What is it about the human race that we seem to crave extremes? Now this may sound a little odd from one of the most conservative and "safe" people in the universe--those who know me will attest to that. But I must confess that underneath the surface is a part of me that craves excitement.
We see evidence of this thrill seeking woven into the fiber of our society. Amusement parks offer bigger, faster, longer, higher roller coasters that push us to the limit. In addition to our traditional sports, we have extreme sports. We see threads of it in more dangerous outlets such as drugs and alcohol. As a species we seem to thrive on thrills. We want higher highs. Why?
When the blood is pounding through our veins and the adrenaline is pumping, we feel. It confirms that we exist. We live so much of our lives cocooned in our comfort zone. Occasionally we want to feel something. Anything. To know that we are not numb.
God created us with this desire. Why? So that we do crazy things that threaten our very lives? No. So that we will seek Him. Do you know that He is the epitome of extreme?
I didn't know this about Him at first. At first I thought He was the rule of restraint...all of those "Thou shalt nots" in the Ten Commandments. What I have come to know is that for each of those "thou shalt nots", He extends so many more thrilling challenges.
When was the last time you walked on the water? Have you ever crossed the sea on a dry river bed while the waters roared on either side of you? Have you ever taken a cruise on a boat filled with animals? Water rides not your favorite amusement park attraction? How about being swept up into the sky on a chariot of fire drawn by horses of fire?
Not impressed by the biblical stories? Think that was then, and you are now and you want some personal now stories? That's the thing about thrills. We want to own them for ourselves. The good news is that you can. Follow Jesus around. Accept His invitations.
He is the epitome of extremes. He is a lion and a lamb. He is the first and the last. He became man and remained God.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
When It All Comes To An End
This journey as we know it will someday come to an end. Most agree on that. We may not agree on how it all started--creation or evolution or a mixture of both. So it is with the ending. Everyone seems to have a theory as to the how and the when of earth's demise. Will it be caused by global warming? Is the year 2012 the last calendar we will need?
It's a topic that seems to arise more and more often these days. Not surprising since the Y2K thing and 9/11. Also it is a fact that every day that passes brings us one day closer to the end.
There are a lot of opinions out there. People are making money selling books and booking speeches. So what's a person to believe? We live in an age of information, but with no guarantees as to how accurate that information is. Blogging itself proves that it doesn't take much to write something and put it out there for others to read.
Logic tells us to pick a source that has a good track record. Find a theory that has a good, reliable history of predicting the future and seeing it come to pass exactly as predicted. I have found a book that hasn't been wrong yet. Honestly. How can it do this? Because the author is the source of the prophecy. He is not merely predicting these events, He is promising them. He has predicted the rise and fall of empires over the ages and was right 100% of the time. He can predict it because He promised it would happen. And He always does what He promises.
In the Old Testament, Daniel studied the scriptures to see what God said about the future (Daniel 9:1-2). He knew what God had spoken through His prophet Jeremiah. He prayed, seeking understanding, and was prepared for what came next because he knew what God had promised.
We can do the same thing today. By studying the written word of God, by conversing with the living God, we can be prepared for what is to come. So what does the Bible tell us about the end times? We need to look at the big picture not just isolated writings in order to better understand.
The book of Revelation in the New Testament is the largest body of writings describing what is to come, but it is not the only end times scriptures. End times events are also foretold in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Micah, Zechariah, Matthew, and Luke.
We can know for sure that it will happen "...and then the end will come" Matthew 24:14b. We can't know for sure when it will happen. "No one knows about the day or hour...Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your LORD will come." Matthew 24:36a, 42.
The exact time of His return will be a surprise; but He has told us what to watch for so that we will know when His return is imminent.
It's a topic that seems to arise more and more often these days. Not surprising since the Y2K thing and 9/11. Also it is a fact that every day that passes brings us one day closer to the end.
There are a lot of opinions out there. People are making money selling books and booking speeches. So what's a person to believe? We live in an age of information, but with no guarantees as to how accurate that information is. Blogging itself proves that it doesn't take much to write something and put it out there for others to read.
Logic tells us to pick a source that has a good track record. Find a theory that has a good, reliable history of predicting the future and seeing it come to pass exactly as predicted. I have found a book that hasn't been wrong yet. Honestly. How can it do this? Because the author is the source of the prophecy. He is not merely predicting these events, He is promising them. He has predicted the rise and fall of empires over the ages and was right 100% of the time. He can predict it because He promised it would happen. And He always does what He promises.
In the Old Testament, Daniel studied the scriptures to see what God said about the future (Daniel 9:1-2). He knew what God had spoken through His prophet Jeremiah. He prayed, seeking understanding, and was prepared for what came next because he knew what God had promised.
We can do the same thing today. By studying the written word of God, by conversing with the living God, we can be prepared for what is to come. So what does the Bible tell us about the end times? We need to look at the big picture not just isolated writings in order to better understand.
The book of Revelation in the New Testament is the largest body of writings describing what is to come, but it is not the only end times scriptures. End times events are also foretold in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Micah, Zechariah, Matthew, and Luke.
We can know for sure that it will happen "...and then the end will come" Matthew 24:14b. We can't know for sure when it will happen. "No one knows about the day or hour...Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your LORD will come." Matthew 24:36a, 42.
The exact time of His return will be a surprise; but He has told us what to watch for so that we will know when His return is imminent.
