talked to women even non-Jewish ones. No wonder he was both loved and hated. Loved by those he helped and showed respect. Hated by those he crossed and offended with his honesty.

I am continually amazed at the difference between the real Jesus and the flannel graph Jesus. I grew up in the age of flannel graph and my Jesus was always nice and clean except for the cleansing of the temple and his hair still kept that "Breck shine" (really old ad slogan). I am so glad that I have lived long enough to get to know a Jesus I can truly relate to, a Jesus I can follow.

I hope you get to know the Jesus that lived a real life with all the struggles and heartbreaks we face, because when he says I've been there, done that, brought the T-shirt it is true. He understands and can give love and compassion from the heart.

Some Prose from Henri Nouwen

2008-06-20T23:18:00.003-06:00

I came across this quote from Henri Nouwen on the Dream Awakener's blog. It impressed me so much I had to share it.

How does the Spirit of God manifest itself through us? Often we think that to witness means to speak up in defense of God. This idea can make us very self-conscious. We wonder where and how we can make God the topic of our conversations and how to convince our families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues of God's presence in their lives. But this explicit missionary endeavour often comes from an insecure heart and, therefore, easily creates divisions.
The way God's Spirit manifests itself most convincingly is through its fruits: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22). These fruits speak for themselves. It is therefore always better to raise the question "How can I grow in the Spirit?" than the question "How can I make others believe in the Spirit?" - Henri Nouwen

Back in the saddle again

2008-06-16T21:53:00.003-06:00

This past Sunday I preached for the first time in quite a while and will again this coming Sunday, as our preacher is away. One of his daughters is getting married in Tennessee. I do teach a Bible class regularly, but preaching is different. The last few times I have talked on Sunday morning, it hasn't been in a sermon fomat, but more of a conversation. I think I am more of a teacher than a preacher, and there are those who even question that claim (my myself included sometimes). I also did it without any graphics as all our computer people were gone, really old style :>). I thought it went okay, and I got some positive feedback.

Remembering Heroes

2008-05-26T19:02:00.004-06:00

These figures are from the Marines Times and Encyclopedia of War (vol.1-3), They serve as a reminder that freedom is not cheap. I am honored to have served in the USAF and to remember all those men and women who gave up time in their lives, who were injured and who died to keep this country free.

American Revolution: 4,435 died
War of 1812: 2,260 died
Mexican War: 13,283 died
Civil War: 529,511 died (perhaps quite a lot more, but records are incomplete)
Spanish-American War: 2,446 died
World War I: 116,516 died
World War II: 405,399 died
Korean War: 36,574 died
Vietnam War: 58,209
Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury): 19 died
Persian Gulf War: 383
Panama (Operation Just Cause): 23 died
Somalia (Operation Restore Hope): 43
The Iraq War: 4,564 (and counting)

A New Phase in Life

2008-05-18T22:38:00.005-06:00

It is graduation time once again. We went to a couple of graduation parties this past weekend. We had a nice time. The graduates as usual were excited and ready for the next phase of their life, be it college or a full time job. They talk a lot about freedom and being on their own, and maybe even leaving town for some place new and exciting. I am all for that, they need to be able to dream.

There is one thing for sure, they are moving on and hopefully it is in a positive direction. How many times do we get to begin a new phase in our life? A couple of oblivious answers would be, moving to a new place, taking a new job, getting married or divorced, or having children. How about a new phase in your relationship with God? Reading through Hebrews there are those verses at the beginning of chapter 6 that always cause me to stop and think. Have I really moved on to maturity or am I still stuck in the elementary things? I guess my answer would have to be a yes in some areas and a no for others. The areas in which I haven't moved forwarded, as least what I would call moving forward, could be called safety zones. I have thought about the "what ifs" but I am still considering the options. If I take a step outside the safety zone, where will it lead? It is the unknown that is frightening and I guess I am still concern about being correct. Well, I guess this is a new phase, one in which I am questioning as opposed to just being satisfied with the status quo.

Go ahead it's just a little bit

2008-05-08T22:04:00.002-06:00

I was having a Coke Zero with supper tonight and just happened to glance at the side of the can that lists the nutritional facts (boy is that an oxymoron). At the top it said VERY LOW SODIUM, (in all caps to emphasize the point I guess) 35mg or less per 240ml (8 fl oz), then later it lists the serving size as 1 can which is 12 oz. Why list the amount of sodium in 8 oz. when you are going to drink 12 oz. Ever looked at the serving size on a carton of ice cream, it is 1/2 cup most of the time. Stop and think just how big is 1/2 cup or more appropriately how small is 1/2 cup. I think they are just trying to convince us their product is low in calories, fat and carbs by listing them in ridiculously small amounts. How many people are going to eat the suggested serving size?

That train of thought got me to thinking (I know I must lead a boring life) about when the evil one whispers just a little bit won't hurt you. He says just a quick glance at the cover of SI's swimsuit issue won't hurt. But who is going to look at just one picture when there are so many more good ones just waiting to be drooled over. Borrowing a just a little bit from work, just this once, it can't hurt. One lie is all I need to cover up my mistake. How many times have I fallen prey to this type of logic? The old cliche, "It is easier to stop, if you never get started" is so true.

If watching what you eat is important, and if you can't limit yourself to a suggested serving size, it would seem the wise course of action would be not take any at all. With sin there is no acceptable amount that won't hurt us, so do whatever you have to and don't get started.

Let the Music Flow

2008-04-26T22:33:00.003-06:00

We watched "August Rush" last night, I know it has been out for a while, but we rarely go to the theater any more. It may be the best movie I have watched this year. It is definitely in the top three. The way the plot is told through music was so impressive. Music truly is all around us if we would stop and listen. This is an impressive statement coming from a very unmusical person. But I like music and I am touched by the sounds.

Oh, to stop and listen and look, there is so much we are missing. We are just too busy, too much to do. God's concept of Sabbath rest would benefit all of us, even if we had to parceled it out through the week.

Just a thought, what makes something "a have to"?

Simple BUT powerful word

2008-04-22T20:06:00.006-06:00

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This picture was taken from our front porch on a Monday. Just by looking at it, you would guess it was taken sometime last winter, but that was not the case. I took it yesterday April 21. Welcome to spring time in Wyoming, but I am not complaining because last year at this time we had 2 feet of snow, that's right feet not inches.

Another but is this Lands'End catalog we just received featuring swim suits and I am putting on two layers of clothes just to stay warm.
This is one of the few times I could almost (just almost) wish Al Gore was right about Global Warming, which he is not at least to the extent he teaches.

The use of "but" usually entails a disagreement or disappointment with the current situation or statement being made. It is often used when we want to avoid doing something or changing an opinion, not a good usage.

I like the way Peter used "but" in Luke 5:4-5. His usage is a positive one - I don't want to do what you say, but I will because you say it.

I guess I am easily impressed with word usage, but I will stop here.

A sure sign of Spring

2008-04-11T08:53:00.003-06:00

This past Monday I took my bike out for a ride, or should I say my bike took me for a ride, or I took a ride on my bike. Oh well, I had a good time. It was a bit cool at 65 mph, but okay as I didn't ride too long at a stretch. By way of explanation this picture was from last summer. This weekend is supposed to be even nicer (we will see).

Reading over my first sentence explains why I think we have such trouble communicating with each other. I know what I meant to said, but each of those phrases carries a different meaning. Too often, offenses are taken when none is intended. Are we just always expecting a criticism or an abuse to come our way, so no matter what is said I take offense. I would think if we know the love of God and are returning it - in part - by loving others we would assume a good intent until proven otherwise. That sounds like a good idea (if I do say so myself) and I will work on thinking that way.

Disappointed but still Enjoying It

2008-04-06T15:13:00.005-06:00

Well, the semifinals were a bit of a disappointment. None of the teams I picked made it to the finals which is okay as I wasn't cheering for any of them especially since Duke was gone. I was surprised that the games weren't as close as you might have expected. With the four number 1 seeds playing I certainly wasn't expecting losses by double digits no matter who won.

I am thankful to CBS (something I never thought I would say) for putting them on the Internet. We hooked up our computer to a new LCD TV I borrowed from the store and we had as good of reception as with our old analog TV with cable. There are benefits to working at a store that sells TVs and a boss that likes sports.

