One Single Moment in Time

One event at a single moment in time can alter a life, impact the lives of countless people, change the course of the future.

My family spent this past weekend on a little get away to Oklahoma City. We just wanted to escape to someplace different. Besides shopping elbow to elbow with every Oklahoman in the state, we went to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. In the museum visitors walk through different "chapters" in the story ranging from the history of the site for the Alfred P. Murrah Building, the events on April 19,1995 when the bombing occurred and on through the stories of the victims, the families, the rescuers and others whose lives were impacted. It's a very moving exhibit.

Outside where the Murrah building and street used to be is a field of chairs representing those whose lives were lost in the building and a reflecting pool which is flanked on each side by two "Gates of Time." The wall-like gate to the east bears the time 9:01, the moment before the bombing. To the west the time displayed is 9:03, the moment after the bombing.

9:02 - That is the moment in time that changed everything for so many people. I can't imagine what some of those people have gone through and still go through. The final chapter in the museum is "Hope."

Tonight and tomorrow we will celebrate a moment in time when everything changed for the entire world. The Hope of Nations came to us. The angels sang in a glorious choir, the stars even declared the event. In spite of the hustle and bustle of the "holiday season" we can't escape knowing that Christmas is really about is the birth of Jesus Christ.

Though that event, the birth of Emmanuel, God with us, has impacted the history of the world, we must each choose how it will impact our lives. The moment one kneels at the manger and accepts all Jesus offers in His coming will be one of those moments that will alter their life, can impact the lives of countless others, and might very well change the very course of history.

Please, take a moment and change everything.

Random stuff 12/19

I really, REALLY need to get my hair cut. I kind of like the way I look when it's at the current length. But it's so easy when it's short. No blow drying, no comb needed, less static electricity. Hmmmm. I wonder which will win out, my vanity or my laziness. I suppose, looking around at the tops of the heads of so many other men my age I should just be glad I have hair.

My teenage daughter is always saying, "SNAP!" What's up with that? Do you think Crackle and Pop feel left out?

If when you're at The Olive Garden you are supposed to be family, why do they make you pay for the meal? I guess I'd better bring my checkbook with me to my folks' for the Christmas Eve dinner. I just hope the service is good. I'd never hear the end of it if I stiffed my mom on the tip.

I feel very disenfranchised by Nyack College. When I was there we were the Fighting Parsons and purple and white were our colors. In 1998 they changed to the Purple Pride. That only lasted until 2004 when they became the Warriors and changed the colors to crimson with navy blue and gray accents. I'll NEVER wear anything that has the Nyack Warriors on it. YUCK! I am proud of and passionate about my perfect, precious, purple, Parsons. Bring 'em back!

Driving home yesterday the person on the radio said Christmas was right around the corner. Well, then I turned right, around the corner and it wasn't there. Just goes to show you can't believe everything you hear.

Should I be concerned that my 13 year-old was reciting complete scenes of dialogue from Finding Nemo (which we haven't watched in a long time) to me in the van yesterday yet can't remember his mother telling him to bring up his dirty laundry five minutes ago?

I think I would be fat if it weren't for the Internet. I used to spend my lunch hour eating. But now I have so much fun surfing and reading stuff that I forget to eat.

Misc Christmas Pics

Is it a sign?

I've just come off a really good week. Sure I still had all the normal everyday stuff going on like stressful deadlines at work and the evening family shuttle bus routes. But on the inside it's really been great. I started blogging my daily Bible reading journal and didn't miss a day. I also listened to K-LOVE all day at work in place of the normal news/talk station.

Anyway, early last week I was really praying about(hey, now don't snicker about this) my minivan. It's about 8 years old with 112,000 miles on it and is at that age where it seems every few months something else really needs to be fixed. We've thought about buying something else. But it really isn't in the budget. And a major repair bill wouldn't be fun to deal with either.

For about a month (okay, maybe longer) it's had this irritating light come on and stay on that says "service traction system" whenever a sharp turn is made. This also prompts the "ABS" light to come on. I'm sure (well, fairly sure. I'm no mechanic and I didn't learn a thing about cars in any of my New Testament Greek or world missions classes in college.) it really doesn't affect the driving or braking ability of the vehicle. And I've been driving on ice and snow without the aid of a traction control system in other vehicles for years.

Well, the "reminder" (That sounds so much nicer than "warning.) lights haven't come on again. I know it may seem silly. And I know God does really care about everything in our lives, even the little things. But do you think maybe Jesus healed my van? Sure, I know He can and we hear stories all the time about miracles like this that God does for missionaries when something breaks and stuff. I'm very torn between feeling like I'm somehow being disrespectful of God, thinking He would bother with such a trivial thing as healing my van, and being very convicted because I lack the level of faith to believe that He would do such a thing.

Just Random Stuff

I've spent waaaaaaaaay too much time this week thinking about serious things. So I'm going to take a brief mental vacation with no set itinerary and no garmin to tell me where to turn. Let's hit the highway, shall we.

I have somewhere between 200 and 400 albums sitting in my basement. (Those are those big black "CDs" for those of you born after the Carter administration.) One of my pre-Christmas purchases is a USB turntable. Though I don't want it to consume all of my spare time, (You know, the hours between 11:00pm and 6:00am.), I am really looking forward to converting much of that to a usable form. Back in the day I was quite... um... compulsive about my records. I had a directory of every album; what song, which track number, when produced. I had the same kind of directory for my alphabetized comic book collection. Hmmmmm. Maybe I really was a nerd or geek or whatever the term as way back then.

I used to be a very picky eater. No, really. I mean even more picky than I am today if you can imagine that. I don't think I would have ever tried broccoli if it weren't for wanting to be polite and impress Lesly's mom when they had me over. I never ate mac & cheese until my sophomore year of college. I had my very first orange the winter of my senior year of college. Oh but I did love (and still do) my M&M's. I figure I averaged over half a pound a day my freshman year. Then I put all the M&M's "Pounder" bags on my dorm room wall like wallpaper, alternating between plain and peanut in a beautiful yellow and brown checkerboard pattern. And I didn't even gain any weight! (You can see the skinny me on my facebook wall)

Why is it that when there's ice on the side of the road people drive thirty miles under the speedlimit. But when the ice is covering the road the seem to go 30 MPH above it?

I always get confused. Does a westerly breeze mean the wind is blowing out of the west and to the east or out of the east and to the west? And when it's already raining outside, why does the weatherman come on and say something like, "There's an 80% chance of rain today." If it's raining right then wouldn't it be a 100% chance of rain?

