tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51851234884312919322024-03-13T23:30:38.465-07:00deep calling deepPs 42:7-8
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me —
a prayer to the God of my life.<br>
NIVpoet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-11200837141057998402017-07-28T21:10:00.000-07:002017-07-28T21:14:48.875-07:00"Truth" and "Right" <div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="biihk" data-offset-key="955qt-0-0" style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We bandy words like "Truth" and "Right" around like we have it all figured out. Stick a fork in it, we're done. When we do that I fear we etch what we believe today onto stone tablets in our minds and close off the opportunity to continued learning and growing. I absolutely do not believe all that I thought was immutable 40 years ago. The same applies to 4 years ago. Often the same is true for 4 hours ago.</span><br />
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I believe that it is important to approach all that we believe with humility and be willing to accept the possibility that we have got it wrong. When we do that one of two things will happen. We will either recognize an error and correct it and thus grow closer to the image of Jesus or we will strengthen our faith and again grow closer to the image of Jesus.</span><br />
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This is so incredibly important when we talk with the current generation of young adults. They question everything and they can spot a rigid unbending mind in about 10 seconds and then all possibility of having a meaningful conversation ends. To keep a dialog open we must be willing to actively listen and be willing to accept that the "Truth" we hold to as inviolate may really be something that we were taught a long time ago and never went back and examined for ourselves.</span><br />
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I encourage all of us to listen, hear, digest and then study (and possibly re-study) before nailing something down as an absolute. Even if it has been an absolute all of our lives. This generation does not abide absolutes very well, so if you are going to have an absolute, make sure it is a good one.</span></div>
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poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-72459224273196219762017-05-14T21:16:00.001-07:002017-05-14T21:16:57.569-07:00 Mindgasam <p dir="ltr">Have you ever closed your eyes and let the music fill you, giving it reign over your emotions, letting it bring every nerve alive and then fire them all off at once in a crescendo followed by a mindgasam... It is the best 'gasam there is in solitude; possibly anywhere </p>
poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-30285651516117635622017-05-12T22:14:00.000-07:002017-05-12T23:15:26.627-07:00We have lost the ability to hearI am sitting out on my back porch listen to music. No, it is not the music we listen to in church. I have come to think of that as "bubble" music. It places us into a bubble where all is pure and wonderful. It touches our heart where we need to be touched. But it exists in a bubble. It is not the real world. It is praise and joy and halleluiah. It is heaven on Earth. But most people live in hell...<br />
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I don't intend to be offensive here but I suspect that I will be to many of my brothers and sisters. I am going to sacrifice some of our sacred cows. We have them, you know. Like Aaron and the children of Isreal at the foot of Mt. Siani, we have built our own calves of gold. We name one of those idols Doctrine. The teachings that define us as different from those that do not have it right. The idols of division that cause us to look down our nose at those that honestly understand the word differently than us. We squabble, judge and sneer at each other with words intentionally chosen to cut down and degrade others that believe in Jesus and are trying their best to live lives as His disciple.<br />
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We have closed our ears to the world around us. We can no longer hear them. We can no longer care about them because we are fixated on whether or not a female can serve crackers and grape juice, speak or share a thought. We are fixated on "decently and in order". Our minds are fully engaged. We can argue the point. We can debate and win. We are obsessed with the mechanics, the doing, the outward signs of our righteousness and like the church of the Ephesians, we have lost our first love. Our heart has taken second place to our mind's desire to "do things right".<br />
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I can think of no instance when Jesus condemned a people for their doctrine. I can think of no instance when God, before Jesus, condemned the Jews for the way in which they worshiped him. If there was any condemnation it was because their hearts were not right. Not because their minds were not right. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus is very pointed. God wants our hearts, not just our minds.<br />
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What if what we do on Sunday mornings is meaningless in the larger scheme of things. What if the fact that we have elders and preachers instead of pastors is meaningless. What if the fact that we take the Lords Supper every week is not important to our Lord. What if the fact that we sing acapella is just a nice thing to us. What if the structure of our worship is but a convenience, one to encourage us but not necessarily the command of God. What if God is not interested in our identity. I ask because I am not sure I know the answer. In my heart I believe that our focus may be misdirected.<br />
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All that said to say that we have lost the ability to hear, listen, understand... Wondering when I would get to the title? So was I :)<br />
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I believe we have become blind and deaf to the world. They are hurting. Pain that we are, for the most part, incapable of understanding. Who among us has suffered from addiction, abortion, rape, family hatred, vindictiveness, and poverty? (If you are reading this it is likely that you are in the top 5% of global society) Who among those that are reveling in their salvation, their heaven on Earth, is willing to do as Jesus did and step outside of paradise to see, understand and love the people who still live in hell every day. Every single day. Hell.<br />
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We need to learn how to listen. We need to learn how to hear the cries of the lost and hear them in their own language (crude as it might be). Jesus did not come to judge but to offer salvation. We need to remove our blinders and open our hearts to the hurt that surrounds us. We, like Jesus, need to focus on the needs of the impoverished, the sinner, the sluts (does that word offend you?), the thieves, the people dependent on society and the generosity of others.<br />
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We are to be Jesus. He "Heard" (with all of the connotations that come with that word), the woman caught in adultery, the woman at the well living in sin, the blind men, the lepers, the dregs of society. He did not isolate Himself within the bubble. He did not wear blinders. He saw people. All people.<br />
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So, as we politely (or not) argue the finer points of the law and how we should communicate and how we devote our energies in the defense of the mechanics of our faith, our "doctrine", people are dying, alone, in pain, in sin and all the ugliness that comes with that. Are you willing to leave your paradise to "hear" and save the lost? Jesus was.poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-42911219545759727912017-02-12T19:57:00.000-08:002017-02-12T20:07:48.423-08:00Misconceptions about the Bible<div class="qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
I wrote this on Quora in response to the question "What are some of the misconceptions about the Bible". I found that in identifying the misconceptions I was also identifying how I view the Bible. </div>
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So, here are the top ten misconceptions I see that people have about the Bible:</div>
