My First Health Care Rant

This will be the first of what I expect to me many Health Care rants. Hang with me, I will have a spin on this that I BET you will not see anywhere else...

Part 1 - Yesterday the New York Times reported that two baseball players were outed for using steroids. They were tested anonymously in a deal between the Major League Players Union and MLB. Fine, good. THEN the government in their "Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports" probe took the records from the offices of the union. It is being determined that it is not the union or MLB who is leaking the names - but the government. In the words of Claude Rains, "I'm shocked".

Part 2 - as part of the new Health Care overhaul, your doctor will not keep your medical records, but a giant federally-controlled health care data base will be established and will give doctors, hospitals, pharmacies...and the government access to your medical records.

What that means is that virtually every government employee with a sign-on has access to your personal medical records. And they will do as well with your records as they did with Manny Ramirez and Big Poppys records (and Alex Rodriguez and...the next guy to come out).

Happy now?

You CAN Change II

Last Saturday, I posted the first half of a section out of the book, the Peace Makers by Ken Sande. Here is the second and final part. Again, I hope this helps you become more Christ-like and encourages you to go out and purchase the book.

Study. The bible frequently emphasizes the close connection between transformation thinking and growth in character (Rom. 8:6-8; 12:1-2:1 Cor. 2:9-16; Eph. 1:17-19; 4:22-2; Phil. 1:9-11; Col. 1:9-12). Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding—all involving our minds—are important prerequisites to spiritual fruitfulness. God does not mysteriously infuse our minds with these quandaries; rather, as we regularly and carefully study his Word, he helps us understand our principles and his way so that our minds are truly “made new” and we learn how to wlk in his ways.

Practice. As Paul warned the Philippians, we cannot change unless we put what we learn into practice (Phil. 4:9). In other letters he used athletic metaphors to teach that godly character qualities must be developed through disciplined practice in which we seek to overcome our weaknesses, master the proper techniques, and make a desired behavior natural and automatic (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Phil. 3:14; 2 Peter 1:4-8). As we have seen, conflict provides excellent opportunities for such practice. When an argument develops, give close attention to controlling your tongue. When your desires clash with another’s, recall Jesus’ example and willingly submit. Or, if you have been offended, ask God to help you resist resentment and forgive as he has forgiven you. With God’s help and faithful practice, you can develop a Christ- like character, which will demonstrate your repentance and enable you to enjoy the benefits of peace.

Listless

Reading about Jonathan Edwards and his spiritual discipline of journaling. Sometimes his journal just said, "sluggish" or some other one-word description. I often thought that these descriptions were, well, cheap! Sitting here after devotions one word comes up for me...

Listless.

This is my A.D.D. morning. Short attention span, not spiritually hungry, not grateful, not focused, just...listless.

And then He leads me to Psalm 142:

With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.

I cry to you, O Lord; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."

And again He meets me. His word is cool water when my soul is thirsty. His Word is always open to me and it calls to me when the road is long, when my soul is parched, when there is no shade for my journey.

Has there been a time when the Word of God has been living and active for you? Encourage others by sharing that in the comment section.

Thoughts on San Diego

Back from vacation in San Diego. We hit most of the tourist spots.

First, the weather was interesting. I have heard a great deal about the wonderful weather, and on paper it was. Each day was sunny and 75 degrees. The interesting thing was that in the shade I was almost chilly, but in the sun, it was really warm. San Diego is in the desert - but because it is on the Pacific Ocean, it is very temperate. It really impressed me that the ocean has such a moderating effect on the weather.

San Diego Zoo is HUGE!!! Almost too large. It was difficult for 5 healthy people to cover walking the property. There was a bus tour, but it went too quickly to see all the animals. However, because it was so large, it had things that you would not see in any other zoo, like a specific humming bird exhibit or acres of primates.

Sea World is impressive. the training and programs that they put the sea lions, otters and other animals thru is impressive. But the star of the show has to be Shamu the Killer Whale. That animal was enormous, agile and very smart.

