Endure or Regret

All clear!

2008-12-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

The following is from an update I emailed to a large group of friends and supporters (whose addresses I inadvertantly made availabe to all recipients, but let's just blame that on cancer while I still can).

The scan came back clear! The doctor and radiologist confirmed that there was no evidence of thyroid cancer. I don't need a follow up treatment of highly radioactive iodine. I don't need any surgeries. Everything is as clean as can be.

What now? Now I give my body time to reach normal thyroid levels. This takes quite a bit of time and can be difficult to dose. They say you can start feeling better in a couple weeks, but everyone is different. My current level is far below what was necessary for my scan, so I have that much extra to make up for. Last time it took me at least 2 months before I was feeling anywhere near normal. Even then the effects of being hypothyroid went beyond simple numbers on a chart. How do you measure daily activity rates, comprehension, personal discipline, dependability, etc. - all things that suffer when you're near shut down? Thankfully, Deb's covered for me well, so most people are unaware of my current uselessness. "Oh, you're not . . . " Yes, I am.

If you want to pray specifically, pray that I'll be patient and kind as I return to strength. For whatever reason, I'm prone to irritability and not really tolerant of the ridiculousness of holiday shoppers and the like. My sarcasm filter is currently set to "off." In the midst of it all I'm learning a lesson that I've expected of others; namely, circumstances are not waivers from responsibility. Difficult pressures do not excuse me from spirit-controlled living nor do they entitle me to special treatment from others. "Having said that," pray that my life will be one of patient graciousness and authentic kindness.

I expect this to be the last of my messages to you all on this topic (Feel free to forward or reply). I can not thank you enough for your prayer support. God is faithful in all things and just in all His ways. He never chooses between His glory and my good since the two are inseparably linked. It was for His glory and my good that thyroid cancer came into my life. It was for His glory and my family's good as well. - Psalm 119:75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

Release notes on "My First Love"

2008-12-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

The accelerated transitions of modern society have not negated Northland’s “life-touching-life” ministry. We desire to touch your life with the eternally settled Word of God through inspirational messages in song.

My First Love
“For my name’s sake hast [thou] labored . . . Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee . . . Thou hast left thy first love.” Revelation 2:3–4.
We welcome you to Northland Recordings with the complimentary release of “My First Love,” an outstanding original composition by Northland student Joanna Hall. This song was developed and recorded by Northland students, faculty, and staff. Download your copy today for free - http://www.northlandstore.org/mp3-my-first-love.html

Health update

2008-12-05T11:42:00.001-08:00

The following is from an email update I sent many who have prayed for me or know me.

I figured I'd better write this while I still have some sense of cogency - quickly waning.

Over the past 9 mo or so I realized how much thyroid deprivation had cost me while I was down. Have you ever wondered if non-thinking people know it - that they're not really that good at thinking? Having experienced playing times on both teams I can tell you that I was very unaware of my own absurdity. Which team am I on now? I think I'm sitting at the table ready to go into the game. Maybe I'm on the bench? Either way, I'm thinking well enough to assess that my thinking and problem solving skills are compromised (i.e. 15 minutes to install 3 AA batteries in my daughter's birthday present). I began my current decline November 1 and will continue in preparation for my scan mid-December.

This time I know NOT to tell you that all is fine and OK. I'm costing Deb a lot as I become less capable and less dependable. "Can't" and "Forgot" are becoming more frequent with me. Deb complements with "have too" and "just in case." I was unaware of how much I left her hanging during my simple, blissful ignorance last year. I don't want to short circuit the good intentions of others toward my family this time.

Calendar
December 8 - blood work. This is worthy of prayer since I've had at least two occasions where the lab and the doc had communication problems resulting in delays and guesstimations.
December 12 - drive to GB to take a pill. I'm not complaining about this one anymore. I want them to get it right. I recognize negative correlations between the number of middle men and my personal confidence in the process.
December 15 - Full body scan to confirm that no cancer remains.
December 17 - If cancer remains I'll get another big blast of radioactive iodine to ablate remaining cells.
December 23 - Follow-up scan if December 15 identifies remaining cancer.