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<b>It is a rule book:</b> This is simply not so. Yes, there are some rules. Someone counted them once and came up with a little over 600 of them. Others even prioritized them. This was the context of the question asked of Jesus “Which commandment is the greatest?” </div>
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I printed them all off one time just to get a visual. They fit on 4 pages of paper. Single sided. I laid them next to the Bible and asked: Is the Bible a rule oriented book? I had to say no.</div>
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<b>The Bible has an answer for everything in life:</b> Again, no. It is not going to tell you which job to take, how to invest your money or why bad things are happening to you. It simply does not do that. That is not its purpose. It is to expose the nature and personality of God. It may be that as you get to know God better and get to know Him at a personal level, you start to make better choices but straight up answers are often not there.</div>
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<b>The Bible is full of hidden meanings:</b> There is no hidden sub-story. The numbers are numbers. Revelation is a type of literature that was common at the time of its writing but uncommon today but is still just literature. You just have to be a 1st century Jew to really get it. When you read the Bible, read it for what it says, not what you think it might be saying.</div>
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<b>The Bible is explicit in how we should worship:</b> Nope. Oh, there are a lot of examples of worship in the Bible but it is almost completely silent when it comes to the actual mechanics of how we “do church”. Singing and preaching and prayer and reading the scripture, they all show up in some of the examples of worship we see in the Bible but there is never a complete worship service described in the Bible. Yet this is the point where many Christians spend an inordinate amount of time bickering.</div>
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<b>The Bible is written by God:</b> Now this one needs some clarification. Being “inspired but God” and “written by God” are two different things. The Bible was written by ordinary people. They had the skill to either write or dictate to a scribe. Not all were literate. Their individual personalities can be seen in their writings. So much so that some book’s authors are identified by style and vocabulary. That said, God did play a hand in ensuring that what He wanted captured in writing was fundamentally accurate and complete. This applies to what books are in the Bible as much as what is written in the books. This is fact if you are a believer and not even a question worthy of discussion if you are not.</div>
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<b>The Bible can be understood 1 verse at a time: </b>Devastatingly false. Through the years the Bible has been used a tool to coerce behaviors by clipping verses and stringing them together to say whatever we want. This is a practice that has been the foundation of almost all splits, fights, even wars that were initiated by this misconception. The Bible is literature. It is to be read with both textual context and historical context. Before you say “The Bible Says…” Read the entirety of the context around the verse and see if what you are about to say is in line with the point of the author and if the historical context of what is being said is relevant.</div>
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<b>To be a Christian all you need is the New Testament</b>: You simply cannot understand the New Testament without the light of the Old testament giving it clarity. Jesus was a Jew. All He knew was the Old Testament. All He taught was the Old Testament. He did not bring anything new. He brought clarity to the old. Jesus exemplified personality, character, and attitudes of God. The God you can know by reading the Old testament. Jesus brought the Old testament to life, literally.</div>
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<b>Only the King James Version is the “Real” Bible</b>: How arrogantly English centered this thought is. Does this mean that the Spanish speaking people need to learn English? The same for all other languages? Or, the modern English speaking person learn an archaic dead version of English? There are so many reasons why this is wrong that we could spend all day here. Choose a translation that you can read. There are many good ones. Jesus Himself read from a translation of His Bible, the Hebrew scriptures, at the time. He read the Greek translation. It is not the words themselves that are scripture it is the teachings and stories behind the words.</div>
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<b>The Bible is misogynistic</b>: This may seem to be accurate but as I said above one must read the Bible within the context of its historical setting. The Bible actually goes counter-cultural to the times in which it was written. Many of the “rules” that the Bible contains are there to protect women from the man-centered society. The Gospels are filled with the activities and honor given to women that other literature of the day would ignore. The role of women in the Bible is often downplayed by our own misogynistic society.</div>
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<b>Everybody should believe the Bible</b>: I just wish it were true. However, God gave us all free will and offered us the opportunity to know Him through His word or reject Him. The Bible is just a book, a long and difficult book, a tedious boring history of a people long dead, a source for conflicting agendas and a hindrance to those that do not believe. Faith is an active factor in the value of the Bible. Without faith, it is just a book. With faith, it is the heart and soul of God.</div>
poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-20617787269180243652016-11-11T21:42:00.000-08:002016-11-11T21:43:57.307-08:00Rules for arguingPondering... are there "rules of engagement" for arguing. Arguing is something I see as a failure to communicate coming to a head... How does one make arguing a positive venture, were communication actually happens instead of it becoming a contest on who can yell the loudest or get in the most hurtful jibes. <br />
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So, as I ponder, I must have some context. Politicians argue and get paid for it. Philosophers argue because that is the joy that binds them. I am glad I am not a philosopher! Scientists argue to seek truth and knowledge. I guess for this brief excursus I will focus on the type of arguments that have the potential to break hearts, homes and relationships... the most deadly of arguments...<br />
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If there are no such rules for such arguments then here are mine. If there are, then I like mine better! <span style="font-size: x-small;">(I may need to ponder arrogance at some point but not today <insert favorite smiley icon here>)</span><br />
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Since "rules" (<a href="http://deep-calling-deep.blogspot.com/2011/03/rules-for-life_05.html" target="_blank">and I hate rules</a>) are generally bulleted here is my list of "rules" in no particular order.<br />
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<ol>
<li>First and foremost if you are going to argue, do so with a purpose. What should that purpose be? It is not to win. Really? Yes, really. Then why am I arguing? Good question. Winning an argument means that there is a loser. I submit that the purpose of an argument is to communicate. I would also submit that that communications is a two way street that involves listening as much, if not more than, expressing your own thoughts.</li>
<li>Respect the person you are arguing with. This can be hard when you are angry. Still if you want to actually be heard you must be willing to listen. In the context of this list you are arguing with someone you love. That person has a mind of their own. They are not mental clones of yourself. Them being themselves is why you fell in love with them in the first place. Show respect as you disagree with each other. Recognize that that they feel the way they do because of who they are and that you love them. Never disrespect them as a person and never disrespect their feelings.</li>