How unfair is it when the city tells us we should use less water and then complains that their revenue is down because people aren't using as much water so they need to raise the rates? Why is crabgrass called crabGRASS and not crabWEED? I'd feel so much more inclined to try and rid my lawn of it if it were a weed and not just another form of grass.

And finally, since my cat poops in the litterbox should I throw my litter away in a poop can?

DayVee Goes Retro

Thanks to my teenagers I’ve recently discovered Facebook. It’s been really fun tracking down people I knew decades ago and renewing old friendships. It’s like playing a combination of my own private versions of “Where are they now?” and “This Is Your Life.” But this stroll down Memory Lane has brought several interesting things within me to the surface.

Obviously to start with, I am getting OLD! Sure I don’t feel like it most days. (I can still run faster than any of my kids!) But I see a name that I should recognize and it takes me several moments to place them and dust out the cobwebs to really remember anything about them or a shared experience. I haven’t seen or spoken to some of these people over half my lifetime ago.

Which of course brings up the fact that I am such a terrible “keep-in-toucher.” There is but one person from my high school years on my current Christmas card list and the same goes for my college years. And I can’t even remember when the last phone conversation I had with either of them was. And it’s not like I was a real loner way back then. I think I was kind of fun and very social. I wish I had the “gift” my dad has. I call him Mr. Friendly. He is so good at all the people kind of stuff.

And though I have many fond memories of past things and people, the first thing that usually pops into my brain as I reconnect is a regret about some way I recall in which I was not as nice to them as I should have been or some other such way in which I think I may have wronged them. Then I feel silly because if I do bring it up the other person doesn’t even have a clue about whatever it is I’m making an apology for.

I understand that who I am today is such a mixture of my past experiences and those who touched my life in small and big ways. Somewhere along the line I suppose I got this warped idea that living in the now and not in the past means never, ever looking back so that’s pretty much what I’ve done. But in doing that I’m sure I’ve missed the many blessings these past friendships may have produced. Now I’ve got A LOT of catching up to do. This should be fun!

Rescue

This Advent my pastor is doing a series call "The Great Rescue." A week ago he started with God's creation of man for relationship with Himself, the fall, and the promise of the rescue to come.

I used to think Adam and Eve were so stupid. How could they, after experiencing perfect fellowship with God before the fall, make the choice to throw that all away by violating the only boundary they had? But as I mature I've become much more sympathetic and less critical of their situation. I guess I see myself so much more in Adam than I used to. I know the thousands of times I've failed to stand firm against temptations or chosen to listen to the voice that tells me "Surely you won't die." What is it within us that makes us want to stand right on the edge of a boundry, getting as close as we can to crossing the line? Shouldn't we be smart enough to know boundaries are for protecting us? Why don't we just avoid walking by the tree that tempts us so it won't even be on our mind?

It really makes me long for heaven. I'm so greatful for The Great Rescuer.

How I Spend My Lunchtime

My youngest son will turn 10 this month. All he's been begging for is a hamster. His older brother had one and his older sister currently has two. So we yielded to his wishes and got one for him this past Sunday. But something didn't seem quite right with this hamster from the very beginning. I don't know, maybe it's because my son named her Snowball even though she was dark colored, speckled and long haired. She also made these terrible noises when you tried to pick her up. And she had this odd odor. Much more stinky than just your normal hamster odor.

**

Once we got the little critter home and in her spanking new cage she just didn't seem very interested in exploring like every other hamster I've ever known. At first I thought she was just traumatized by the whole process of being in a new environment. So we all let her be for a day to allow her to acclimate to her new home. On day two she still didn't seem very hamster-like. No real running on her wheel. No stuffing her pouches full of food and hiding it in her bedding area. Not much activity at all.

Well, I knew something more was wrong than just being the new fur ball on the block. So last night (that would be Wednesday and we got the hamster on Sunday) we decided we would return the little animal, get a refund and look for a suitable replacement at a different store. Today I decided I would save my son from any odd feeling he might experience in taking the pet back so I went home over lunch to make the return. Boy am I glad I did. Poor little Snowball had gone on to that giant running wheel in the sky. So, doing my duty as a dad I hurried up and cleaned the cage as thoroughly as I could to rid it of any remaining health hazards and prepare it for a new occupant. (I wonder, do hamsters worry about things like living in a house where a death just occurred? Do I need to have the new animal sign a disclaimer that I've disclosed the history of their dwelling to them? Help me any of you animal attorneys out there.)

Then I put "the remains" back in the little box in which we brought her home and proceeded to the pet store. Here's a recap of that exchange.

"I need to return this hamster."

"What's the problem?"

"It has expired. I only bought it Sunday."

"Hmmmm. It seems we've been having a lot of bad luck with our hamsters lately. So do you want to exchange it or get a refund?"

"I'll just take the refund."

Needless to say, we'll get our replacement at a different store that is having better "luck" with their hamsters.

** Not an actual picture of the deceased hamster.

The Strange Change Machine

The family I grew up in wasn't very affluent by any standard. My mom was, and still is, a great budgeter. I can remember the ritual each payday of going grocery shopping with my parents and getting to run the "clicker" to help keep track of how much we were spending. In those days you paid cash or you didn't buy it. Some weeks we'd even have enough left to buy chips or some other luxury item. As a matter of fact, we were pretty poor I guess. Though I never really knew it or felt that way. Sure I knew lots of other kids who had more toys or neater stuff than I did. But I was content and happy so it really didn't matter.



Christmas was always such a highly anticipated day. It was always the one time of the year when something amazing happened. Somehow I'd waken and find things under the tree I'd been wanting so badly but was almost to scared to hope for because I didn't want to be disappointed. One of the items that to this day is on the list of my best childhood gifts ever was the Strange Change Machine by Mattel.

It was so cool! You'd take these plastic squares and place them in the heated chamber. Like magic these squares would morph (no a word they used back in the 60's) into creatures. Once cooled the creatures were hard forms that you could play with on the plastic mountain-like surface that came with the set. Then at any time your could place the creatures back in the heating chamber. This would soften them up so you could put them in the compressing chamber, turn the crank and remold them into the square they started as, complete with the Mattel logo imprinted on it.

I have no idea how much this cost my parents. I don't even know if they realize what a treasure that gift seems to me even now, evoking all the warm memories. It makes me wonder what things will my children remember from a childhood Christmas. What's on your list of best Christmas gifts received as a kid?

Yesterday was a really good day. Yesterday was also a very tough day. I tend to be a very introspective person. These past few months my head has been quite the high traffic area. I have so many seemingly random things firing off between my ears. Yet somehow I sense they are interrelated. I just haven’t been able to fit all the pieces together to know what the big picture of my life looks like. Just a glance at the front of the box would help. I think I at least have most of the edges in place. Well, here goes.

