On Sundays in my class we have been going through the gospel of Matthew. Last Sunday we did Matthew 19. In this chapter, Jesus is approached by a group of Pharisees that are intent on testing Him. This is not unusual. They were always testing rabbis that did not adhere to their traditions and their approach to the interpretation of God's law. "They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”"
The question in itself says much about who these men were and where their hearts were in regard to their families and in relationship to their God. In ancient times and particularly among the Jews, women and children were regarded as property, sometimes to the exclusion of any notion of love for family. There were two schools of thought among these men - rabbinical traditions handed down from rabbinical schools by men long dead in Christ's time. Rabbi Hillel and his school would have said, in answer to the question, that you could divorce your wife for anything you did not like about her...her cooking, her mother, her housekeeping skills. One of Hillel's disciples went so far as to say that if you found a better looking woman, you could write your present wife a certificate of divorce and marry the other one. It was awful.
The other rabbinical school, founded by Rabbi Shimmai, had a gentler, kinder approach. The only reason you could divorce your wife was over some kind of sexual infidelity. Jesus, in His day would have approved this as a reason for divorce, but he would not have commanded it. You see, the Pharisees and their rabbinical schools before them, haggled over the meaning of a Torah passage from Deuteronomy 24. They did not take into account other Torah passages when they considered the issue of divorce.
Jesus in His reasoning, went back to Genesis 1:27 and 2:24. In the first passage, Moses makes clear that God created men and women for each other and in the second, he makes it clear that God intended men and women to marry - to leave their families, commit to each other and become one flesh, one mind, one soul; more than mere room mates or even partners. "Leave and cleave". Commitment and oneness. The two pillars of successful marriage. This was so far away from where the Pharisee were, that you have to wonder, were they stupid or what? Why would they not consider 'original intent' when debating this issue? There are things people do not want to hear when they consider how they should live their lives. The notion of marriage as a covenant or even a partnership would have upset their apple cart of control, therefore they could not even entertain the idea that Jesus was promoting.
God intended men and women to marry, have families and live lives committed to each other and to Him. He did not intend that you should be able to trade up if your present situation was not working out as you had hoped. Jesus gives us one valid reason for divorce in the gospels. That reason is sexual infidelity. Paul gives us another reason in I Corinthians 7 (verse 15 I think); that is if an unbelieving partner leaves the relationship. There is compelling spiritual logic behind both of these reasons for divorce. They destroy the two pillars of marriage; oneness in regard to the first and commitment in regard to the second. Does this mean divorce has to happen? No, but these would be justifiable reasons for it.
So having said all this, I wonder how many Christians see their marriages in this light? I wonder how many have divorced because they wanted to trade up like the Pharisees? Buyer's remorse notwithstanding, this cannot be your attitude. It is not what God intended.
At this point, if you know me, you are probably thinking, "who is he to lecture us about marriage?".
It's true that I cannot speak from experience, but you know, I have heard any number of you complain about your situations. It is tiresome, but it is what it is. Work to change the freakin situation so that you do not violate there terms of your covenant with you wife or husband. Oneness and commitment should be your goal.
This was God's intent from the beginning. His Word says as much. I do not need to be married to know this. It is not a Christian thing of a Jewish/Hebrew thing. It is an ordinance from God handed down to ALL humanity from the beginning of time. If you are married or making plans to marry, you need to remember how God views this institution and take it very seriously.
If you are like me, you might want to consider staying that way. As Paul would say,
"But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this."
One more thing. If you are like Paul and me....not married...you must remember your covenant with God and the fact that He is living in your body. You must remain chaste in terms of sexuality. If you cannot do that, then find a suitable opposite sex partner and marry.
Is chastity and celibacy a gift? Well maybe, but it's also a requirement if you are single. Do not forget that. It's what God intended.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Monday, January 11, 2016
Taking Dad To The Doctor and What I Did Sunday Afternoon
Every morning I wake up around 4 AM. I usually take a leak (wash my hands) and get Dad's meds for the day together. He is usually up and around and making some coffee by 4. This is the way old guys and farmers are about mornings. Dad is an old guy, pushing 80 and he used to be a farmer in his youth. His sleep cycles are all messed up because of the Alzheimer's, but he still manages to be awake at 4 AM.
This morning I gave him his pill container and reminded him that we were going to see the cardiologist at about 1000 today. He has afib and they like to check it out every six months. After that, I had intended to go back to bed for awhile. It was a long time until 1000 AM.
But alas, this was not to be. Once Dad knew that he was going to the doctor, he had to get ready immediately, even though he would be all dressed up with no where to go until 1000. It's easier to surrender to this than to fight it. Had I gone back to bed, he would have been visiting me every 15 minutes asking about when he should get ready and when we were going to leave, so I got him herded into the shower, rinsed off, dried off with his compression socks on and then helped him put on the sweat suit du jour.
Now I have all this time on my hands before the appointment and he is still asking me when we are going to leave. So here I am doing something productive...ya right. I complain a lot on this blog don't I?
Really, I think that's what it's for. I vent. Strangely, it always, and almost without exception, makes me feel better. It's probably got something to do with putting it all down in words. It's my way of talking it out. Whatever.
Yesterday was relaxing. I skipped Sunday school after church and visited the grocer and then went home to prepare lunch. Dad seems to like those Hy Vee take and bake pizzas. I usually buy a medium with the hot Graziano's Italian Sausage and then add a couple of things like a box of fresh, sliced mushrooms and some green peppers for Dad's portion. After that, I took an accidental nap.
When I was younger, I could not fall asleep sitting up in a chair. Now it all seems kind of natural. I think this is a talent that is acquired as one approaches senior status. Anyhow, after that, I cranked out a few emails and posted some videos to my YouTube channel. I really had not done much with it since I started it 5 years ago, but it's looking a little better now. While I was on YouTube, I looked up some people from church and work to see if any of them were there. Yep, sure enough. Creativity blossoms outside the sanctuary and cubicle.
It seems like everyone has some kind of internet presence. I suppose some people might think it borders on creepy when they find out they have been Googled, especially if they do not know you all that well. And if you leave your footprints in the form of a comment, that could be freaky too, but you know what? The internet is not a private place. If you plaster your name all over it, others will find you and is that not the idea to begin with? I think it has as much to do with who you want to communicate with and what your original vision was when you set up your internet presence. Managing expectations is hard to do in a public place. There are people that come to this blog from all over the world. In most cases I imagine they were not even looking for TDGH, but they got here anyway through some word search on a search engine that landed them in the middle of a related subject that I wrote about. My thought is, "come on down". I can sort you out and ban your ass if you get troublesome. I suppose something of that nature is what happened to me yesterday. Sorry if you felt like I was on your turf. It's the internet man! Oh well.
Small talk was never my strong suit anyway. I wish you the best.
That's funny. I can ramble on here, talking through my fingers with very little to say, but doing it in person is a whole other enchilada...probably chicken with some Monterrey Jack, but I digress. I think what I need to do is type out all my proposed conversations a day in advance. Then I can turn them over to the conversation victims for them to answer in kind. They can answer in person or in a typed format of their choosing, but I will only respond on paper or other electronic media and only when necessary.
That is just crazy talk (or typing as the case may be). But what did you expect from The Daily Ground Hog?
This morning I gave him his pill container and reminded him that we were going to see the cardiologist at about 1000 today. He has afib and they like to check it out every six months. After that, I had intended to go back to bed for awhile. It was a long time until 1000 AM.
But alas, this was not to be. Once Dad knew that he was going to the doctor, he had to get ready immediately, even though he would be all dressed up with no where to go until 1000. It's easier to surrender to this than to fight it. Had I gone back to bed, he would have been visiting me every 15 minutes asking about when he should get ready and when we were going to leave, so I got him herded into the shower, rinsed off, dried off with his compression socks on and then helped him put on the sweat suit du jour.
Now I have all this time on my hands before the appointment and he is still asking me when we are going to leave. So here I am doing something productive...ya right. I complain a lot on this blog don't I?
Really, I think that's what it's for. I vent. Strangely, it always, and almost without exception, makes me feel better. It's probably got something to do with putting it all down in words. It's my way of talking it out. Whatever.
Yesterday was relaxing. I skipped Sunday school after church and visited the grocer and then went home to prepare lunch. Dad seems to like those Hy Vee take and bake pizzas. I usually buy a medium with the hot Graziano's Italian Sausage and then add a couple of things like a box of fresh, sliced mushrooms and some green peppers for Dad's portion. After that, I took an accidental nap.
When I was younger, I could not fall asleep sitting up in a chair. Now it all seems kind of natural. I think this is a talent that is acquired as one approaches senior status. Anyhow, after that, I cranked out a few emails and posted some videos to my YouTube channel. I really had not done much with it since I started it 5 years ago, but it's looking a little better now. While I was on YouTube, I looked up some people from church and work to see if any of them were there. Yep, sure enough. Creativity blossoms outside the sanctuary and cubicle.
It seems like everyone has some kind of internet presence. I suppose some people might think it borders on creepy when they find out they have been Googled, especially if they do not know you all that well. And if you leave your footprints in the form of a comment, that could be freaky too, but you know what? The internet is not a private place. If you plaster your name all over it, others will find you and is that not the idea to begin with? I think it has as much to do with who you want to communicate with and what your original vision was when you set up your internet presence. Managing expectations is hard to do in a public place. There are people that come to this blog from all over the world. In most cases I imagine they were not even looking for TDGH, but they got here anyway through some word search on a search engine that landed them in the middle of a related subject that I wrote about. My thought is, "come on down". I can sort you out and ban your ass if you get troublesome. I suppose something of that nature is what happened to me yesterday. Sorry if you felt like I was on your turf. It's the internet man! Oh well.
Small talk was never my strong suit anyway. I wish you the best.
That's funny. I can ramble on here, talking through my fingers with very little to say, but doing it in person is a whole other enchilada...probably chicken with some Monterrey Jack, but I digress. I think what I need to do is type out all my proposed conversations a day in advance. Then I can turn them over to the conversation victims for them to answer in kind. They can answer in person or in a typed format of their choosing, but I will only respond on paper or other electronic media and only when necessary.
That is just crazy talk (or typing as the case may be). But what did you expect from The Daily Ground Hog?
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Friday, January 8, 2016
Tell Me What This Is About..
I've been sitting at Caribou Coffee in Pleasant Hill by the fireplace while eaves dropping on a conversation between two apparently Christian women. One of them seems to be in the place of the counselor, advising the other and guiding the conversation.
The other is a woman that seems to have a glancing acquaintance with the faith and is at a difficult place in her life and marriage. She seems frustrated by the fact that she has nothing to do since the kids are in school and her husband is at work. She wants to get a job but no one will hire her; she wants to home school her kids but her husband does not like the idea. She wants to be a motivational speaker and increase the family income despite the fact that she stutters and her voice tone is akin to fingernails on a blackboard. She complains because they have a combined income of less than 2000.00 a month and she also informs all within earshot that she and her husband have not practiced their conjugal rights more than three times in the last six months.
The counseling friend should be a diplomat. Without being offensive, she manages to inform the woman that she has to be willing to take jobs that may not be high paying or glorious to gain job experience and move up in the working world. She also advises frugality in financial matters and to set goals that are at once within capabilities and reachable. There is also an implication that both she and her husband need to support the efforts and dreams of each and do what they can, working together for the good of their family.
They share phone photos and humorous family stories and then they depart separately and amicably.
My thought is that the counselor left to do something productive and that her days are filled with activities like this and that the other went home to watch Jerry Springer reruns.
I think there are people in this world that have no idea what their capabilities are and lack the motivation to do anything other than what they dream about or what they heard about on the latest infomercial. The fact is that many of us are not fit for anything but the most menial jobs. Despite our delusions of grandeur, our capabilities limit us. Going for your dream is one thing, having the necessary IQ points and natural gifts to make it happen is quite another. Despite the politics of the time, we are not all created equal. We are all different and at differing levels mentally, spiritually and physically. I could not play for an NBA team. I do not think I would ever be able to do brain surgery no matter how much education I received. I will probably never be a diplomat either.