<li>No sharp objects. If you have been together any significant amount of time you know precisely how to cut the heart out of the other person and leave them emotionally gasping. If you ever use that scalpel in an argument you will lose the trust that they have for you. They will close themselves off from you to protect themselves. You may successfully end an argument with this but you will have done so at a cost you may not be happy to pay.</li>
<li>Never with an audience. Disagreement is natural but bystanders can only see the fight. If kids are around they simply do not understand and adults fighting frighten them, giving them a feeling of insecurity. If you grew up in a house full of fighting you know what I mean. By publicly arguing you draw nothing but contempt from adults. You emotionally scar children and that is a sin of the utmost degree.</li>
<li>If you are married, you most likely promised to honor each other. If you are not married then honor is an unspoken expectation. What is honor? We know how it applies to Klingons, which is a personal honor. But what is it to give honor to the one we love but disagree with. I would say that it is to only show them in a positive light. Never take your argument into your community of friends with the purpose of shaming them. Never seek to establish sides. As far as the world around you knows, the person you are fighting with is perfect.</li>
<li>Never use love as a bargaining chip. The phrase that begins with: "If you love me..." is not only unfair, it is destructive. You are basically saying that they have to choose between loving you and disagreeing with you. It is a dangerous game to place them in that position. It may work a few times but eventually they will choose their argument over their love and you will both lose.</li>
<li>Keep the argument room temperature. The more heated an argument gets the less likely that a positive outcome will occur. The temperature of an argument is measured by how much one is forcing their feelings on the other through a play for power. At some point that heat causes an explosion that erupts in neither side winning and both sides being devastated. That is not a positive end to an argument.</li>
<li>Do not bring up the past in an effort to justify the present. If one has made a mistake in the past, regardless of size, it is not fair game in an argument today. Keep the argument focused on the items that are relevant to the specific situation that you are arguing about.</li>
<li>No name calling. This one ties closely with honoring. When you call the other person by some derogatory designation, you have expressed your lowest opinion of them. You have taken out the switch blade to injuriously cut at their self worth. Winning an argument is never worth cutting the legs out from under the heart the one you love. If you love them your goal is to build up, never cut down. Sticks and stone may break bones but words can devalue a person to the point of complete and utter despair.</li>
<li>And because lists like this are always 10 in length, no more and no less (and who am I to argue?) this is the last one. Love wins the day and hurt loses it. You can weather any storm if you know that you each have each other's back and that each other's love is unconditional. You can feel safe sharing your diverse opinions knowing that in the end you will still be loved.</li>
<li>And because I hate rules :) Number 11 is: No shields and so sabers. Absorb the hard to hear words and never use your words to cut back. Listen to understand. An argument is not a duel to the death. It is a coming together to better understand each other. So, leave your shields down and hear what is being said. For that to work, though, both sides need to commit to making it safe to leave shield down. </li>
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There. My 10+1 rules for successful arguing! Now go forth and communicate!</div>
poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-82225196022593605962016-02-27T19:00:00.000-08:002016-02-27T19:02:21.241-08:00Who to Vote for in 2016<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
What's on my mind, FaceBook asks.... How should I vote? That is what is on my mind...</div>
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I got my mail in ballot the other day asking for my choice of person to represent my political party in the presidential race. I have yet to choose. None of them show the type of integrity I would wish to see represent me to the nations of the world. I would be politically embarrassed if any of them succeeded in gaining the position. Still the choice looms and not choosing is, to use a good old 70's term: "A cop out". Therefore I ponder...</div>
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There is a passage in Ezekiel 16:46-50 that weighs on me heavily as I consider where to place my little black dots signifying my support for the person running for the office of President of our nation.</div>
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<span style="color: #141823;">If the words of God in the Old testament were printed in </span><span style="color: red;">red</span><span style="color: #141823;"> as the words of Jesus frequently are in the New Testament, the page would positively glow with the color. God is upset with the country that He calls His. The people that He has chose to be a blessing to the world. The one He calls "beloved". His words are harsh for His people.</span></div>
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He says:</div>
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<i><span style="color: red;">“Behold, everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb concerning you, saying, ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You are also the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your conduct than they."</span></i></div>
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Paraphrased: You are as bad, no, worse than the countries that you hate hate the most. And the worst part is that all of the other countries that you think should look up to you - They are the ones mocking you, using you in cliche, saying you are no different from them.</div>
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He continues:</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i>"As I live,” declares the Lord God, “Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done."</i></span></div>
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Wow! Remember Sodom? They were so evil that God destroyed, no, obliterated them. And we all know what they did wrong. Right?</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i>"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me."</i></span></div>
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Oh, Wait. That is not what I expected to hear. They did not take care of their poor? That is why they were wiped from the face of the planet? But... but... but... What about the way <u>we</u> treat <u>our</u> poor? Surely there was an escape clause for the lazy or the stupid or those that made poor choices. Searching.... searching.... can't find one. I think we are in trouble.</div>
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He closes with a single, very short, blunt and to the point sentence:</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i>"Therefore I removed them when I saw it."</i></span></div>
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Friends, if that does not make you want to run and hide, you are simply not getting it. I want to run and hide. I want this election to be over. I want to stop being the laughing stock of our "sisters" and and "mothers" as the politicians profess a life they do not live and seek to gain a position of power through fear mongering, deceit and false promises.</div>
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How am I going to vote??... I don't know yet but this one thing I do know. I will side with those that would not be arrogant, not be careless at ease and who will work diligently to care for the poor and needy. If these are God's priorities, they should be the priorities of all those that would call Him Lord.</div>
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If you got all the way to the end of this post then you have more patience that I probably would have had :)<i class="_4-k1 img sp_fM-mz8spZ1b sx_5371b4" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v2/yx/r/pimRBh7B6ER.png"); background-position: 0px -340px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; height: 16px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"><u style="left: -999999px; position: absolute;">smile emoticon</u></i> </div>
