Monday, August 26, 2013
On the subject of Polls...
Out of courtesy, I am compelled to tell you to please vote on our monthly poll. This month's poll about going to church might be awkward, but it's designed to make you think. Please note that God still loves you whether or not you go to church, though I think He does prefer it. Remember, the poll answers are completely anonymous, so you're privacy is safe. Even I don't know who votes on these polls. You're secrets, if any, are safe. So please, take a minute to vote for your answer. The number of answers also tell me in part how popular this blog is, so please take a minute to vote. Thanks so much for you're time, and I hope this blog brings you joy and enlightenment!
A Close Call
Wow! That was close!
We had almost hit the lady walking behind us as we pulled out of the parking lot of Walmart. She
looked like she was in her 70's, signature white, curly, bobbed hair and a cranky expression. She had
walked out right in front of our car as we backed out of the space, if she hadn't been faster we would
have hit her accidentally as she was in our blind spot when she strode up. Walking in front of a 2 ton
steel object moving at a high velocity is never a great idea, but in California where I live it happens
all the time. I turned to my mom and asked her; "What makes people think they can do that? I mean I get the older teens that think they're pretty darn well invincible so they will walk in front of a collapsing building with a smug expression on their faces (Not many teens would do that, speaking as a teen myself, but some would) But I thought older folks from that Greatest Generation, as we call it in America, who had been raised in different times and standards, surely they would be smarter than that?"
My mom pointed out with her unconventional wisdom what many people fail to see.
People are just very self absorbed, she told me. Why? Well, because we practically live in a surreal world now. Video games make us the most epic, amazing God-like super hero with the most amazing tools and gripping action sequences.
Tell me, who has played Halo and done a firefight on legendary with 200x velocity over-shields and rocket launchers, or build an enormous skyscraper on Minecraft, or beat that last level of Batman or Call of Duty or Mario Kart or Kirby and not felt like they were invisible, all powerful, super amazing champions? But one problem. You turn it off...and you are just you. But some people don't like just you. So it carries. They want to act or be like somebody they think is special. Why do girls like bands like One Direction? Why do guys watch Lord of the Rings with such passion? Why do people kiss the ground that stars walk on, worshiping actors, teams, and personals of the silver screen with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns?
Well, mom didn't tell me why, but God did.
In a quiet corner of my room, I asked God, "Why do people idolize these guys so much? Why is the world so intent on elevating these mayors and gamers and autotuned popstars and then watching them fall, one by one, until they all get replaced by new, fresh ones?" And God said; (And I'm paraphrasing right now), "Well, you see, son, being adopted I know it may be hard for you to understand, but when I made you and your kin I put in them a special desire for me. So when human beings pull away from me, they end up with the need to fill that hole. So they fill it with junk, junk that is not of me. Or they fill it with things that are of me but are so distorted, or they are so focused on those things, such as praying or going to church every Sunday, that they lose focus of what's important, like family, friends, faith. ME. They all ultimately lose focus on ME."
And that made a lot of sense.
Now, we all lose focus on him sometimes, and we all need to pull back and say, "Whoa, hold on! This isn't right, is it?!?" Once in a while, (For me, once in an hour or so), But as long as we get back to that starting point, it's okay. We're forgiven. Does that mean we can just blow God off for a couple months and then run back expecting to be forgiven after we've made mistake after mistake and had our fun? OF COURSE NOT!!! Don't get me wrong, God will still fogive you, you just may not ever forgive yourself. Or worse, the people youv'e hurt won't forgive you. And that's not good at all.
In closing, just don't lose focus. Keep your eyes set on things above, not on earthly things! He will make you soar on wings like eagles. Just trust in Him, and don't turn into that lady we almost flattened in the parking lot. Most of all, be aware! Just because we are not of the world doesn't mean we don't need to be aware of what is going on around us. WE ARE in the world after all.
Just not of the world.
We had almost hit the lady walking behind us as we pulled out of the parking lot of Walmart. She
looked like she was in her 70's, signature white, curly, bobbed hair and a cranky expression. She had
walked out right in front of our car as we backed out of the space, if she hadn't been faster we would
have hit her accidentally as she was in our blind spot when she strode up. Walking in front of a 2 ton
steel object moving at a high velocity is never a great idea, but in California where I live it happens
all the time. I turned to my mom and asked her; "What makes people think they can do that? I mean I get the older teens that think they're pretty darn well invincible so they will walk in front of a collapsing building with a smug expression on their faces (Not many teens would do that, speaking as a teen myself, but some would) But I thought older folks from that Greatest Generation, as we call it in America, who had been raised in different times and standards, surely they would be smarter than that?"
My mom pointed out with her unconventional wisdom what many people fail to see.
People are just very self absorbed, she told me. Why? Well, because we practically live in a surreal world now. Video games make us the most epic, amazing God-like super hero with the most amazing tools and gripping action sequences.
Tell me, who has played Halo and done a firefight on legendary with 200x velocity over-shields and rocket launchers, or build an enormous skyscraper on Minecraft, or beat that last level of Batman or Call of Duty or Mario Kart or Kirby and not felt like they were invisible, all powerful, super amazing champions? But one problem. You turn it off...and you are just you. But some people don't like just you. So it carries. They want to act or be like somebody they think is special. Why do girls like bands like One Direction? Why do guys watch Lord of the Rings with such passion? Why do people kiss the ground that stars walk on, worshiping actors, teams, and personals of the silver screen with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns?