When we become adults, we get ourselves in to life situations that we sometimes regret after a few years. I believe this woman is reconsidering her options to explore the dreams she had prior to her marriage. This is unfortunate. She needs to find a job, even if it's at Walmart, and help to support her family and she and her husband need to support each other in these efforts to move forward. I think that this is what the counselor friend was trying to get across to her, but she seems deluded by her dreams.
A grasp on personal reality is the essence of 'other' centered life I think.
What would I know about any of this? I am not married. I have had unrealized dreams, mostly because I lack the capability or there were many others far better suited for whatever it is than I am. I just think it's interesting that there are so many of us that live a completely different life in our heads than we do in the world.
The other is a woman that seems to have a glancing acquaintance with the faith and is at a difficult place in her life and marriage. She seems frustrated by the fact that she has nothing to do since the kids are in school and her husband is at work. She wants to get a job but no one will hire her; she wants to home school her kids but her husband does not like the idea. She wants to be a motivational speaker and increase the family income despite the fact that she stutters and her voice tone is akin to fingernails on a blackboard. She complains because they have a combined income of less than 2000.00 a month and she also informs all within earshot that she and her husband have not practiced their conjugal rights more than three times in the last six months.
The counseling friend should be a diplomat. Without being offensive, she manages to inform the woman that she has to be willing to take jobs that may not be high paying or glorious to gain job experience and move up in the working world. She also advises frugality in financial matters and to set goals that are at once within capabilities and reachable. There is also an implication that both she and her husband need to support the efforts and dreams of each and do what they can, working together for the good of their family.
They share phone photos and humorous family stories and then they depart separately and amicably.
My thought is that the counselor left to do something productive and that her days are filled with activities like this and that the other went home to watch Jerry Springer reruns.
I think there are people in this world that have no idea what their capabilities are and lack the motivation to do anything other than what they dream about or what they heard about on the latest infomercial. The fact is that many of us are not fit for anything but the most menial jobs. Despite our delusions of grandeur, our capabilities limit us. Going for your dream is one thing, having the necessary IQ points and natural gifts to make it happen is quite another. Despite the politics of the time, we are not all created equal. We are all different and at differing levels mentally, spiritually and physically. I could not play for an NBA team. I do not think I would ever be able to do brain surgery no matter how much education I received. I will probably never be a diplomat either.
When we become adults, we get ourselves in to life situations that we sometimes regret after a few years. I believe this woman is reconsidering her options to explore the dreams she had prior to her marriage. This is unfortunate. She needs to find a job, even if it's at Walmart, and help to support her family and she and her husband need to support each other in these efforts to move forward. I think that this is what the counselor friend was trying to get across to her, but she seems deluded by her dreams.
A grasp on personal reality is the essence of 'other' centered life I think.
What would I know about any of this? I am not married. I have had unrealized dreams, mostly because I lack the capability or there were many others far better suited for whatever it is than I am. I just think it's interesting that there are so many of us that live a completely different life in our heads than we do in the world.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
The Quality of My Mercy is Strained
You know how some former tobacco users become anti tobacco nazis?
My current situation is similar. In just a few short weeks, I have gone from being the most severe closet case to believing that everyone I know that is in the closet should come out.
Is this unfair? Ya, probably, but in that short time, I have come to believe that the "closet" effects everything else in one's life. It colors it in very negative ways. It can turn you into a liar, a manipulator, a hypocrite to the things you believe and it functions as an involuntary lens through which you are forced to view all of your life. If you are looking at life through the keyhole of the closet door, it is bound to give you a bent world view and if you are a Christian, I KNOW it gives you a bent faith view.
If you are out there and in a closet that you have built, I urge you to leave it. I do not care if you have been faking it with a family, wearing a wife like a beard or dating like mad to appear straight. Get it out. You will feel better in the end. If you have a family, they will appreciate the honesty and understand you better than they once did. They will most likely still love you too. The best part is, you will be able to change all those things you had to keep in place because of the closet door. You can let them go. You will not have to manipulate conversations to draw attention away from yourself and toward others. No more pretending.
At the very least, let me advise that you find someone to confide in that you trust so that you have some accountability. This should not be a fellow traveler. It needs to be a straight person. You need perspective.
Ya, I think I know everything now. But how is that different from before? Get yourself where I am at and we will talk.
My current situation is similar. In just a few short weeks, I have gone from being the most severe closet case to believing that everyone I know that is in the closet should come out.
Is this unfair? Ya, probably, but in that short time, I have come to believe that the "closet" effects everything else in one's life. It colors it in very negative ways. It can turn you into a liar, a manipulator, a hypocrite to the things you believe and it functions as an involuntary lens through which you are forced to view all of your life. If you are looking at life through the keyhole of the closet door, it is bound to give you a bent world view and if you are a Christian, I KNOW it gives you a bent faith view.
If you are out there and in a closet that you have built, I urge you to leave it. I do not care if you have been faking it with a family, wearing a wife like a beard or dating like mad to appear straight. Get it out. You will feel better in the end. If you have a family, they will appreciate the honesty and understand you better than they once did. They will most likely still love you too. The best part is, you will be able to change all those things you had to keep in place because of the closet door. You can let them go. You will not have to manipulate conversations to draw attention away from yourself and toward others. No more pretending.
At the very least, let me advise that you find someone to confide in that you trust so that you have some accountability. This should not be a fellow traveler. It needs to be a straight person. You need perspective.
Ya, I think I know everything now. But how is that different from before? Get yourself where I am at and we will talk.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
to devour[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
The Unmerciful Servant
In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells His disciples a story about a servant that owes his king a great deal of money. The story has an interesting twist in that the servant has a friend that owes him money. Before Jesus begins the story, He has a short conversation with Simon Peter about forgiveness. The story illustrates the principle. Here's is how it plays out.
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
So it would seem that the servant owed his king a great deal of money. Chances are good that this servant was not a food and wine taster or butler. He was more likely a court official or maybe even a governor of a province in the king's kingdom. I say this because of what was owed. This man owed his king millions of dollars by our measure. A king would not loan this kind of money to his body servant. This particular servant probably had some juice of his own; he had power, but none over the king.
Whoever this servant was, the king was ready to call in his loan. His servant did not have the cash. The king was not happy and ordered that his servant, family and possessions to be sold to pay the debt. The servant sued for mercy and the mercy was received. The king was magnanimous to the point of full forgiveness of the debt. This kind of grace was uncommon in the ancient world.
So the servant was freed from his debt; released from his responsibility. He must have felt good. He must have felt free. He was probably happy, peaceful and content. You would think so right?
But such was not the case. After leaving the king's presence, this servant sought out another servant that owed him a mere 100 silver coins to force him to pay. The contrast is astounding. The first servant had owed 10000 bags of gold. His fellow servant owed him 100 silver coins; a mere pittance by comparison. Yet the servant that had been forgiven so much, was not merciful to his colleague. He demanded payment. When it was not forthcoming, the servant did to his colleague what the king saved him from. He had him thrown into debtor's prison.
The story did not end well. Word got to the king of what this wicked servant had done after being forgiven so much and so the king brought justice to bear. The man was thrown into prison to be tortured and to suffer until he paid the original debt. As you might be aware, you do not make money in prison; at least not enough to pay off a debt like his. So the wicked servant was probably imprisoned until he died.
Jesus concludes the story by saying that this is how God will deal with us if we do not forgive each other.
-------------------------
I have been this unmerciful servant. I do not want to be like him Lord. I am sorry for my failure to forgive. I repent of it. Please take my anger and wash it clean. Purify me so that I can serve again. I have unclean hands. Teach me to love and take responsibility for my brethren as they care for and are merciful to me. Please give me back my clean hands and pure heart and help me to turn away from the fear. It is evil. Help me Lord to do what is right...even if it kills me. In your name I pray these things..Amen
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
So it would seem that the servant owed his king a great deal of money. Chances are good that this servant was not a food and wine taster or butler. He was more likely a court official or maybe even a governor of a province in the king's kingdom. I say this because of what was owed. This man owed his king millions of dollars by our measure. A king would not loan this kind of money to his body servant. This particular servant probably had some juice of his own; he had power, but none over the king.
Whoever this servant was, the king was ready to call in his loan. His servant did not have the cash. The king was not happy and ordered that his servant, family and possessions to be sold to pay the debt. The servant sued for mercy and the mercy was received. The king was magnanimous to the point of full forgiveness of the debt. This kind of grace was uncommon in the ancient world.
So the servant was freed from his debt; released from his responsibility. He must have felt good. He must have felt free. He was probably happy, peaceful and content. You would think so right?
But such was not the case. After leaving the king's presence, this servant sought out another servant that owed him a mere 100 silver coins to force him to pay. The contrast is astounding. The first servant had owed 10000 bags of gold. His fellow servant owed him 100 silver coins; a mere pittance by comparison. Yet the servant that had been forgiven so much, was not merciful to his colleague. He demanded payment. When it was not forthcoming, the servant did to his colleague what the king saved him from. He had him thrown into debtor's prison.
The story did not end well. Word got to the king of what this wicked servant had done after being forgiven so much and so the king brought justice to bear. The man was thrown into prison to be tortured and to suffer until he paid the original debt. As you might be aware, you do not make money in prison; at least not enough to pay off a debt like his. So the wicked servant was probably imprisoned until he died.
Jesus concludes the story by saying that this is how God will deal with us if we do not forgive each other.
-------------------------
I have been this unmerciful servant. I do not want to be like him Lord. I am sorry for my failure to forgive. I repent of it. Please take my anger and wash it clean. Purify me so that I can serve again. I have unclean hands. Teach me to love and take responsibility for my brethren as they care for and are merciful to me. Please give me back my clean hands and pure heart and help me to turn away from the fear. It is evil. Help me Lord to do what is right...even if it kills me. In your name I pray these things..Amen
Monday, January 4, 2016
The Dark Side
I can't seem to shake it. It's going to dog me until I'm dead. I really hate that. There seems to be several levels of ME at war this morning. No one is winning. I need some divine intervention. I am, at this moment, indignant, angry and hateful. I think I need something to eat.
What I said yesterday in this blog is part of that war. I will not tell you to ignore it. It has been said.
I have already deleted two blog posts this morning because of the battle going on inside me.
There was some regret after I wrote them and clicked 'publish' so maybe there is some hope for resolution here.
I am going to need some time to work this out. I am angry at someone. I don't often feel that way. I have to stop writing or I am going to have to delete this one too.
If you want to put me on your prayer list, that would be good.
What I said yesterday in this blog is part of that war. I will not tell you to ignore it. It has been said.
I have already deleted two blog posts this morning because of the battle going on inside me.
There was some regret after I wrote them and clicked 'publish' so maybe there is some hope for resolution here.
I am going to need some time to work this out. I am angry at someone. I don't often feel that way. I have to stop writing or I am going to have to delete this one too.
If you want to put me on your prayer list, that would be good.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Egoism and Self-Centeredness
Last week, in the Sunday school class that I teach, we were Matthew 18. the chapter opens with Jesus' disciples discussing which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The disciples get busted for this a few times in the gospels. Jesus always has to tell them that if they want to be great in the kingdom, they will have to serve each other and others and to become like little children - the least of all on the earth.
In preparing for this lesson, I came across an interesting entry in a commentary on Matthew that I have been using as I teach. The commentary is "The Chronological Life of Christ", by Mark Moore. He is one of those guys that writes like he talks, so he is easy to understand. In his commentary while writing about this passage he says,
"Egoism is natural to most people. It drives us to the front of the line, to the best seat in the house, and to the biggest piece of cake. It is seen as innocuous and natural in ourselves, but somewhat irritating in others. In fact, it is even encouraged by parents and teachers. Jesus sees beyond this facade. This egoism is the cause of arrogance, selfishness, war, greed, corporate takeovers, jealousy, rape, etc. It is even the cause of low self esteem. The problem with a low self esteem is not that a person thinks too lowly of himself, but that he thinks to much of himself. When our eyes are outward, serving others, it is impossible to be plagued with self pity or self abasement."