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God bless you and vote responsibly!</div>
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poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-74820431669109873162015-05-02T21:50:00.000-07:002015-05-03T16:36:52.323-07:00Don't be the "they" that say...<div class="_3dp _29k">
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I am listening
to music on my back porch tonight. I love the evening and the pleasures
of mild night and a song comes on and it touches me in a
place I don't like being touched.... My conscious, my heart...<br />
<br />
The
lyrics to say:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> We've all seen a man at the liquor store beggin' for your change<br /> The hair on his face is dirty, dread-locked, and full of mange<br /> He asks a man for what he could spare, with shame in his eyes<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> "Get a job you ****ing slob," is all he replies<br /> God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes<br /> Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues</span></i></blockquote>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<br />
Not sure why this touched me. Maybe because I have been guilty of similar sentiments. I resolve that this is not who I am.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The song then continued and broke my heart... </i><br />
<i> Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom that said he was in love<br /> He said, "Don't worry about a thing, baby doll<br /> I'm the man you've been dreaming of."<br /> But three months later he say he won't date her or return her calls<br /> And she swear, "G*d d***, if I find that man I'm cuttin' off his balls."<br /> And then she heads for the clinic and<br /> She gets some static walking through the door<br /> They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner<br /> And they call her a whore<br /> God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes<br /> Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose</i></blockquote>
<br />
Not the language I use but I can feel her pain her shame.<br />
<br />
I know right from wrong. It has protected me from having to make such hard decisions. I praise God (and my mom) for that. But not all have had that
blessing. Brothers and sisters allow empathy to trump judgment and
recognize that the blessings you enjoy are just that: blessing, and give
us no room to judge choices we were never required to make.<br />
<br />
Brothers and sisters don't be the "they" that say... <br />
<br />
Again, I resolve, with God's help, this is not who I am. <br />
<br />
(song : Everlast singing "What it's like" )</div>
poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-40932996386048602862013-07-05T18:41:00.003-07:002013-07-05T18:41:24.530-07:00Bible Study<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2]"><span data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:0]">For
the first 40+ years of my life I studied for the purpose of proving that
I was right. I knew what I believed and when I read my "study" was
successful when it made me feel good, righteous, right.</span><br data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:1]" /><br data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:2]" /><span data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:3]">I
have since done all that I can to remove that type of study from my
life and have tried to repent of that arrogance. I consider those 40
years a total waste. I knew my facts but did not know my God. And as it
turns out I did not know my facts either.</span><br data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:4]" /><br data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:5]" /><span data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:6]">It
has been amazing what doors have been opened as I read with fresh eyes!
God's word is much more beautiful that I had ever imagined. I was
taught that there was no grace or forgiveness before Jesus. I was taught
that the Old testament was replaced by the new. I was taught that the
God of the Old covenant was a god of law and that He changed His
attitude after Jesus was born. That God is a nit-picker and to mess up
even a little was to bring down His wrath. </span><br data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:7]" /><br data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:8]" /><span data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:9]">I
have learned that all of that was so far from the truth that God would
not even recognize that as His teaching. God has shown grace and
forgiveness from the beginning. I have learned that you can not fully
understand the New testament without knowing the old testament. There
are riches there that I am still mining and becoming richer every day. I
will never again carry a pocket New testament for it is not even a
Readers Digest of God's Word.</span><br data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:10]" /><br data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:11]" /><span data-reactid=".r[3qplj].[3]{comment611812822185301_616987648334485}.[2:0].[5:0:right].[4:1].[5:0:left].[2:1].[2:0].[2:0:2].[3:0].[4:0:12]">Those are just a few of the things that I have learned that are new and pray that God continues to add to it.</span></span></span>poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-14387211473525005952013-05-11T23:49:00.000-07:002013-05-12T00:04:29.646-07:00SodomitesWhy was Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by God? It is likely not what you
think. It actually has nothing to do with what you have likely been
taught all of your life.<br /><br />If you are a believer you should allow
the Bible to answer the question you. If you are not, you might still be
interested. The answer is in Ezekiel 16:49. It says "'Now this was the
sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed
and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy."<br /><br />Brothers
and Sisters, how do we get so mis-focused? I see so much political
rhetoric from people that claim Christ that dehumanizes the poor and the
aliens that makes me believe we have completely missed the mark.<br /><br />If
we are to live the life with the focus that God wishes us to have we
will care for those less fortunate. Jesus would call these people "the
least of these" and add that if we do not care for them we will be
unrecognisable as His followers on Judgement day and asked to depart.<br /><br />We
should be community focused. Our focus needs to be on helping people.
Not judging them. Our focus should be on saving/helping them not
labelling them (homeless, illegals, welfare recipients, etc) so that we
can hate them as a group. Hate is not a Christian quality. And if you
say they do not deserve our concern, consider whether you deserve the
grace you have been given.<br /><br />And just to set the record straight,
the actual, Biblical definition of a Sodomite is one who is : "arrogant,
overfed and unconcerned...[for] the poor and needy". It has absolutely
nothing to do with sexual preference. I know many "straight" sodomites,
do you?<br /><br />Sometimes it is just too clear why those that do not believe call us hypocrites....poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-45805242196935216302013-01-28T21:31:00.001-08:002013-02-14T21:05:17.160-08:00What is a "True Christian"I have a Christian brother that I met on Google+ that I have really come respect. He sees Christianity through fresh eyes and asks questions that provoke me to thought. In one of his posts he posed the following question:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>How do you determine if a person can be trusted as a "true Christian"?<br /><br />How does your church determine who can be trusted as a member of the church and a "true Christian"?</i></blockquote>
<br />
A very important question. This question is at the heart what divides the Christian community and is the point Joel was making when he posed it.<br />
<br />
I am not going to claim that I have a complete answer to this but I believe I am getting closer. Here is how I responded to his question:<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I have been "going to church" for 56 years. I could describe a good part
of that time as circling the wagons to keep differing opinions out of
the camp. I was probably guilty of worshiping my beliefs more than God.