Currently - freezing cold, slow moving, slow thinking, low iodine diet, constantly fatigued (No, not like you. It's different.).

No doubt in God's grace. We all have our uncertainties with current circumstances, but how much is eternally significant or relevant? Our circumstances are our boundaries and materials for a creative life of worship.

To my new students and friends, last year was a year of challenges, transitions, and adjustments. God leads more by directions than by destinations (How many of you will drive toward and even through Chicago in a little over a week with no intention of spending significant time there?). That to say, don't believe that God's current directing in your life indicates a poor direction in your past. He just doesn't lead "as the bird flies." I'm excited about a future of watching you grow and learn the same lesson in God's way and timing.

I thank you all for your prayer, support, and understanding.

Come, Ye Sinners

2008-08-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.

- another stanza of a song illustrating "Not by works." Your conscience reminds you of your innate guilt and worthlessness before a holy God. Your dream of being considered "worthy" will never become reality. Our standards in this matter focus on ourselves. His standard focuses on Christ's infinite supply.

From an earlier stanza -

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

Getting to know you

2008-08-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have read this already through another venue of technological marvel, but I thought I’d post it just the same.

What is it that you have to offer that is most valuable? I don’t mean to ask you what you are able to transport or reflect or channel. I’m asking what is sourced in you that is of greatest value? You may conflict with this answer in avoidance of pride, but I believe the answer is “you.” The most supremely valuable thing you have to offer is yourself. John 15:13 says that the greatest display of love is the sacrificing of self. God Himself demonstrated that in dying for me. He gave Himself. What He wants from me is simple. He wants me. He values me. That’s not the main point I want to make here. If it were I would need to address depravity, but I believe my audience is intelligent enough to get the idea I’m presenting in order to have a launching point for THE main point.

Our perception of ourselves is most likely skewed, but even the purest of hearts must see that God has instilled value in His image-bearing creation. Although He is no respecter of persons, He has made us all individuals. We recognize our individuality. Still not the main point, but building there.

Here it comes. Main point. In recognition of our individual, unique, God-granted value, it takes most of us a great deal of time to risk the exposure of ourselves to others. We test the waters, build bridges, converse about a thousand trivial things – any number of means to lessen the risk of being found worthless, misperceived, confusing, undesirable, etc. It’s not wanting to be liked as much as wanting to be understood. Sometimes love motivates us too since we all want to be known by those we love. God displays this beautifully in His revelation of Himself through His Word and His creation.

I’ve had the privilege of knowing a lot of people who are going through the stages of growing into themselves. Sometimes knowing starts with video games, or talking extendedly about trivial things, or just doing stuff with someone. From my personal perspective I’ve noticed that everyone has his own way of saying, “This guy is aware of me, he’s listening beyond my words, he’s not going to jump to conclusions, he’s earned my trust by the way he’s handled the other stuff I’ve told him. I’m comfortable sharing more, but not just so I can talk about myself. I could really use some help since making sense of my life is like putting together a puzzle in a tornado. I believe this guy can help me and is able to do so.” (If you feel like I betrayed your trust by what I just said, know that I could say those words about many others. You’re still unique, but you’re still human.)

You’d think this would be a natural thing between some people, but it is not. Parents to kids, spouse to spouse, discipling partners, long term friends, etc. Just because openness occurs once doesn’t mean it’s going to be there again without reestablishing the relationship or testing the compatibility. It takes patience. The process can’t be rushed without raising defenses, losing ground, or stirring up frustration. One hint of anger, attack, or insincerity can initiate shutdown and limit the involvement to surface or cerebral matters.

Are you aware of what you do to establish connection with someone before sharing what’s really important to you or about you? Consider sharing your connection-builder with someone who loves you already, especially if they have trouble understanding you. You will extend a bridge that will make those that love you more available to you and understanding of you. In time you may be able to share the beauty of your uniqueness that God custom-crafted when He made you. Try it!

What do you do before you reveal “you”?