I think this is so right that I put it in my blog. I know from experience that this is true and I also know from watching others. When we live too much in our heads, thinking about the things we want, where we will go or what we will do or how sad it is that we are not this or that; that is precisely when we fall into patterns of egoism.
I have often thought that we become addicted to the emotions we experience and that we find ways to "enjoy" them again and again. Whether it be love, joy, happiness and contentment or self pity, self abasement, anger or malice; we find ways we can experience them again and again, even if it's on the subconscious level. I would even go so far as to say that sometimes depression is self induced. For myself, all it takes is one little thing to start a self examination that any prosecutor would envy. It can put me in a depressive tail spin that can last for days.
I have had to learn not to live so much in my head, but out there where others are, putting myself in their place or in some way helping them, and in so doing, helping me to overcome this tendency. It is a hard cycle to break. I still have bad days where my attitude totally crashes. It's usually because I have spent too much time alone.
Getting out among 'em is the answer.
Hope to see you tomorrow at church. Later my friends.
In preparing for this lesson, I came across an interesting entry in a commentary on Matthew that I have been using as I teach. The commentary is "The Chronological Life of Christ", by Mark Moore. He is one of those guys that writes like he talks, so he is easy to understand. In his commentary while writing about this passage he says,
"Egoism is natural to most people. It drives us to the front of the line, to the best seat in the house, and to the biggest piece of cake. It is seen as innocuous and natural in ourselves, but somewhat irritating in others. In fact, it is even encouraged by parents and teachers. Jesus sees beyond this facade. This egoism is the cause of arrogance, selfishness, war, greed, corporate takeovers, jealousy, rape, etc. It is even the cause of low self esteem. The problem with a low self esteem is not that a person thinks too lowly of himself, but that he thinks to much of himself. When our eyes are outward, serving others, it is impossible to be plagued with self pity or self abasement."
I think this is so right that I put it in my blog. I know from experience that this is true and I also know from watching others. When we live too much in our heads, thinking about the things we want, where we will go or what we will do or how sad it is that we are not this or that; that is precisely when we fall into patterns of egoism.
I have often thought that we become addicted to the emotions we experience and that we find ways to "enjoy" them again and again. Whether it be love, joy, happiness and contentment or self pity, self abasement, anger or malice; we find ways we can experience them again and again, even if it's on the subconscious level. I would even go so far as to say that sometimes depression is self induced. For myself, all it takes is one little thing to start a self examination that any prosecutor would envy. It can put me in a depressive tail spin that can last for days.
I have had to learn not to live so much in my head, but out there where others are, putting myself in their place or in some way helping them, and in so doing, helping me to overcome this tendency. It is a hard cycle to break. I still have bad days where my attitude totally crashes. It's usually because I have spent too much time alone.
Getting out among 'em is the answer.
Hope to see you tomorrow at church. Later my friends.
Friday, January 1, 2016
I'm Taller Don't Ya Know
Well I went to bed at 8:37 PM last night and I woke up 11 hours later only to discover that my calendar had expired. Then when I logged on to GOOGLE this morning, the egg which was 2016 on their logo yesterday had hatched. At first it was a mallard duck, then it changed to a crocodile and then a stack of turtles. I suppose that somehow this is significant in that even GOOGLE does not know what lies ahead in the new year.
I bet they have a better idea than I do, but that might sound conspiratorial and I'm trying to cut down on that stuff. That probably won't happen though. I sense conspiracy everywhere, the original planner being our adversary that roams the earth seeking whom he can devour. He is always hungry. He makes shit happen...if you'll excuse the expression.
It's was a tough work week. I did some 12 and 14 hour days because I'm a nice guy and gave everyone the week off (and I needed to cut some hours as business slows way down the week after Christmas - it was my personal conspiracy). Long work days are not as easy as they used to be. I am not a young man anymore. Four hours of sleep a day no longer works so well, so last night's rest was much needed. What I find is, that if I don't get enough sleep, I get depressed and cranky. No one wants that. I can be a bit snippy when that happens. I feel pretty good this morning though. I just lack motivation. Getting the first cup of coffee down will help. I have a BOGO coupon for Caribou. I may go over and complete my caffeine buzz there.
I was thinking about where I was at last year at this time in terms of spiritual and mental growth. I was blogging like a mad man in 2015 and someone told me to cool it in a blog comment. I think I responded that I could not stop and that it was all going come out this year if it killed me. That was a rough paraphrase.
I think I achieved my purpose. I did not die, but it was close. Y'all know way more about me now than you ever wanted to know and I apologize for that, but it just had to come out. I could not conceal the truth anymore. For some of you, I know that's been a problem, but you will get over it. I did. Trust me please. It's better this way.
I feel completely different. I feel free. I feel more saved than I have ever felt before. It's the way I should have felt back in 1974 after I was baptized in a little church in Joplin, Missouri. My growth has been stunted for a very long time, but not anymore. There were no less than 4 people that asked me if I had gotten taller at the family Christmas celebration. These were people that had not seen me since last year. I am 58 years old. It's doubtful I will be growing any direction other than sideways at 58. Nonetheless I am exuding the impression that I am taller. How does this happen?
It's my soul. If It gets much taller, it's not going to fit in my body anymore. That's OK. My body is worn out anyway.
So here's to a new year. More growth. Longer pants cuz I'm so dang tall. And a better vision of where Jesus wants me to go.
I bet they have a better idea than I do, but that might sound conspiratorial and I'm trying to cut down on that stuff. That probably won't happen though. I sense conspiracy everywhere, the original planner being our adversary that roams the earth seeking whom he can devour. He is always hungry. He makes shit happen...if you'll excuse the expression.
It's was a tough work week. I did some 12 and 14 hour days because I'm a nice guy and gave everyone the week off (and I needed to cut some hours as business slows way down the week after Christmas - it was my personal conspiracy). Long work days are not as easy as they used to be. I am not a young man anymore. Four hours of sleep a day no longer works so well, so last night's rest was much needed. What I find is, that if I don't get enough sleep, I get depressed and cranky. No one wants that. I can be a bit snippy when that happens. I feel pretty good this morning though. I just lack motivation. Getting the first cup of coffee down will help. I have a BOGO coupon for Caribou. I may go over and complete my caffeine buzz there.
I was thinking about where I was at last year at this time in terms of spiritual and mental growth. I was blogging like a mad man in 2015 and someone told me to cool it in a blog comment. I think I responded that I could not stop and that it was all going come out this year if it killed me. That was a rough paraphrase.
I think I achieved my purpose. I did not die, but it was close. Y'all know way more about me now than you ever wanted to know and I apologize for that, but it just had to come out. I could not conceal the truth anymore. For some of you, I know that's been a problem, but you will get over it. I did. Trust me please. It's better this way.
I feel completely different. I feel free. I feel more saved than I have ever felt before. It's the way I should have felt back in 1974 after I was baptized in a little church in Joplin, Missouri. My growth has been stunted for a very long time, but not anymore. There were no less than 4 people that asked me if I had gotten taller at the family Christmas celebration. These were people that had not seen me since last year. I am 58 years old. It's doubtful I will be growing any direction other than sideways at 58. Nonetheless I am exuding the impression that I am taller. How does this happen?
It's my soul. If It gets much taller, it's not going to fit in my body anymore. That's OK. My body is worn out anyway.
So here's to a new year. More growth. Longer pants cuz I'm so dang tall. And a better vision of where Jesus wants me to go.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Reflections On a Snowstorm, Ditch Babies and Things That Will Kill You
We had a snowstorm today. It was snowing when I left for work this morning at 05:30 and it was still snowing when I left for home at 1800. I'm not sure how much we got but some of it was grainy ice pellets, fine as beach sand. It was hitting the metal roof at work and it sounded like a sandstorm. The nasty weather was good for one thing though. Customers either stayed home or closed early today. The result was that I got home earlier than anticipated. I suppose I will pay for it tomorrow.
The mayhem on the bypass was minimal. I only saw 6 ditch babies tonight as opposed to 16 during the last snow blitz prior to Thanksgiving. That must have been training day. If you are unfamiliar with the term "ditch baby", I am not talking about a Flemish pastry. That would be a "dutch baby". What I am talking about are those who do not know how to drive properly in winter weather conditions and put their vehicles into the medians and ditches of highways and roads and then cry about it. For a better pictorial explanation, please see below. This was a particularly talented ditch baby.
When I got home, the driveway was clogged with fresh ice snow. I was imagining it freezing solid over night and becoming impossible to move, so I broke out the snow blower and shifted the snow. I have a long driveway and a small snow blower so it took me about an hour and 20 minutes to giterdun. I briefly toyed with the idea of waiting for my cousin Joe to come and plow me out in the morning, but I kept picturing Dad wandering out into the driveway in the middle of the night in pursuit of the people on television and then falling down in the snow on the driveway. That thought and the thought of staying inside and listening to him while he watches the cleft palate kids infomercial was enough to propel me out into the cold to blow snow in the dark. Such is my life.
Once the driveway was blown, I came back in and fixed dinner. Dad had Stouffer's Mac and Cheese and I had Hot Links. Johnston's All Beef Hot Links are one of my favorite foods. I think they will probably kill me, but what a way to go. I prepare 4 of them in the microwave. They cook for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. I lay out 4 low carb Aztec tortilla on a paper towel. I lay a thin slice of Kraft habenero pepper cheese on each tortilla. Then I roll up a hot link in each one. Spicy, juicy, chewy, delicious. What else can I say? I love them. It's no wonder I have cholesterol poisoning. Then I chase it with some rainbow sherbet. Stop laughing Eric. I love rainbow sherbet.
I think I need to go to bed now. Back to work at 0600 again tomorrow. Could be an interesting day.
The mayhem on the bypass was minimal. I only saw 6 ditch babies tonight as opposed to 16 during the last snow blitz prior to Thanksgiving. That must have been training day. If you are unfamiliar with the term "ditch baby", I am not talking about a Flemish pastry. That would be a "dutch baby". What I am talking about are those who do not know how to drive properly in winter weather conditions and put their vehicles into the medians and ditches of highways and roads and then cry about it. For a better pictorial explanation, please see below. This was a particularly talented ditch baby.
Once the driveway was blown, I came back in and fixed dinner. Dad had Stouffer's Mac and Cheese and I had Hot Links. Johnston's All Beef Hot Links are one of my favorite foods. I think they will probably kill me, but what a way to go. I prepare 4 of them in the microwave. They cook for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. I lay out 4 low carb Aztec tortilla on a paper towel. I lay a thin slice of Kraft habenero pepper cheese on each tortilla. Then I roll up a hot link in each one. Spicy, juicy, chewy, delicious. What else can I say? I love them. It's no wonder I have cholesterol poisoning. Then I chase it with some rainbow sherbet. Stop laughing Eric. I love rainbow sherbet.
I think I need to go to bed now. Back to work at 0600 again tomorrow. Could be an interesting day.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
The Last Week of the Year
After that, in the New Year I will be available again for morning coffee at Caribou in Pleasant Hill or any alternate destination. Shoot me a text if you're interested in talking or call me and we will set something up. I will talk about anything and listen to what you have to say. I am humble and lovable and cuddly. Never mind the sharp teeth and claws.
You get extra points if we do not know each other well. Come on down and lay it on me. You might get a free book out of the deal. Don't be scared. It's just me,
Did I say that?
Single-Mindedness
Sunday school was good today. Dave brought a lesson about single-mindedness. That's not the same as narrow-mindedness or close-mindedness.
Single-mindedness is focusing on one thing so that it can permeate and season everything else in your life. That one thing would be dedication to a life in Christ. The idea is that by focusing on Him, it will change and improve everything else we do. It will make our lives unfold and happen in a way pleasing to Him and in our best interest as well.
Here is what Jesus said at the end of my favorite part of the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 6:31-34
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Devotion to God and everything that goes with that should be our single-minded pursuit as believers.
If we do this, He will take care of our needs. It probably will not be a six bedroom house, 3 cars and a boat, but if we pursue Him single-mindedly, He will see to our needs.