Still God loved me and called my His child, even though the
relationship was heavily one sided. That is the way God is.<br />
<br />
I am
now one of several leaders in a medium sized congregation in Tucson. It
still has the same moniker on the building as the one that I grew up in
but it is not the same closed minded community it once was. We accept
diversity and have placed Christ back at the center instead of our
doctrine.<br />
<br />
As for membership, we have taken a new track that we
believe is really an old track. It used to be that one must Believe
(like I do), Behave (like I think you ought) and then you can Become (a
member of my church). We are actively rearranging those priorities. We
call it "The Three B's" and we refer to it often in our teaching and
admonishing.<br />
<br />
First you Belong. Period. It does not matter who you
are, what you wear, how many tattoos you have, if you are conservative
or liberal or progressive, young or old or what you believe or even if
you have faith of any kind. We are family, not institution. It is our
fervent hope and prayer that if you don't believe that by belonging you
will come to faith and wish to develop a relationship with Jesus. We
plant the seeds by the examples of our lives and study of His Word and
let God do His part to bring about Belief. The last "B" is Behave and
this is expected to be a process, not an instantaneous revolution. That
is what Grace is for and Grace is not something only God can grant.<br />
<br />
Are
we perfect at doing this yet? Nope. :) But we are working on it and God
still loves us and calls us His children. That is the way God is.</blockquote>
poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-56332835426299375202012-08-02T21:58:00.000-07:002012-08-02T22:23:47.808-07:00The reality of human acceptance<br />
Just thinking tonight... Sorry, this will be a long post.. move on if you are judgmental and think that that is the same as righteousness... :-)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Read carefully and digest:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The human need for </i><i><b>human</b> acceptance and love will <b>always</b> <b>always </b><b>always</b> trump the desire for righteousness.</i>"</blockquote>
<br />
This is a fact, though we may not wish to believe it. It has been proven true over and over again. What this means is that people, created by God, need your human love first before they can ever consider that God even exists, much less is worthy of their attention and much much less their affection.<br />
<br />
Because I recognize this fact, I, Paul Lemmons, confess that I will knowingly commit sin to gain acceptance and especially love from flesh and blood humans above acceptance from God. I wish with all of my heart that this were not true but it is. And, even though I do not represent all of humanity, I believe this to be true of most humanity; Especially non-Christians. I, however, believe it to also be true for all Christians who are honest with themselves. God made us with a desire to be loved that is more powerful than even hunger. So, this should not be a revelation.<br />
<br />
What, as Christians, should our response to this fact be? A fact that we have for so many years completely ignored with sayings like "Jesus Saves!" and 'God loves you! (but I don't)" and "John 3:16" on banners at football games, completely ignoring John 3:17 in the way we conduct ourselves and our lives.<br />
<br />
I also confess that I, Paul Lemmons, need your love more than God's love. I do not believe that is blasphemy. I am a fairly strong and mature (in my own eyes) Christian and I can say, unequivocally, that without <i><b>your</b></i> love my love for God (which is real) would shrivel and die. <br />
<br />
Ok. If this is true for a fairly strong and somewhat honest-with-himself Christian, what must it be like for those that do not know God and think that "Jesus" is some kind of exclamation of "wow!" and can be used interchangeably with the word. <br />
<br />
It means that those who do not know God will <i><b>never</b></i>, and I mean <i><b>never ever</b></i> know Him through our hatred, prejudice and judgment. If I can not walk up to a gay man and extend my hand and accept him as a human being first, I will never ever connect that person with the love of God. If I can not talk, without judgment, to the woman selling her body to pay for her drug habit as an equal, I will never ever even be given the chance to talk to her about how much God loves her. If I can not walk up to a child molester, drunk, thief, spouse abuser, murderer, sexual pervert, porn addict or fill-in-the-blank sinner and treat them as a person first...<br />
<br />
...I will be writing their ticket to hell... and mine as well...<br />
<br />
God, please remove all of my inhibitions of being with sinners, feelings of superiority and righteousness. Let me see people first and labels not at all. Let me see people as Jesus saw people. Let me see the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery as a woman who could repent. Help me see the short Roman collaborator and extortionist in the tree with the desire to share a meal with him. Help me have the compassion that Jesus showed to the woman that touched the hem of his cloak and the Roman Centurion that begged for the life of his servant. Give me the strength of will and courage to touch the leaper and embrace the unclean. <br />
<br />
It strikes me that the only people that Jesus openly criticized were the religious folks that rejected grace in light of their own righteousness. He never criticized the sinner. Sinners, he reached out to. Sinners He forgave. Sinners were His best friends. Let me be like Him. For I am a sinner myself and Jesus has accepted me.poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-53325908866535680972012-05-20T16:27:00.000-07:002012-05-21T21:00:18.661-07:00Giving God what He wantsI am contemplative today. The house is quiet and I am reading a number
of blogs and commenters (yes I spelled that the way I wanted it spelled)
and my mind is trying to digest and draw spiritual nutrient from what I read. <br />
<br />
I have read a number of blogs and posts on church growth. There seems to
be a common theme in them which is causing me some anxiety. In a
nutshell they say that we should be sharing Jesus' forgiveness and grace
and somehow by accepting that grace they have pleased God by giving Him
what He wants. God does want to extend His grace to all. But I do not
believe that us accepting His grace is what He really wants.<br />
<br />
I also see a theme of teaching people to become disciples. This too is
good but not the end all. Discipling (a word that nobody really knows what
means inside the church much less outside) is not just about gathering
followers. Jesus calls us to follow Him but even there I am not sure we
really fathom what that means. We seem to get it that it means to become like Jesus but how does that manifest itself? Helping the poor? Service? Those are probably part of it but certainly not all of it.<br />
<br />
God is a Father. He, has adopted us. Think about that for a minute. If I were a parent that adopted a child, why would I do that? So that they could eat from my table? So that they could experience my grace? So that I could make them look like me? So that I would have a follower? I don't think so.<br />
<br />
I think it is because I would want a relationship with that child. I want to have the child greet me at the door and wrap their tiny arms around my leg and squeal with delight when I come home. I would want to hold them in my arms and show them how precious they are. I would want them to look me in the eye and tell me they love me because that is what is being reflected from my own eyes. <br />
<br />
God has surely shown us His love and Grace