The details of what’s printed on the first side of the cardboard doesn’t really matter all that much. It only helps us understand the extent of God’s grace and how far He’ll go in order to write on the other side of our cardboard. And as a matter of perspective, side A is just a blip compared to eternity spent experiencing the reality of side B. So can we please spend more time celebrating everybody’s side B rather than needing to see some one’s side A to somehow make us feel like our side A is less bad?

To what extent will God go to get my attention? Will I or others I love suffer because that was the only way God could get through to me? I hear stories on know people who go through terrible, tragic events. But it is through those events they refocus their heart on God. I’d like to think my reaction to losing my spouse or a child, or of having a disease would be to still sing ‘Blessed Be the Name” with the same gusto I do now. But those words are so easy to thoughtlessly sing when He seems to be in the “give” mode. Will I be just as convicted to sing of His blessings when “take away” is the status?

Okay, here’s a big one. At first I thought I shouldn’t put this here online. But then I realized, I only get like one hit a week so who’s gonna know anyway. The sin I struggle with most, the thing that rules over me and that I hate most about myself is pride. I don’t mean it in the sense that I think I’m better than others or that I look down on other people. And I don’t mean that I think it’s wrong when I know I’m doing some things well, like trying to raise good kids or having a good work ethic.

But so often I know I lock God or others out of the equation because I’m “smart enough” to figure things out on my own. Or I decide it’s just easier to depend only on myself because I’ve seen far too many people bearing the lifelong scars, mental and physical, from relying on the wrong person(s). And besides, I am dependable so you can rely on me without ever having to reciprocate because I don’t need to rely on you! I am also very good at rationalizing that God has gifted me with the brains so isn’t that close enough to relying on Him that it counts?

I really hate to stop here. But I’m out of time. I hope I can continue this soon. We may be getting close to a breakthrough.

Lost Vegas

Last week I was in Las Vegas for a few days attending a business related conference. Since I don’t indulge in most of the activities that are available to those making “Sin City” their destination of choice, (Okay, I confess, I did drop a few dollars into a slot machine. But that’s it.) I was afforded a lot of time to walk around and make some observations. Don’t mind me while I just note some of them here, in no particular order.

I was reminded anew of just how blessed I am to not have an addictive personality and have some measure of self-control. Oh how many have made just one or two bad choices that have reaped an avalanche of consequences that could have been averted with a simple “no” before it all got started.

The reality is far different than the image. As I landed and took the shuttle to the resort at night I could see all the bright lights advertising all the fun that awaited the visitors to Vegas. Sure there are some very interesting themes to the casinos and in the architecture. But it’s all a façade, a scheme to draw you inside where the real theme is “give me lots of money as I fool you into thinking you are being entertained and you have a slight chance of winning a little bit.” Overhearing some conversations during breakfast at the conference, there were people who had lost more money the night before than all the expenses my company incurred to send me and two others there for three nights and four days. And it’s as if these people were bragging about losing that much. Hmmmm. Since they like just giving it away, I wonder if they’d go for just handing the cash over to me. I’ll let them brag all they want. And I’d even double tithe on it!

It’s not just the image versus reality as it relates to the casinos. The explicit sexuality on display just makes your feel defiled by simply walking down the street. There are groups of people on seemingly every corner trying to pass out pornographic advertisement for either bars or “services” of all kinds. (I’m not talking “classical” or “contemporary” worship service styles either.) It seems almost any depravity can be found if the price is right. After all, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?

But in addition to the disgust it was all very heart wrenching and sorrowful. What could drive somebody to sell their bodies like that? Did they run away from home because they felt unloved? Were they trapped in that lifestyle due to addiction or something else? Had they come, drawn by the bright lights and promise of success, only to find themselves making one “temporary” compromise after another to make ends meet? It made me want to get home and tell my wife and kids, especially my daughters, how much I love them and how special they are.

The whole time I was there it was like there was just this dark, icky sensation that enveloped everything. Almost as if I was the only one who could even see the real evil that lurked behind the glittery false fronts. Or if others could see it, they just didn’t care. People are funny that way. Most of the time they really do know right from wrong. But often it’s easier to rationalize why wrong isn’t so wrong than it is to take a stand and live in a way that is different from the world around us.

I’m still unpacking the many things I’ve been contemplating after my Las Vegas trip. So I don’t really know all of what I’ll take from that experience yet. Jesus loves the world and the world desperately needs Him. What is my part in His plan? What's yours?

Lousy Bloggers Anonymous

Hello, my name is David and I am a lousy blogger. (“Hello David,” comes the echo of the gathered crowd of other members in the twelve step LBA program.) We know who we are. Those who think it would be fun to create a blog to express our thoughts on things and share the happenings in our lives. We start off with good intentions of logging in at least every couple of days. But then the couple of days become once a week, then two weeks. And before we realize it a month has passed and we have hardly thought about posting on our blog.

Don’t take this as any sort of apology to you, the reader, for my lack of staying current. (It’s not like there are even very many who read this blog.) I guess I’m more disappointed with myself, as though I’m shirking my responsibility and neglecting the obligation I assumed when I decided to have a blog. Will I start posting on a more regular basis? I hope so. But I’m not really going to promise that.

Here’s what I think is really going on that has made me hesitate to blog as of late. I’m a bit of a political junkie. This being election season, there are so very many issues and candidates about which I have strong opinions. I know one function of a blog is to be a forum which allows people to post their views unencumbered by the worry about equal time or edittorial review. That’s one of the things I love about reading other blogs, the chance to read another’s opinion and get into their head a little. And there is so much I would love to blog about.

However, I also realize my true citizenship is in the heavenly kingdom. As such, there is also an obligation to promote unity and not division within the body. Does posting just for the sake of feeling good about spouting my political views in this heated climate serve any real eternal purpose?

Does that mean I won’t discuss politics with fellow believers if asked? Not at all. I’m more than happy to have a civil, rational and open political discussion provided I am certain the parties involved and I will still be able to walk away without injury to the relationship. And let’s face it, we do live here so what happens in our government does effect us. Will I vote? You bet. Though I know our problems cannot truly be solved apart from the hearts of people being changed, I can cast a vote for those whom I think will create a climate which will better reflect my own values.

I don’t know. I’ve really been trying to get my head around what “being in the world but not of the world” should look like in a situation like this election and the world of politics. Maybe I’m a bit misguided here about the whole not posting political opinions. I’d like to think that readers who know me would give me the benefit of the doubt and be mature enough to perhaps allow my views to differ from theirs without it getting personal. But I guess for now I’ll err on the side of caution and not risk becoming a stumbling block.