What I have found in my life is that even when I was not pursing Him, He pursued me. Praise His Name; I have always had a job, a roof over my head, food to eat and transportation. I was not always happy or content in those days, but He was taking care of me, even when I was not paying attention. In recent years, my lack of contentment and peace drove me back to Him in ways that I had not expected. It has been a difficult learning process, but the contentment is taking shape and form and my concern about the essentials is waning. It may just be that I am at that time of life where one takes inventory and gets ready to meet Him. Whatever. I am reliant on Him. I cannot live without Him.
Peace and hope are major gifts in this life. He has given me both.
Do you want some of that? He is waiting to hear from you.
Single-mindedness is focusing on one thing so that it can permeate and season everything else in your life. That one thing would be dedication to a life in Christ. The idea is that by focusing on Him, it will change and improve everything else we do. It will make our lives unfold and happen in a way pleasing to Him and in our best interest as well.
Here is what Jesus said at the end of my favorite part of the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 6:31-34
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Devotion to God and everything that goes with that should be our single-minded pursuit as believers.
If we do this, He will take care of our needs. It probably will not be a six bedroom house, 3 cars and a boat, but if we pursue Him single-mindedly, He will see to our needs.
What I have found in my life is that even when I was not pursing Him, He pursued me. Praise His Name; I have always had a job, a roof over my head, food to eat and transportation. I was not always happy or content in those days, but He was taking care of me, even when I was not paying attention. In recent years, my lack of contentment and peace drove me back to Him in ways that I had not expected. It has been a difficult learning process, but the contentment is taking shape and form and my concern about the essentials is waning. It may just be that I am at that time of life where one takes inventory and gets ready to meet Him. Whatever. I am reliant on Him. I cannot live without Him.
Peace and hope are major gifts in this life. He has given me both.
Do you want some of that? He is waiting to hear from you.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Blog Traffic Is Heavy Today
I'm not sure what's going on, but there seems to be excessive traffic on the blog today. The Russians are particularly active. I cannot help but wonder if the various intelligence services are doing security sweeps of the internet. Here's what it looks like.This is a very unusual pattern for TDGH.
| Entry | Pageviews |
|---|---|
United States
|
65
|
Russia
|
31
|
France
|
8
|
Germany
|
2
|
A Christmas Report
Well, it was good to see Dad's side of the family on Friday. All seemed to be well, or at the very least, much better than it was in November for them. We went to Alison and Hal's, which was a change, for the usual Spaghetti dinner. Aunt Mel had hip surgery. She seems to be recovering in good fashion and she was glad to see me. Maybe it was the pain meds, but when people are glad to see me, I will take it, drug induced or otherwise. :^) All kidding aside, she seems to be recovering well. Her progress is encouraging. Praise the Lord for that!
Uncle Dick made the spaghetti sauce. It was excellent. There was a choice of regular and spicy. I had some of both. They were of excellent quality. Two plates full for me and many others. The meat balls and Italian sausage were excellent too. Special thanks to Hal for helping to boil the pasta. It was as it is supposed to be - aldente! And thanks Alison for the bread and salad.
Many cousins and 2nd cousins were present. Scott and Kim and Alison and Hal have certainly learned their multiplication tables. They have more than made up for my lack of offspring. The gene pool is safe in their hands or wherever it is.
Kinsey and Stephen (hope I spelled correctly) were back from the UK. I should say that Kinsey was back. Stephen was visiting. His home is in the Mother Country. They both seem terminally happy. It must be a magical land. I will have to go over and visit some day. Maybe I can take a ferry over after I visit the Emerald Isle. Not to put too fine a point on it, but we all know there would be no England or western Europe without the Celts. If it were not for the interruption of those Vikings, all the world would be Irish by now. But I digress.
To Jeremy and Leanne and Kim and Neal, I bid you a delayed Merry Christmas. I know how much Kim must be missing me by now. We have not seen each other in years. She probably thinks I'm dead or in a nursing home. All things in good time.
Anyway, now that I know the world is in the safe hands of my younger cousins and second cousins,
I guess I can die. I keep thinking there is something else I have to do before I can be excused. That remains to be seen, but thanks family for a good time and good food yesterday. Glad you got to see me!
I am so funny.
Uncle Dick made the spaghetti sauce. It was excellent. There was a choice of regular and spicy. I had some of both. They were of excellent quality. Two plates full for me and many others. The meat balls and Italian sausage were excellent too. Special thanks to Hal for helping to boil the pasta. It was as it is supposed to be - aldente! And thanks Alison for the bread and salad.
Many cousins and 2nd cousins were present. Scott and Kim and Alison and Hal have certainly learned their multiplication tables. They have more than made up for my lack of offspring. The gene pool is safe in their hands or wherever it is.
Kinsey and Stephen (hope I spelled correctly) were back from the UK. I should say that Kinsey was back. Stephen was visiting. His home is in the Mother Country. They both seem terminally happy. It must be a magical land. I will have to go over and visit some day. Maybe I can take a ferry over after I visit the Emerald Isle. Not to put too fine a point on it, but we all know there would be no England or western Europe without the Celts. If it were not for the interruption of those Vikings, all the world would be Irish by now. But I digress.
To Jeremy and Leanne and Kim and Neal, I bid you a delayed Merry Christmas. I know how much Kim must be missing me by now. We have not seen each other in years. She probably thinks I'm dead or in a nursing home. All things in good time.
Anyway, now that I know the world is in the safe hands of my younger cousins and second cousins,
I guess I can die. I keep thinking there is something else I have to do before I can be excused. That remains to be seen, but thanks family for a good time and good food yesterday. Glad you got to see me!
I am so funny.
Friday, December 25, 2015
"When Man Forgets His Creator, He Forgets How To Create"
In his review of the most recent chapter in the celluloid operas of Star Wars, John C Wright offers some wise words. I would encourage you to read the whole thing at his blog. Be warned. If you have not seen the film, there are some apparent spoilers. For the record, I have not seen it and I will not see it. The Star Wars franchise has become a tool of the elite, one worlders. I will not go into that now.
Anyhow, in the midst of his review, Mr. Wright says this:
"Why can’t the modern Leftist tell a decent story? Even when he is copying a good and healthy-minded original scene by scene in a paint-by-numbers fashion, it turns out sick-minded.
The answer is ultimately where all ultimate answers reside, in the deep places of the soul.
When we forget God, we forget how to tell tales. I submit that when a man forgets his Creator, he forgets how to create. Anyone raised in the Church is raised with compelling and impressive stories from childhood, from the tragedy of Eden to the epic of Exodus to the divine comedy of the Resurrection to the awesome high-tech special effects extravaganza of the Apocalypse.
We conservative Christians live inside a story, and we are curious about pagan stories, seeing even there glimpses of the universal light. Pagans are never curious about any Christian story, but repelled, for darkness hates the light. Political Correctness is not a story but a political manifesto, a complaint, a call for political change, a boring sermon we’ve all heard endlessly.
Our modern story tellers live in this arid and airless and lunar landscape of lifeless policy statements. Their characters are wooden puppets, merely stand-ins for whatever current political figures are they wish to mock or applaud. Their plots are borrowed without understanding what it is they borrow."
Mr. Wright is right. Maybe you have not noticed, but prior to the early 1960's Americans were the most prolific creators and inventors on the planet. Now all we seem to be able to do is drag out what was once old and try to remake it and we do not even do a good job at that.
Look at the arts, movies, music and entertainment. Everything is a rehash of the original. Modern paintings look like they belong on Mom's refrigerator and not in a museum. Popular Music has changed very little with only occasional aberrations. Movies are remakes. TV is a vast waste land. No one writes books that will one day be classics.
Our left brains are dying. It's that place where our souls reside. We have abandoned it for a mess of technical and politically correct pottage that strangles creativity and stifles the natural urge to seek God.
Western culture needs an enema. I think God will be giving it one shortly.
Anyhow, in the midst of his review, Mr. Wright says this:
"Why can’t the modern Leftist tell a decent story? Even when he is copying a good and healthy-minded original scene by scene in a paint-by-numbers fashion, it turns out sick-minded.
The answer is ultimately where all ultimate answers reside, in the deep places of the soul.
When we forget God, we forget how to tell tales. I submit that when a man forgets his Creator, he forgets how to create. Anyone raised in the Church is raised with compelling and impressive stories from childhood, from the tragedy of Eden to the epic of Exodus to the divine comedy of the Resurrection to the awesome high-tech special effects extravaganza of the Apocalypse.
We conservative Christians live inside a story, and we are curious about pagan stories, seeing even there glimpses of the universal light. Pagans are never curious about any Christian story, but repelled, for darkness hates the light. Political Correctness is not a story but a political manifesto, a complaint, a call for political change, a boring sermon we’ve all heard endlessly.
Our modern story tellers live in this arid and airless and lunar landscape of lifeless policy statements. Their characters are wooden puppets, merely stand-ins for whatever current political figures are they wish to mock or applaud. Their plots are borrowed without understanding what it is they borrow."
Mr. Wright is right. Maybe you have not noticed, but prior to the early 1960's Americans were the most prolific creators and inventors on the planet. Now all we seem to be able to do is drag out what was once old and try to remake it and we do not even do a good job at that.
Look at the arts, movies, music and entertainment. Everything is a rehash of the original. Modern paintings look like they belong on Mom's refrigerator and not in a museum. Popular Music has changed very little with only occasional aberrations. Movies are remakes. TV is a vast waste land. No one writes books that will one day be classics.
Our left brains are dying. It's that place where our souls reside. We have abandoned it for a mess of technical and politically correct pottage that strangles creativity and stifles the natural urge to seek God.
Western culture needs an enema. I think God will be giving it one shortly.
Know Jesus, Know Peace; No Jesus, No Peace
I am aware of the bumper sticker nature of today's post title, but for me and millions of others, it is true.
Jesus gets me through the day. No matter how manic or depressed I may be, He is there encouraging me with eternal hope. Frustrations come and go. Grief visits occasionally. Feelings of dread or angst or anger or injustice or guilt plague me from time to time. But when I refocus on Jesus, when I put my hope in Him and live moment to moment in His grace, then I begin to live again.
He is my anchor in this life. Without Him I would be lost. I am so glad that He stopped by 2000 years ago to show us the way out of the weeds and into the high and fertile ground.
It's true that Christmas is not my favorite holiday. I am not convinced that it is Jesus' birthday. It is however, a good time to reflect on what He did for us while He was here.
1.) He taught us how we should live, how we should treat each other, what it means to be truly righteous and then He lived that life.
2.) He showed by His own example what it means to to sacrifice in this life for others and for God.
3.) He taught us that to be loved, we must love first.
4.) He brought us eternal hope; the knowledge that we would one day again see those we loved here that have gone on before us.
5) And He showed us His grace for the poor choices that we all make from time to time in this life.
You see, faith in Christ is not all a "pie in the sky", suffer here, glory in eternity type of thing. We can have those moments here and now. Victory is as much a state of mind or a location for the soul whether we are in the body or out of the body. We can and do enjoy that peace that passes understanding in the here and now.
This becomes a mystery passing strange to those that know us and do not believe. All I can say to you is turn your eyes toward Jesus. I do not care what your problems are with the church or with the Bible. Start with Jesus. Go to Him in prayer. Seek Him out. Find some peace and hope. Over time your tears will become tears of joy and not tears of loss.
Merry Christmas
Jesus gets me through the day. No matter how manic or depressed I may be, He is there encouraging me with eternal hope. Frustrations come and go. Grief visits occasionally. Feelings of dread or angst or anger or injustice or guilt plague me from time to time. But when I refocus on Jesus, when I put my hope in Him and live moment to moment in His grace, then I begin to live again.
He is my anchor in this life. Without Him I would be lost. I am so glad that He stopped by 2000 years ago to show us the way out of the weeds and into the high and fertile ground.
It's true that Christmas is not my favorite holiday. I am not convinced that it is Jesus' birthday. It is however, a good time to reflect on what He did for us while He was here.
1.) He taught us how we should live, how we should treat each other, what it means to be truly righteous and then He lived that life.