Psalm 139:13-18

Hope - "Peace on Credit"

2008-08-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

Two cultures are juxtaposed against one another in 1 Peter, the culture of the Christian and the culture of the world. When the world is judged by Christ it will be found empty (i.e. “shame”), and guilty. When the Christian is evaluated by this worlds values and beliefs he will be found nuts at best or more likely guilty. So when someone asks a Christian, “What in the world are you doing? Why are you doing things that are going to bring you pain?” the Christian needs to be prepared to testify of the hope within.

What is this hope? Hope is best understood as peace on credit. Peace is a matter or resolution or of something being “resolved.” We live in conflict as long as we are sojourners living in a godless culture. Despite the present conflict, we are still able to live in peace because of the hope we have in future resolution.

What muddies the water is the inner conflict that exists as long as we have a sin nature. This internalizes the war. God brings along others to act as helpers rather than persecutors as we strive to defeat the flesh on a daily basis.

Internal or external, the pain and distress still assault our spirits and can lead us to discouragement and low morale. We have the choice again of enduring or regretting, running the hill or walking it, enduring or quitting. Run with patience. Run with hope. It WILL be resolved in God’s time.

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” Lance Armstrong

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5-8

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:18, 25

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God . . . Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls . . . By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me . . . Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. From Psalm 42

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 2 Corinthians 1:10b

Grand Piano for Fine Arts Building

2008-07-24T06:48:00.001-07:00

Praise the Lord for His provision of a Grand Piano for Northland's Fine Arts Rehearsal Hall. It's a 5’10” Kawai KG-2E (for those of you to whom that means anything). It is a fitting token of appreciation for the dedicated service of Dr. Ensminger who for many years has invested his life in students who have spread across the globe bearing precious seed and nurturing Christian growth.

Courageous Femininity

2008-07-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

The attached article site is well worth viewing. Personally, I'm thankful for a strong wife who stands courageously but maintains her femininity.
http://sharperiron.org/2008/07/21/
courageous-femininity-in-an-emasculated-culture-part-1/

"In light of this, how should we pray for our daughters? Let us pray that they will be …
Graceful and useful,
Beautiful and strong,
Polished and perfectly placed."
http://www.calvarymemorial.com/pastors/sermons/pdf/093001rp.pdf

Patience vs. Tolerance

2008-07-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

One day these two words popped into my head with a looming question mark hanging above them. Synonymous? What's the difference?

I believe the overriding difference is one of deadline. Patience sees, knows, or at least hopes for an end to discrepancy. Tolerance resigns to just be OK with it. "Let patience have her perfect work" because she will produce something.

"Tolerance" is only found in a couple translations addressing 2 Cor. 11:21. Other than that reference, I can't find evidence that God is OK to let discrepancy exist indefinitely or that He intends for us to do so either.

Great books!

2008-06-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

NBBC Library was unloading books, and I was able to pick up the following by Andrew Murray

The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer
The Power of the Blood of Jesus
The School of Obedience
The True Vine
Waiting on God

The sixth book may help me get all the reading accomplished without sacrificing other priorities - Balancing Life's Demands by J. Grant Howard.

More Grace

2008-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

"Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess, but not more than is found in Thee, the divine treasury in whom all fullness dwells."

Thanks, Sush

Summer challenges

2008-06-03T06:54:00.001-07:00

I extended the challenge to a number of students (and some now graduates) to set some goals for the summer. "Goals are dreams on a timeline." The challenge was to write no more than three specific goals in each of the following three categories - Mental, Physical, and Relational. These disciplines and developments have spiritual impacts and may reveal some spiritual roots that need to be exposed.

I offered to follow up with those who wanted me to not to impose guilt but to cheer on. I know a number of people check my blog, not really sure who, but you do. If you are interested in participating let me know. Perhaps we could "provoke one another."

T's

2008-05-04T16:31:00.001-07:00

I took a little time by the river today to think. I picked up a couple ticks. Someone had left good tackle there. After my thoughts came together (sometime later this evening, yes, I'm a slow thinker) what was going through my head started to shake down into clarity.