$700,000,000,000.00 is a huge number!

How far would $700,000,000,000.00 be in Balloom Dollars? Let's see. I would have to work for about 11.3 million years to earn that much. It would pay off my mortgage nearly 61,950 times over. My kids could attend Tabor, including room and board, for around 5,833,333 years each. It would purchase a new Balloom family minivan every day for the next 66,150 years. At $3.50 a gallon, it would purchase 200,000,000,000 gallons of gas for said minivans which would enable me to drive to Disney World and back 6,755,555,555 times. And if my family of six wanted to stay at Disney World for a week at the most expensive time of the year in one of the high end resorts including meals, we could stay for 110,414,100 weeks. If we wanted to give the $700,000,000,000 away, we could pay for our church to build 127,272 sanctuaries. We could pay for 100 Billion Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. We could fun K-LOVE radio in Wichita for 2,663,622 years. We could fund the TLC $40,000project in Chonburi, Thailand 17,500.000 over. We could give over $100 to every person on the planet. (A huge sum in thrid world countries.)

Hmmmmm.

Olympic Fervor

I've been watching the Olympics quite a bit these last few evenings. Amid the coverage of the actual events the network throws in all these stories about the different athletes and how they have trained and prepared for the games. Many of them have sacrificed years of being away from family and have given up living a "normal" life. And relative to the number of athletes present and the quality of the competition, the odds for most of them of winning any medal at all are very slim. Yet still they press on, making their bodies be faster and stronger and more enduring, just for the chance to compete while the world watches and cheers.

Then it hits me, what a pathetic, slothful Christian I am. I can hardly keep consistency in my daily walk and devotions. A simple thing like getting out of bed early often seems like too big a sacrifice to make. The athletes' lives are consumed by their passion for their sport. And even after years of training they have no assurance that they will even make the team. But anyone who calls on Jesus will be saved. And victory is already secured. The prize I strive for is so much better than some medallion awarded every four years. I need to beat my mind, my body and especially my will into submission in a more fervent pursuit of godliness and righteousness. Just think what a difference it would make in our world if all Christians were consumed with Olympic-like fervor.

Back in 1969...

I'm not sure how many of you out there were even alive back on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Did you watch it on your family's black and white TV? It seemed the whole world was marveling at this feat. However, something even more dramatic took place just three days later. As the Apollo 11 crew were making their way back to earth the angels were celebrating. Not due to the accomplishment of these astronauts. But it was on July 23, 1969 that I became a Christian. Of course, being only five, I can't say there were many dramatic changes in my lifestyle. But looking back over these past 39 years I can clearly see God's hand in guiding and protecting me through the circumstances of my life. Neil may have played an important role in the history of man's encounters of the heavens. But the kneel of most import is the one done at the foot of the cross in surrender to The Maker of heaven and earth.

Vacationer Returns

I know, I know. I haven’t been doing so well at posting anything lately. Mostly it’s due to taking a little vacation to Corpus Christi. Not just the being away, but also all the catching up at work after the trip. But I’ve back now and will hopefully get back into the blogging swing of things.

The trip went quite well. We, the “nuclear six” plus the mother-in-law (N6+MIL), left around 1:00 in the morning on a Tuesday. I finally stopped in Waco at an IHOP for breakfast. Mine was pretty good. The youngest two ordered chocolate chip pancakes from the kid’s menu that were huge and made with this chocolaty batter. They were even too sweet for me. That of course prompted us to stop the van a couple of times shortly after we left for … um… some spew stops. Let me just say, the interstates in Texas need to add more restrooms to their rest stops on the interstate. I think we only encountered two highway rest stops with facilities between Oklahoma and Corpus Christi.

Our tour bus stopped in San Antonio for a couple of hours and we visited the Alamo and roamed along the river walk. The stop was cut short by rain and we decided to grab a quick bite at, what else, Wendy’s before continuing to our destination. Our original plan was to motel it in Galveston and stop in Houston to visit a relative along the way. But another relative offered to house N6+MIL in Corpus Christi so of course we couldn’t turn them down. Besides, it was a lower rate than even Priceline could get us!

Tuesday evening we just ordered pizza and let the kids splash around in the pool. After my all-nighter I just went to bed after eating. Both Wednesday and Thursday we went to the beach at Padre Island National Seashore. The weather was great and the beach was almost deserted. Although I had forgotten how easily that fine sand gets everywhere. The kids had a blast jumping waves, playing in the sand and collecting shells. We also did a little souvenir shopping in Thursday. On Friday we went to the Texas State Aquarium. And of course every evening back at the house the kids had to swim until after dark.

We pulled out just before 11:00 on Friday night and arrived at our house around noon on Saturday. I pretty much slept all day Saturday. It was surprising that we never paid more than $3.95 for gas. And even if gas would have been $4.25 it would have only cost us about $20 more. Sure I don’t like the high gas prices. But on a vacation you’re easily going to blow at least $30 on something stupid anyway. Just think about it, be a little more careful about what you spend and you’ll realize higher gas prices shouldn’t really make you opt not to take you summer road trip. As a bonus we also got between 25 and 27 MPG the whole trip. Not too bad when you’re carting seven or eight people around. You SUVer may mock my minivan. But I’m laughing at you while you’re filling up your tank at the pump across from me.

Well, that’s the trip summary. I’d like to take just a “nuclear six” long weekend before school starts but I’m not sure that will happen. I’ve still got something like 11 vacation days to burn before the year ends. We’ve got a cousin’s wedding in KC coming up one of these weekends in August but that after the spouse has already gone back to work for all the pre-school-starting teacher junk they do every year. Anybody know of a neat little place to get away with the family for a couple of days that’s, say, within 300 miles of Wichita?

Road Trip Memories

Rumor has it that because of the high gas prices some people are not taking their summer vacations. I just think that’s an excuse. Of course because airfare for six is so expensive our family doesn’t fly, we road trip. So even at $4.00 a gallon we drive our family of six in the minivan from home to either coast and back for less than one or two airline tickets. And the way flying is these days with delays, security hassles and lost luggage, driving is a lot more relaxing, too, even when we leave at midnight.

Of course the whole “family road trip” thing is in my blood. As a kid I always looked forward to climbing aboard the family Oldsmobile and heading across the county for the summer adventure. We didn’t even let the gas crisis of the 70’s keep us off the roads. Thanks to my parents I’d been in all the lower 48 states and countless National Parks by the time I went to college. And it wasn’t because we were wealthy that we could afford our travels. My mom is a great budgeter and my dad is “Mr. Friendly” so we pitched a tent, stayed with long lost friends and relatives, or slept in the car. Once in a while if we had under spent we’d splurge on a roadside motel.

