Tuesday, March 20, 2012
A Laugh and a Sigh
Sometimes even the littlest things can tickle the funny bone. Yesterday,-strange though it may seem- it was a bible passage. Here it goes:
"In Lystra, a man without strength in his feet, lame from birth, and who had never walked, sat and heard Paul speaking. After observing him closely and seeing that he had faith to be healed, Paul said in a loud voice, 'Stand up straight on your feet!' And he jumped up and started to walk around When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voiced, saying in the Lycaonian language, 'The gods have come down to us in the form of men!' And they started to call Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the main speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was outside the town, brought oxen and garlands to the gates. He, with the crowds, intended to offer sacrifice." Acts 14:8-13
'What's so funny?' you may ask. Well, here were Paul and Barnabas, having just got kicked out of both Antioch and Iconium. They were relying boldly on the Lord, and He was working through them to spread the good news of Jesus Christ in places it had never been before. The Holy Spirit was filling their lives, and signs and wonders were being done because God 'testified to the message of His grace" through the apostles... and then this happens.
It's just so typical. To put what we want in place of what really Is. Paul and Barnabas were just trying to do the work of the Lord, and the people are just messing it all up! Instead of listening to what the apostles were trying to tell them, the crowd started a pagan-party. A lame man was just healed, so should we listen to the men who called for it to happen? ...Naaahhh. Because that would mean giving up what we're comfortable with. That would mean actually having to acknowledge that we may just be in the wrong. That would mean changing.
Seeing that the Lystrians were obviously sadly confused, Paul and Barnabas become distraught, passionately arguing the truth of God against worthless idolatry. But to no avail. "Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them." And then what happened? Paul and Barnabas were kicked out of the city. Again.
As I read this passage, the image of Paul and Barnabas actually having to explain that they were not gods just cracked me up. The silliness of it all! But then my laughter faded, and I slowly began to realize that, really, the Lystrians are no different than we often are today.
How often do we ignore God's will and replace it in our conscience with our own? I don't mean just the big things. What job to apply for, or whether or not to become a full-time minister. I mean things like 'Hey, that kid looks lonely. Should I talk to him? ...Naaahhh. Give up some time to help someone fold the clothes? ...Naaahhh.' The mistake of the crowds of Lystria may seem foolish to us, but the small acts of rebellion are more dangerous than the big ones. If a ship is missing its sail, something obviously needs to be fixed. But a subtle leak? Oh, that'll be fine. Until it sinks the ship.
All who have been washed by the blood of Christ have the Spirit in them. But oh, how easy it is to ignore the gentle proddings. The quiet whispers of the soul. Oh God, speak to us always. Never let us forget. You are God of all. Our whole lives; the big and the little. The good and the bad. Draw us to your side. Never let us go. Hold us, change us, love us.
Let's not be the fools. We may not mistake His work for Zeus or Hermes, but we do tend to see things our way. And that is a dangerous mistake to make.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
And They Call Themselves Reporters...
Definitely the most biased "news" article I have ever read. Yes, reporters from all ends of the spectrum are occasionally guilty of allowing their political beliefs to influence their reporting, but this is just ridiculous.
And I'm not even a huge Romney fan...
A majority of the "flubs" highlighted by the article are not really flubs. Most of them are statements of fact, simply portrayed by the liberal media as mess-ups. Such thinly veiled attacks against Republican character sicken my stomach.
Take, for instance, the Cadillac comment. Why in the world is Romney being scorned for owning American-made cars? As successful as he is, Romney could very well own any foreign-luxury car he desired. Also, the Cadillacs quoted are not super high-end cars. Many "working-class" men and women do not hesitate to purchase nice things they cannot afford, and often those items are just as expensive than a $35,000-$45,000 car. Ever seen anyone driving an RV? What about a sailboat? Or the average small-engine aircraft owner? Right or wrong, lack of funds rarely stops most working-class citizens from getting what they want. They just get into debt up to their eyeballs. So why should a man be villainized for actually affording what he owns?
It was mentioned in the article about corporate profits. If corporations don't make money, how in the world do people expect to get jobs? Are people just going to hand everybody money just for the fun of it? Somebody, somewhere, risked everything in order to start the businesses that drive our economy. If you are jealous, then start your own business. Problem solved.