Here's hoping Monday's night game will be more exciting and not another blow out. I will miss getting to see Kevin Love and Tyler Hasbrough go at it. They both played well but basketball is still a team game and that is why Davidson didn't make it.

Get out the Cokes and chips Monday night finals is almost here.

Whispering

2008-03-31T20:53:00.003-06:00

I have run afoul of the old communication's problem again. You know, "What I said is not what I meant and what you heard is not what I said." I don't know of any surefire way around this problem other than being an Oscar Wilde or William F. Buckley or such, which I obviously am not. Another unacceptable solution is to just quit talking. Oh well, I guess I will just have to keep plugging along, trying to learn from my mistakes and hope for a little grace from my listeners.

Thankfully we have translator in the Holy Spirit to help us with our prayers to the Father.

March Madness

2008-03-24T21:02:00.007-06:00

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March Madness is a great humbler. I can read the stats, watch some games, and listen to many expert predictions and still come out of the 1st weekend with only a 32 out of 48 record. Once again the number 12 ranked teams are wrecking havoc on higher ranked teams, and I love it. You never really know who is going the win, even a 17 point lead isn't a guarantee in the tournament. I just wish that the 12 teams I had picked had done the wrecking instead of the ones I was sure were going home early. I had high hopes for the Dukies but at least they made it further this year than last year.

Speaking of being humble, God and I must have a different point of view of what it means to be humble. He seems to think I need humbling a lot more than I do. The previous sentence is probably a perfect example. Hopefully I am learning from His teaching.

Seder Meal

2008-03-21T09:17:00.002-06:00

Wednesday night we had our usual supper at the building, but since it is the week before Easter we decided to do some different. We had a Seder meal along with our regular meal. It has been a long time since I have done one these, in fact I don't think I have ever done a complete one. We did a modified non-kosher version this time. It was interesting to go through the ceremony, read the blessings, and think about what those actions meant.

One new bit of information I learned was that during the taking of the second cup (the cup of deliverance) they spilled a little wine in memory of the Egyptians who suffered through the plagues.

Another interesting part was the hiding part of the Afikomen,the middle piece of matzoh, and letting the children find it for a reward. This seems very similar to Easter egg hunting and reward.

We had about 25 people involved and they all said it was a very enjoyable.

The Original Bread Maker

2008-03-13T21:53:00.003-06:00

I make a lot of bread, in fact almost all the bread we eat I make. My bread machine produces a round loaf that we cut in half lengthwise, that why the loaf in the picture may look a little strange. The other night after I mixed together the ingredients for another loaf, I thought I wonder how or even who figured out how to make bread. Why does flour, yeast, oil(I used applesauce), honey and water make such a delicious food. How many times did they have to experiment to get something they liked or even eat? I am experimenting with different flours and other ingredients some to great success.

If you think that is fascinating, just think of who created the wheat, yeast, and honey in the first place. I am just in awe of all that God has done. I think it's the little things that work so well together that impresses me the most. Don't get me wrong I am certainly impressed by the major events in our world but these would not happen if it weren't for the small things that make them possible. Rainbows are beautiful and majestic but without the water droplets there would be no rainbows. Just a dash of salt or some other spice is the difference between a bland dish and a flavorful one.

My amazement of God is just beyond my limited vocabulary. Thank you God.

Synergy of Desserts

2008-03-10T21:36:00.004-06:00

A couple of nights ago we had one of my favorite desserts. It was chocolate pudding with bananas mixed in. I like chocolate pudding, in actuality I probably like anything chocolate, and I like bananas, but the two together surpasses their individual delights. It's a synergy effect if you know what I mean. It is such a simple dessert nothing fancy at all. we just use instant pudding and split a banana between us.

It's like love and serving. They just go together. If you love someone, you end up serving them. God said He loved us, so the natural action to follow was to serve us. This He did when Jesus came to live among people and to serve them. You remember, one time when the disciples were arguing over who should be first and Jesus said, "He came not to be served but to serve." That must have embarrassed them, I know it would me. I say, "I love God," and if I truly do mean it where is my service? Too often in the past I believed that my service to God was satisfied by engaging in public worship, not doing anything bad, and helping those that asked for help. Now I believe my service should be more outgoing, not waiting to be asked but seeking to help others and not limiting who I help. I definitely don't have a handle on doing this yet, but I am trying to expand and follow the Spirit's leading.

Smell the Coffee

2008-03-06T09:59:00.005-07:00

I think it is interesting how little things can be important, such as in the my current concern which is coffee. We needed to cut back on expenses a while back and one of the items to suffer the financial axe was fresh roasted coffee we ordered off the Internet. It was only about a week old this way, I know that is "really old" to purists who live in the big city, but remember I live in the hinterlands. As way of comparison there was some speciality coffee in our grocery store dated Nov 2007 and it was Feb 2008 when I looked at it. Who knows when the Folgers and Maxwell house was roasted. But I digress, at the time we could only afford the store brand stuff. Carol almost quit drinking coffee totally, she said it was so bad. Well, our finances have improved so we have added back a few of our wants but not all of them. I don't know if we ever will. Good coffee is one of the wants we have added back. We had our first cup of good coffee this morning. Carol took a sip and said, "This is good coffee." It was goooooood coffee.

Writing this caused me to asked, "Am I settling for second rate or even third rate in my relationship with God and others." It seems to always cost more for the "good stuff." Good relationships don't necessarily cost more montarily, but they do cost in time, giving of self and energy. I am trying not to look at relationships from a cost analysis viewpoint, but from - this is just what I want to do. I want the best relationship with God I can have.

A New Record!!!!

2007-08-27T20:46:00.000-06:00

We took a trip to Billings MT last Saturday, basically just to have fun and maybe buy a few things if we found the right stuff. But something happened, and we set a new all time record for least money spent, I think. We haven't been to Billings for several months. We used to go at least once a month and often more than, when our boys were home. It seems that we were always buying something for the boys we couldn't get locally. Normally it would be clothes, for Jason and Blake it would be dress pants or shirts for music groups, for Cody it was always athletic shoes, for Josh it was just clothes. Carol was sewing much more then, so a stop at the Bernina store was necessary. I just liked to eat out, which was always a treat and still is.

We were looking for a few things this time. We want to build or buy a fire pit for our backyard and have a small pond with running water. Carol has been researching all this online and we have looked locally but haven't found what we really wanted. We found several Chimeras but they are expensive and after discussing it we decided we really have everything we need to build our own fire pit, so scratch spending money on that. We found the parts for our pond but it is too late in the year (for Wyoming) to enjoy it much, so scratch spending money on that. What we did buy was a gift for a total of $6.45.

Lunch was at Applebees and the new Trio menu was big enough that we shared it. We did stop though for a huckleberry shake with chocolate ice cream at Rockvale. It is sooo good.

Maybe we are just losing our touch of spending money or we are perfecting the concept of having fun without spending much money. I hope it is the latter.

The "Good Ole Days"

2007-08-17T22:49:00.000-06:00

Our garden is really producing now. We have tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, yellow squash to eat fresh. We had just been picking enough of the green beans for a meal,(a mess as my granny would say) but now the plants are producing many more than we can eat, so I reverted back a few years and froze a few pints. Boy, did that bring back memories. I remember spending the summers with my grandparents on my mom's side. They were farmers, so granny always had a garden. One of the memories I have is of sitting on the porch and watching her snapping and stringing green beans. That was back in the days before stringless green beans. She even let me do some and I was young enough that I thought of it as an priviledge, not work. I thought it was also fun to hull peas.

When our boys were young, Carol raised a garden and canned most of the vegetables we ate. I was wondering if our boys ever remember snapping green beans.? Granny always canned her vegetables but tonight I blanched mine and froze them because it is so much easier.

It is interesting my grandparents raised a garden, but my parents didn't. Carol's parents raised a garden when she was a little kid, but then both our moms got jobs and didn't have the time. We quit raising a big garden when the boys left home and now only have a small one basically for salads and a few vegetables.

Well that is enough of a trip down memory lane for tonight. Good Eating!

something is missing

2007-08-12T22:02:00.000-06:00

On my way to Cody last week I passed by a large grain elevator complex. Farmers raise a lot of barley around here and it is harvest season. This means there are train loads of barley leaving quite often. In fact there was a train leaving just as I was driving by, but something was happening I had never seen before. The train was about a quarter of a mile down the tracks when it stopped, as I drove by I noticed that a caboose and a grain car had become separated from the train, and there were men running towards each other from both the main section of the train and the caboose part. I have never seen a train lose some of its cars before.