I’m trying to give my kids that same love for the road and our beautiful country that I inherited. Sure there are those moments of friction when you’ve been tapped in a vehicle for hours on end with your family. But they tend to be so few and are overshadowed by the fun and adventures we share along the way.

We’re building family closeness and memories. I’m sure my kids will look back on these trips with the same appreciation I have when I remember my childhood trips. Who could forget the time we stopped because my dad had to go to the bathroom so badly that he accidentally went into the women’s restroom. Or the time the “biker gang” unlocked the car when we locked the keys inside. What about the yucky motel in Utah we were in when Elvis died. Gosh, I’m already smiling as I wonder what stories my kids will have to tell to their children.

If you don’t already “road trip” with your family you really should give it a try. And don’t think you’ve got to see everything just because you are “so close.” You’ve got to leave a few things for you kids to explore with their kids one day. We did our big road trip over spring break so this summer we’re just going on a short 1,500 round trip to visit relatives for a few days at the beach. I’ll catch up with you after I get back. The minivan leaves at midnight!

Celebrate Today, Vote in November

I’ve always thought of myself as fairly patriotic. I love this country and her rich history. It’s hard fighting my urge to become a political junkie. It’s just that what happens in our government affects almost everything around us. Of course I realize my citizenship is in My Father’s Kingdom and we shouldn’t expect the laws made by men to bring about the kinds of spiritual change that can only occur when individuals are in relationship with God. However, without laws and law makers that reflect The Lawgiver’s principles or some basic morality, this Nation will never become the God honoring country our founders envisioned. And by continuing to elect those whose commitment to and understanding of our constitution is questionable, at best, we stray even further from being a beacon of liberty and freedom in this world.

In the November presidential election we will pick our next president. Our choices from the two big parties seem to be men of “politics as usual” and personal power rather than men of conviction and leadership. So I’ve decided I might vote for Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party.

The conventional wisdom is that third party candidates can never win so you only hurt the major party candidate with whom you agree the most and hand the win to the other guy. That may be true in this case as well. But I’m just sick and tired of half-heartedly voting for somebody because they aren’t the other guy. Chuck Baldwin is a fine Christian man and I know he’s not just a political hack.

By the way, can you tell me what the Democrat or Republican parties stand for? I tried to find a nice, simple and neat list on the two major party sites. But the best they had were four year old platform documents of 43 and 92 pages. Sort of speaks for itself that they are clearly the parties of bureaucracy, doesn’t it? Here are seven principles of the Constitution Party:

1. Life: For all human beings, from conception to natural death;
2. Liberty: Freedom of conscience and actions for the self-governed individual;
3. Family: One husband and one wife with their children as divinely instituted;
4. Property: Each individual's right to own and steward personal property without government burden;
5. Constitution: and Bill of Rights interpreted according to the actual intent of the Founding Fathers;
6. States' Rights: Everything not specifically delegated by the Constitution to the federal government is reserved for the state and local jurisdictions;
7. American Sovereignty: American government committed to the protection of the borders, trade, and common defense of Americans, and not entangled in foreign alliances.


Life, liberty, less government, state’s rights and original intent. These all seem pretty basic and easy to understand. And for the most part they also seem to be poles apart from either of the other candidates’ actions.

Well, enough of the politics. Enjoy your celebration of The United States of America on her 232nd birthday. Remember those who fought to establish her, those who have died defending her and those who serve her today so we can enjoy the blessings of this country.

More Thoughts on Faith

I’m still pondering a couple things on faith theme again today. One item is just because a person believes something or has faith in something doesn’t mean that it is true. By the same token, just because you choose not to believe something doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Our faith or belief really has no bearing on truth. Truth is true regardless of how one feels or believes or perceives. To preface truth with words like “your” or “my” is meaningless. You may observe something from a different perspective or have a life experience on which you base a belief that is far different from my own. But that doesn’t change the truth. If truth was not something solid and unchanging how could we have a foundation for faith in anything?

Another thought is something James writes about. Faith alone is worthless. It requires action. I could easily say how much I believe parachuting is safe and would be fun. But am I willing to step through the door of an airplane as it soars above the ground? Or how about an example a little closer to home. I know and believe that spending time reading my Bible and praying daily is one of the most important things I can do. But do my actions reflect that? Who is king of my late nights, Leno, Letterman or The Lord of Lords?

I have faith that God will make sure my needs and those of my family are taken care of. But does my giving reflect that? As long as I’m on money here, is there somebody out there who can tell me where the line is between faithful stewardship and reckless irresponsibility? Sure I want to become more generous. I love giving. But I’m also in charge of making sure I am wise in how I provide for my family. We are a fairly frugal family. So it’s not like I’m feeling guilty about how we do use our money. But I read stories about people like the widow in 1 Kings 17 who just had enough for a last meal for her son and herself. Then Elijah asked her to bring him food first. She did and her oil and flour never ran out. Do I have that kind of faith? Could I give away my last meal? I’ve got enough for countless meals right now. Is that meaning my jar of oil is full because I've been faithful with what little I have, or is God providing me with opportunities to give the oil He's put in my jar away, or both?

Boy, this trying to live acting on what you believe sure can be complex.

How Much Faith

I’ve been thinking about faith lately and about just how one “lives by faith.” I’ve been struck by one very interesting observation. It doesn’t matter who you are. Whether we want to admit it or not, we all live by faith. I’m not just talking about a little bit of faith. Almost everything we do involves a good deal of faith.

As I drove to work this morning I had to have faith that the drivers around me were going to stay in their lanes or honor their red light when I had a green one. I had to have faith when I entered the elevator that it would indeed take me up five floors without plunging downward. I have faith that the unseen, unknown builders of this place knew what they were doing and that they constructed this mass of brick and steel in a way that enables it to withstand the wind and rain. From simple things like flipping on a light switch to eating the food brought to me in a restaurant requires faith in countless people and chains of circumstances beyond my control.

With all this faith in men for which we don’t give a second thought, why do we find it so hard to have faith in God? As Christians we all believe in the sinful nature of fallen man. We know apart from the saving grace of Jesus their hearts are evil. Yet we find it so easy to have faith in them for so many things. The miner who pulled the ore from the earth used to make you car is much less worthy of our faith than The One who put the ore in the earth. The engineer who studied the physics to gauge the stresses this building can withstand knows nothing compared to The One who commands the winds, waves and all forces of nature with His words.