I am appalled by the main-stream media's demonization of conservative values. We are the ones who believe that everyday citizens have the responsibility and integrity needed to save America. We are the ones who believe in equal opportunity for all. We are the ones who believe that hard work deserves to be rewarded with success. And we are the ones who believe in the true freedom of America, and we will fight against those who would enslave America to hand-outs and strip away the harvest of our hard-earned endeavors.
We are the true heart of America.
Monday, February 20, 2012
A Quick Word...
"Therefore, since we have a Great High Priest who has
gone through the heavens- Jesus, the Son of God- let us hold firmly to the
faith we profess. For we don't have a high priest who can't sympathize with our
weakness, but we have One who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet
without sin. Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so
that we may receive grace and find mercy to help us at the proper time"
Hebrews 4:14-16
Jesus Christ can
and does understand what we go through. God isn't a far-away, pitiless being
who mundanely directs the going-ons of the universe. He directs it with care
and compassion, and loves each of His children intimately. Through the perfect
blood of Christ, we can have a freeing, everlasting relationship with Him who
knows all of us fully. He cared enough to come. And He cares enough to save!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
I suppose it's time for another post.
My Christmas break was gently relaxing, lazy, and a time of rest and peace. However, I did have one very unexpected adventure. It went a little something like this:
At 400 feet and dropping, the flying tin can was handling nicely. It was like a skater on the ice; calm, soothing, with only the slightest atmospheric feather-ruffles to remind us that, yes, we were still functioning in reality, and no, we couldn't stay in the heavens forever. No wonder the beasts of the air are intoxicated with life, dancing lazily above the world of those ever-burdened men.
"71 fox turning final, runway 3-6"
Dad's call rang through my headset with that distant, metallic tone that I only hear while traveling as the birds. As we neared ground-level, the plane jerked and shifted, like a grumpy sleeper tossing in the rays of the morning sun. But for fuel, I would've been content to hit the snooze and drift as the clouds a little longer yet.
"Aaron, you know we're missing our right brake."
My mind processed Dad's comment. He wasn't worried. He was in control. During pre-flight, I wasn't anxious either. Who needs a brake in the air? But traveling at 100 miles per hour in a mass of aluminum skin, steel cables and electrical avionics, I was slammed with the reality that at some point, I would like to get off the ride, please. I prayed we wouldn't make the next day's headlines.
As the plane glided over the runway, a river of gray asphalt rushed violently below my feet. The plane seemed to hover, like a diver hung in the suspense of an ocean. Then, suddenly and smoothly, touchdown. Rolling to a stop, i breathed a sigh of relief. Dad was right. Nothing to worry about. There would be a tomorrow, after all.
But it wasn't over yet.
Skillfully guiding the Cessna-172 down the taxi-way, dad made an interesting discovery. Our trusty eagle stubbornly refused to turn to the right. We were stuck.
"You'll have to get out and swing the tail to the left. Just push down and walk. It's not heavy, son."
Okay, I thought. Nothing to it. Just push down and walk.
As I clambered out of the cramped quarters of the plane, the wind from the prop blasted me in the face. Strangely, I felt a moment of elated idealism; this, I thought, is what it feels like to be free. My hair was blowing about wildly, my breath taken away. The first pioneer aviators were heroes, I thought, heroes whose hearts were contented not with the complacency of land-dwelling but with the lonesome freedom of the air. The same wind that was blowing my spirit into wonder blew theirs into passion. Oh, the joy of the adventurous unknown.
I walked around to the tail, and -one, two, three- pushed with all my might!
It didn't budge.
Now what? I thought. So -one, two, three- PUSH!!!
Nothing doing. That plane wasn't moving.
Panicky, I scampered around to the pilot-side window. Dad's face was concerned but not desperate, like a lion watching his young miss his first kill. Sheepishly embarrassed, I just pointed gave a half-hearted shrug. There was nothing else I could do.
With a sputter and a cough, our grounded eagle lost the spark of life. Dad clambered out of the pilot's seat, jogged around to the rear, and in one deft motion spun the whole plane around. It took him 20 seconds what I had tried to accomplish in twice that time. Now I was just plain humiliated.
Climbing back into our seats, I gave dad a sideways glance of clumsy shame. I had no idea what he would say.