Carol has been gone to Estes Park for a Sweet Adeline's training workshop this past weekend, so I have been bumping around an empty house. It is interesting the different feeling I have when she is going to be gone several days and nights as opposed to just being gone for the day even if it is until late at night. When both of us are home it is not uncommon for us to go to bed at different times. Going to bed without her, but knowing she is in the house just feels different than going to bed when she is not home.

The train crew realised something was missing and stopped to fix it. Something is definitely missing when Carol will not be home for the night. I can't really fix it, so I just look forward to when she will be home.

When my relationship with God lapses, something is definitely missing. I don't really notice it slipping away, but then I notice things aren't going well and I wonder why. Duh! I let God go missing from my life. As soon as I get back, things are better.

The moral - if something is missing and you can do something about it , Do it.

The Deathly Hallows

2007-08-03T22:16:00.000-06:00

Well, I finished Harry Potter book seven yesterday morning. I had the morning off so I took time to finish the book. I enjoyed this one as much as the others, and I was not disappointed in the ending. For those who haven't read the book and want to keep the ending a secret !!!!! STOP HERE!!!!!.
I knew Snape was on Dumbledore's side all the way through, although I didn't realize the root cause of his allegiance. I expected Dumbledore to reappear as anytime, so I missed on that one. The appearance of Aberforth was almost as good as he saved the trio several times. Carol had a good point in that the reason for Dumbledore's wanting Snape to kill him was pretty weak. His reason was so he could die quickly with no pain, as in euthanasia. We thought it would have been more in keeping with the story line, if his death was presented as a sacrifice, which is what it was. I didn't think Harry was as broody in this one as in several of the last ones and I liked that.

I can feel the withdrawal symptoms beginning, oh no!!!!!!!

From Simple to Complicated to Simple again

2007-07-24T21:47:00.000-06:00

Well, I turned the ripe old age of 63 last week. It is amazing the change from this picture to my current one. Yes I really was some one's little kid once. Looking at this picture brings back memories of a simpler (?) lifestyle. If you listen to many older people (whatever age that means?) they always seem to get around to talking about how much simpler life was when they were young. That may be or may not be true, but one aspect of it that I believe is true is that choices appeared simpler. A child doesn't realize all the ramification of her choices, so things are much more black or white.

Carol says I usually make a profound spiritual application in my posts. I will take that as a complement, so here goes. Besides being a little kid who wore cowboy boots I remember being God's little kid, and I probably still am in his sight. Everything seemed so simple and straight forward as a little kid. There were the good guys, those who did the right things, and the bad guys, those who didn't. If you followed the 5-step plan you could earn a place in heaven, and on and on.

Now because I am older, the logical next comment would be that I now believe life is more complicated and a relationship with God more difficult, but that is not true. The more I study and live, the more simple I find obeying God to be. Not easier but simpler. The simple aspect is just to follow Jesus. I have spent too much time trying to understand and teach the rules and regulations people make up trying to explain what God wants. It is so simple - Love God with all your mind, soul, heart and strength and love one another as He loves us. Simple but not always easy.

Senior Night Out

2007-07-14T22:04:00.000-06:00

Our big night out to celebrate my birthday, was to go see the new Harry Potter film. Yes, there are some benefits of being "seniors" cheap movie tickets. There are just some movies that have to be seen on the big screen. Harry Potter is one of them. In my opinion it is the special effects that make these movies. The story is great too, but you have already read the books, so it is no great surprise. The casting of Dolores Umbridge was excellent, the villain du jour. I thought Imelda Staunton played the character to perfection. The name again is so clever for the character. For all those people who are upset about witches, get over it, it is only a book of fiction.

Borders in the yard

2007-07-10T21:19:00.000-06:00

I think the jungle is finally under control, there is still work to be done, but the grass is mowed, and the weeds in the garden are pulled. I have even been able to lay some more of our kiln bricks around two more areas.

The picture to the left separates a corner by the sidewalk and driveway. The bricks are laid but all the grass and weeds haven't been pulled yet. It was easy to mow around today which was one of the objectives. The bricks are also big enough they can't be easily moved and they make a clear distinction between the grass and the plant area.

The picture on the right is a little hill that I made near the house. We intend to put plants on it to add permanent color as opposed to planting new flowers every year. The walkway leads back to the valves for the sprinkler system.

Thinking about our yard as I write, it seems as if we are going to a lot of trouble to make separate areas in our yard and I guess we are. I am afraid we do that with lives too. We have a tendency to compartmentalize our lives, which can lead to trouble if we separate God out of some areas of our life. When we talk about the secular and spiritual aspects of our lives, I think we are making a mistake. I believe a disciple only has a spiritual life. Our Christianity has to penetrate all areas of our lives, to receive the blessings that God provides for us. So borders are fine for my yard but not my life if they are used to keep God out.

Thank You God for the Land I live In

2007-07-05T22:09:00.000-06:00

I had a great time this 4th of July, but then I usually enjoy the 4th. We slept in a little and then had a good breakfast. I worked in the yard in the morning. I laid some more of our kiln bricks, this time around a corner of plants in the front yard.

Then as I was getting ready to eat some lunch and take a break, Max rode up and wanted to go somewhere. After a glass of ice tea off we went to Red Lodge MT. It has been pretty hot and still was on Wednesday, so we opted to head towards the mountains and cooler temperatures. It was a nice ride, the wind wasn't blowing hardly at all, riding vertical as opposed to 45 degrees is a lot more fun. The wildlife was sparse as I only saw 3 antelopes. There is nothing quite like riding between fields that are being irrigated, the smell and the coolness are great. The traffic wasn't bad either for the 4th.

That evening the church had a cookout as usual, but this time it was at Jimmy and Amy Park's place. They moved here about 6 months ago and have a nice 20 acre spread. The food and fellowship were great and nobody was hurt by the fireworks, a very successful evening.

I thank God daily for our home, the country, the state, and our local area. I often wonder why I am so blessed. Father help me to care for what you have given me and to use it for your glory.

Welcome back to the jungle

2007-07-03T09:28:00.000-06:00

It is always nice to get home from a trip, there's your own bed, a normal schedule, your stuff where you want it, and there is the jungle. The grass wasn't too tall because we weren't gone that long, but the little vegetables garden and the flower beds, I should call them the weed patch. We did have someone come and water our garden when she fed our dog, but without tending the weeds grew as fast or faster than our vegetables. I wish now that I had taken a picture of it before I started weeding it again. It would have made a great before and after series. We don't have a big garden maybe 20x40. Carol is past the canning stage. She did that while we were raising our boys. Now we just grow enough to eat while it is in season. We had fresh baby spinach leaves in a salad last night, hmmmmm good!!

Being the retired preacher, I have to mention at least one spiritual application, so here goes. Our garden had all it needed to grow - sun, dirt, and water - and it grew, but so did all the weeds. What it missed was someone to tend it, someone to take care of it, someone to love it. I think too often we only provide the nutrients for our family, but without the close caring that is needed. We provide clothes, shelter, food, activities lead by others, but without the personal care weeds in the form of trouble will spring up. The same is true in our community of faith. We need each other, we need more than lessons and teachings. This is a hard part for me because I love to teach. It is easy (for me) to teach lessons, but takes effort and time to be a friend.

Lord help me to realize what is truly important and lasting.

The Texas Trip

2007-07-01T22:22:00.000-06:00

We made our big Texas trip last week to see my brother and his family, my favorite aunt, and a whole bunch of other relatives. It was a long trip, we covered around 2500 miles in 9 days. The travel part of the trip was fine, except for the road construction delays that were almost solid from Colo Springs to Amarillo or so it seemed. The weather was cool as it was overcast most of the way, much different than normal. We saw a lot of different kinds of scenery, but decided that our local mountains are still more beautiful. We didn't do any real sightseeing, we just went to see the people. While in Austin we just hungout with my brother and went with them to a few places. We went to a Home Depot where we bought something we have been needing., a swimming pool store (he has a new pool) and a music store where we got something too. We only ate out once, after church on Sunday. We went to visit and get and give updates on our respective families. It was a fun time.

Do you have time to grieve?