I’m not advocating that we stop having all this faith. But when we see all the ways in which we have faith in other people or things we should be prompted to trust God and place so much more faith in Him. Buildings crumble, people have auto accidents, but He is unfailing.

House Keeping in a Cluttered Mind - closet #5

It’s been kind of a busy week for me. I guess my lack of posting this week would be an indication of how far down blogging is on my priority list.

Earlier in the week we celebrated the 13th birthday of my oldest son. Now we’re a two teenager household. That got me to thinking about my early teenage years. I walked or rode my bike EVERYWHERE back then! My parents are still learning about some of the things I did or how far away from home I rode. Of course it was a different time back then and probably much safer. And yes, I even wore a helmet and . I bought a green Schwin ten-speed from Eddy. It wasn’t the greatest, but it got me through until I could afford a brand new bike. Bike riding here isn’t as interesting as back in Pennsylvania where we have hills and curves.

Besides biking, I also remember being brave enough in eighth grade to ask a girl if she’d like to “go out.” At that age “going out” really meant having your parents pick her up in the family sedan and have her accompany you to someplace. She was tall with short blond hair. She was on the swim team and her name was Jennifer. I asked her to go to a Youth For Christ pizza party. She accepted, however, right before the big “date” she broke her leg and we never did end up going out, ever.

I think it was around that time that I also started writing poetry. Writing and riding my bike were probably just how I dealt with all the weird stuff we have to go through at that stage of not being a kid anymore yet not being fully grown either. I know almost everybody wouldn’t go back to that time in their life no matter how many millions of dollars you’d pay them. But for me those were some really good years. No real conflict with my parents. No big crisis about all the mental, emotional and physical changes or over finding my “identity.”

I wonder how my kids will feel in 30 years or so when they look back at this time in their lives. I know I think they are great kids and they seem to be doing well. We seem to have open lines of communication. But there’s always those thoughts of wondering what is really going on in their noggins. I hope they are enjoying these years.

House Keeping in a Cluttered Mind - closet #4

Today I’m just going to let the meandering stream of things I’ve been thinking about flow through to this keyboard. They are mostly thoughts about what a genuine follower of Jesus is like or how upside down this world is compared to what God calls us to live like.

My oldest child will be entering high school in the fall. I think she is a very bright, insightful and mature young lady. In this world we seem to see maturity as becoming more independent and being able to do things or make choices on our own. But spiritual maturity seems to be completely opposite of that. The more mature I become in my walk with Christ, the more dependent I become on Him in all aspects of my life.

The system of this world tells us to look at ourselves and compare that to others. That is how we can tell how poorly or how well we are doing in any area, whether it is material wealth, health, or our spiritual condition. Material wealth is so temporary and unreliable. We are all going to die in the end so we all share the same health condition. The reality is we have only one Right Standard to which we should be compared. And we all, ALL fall well short of that mark.

And when we look at others, as this world seems to think we should, we are completely within our “rights” to point out the sins and be critical of others if our situation in that area relative to theirs is “better.” And we also think if we aren’t doing as well as them we are deserving of their grace rather than their condemnation. But the way we ought to live is by being most critical of our own sins and recognizing we are most deserving of God’s judgement. And when we look at other we should extend grace and love because that is what Christ has done for us.

“Look out for number one!” So often we pick the wrong “number one” to look out for. In this world, number one is usually ourself. The widow, the orphan, the poverty stricken, those in the mist of sorrow, the lonely, the broken, the sick, the unbeautiful, those who can offer us nothing of material value; these are the apple of His eye, the jewels of creation, the ones created in His image just like us. When we are looking out for them, the least of these, we are looking out for Him, the one and only Number One.

The bar is set so very high. It is an impossible standard to attain. That is if I am trying to do it myself. But I have help. His Spirit leads and guides me. His Word teaches me how to let Him live in and through me. And His grace takes my hand and lifts me up when I stumble on the path.

House Keeping in a Cluttered Mind - closet #3

Somebody whom I greatly respect was talking about a book by William P. Young titled “The Shack.” It is a fictional work. This book has received some great reviews. But I’ve read some who think this book represents a subtle deception promoting counterfeit Christianity and a skewed view of God. Some of the critics have been downright nasty. Since I’m only about half way through the book I’m not ready to make my own final assessment. I will say again though, this book is fiction so chill out a little.

However, this “controversy” got me thinking about when and how we should be critical of others or the things they do. Now I’m not one of those folks who thinks we shouldn’t judge. Clearly we are to judge as long as we are using the right standard. We do need to hold our brothers and sisters accountable when they are in error or have strayed from walking uprightly or when they mislead others. But when a person such as the author of “The Shack” shakes things up a bit by going against convention, is that such a bad thing? I don’t want to give anything away if you haven’t read the book. But if you have, you’ll probably know what a few of these radical things are.

Isn’t the problem here that so many people are so illiterate when it comes to the Bible that they are easily led away? And if we were all in The Word and had The Word in us we would quickly be able to discern a lie from the Truth. Is it so threatening to read something that really makes us think? Thinking isn’t a sin. We do, in so many ways, put God in a box. That box is often shaped more like what and whom we wish God were or what we’ve been told. We are too proud to admit that God is beyond our comprehension or too arrogant, assuming we know enough so there are only a few blanks to fill in to complete the picture.

The theology in this book may not be entirely on track. But does that mean I can’t learn something from it? Several years ago I went to an awful movie, “White Men Can’t Jump.” It was crude and foul and not very good. But I learned a spiritual lesson in spite of all that. One of the basketball players was always trying to look so good and smooth. He had the bling and right clothes. The other one looked like a slob, a bum. The slob made a statement to the other that went something like; “You would rather look good than play good. I’d rather look bad and play good.” Isn’t that the problem with so many Christians? They want to look good on the outside. But inside they’ve got no game. I’d rather make sure I’m “playing good” and really right inside than worry about the external things others are going to judge. Now I know those who are critics of “The Shack” would be even more critical of “White Men Can’t Jump.” But despite how “good” or “bad” this book is somebody who is mature and has a discerning heart will be able to uncover quite a few nuggets to ponder and explore in Scripture.

Well, I’ve got to go. After reading through this I completely went in a different direction than I expected. There’s always another posting…

All over the board...

Today’s post is VERY random.

Just because you might question authority doesn’t mean you are being rebellious, does it?

Christianity is so radical because it calls those in authority to become servants to those under their authority.

Why do so many people have a problem understanding that “prostrate” is a position of being face down on the ground and “prostate” is a gland in the male body.