2.) He showed by His own example what it means to to sacrifice in this life for others and for God.
3.) He taught us that to be loved, we must love first.
4.) He brought us eternal hope; the knowledge that we would one day again see those we loved here that have gone on before us.
5) And He showed us His grace for the poor choices that we all make from time to time in this life.
You see, faith in Christ is not all a "pie in the sky", suffer here, glory in eternity type of thing. We can have those moments here and now. Victory is as much a state of mind or a location for the soul whether we are in the body or out of the body. We can and do enjoy that peace that passes understanding in the here and now.
This becomes a mystery passing strange to those that know us and do not believe. All I can say to you is turn your eyes toward Jesus. I do not care what your problems are with the church or with the Bible. Start with Jesus. Go to Him in prayer. Seek Him out. Find some peace and hope. Over time your tears will become tears of joy and not tears of loss.
Merry Christmas
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Merry Christmas To All and To All A Goodnight
John C Wright is a sci-fi/fantasy writer with many books in print and numerous writing awards. He is also a Christian. He said this on his blog on 12/21/2015.
"The time for submission is past.
Christians have been slandered, libeled, demeaned, and buffaloed by a very small and very patient group of Leftwing zealots who have somehow convinced the world that there is no place for us in the this world: no place for our nativity scenes at Christmas, no place for Christian marriage, no place for the Ten Commandments in our courthouse decorations, no place for historical accuracy, reality or truth in our lives, and no prayers in our schools.
Enough is enough. We outnumber them. It is time to drive them from our midst, and return our civilization to being civilized.
Let us be Christendom again."
John is right and that is no pun! They must tolerate or convert. Barring one of those two outcomes, they must go. I am tired of it. I will no longer be squeezed by the haters on the left and in other intolerant faiths. Your fascist path to social justice will fail you in the end anyway. Y'all are so done. I'm here and I'm a Christian. Deal with it.
Merry Freakin Christmas
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
The Day Before The Night Before Christmas and Bob Ross
That's what today is ya know. And now that we've discussed that, I want to do what I did not do yesterday; talk about yesterday morning's events.
'Events' might be too strong a word. Maybe they were coincidences or happy accidents as Bob Ross would say. Whatever they were, yesterday morning was good and that's no accident. If you do not know who Bob Ross is, all I can say is, Google him. He was a painter that gave art instruction on PBS back in the 70's and 80's. He always had an excellent attitude. You need to see one of his shows to appreciate him. The man was always happy.
Anyway, getting back to yesterday, I had coffee with another "Bob", one of the pastors at my church. This part was planned. I always like to talk to him. He is easy going, intelligent and down to earth even though his head seems to be in heaven all the time. Kind of like Bob Ross in some ways I guess.
While we were having coffee, things started happening that I do not think were accidents. There were two people that walked into the coffee shop that entered our conversation; one of which I had befriended and another which "Bob" had befriended. We talked to both of them. One is a member of our church. The other is not. "Bob's" friend is a local LEO and she had been to our church once. "Bob" is trying to get her to come back. I may try to help "Bob" with that. I just have to get up early enough to catch her at Caribou in the morning. I do not know for sure, but I believe she and I may well have something in common. We will see what happens. The Lord works in strange ways.
I have never been one to notice these happy accidents. I have always gone about my business, living in my head, not noticing what is going on around me. However, lately I find that somehow there are people being put in my way and I feel motivated to talk to and befriend them. This is not at all like me, but I think I am going to go with it and see what happens. The whole process seems to make me happy. Yes, odd, I know. Nevertheless, it is happening and it might all be much more than just a happy accident.
Any happy accidents in your life? Look for synchronicity. Google that one too. Very interesting topic.
Time to go to work. Hope you are done Christmas shopping. Love ya! Later.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Monday, December 21st
Happy winter solstice. Today is the shortest day of the year in terms of daylight hours and it is also the official beginning of winter. It will mean that from here on out into the new year, day light will be on the increase. The sun will be coming back. It will soon be Ground Hog Day and then spring after that. Bring back the green. I long for the the green. Even bass are green. Kewl.
The neighbors came over last night. We had a long discussion about very little, but it was good to see them and talk...and Beverly, my cheesecake settled down and stopped jiggling about 8:30 PM and I put it in the fridge for Friday.
I'm taking Dad to the doctor today for his quarterly check up. He does not remember Dr. Smith even though he just saw him in September. Next month he goes to the heart doctor.
Talked to my friend in Kansas last night. He and his family were preparing to depart for Kirksville. I hope they find their way safely. He had some attitude last night. I will have to discuss having respect for his elders after Christmas. I suppose if you preach for a living, you deal with elders all the time and it might be possible to lose respect. Whatever. I'm sure Santa Claus is bringing him a lump of coal and switches.
Church was good yesterday. Sunday school was informative and uneventful. In all, the weekend was good.
I feel wonderful.
What more could I want?
The neighbors came over last night. We had a long discussion about very little, but it was good to see them and talk...and Beverly, my cheesecake settled down and stopped jiggling about 8:30 PM and I put it in the fridge for Friday.
I'm taking Dad to the doctor today for his quarterly check up. He does not remember Dr. Smith even though he just saw him in September. Next month he goes to the heart doctor.
Talked to my friend in Kansas last night. He and his family were preparing to depart for Kirksville. I hope they find their way safely. He had some attitude last night. I will have to discuss having respect for his elders after Christmas. I suppose if you preach for a living, you deal with elders all the time and it might be possible to lose respect. Whatever. I'm sure Santa Claus is bringing him a lump of coal and switches.
Church was good yesterday. Sunday school was informative and uneventful. In all, the weekend was good.
I feel wonderful.
What more could I want?
Friday, December 18, 2015
2016
When I was a teenager I figured out that I would be 43 years old in the year 2000. When I was 20, I did not think I would live past 30. When I was 30, I was moving air freight and not thinking about anything else. When I hit 43 I thought, "well, I made it after all". Now that I'm 58, it's going to be 2016. In a couple of weeks we will be 15 years into the new millennium.
I have to say that I am pumped. I know I'm on the down hill side of life here, but I am excited about the remaining future. Transition lies ahead for me. I think I will have something useful to do, whether I am working or retired. I want to grab the last bits of life here before the last transition and leave a mark that will take awhile to fade away. I have hope for now and eternity. Let's do this 2016 thing. I am ready.
No resolutions. No promises. No oaths. Just life lived day by day in victory. This is my goal and my challenge and I never set goals people!
I am a bit disappointed that there are no flying cars yet, but we do have drones, so I am even hopeful about that.
The sun is shining and the Son is Shining. I see no downside to this global climate change thing. The West is collapsing and I do not care. Something better may rise out of the ashes.
And friends, if Jesus comes back, all bets are off. That would be the best of all possible outcomes.
What are you thinking about next year?
I have to say that I am pumped. I know I'm on the down hill side of life here, but I am excited about the remaining future. Transition lies ahead for me. I think I will have something useful to do, whether I am working or retired. I want to grab the last bits of life here before the last transition and leave a mark that will take awhile to fade away. I have hope for now and eternity. Let's do this 2016 thing. I am ready.
No resolutions. No promises. No oaths. Just life lived day by day in victory. This is my goal and my challenge and I never set goals people!
I am a bit disappointed that there are no flying cars yet, but we do have drones, so I am even hopeful about that.
The sun is shining and the Son is Shining. I see no downside to this global climate change thing. The West is collapsing and I do not care. Something better may rise out of the ashes.
And friends, if Jesus comes back, all bets are off. That would be the best of all possible outcomes.
What are you thinking about next year?
Thursday, December 17, 2015
I Am Called To Faith, But Am I Called To Be Nice?
There are people in the world and in the Church that have this picture in their minds of "nice Jesus". I have had unbelievers tell me that I did not live up to the standard Jesus set for me because I was not "nice" about something. I have heard Christians come up with the same thing. "Would Jesus say that?"
All I can say is that I do not believe these people have read their New Testaments and especially the gospels.
Jesus would excoriate people regularly; particularly the religious class of His time. He would have no truck with people that would put their religious traditions before God and His law. He also had issues with religious people that would try to insert themselves between God and His people to control them.
Jesus regularly gave the Pharisees and Sadducees a beat down for their hypocrisy. Read Matthew 23. You will see what I mean. There is also Jesus' encounter with the same types in Matthew 15. Jesus is accused of violating the traditions of the elders by not washing His hands before eating. Our Lord pummels them with God's truth. Then the disciples ask Jesus in 15:12, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
Well duh! Do you not think that was the idea? Of course they were offended. Jesus' entire life was an offense to them
Then there were His true followers. They were not so much hypocritical as they were ignorant. Countless times in the gospels Jesus says to His own disciples, "Oh ye of little faith...". He takes them to task constantly for failing to put the pieces of reality together that He has given them so they can get the big picture of what He was (and is) trying to do. The light does not really go on for them until the Holy Spirit comes in power in Acts 2. By the time they really "get it", He is gone, but He has left them the tools to get this new kingdom, the Church, underway.
And that brings me to the apostles as they were in the early Church. Were they "nice"? Well sometimes, but I think about how Peter called down judgement on Ananias and Sapphira and how Paul would take his own Jewish brethren to task as well as the Gentile Christians and I think that Paul was not always nice.
Why do you think it is that people find the Bible so offensive? It's because it points to us and says we do not measure up and we need to repent. To be completely frank, in our age, it pisses people off. When we put our own selves before the will of God as expressed in scripture, we can either be offended by being called out or we can submit to God in faith and seek forgiveness.
The gospel is offensive. It is not nice. It demands obedience and threatens eternal damnation to those that refuse God's will and Word.
But it also offers eternal life...
My thought is this. Surrender to Him. He loves you. Make His will your will. If you do that, all those offensive things that you might sense coming from scripture, will no longer seem so offensive.
So am I not being nice or am I just telling you the truth? Sometimes they go together don't they?
Of course, there are times when I'm really not nice. You can call me on it if you like. I will try not to accuse you of not being nice :^)
All I can say is that I do not believe these people have read their New Testaments and especially the gospels.
Jesus would excoriate people regularly; particularly the religious class of His time. He would have no truck with people that would put their religious traditions before God and His law. He also had issues with religious people that would try to insert themselves between God and His people to control them.
Jesus regularly gave the Pharisees and Sadducees a beat down for their hypocrisy. Read Matthew 23. You will see what I mean. There is also Jesus' encounter with the same types in Matthew 15. Jesus is accused of violating the traditions of the elders by not washing His hands before eating. Our Lord pummels them with God's truth. Then the disciples ask Jesus in 15:12, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
Well duh! Do you not think that was the idea? Of course they were offended. Jesus' entire life was an offense to them
Then there were His true followers. They were not so much hypocritical as they were ignorant. Countless times in the gospels Jesus says to His own disciples, "Oh ye of little faith...". He takes them to task constantly for failing to put the pieces of reality together that He has given them so they can get the big picture of what He was (and is) trying to do. The light does not really go on for them until the Holy Spirit comes in power in Acts 2. By the time they really "get it", He is gone, but He has left them the tools to get this new kingdom, the Church, underway.
And that brings me to the apostles as they were in the early Church. Were they "nice"? Well sometimes, but I think about how Peter called down judgement on Ananias and Sapphira and how Paul would take his own Jewish brethren to task as well as the Gentile Christians and I think that Paul was not always nice.
Why do you think it is that people find the Bible so offensive? It's because it points to us and says we do not measure up and we need to repent. To be completely frank, in our age, it pisses people off. When we put our own selves before the will of God as expressed in scripture, we can either be offended by being called out or we can submit to God in faith and seek forgiveness.
The gospel is offensive. It is not nice. It demands obedience and threatens eternal damnation to those that refuse God's will and Word.
But it also offers eternal life...
My thought is this. Surrender to Him. He loves you. Make His will your will. If you do that, all those offensive things that you might sense coming from scripture, will no longer seem so offensive.
So am I not being nice or am I just telling you the truth? Sometimes they go together don't they?