2007-05-22T20:14:00.000-06:00

Grieving - is it an emotion? I called it such in a comment to Jason's blog. Maybe it is more than a feeling that comes as a result of a loss. I am usually sad or upset when I lose something or things don't go my way, but I usually don't grieve. To me grieving is much deeper than just being sad, consequently it must be the seriousness of the loss that would cause grieving.

Is it just a loss that would cause me to grieve? What about an action or lack of action as the case may be? Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians that certain actions of ours can grieve the Holy Spirit. Wow, if an action of mine can grieve God then wouldn't it follow that upon reflection it should grieve me too. I don't know that I have actually grieved over very many of my sins. Maybe if I took them more seriously, I would actually grieve over them and realize how terrible they really were. I am afraid, saying, "I'm sorry," has become meaningless too often. We make our little kids say, "I'm sorry" when doing something wrong. But do they mean it? Many times they don't, but we make them say it anyhow. When we sin, is this how we are? A quick "I'm sorry" and I am moving on. It's a sad commentary but I think our society doesn't leave time to grieve. Our multi-tasking lifestyle is just too fast paced for reflection. When is there time to grieve?

Using beliefs to make choices

2007-05-21T22:30:00.000-06:00

Two standards that I am trying to live by are,
(1) loving God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength,
(2) loving my neighbor as I love myself.
When situations come up and choices have to be made, I am trying to use these standards to make my choices and I am trying to encourage others to do the same.

In our group we are considering whether to have a preschool in our building. It will be run by one of our members but not officially associated with our group. We will "rent" them space for the extra cost of utilities, insurance and other obvious expenses. If we do this it will require giving up some space and other things I am sure we haven't thought of. Of course some are all for it and others are hesitant. No one has come out absolutely against it, not yet any way. So I am thinking how do my standards apply in this case, or do they? After thinking about it I am going on the premise that they do. Will the preschool promote the love of God? It can and I firmly convinced the woman running it will make that a priority. It may be a way to provide us opportunities to show God's love, by loving others.

A vital issue we will have to deal with is - how our group handles the questions raised about the preschool. Will the questions be asked in a respectful way and will they be answered without defensiveness? Whatever is decided will work, if we seek to match our desires with God's.

Who Is In Control?

2007-05-08T18:15:00.000-06:00

When did satan become the prince of this world? God created this world and all that was and is in it, and He certainly didn't give it to satan. So who had control of the earth? Genesis 1:26 says God gave rule over all the earth and everything that goes along with it to mankind. Well, how did Adam and Eve lose control?

I believe the answer is in Genesis 3. God had told Adam and Eve they could not eat of the tree of knowledge or they would die, but as we know they believed satan instead when he lied and said they wouldn't die. This choice put them under satan's control and consequently gave him control over the earth. God was and still is in ultimate control, but to the extent that man was to have control over the earth satan assumed that control. This what I believe Paul is discussing in Romans 8.

Rom 8:20-22For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.NIV

Paul then goes to say that as we have been freed so creation can also be freed and revert back to its original intent. Just as the cross and the resurrection has allowed us once again to be in union with God and have community with others, our relationship with the earth can also be restored. Jesus' words in John 12 sums it up.

John 12:31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.NIV

Does your voice smile?

2007-04-23T18:34:00.000-06:00

Actions that can just make some one's day are often just a few simple words of encouragement. Simple having a big impact, it must be a God thing. It seems to be a requirement for all checkers to say, "Have a nice day." Some say it with enthusiasm and others just mumble it as they hand you the receipt. Do you ever respond back? A little positive feedback can make a long shift bearable.

Ever tied to put a smile in your voice? It really makes a difference how people respond to you. Some people just seem to do it naturally, I love talking to those people. Then there are people like me who have to work at it. I don't intentionally try to sound angry, but unless I think about smiling I usually come across as not happy, or so I have been told. So join me and put a smile in your voice especially when others can't see your facial expressions.

EVIL

2007-04-16T21:42:00.000-06:00

The shootings at VT this morning were terrible. Why would someone do this? I am sure we will hear from many, many pseudo-experts and maybe even some real experts in the coming days. I am sure they will come-up with many reasons, but with the shooter dead we will most likely never know for sure.

I hope people, including myself, remember the sorrow and agony of the families and friends of those who lost loved ones, and not get caught up in the media circus that is bound to happen.

There is evil in the world, but that doesn't mean the world or the things and people in it are evil in and of themselves. We need to remember that God created this world and its people, and at the completion He said, "It is very good." There is an evil force, which we often call the devil, that is trying to destroy God's creation and the men and women who live here. God's plan for overcoming evil was carried out when Jesus defeated that evil force at the cross with the resurrection. Evil still lingers but it is on its way out. I like the course of action N.T. Wright suggests, " believers are to implement the achievement of the cross and anticipate God's promised future world, where there will be no evil." He has a great book called "Evil and the Justice of God."

May those affected by today's tragedy find the peace of the God of comfort.

Peace be with you

2007-04-09T21:10:00.000-06:00

On Sunday we read about the resurrection from the gospel of John, and one phrase just reached out grabbed me. I don't know how many times I have read John chapter 20, but this time it was like I was reading it for the first time. The phrase that has stayed with me is "Peace be with you." According to John, Jesus says this three times on two different occasions. Considering the situation and circumstances, this phrase seems perfect. There they are, hiding behind locked doors, waiting for the banging on the door that will announce the arrival of soldiers to haul them away.

But Jesus appears saying "Peace be with you." What a relief. The disciples were overjoyed. Jesus repeats himself, "Peace be with you." They needed that. A week later, with Thomas there this time, Jesus appears again and begins with, "Peace be with you."

This is a phrase, "Peace be with you," that I need to hear often, and probably more than I realize. Peace is a comfort, and such a beautiful concept. To be at peace makes everything around you more enjoyable. The opposite of peace is fear, and anger, and hate. They can suck the beauty right out of any circumstance. Paul says he was content in any and every situation and I believe it was because of the peace that was in his heart from knowing Jesus.

I want to know Jesus better, so I can enjoy the peace that passes understanding. How about you?

musical influence

2007-03-26T21:56:00.000-06:00

I wonder why music has such an influence over us. I am not musically inclined at all, so I can't explain its influence, but I do know what I like and don't like. What I have noticed is different kinds of music put me in different moods and maybe it is the mood I don't like. It could also be that I don't understand certain kinds of music and therefore don't like them. Generally I like upbeat melodies with words and meanings I can understand.

What brought this to mind, is yesterday (Sunday) we sang this song that always puts me in a downer. The words are okay but the melody is a total loser from my point of view, but obviously not from the song leader's perspective. I want our songs to create a different mood than some of our song leaders. I try to bite my tongue most of the time in respect for others opinions which are just as valid as mine.

That is enough ranting and raving for awhile. For those who made it to this point, you are very patient, thank you.

reshaping a life

2007-03-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have an old trailer, that I am fixing up so it can be used again. It has been sitting in the back yard unused for several years now, mainly due to a bent tongue. The bend is not real bad just enough so it doesn't follow well. Once again I went to my farmer friend, as he has just about everything. I asked him if the we could straighten the tongue on my trailer. He wasn't sure as it was a channel piece, but he would try. He started with the simplest method, beating on it with a sledge hammer, but after several hits we knew it would take more force than we could supply with just a hammer. We took it to his press (good farmers have everything) and it helped it some but not enough. Since the piece was channel shaped bending on one side too much caused the other side to bend in a way we didn't want. His son suggested we put a straight piece inside the channel and use that to help shape it. Great idea! He found a scrap of iron just the right size to fit into the channel and keep it from collapsing (farmers keep everything, who knows when you might need it, they also have the room). The result, I now have a trailer I can pull when I get a trailer hitch. A disclaimer all these "we's" should be him. I merely watched and gave moral support. What do we do when our lives get bent out of shape? Just like that trailer with a bent tongue, we don't go in the direction we should if our lives are bent by sin. Our lives need to be reshaped to their original form, and the only form that works is Jesus. He is the one we need to wrapped around and be pressed against to conform to the proper shape. It took some force to straighten that metal tongue and it won't be easy to reshape us either, but it can be done. The strength to straighten the trailer was more than we had, but with the press it was possible. Likewise it will take the power of God to straighten us out. The good news is that He loves us enough to do whatever it takes. Thanks God

It isn't always what it seems

2007-03-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

Last week was a little anxious, as one of our cars quit running. Car repair can be simple or complicated, but almost always expensive. The symptoms pointed to a failed battery (simple), so I took the battery down to be tested and sure enough it was bad. I brought a new battery (somewhat expensive) and installed it. But then the same symptoms returned, the car wouldn't start without jumping the battery. Well, it has a new battery I thought, so it must be the alternator (not too complicated). I have a friend who is a farmer, farmers are great because they have tools and equipment for almost any situation or they can at least work around the problem. I asked him to bring in his battery tester which also checks alternators to make sure it was the alternator. We discovered that the alternator was good but the new battery checked out weak, probably one of the cells was bad. I took the battery back and got a new one (simple) and since I had only had the other "new" one about a week there was no cost (inexpensive), just the hassle of switching batteries several times.