It was on this date last year that we were blessed with the reminder that God cares for His own and promises to reward in His time. Within days we learned of my father-in-law's cancer. The year that followed presented faith-stressing challenges and unexpected blessings heretofore unexperienced by my immediate family. Many life-ties have loosened, but I believe we are stronger and our commitments now deeper due to our growth through the year. Can we really know God without experiencing Him? Tests that bring us to the end of ourselves and burn away the temporal and insignificant are precious, tailored gifts from a loving God who is unresting and unhasting, unwanting and unwasting.

Surrender: Releasing Our Grip

2008-04-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

The following comes from So You Want to Be Like Christ, a book recommended to me by a friend and prayer partner. He and I were able to discuss it recently.

"It's a problem too great for you to solve, a responsibility too heavy for you to shoulder, or perhaps even a blessing that has come to dominate your every waking thought. Rather than have it ripped from your weary, cramped fingers, choose to release it into God's care. You're not simply letting it drop; that's giving in to defeat. You're releasing it to One greater than yourself and trusting - believing - that He is both able and willing to care for it better than you."

Similarly from Tozer - "Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival."

Thank You, Lord, for current challenges and clarity of conscience.

Hoosier Culture

2008-04-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

Although shortened it's still a bit lengthy, but this is very near to my own roots. Makes me laugh whenever it is forwarded to me. Now I can review at any time since I know where it's "at."

GUIDELINES FOR UNDERSTANDING 'THE HOOSIER CULTURE'

Know the State casserole.
The state casserole consists of canned green beans, Campbell's cream of mushroom soup and dried onions. You can safely take this casserole to any social event and know that you will be accepted.

Get used to food festivals.
The Indiana General Assembly, in an effort to grow bigger athletes, passed legislation years ago requiring every incorporated community to have at least one festival per year dedicated to a high-fat food. It is your duty as a Hoosier to attend these festivals and at least buy at least one elephant ear.

Know the geography.
Of Florida, that is. There are Hoosiers who couldn't tell you where Evansville is but they know the exact distance from Fort Myers to Bonita Springs. That's because all Hoosiers go to Florida in the winter. Or plan to when they retire. Or are related to retired Hoosiers who have a place in Sarasota. Hoosiers consider Florida to be the Lower Peninsula of Indiana. If you can't afford to spend the winter in Florida, use the state excuse, which is that you stay here because you enjoy the change of season. You'll be lying, but that's OK. We've all done it.

Don't take Indiana place names literally.
If a town has the same name as a foreign city --- Valparaiso and Versailles, for example --- you must not pronounce them the way the foreigners do lest you come under suspicion as a spy. Also, East Enterprise has no counterpart on the west side of the state. South Bend is in the north. North Putnam is in the south.

Become mulch literate.
Hoosiers love mulch and appreciate its subtle differences. Learn the difference between hardwood, cypress and pine bark at a minimum. Researchers think the state affinity for mulch derives from its relatively flat terrain. People have a subconscious need for topography, and when it can't be supplied naturally, they are more likely to make little mulch hillocks in their front yards.

The best way to sell something in Indiana is to attach the term 'Amish' to it.
The product need not be genuinely Amish. This would explain the existence of Amish moo shu pork.

Remember that Hoosiers are never the first to embrace trends.
When they do embrace them, they do so with a Midwestern pragmatism. For example, if you see a Hoosier with a nose ring, there's a good chance he's had it undercoated to guard against rust.

You gotta know sports.
In order to talk sports with obsessive fans in Indiana, you have to be nowledgeable on the three levels -- professional, college and high school. The truly expert Indiana sports fan knows not only the name of the hotshot center at Abercrombie and Fitch High School, but also what colleges he's interested in, how much he bench-presses, who he took to the prom, and what he got on his biology quiz last week.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM INDIANA WHEN...