Of course, there are times when I'm really not nice. You can call me on it if you like. I will try not to accuse you of not being nice :^)
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
The Duck Walk
I do not think I'm doing it yet, but you would say something if I was walking like a duck right?
Is it arthritis that brings this on? I used to think it was about weight. You see fat people that have to move one leg out and around the other to walk properly, but I also see senior citizens doing the duck walk that are not X-sized and I cannot figure out why they do that.
My 79 year old father seems exempt from this. He walks more like the Tim Conway 'old guy' character from the Carol Burnett show. He also looks like a question mark if you get a side profile of him on the move, and I use the term "move" very loosely. When he climbs into my Toyota, it's like watching a three toed sloth climb a tree.
I understand the slow part. It comes with age. But the duck walk puzzles me. Next time you are in a public place, watch the senior citizens and that you tell me what it's about. Maybe it's meds. It baffles me.
Did God Set Us Up To Fail?
The short answer to that question is....maybe.
Now you who grew up in the church as I did are probably saying, "wait a minute; are you saying God is unjust or unfair?" My answer is no, I'm saying God is God. He knows way more than we do about what we think and how we are made and who we are. It was Him that gave us choice as part of our spiritual and mental abilities. He even gave us the choice of rejecting Him or accepting Him. Initially, our ancestors chose to reject His will.
I do not think that Adam and Eve wanted a life without Him on their own, but that is the path they chose when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good an evil and their choice is forever burned into our spiritual and physical gene pool. We are the children of fallen parents.
The odd thing is that our creator still loves us even though we continue to make bad choices.
I would argue that we are the most unique creatures in all of His creation. We enjoy physicality and spirituality at the same time. We are the envy of angels and demons and a testament to God's creativity and willingness to give up divine power to those He loves. What do I mean by that?
God is sovereign over His creation. He has ultimate control. When He gave us the ability to choose and to think for ourselves, He temporarily gave up some of that sovereignty to us. God did not grant this to any other creature; not the angels and not the demons, not any animal on the face of the earth.
We should be awed by this, but instead we have used this great gift to do as we please. Even so, God still pursues us in love.
Did God know we would make bad choices? Of course He did. He is God. Was that the plan all along? Well, maybe. Probably. I think so.
Here is why I say this. While God designed us to be able to make choices, He also made us to be His children...forever. I submit that we were made in His image and likeness, but we were never intended for us to "grow up" and become Him or replace Him as we might an earthly parent. We were to be His children forever, never quite reaching adulthood, never quite maturing completely. He designed us to always and forever need Him in our lives. We were never intended to separate from Him.
So, in this sense, God did set us up to fail. It's not a bad thing or unjust or unfair. He wants us to choose submission to Him. If you can get to that point, then you can begin to see it. The most beautiful thing in the universe. Love of the eternal Parent. He has no grandchildren. We are it. And we will always need Him.
Now you who grew up in the church as I did are probably saying, "wait a minute; are you saying God is unjust or unfair?" My answer is no, I'm saying God is God. He knows way more than we do about what we think and how we are made and who we are. It was Him that gave us choice as part of our spiritual and mental abilities. He even gave us the choice of rejecting Him or accepting Him. Initially, our ancestors chose to reject His will.
I do not think that Adam and Eve wanted a life without Him on their own, but that is the path they chose when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good an evil and their choice is forever burned into our spiritual and physical gene pool. We are the children of fallen parents.
The odd thing is that our creator still loves us even though we continue to make bad choices.
I would argue that we are the most unique creatures in all of His creation. We enjoy physicality and spirituality at the same time. We are the envy of angels and demons and a testament to God's creativity and willingness to give up divine power to those He loves. What do I mean by that?
God is sovereign over His creation. He has ultimate control. When He gave us the ability to choose and to think for ourselves, He temporarily gave up some of that sovereignty to us. God did not grant this to any other creature; not the angels and not the demons, not any animal on the face of the earth.
We should be awed by this, but instead we have used this great gift to do as we please. Even so, God still pursues us in love.
Did God know we would make bad choices? Of course He did. He is God. Was that the plan all along? Well, maybe. Probably. I think so.
Here is why I say this. While God designed us to be able to make choices, He also made us to be His children...forever. I submit that we were made in His image and likeness, but we were never intended for us to "grow up" and become Him or replace Him as we might an earthly parent. We were to be His children forever, never quite reaching adulthood, never quite maturing completely. He designed us to always and forever need Him in our lives. We were never intended to separate from Him.
So, in this sense, God did set us up to fail. It's not a bad thing or unjust or unfair. He wants us to choose submission to Him. If you can get to that point, then you can begin to see it. The most beautiful thing in the universe. Love of the eternal Parent. He has no grandchildren. We are it. And we will always need Him.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Cranio-Rectal Inversion
This is where I am at today. I am going to say this once. I hope you get my point. I hate repeating myself.
If your child, whether young or full grown adult, comes out to you as gay, you need to listen to them. You need to love them and you need to love them regardless of how they are dealing with it. You may not know it now, but the day will come when you need them. This is no time for conditional love. This is the time for love, understanding and emotional support. You do not have to approve of their behavior (if there is any) to do any of this.
They will always need their family and they will need you! So pull your head outta yer ass and just do it. It will not be as painful as you might think and you both might learn something.
Church, we need to get out in front of this and be Jesus to those we love in our families and among our friends. This might seem awkward, but if your kids bring their gay friends, partners and spouses home to meet you, you need to love them the way Jesus loves you. Get with the program.
End of diatribe. Ghog Out!
Sunday, December 13, 2015
The Spirit of the Season
Though I am loath to admit it, I was actually lifted into the Christmas Spirit today during praise time at church. We were singing Christmas songs and the attitude was infectious. I left feeling a bit hypocritical, but definitely more Christmassy...is that a word? Who knows.
I also got out a small, artificial Christmas tree that my Mom had wrapped in a garbage bag in the basement. It was already decorated. I only had to debag and place on a table in the living room. I told Dad that is was his Christmas decoration.
Ya, I know. It must be a wonder to live with. It's just as well that I'm not married. I would be divorced in a year. I am just too highly strung.
It has been raining here for two days and it's going to rain all night. There are standing puddles in the lawn. The dog does not even want to go outside to pee. Dad keeps watching the same infomercial over and over again. He has not ordered the product yet, but if he figures out how to do it, we will have a new Shark vacuum cleaner. You think I'm kidding? Last month he almost had a new and inferior medicare part b insurance policy based on junk mail and telephone canvassing. They had Dad convinced that he would be left without insurance if he did not respond to their pleas. People that do this should be locked up. They were taking advantage of him. He has an excellent policy with Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield that pays quite well when needed.
The sermon was good today. It was all about balance in the Christian life as portrayed in Romans 14. Dave said it was a bit like walking a tightrope. I'm not sure it's that precarious. Probably more like a very narrow walkway with thin walls on both sides. If you're reading this Dave, that's not a criticism. It's my perception of the passage in Romans.
My thing is moderation. We have to be moderate in everything except moderation. We have to be extreme in our moderation when we are talking about things left to the judgement of the individual Christian's liberty.
Speaking of that, our financial adviser dropped off a bottle of Chardonnay for Christmas. I put it in the fridge. I have not enjoyed an adult beverage in 5 years. I may crack that open on Christmas Eve and break my fast. I like a good white. Maybe we will have chicken Alfredo with steamed asparagus to go with it.
I'm having coffee with a neighbor tomorrow to discuss my recent SSA announcement. I'm not sure what she wants to discuss, but I am looking forward to our time together. I was supposed to give a book to my new friend Rita today, but I did not see her at church. Rita, if you are out there, I am reserving a copy of Messy Grace for you. Maybe next Sunday eh?
I think I'm done. Talk to you tomorrow.
I also got out a small, artificial Christmas tree that my Mom had wrapped in a garbage bag in the basement. It was already decorated. I only had to debag and place on a table in the living room. I told Dad that is was his Christmas decoration.
Ya, I know. It must be a wonder to live with. It's just as well that I'm not married. I would be divorced in a year. I am just too highly strung.
It has been raining here for two days and it's going to rain all night. There are standing puddles in the lawn. The dog does not even want to go outside to pee. Dad keeps watching the same infomercial over and over again. He has not ordered the product yet, but if he figures out how to do it, we will have a new Shark vacuum cleaner. You think I'm kidding? Last month he almost had a new and inferior medicare part b insurance policy based on junk mail and telephone canvassing. They had Dad convinced that he would be left without insurance if he did not respond to their pleas. People that do this should be locked up. They were taking advantage of him. He has an excellent policy with Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield that pays quite well when needed.
The sermon was good today. It was all about balance in the Christian life as portrayed in Romans 14. Dave said it was a bit like walking a tightrope. I'm not sure it's that precarious. Probably more like a very narrow walkway with thin walls on both sides. If you're reading this Dave, that's not a criticism. It's my perception of the passage in Romans.
My thing is moderation. We have to be moderate in everything except moderation. We have to be extreme in our moderation when we are talking about things left to the judgement of the individual Christian's liberty.
Speaking of that, our financial adviser dropped off a bottle of Chardonnay for Christmas. I put it in the fridge. I have not enjoyed an adult beverage in 5 years. I may crack that open on Christmas Eve and break my fast. I like a good white. Maybe we will have chicken Alfredo with steamed asparagus to go with it.
I'm having coffee with a neighbor tomorrow to discuss my recent SSA announcement. I'm not sure what she wants to discuss, but I am looking forward to our time together. I was supposed to give a book to my new friend Rita today, but I did not see her at church. Rita, if you are out there, I am reserving a copy of Messy Grace for you. Maybe next Sunday eh?
I think I'm done. Talk to you tomorrow.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Shame of The Season To You Too
You know, all you have to do is express a not so positive opinion about something that everyone else likes and immediately you are deluged with shamers that want to manipulate you in to joining the group think of whatever it is.
Such was the case with my admission about my hatred of Christmas. Seasonal Effective Disorder not withstanding, am I not entitled to my opinion? I received an email from an elder of my church that was seeking to manipulate my seasonal attitude with every Christian's favorite weapon - guilt.
I refuse to participate. In this age of global climate change where it is 55 degrees on December 11, I think I should be free not to join the festivities. While you are all being manipulated by consumerism and the hypocrisy of being nicer than normal, i.e. not yourself, I will be keeping on keeping on, a tower of consistency and moderation.
There are those that will resort to Christmas warfare, buying unsought gifts for their favorite Christmas curmudgeon in the hope of inducing some gift giving frenzy and change of attitude. This does not work with me. Do not go there. You will walk away feeling empty and ungreeted in the proper seasonal fashion and, of course, you will blame me because you feel bad.
NMP
For the uninitiated, that's "not my problem". It is yours.
So, in the spirit of the season, let just say, "Be warmed and filled. Go thy way and sin no more". Now don't you feel better?
Seriously. Stop the Christmas shaming. It's what liberals do when they want your money for some government program that helps no one.
Where is January when I need it?
Such was the case with my admission about my hatred of Christmas. Seasonal Effective Disorder not withstanding, am I not entitled to my opinion? I received an email from an elder of my church that was seeking to manipulate my seasonal attitude with every Christian's favorite weapon - guilt.
I refuse to participate. In this age of global climate change where it is 55 degrees on December 11, I think I should be free not to join the festivities. While you are all being manipulated by consumerism and the hypocrisy of being nicer than normal, i.e. not yourself, I will be keeping on keeping on, a tower of consistency and moderation.
There are those that will resort to Christmas warfare, buying unsought gifts for their favorite Christmas curmudgeon in the hope of inducing some gift giving frenzy and change of attitude. This does not work with me. Do not go there. You will walk away feeling empty and ungreeted in the proper seasonal fashion and, of course, you will blame me because you feel bad.
NMP
For the uninitiated, that's "not my problem". It is yours.
So, in the spirit of the season, let just say, "Be warmed and filled. Go thy way and sin no more". Now don't you feel better?
Seriously. Stop the Christmas shaming. It's what liberals do when they want your money for some government program that helps no one.
Where is January when I need it?