I just assumed that the first new battery was good. The guys at the auto parts store didn't intentionally sell me a defective battery, they just hadn't checked it. It wasn't until I put a tester on the new battery that I found it was the problem. Ever been taught something from the Bible that turned out not to be true or at least not as presented? I have and I have also been guilty of doing the same. The teaching came from a reliable source and they weren't intentionally trying to deceive me, because they too believed it to be true. But when questions arose that my beliefs couldn't answer I began to reevaluate my beliefs and to study until I found some answers.

The moral of this story, if it actually has one, is to ask questions and apply the answers to the tester, Jesus, and not just accept what is taught. Easier said than done though, but with the Spirit's help and a believing heart it is possible.

What does God do with evil?

2007-02-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

I am reading a very intriguing book. I am not very far into the book yet but one characteristic of the book I like is that it has yet to offer simplistic answers to complex questions. The author has promised to give some answers but they probably will be the kind that require me to ponder and think in order to understand them.

Thinking about it isn't that what Jesus did with the parables. He posed situations and then gave conclusions that were not readily oblivious.

I am getting better at looking at God's word not as a simple list of orders of "do this and don't do that" but as the story of God and his relationship with people. An amazing part the story is that He invites us to join Him and be involved with Him in the story.

Snow is a wonder to behold

2007-02-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

We have been getting snow every few days for several weeks now. It is never more than a couple of inches, but it is enough to replace whatever melts. It is so clean looking right after it snows, everything is so white. We had some pretty high winds the other day and dirt from the fields (we are a farming community) blew in and gave us dirty brown snow. But just like clockwork two nights later another two inches of snow and we were white and glistening.

I think this is what we must look like to the Father as his children. Jesus has made us all white and clean with his blood. The snow covers up the brown grass, the dead leaves and bare ground and changes it so it sparkles in the sunlight. All our faults, our failed attempts to do what's right, and our just plain laziness are covered up as though they never existed and we get to shine in the Sonshine. Even when sin attempts to dull our whiteness, we are covered with a new layer grace and our shine is as resplendent as ever.

Thank you Lord, for the beauty of your snow and the coverage of your grace.

helping a friend

2007-01-29T23:27:00.000-07:00

My friend CJ is trying to win a contest. Take a look at his video.

What's Normal

2007-01-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

I reading something and the phrase "the normal person" came up. Just what is normal? It isn't the same today as it was a few years ago. According to the US Census a household made up of a married couple , male and female, now makeup less than 50% of all US households. When our oldest son went to college, a Christian college, I remember him calling home and telling us he was in the minority because his parents had never been divorced and he didn't have any step-brothers or step-sisters. So what is normal, isn't it the way things commonly are or even should be. Obliviously what is God's normal is not the same as Satan's normal. From God's perspective the norm would be how things were in Gen 2. God created humans to have a relationship with him and be apart of a community with other humans taking care of the world God created. I think that should be the norm, but it wasn't for thousands of years. But God's norm is back because of Jesus. We can now have union with God and be apart of a community for the good of each other and God's world. This is good news, God's normalcy is again available.

Sun Shine

2007-01-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

Winter cold has finally hit Wyoming. Last week and thru the weekend it was down to -17 with wind chill about -30, but below 0 it really doesn't matter. Over the weekend the daytime highs rose up to a balmy +10 and the sun was shining, so I was able to walk some everyday. I noticed when I was out and a cloud came over the sun, the cold quickly became oppressive even if the temperature was the same.

This is very similar to how I feel when I let worry, self-pity, or some other similar emotion shield me from God. He is still there, but like that sun, shielded from me. I don't feel cold when shielded from the Father but depressed and helpless.

I can't make the clouds go away, but I am learning how to bring God back into view with the warmth of His Grace and comfort. How this happens I am not quite sure, but a thought comes through and says, "It doesn't have to be like this, remember you are a child of God," or something like that. Must be the Spirit, don't you think. Thank you God.

UPSET MANIA - YOU GOTTA LUV IT

2007-01-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

This last week or so there have been numerous upsets in both football and basketball. No college game is ever a foregone conclusion, just ask Oklahoma or Ohio State or UCLA or Duke. Those that think they only have to show up to win usually end up in the loss column. This is why I like college sports so much, there really is the "thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." Bring on the hoops and the March to the Final Four, which has now been moved to April - oh well it is still fun.

Patience, How much do I need?

2007-01-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

Patience. I sometimes wonder if it is really necessary? But then I see the results of having patience and understand a little bit better. I know I have more time to read and think than most people and this allows me to come to conclusions, before others hardly get started. The problem arises when I want them to come the same conclusions (assuming I am right) I have without giving them the time to study and think it out. Patience I am learning to tell myself, give them some time.
Forcing myself to have some patience, has given me the time to stop and look at what is happening and see that God really is answering our prayers, because rushing around seems to limit my point of view to a narrow strip and I miss what is happening round about me. But then another part of me says slowing to a crawl won’t get you anywhere. I need to find the right mixture, which I believe can happen with the help of the Spirit. I pray for the faith to let it happen.

Grandma and Child

2006-12-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

The other day I had a post on the film The Nativity Story. Here is an updated version of mother and child called "Grandma and child". The phrase "wonder of love" could not be more true, as "Wonder" is the best description. Thank you God, for my family.

Blessed

2006-12-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

It is a great time. I feel so blessed by God. Carol and I are in Denver at one of son's home. There is about 2 feet of snow on the ground, thanks to the blizzard of last Wed. Then to top it all off, it snow on Christmas eve enough to cover all that had already been shoveled. The grandkids opened lots of presents and Adam, who is 14months is being well trained by his older brother on the art opening presents. It is a very relaxed day, with a late breakfast interspersed with gift opening, snacks and naps. The greatest blessing God has given me at this season is the peacefulness within our extended family including in-laws who are also here.

The Nativity Story

2006-12-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

We went to the movie The Nativity Story Friday night and enjoyed it. We probably wouldn't have gone , as we usually wait and get most films from Netflix, but some friends asked us to go with them and then go over to their house afterwards for dessert and discussion of the movie. Who am I to turn down dessert, so we went. It was one of the few Hollywood movies I have seen that did a good job on the Bible story. I liked the way they built the relationship between Mary and Joseph and the depiction of the angel was well done. It is worth seeing.

Defragging Our Lives

2006-12-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

I am defragging a computer for a friend. She is still running windows 98 and I was watching it get started just to make sure everything is going to work. The little squares were changing color as they were being rearranged and the thought hit me of how our lives need to be rearranged every so often. Sometimes it just seems that life can get out-of-wack so easily. Before we know it, we have lost sight of what is really important to us. Hopefully you have someone who will bring you back and show you where the defrag button is. There are so many different paths to explore and consequently mess with what is important in our lives.

I try to keep reminding myself of what Jesus called the two greatest commands. " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" This puts everything into the proper perspective. It is what Scot Mcknight calls the Jesus Creed.

Don't Be Afraid

2006-12-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

Our lesson this past Sunday am was on "not being afraid". The main point was Jesus has given us the Holy spirit, so we shouldn't be afraid because we are not alone. I have been thinking about when I am afraid, and it is mostly when I think I am alone or when there is no one to help me with what seems an impossible task. I remember on nights when I was the only one in the house and laying in bed and listening to the house creak and groan. But if someone else was there, I didn't hear those same creaks and groans. Also I am old enough to worry about my health, and although I do what I can, there is very little I can actually do about that.

