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.