USS Midway was a surprising joy. We took an audio tour and learned so much. It was another reminder of how valiantly our military serves us. And let me give an atta boy to the Zoo, Sea World and Midway. The allow active Military in for free on their military ID. It is the right thing to do.

Our trip to Coronado Island was almost an after thought. The island is beautiful. the homes on the island are gorgeous. We did a bike tour and had a blast.

We took a day at the Torry Pines public beach. Lots of sun (perhaps a bit too much) and the waves were great.

One of the local musts was to get an In & Out Burger. My arteries may never be the same, but it was delicious.

La Jolla, CA is one of the most naturally beautiful places in the contiguous 48. We took over 200 pictures just down by the water.

The New School Prayer

I don't ever publish or pass on these things unless the check out at Snopes.com. This one is still being determined - but no matter what it's origin, I got a chuckle, and a sigh from it.


Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule.
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:Should I be shot;
My soul please take!
Amen

To quote my political hero, as long at there are tests, there will be prayer in school.

You CAN Change I

I want to be careful not to violate copywrite laws here, but I reviewed the PeaceMaker on July 9. Now I want to give you a taste of the books totally practical style. There is a short section entitled You CAN Change which is worth the price of admission alone. Here it is in a few short installments. My hope is that this short section helps you AND inspires you to purchase and read the entire book.

The final step in finding freedom from a particular sin is to work with God to change your attitudes and behavior in the future. This process fulfills the third opportunity of peacemaking, namely, growing to be more like Christ.

God is eager to help us to grow and change (see Phil. 1:6, 2:3; Rom. 8:28-29; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 2 Peter 1:4). There is no sin or habit in your life that cannot be overcome by his grace. If you have trusted in Jesus, God has already given you a new mind and a new nature (Eph. 4:22-24). And he promises to work in you so that you can learn to replace your old sinful behavior with godly attitudes and habits (Eph. 4:22-32). There are four ways that you can cooperate with God in this process.

Pray. Thank God for the saving work he has already done in your life and ask him to give you faith to believe that you can really change. Pray that he will open your eyes to see where he wants you to grow, and ask him to give you strength on a daily basis to put off your old ways of thinking and behaving and to put on new ways that imitate Christ (Ps. 139: 13-24; Phil. 1:9-11; Col. 1:9-12).

Delight yourself in the Lord. As we saw in chapter 5, the best way to squeeze idolatrous desires of our heart, mind, strength, and soul. As you focus on the Lord, you will discover that he can provide what idols promise but can never deliver. He alone can give lasting joy, peace, happiness, and security (Eph 1:18-19). As you delight yourself more in him, he will purify your heart and fill it with desires he is eager to satisfy (Ezek. 36:25-26; Ps. 37:4; Matt. 5:3-13). And out of that new heart he will bring forth the character of Christ (James 3:17-18).

Serving and Protecting

Over the last week, I have had a chance to see innumerable service men and women. They drill, train, serve and sacrifice. There supply folks who are responsible for tons of stuff that need to be in the right place at the right time. There are the intel people who manage the information flow that makes safety and success possible. There is the infantry how face the enemy - nose-to-nose. Special Ops, logistics, command - the list goes on.
One thing I do know. I have met with may of them and they are, to a person, courteous, compassionate and most of all patriotic. They are willing to make the sacrifices so that we can enjoy our freedom.
I saw a tee-shirt yesterday that I hope you think of the next time you see one of our uniformed hero's. It said, "Defender of the Constitution"
Simple but noble.
Application - thank God that he has given us these noble servants. And thank the next person in uniform for their service to our country and the defense of our Constitution.

To whom shall we go?

John 6 is a loaded chapter. There is a ton of information - from Jesus walking on water, to the feeding of the five thousand, to the claim to be the bred of life. But there is an interesting passage in there that has always fascinated me.
In today's world, there is a great deal of communication via the written word. Newspapers, email, facebook, twitter (still not really sure what that is) and of course - the blog. The problem with the written word is that it comes without expression or tone.
In this passage, I wish I could have been there in person:

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

What was Peter saying? I hear exasperation in his voice. There is no other place to go...