* You think the state Bird is Larry.
* There's actually a college near you named 'Ball State.'
* You know Batesville is the casket-making capital of the world and you're proud of
it.
* You could never figure out spring forward-fall back, so let's just ignore Daylight
Savings Time!
* Your feelings get hurt whenever someone points out the acronym for Purdue
University is PU.
* You know several people who have hit a deer.
* Down south to you means Kentucky.
* You have no problem spelling or pronouncing Terre Haute.
* Your school classes were canceled because of cold.
* Your school classes were canceled because of heat.
* You know what the phrase 'knee-high by the Fourth of July' means.
* You've seen a running car, with nobody in it, in the parking lot of the grocery store,
no matter what time of year it was.
* Detassling was your first job. Bailing hay, your second. Or you could stack hay,
swim in the pond to clean and then have the strength to play a couple of games of
hoops, all in the same barn lot on the same day.
* You say things like catty-wampus and catty corner and know what they mean.
* You install security lights on your house and garage, and then leave them both
unlocked.
* You carry jumper cables in your car regularly.
* You drink pop. You catch frogs at the crick. If you want someone to hear you, you
holler at 'em.
* You know that baling wire was the predecessor to duct tape.
* You know that strangers are the only ones who come to your front door.
* Kids and dogs ride in the passenger seats of cars and the backs of pickups.
* You think nothing of driving on the roads and being stuck behind a farm implement
in spring and fall. You just hope it's not a hog truck or a manure spreader.
* High school basketball games draw bigger crowds on the weekend than movie
theaters, IF you have a movie theater.
* Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
* The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page but
requires six for local sports.
* You can repeat the scores of the last eight NBA games, but unless the MVP is a
Hoosier, you are not sure who he is.
* You can see at least two basketball hoops from your yard.
* You can name every one of Bobby Knight's exploits over his last few years in
Indiana.
* The biggest question of your youth was IU or Purdue?
* Indianapolis is the BIG CITY.
* Getting stuck by a train is a legitimate excuse for being late to school or work.
* Everyone knows who the town cops are, where they live, and whether they're at
home or on duty.
* You've been to the Covered Bridge Festival. And you took back roads to get
there. Why sit in traffic?
* To you, tenderloin is not an expensive cut of beef, but a big, salty, breaded, & fried
piece of pork served on a bun with pickle.
* You end your sentences with prepositions, as in 'Where's it at?' or 'Where's he
going to?'
* You've heard of Euchre, you know how to play Euchre, and you are a master of
Euchre.
* If you are a Hoosier or have Hoosier roots you will have read this and found
everything to be perfectly normal. In fact, isn't that the way it is everywhere?

Sidekick

2008-03-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Bought the Suzuki Sidekick today from a man in Kingsford, MI. Check the odometer in the picture (click on it to enlarge it). It sounds like I'll get to use the 4WD early this coming week with a forecast of snow and ice.

A man called today about the Jeep. Between him and another girl that's inquired I believe the Jeep will sell sometime in the next week or two. I love my Jeep Gr Cher Ltd, but high miles and the possibility of gas climbing to $4/gal this summer make it an unwise choice for me to continue driving just to get myself to work and back.

Praise the Lord for His timing, provision, and plans.

My Best Thought

2008-03-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

"Thou, my best thought by day or by night."

God is by default the most valuable thought that may pass through any man's mind. The sheer immensity of His being surpassing our foundational boundaries of time and space make His greatness unimaginable. An attempt at contemplating these and other aspects of His greatness is forever apropos, though paltry in extent.

The question that must press the ever-wandering heart is not "Is He most valuable?" but "Is He most valued in my thinking?" What are the better thoughts that present themselves throughout the resting and hasting of the day? They may indeed be true, just, lovely, etc. They may be valued purely. They may prompt heartfelt expressions of thanksgiving to the Giver. But do these find greater sweetness than the Lover of my soul?

Refreshed but exhausted

2008-03-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

After a week of traveling with the Northern Lights to Maryland and back I find myself refreshed but exhausted. It is a privilege to know, serve, and love those God loves. As a team we saw most of our members in their own homes or with their own families. Loved ones reveal subtle but influential qualities.

My doctor said this morning that my thyroid levels are normal. It's good to hear, but I was hoping for more energy. Hope deferred? Must not be. My heart is not "sick" but very optimistic and alive!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. - Romans 15:13

Enduring riches

2008-03-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

~Lord, make our work last. May our deeds and efforts not consist of futility.