and called us to follow. He has offered His forgiveness and at an awful cost. But why? Because that is what people in relationship do. God calls us to a leg hugging, wet kisses, full body embrace, reflective love relationship. Once we can show *that* to the world we will have succeeded in giving God what He wants.poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-414112901843611332011-03-05T14:04:00.000-08:002011-03-05T14:04:10.369-08:00Calm in the storm<b>Originally written and posted on MySpace March 19, 2006</b><br />
<br />
The house is quiet and a little colder than I like. I just got up and bumped up the heat four degrees. I like the house warm. It has been one of those rare days for Arizona. It has rained off and on all day and continues to do so even now. It is a good time to snuggle under a warm quilt and let your mind wander. Jan is at work and the girls are in bed. I like my quiet times. It gives me an opportunity to simply stop and relax and recharge. <br />
<br />
Life is too busy. That is an undeniable fact but what is there to do about it? Being a parent is busy. Being a husband is busy. Being a Christian is busy. Working for a living is busy. What of these would I be willing to give up to be less busy? The answer is clearly none of them.<br />
<br />
Still I wrestle with whether or not I am giving the right amount of time to my kids and wife and church. It seems that when I am home and ready to be with the kids, they are off doing something else. When I am at work, there are needs that I want to meet for the church. When I am busy with activities that give life to my faith I feel like I am neglecting family. It too often feels like a no-win situation. <br />
<br />
It may be frustratiing at times but I am not sure I would have it any other way. I would rather be busy than bored. I would rather my kids see me in service to Jesus and responsible in my work than to be a TV-Aholic. I would rather work than leave my family hungery. I would rather love my wife and enjoy my life with her than to live alone or worse, in a dead relationship. <br />
<br />
I am beginning to learn that though I could wish for more time for everything it is not going to happen. Life is all about balancing. I can only trust that God has answered my prayers and that I have been a good steward of the time I have been given each day. I will continue to stuggle but it is struggle that both strengthens and evidences life. <br />
<br />
I love my life, my family, my God and even my job. I am blessed. How like a child I am that I still complain...poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-73687448528521908392011-03-05T13:58:00.000-08:002011-03-05T13:58:35.418-08:00Closing my MySpace accountMaintaining a presence on multiple social networks just does not work. So after much delay and neglect I am officially suspending all activity on my MySpace account. To that end I have moved some old blog entries from there to here, making *this* my one and only place to jot down my thoughts and save the for posterity.poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-73862888506512855192011-03-05T13:54:00.000-08:002011-03-05T13:54:56.086-08:00Choice<b>Originally written and posted on MySpace July 31, 2006</b> <br />
<br />
It has been a while since I was here and much to my surprise, people have noticed (Hi Pam :). I will always be an infrequent poster here so I am not going to make up excuses. <br />
<br />
I was talking to a really good friend of mine the other night while sitting out on my back porch. We were talking about life and choices and direction and definition and ... well you name it. We were truly enjoying each other's company.<br />
<br />
One of the things we talked about was choices. When I read in Genesis that "God created us in His own image" I often wonder what that means. I often wonder if it means that He gave us the ability to make choices. We clearly do not operate by instinct. We clearly do not always make good choices. Of all of the things that God gave us in our creation I believe that this is the single most powerful. <br />
<br />
Consider the power you have. You get to choose whether or not to have faith. You get to decide to do right or wrong. You can even choose to disregard God all together and decide for yourself what is moral and what is not. Were I God I am not sure I would give me those choices. I feel fairly certain that, were I God, you would disregard Me at your own peril; my lightening bolt would always be hot. Yet He not only gives us choice but is patient with us as we use and misuse this blessing.<br />
<br />
Choice. It is not always a Heaven or Hell thing. I see unbelievable power in those choices. But I also see fantastic freedom in God giving us the power to choose who we are going to be. In another entry in this blog I describe some of the choices I have made. What I may not have made clear is that not all of those choices are natural for me. Many of them are counter to what I would be if I did not have the ability to decide who I am. But God gave me that ability and I would be foolish not to take and use that blessing.<br />
<br />
Another thing that I did not make clear is that I have not successfully become what my choices say that I am. I write my choices in a tense of completeness but they are, in many places, still goals. Some things I am much closer on and some I have a ways to go. That is not the important thing, though. The important thing is that I have exercised the gift God gave me by making the choices. I choose who I am.<br />
<br />
I suspect that I could go on and on with this. If ever you want to see me animated get me talking about this topic! Almost every aspect of life is a choice. God gave us incredible power with that blessing. We are foolish beyond all imagination not to take full advantage of it. Thank you for being there as I remind myself of this.poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-46504005815881027332011-03-05T13:48:00.000-08:002011-03-05T13:49:51.025-08:00Rules for Life - The Rules<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rules For Life</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><b>Originally written and posted on MySpace March 25, 2006</b></div></div><br />
<ol><li>The first rule of my life is that there are no rules. There are only choices and consequences. Rules imply doing things because they have to be done; no choice in the matter. Or, things are not done because you are told not to; again, not because you have a choice. My first choice is to not live by any rules.</li>
<li>I choose to trust God's promises in my life. I will actively seek them as I read and study His word. I pray that they will stand out as I read and I trust God to make that so.</li>
<li>In relationships, with God, my family, my friends and those around me, I will choose to do all things because I love them and seek their happiness. I will gain pleasure, joy and happiness in seeing smiles on other people's faces. I will learn to love more deeply and care more actively.</li>
<li>I choose to base my happiness, self worth and joy of living in the things that God gives me. These I can trust to be there in all situations. God has promised to Love me no matter what comes; no matter what I do; no matter how the world my treat me. He is my anchor and I will trust in Him to give me value.</li>
<li>I will choose to do good, not because of the negative consequences but because of the positive ones. I have no fear of Hell my eyes are upon heaven. I serve well not because if I don't I will be made uncomfortable but because I love the joy I share in doing good. I will live with the active knowledge that joy shared is doubled and sorrow shared is halved.</li>
<li>I choose to speak boldly in support of my Lord and Savior. When others put Him, or those who believe in Him, down, I will speak. My life must be as bold as my words for only by the mirror of my life may my words reflect the power of Jesus Christ.</li>
<li>I choose to be open to changing my mind. I choose not to come to any conclusion that has the rigid permanence of an epitaph chiseled in stone. I hold the Bible to be truth and am willing to submit my understanding to its guidance.</li>