Thursday, December 10, 2015
I Do Not Have Good News
Do you remember Jeremiah the prophet in the Old Testament? He spent his entire life in service to God as His warning buoy among the people of Judah. His entire ministry was spent informing the people of God's impending justice if they failed to repent of their ways. And let me tell you, these were an evil people. They would sell their brethren into slavery for a pair of sandals. They worshiped other gods in Yahweh's temple. They had both male and female temple prostitutes. They charged the poor among them extreme amounts of usury for small loans. They also regularly ignored the laws of their God, obeying only the rituals.
It was in their minds that as long as they sacrificed regularly to Yahweh, they could get away with anything since they were His people. It was the Old Testament version of cheap grace. And it's true. The Lord was very patient with them. He warned them through Jeremiah and other prophets time and time again not to engage lawless behavior and to repent. His pleas were ignored. Jeremiah was ignored. Jeremiah had no good news for his people and they hated him. Hence judgement was inevitable.
Jeremiah spent his entire life preaching these warnings. He had no results really to show for his efforts and yet God used him for decades. I kind of understand Jeremiah. I have no good news for anyone that is facing a lifetime of same sex attraction. All I can offer is an appeal to trust God and an encouragement to change behavior. It is a tough path to navigate for those so challenged. I cannot offer a cure nor permission for behavior by those so challenged. What I can offer is a life with the Lord that might be different from what average believers experience. Exploration of the spiritual can be a fulfilling adventure. Finding Him in daily events is even more interesting. I have, in the last two years become more attuned to Him in some ways. I can't really find words to explain it. It's like I am more aware of His presence. It's like having an invisible friend that is real. What else can I say?
If you know Him, love Him, and He will love you back. His mercy and grace are limitless and when you experience it, you will want to give back to Him in love and obedience. Relationship with your Creator is a precious thing. It's what He wanted from the beginning. It's the best thing I have found to this point in my life.
So maybe I do have some good news. What do you think?
It was in their minds that as long as they sacrificed regularly to Yahweh, they could get away with anything since they were His people. It was the Old Testament version of cheap grace. And it's true. The Lord was very patient with them. He warned them through Jeremiah and other prophets time and time again not to engage lawless behavior and to repent. His pleas were ignored. Jeremiah was ignored. Jeremiah had no good news for his people and they hated him. Hence judgement was inevitable.
Jeremiah spent his entire life preaching these warnings. He had no results really to show for his efforts and yet God used him for decades. I kind of understand Jeremiah. I have no good news for anyone that is facing a lifetime of same sex attraction. All I can offer is an appeal to trust God and an encouragement to change behavior. It is a tough path to navigate for those so challenged. I cannot offer a cure nor permission for behavior by those so challenged. What I can offer is a life with the Lord that might be different from what average believers experience. Exploration of the spiritual can be a fulfilling adventure. Finding Him in daily events is even more interesting. I have, in the last two years become more attuned to Him in some ways. I can't really find words to explain it. It's like I am more aware of His presence. It's like having an invisible friend that is real. What else can I say?
If you know Him, love Him, and He will love you back. His mercy and grace are limitless and when you experience it, you will want to give back to Him in love and obedience. Relationship with your Creator is a precious thing. It's what He wanted from the beginning. It's the best thing I have found to this point in my life.
So maybe I do have some good news. What do you think?
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Odds and Ends
Someone said that people will not take me seriously if I talk about gay Christians and space aliens, but there are groups around the world that sit up and take notice when these issues come up in the public domain of the internet. Since Sunday, I have had 37 hits from Russia, 14 from Portugal and 1 each from Ukraine and the Philippines. I wonder where they come from and how they find the Ground Hog, but they do. I am glad you stopped by. You should drop me an email. I would like to hear from you.
groundhog001@gmail.com
The trivia question at Caribou Coffee in Altoona today was, "In the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, what is the gift on the ninth day?"
I was guessing, but my answer was correct - it's nine ladies dancing. I got 10 cents off the usual large cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso. And yes, that is quite a bit of caffeine. In the early days, I would get a warning from the attendant; "You know that's 5 shots of espresso right?". People worry too much. It was like I was going to sue them if I got heart palpitations. I live for heart palpitations. I feel alive. It's my nature to be a bit melancholy and sluggish, particularly in the morning. This beverage brings me right out of it. As a co-worker said, "Jeff, you'll get used to it".
Now I have a confession to make. I know that by now you thought you had heard everything about me, but alas, this is not so. I know some of you will recoil in horror when you hear this, but it's true and I think you need to know.
I hate Christmas.
There I said it. It's good to get it out there so people can deal with it. I suppose that the first question that comes to mind is, "why?"
It always fills me with guilt and and self loathing and I am not sure why that happens, but I'm sure there is some long, involved psychological explanation for it. There are also the environmental factors. It is dark for extended periods of time during this season. From about 4:30 PM to 7:00 AM there is darkness. This is very depressing. I hate it.
There is also the FACT that December 25th is NOT Jesus' birthday. If you are a Christian you should know this and know better than to get caught up in all the paganism. The holiday that you are celebrating that is falsely attributed to Christ is actually the festival of Saturn. It was a holiday celebrated by the Romans and other ancient cultures to commemorate the winter solstice which I believe occurs on December 21st. The festival or "Saturnalia" lasts from about 12/21 to 12/26. In ancient times, the festival involved all kinds of debauchery.
The birth of Jesus came to be associated with the Saturnalia when the Roman government became infested with Christians. The emperor of the time, Constantine, wanted everybody off work at the same time, so he found someone that would tell him that Jesus was born during this time period. That way, Christians could celebrate the birth of Christ while the pagans were celebrating the return of the Sun and longer daylight hours. I'm with the pagans on that one. Anyway, there you have it. Christmas on a cracker.
I am also fond of quoting Jeremiah 10:3-5 to my Christian brethren when I point out the pagan nature of their holiday.
For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest,
and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
4 They adorn it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so it will not totter.
5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.
It's funny every time I read it. Have you put up your scarecrow yet? Have you chosen your Christmas tree? Or do you keep yours in a box in the basement with your other Xmas decorations?
It's about consumerism people. It's about conditional love, naughty and nice, making a list and checking it twice, and a "jolly old elf" that's more like a burglar or a voyeur or a drunk than a benefactor.
What do you mean it's about giving? Seriously? Isn't it about getting? Come on.
How about this? How about we give to each other all year round with out any expectation of receiving anything? Can we do that? Have you ever gotten an unexpected non holiday, non birthday gift. It is so refreshing, so smile making, so joyful.
"So when was Jesus born?", you ask.
There are many that say it was in the spring lambing season in Palestine. This would make more symbolic sense as Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. I do have a favored time though. I believe He was born in mid to late September, just prior to Yom Kippur.
All of this is my opinion based on much circumstantial evidence and now you know why I hate Christmas. It's all a lie, like Santa Claus and paganism, designed to make you buy stuff you don't need for people you may or may not like.
Call me curmudgeon. Call me Scrooge. Whatever I am, I'm freer than you. Think about that one as you get manipulated into buying just one more gift that you cannot afford.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
groundhog001@gmail.com
The trivia question at Caribou Coffee in Altoona today was, "In the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, what is the gift on the ninth day?"
I was guessing, but my answer was correct - it's nine ladies dancing. I got 10 cents off the usual large cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso. And yes, that is quite a bit of caffeine. In the early days, I would get a warning from the attendant; "You know that's 5 shots of espresso right?". People worry too much. It was like I was going to sue them if I got heart palpitations. I live for heart palpitations. I feel alive. It's my nature to be a bit melancholy and sluggish, particularly in the morning. This beverage brings me right out of it. As a co-worker said, "Jeff, you'll get used to it".
Now I have a confession to make. I know that by now you thought you had heard everything about me, but alas, this is not so. I know some of you will recoil in horror when you hear this, but it's true and I think you need to know.
I hate Christmas.
There I said it. It's good to get it out there so people can deal with it. I suppose that the first question that comes to mind is, "why?"
It always fills me with guilt and and self loathing and I am not sure why that happens, but I'm sure there is some long, involved psychological explanation for it. There are also the environmental factors. It is dark for extended periods of time during this season. From about 4:30 PM to 7:00 AM there is darkness. This is very depressing. I hate it.
There is also the FACT that December 25th is NOT Jesus' birthday. If you are a Christian you should know this and know better than to get caught up in all the paganism. The holiday that you are celebrating that is falsely attributed to Christ is actually the festival of Saturn. It was a holiday celebrated by the Romans and other ancient cultures to commemorate the winter solstice which I believe occurs on December 21st. The festival or "Saturnalia" lasts from about 12/21 to 12/26. In ancient times, the festival involved all kinds of debauchery.
The birth of Jesus came to be associated with the Saturnalia when the Roman government became infested with Christians. The emperor of the time, Constantine, wanted everybody off work at the same time, so he found someone that would tell him that Jesus was born during this time period. That way, Christians could celebrate the birth of Christ while the pagans were celebrating the return of the Sun and longer daylight hours. I'm with the pagans on that one. Anyway, there you have it. Christmas on a cracker.
I am also fond of quoting Jeremiah 10:3-5 to my Christian brethren when I point out the pagan nature of their holiday.
For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest,
and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
4 They adorn it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so it will not totter.
5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.
It's funny every time I read it. Have you put up your scarecrow yet? Have you chosen your Christmas tree? Or do you keep yours in a box in the basement with your other Xmas decorations?
It's about consumerism people. It's about conditional love, naughty and nice, making a list and checking it twice, and a "jolly old elf" that's more like a burglar or a voyeur or a drunk than a benefactor.
What do you mean it's about giving? Seriously? Isn't it about getting? Come on.
How about this? How about we give to each other all year round with out any expectation of receiving anything? Can we do that? Have you ever gotten an unexpected non holiday, non birthday gift. It is so refreshing, so smile making, so joyful.
"So when was Jesus born?", you ask.
There are many that say it was in the spring lambing season in Palestine. This would make more symbolic sense as Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. I do have a favored time though. I believe He was born in mid to late September, just prior to Yom Kippur.
All of this is my opinion based on much circumstantial evidence and now you know why I hate Christmas. It's all a lie, like Santa Claus and paganism, designed to make you buy stuff you don't need for people you may or may not like.
Call me curmudgeon. Call me Scrooge. Whatever I am, I'm freer than you. Think about that one as you get manipulated into buying just one more gift that you cannot afford.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Would Discovering Aliens Change Our Theology?
Well, would it? Would the existence of sentient life elsewhere in our universe change what we believe as Christians? I would hope not. It's true that the Bible is very earth-centric, but it is written for us earth folks to show us the way to our Creator. Just because the Bible does not talk about life elsewhere in the universe, it does not mean it is not there.
The reason I bring this up is due to another article in Relevant Magazine about the issue by the same title. They interview a science guy, Mike McHargue, who is also a believer and the interview is informative and interesting.
I have been a bit of a UFO buff for awhile and I have considered what that might mean for my faith and I have come to the conclusion that if I believe that God created everything, it should not surprise me that He created life elsewhere and maybe even soul bearing life. Who is to say? The immensity of our universe should indicate that it cannot be just for us. We are so insignificant relative to the size of creation, that I find it hard to believe that we are the only ones.
From there I would have to say that God probably wanted relationship with these creations too. Whether they sinned and needed redemption as our race did would be another subject, but ours is a God of great creativity and love of variety. All you have to do is check out life on this planet to know that.
Have they ever visited our earth? Do they possess higher technology or intelligence? I do not know. It has always been my contention that the great UFO flap since Roswell has been the result of an arms race with enemies real and imagined and that flying saucers are in fact our own technology. As to the actual aliens that many claim to have been in contact with; this is another question.
Jacques Vallee, who is a French physicist, has come to other conclusions. He believes that these aliens and even their "craft" are are from another dimension or perhaps even spiritual entities that do not necessarily have good intentions toward us. Vallee is not what you would call a believer, but he does seem to hold to the notion that we are both spiritual and material beings.