So what keeps me sane - my trust in God. I do believe I am not alone no matter how many creaks and groans I hear. I don't know what the future holds and that is scary, but I keep telling myself I don't have to face it alone, whatever it is.

God has and is taking care of me in two important ways. He has given me a supportive family, and especially a wife that been through everything with me. Secondly He has given me His Spirit.

So I keep telling myself, "Don't be afraid, you are not alone.!" Thank you God.

Dependence

2006-11-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Dependence on God is one of the foundation stones of Christianity. Yet it is so hard to live up to the claim of "I will depend on God to handle it." I think it is because we have been ingrained with the notion that we can do it ourselves and in fact we have to do it ourselves, that depending on anyone else even God is just unamerican. Of course, as I think about it that statement it probably only applies to a certain segment of American society. Usually it takes running up against a situation that is totally beyond our control, before we seek God's help. Hopefully we can learn from the experience and begin to trust God with more and more of our life. This is where I am - hopefully letting God control more of my life although it is hard not to step in, and take back control. The "take control" part in really just a fantasy that I delude myself with, but it sounds good.

Creating a safe environment

2006-11-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

There are signs all around schools today saying this area is drug/gun free. Most public buildings are now smoke-free. These rules were established to make schools and other buildings safe. If there were no guns in school then the students were safe from being shot (false assumption). Smoke free buildings are now safe for our lungs.

So, is your church safe? Can people come and get help, encouragement, and support with their problems without being ridiculed, shunned, or even told to leave? It seems as if people don't admit their problems until it becomes public knowledge as through a police arrest or similar "outing". Why? Could it be that the church isn't a safe place? Maybe or maybe not. Repetitious sins tend to be sins that are addictive, and as with all addictions the longer we are involved in them the harder they are to overcome. Getting help early would seem to be more beneficial than later. But establishing safe relationships where this can happen is difficult both for the one seeking help and those willing to help.

Lord, we need your help loving others and letting others love us.

Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness Part 2

2006-11-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

We have taken some different/unusual actions in our group lately. We hope that they are helpful and encouraging to those that meet with us. We have a desire to have our group known as a "come as you are group, because there are no perfect people here." There are three characteristics of Jesus that we feel will help us reach our goal; they are love, acceptance, and forgiveness. We leaders made a public commitment to the group to always love, accept and forgive any of them. We promised that they could never do anything so bad that we would stop caring for them or trying to help them. We realize what an impossible task that is without the help of the Spirit to remind us of God's love for us and what Jesus endured for us. If we don't depend on the Spirit, our promise will become worthless when put to the test. We also challenged our brothers and sisters to consider this promise and hopefully come to the same conclusion as we did.

This week asked everyone to consider those that they have grudges against and forgive them. It may have been a little theatical but we suggested we do before a month is up. We did this, because it is easy for some of us to put off forgiving and just say "I do it later, when the time is right," so hopefully the time limit will help these people.

If we can't love the people we know well and are close to, why would we put forth the effort to join God in helping those we don't know well?

Fun weekend

2006-11-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a great time. Some friends invited us out to dinner and to go to the ballet. Dinner is normal but the St Peterburg's Ballet Company (as in Russian) is not normal for Cody WY. It very good at least to my untrained eye. My basketball mind marveled at the vertical leap of the men, talk about being able to slam dunk. Apparently that is what the men do, leap and spin the women. Dancing on your toes must take a lot of skill and strength. They were quite amazing.
Saturday it warmed up to about 60, so a friend of mine and I went for a motorcycle ride. It was so nice as we rode through the country. Harvest was finishing up so there were few trucks on the road. The only wildlife we saw though were some antelope far in the distance. Then the wind picked up and we had to really lean into it to stay vertical, of course the fun came when we passed a row of trees that cut off the wind and we had to quickly change the lean. It is all part of living in Wyoming, plenty of wide open spaces and consequently nothing to slow down the wind.

Then Monday it turned cold and has stayed that way, brrrrr. There is hope for the weekend though.

Perspective

2006-10-16T22:18:00.000-06:00

The other day at work two of us were sitting around talking, it was slow, there were no customers. My friend asked me if I was mad? It sort of shocked me. I said, "No, why, am I acting mad?" He said, "Well, you have your arms crossed against your chest." I wasn't mad, I was cold. A good example of why our perceptions are not always right. I'm glad he asked, so I could clear up his misperception. I am not sold on this concept of "body language". What we persceive is not always what someone is trying to communicate, if anything.

We need to be careful about the assumptions we make. Far as I know only God knows for sure what we are trying to communicate and that is because he knows what is on our heart and what we are thinking. God knew the kind of person David was and would develop into, when he sent Samuel to anoint him king. Jesus knew when the Pharisees were mentally disapproving of him. I certainly can't do that, can you?

Another interesting point in these perceptions, is they are often negative. Why is that, have we become such a negative culture that we think of the bad before the good?

I am working at trying to be positive about people and giving them the benefit-of-the-doubt, and with God's help I can improve.

Tunnel vision

2006-10-03T21:37:00.000-06:00

The other day at work I went looking for two appliances (I work in an appliance store). They had to be delivered that afternoon. I looked where I had last seen them, not there. I looked in the back room, not there. I crawled over stacks of boxed appliances to see if they were hiding in the background, not there. I did it all again, they had to be there or I would have to talk to a very unhappy customer. In utter dispare I sat down on a stool at the cashier's site and glazed out at the other half of our store, the half with beds and furniture. There sitting in the midst of the recliners were my two appliances. Someone had moved them to make room for new merchandise. They were within 15 feet of where I was looking but tunnel vision precluded me for seeing them. As my heart slowed down after the scare of "losing my appliances", I thought where else has tunnel vision prohibited me from seeing what was right in front of me.

- Other people's needs blocked out by my concentration on only my needs.
- What God is really trying to say filtered by tradition and self-righteousness
- What is unknown but maybe possible hidden by the security and comfort of the known

Lord I pray that your Spirit will open the eyes of my heart in order that I may know the hope to which I have been called, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and his incomparably great power.

Pushing the envelop to spread the gospel

2006-09-26T23:51:00.000-06:00

Tuesday night I helped lead the discussion after watching the video for the Alpha course. Our group is co-sponsoring this series with a local Lutheran group. They have been holding these studies for about 5 years and having good success at teaching basic Christian principles to interested people at all levels of commitment and non-commitment. When it became time to host the studies again they decided to try some new approaches. Since they are currently without their own permanent meeting place they asked us if they could use our building and invited us to join in the classes. We thought it was an interesting concept, a way to show Christian unity and to share in the spreading of the gospel to people we normally don't reach. We have about 12 people who come.

This co-sponsorship is what can happen when you realize your group doesn't have a monopoly on the truth and it allows the gospel to be shared.

love, acceptance, forgiveness

2006-09-19T21:52:00.000-06:00

The more I read about Jesus' dealings with people the more certain attributes just reach out and grab me. Probably the most oblivious one is his love, but it does not portray a logical pattern. It includes groups diametrically opposed to each other. His love extends from the poor and downtrodden to the rich and self-proclaimed righteous - people who if not totally responsible for other's poverty, certainly don't care enough about those in that situation to try and help them. He also loved those inbetween these two extremes. Another unique feature of this love was its unconditionality. It apparently didn't matter what you had done or would do, you are still loved. To Jesus, love did not equate with approval of actions, because forgiveness/healing and admonishment to quit sinning went hand in hand when necessary.

Unconditional love for people naturally led to his acceptance of them. Unbridled acceptance is another impressive characteristic of Jesus. At one meal he would be feasting with a Pharisee and the next enjoying the company of lairs, cheats (also know as tax collectors), and prostitutes and even on occasion with a leper. This kind of love leads to acceptance, which leads to forgiveness, which leads to a willingness to listen which can bring about repentance.

It is encouraging to read about Jesus forgiving people because of their faith and yet confusing when he forgives them apparently just because he loves them. Our logic says, people should only be forgiven when they have expressed some remorse and asked for forgiveness. Yet Jesus shed his blood on the cross for our forgiveness, amidst the cries of crucify him, crucify him.

What can a disciple of Jesus, someone who is truly desirous of following Jesus do, but to love unconditionally, accept without restriction and be forgiving of whatever comes along?

Tagged

2006-09-14T21:39:00.000-06:00

Here goes with my choices of books

A book(s) that changed my life besides the Bible- I was reading a lot of books at the time my life took a change in direction such as Free in Christ and Free to Accept by Cecil Hook; Split Grape Juice by Mike Root and 12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee(like me) by John Fischer.