When people say, “My prayers aren’t getting past the ceiling,” don’t they realize that God still hears them because He’s already in the room?

Don’t we have the same amount of daylight whether we change our clocks each spring and fall or not?

Why do they still call it the ten o’clock news when it comes on at 11:15 after a sporting event has gone late?

Can somebody explain the rule to me so I know when “this Saturday” and “next Saturday” mean the same Saturday and when they don’t?

If one misspeaks and both know what was really meant to be said, is it really necessary to correct the person? (Although I don’t think that should apply when I am trying to teach my chilren to speak properly.)

I don’t like them calling it “Language Arts” in school. What language are they teaching them? It’s English so call it English class!

Public Displays of Affection

This phrase in most of us probably conjure up the image of something like a young couple hanging all over each other as they hang out in the mall. But a recent blog posting I read got me thinking about it in terms of our relationship with God and public, corporate worship. Mulling this over, trying to bring some clarity to my own thoughts consumed my mind well into the wee hours of the morning until sleep set upon me.

There are so many facets to worship that I can't quite pin it down to a single definitive thing. Some of worship is very intimate and personal while other aspects of it are as simple as declaring God's goodness among His people and praising Him with one united voice. But the epicenter of worship, the point at which it begins, is that place in each individual's relationship with God where He has revealed Himself and we respond. As Christians, followers of Jesus, we all have already responded to His sacrifice on the cross for us, His mercy and grace. The common intersection of the cross is therefore at the core of corporate worship. He may have drawn me to the cross through other circumstances than He did you. But we all kneel together at the foot of that tree on Calvary and are united as adopted sons and daughters.

We are, however, all created as unique in our giftedness and personality. We all come with different burdens, different life experiences, and different backgrounds, We also then may respond in our worship in different ways. Much like in our earthly relationships. One couple might express their affection in public by the husband always opening the door for his wife or simply by holding hands while another may find kissing in public to be acceptable. Or we respond to seeing the same exact public display in different ways depending on the circumstances. We applaud when a groom kisses his bride for the first time as a married couple but avert our eyes when we see a couple smooching on a park bench. Neither is "right" or "wrong" per se. They are just outwardly expressing a level of intimacy they feel comfortable with being seen in public or at which we feel comfortable looking. Then you throw in cultural standards and personal preferences and you know it's impossible to agree on just how much affection can be on display for things to be deemed "proper."

In the corporate worship setting we also hold our own ideas about what "proper" worship should "look like" or what we ourselves are comfortable with expressing in public. Standing, sitting, hands raised, head down, clapping, face up, eyes closed, dancing in the aisle... I don't think we can even come close to understanding this thing we call worship. One thing that I do know is that I have no idea what communion with God is going on in somebody else's heart as we attend a corporate worship service. I don't know the valley they are passing through or the mountain they have just crested on their journey that morning. But I rejoice that He is speaking and pray that we all have grace enough towards others to allow each one to display their affection to The Lover of Their Soul in whatever form The Spirit prompts.

"God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 24:4

Don't Waste a Breath

"Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow." Psalm 144:4

Who among us doesn't look back on their life and have those things cross our mind that we wish had turned our differently. Each of us can see the results of a poor choice we've made or of circumstances beyond our control that, at least for a season, had a great negative impact on the course of our life. The big issue is what do we do with that failure, disappointment, hurt, or regret.

Some people have trouble letting go of past things. Granted, every experience, good and bad, leave some kind of impression on us and have been incorporated within to make us the person we are today. But there is a great deal of difference between having past events shape you and holding so tightly to those regrets from the past that you are unable to hold your hands open with expectancy of what God has for you in your journey ahead.

In my "circle of influence" I am dealing with one of those who is in a constant state of regret. They are still ruled by things they did or didn't do, or ways they did or didn't act decades ago. This has given way to a lifestyle of worry. It seems every action is second guessed, every conversation, present as well as past, is replayed in their mind worrying if somebody was upset by what was said, or how it was said, or by what may have been unsaid.

As I ponder this situation and struggle with how to deal with this person, I am reminded of just how short life is here on this earth. We weren't created to be consumed by the haunting mistakes of our past. He wishes that we "redeem the time for the days are evil," rather squander what little time we have being so paralyzed by the past. But this person has allowed worry and fear to rob them of the Joy of Life. Not just the joy they may have missed over these past decades, but also they have robbed them self of any joy that the future may hold for them. What is even harder is that this person knows this is no way to live. They know they need to release their grip on the past and follow Paul's advice,

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13b,14

I don't even know if anybody will be reading this. But if you do, please pray for this person.


"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past." Isaiah 43:18

Celebrating 18 Years!

I find history very interesting, looking back and wondering what it must have been like or what was going through the minds of people as they were living certain events. Granted, eighteen years isn't very far back. But some day June 9, 1990 will become one of those dates in my future family's history. So, for them as well as you I'll put a few things down.

Being a bit on the frugal side, we tried to do a lot of stuff for ourselves. We bought tons of pastel M&Ms as the went on sale for Easter and stored them to use at the reception. Her mother made The dress and the bridesmaid's dresses were also made by her or the maids themselves. I was up half the night before filling the balloons. The wedding was early afternoon and followed by a cake reception so we didn't have to feed everybody. I have no idea how I got through singing "I Will Be Here" to my bride. Some of the other songs seemed waaaaaayyyy too long as we stood holding hands and whispering to each other as the crowd stared at us.

Here are a coulpe of things I highly recommend. We had the family and our wedding party over the Monday evening after our Saturday wedding for a present opening party. It was much more relaxed than doing it at the reception or right away. Also, we waited a week before we left for the honeymoon. That was a huge bonus. It not only gave us time to settle in. It also made us more rested so we could really enjoy the honeymoon. (Also I didn't have to worry about my all underwear being taken out of my suitcase and exchanged for little boy tidy-whities by my "friends." Scott, you have to admit that was really funny!)

I don't think I'd recognize that we were the same young couple. We traded in our CRX and Grand Am for two minivans. Our quite home has exploded to shelter four kids, a cat and three hampsters. Then of course I look into her eyes and see the same sparkle. I hold her hand and still feel the pitter-patter. We even still say the same things at the exact same time. For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. We're not perfect. But I can't really think of an instance where it hasn't been the "better." And though the bank accont isn't very big, I am rich beyond what money can buy.

D-Day - June 6, 1944

We seem so willing to live for just about anything these days; comfort, money, fun, power, thrills.

But one's real character is put to the test when they show what they are willing to die for.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - Jesus

Bargains, braces, and training wheels

It's kind of random today. I'm just going to hit a few highlights of the last 24 hours.