This is an interesting point of view. Our adversary masquerades in many forms. Could he use alleged space aliens as part of an elaborate trick to lure us away from our Creator and destroy faith? Well, maybe. This remains to be seen. If the day comes that governments begin to officially recognize existence of sentient life elsewhere and invite them among us, I suppose we will find out. Those of us that are believers will know if this is a deception of some sort I think. Others will be tricked into thinking they will some how gain from our 'space brothers' in some way.
Have you ever seen a UFO? I have and I have no clue what it was or where it originated, but it did some weird stuff in the sky. Be careful people. There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy.
I did not say any of this. I was never here (:^))))
The reason I bring this up is due to another article in Relevant Magazine about the issue by the same title. They interview a science guy, Mike McHargue, who is also a believer and the interview is informative and interesting.
I have been a bit of a UFO buff for awhile and I have considered what that might mean for my faith and I have come to the conclusion that if I believe that God created everything, it should not surprise me that He created life elsewhere and maybe even soul bearing life. Who is to say? The immensity of our universe should indicate that it cannot be just for us. We are so insignificant relative to the size of creation, that I find it hard to believe that we are the only ones.
From there I would have to say that God probably wanted relationship with these creations too. Whether they sinned and needed redemption as our race did would be another subject, but ours is a God of great creativity and love of variety. All you have to do is check out life on this planet to know that.
Have they ever visited our earth? Do they possess higher technology or intelligence? I do not know. It has always been my contention that the great UFO flap since Roswell has been the result of an arms race with enemies real and imagined and that flying saucers are in fact our own technology. As to the actual aliens that many claim to have been in contact with; this is another question.
Jacques Vallee, who is a French physicist, has come to other conclusions. He believes that these aliens and even their "craft" are are from another dimension or perhaps even spiritual entities that do not necessarily have good intentions toward us. Vallee is not what you would call a believer, but he does seem to hold to the notion that we are both spiritual and material beings.
This is an interesting point of view. Our adversary masquerades in many forms. Could he use alleged space aliens as part of an elaborate trick to lure us away from our Creator and destroy faith? Well, maybe. This remains to be seen. If the day comes that governments begin to officially recognize existence of sentient life elsewhere and invite them among us, I suppose we will find out. Those of us that are believers will know if this is a deception of some sort I think. Others will be tricked into thinking they will some how gain from our 'space brothers' in some way.
Have you ever seen a UFO? I have and I have no clue what it was or where it originated, but it did some weird stuff in the sky. Be careful people. There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy.
I did not say any of this. I was never here (:^))))
Monday, December 7, 2015
Bored With Your Faith???
I have to confess that I do not understand this. I was reading a couple of articles on the Relavant website which is an online Christian magazine that seems to have an unusual fascination with things of the world. If you have an interest, please click on this.
There were two articles that immediately caught my eye. The first was "Confessions of a Drunk Worship Leader" and the other was, "What Do You Do When You Are Bored With Your Faith".
Really? A drunk worship leader? How does this happen in a large church without everyone knowing? I'm not sure. I suppose it does though. We all have our obsessions and struggles and leadership is not immune to the allure of sin or addictions that can destroy. This is unfortunate, but we are a broken people in search of a solution. Sometimes those solutions involve self medication. I understand that part. I am addicted to nicotine. I do not smoke, but I do chew. I apologize if you did not know that. I have to say it sharpens my mind when used in conjunction with caffeine. If I'm in church, I chew nicotine gum. In the 19th century there were spittoons in the church building. That is no longer the case.
I hope that this new information has not destroyed my witness with you. If it has not, just add it to the list of things you know about me and deal with it accordingly. If it gets me any points, I quit drinking five years ago. By this time, I think I will probably give up nicotine when they lower me into the cold, dark ground of the cemetery. We will see.
Being bored with my faith though is not something that has ever happened to me. God and I have spent much time together and while much of it has been instructive to me and the result of misplaced anger, I have never been bored with Him. I know He loves me and I rejoice in that everyday. We have been close because of some not so positive things, but we have been close nevertheless, even when we were arguing. He is (has been) so patient and loving with me. He is, to me, a new adventure everyday. Whatever else you might call our relationship, it is not boring.
If you find your faith walk needs constant stimulation to stay lively, maybe you need to look closer at where you are with Him to begin with. He is constantly putting things in my way to see what I will do with them. I'm kind of like Jonah. I have to get swallowed by life before I get motivated and God is always supplying the whales. I complain. He laughs and says to do whatever it is anyway.
I love Him. He is so much fun.
There were two articles that immediately caught my eye. The first was "Confessions of a Drunk Worship Leader" and the other was, "What Do You Do When You Are Bored With Your Faith".
Really? A drunk worship leader? How does this happen in a large church without everyone knowing? I'm not sure. I suppose it does though. We all have our obsessions and struggles and leadership is not immune to the allure of sin or addictions that can destroy. This is unfortunate, but we are a broken people in search of a solution. Sometimes those solutions involve self medication. I understand that part. I am addicted to nicotine. I do not smoke, but I do chew. I apologize if you did not know that. I have to say it sharpens my mind when used in conjunction with caffeine. If I'm in church, I chew nicotine gum. In the 19th century there were spittoons in the church building. That is no longer the case.
I hope that this new information has not destroyed my witness with you. If it has not, just add it to the list of things you know about me and deal with it accordingly. If it gets me any points, I quit drinking five years ago. By this time, I think I will probably give up nicotine when they lower me into the cold, dark ground of the cemetery. We will see.
Being bored with my faith though is not something that has ever happened to me. God and I have spent much time together and while much of it has been instructive to me and the result of misplaced anger, I have never been bored with Him. I know He loves me and I rejoice in that everyday. We have been close because of some not so positive things, but we have been close nevertheless, even when we were arguing. He is (has been) so patient and loving with me. He is, to me, a new adventure everyday. Whatever else you might call our relationship, it is not boring.
If you find your faith walk needs constant stimulation to stay lively, maybe you need to look closer at where you are with Him to begin with. He is constantly putting things in my way to see what I will do with them. I'm kind of like Jonah. I have to get swallowed by life before I get motivated and God is always supplying the whales. I complain. He laughs and says to do whatever it is anyway.
I love Him. He is so much fun.
Ministry To Same Sex Attracted People
One of the things, maybe the thing, that everyone had hoped would come out of my coming out was ministry to same sex attracted people. I know that it's only been a short time since these events, but what I am finding is that any ministry, at least early on, is going to be all the straight folks that have gay or same sex attracted people in their lives, be they sons or daughters, husbands or wives or what ever other combination you care to mention.
I have already been approached by two concerned people that want to talk. I do not yet know what their situation is or who it is that they would like to talk about. I know that both of these people are women that have families and husbands and children. If they are reading today, we need to set up a time to talk. Maybe I will call you here this week sometime.
I will say this to you now. There are no magic bullets that will "cure" the situation. Whatever is happening will take time to play out and you may not like the immediate result, but you need to take the long view in all this. It's hard to do that, but it is what God does with all of us. When He wants to save someone, He will use time, life events and even a person's psychological framework to pull them back into His family. Even if there is no behavior, the person dealing with it may not have a submissive attitude that God can work with. Time is the biggest factor here. When God is breaking someone, it takes time. I will tell you from personal experience as one of His most stubborn cases, that His methods are effective.
I know I have said this before, but my immediate advice to you is to pray and to love whoever it is. If it's you, it's imperative that you learn to love and respect yourself. Whether you know it or not, you belong to God and He loves you despite whatever you may think about His "oppressive restrictions". If it is another in your life, then offer them the same advice. Become Jesus to them.
So hang in there. God is for us. Who can possibly be against us? Psalm 27
I have already been approached by two concerned people that want to talk. I do not yet know what their situation is or who it is that they would like to talk about. I know that both of these people are women that have families and husbands and children. If they are reading today, we need to set up a time to talk. Maybe I will call you here this week sometime.
I will say this to you now. There are no magic bullets that will "cure" the situation. Whatever is happening will take time to play out and you may not like the immediate result, but you need to take the long view in all this. It's hard to do that, but it is what God does with all of us. When He wants to save someone, He will use time, life events and even a person's psychological framework to pull them back into His family. Even if there is no behavior, the person dealing with it may not have a submissive attitude that God can work with. Time is the biggest factor here. When God is breaking someone, it takes time. I will tell you from personal experience as one of His most stubborn cases, that His methods are effective.
I know I have said this before, but my immediate advice to you is to pray and to love whoever it is. If it's you, it's imperative that you learn to love and respect yourself. Whether you know it or not, you belong to God and He loves you despite whatever you may think about His "oppressive restrictions". If it is another in your life, then offer them the same advice. Become Jesus to them.
So hang in there. God is for us. Who can possibly be against us? Psalm 27
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Advice to Parents of Same Sex Attracted Children
When I was 12, I would not have discussed what I was feeling sexually with my parents, but that was in 1969. Life was different then. The church was a different place. I would not even have discussed SSA with my parents at the age of 20. Mine was a Christian home and while I knew that they loved me, my perception was that even feeling such things would get me thrown out of the house and the church. That may not have been the case, but there was certainly a air of conditional love when it came to such things. But I digress.
The things that parents and children discuss today are all over the board and nothing is off the board. If your child or young adult confesses to you that they think they are gay or lesbian or same sex attracted, then you have certain responsibilities that you must observe. Love them. Accept them. Do not approve of the sexual behavior. Indeed, there may be no actual behavior to disapprove of. This is why you love them and endeavor to stay in their lives. Never let them forget where they came from and that, whatever else happens, you and Jesus still love them. Lives and life circumstances change. People change their minds. People change. Some things like love of Jesus, family and church can override a desire for sinful things. It happens. Pray, love and accept. Let Jesus do whatever else may be needed.
What you want to avoid are angry, divisive conversations that will separate you from the one you love. This is no time for conditional love on either side of the discussion. Do not burn bridges. Always leave the door open.
Many times we look for someone to blame. Parents will doubt their parenting skills. The SSA young person might blame them or even God for what they perceive they are becoming. This needs to be minimized or put off the table completely. No one knows why any one is gay. At the point where it is being talked about, it's really not relevant anymore. Everyone just needs to start the conversation where they are at. It is no time for recriminations.
You say, "but what if they choose to live gay?" I would say first, this may not be a forever type decision. It is possible to turn back. It is possible to decide to live celibate. It is even possible to explore heterosexual marriage. NEVER close the door to any possibilities.
Second, if they do not do those things, love them anyway. Do what Jesus would do. Pray, love and accept them as your children and as people that Christ loves. Let Jesus handle it once your possibilities are exhausted.
People make choices. Some of those choices are bad and some are downright self destructive. That can be minimized with love.
The things that parents and children discuss today are all over the board and nothing is off the board. If your child or young adult confesses to you that they think they are gay or lesbian or same sex attracted, then you have certain responsibilities that you must observe. Love them. Accept them. Do not approve of the sexual behavior. Indeed, there may be no actual behavior to disapprove of. This is why you love them and endeavor to stay in their lives. Never let them forget where they came from and that, whatever else happens, you and Jesus still love them. Lives and life circumstances change. People change their minds. People change. Some things like love of Jesus, family and church can override a desire for sinful things. It happens. Pray, love and accept. Let Jesus do whatever else may be needed.
What you want to avoid are angry, divisive conversations that will separate you from the one you love. This is no time for conditional love on either side of the discussion. Do not burn bridges. Always leave the door open.
Many times we look for someone to blame. Parents will doubt their parenting skills. The SSA young person might blame them or even God for what they perceive they are becoming. This needs to be minimized or put off the table completely. No one knows why any one is gay. At the point where it is being talked about, it's really not relevant anymore. Everyone just needs to start the conversation where they are at. It is no time for recriminations.
You say, "but what if they choose to live gay?" I would say first, this may not be a forever type decision. It is possible to turn back. It is possible to decide to live celibate. It is even possible to explore heterosexual marriage. NEVER close the door to any possibilities.
Second, if they do not do those things, love them anyway. Do what Jesus would do. Pray, love and accept them as your children and as people that Christ loves. Let Jesus handle it once your possibilities are exhausted.
People make choices. Some of those choices are bad and some are downright self destructive. That can be minimized with love.
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