A book I've read more than once- That would be most of the books I own, but I will pick The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers.

A book I would take with me if I were stuck on a desert island. Outside of the Bible probably one of the Foxfire books.

A book that made me laugh- Any of the Calvin and Hobbes collections

A book that I wish had been written- It's not all about me.

A book I wish had never been written- Piloting the Strait by Dave Miller another one of those "my view of the church is the only right one and if you don't agree with me you are going to hell."

Books I have been meaning to read- The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
Why I Am Afraid to Tell You Who I am by John Powell, New Perspectives on Paul by N.T. Wright

I'm currently reading - Every Man's Battle

The Real Mary

2006-09-13T16:09:00.000-06:00

Scot Mcknight has just written a new book called "The Real Mary". Here is a link to the first 2 chapters. I have read them and I am amazed at what I have learn about Mary that I didn't know. I encourage you to read it.

The book is set to be released the first week in Nov. It is published by Paraclete Press

A laborless Labor Day (Almost)

2006-09-04T21:59:00.000-06:00

It is amazing how many people have to work on Labor Day. As I remember Labor Day was started to honor the working person and their contributions to the economy with parades and festivals. Small town America still holds to this tradition as most of the stores are closed on Monday. I had a three day weekend which was good. We spent 2 of our three days in the mountains. On Sunday afternoon I went for a motorcycle ride with a friend, great fun. We didn't do any overnight camping and so we got to take care of the animals of our friends that were camping. We spent most of Saturday up with our friends the Elzeys and Idemas in the Beartooth mountains. Monday we drove to Red Lodge MT and then over Beartooth Pass which is one of the most scenic roads in America and back home. The little bit of labor I did have to do only consisted of pitching some hay for three horses morning and night for three days and mowing the yard. I know, I have easy.

Offense vs Defense

2006-09-03T22:57:00.000-06:00

I came across a new interpretation (for me) on Matt 16:18. I had always used this verse to say that Satan would never defeat the church. I still believe that is true, and in fact God has already won the battle, satan didn't stand a chance. The use of the imagery of "gates of hades" is a defensive one not offensive as I have always thought. In a walled city gates are used to keep the enemy out and the inhabitants in. The "Gates of hades" do not attack, but defend and keep imprisoned the people satan has captured. This verse in actuality says the church has the power to overcome the gates and release all those held captive by satan, instead of just being able to defend itself against satan. If the church will go on the offensive it will be able to break down the gates of hades and release the prisoners. Why, because Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, and Jesus defeated satan at the cross and with his resurrection.

I love a good offense and God is the master-mind of the greatest one.

Gal 2:20

2006-08-26T21:23:00.000-06:00

Galatians 2:20 says that Jesus now lives within us and I have always, at least as long as I can remember, believed that he really does, and it was more than just "through the word." However I didn't really associate how that belief would affect my actions/relations with other people. Maybe I thought it just had an internal effect, or maybe it was just one of those good beliefs I hung up in my mind and never seriously considered.

But now I am coming to believe, that if Jesus lives within me then someone ought to be able to look at me and see Jesus. This is not said in a prideful and boastful sense, but humbly as in the attitude of Matthew 25:37ff. This would be one of the greatest complements I could receive, for people to say they see Jesus in me, but it will only happen with the help of the Spirit, and I am praying that He will.

This leads to how I think about people, who are a little different or even a whole bunch different from me. There is this guy who's social skills need some polishing and although he tries to be friendly he comes off awkward, and consequently other people make fun of him. How would Jesus treat him? I wonder does he see Jesus in my relationship with him?

Another related thought, if we are made in the image of God (duh.. of course we are) then when I see another person, aren't I looking at a part of Jesus. I am not quite sure how to say what I mean here, but everyone is an image of God, right? So no matter what their level of our social skills or any other difference doesn't Matt 25:40 still apply?

Who You Know, Really Does Lead Somewhere

2006-08-22T22:30:00.000-06:00

I am continually amazed at how knowing this person leads you to that person who knows this person who leads back to someone you know. A friend of mine gave me a book to read called "Love, Acceptance, and Forgivness" by Jerry Cook. I read it and was challenged by what he said. A year or so later the same friend invited me to go hear Jerry Cook speak. I went and was again duly impressed by his understanding of loving people. The coincidence is that Jerry talked of ministering at a church called East Hill in Portland OR. They had great success in sharing the gospel and out grew the building they owned. They sold it to the congregation where my oldest son is now a member, interesting connection.

I bring this up because I have just lately read another one of Jerry's books called "Monday Morning Church" and reread the Love Acceptance and Forgivness book and it reminded me of this unusual connection.

Less said the better

2006-08-19T08:46:00.000-06:00

Wow, it is hard to believe I haven't posted since the first of Aug. I could say I have just been too busy, we have had a week of company, Carol has been gone some and I got a new (to me) motorcycle or I just haven't had anything to say. Most likely the last one.

I have come across a quote I really like, even Carol said this is the way she has felt for a long time. Come to think about it, this is the way Carol actually lives, as you don't get a lot of opinions from her on her beliefs.

“When we were first drawn together as a society,” says he, “it had
pleased God to enlighten our minds so far as to see that some
doctrines, which we once esteemed truths, were errors; and that
others, which we had esteemed errors, were real truths. From time to time He has been pleased to afford us farther light, and our
principles have been improving, and our errors diminishing. Now we are not sure that we are arrived at the end of this progression, and at the perfection of spiritual or theological knowledge; and we fear that, if we should once print our confession of faith, we should feel ourselves as if bound and confined by it, and perhaps be unwilling to receive farther improvement, and our successors still more so, as
conceiving what we their elders and founders had done, to be something sacred, never to be departed from.”

This is from Michael Welfare a founder of the Dunkers in colonial America.

Look Out!! Motorcycles Coming Through

2006-08-01T22:18:00.000-06:00

We have just had the Hells Angels World Tour in Cody, a town only 20 miles away. They say there were about 1500 of them here this past week. The state spent about $500,000 to send an army of police, highway patrol, and DCI to Cody. They wanted such a presence of police that nothing bad would happen. It must have worked because the comment by the police chief in today's paper was, "the past week was a success from the police viewpoint." There were no major confrontations and only 7 Hells angels were arrested. It was also interesting to notice the tenor of the newspaper reports of the past week. They emphasized the "human side" of the Hells Angels. In reality they are just a misunderstood motorcycle gang(opps I mean) club. It was just interesting to see the "spin" put this event. But then again it may not be spin at all.

The great LITTLE Things of this life

2006-07-25T21:13:00.000-06:00

In the midst of bigger is better, here are a few of the small things that make my life so wonderful.

This morning as I was drinking my first cup of coffee, I realized how good it tasted. This is not a new sensation, I sense it every morning when we have good coffee. I don't need coffee to wake me up, I just like coffee so I drink it, but the first cup from the pot is always the best for me.

Starting off my morning by saying the shema with the Jesus addition is just comforting.

Listening to a short recording of Griffin singing happy birthday to his grandmother, puts a smile on my face and a tear in my eye.

Sitting on the backporch in the evening with a glass of ice tea and a good book, pure heaven.

To look at my wife and see her smile at me is a gift from God.

My view of the Bible

2006-07-22T23:44:00.000-06:00

The latest book I am reading is called "the last word" by N.T. Wright it is about the authenticity of the Bible. As I was reading it the thought came to me (and I had to grab it fast before it could get away) that we all look at the Bible from a certain
perspective(s). It is not possible to look at it objectively, as we always have a slant to our viewpoint. It is not necessarily right or wrong, it just is.

I remember as a young kid, thinking everyone ought to be able to agree on
what the Bible says, if they only looked at it objectively without any biases,
and of course, that is the way I thought I looked at it. Thankfully as I grew older, I began to realize that my viewpoint had a definite slant to it. Another shocker was, anything viewed with a slant has some distortion and even parts that may be hidden from view.

Today my point of view is not the same as it was before, but it is still slanted. I hope realizing it is slanted helps me to be more honest and humble in my conclusions, and patient with others in theirs.