But I had no need to worry. He just looked me in the eye, grinned, and said, "That is what happens when you only way 130 pounds. Get some meat on ya, boy."
And that is the end of my Christmas-break moment of excitement. We parked the plane without further incident, and learned that perhaps a missing break is a show-stopper, after all.
The air is still my soul-calming palace of endless dreams.
My Christmas break was gently relaxing, lazy, and a time of rest and peace. However, I did have one very unexpected adventure. It went a little something like this:
At 400 feet and dropping, the flying tin can was handling nicely. It was like a skater on the ice; calm, soothing, with only the slightest atmospheric feather-ruffles to remind us that, yes, we were still functioning in reality, and no, we couldn't stay in the heavens forever. No wonder the beasts of the air are intoxicated with life, dancing lazily above the world of those ever-burdened men.
"71 fox turning final, runway 3-6"
Dad's call rang through my headset with that distant, metallic tone that I only hear while traveling as the birds. As we neared ground-level, the plane jerked and shifted, like a grumpy sleeper tossing in the rays of the morning sun. But for fuel, I would've been content to hit the snooze and drift as the clouds a little longer yet.
"Aaron, you know we're missing our right brake."
My mind processed Dad's comment. He wasn't worried. He was in control. During pre-flight, I wasn't anxious either. Who needs a brake in the air? But traveling at 100 miles per hour in a mass of aluminum skin, steel cables and electrical avionics, I was slammed with the reality that at some point, I would like to get off the ride, please. I prayed we wouldn't make the next day's headlines.
As the plane glided over the runway, a river of gray asphalt rushed violently below my feet. The plane seemed to hover, like a diver hung in the suspense of an ocean. Then, suddenly and smoothly, touchdown. Rolling to a stop, i breathed a sigh of relief. Dad was right. Nothing to worry about. There would be a tomorrow, after all.
But it wasn't over yet.
Skillfully guiding the Cessna-172 down the taxi-way, dad made an interesting discovery. Our trusty eagle stubbornly refused to turn to the right. We were stuck.
"You'll have to get out and swing the tail to the left. Just push down and walk. It's not heavy, son."
Okay, I thought. Nothing to it. Just push down and walk.
As I clambered out of the cramped quarters of the plane, the wind from the prop blasted me in the face. Strangely, I felt a moment of elated idealism; this, I thought, is what it feels like to be free. My hair was blowing about wildly, my breath taken away. The first pioneer aviators were heroes, I thought, heroes whose hearts were contented not with the complacency of land-dwelling but with the lonesome freedom of the air. The same wind that was blowing my spirit into wonder blew theirs into passion. Oh, the joy of the adventurous unknown.
I walked around to the tail, and -one, two, three- pushed with all my might!
It didn't budge.
Now what? I thought. So -one, two, three- PUSH!!!
Nothing doing. That plane wasn't moving.
Panicky, I scampered around to the pilot-side window. Dad's face was concerned but not desperate, like a lion watching his young miss his first kill. Sheepishly embarrassed, I just pointed gave a half-hearted shrug. There was nothing else I could do.
With a sputter and a cough, our grounded eagle lost the spark of life. Dad clambered out of the pilot's seat, jogged around to the rear, and in one deft motion spun the whole plane around. It took him 20 seconds what I had tried to accomplish in twice that time. Now I was just plain humiliated.
Climbing back into our seats, I gave dad a sideways glance of clumsy shame. I had no idea what he would say.
But I had no need to worry. He just looked me in the eye, grinned, and said, "That is what happens when you only way 130 pounds. Get some meat on ya, boy."
And that is the end of my Christmas-break moment of excitement. We parked the plane without further incident, and learned that perhaps a missing break is a show-stopper, after all.
The air is still my soul-calming palace of endless dreams.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
A Sonnet of the Soul
Today I saw a girl adorned in green.
Her face was like an angel from above;
Her eyes were pure like I have only seen
Displayed upon the snow white of a dove
Although the nymphs may live eternally,
And taste not death nor hardship of this life,
Her life is more than theirs could ever be;
It's day by day that true love comes alive.