Bargains - My parenst wanted to borrow my circular saw the other day because theirs broke. Well, mine burned up on me about a year ago. I told them I needd to buy a new one anyway and they could just borrow it. They offered to split the cost with me since there was no sense in both of us buying our own. I anticipated I'd have to spend somewhere around $60. I knew I didn't want to buy another cheap-o, nor did I need a $100+ professional model. After a little price shopping online (Don't you love the internet!) at some of the stores in my area I decided on a nice, practical $59.99 model that was on sale for $49.99. Perfect, right in my price range and in stock at my local retailer. Over lunch I went to unnamed store as searched for my desired saw. Hmmm. It wasn't displayed out with the others so I thought it might be at the end of an isle, being a sale item. Nope, not there either. Then I took a closer look at the shelves where the saws were stocked. Gee, there it was, right model number, included the case and all. But that price sticker on the shelf just didn't seem correct, though the product information matched the item. Oh well, I'll take it to the register and see what it rings up at. "That will be $18.04 please." $16.97 before tax just like the shelf sticker. A perfectly good saw with a case marked down nearly 72% simply because it was not the latest model. So? You think my friends will be looking at my saw and thinking, "Gee, that Dave is a nice guy. But his saw is soooo last year"

Braces - I never had braces. Those of you who have seen my David Letterman-like gap can vouch for that. But yesterday my oldest daughter (14) got her braces off. She has been very good at following all the rules for what to avoid while in braces. She says her mouth feels weird now. And I asked if kissing her boyfriend feels weird now, too. "Dad, I don't have any boyfriend!" Whew! Music to my ears. She's growing up all too fast.

Training wheels - On the other end of the family my youngest has just mastered a "big girl" bike and had me take her training wheels off last evening. She began the challenge by being so afraid of falling that she used to put on knee and elbow pads (Helmets are required for all ages at our house.) before riding. Now she's cruising up and down driveways on our street yelling "Look at me. Daddy!" with every turn. I'm proud of her accomplishment. But at the same time saddened, knowing there are many other "training wheels" I'll see her dispose of as she explores a bigger and bigger world. She's growing up all too fast, too.

Housekeeping in a Cluttered Mind - closet #2

Contented Restlessness

Con-tent: Satisfied with things as they are.
Rest-less: Marked by a lack of quiet, repose, or rest.

Three words, three singular, tiny question words sit atop my "Prayer Request" page in my journal. What? Where? When?

I know that almost all of our lives from adolescence till death are spent trying to figure out answers to these kinds of questions. Where do I fit in? What is my purpose? But of late these three question words seemed a bit more focused than just you more general life-quests.

What does God want me to be doing in my vocation, in His church? Or what does He desire to do with and through and in my life? What does a life of surrender to Him really look like?

Where am I being called to do this unrevealed what? Is it right where I am? (Please don’t say it’s with pre-teens!) Or is it someplace else on the globe?

When? When will I have an answer? When will I know for certain that His voice is the one I’m hearing? When is the right time to do or not do anything?

For about two years I have been quite restless within as I ponder and explore these questions. But recently I decided to expend much less energy on trying to see very far over the horizon and just let His lamp light my path one step at a time. It has brought me to a place of what I call "contented restlessness." By nature I like to plan for a journey making sure I know exactly where I’m going and what turns or route changes need to be made in order to get to my destination.

Did you catch that? I just said "my destination." It’s quite a struggle at times to turn over the wheel and just go along for the ride to His destination for me. Even though I know I can trust His driving, there are times of uneasiness. But I’m learning to just roll down the window on the passenger side and be content to enjoy the scenery and fellowship along the way.

Can polar bears evolve?

Last month sometime the U.S. put the polar bear a "threatened" species via the endangered species act. (Though the evidence of the polar bear's demise is suspect.) Granted, I don't want to see the polar bear go extinct. However it got me to wondering. Many of these folks who are so concerned about our environment and declining populations of some animals also are also the ones who would hold to evolution and the survival of the fittest. What's wrong with this picture? I would think if a species, such as the polar bear, can't adapt it should go extinct according to their world view.

So why protect them? You know the bear wouldn't give a thought to protecting you. Who knows, by protecting the polar bear now we may be causing the future extinction of humans. These bears just might evolve and one day create traps and weapons and things to start hunting us. Or worse, they could bring about global climate change that would turn the earth into a giant snowball. (Hey, if we can warm the globe, why couldn't they cool it?) I've seen "The Far Side" comics by Gary Larsen. Those animals are up to something!

Sure you're laughing at that prospect now. But if you really are so certain that evolution is a fact, it just might happen. After all, weren't we pond scum long ago right along with the bears? Isn't it only by random chance that our branch of the evolutionary tree got smarter first? We humans may one day become the oil that will drive the polar bear's economy!

Or maybe this whole "protection of weaker species" is part of the evolutionist's plot. If we keep the dumber, unadapted animals around there will be no need for them to evolve in order to survive, thus insuring we remain at the top of the evolutionary heap. So in reality they are scared of what the evolution they preach might bring. It must be such a burden believing one is just a little more evolved of an animal than the other creatures.

Here's what I think. It comes from a little book called Psalms,

"For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be."

Housekeeping in a Cluttered Mind - closet #1

Well, first I'll put a few stipulations out here, okay? Then I'll get on with it. This is my first attempt at a blog so I really have no idea what I'm doing. Also, I don't always spell or grammar check so please grant m a little grace in that area. Finally, I am an extremely flawed individual, quite far from perfect. Although I'm old enough to have a good deal of life experience, I'd also like to think I'm wise enough to realize I am not always right and can still be taught a few things. Feel free to share insights or comments on my postings. Obviously agreement and encouragement are alway welcome. But I also invite you to gently blast me full-bore if I'm way off the mark. You sharpen me and I'll sharpen you as we press onward in the journey.

I guess, at least to start off, this blog will be more of an aid in helping me sort out the millions of things that run through my mind. It gets pretty cluttered in there with so much I'd like to take time to ponder. But being a husband, dad, employee, child, active church member... leaves little time for real reflection. Then of course you throw in the culture of constant entertainment where an entire evening can be wasted on worrying about what's going to happen to this fictional TV charachter or that, or who will get booted off "Idol." How easily distracted we are. Make sure you thank God for His patience with us. Who among us would be content, say in our marriages, with the "left-overs" we offer Him?

Gee, I'm already seeing that I'm going to get myself in a lot of troule in this blog. I don't think there's a Fifth Ammendment here to protect me from self incrimination.