It is not easy being a disciple of Christ. It is not health and wealth, but it can be persecution and trials. The way of the cross is a difficult one. It is long, and often painful. Loved ones and family members question your choices. You can lose standing in the workplace or in social settings. So why press on?
First, I press on because - as Peter realized, there was no other way. While the Via Delorosa is a way of suffering, I am still ruined for any other.
Second, I press on because this is the only way to eternal life. My rewards, my ultimate finish line, my place of recognition is not here.

So what does this passage call me to do?
- I will meditate on heaven and be reminded of all that waits for me. Most of all, I will remember that I await the great wedding of Christ to his church - to me!
- I will remember that I am not home yet, and that what awaits me pales in comparison to anything that I am denied here.

Encourage others - what do you think of when you think of heaven? Leave a comment.

Go Girl!

This is a very hard blog for me to write. A very close friend of ours underwent surgery yesterday. I will leave out the name and the nature of the procedure for her privacy, although around our church, she had been very open about it. I will say that the procedure is major and that the nature of the condition is very serious.

I saw her last on Sunday and she was so upbeat. She has lost a good deal of weight recently and she said that because of that, she was able to have the procedure done in a better way than if she had the extra weight. Immediately she thanked God for that.

Now here is a woman who could be questioning God for the condition that she is in or she could be taking credit for her discipline in dieting. But she allowed any credit to pass by her and gave all the glory to God. I pray that I would have that gracious response when placed in the same circumstances.

We got the initial report from the surgery and it was all good!!! There is still a long road ahead, but we can only take one step at a time – and this one was a good one.

Application –
1.) I encourage you to pray for her and for her continued progress.
2.) Let her be a challenge to you. What difficult times are you going thru? How are you handling them? Are you seeing them as God-given and are they drawing you to worship?
3.) Encourage us all. Please take time to comment – and add a story about how God has met you or a friend during a challenging time.

Ultimately Satisfied

Reading in John 4 this morning. What a full chapter! But there were certain things hat God brought to my attention:

V 14 - whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
What Jesus brings is ultimately satisfying. It is ultimately satisfying because it brings the greatest satisfaction. It ultimately satisfies because it brings the longest satisfaction. It ultimately satisfies because if you drink of the joy, the forgiveness and the love, it will ultimately ruin you for any other thing in which you may seek satisfaction. And here is the test – there is only one thing where you can seek your ultimate satisfaction that is lasting and beneficial – and that is in the living Christ. If you try and find it in alcohol or partying, the source of your satisfaction will eventually destroy your body. If you try and find it in drugs, you will destroy your mind and ability to function. If you try and find it in relationships with the opposite sex, you will never be satisfied with one person, or you will continue to find faults in the imperfect person. If you look in exercise and health, you will come to find that even the best maintained body will wear out. Adventure and competition? The addiction to adrenaline must be continually fed and does not return true satisfaction. Two words…only Jesus.

I am enjoying one of the most beautiful places in the world, and I am getting such joy out of this trip. I see flowers growing out of the desert, ocean cliffs and incredible wildlife. And as I see it all part of the design from an amazing creator, I enjoy it all the more. I am not afraid of not getting my money’s worth, or how quickly I must go back to work. I just see it as extra time to wonder at the gifted hands of the one who made it all, made it for His glory and – made it all for little me to enjoy! I see it as time to build memories with the wonderful family God has given me. I watch each person working within the personality and gifting that God has provided and I praise him all the more.

There’s more from John 4. Just not more time. Read it for yourself. Put yourself in the sandals of the Samaritan woman, in the sandals of the disciples and of the town residents. Share in their wonder.