And in my arms I hope she finds her rest;
Always they long for her to be their guest
Language is one of God's most amazing miracles. It allows for the expression of so many different emotions, feelings, ideas, and purposes that it truly blows my mind. So today, when I saw my girlfriend walking down the aisle as a bridesmaid (In a beautiful green dress), I thought I might try my hand at a sonnet. If any true poets run across this, don't laugh to much. (And yes, I know, it only has 10 lines. I will add the another quatrain eventually.)
Poetry especially blows my mind because of its complex simplicity. No other form of communication can be so eloquent or relaxing as spoken poetry, for no other form is so basically human. Without any accompaniment (no music, no body language, no dramatic staging), poetry shows exactly how creative, how amazing the human mind can be. Our Creator certainly knew what He was doing when He breathed us into life.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Love in the Dark
We can drown in the dark, or we can gasp for the light.
Sometimes in my daily walk with Christ, I find it difficult to stay focused on the goal. It seems that darkness surrounds and engulfs me, that I am alone in the sea of eternity. And yet always, just when I am on the verge of giving up, God somehow takes my hand and lifts me up. Whether it is through prayer, a kind comment, the love of my friends and family, or some other casual, commonplace event, I am ever reminded that my Savior is with me everyday. It is so encouraging to know that the Holy Spirit guides us through not only the important, once in a lifetime decisions, but in our everyday decisions as well. I've discovered that my daily life is where I stand or fall. It's not just deciding where to go to college, or what my major is going to be. It's what to say to my friend who's hurting, or the kid in the hallway who can't-or won't- stand up for himself. It's in those moments that I need to surrender to God and let him lead the way. I have faith that He will, and He always comes through. If I cry out to God in the little circumstances, I can better understand what He's telling me when to do during the important circumstances. Life is like a railroad. It isn't always sunshine and daises, majestic mountains and eternal plains. Sometimes we hit a tunnel, and the light at the end seems so far away. But, in the words of Corrie Ten Boom, "When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer."
If anybody stumbles across this blog on the web, do you know Christ? I beg you, cry out to Him. He is the answer to all true prayer, the Great Deliverer and Forgiver. He may not be who you think He is, but He is so much more. Being a Christian is not just following a set of rules, a list of do's or don'ts. It is knowing God in His fullness, it is delighting in Him, listening to Him, following Him. When you fall down He picks you up, when you hurt He comforts you, treats your wounds. I understand if you're skeptical. So was I. But He is big enough to answer your questions, powerful enough to teach you the way of life. If you want to know more, just ask me. I may not know much, but what I do know I give to you.
"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16. He loves you. Cry to Him, and He will answer.
Sometimes in my daily walk with Christ, I find it difficult to stay focused on the goal. It seems that darkness surrounds and engulfs me, that I am alone in the sea of eternity. And yet always, just when I am on the verge of giving up, God somehow takes my hand and lifts me up. Whether it is through prayer, a kind comment, the love of my friends and family, or some other casual, commonplace event, I am ever reminded that my Savior is with me everyday. It is so encouraging to know that the Holy Spirit guides us through not only the important, once in a lifetime decisions, but in our everyday decisions as well. I've discovered that my daily life is where I stand or fall. It's not just deciding where to go to college, or what my major is going to be. It's what to say to my friend who's hurting, or the kid in the hallway who can't-or won't- stand up for himself. It's in those moments that I need to surrender to God and let him lead the way. I have faith that He will, and He always comes through. If I cry out to God in the little circumstances, I can better understand what He's telling me when to do during the important circumstances. Life is like a railroad. It isn't always sunshine and daises, majestic mountains and eternal plains. Sometimes we hit a tunnel, and the light at the end seems so far away. But, in the words of Corrie Ten Boom, "When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer."
If anybody stumbles across this blog on the web, do you know Christ? I beg you, cry out to Him. He is the answer to all true prayer, the Great Deliverer and Forgiver. He may not be who you think He is, but He is so much more. Being a Christian is not just following a set of rules, a list of do's or don'ts. It is knowing God in His fullness, it is delighting in Him, listening to Him, following Him. When you fall down He picks you up, when you hurt He comforts you, treats your wounds. I understand if you're skeptical. So was I. But He is big enough to answer your questions, powerful enough to teach you the way of life. If you want to know more, just ask me. I may not know much, but what I do know I give to you.
"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16. He loves you. Cry to Him, and He will answer.
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