<li>I choose to be gentle with sinners. I will not condone or encourage their sin. Neither will I dilute in my speech its harm to their soul. I will, however, teach, admonish, correct and encourage with that same heart that told the woman caught in the very act of adultery to "go and sin no more".</li>
<li>I choose to openly worship my Lord every single hour of every single day: every waking hour and every hour I am asleep. Sundays I choose as a time to focus that worship and to encourage others and to accept the encouragement from my fellow brothers and sisters. Sundays are a day of building up.</li>
<li>I choose to seek out my Lord so that I might know Him better. I will do this by reading His word and by speaking to Him often. My prayers will, for the most part, be conversational, as with a friend. When I praise Him it will be with all of my heart. I will allow my prayers to be assisted by the Holy Spirit. This is a promise of God that I will trust.</li>
</ol><ol></ol>poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-85150084395861953652011-03-05T13:37:00.000-08:002011-03-05T13:37:37.412-08:00Rules for Life<b>Originally written and posted on MySpace March 24, 2006<br />
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Some time ago I was in a class at church and an assignment was given. It was to write down your rules for life. Now, I never did home work when I was in school, what made this teacher think that I would do it for him?<br />
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He had triggered something, though. My mind tried to chew on it, for though I had no real intention of doing the assignment I did want to have some seemingly smart answers just in case I was called upon to participate the next week. What I found really distressed me. There was nothing to chew on.<br />
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I was a man in his 40's with a successful job and a good family. From all outward appearances it would seem I had it all together. I did not. I simply could not answer the question "Who is Paul". I kept coming up with answers like "A computer programmer" and "Father" and "Husband" and "Christian" and a list of other adjectives but they were all so nebulous. They were the pat answers; not the real answers. I did not have any real answers.<br />
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I found that my life was one where I was being lead by events as they happened. I had no real guiding principles. I had no way to say "this" or "that" fell within the bounds of who I am. I had no goals. I had no definition. I was simply a rider of life and a slave to whatever was the current situation.<br />
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So I decided to give the assignment a try. It was not easy. I will tell you, though, that it was worth it. After completing my "Rules for Life" I had a better idea of who I was. I found I liked me :)<br />
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I have these posted on my wall in my office. I read them to remind myself of who I am. It is also there so that others can read them and that gives the a feeling of accountability; if others know who I am, I need to reflect my values consistently.<br />
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Anyway, this preamble is much longer than I had planned. So, I will post my rules in a new post. I hope you will read them and then be challenged to come up with a list of your own. It will be time well spent.poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-45648815298586728902010-12-10T23:11:00.000-08:002010-12-10T23:11:27.977-08:00Treasure Chest of MemoriesMy son in law has a blog and is struggling with why he has one and what he should do with it. My words, not his but that is how I interpreted it. Perhaps I read the question that way because that is how I feel about my own blog. It am not above being reflective.<br />
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I responded to his query with the text below. I liked what I said because it brought clarity to me as well. I have felt this all along but never captured it. In the spirit of my response I now capture it. Why? Because it captures a part of "me" as I am tonight.<br />
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<blockquote>I too have a blog. It does not get updated much. A couple times a year, maybe. Nobody really knows it even exists. That is OK, because I write it for me. It acts as a clearing house for thoughts that need direction or clarification. Sometimes it is just to capture a feeling or emotion that I found precious and did not want to lose. It is a treasure chest of thoughts, in a way.<br />
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I have come to the conclusion that almost nothing written is found valuable to anyone but the writer. The best that can be hoped for, if one is seeking notoriety, is that someone will fleetingly find something we have written interesting. Even if it happened that something gains wide spread fame, it is short lived and soon forgotten. <br />
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It is only the things that are important to the writer personally that have value... memories... feelings... love... loss... conundrums... musings... and the like. I go back and read what I have written often and live again those times that are important to me. I spend time with my treasures. <br />
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Perhaps, it is less a blog that you need and more a storehouse for the preciousness that is you. This was the conclusion I came to when I asked myself the same question you pose today.</blockquote>poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-12806897733018180312008-02-23T22:03:00.000-08:002008-02-23T22:49:30.620-08:00Faith"Faith" such an ambiguous word. It is used too many ways to give a clear picture in my head as to what it means. "My Faith" could designate where I go to church, a trust I have given someone or even an ethnic background. It could be a hope: "I have faith that all will work out". "My" faith also has a connotation that mine is different than yours, indicating a catalog of things that I believe and possibly you do not; a differentiator as opposed to a uniter.<br /><br />I sometimes have trouble wrapping my mind around the word. I do know that it is much deeper than the shallow definitions above.<br /><br />First of all, I know that it is a choice. A deliberate act of choosing to believe in something. I do not have faith that there is an Earth. I know that there is an Earth. Knowledge and Faith, while not incompatible, are not in the same family of thought. You choose to have faith while with knowledge you either know or you don't know.<br /><br />Faith leaves open the possibility of being wrong. I have faith in God and Jesus His Son. I have no knowledge of this fact. I was not there. I did not see Jesus. I have never met Moses. Yet I still have faith that these people lived and breathed and were who they said they were. Yet, the atheists could also be right. They too have a faith: They have chosen not to believe. One of is is most assuredly wrong. I can not prove which it is and neither can they.<br /><br />It is impossible, I believe, to have faith and not have doubt. Especially in this age of reason and science it does seem to be a little naive to believe in something that can not be seen or evidenced though scientific methods. Doubt is the constant companion of faith. Thus, faith must also be mated to conviction. There is a certain amount of stubbornness that must accompany faith to keep the hounds of doubt at bay.<br /><br />Faith is trust when there is often no foundation to the trust. I look at the Hebrew prophets. They had no written word, for the most part. They only had some history to look back on; things that were told to them and they chose to believe. As I read the Bible I see them being reminded and reminding others of that history. Yet, even with that, which I would call a dubious foundation, they were willing to take great risks, venture into the unknown, uproot families and even die. Their faith clearly included trust.