Well, mom didn't tell me why, but God did.
In a quiet corner of my room, I asked God, "Why do people idolize these guys so much? Why is the world so intent on elevating these mayors and gamers and autotuned popstars and then watching them fall, one by one, until they all get replaced by new, fresh ones?" And God said; (And I'm paraphrasing right now), "Well, you see, son, being adopted I know it may be hard for you to understand, but when I made you and your kin I put in them a special desire for me. So when human beings pull away from me, they end up with the need to fill that hole. So they fill it with junk, junk that is not of me. Or they fill it with things that are of me but are so distorted, or they are so focused on those things, such as praying or going to church every Sunday, that they lose focus of what's important, like family, friends, faith. ME. They all ultimately lose focus on ME."
And that made a lot of sense.
Now, we all lose focus on him sometimes, and we all need to pull back and say, "Whoa, hold on! This isn't right, is it?!?" Once in a while, (For me, once in an hour or so), But as long as we get back to that starting point, it's okay. We're forgiven. Does that mean we can just blow God off for a couple months and then run back expecting to be forgiven after we've made mistake after mistake and had our fun? OF COURSE NOT!!! Don't get me wrong, God will still fogive you, you just may not ever forgive yourself. Or worse, the people youv'e hurt won't forgive you. And that's not good at all.
In closing, just don't lose focus. Keep your eyes set on things above, not on earthly things! He will make you soar on wings like eagles. Just trust in Him, and don't turn into that lady we almost flattened in the parking lot. Most of all, be aware! Just because we are not of the world doesn't mean we don't need to be aware of what is going on around us. WE ARE in the world after all.
Just not of the world.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
A trip to the Groomer's
THIS past week, my dog, Snuggles, got a haircut. It's summertime here in the U.S. and the weather on the west coast, where I live, is HOT. Humid too. And my dog looked like this:
Not good for a dog in the summer. Plus, he had knots and burrs and stuff in his fur. Very active usually equates to very messy in the world of dogs, and what do you know, our dog is VERY hyperactive. So we took him to the groomers to give him a shave.
Isn't he cute? Anyway, now he is bathed, clean, and very happy.
So, you ask, why would I care about your dog? I mean he's cute and all, but what does THAT have to do with my christian walk?
Boy, are you in for an interesting set of analogies!
So let's say for a second that you, the Christian, is Snuggles, and Snuggles is you. So what happens?
You've grown, so has your coat. It seems like every time you get your paws wet, step in something you shouldn't your coat gets more and more matted! That's no fun. What's more, heat is here, and all this clumped-together baggage is making you very uncomfortable. You feel like a giant fluffy greaseball. Not fun. Time to go to the groomer (i.e. God). God takes you in, and you, being Snuggles, is kinda scared. What is He gonna find in there?
So after a thorough brushing, God gets into the nitty-gritty of your sins. As He digs deeper and deeper, you find that you feel lighter and lighter, freer and freer, and the baggage is gone! You feel alive, wonderful. And when you go home, you feel like a whole new dog (i.e. a whole new you.) You know that the fur will grow back, but for now, God has redeemed you and you are His once again.
What's this? A cut on your ear? Did God, the groomer, misfire? Well, yes and no. Sometimes it just takes a little clip, some pain and blood and tears, to get down to whats underneath and make you new again.
So I guess what I am trying to say is, you know, God loves you, and you love Him, but sometimes we do make mistakes, and sometimes I think we all need to visit the groomer more often. But even though it can be embarrassing or scary, God will make you all new again-every time.
Not good for a dog in the summer. Plus, he had knots and burrs and stuff in his fur. Very active usually equates to very messy in the world of dogs, and what do you know, our dog is VERY hyperactive. So we took him to the groomers to give him a shave.
So, you ask, why would I care about your dog? I mean he's cute and all, but what does THAT have to do with my christian walk?
Boy, are you in for an interesting set of analogies!
So let's say for a second that you, the Christian, is Snuggles, and Snuggles is you. So what happens?
You've grown, so has your coat. It seems like every time you get your paws wet, step in something you shouldn't your coat gets more and more matted! That's no fun. What's more, heat is here, and all this clumped-together baggage is making you very uncomfortable. You feel like a giant fluffy greaseball. Not fun. Time to go to the groomer (i.e. God). God takes you in, and you, being Snuggles, is kinda scared. What is He gonna find in there?
So after a thorough brushing, God gets into the nitty-gritty of your sins. As He digs deeper and deeper, you find that you feel lighter and lighter, freer and freer, and the baggage is gone! You feel alive, wonderful. And when you go home, you feel like a whole new dog (i.e. a whole new you.) You know that the fur will grow back, but for now, God has redeemed you and you are His once again.
What's this? A cut on your ear? Did God, the groomer, misfire? Well, yes and no. Sometimes it just takes a little clip, some pain and blood and tears, to get down to whats underneath and make you new again.
So I guess what I am trying to say is, you know, God loves you, and you love Him, but sometimes we do make mistakes, and sometimes I think we all need to visit the groomer more often. But even though it can be embarrassing or scary, God will make you all new again-every time.
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