Teaching an old dog new tricks

2006-07-16T17:25:00.000-06:00

Well, my 62nd birthday has come and gone and it wasn't a big deal, although Several interesting events have taken place. I have decided to start drawing my Social Security now instead of waiting till I am 66. The effect is that I will get less money each month but for a longer period of time. In my case we decided it would be to our advantage. I intend to keep working but less hours each month. There is a limit you can earn and still receive SS at early retirement.

The most fun event on my birthday was the Salsa Dance class, Carol and I attended. We have a new friend who teaches Salsa Dancing and he offered to give us a free lesson because his regular class is full with a waiting list. Our friends Max and Nancy went with us and it was a HOOT! We learned five basic steps. Now if we can just remember them long enough to use them. I think we are going to practice at home to see if we can actually still do them before venturing out in public.

On the ego-boosting side several of my friends paid me a complement on learning of my birthday, by claiming to think of me as the same age as they are. They are in their mid forties. Thanks fellows.

We listen but don't believe

2006-07-11T21:08:00.000-06:00

Going thru the sermon on the mount, has brought several thoughts to my mind. I guess the main one is how/why we can have "teachings/doctrines of the church" and yet the average person in the pew doesn't live by them or at least doesn't think they are important as in "These are important and I should live by them." When I was a young preacher and maybe even into middle age preaching, I thought that if someone didn't disagree with me then they must agree, because surely if they thought I was wrong they would tell me, not so. Now some did tell me in no uncertain terms where I was making a mistake, but that was only a few. It is really strange when I try and correct something I have taught wrongly and people say, "Oh, I never believed that anyway." So why do people go along with teachings, they don't believe? I have no certain answers, but they may include the following. Most people don't like confrontations, or there is enough that they do like so it over shadows what they don't, or they really don't consider a particular teaching as vital (no matter what the elders/preacher say).
The above choices are only important if the "teachings of the church" are from God, but what if the people in the pew are right and teachings aren't from God? Sometimes the leadership can so get caught up in their own world that they lose touch with their members and the simplicity of the Gospel. Which means the leadership needs to reevaluate their own beliefs. Another answer could be, a belief is from God, but is not important to members, then why? Has the leadership done a poor job of teaching? That is entirely possible.

I think a possible solution is there has to be more discussion among the leadership and the members. Leaders need to know what the members really believe and members need to know why a belief is important.

Blues Brothers 2006

2006-07-05T22:09:00.000-06:00

Ron Clark is starting a church plant and he mentioned that he wanted a simple and short mission statement. He chose "We're on a mission from God" which is a quote from the Blues Brothers movie. I thought he might like a visual to go along. (Compliments to Griffin and Adam Hill as models)

Your Definition of the Kingdom of God

2006-06-22T11:01:00.000-06:00

I found this link about how you envision the kingdom of God on the Jesus Creed site. Below is my definition of the kingdom according to their questions, of course, but it was a interesting little experiment.

You scored as Kingdom as a Christianised Society.
Christians shouldn't withdraw from the world, but by being present in it they can transform it. The kingdom is not only spiritual, but social, political, and cultural.

Kingdom as a Christianised Society 75%
The Kingdom as Earthly Utopia 58%
The Kingdom as a political state 50%
The Kingdom is mystical communion 42%
Inner spiritual experience 33%
The Kingdom as a counter-system 33%
The Kingdom as Institutional Church 33%
The Kingdom is a Future Hope 25%

I think this definition agrees with my idea that God hasn't given up on our world and He is still offering hope and help to people and is involved in the lives of any one who might possibly listen (even that statement is probably too limiting to what God is doing). Disciples are to be different from the world, but in a way that draws people to God and not pushes them away.

I didn't know that was there!

2006-06-20T22:57:00.000-06:00

I don't know how many times I have read about the birth of Jesus and have totally missed the faith shown by Joseph.
Matthew calls Joseph a righteous man, which meant he was a strict follower of the Torah. Think about this situation where he finds himself. The woman he is to marry is pregnant. If he wasn't responsible for the baby and he wasn't, then she had to have had a sexual relationship with some other man. He couldn't marry someone like that, even if it wasn't her fault according to the Torah and he followed the Torah. Yet the angel said God was responsible, and that is beyond belief. What a choice! Chose between following the Torah, the most important belief in his life, and what an angel said God wanted. How could he go against the very guide that had governed his entire life up to this point? In addition the rejection from his friends and family would be tremendous. Yet he chose to follow God and endure the persecution, what faith!

I pray as Paul did for the Ephesians, that God will open the eyes of my heart and let me continue to learn from God's word.

The Medium is The Message

2006-06-14T22:23:00.000-06:00

In the book The Shaping of Things to Come the authors mention the idea " the medium is the message". This idea belongs to Marshall McCluhan. This idea has really intrigued me.

Essentially the idea behind this phrase is this: we shape our tools, and then they shape us. What McCluhan wanted us to look at was the reciporal effect that our tools and technologies have on us. They are not neutral things. They impact is deeply and we would do well to really think about what effects they have on us. These tools include the ones the church has traditionally used, such as sermons, buildings, preaching training. Now bring this idea to bear on personal spirituality and it means that our actions actually speak much louder than our words. There are clear nonverbal messages being emitted by our lives all the time. We are faced with the sobering fact that we actually are our message.

In simple terms do people see a clear picture of Jesus through my life. My study on how we are salt and light in Matt 5 led me to this connection. This doesn't mean I have to perfect, that is not going to happen, but am I showing them Jesus. Even the mistakes I make should show another charactertistic of God, his forgiveness. Showing Jesus is relational. There is that "R" word again.

Milestone 6-9-06

2006-06-11T22:39:00.000-06:00

I passed a milestone this past week. June 9th was a year since I had my heart surgery, and everything is going well as far as I can tell. I want to thank all the people who have been involved in my recovery this past year. Many people have prayed for me, sent cards, visited, and given money to help pay the bills, thank you. I think God for encouraging me along the way. I cannot express in words how much the love of my wife, Carol, has meant to me. The support of my sons and their families has been great.

I have always thought 2 Cor 1:3-4 were special verses but now they have a personal meaning.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

What can I said but, God is good.

Finding Your True Identity

2006-06-07T21:29:00.000-06:00

I am teaching a class that is studying the sermon on the mount and how Jesus then lived out the ideas he taught. I have never been in a class like this before so it is an adventure. We have just started so we will have to see how it goes. Last week we discussed Matt 5:13-16.

13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

I was impressed with the statement that the disciples were salt and light and so are all disciples today, I believe. Its not that they were encouraged to be S&L but they were the S&L. The personal aspect of it, is what struck me. Another idea that impressed me is the ability of salt to bring out the real flavor of whatever it is on. It doesn't really change or add to the taste but brings out its true flavor. Light does the same. the true identity of an object isn't revealed until light shines on it. S&L brings out our true identity, which is, we are made in the image of God. Just as Jesus brings out our true identity, so we do the same for others we share the gospel with, by being salt and light in their lives. And this seems to be pointing to establishing a relationship.

The "R" word keeps coming up in my studies, and discussions. I am finding that it is a more important concept than I used to think, and that's good.

Joy of Grandparenting

2006-05-30T20:08:00.000-06:00

This Memorial day was spent trying to keep up with an almost three year old and an easier 7 month old. Both of them are very active for their age. Adam the younger one isn't quite up to crawling yet, he does some rocking though and talks a lot. Griffin the older one just goes a 100 miles a minute and talks all the time too. Griffin was really into tractors on this trip. We went to visit friends who live in the country and farm. I was surprised that a tractor held more interest than a new born foal only 14 hours old. Carol and I are very proud of the good job Blake and Kim are doing with the kids. They displayed a lot of patience, even though they don't think so. The joys of grandparenting include playing with the kids until they get tired or stinky and then handing them back to the parents.

Forgotten Keys

2006-05-23T21:44:00.000-06:00

A few days ago my wife was cleaning off a bar between the kitchen and dining room. It usually has a wide variety stuff stack on it, some vital to the everyday operation of our family and some just junk we haven't gotten around to throwing away yet. The point of this saga is that she found a set of keys. We have no idea whose they are. It seems strange that no one has called about the missing keys.

I am sure there is a spiritual application here, such as "what's missing in your life, or God is missing and you don't realize it, etc." What preacher could pass up a good story like this? My problem has been that I have to many applications and as soon I start to develop, one another slightly different idea pops-up.

So I will leave it up you. Make your own application.