My Utmost . . .
If we do not apply our beliefs about God to the issues of everyday life, the vision God has given us will never be fulfilled.
Waiting for a vision that "tarries" is the true test of our faithfulness to God.

Sidekick

2008-03-06T06:04:00.000-08:00

My faithful Jeep is more vehicle than I need to get to work and back, so I'm considering a Suzuki Sidekick. This past weekend we took a look at the one I'm considering. It seems like a good thing, but I want to be wise in decision and timing.

I can see myself with my Sidekick making my way through snow and whatever. It seems solid and dependable. It's been taken care of meticulously. I'm excited about it, but I don't want to rush God's plan. I'm hoping for clarity over the next few days as to wise planning.

In all things God works for our good. The events of life and our perceptions are NOT reality because truth is not relative. Even when considering standard events of life, exciting (or difficult) as they may be, truth and God's mind are larger issues. They are reality.

If you love . . .

2008-02-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

I'm reminded of the game where two people work toward a common goal. The one is blindfolded; the other is giving instructions. Dependence and trust are necessary in this relationship if they are to reach their goal. One can become very disoriented and off track, but the commands of the partner correct the errors and restore the wayward one to the right path.

Christ's "if you love" statements are not statements of manipulation. He doesn't say "If you really loved me then you would . . ." Perhaps a more comprehensive understanding of love would increase our capacity for understanding.

Contrary to what is often taught, love does indeed seek to get. It seeks to be completed, to have needs and desires met. True love gives, but true love depends as well. This structure is presented in John 15 regarding abiding. Each occurrence of "abide" can be substituted with "cling to" or "supply." The structure extends into the usage of "love." The same terminology can be substituted.

As the Father has supplied me, so I supply you. Continue in my supply. 15:9
If you keep My commandments you continue in my love/supply. 15:10
If you love Me keep my commandments. 14:15
(I contend this view of love extends throughout scripture. The greatest command is to cling to the Lord. The second is to supply others. There is no greater love than that a man supply his very life.)

God's commands are His supply. If we loved Him we would listen to the direction He gives us to correct our way. We go through this life viewing the inside of the blindfold, but He opens our eyes to wondrous things from His law. I will run the course of Your commandments. Ps 119.

I separate His commands and laws from His love. To reject His commands is to reject His love. Do I share God's goal for my life - Christlikeness, God's glory, my good, etc.? Do I listen to His commands. If I love Him, I will.

NL 2007-8

2008-02-25T15:03:00.002-08:00

Love - Solomon

2008-02-14T11:42:00.000-08:00

Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
nor can rivers drown it.

Who better demonstrates than a loving Father.

"Impossibility" highlights God's Power

2008-02-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

“Your religious life is to be a series of impossibilities made possible and actual by God’s almighty power.” A. Murray

What seems impossible? Whatever they may be, they are the fronts most ideal for displaying God's unhindered power.

Absolute Surrender - Andrew Murray

2008-01-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

"While I, a poor worm on earth and a trembling child of God, full of failure and sin and fear, bow here, and no one knows what passes through my heart, and while I in simplicity say, O God, I accept Thy terms; I have pleaded for blessing on myself and others, I have accepted Thy terms of absolute surrender." p11

"Deliverance from self-life means to be a vessel overflowing with love to everybody all the day." p25

Cold contemplation

2008-01-20T18:27:00.000-08:00

I came across the following in a devotional challenge -

"One of the greatest ways to learn about God is to spend some time looking at His creation. His power, His majesty, His beauty and His incredible creativity all come out in the world He made.

"Take a walk in the woods or in the country and take some time to behold God's creation. What do you learn about His character-and about heaven-through what you see?"

Saturday morning I went out early hoping for a beautiful sunrise. I strapped on a pair of snowshoes and headed out equipped with a camera and anticipations. My anticipations lived longer than the camera (Even when charged the night before, lithium batteries don't do so well in the cold).

As the sun came up above the trees I heard the chatter of a beaver at work. Trees popped as they moved in the cold wind. The water's constant rushing became soothing background noise to the sun's silent crescendo.