<br /><br />Faith puts one in a place to be ridiculed. Faith is often called into question. Faith is often challenged. Faith will make you uncomfortable because there are those that are very talented in feeding doubt and making you feel small, out of date or silly because of what you believe. It can even cost you your dignity, friendships, and even family. There is no such thing as cheap faith. If it is cheap, it is not true faith.<br /><br />Faith is not built on what I know. What I know can change too easily. For example: If I say "I know that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and that there is no room for mistakes or human influence" I can be very happy with my faith for a long time. Then someone says "What about the books that did not get into the Bible as we know it?" or "Did the solders around Saul see the light and not hear the sound or was it the other way around?". We can start a conversation on translations and the theology that os presented based solely on the words the translators chose to render a thought originally expressed in Greek. These things an more can change what I "Know" to be true. Faith, because it is a conscious act of will, unfettered by a shifting knowledge, will not be daunted by these types of enlightenments.<br /><br />I know faith is more than even these. Faith changes lives, sets direction and is the mother to hope. Faith is much more than could be annotated in a few short paragraphs. Faith, is a creation of God and carries with it a depth that is as deep as its creator.<br /><br />Though tossed and bruised; though strong one day and weak the next; though my life does not always reflect my faith: I, like Joshua, choose this day and every day to serve the Lord.poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-78866401495138105222008-02-23T21:43:00.000-08:002008-02-23T21:58:50.900-08:00Like the fatherTonight I got a note from my daughter. She is in England studying abroad and she started a blog. When I went to it my eyes lit and a smile filled my face as I saw it. I know she has never visited this blog and when I look at hers... She chose all of the same options I did. Her presence on the web, how she represents herself: look just like me.<br /><br />As I see such a small and simple reflection of me in her, I pray that those things of me that are in her are the things that God would also smile upon. Thank you God for such a wonderful daughter! Thank you for letting me be a part of her life... literally.poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-67832373373099935002007-03-03T22:01:00.000-08:002007-03-03T22:57:19.957-08:00What's the point?I am not much of a blogger. I read a couple. I respond infrequently. As you can see by the stretch between this post and my last that I don't keep my blog up to date either. While reading a blog the other day though my mind was challenged and it lead me to ask a few questions of myself. I share them here more out of a desire to organize my thoughts than any other reason.<br /><br />The question that has been plaguing me (hmmm that sounds harsh... maybe occupying my every though would be better... nah, plaguing is the right word) lately is "What's the point?"<br /><br />I know I am not the first to ask the question. Wiser men than me have taken a stab at it. Solomon tried and I believe failed. I don't think he actually wrote the end of Ecclesiastes. So, that verse that says that life is for fearing God and keeping his commandments, while true, is not from his wisdom.I get the impression that he went to the tomb feeling life was indeed worthless. All of his words are pointing me to the conclusion that there really is no point.<br /><br />I can't live with that conclusion.<br /><br />So, what is the point? I do not know yet but there are some conclusions that may help me on my way.<br /><br />1) God does not experiment. He has no need to. Science is His creation. He established all of the rules. It is not an experiment if you know the outcome.<br /><br />2) Since God does not experiment He does things with a purpose. God is not capricious, doing things just for the sake of doing them. At least I see no evidence of this. The "competing" gods of the time all had this attribute. God was different in that He broke this mold.<br /><br />3) Since God does not experiment and is not fickle, but works with a purpose. I believe that He created mankind with a purpose.<br /><br />4) I also believe that God is as interested with the individual as He is with humanity as a whole. I believe He knows and loves me personally, not collectively.<br /><br />5) Putting all of the above together, I believe that I, personally, have a purpose.<br /><br />6) And my purpose is .... still a mystery to me :)<br /><br />I am still pondering these thoughts. I have some that are solidifying and others that are still in the runny-jell-o stage. As more thoughts come together I will expand this topic.poet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5185123488431291932.post-23088502231145035432006-12-07T22:45:00.000-08:002006-12-07T23:25:20.622-08:00First PostingHere I sit, like I am sure thousands before me have done, and ponder what words of wisdom I should open my blog with. There is a strong desire for them to be wise and deep. Another part of me wants them to be witty and clever. Yet another part of me wants it to be grammatically correct and spelled right.<br /><br />As I read what I just wrote, a smile crosses my face. I, like all people, am the sum of my parts. My parts, though, I have recognized, classified and named. Allow me the time to introduce what makes me me to you.<br /><br />I see myself as having three basic parts. The part that is typing this post is the "Poet". I am a quiet introspective man. Beauty can make me cry. I am empathetic to others. I can feel their joy and their pain. I am an encourager. I am weak and I don't care. I think in pictures and can not describe anything without drawing pictures. As I write I see the page as a canvas on which to paint my message. I am the heart, the seat of emotions. I am easily hurt and long to heal. I am selfless and vulnerable. I am love.<br /><br />I am the Imp [everybody say hi to the Imp! "Hi Imp!!!"] I am the center of attention. I love calling attention to myself. I am selfish and I don't care. No, really, I don't care. I care only about me. Rules? Who needs them. They are there for the sport of evading them. I am the one who knows how to have fun. I laugh at bawdy jokes and I revel in my love for sensation: physical, emotional and even spiritual. I love new experiences. I am all over the place. Focus is not for me. Were it not for the Poet and Soldier's help, I could not write what I am writing here. The Poet is making me do this and the Soldier is making me do it right. I am done now. Somebody else's turn.<br /><br />Seems the Imp has already introduced me. Somebody has to keep this group under control. I am not hampered by emotions, like the Poet. Neither am I reckless, like the Imp. Were it not for me nothing would ever get done. The Poet does not work and the Imp only works at mischief. Somebody has to bring home a paycheck. Somebody has to do what needs to be done. That is me. I am also responsible for the other two. I stand between the Poet and the world whenever he gets himself hurt. I am the protector. I also bind the the Imp. I keep him out of trouble even if he does not appreciate it. I do not need appreciation, though the Poet seems to enjoy it when I get it. This post is getting loo long. We should wrap it up here.<br /><br />I, as a whole, have often noticed that when any one of the three of me becomes dominate or dominated, my life becomes unbalanced. Harmony of me is peace. Disharmony, is the seed of depression. But that is food for though for another post.<br /><br /><br />-Poet_Imppoet_imphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15012484849058063202noreply@blogger.com1