Edwards on The Fight

Jonathan Edwards was so ahead of his time – and this was a guy who was born in 1703! But starting in the year 1720 he started writing his resolutions – 70 commitments that he wanted to keep all his life. When I read this thing, it is hard to believe that they were written by a young man starting when he was about eighteen -- I am greatly challenged. There are so many that I can profit from. The one that I read recently that really gripped me was number 56:

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

Edwards is known for his passion for the grace of God. He is known for his love of the Savior and his deep doctrinal understanding. But inside the heart of the Pastor, inside the heart of the missionary and the College President was the heart of a disciple who pursued his relationship with his Savior and personal holiness.
In our day, the minister who’s preaching started the Great Awakening, who preached the most famous sermon on American soil is a giant in the faith, an icon among the puritans. But in his own eyes, he was a man constantly battling his on corruptions and often times unsuccessfully.
If that was Edwards view, I must ask myself some questions:
1. Do I pursue my own personal holiness with growing hatred of sin?
2. When I fail, am I prone to succumb further, or re-launch my pursuit with renewed vigor?
3. Is my battle with sin even important to me, as it was to Edwards and as it is to God.

Father, it is by grace that I am saved. And it is by grace that I am further sanctified. Please give me a hatred of sin and a love of righteousness that allows me to live a life worthy of this wonderful gospel. Let me see the cross in all its torturous suffering as both the full payment of my sin and the beautiful evidence of your love.

Walter Cronkite 1916 - 2009

Walter Cronkite was the gold standard. He was the measuring stick that all broadcasters during and after will be compared against. How professional was Cronkite? One of his most memorable moments came in November, 1963 when he went on television to announce the breaking news that President John F. Kennedy had been shot and Cronkite had gone on TV without his suit jacket on. In comparison, now we see president throw out the first pitch in blue jeans.

Cronkite's objectivity, dispassionate pursuit of the truth and integrity earned him respect and therefore a vast audience. The loss of those things in broadcast media today has left us a weaker society, and Cronkite as the one who stands alone at the apex of his profession.

Temptation and God

I was meditating on my own temptations and sin. What is temptation? The Bible says that Jesus was tempted just like us. Temptation is merely being presented with an option that is not what God has offered. Jesus was offered an option to turn stones into bread, power and fame and even worship a different god.

Could Jesus really be tempted just like us? Yes, I am questioning the Bible, in particular, Hebrews 4:15. In the sense that temptation is being offered an option that is other than what God has given us, yes Jesus was tempted. He was tempted by the greatest advocate for sin the world has ever known. But there was no question that Jesus would not sin. It was a real temptation, a real option, but it paled.

The choice that Jesus had was food or breaking fellowship with his Father and the Spirit. It was forsaking the perfect fellowship that he had experienced since before time for some bread. It was a full-fledged temptation – but it was not a good trade. The tug of the temptation was not there because the Son had perfect knowledge of perfect fellowship with the perfect Father. The choice was just not worth it.

Every day I am given choices. Many of them are neutral – a route to work, a meal for lunch. But sprinkled in are other options:
- to covet what a more wealthy person has, or be content with what God has given me
- to become angry when I am wronged, or to forgive
- to allow my eyes and heart to linger on someone who is not my own, or rejoice in the relationships that God has given me

And because I do not have a God-entranced vision of all things, that temptation blossoms into sin. The seed germinates into an ugly vine of poison ivy.

- So I want to see every temptation as a choice between fellowship with my redeemer and something that, may be sweet for a time but does not match fellowship with the one who loved me so much that he hung on the cross for me.
- I want to keep my devotional times like dates with God so that I grow in my understanding of how sweet that fellowship really is.
- I want to meditate on the attributes of God so that I better understand, in the words of Chris Tomlin, “How great is our God”.
- I want to mediate on the work of the cross, so that, in the words of George Bennard “I love that old cross, where the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain.”

To that old rugged cross
I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I'll share.

Essentially Reformed

I am really glad that I am reformed! In the midst of great trials, my reformed theology serves me so well. How?