I left with some great pics and vids, but more valuable to me is the remembrances of thoughts and challenges they recall.

Artistry - Idolatry or Ministry

2008-01-20T18:22:00.000-08:00

"If art is our master, then it becomes idolatry; but if art is our servant, it becomes ministry . . . True art is simply the human attempt to use what God gives us to touch our senses so that experience (religious or otherwise) is clarified and interpreted."
Wiersbe, Real Worship p132.

Wisdom, Understanding, & Knowledge

2008-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Proverbs 24:3,4

By wisdom a house is built. I define wisdom as "skill in everyday living." Solomon also said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10). When homes are built on godly wisdom, family members respond to circumstance according to God's design, not their own.

A wise home builder recognizes God as the Architect and Builder of the family. As you search the Scriptures and ask God for wisdom, He supplies the skill to build your home.

Through understanding it is established. Understanding means responding to life's circumstances with insight-having a perspective that looks at life through God's eyes. When you have God's perspective of your mate and children, you accept each other's differences and learn how different personalities can complement each other.

Through knowledge its rooms are filled. Our culture virtually worships information. But information without application is an empty deity. The knowledge Solomon speaks of is more than information. It is knowledge that results in conviction, application and family values.

Source - FamilyLife Ministries

Questions revealing Values - Tozer

2008-01-10T12:35:00.001-08:00

What do I want most?
What do I think about most?
How do I use my money?
What do I do with my leisure time?
Whose company do I enjoy?
Who and what do I admire?
What do I laugh at?

The Pursuit of God

Questions revealing Values - Tozer

2008-01-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

What do I want most?
What do I think about most?
How do I use my money?
What do I do with my leisure time?
Whose company do I enjoy?
Who and what do I admire?
What do I laugh at?

The Pursuit of God

Body as Temple & Psalm 90

2008-01-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

I'm sore from in-service bowling. How pathetic is that? Sore from bowling! Muscle stiffness is a hypothyroid characteristic. On the good side, I have that feeling of having had a great work out the day before. I was reminded today in an in-service session by Bobby Wood that the believer's body is the temple of the Lord. If a distinguished guest were to visit my home I would present it in the best way possible out of respect. The Lord Himself resides in me. How are the accommodations? How am I a steward of what He has entrusted? Are big people more spacious?

Ps 90:12, 15, 17
Teach us to number our days.
Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery.
May the Lord our God show us His approval and make our efforts successful.

Life is brief, but we have a God Who does not forsake us. He does not punish without purposes of love. He has taught us and promises joy if we follow His guidance. When we do so we will experience His approval as Joshua did.

Midnight

2008-01-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

We've all experienced it. We wake up during the night and think we've been asleep for hours when in fact it has only been for a short period of time. This got me thinking about some of the verses in the OT that refer to midnight. How did people in OT times know what time it was when they woke up during the night? Alarm clock? Watch? Sundial?

Why blog?

2008-01-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

Good question. Those who know me well know that I'm not the blogging type. If you think that I am then . . .

My cancer card is about to expire. I won't be able to take the last piece of candy or ask people to get me coffee much longer. As my life presents fewer jarring reports it recedes to the norms of everyday life as most people experience it. Who really wants to hear about that?

I'll drop bits and pieces of life and thoughts on my blog for those who can make sense of my strange _________ (have fun with the blank!).

Why blog? Today's a great day to anticipate whatever is to come! James 1:4,5

Joshua 1:5

2008-01-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

4 facts.
0 risks.

1 - Chosen by God.
2 - Personal promise.
3 - Inexhaustible.
4 - No abandonment.

Joshua has long been a book of inspiration for me. I see a man placed in a position he can not fulfill, yet he does so marvelously due to the power of the Lord. This does not mean he is without responsibility, for though God presents His promises, He also makes Joshua's success conditional.

Joshua's responsibility went beyond impacting his own life. His words carried life and death for his men (1:18). The seriousness of this would weigh heavily on him were he to approach decisions in his own strength.

Joshua's "greatness" was all from God (3:7). His fame would have been short-lived were it to depend on his own strength or wisdom.