(1.) my reformed theology means that it’s not up to me. When I face the trial of a loved one, when I question the salvation of a parent – I am reminded that it’s not up to me. It is not dependent on my skills, my wisdom or my powers of persuasion. I am not anxious because success is not on my shoulders. I am not anxious because it is about the Holy Spirit. I am not anxious because it is all about grace.

(2.) my reformed theology says that I am depending on his wisdom. The One who created each atom and every galaxy is in control. I am resting in the wisdom of the one who invented radar, nuclear power and gravity (we only discovered them). I am resting in power of the One who regenerates the waves and keeps the Stars burning. I rest in the love of the One who made thousands of varieties of flowers, but hung his Son on an old rugged cross.

(3.) my reformed theology reminds me that all these things will be redeemed. He can make all things work for good. He redeemed Joseph’s imprisonment, he redeemed Paul’s near fatal shipwreck – and he redeemed me.

(4.) my reformed theology says that there is a purpose for every trial. Each trial is there for his glory and for my good.

I don’t want to settle for less than God’s best. I don’t want settle for my own wisdom. And I won’t quit in mid-trial. I will maintain an eternal perspective. I will wait to have my questions answered when I see Him face to face.

Strong Shoulders

I’m going to take some heat for this – but I have strong shoulders. I just put a new website up on my favorites – girltalk. Now why would I put girtalk on my favorites list? -- There is no single website that I am aware of that is such a full-service site for cross-centered women to come and read, learn and fellowship.
This site reminds me of a quote that I once heard, and have since cherished. I take much joy in now sharing it with you:

“A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
that a man has to seek Him first to find her”

I am the father of two daughters, two young ladies who I have the great pleasure to watch grow in grace. There is another young lady who is the mother of my grandchildren. It is also my joy to watch her grow in humility, grace and meekness.
The effort of those behind this website helps my girls hide their hearts in the savior. And this site challenges their men to seek Him above all else.

I mentioned my daughters and daughter-in-law, but not my wife. Well Martha will be the first to tell you that she still has a lot to learn. But when I see her, I see a Tabitha-like servant who has not only hidden her heart, but she is influencing another generation of godly, cross-centered women.

Friendship in Psalm 139

God really is an amazing friend. Thru a series of circumstances, I was let to read Psalm 139 this morning as part of my devotions. It was as if God wrote a new chapter just to meet my needs this morning.

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

I have been experiencing some pretty significant trials recently. There has not been one devastating trail, but a number of sizeable ones, from inside my nuclear family, to my extended family to work to friends. Most of them are a walk of faith – I am unable to do anything directly about them so I must pray and wait. Often, that waiting is a lonely feeling. I wait on God for him to act. Doubt may set in -

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.

I have thrown my lot in with Jesus Christ. I have committed my life, my time, my finances, my future and my family to Him. If he does not come thru, there is no plan “B”. I understand Peter when asked if he too was going to leave the Savior, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” [John 6:68]
And then he comes thru with this encouragement in His word, a reminder that he fights great joy in his glory – and my finding great joy in him brings him glory.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

I am right where I should be. I am resting in the cup of his hand. His word is a lamp for my path and a cool drink to my lips. My shepherd meets me every morning and refreshes me. He guides me thought the day.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.I awake, and I am still with you.

Lord, let me hang on your every word. Let me run to our place of meeting. Let me delight in my beloved.



This is why I am such a strong proponent of daily devotions. Faith is not to be purchased. A Friendship is not immediate. A great wall is not built over night, but, brick-by-brick, the wall is built up until it becomes tall and strong.

But I do not have devotions for what I can get. I have my date with God because He is worth it.

What a blessing it would be if you posted a comment on how God has spoken to you or sustained you thru a difficult time.

Lone Survivor

I just finished my father’s day present, reading the book, “Lone Survivor”, the story of Marcus Luttrell, a Navy Seal who was part of a four man team that was attacked by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
A few quick caveats; the language is rough, but it is the language of military warriors. The arrogance is that which is built into the Special Forces. Neither is to be admired, but they are what they are. Okay, you are forewarned.
This is really two books. The first 200 pages are a bio of Marcus and his training as a Navy Seal. The United States Special Forces are the best trained, equipped and prepared fighting men in the world. It was proven by the battle on Murphy’s Ridge.
The second 200 pages was the story of four Navy Seals who were dropped behind enemy lines, whose mission was to find and eliminate a powerful Taliban military leader. The team was confronted with an ethical dilemma. Their response to the dilemma put them at risk and ultimately cost three of the four lives.
I truly loved reading this book. I was interested in the training portion, but I was absorbed in the story – the battle, the choices, the blessings. At the end, I was weeping. There is a brotherhood, a friendship that I can only dream of. As a member of a fighting force, these guys go to war and share something that we my never get our arms and our minds fully around.
There are several things that I will take away from this book. First, the ethical choices and dilemmas that today’s warrior is faced with that we don’t even think of. There is a balancing act between survival and fear of what the press, who has unprecedented access, will say – and very seldom will it be positive for the modern warrior. Also, there is the fact that the US military fights under a well documented, well publicized rules of engagement. Our foe is not so morally bound. This is a distinct disadvantage. Let me elaborate. When our military is operating at a “distinct disadvantage” it is not like the Ravens playing with an injured Ray Lewis. If that is the case, we could lose the game – but we can make that up in another game or in our next season. Every disadvantage, read that again – every disadvantage – costs US lives.
Finally, I will always be impressed that there is a voluntary population of Americans who are willing to undergo incredibly difficult training, suffer the most difficult of living conditions, sacrifice family time and a part of their lives – to defend our nation and the democratic way of life. There is only one word that I can think of to describe this person –

Hero

Thank you men and women in uniform – and thank you Rob.

True Humility

I had an interesting conversation with a husband recently. Simply, he was relating to me how he had made some mistakes in his marriage and how his wife was really chewing him out regarding those mistakes. He made a statement to me, “I am trying to be humble during those times.” He was relating how he was trying not to fight back and to stay calm.
Well, I certainly could relate to that guy. I have made many mistakes in my marriage and they have hurt my wife a good deal. But I think that he was missing the meaning of true humility. As I talked to him about it, his eyes looked like saucers and he acknowledged that what I was asking was “really hard”.
Here’s what I said: If I am getting yelled at, even if it is being done in a most ungracious way, I think that I deserve every word of it.
On one hand, as a sinner, I do not deserve grace but I deserve God’s judgment. But that is not the point I was making. As the husband who is to lead, provide and protect my wife, I am responsible. I am responsible for washing her with the word, for loving her like Christ loves His church. I have a responsibility for her spiritual well being and sanctification. If she is losing her temper with me, it is a direct refection of my leadership of her. Actually, it is good for me to hear all that she has to say, because it is a blueprint for the work that I have ahead of me in loving and leading her.
I think that is true humility - seeing myself in the light of God’s truth and accepting what that means.
And I have only one response to that truth – I need a redeemer. I need the grace (charity, free gift) of God. I need some good news – I need the gospel.

Note: I want to make something perfectly clear. My wife does not yell at me. While my wife is not perfect, she is a gracious and gentle servant. She is a gift from God that is far greater than I deserve. I also want to make it clear that what I said above i believe, but don't always practice. ~sigh~ Sanctification is progressive.

The Peace Maker

I just finished reading the Peace Maker by Ken Sande. I would whole heartedly recommend this book. Let me temp you with a couple of quotes:

It is important to realize that if you do not glorify god when you are
involved in a conflict, you will inevitable glorify someone or something else.
By your actions you will show either that you have a big God or big self and big
problems.

The more you understand God’s love and power, the easier it is to trust him. And
the more you trust him the easier it is to do his will. This is especially true
when you are involved in conflict. If you believe that God is watching over you
with perfect love and unlimited power, you will be able to serve him faithfully
as a peacemaker, eve in the most difficult circumstances.

The section on page 134-135 entitled You Can Change is worth the price of the book alone. And I would recommend that you get the Revised and Updated version as it is significantly more gospel focused. Look for the third edition published in 2004.

Sande makes the book very readable with the right balance of teaching and real-life stories. But it is also a practical text book on what to do and how to do it.

This will be a book that I will re-read, refer to often. I am planning to on purchasing 5 extra copies to give to friends. This is also a great reading project for a husband-and-wife, or for a parent-child. What a blessing to build these relationships on humble Biblical principals for conflict resolution.

One more reason I want you to purchase, read and apply this book. My last year leading a care group has opened my eyes regarding the area of conflict resolution. So many people (couples, parents, co-workers, friends) don’t know how to Biblically, systematically resolve conflict in their relationships. Therefore, they choose a different strategy. Usually this is avoidance and the conflict never gets resolved. Or they will get defensive or attack -- again these fundamental issues never get resolved. Then they grow, fester and eventually they gnaw on the core of the relationship. Honest, humble confect resolution is essential for any relationship that involves two sinners.

I guess that includes all of them.

Summer Vacations

They are coming soon. Well CJ Mahaney provides a great resource for Dads. It is a downloadable pdf file that instructs us fathers how to assure a memorable vacation.

http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog/post/Preparing-for-the-Summer-Vacation.aspx

This article helps me live my life backwards, and I want to live my life backwards…

How do you live backwards? Well, you start at the end; you start with the person you want to be, the way you want to me remembered. I want to be remembered as a man of love –
- that I loved my Savior and was ready at a moments notice to lay down my life and often harder – to be unconvinced or change my plans.
- that I loved my wife in such a way that you could look at me in a crowded room and you could tell who my wife was because of the way I looked at her. That I lived my life in front of her in a way that reminded you of Christ’s sacrifice for the church.
- that I loved my kids such that, when they were still a long way off, this father saw them and felt compassion, and ran and embraced them and kissed them. I want to be a father whose passion is not to convict them of sin, but to convince them of grace.
- I want my love to bear two specific things, to passionately proclaim and live the gospel.

This article helps me live, love and lead better.

Wedgies

No, not those kinds of wedgies. Life will throw difficult times at you and like a wedge, those difficult times will squeeze you.
Recently I watched one of those how-to programs on how they make expensive paper, with the cotton and color flecks in them. First they start with lots of paper and water. Honestly, the stuff is a soupy mess. It has the consistency of curdled milk and smells about as bad. Then they cut up pieces of cloth – some old drapes, my jeans from junior high and an old dog blanket (with the hair removed). They stir all this together until it is a slightly thicker soupy mess. They pour it into these trays and let the water drain off. What they have is this useless, slippery, slimy play-doh that they then stack this, one on top of the other and then put it in a press. The press squeezes and squeezes until the paper is perfectly flat and all the water is squeezed out. What results is a beautiful piece of note paper. It is useful to write thank you notes, print wedding or birth announcements – or send a special, personalized message.
Are you in a tight spot? Do you see it as God, squeezing out the by-products so that he can end up with a beautiful piece of stationary? What message does he want to write on you?
One more thing about…”wedgies”. It’s typically never good to be alone on your side of the wedge. A wedge will either drive you away from others, like a lumberjack splitting wood, or it will squeeze two people together. My wife and I have been squeezed a lot in twenty-five plus years of marriage and we have not always been on the same side of the wedge. But when we do get to that place and are squeezed together, we invariably…wondrously…get closer. And I have never – NEVER, experienced a time when that was not a good result.
Thanks precious, for staying with me thru all the wedgies.

It is only in the difficult times that I can show you how much my live will sacrifice for you. I am grateful for those trials where we can celebrate God's grace.

Steve McNair 1973-2009

I got a call from my daughter as I watched an Independence Day Parade that Steve McNair had been shot to death. Shock, disbelief, grief. Such a young man, a young husband, a young father. Yesterday evening, I did something a little different. I logged onto the internet to listen to the sports station in Nashville to hear the coverage in his home town. I listened to an interesting debate going on between the callers. While everyone agreed that the shooting was a tragedy, the debate regarded whether Steve McNair’s legacy would change because he was apparently killed by his mistress.
The “No” side of the argument was vehement and they was primarily based on the on variations of the theme, what Steve McNair did in private, was his own business.
I understand this argument and agree that we should not have private investigators outside celebrity’s homes waiting for a mistake or paparazzi perched like vultures waiting for a picture of a person’s most private moments. However…
If I have promised my wife, “to have and to hold, until death do us part”, but I break that promise, does that change your opinion of me? Do you admire a promise-holder equally with a promise-breaker? If your contractor promises to build your home to code, but then behind the drywall hides illegal wiring, would you have an issues with that? If you vote for a politician because he says that he will lower taxes or build a new school and then breaks that promise, do you feel cheated?
My heart is broken as I think that Steve McNair’s four children will grow up without their father. I am deeply grieved that his widow is left to deal with all of this news. I can’t conceive of what she is going through.
But I can’t help but notice that somewhere, we lost our admiration of character, faithfulness and integrity. And it spurs me on to finish well, for the glory of God, for my wife, my children and for my grandchildren. But my hope to finish well, is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness

Failure

Failure – it is all around us. And there is nothing more evident to me than my own failures. However, there are times when the weight of my failures piles up and at times the burden becomes unbearable.
I have received different kinds of advice, from the compassionate “don’t be so hard on yourself”, to the humorous, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. With all due respect, none of those have served me.
Here is what has helped me. I full view of my failures, past, present and al those in the future, God sent his son to rescue me so that he could adopt me. My failures remind me of my need for a savior, the make me grateful of my savior and they make me rejoice in the power of a risen savior. Any one of those phrases is with a day long meditation.
…and it humbles me. There is no exalting myself in view of theses failures. And the only place that I can handle emotionally is to run to the cross, fall and cling. Only there at the cross, where I am fully indicted and convinced of all my failures, can I receive the pardon. This pardon is not free – there was a dear price paid. But it is a gift.

Proverbs 8
35 For whoever finds me finds lifeand obtains favor from the Lord,

36 but he who fails to find me injures himself;all who hate me love death.”

O that old rugged cross,

so despised by the world,

Has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God

left His glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary.

My debt to the patriots

Okay, this is my first official blog, and what better day to start than Independence Day. Today will start with parades, move to family and food and end with fireworks. Do you know why? Because John Adams strongly recommended it. To celebrate Liberty, Adams said:

"I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore."

Whoa! Did he say that there should be “acts of devotion to God? President Adams let’s get a grip! Do you know how politically incorrect that is? But the founding of our nation, and its founders were not afraid to express what they believed and why.

The Declaration of Independence is an argument based upon faith, that as men created by God, they were due the rights of course to life and liberty, but also self-determination based upon “the consent of the governed”. So Liberty was from God, but how were they going to obtain it. They were not depending on superior firepower, but “appealing to the Supreme Judge” they had placed a “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence”

Today, I will pay a debt of gratitude to the memories of our original patriots, and salute a new generation of patriot who today mutually pledge to each other their Lives, their Fortunes and their sacred Honor.

Semper Fidelis

Why a blog? I have wrestled with the issues of pride regarding blogging. There are plenty of people who I would want to read their thoughts on so many topics – but why in the world would anyone want to hear what I have to say – about anything!!! I am honestly not sure why. I have nothing that would imply that my thoughts or opinions are worth hearing.

Well, there is one thing…I’m getting old. Because of that age, I have experience that allows me to put things in some context. So maybe, just maybe I will try this to see if it serves – my children, my grandchildren, and anyone else who might stumble across my ramblings.

But wait – I have two reasons. The second is failure! Yes, I can claim so many failures that somewhere, somehow, somebody can profit from my failures and avoid the pitfalls that I have so skillfully found, and with great gusto, fallen into.