Here Once
A friend has "HERE ONCE" inscribed on his knuckles. The reason for this came up in a recent conversation. He explained that his philosophy of life is that we are only HERE ONCE; therefore, we should make it count.
He reflected on his own life and said the season that he felt was the most rewarding was when he helped out at a youth camp. He honestly felt that he had something to give to those young people, so he gave himself to them. He shared his experiences. Even the tough ones. He has had plenty of those. What's amazing is that he didn't use them as an excuse. He used them as tools. Tools to help others build a better life.
There is something deep inside each of us that cries out to make a difference while we are HERE. That's because God created us each for a purpose. Discovering that purpose and living it out can make what we do HERE (as well as in the HEREAFTER) rewarding.
This purpose is not such a hard discovery if you think about it. My friend did. You take what you have been given, the good along with the bad, and you use them as tools to give of yourself to help others. You make a difference.
We are only HERE ONCE and the decisions and the choices we make HERE will affect our lives in the HEREAFTER. The most important choice we make in this life is choosing whether or not we will receive God's gift of salvation. That choice during our HERE ONCE will determine where we live in the HEREAFTER FOREVER.
He reflected on his own life and said the season that he felt was the most rewarding was when he helped out at a youth camp. He honestly felt that he had something to give to those young people, so he gave himself to them. He shared his experiences. Even the tough ones. He has had plenty of those. What's amazing is that he didn't use them as an excuse. He used them as tools. Tools to help others build a better life.
There is something deep inside each of us that cries out to make a difference while we are HERE. That's because God created us each for a purpose. Discovering that purpose and living it out can make what we do HERE (as well as in the HEREAFTER) rewarding.
This purpose is not such a hard discovery if you think about it. My friend did. You take what you have been given, the good along with the bad, and you use them as tools to give of yourself to help others. You make a difference.
We are only HERE ONCE and the decisions and the choices we make HERE will affect our lives in the HEREAFTER. The most important choice we make in this life is choosing whether or not we will receive God's gift of salvation. That choice during our HERE ONCE will determine where we live in the HEREAFTER FOREVER.
A Stop At The Depot
Random conversations with random people. It's amazing the impact a few thoughts and words shared among strangers can produce. The topic was life. Common ground for uncommon people.
A common question of "What do you want to do with your life?" got us started. Indecision over this question can cause us to wander aimlessly...always going somewhere with no idea where we are going. Hopes and dreams being hoped and dreamed, but with no real plan on how we are going to get there.
Although chosen career paths varied, a common interest in the arts surfaced. We discovered that we all shared the experience of using our bodies as a canvas. Although our artists were different; they all practiced their art from the same location. Even discovered that they had a friend who shared my daughter's desire to sculpt metal into art. His work had greeted us as we entered the tattoo shop. Some would say it is a small world.
In the course of our conversation, my daughter confessed that she was intimidated to share her art. By displaying your art, you bare a part of your soul. I know what she means. That's how I feel when I share something I have written.
As we parted, one of the members of our group encouraged me to write. I confessed I wasn't sure I had anything to write about. He suggested I use the night's conversation as my material. So I did.
A common question of "What do you want to do with your life?" got us started. Indecision over this question can cause us to wander aimlessly...always going somewhere with no idea where we are going. Hopes and dreams being hoped and dreamed, but with no real plan on how we are going to get there.
Although chosen career paths varied, a common interest in the arts surfaced. We discovered that we all shared the experience of using our bodies as a canvas. Although our artists were different; they all practiced their art from the same location. Even discovered that they had a friend who shared my daughter's desire to sculpt metal into art. His work had greeted us as we entered the tattoo shop. Some would say it is a small world.
In the course of our conversation, my daughter confessed that she was intimidated to share her art. By displaying your art, you bare a part of your soul. I know what she means. That's how I feel when I share something I have written.
As we parted, one of the members of our group encouraged me to write. I confessed I wasn't sure I had anything to write about. He suggested I use the night's conversation as my material. So I did.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Inked
People who know my daughter ask "Why an iris?" The people who know me ask "Why a tattoo?!?" Easy answer, "Because I said I would." In January I participated in a leadership training at my church that was entitled "inked: deep enough to make it permanent". We talked about going deeper--beyond the surface--engaging in relationships with others that go deep enough to make them permanent. A lady at my table shared with us that she and her daughter had matching body art. I told her if my daughter ever asked me, I would.
That's the kind of relationship I want to have with my daughter--one that is deep enough that it is permanent. I don't mean biologically deep, I mean emotionally deep. Biologically we will always be related. I am part of her DNA. But I want more. I want our emotional bond to go beyond the surface. I want her to be able to share anything with me and know deep within her soul that I love her unconditionally.
That's the kind of relationship I know with my heavenly Father. I haven't always known it. It used to be only a surface relationship--my fault, not His. It wasn't until I trusted Him with all my junk that I learned deep down in my soul, that He loves me unconditionally.
He taught me how to love this way. The Father asked His son, Jesus, to let the nails go deep enough to make it permanent. Jesus agreed. They love me that much; they love you that much.
So, when my daughter asked, I said I would. I love her that much.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Iris
It all started when a friend showed me her mother/daughter 
tattoo. I knew that if my daughter ever suggested that we get mother/daughter tattoos, that I would get inked for her. Well, she asked, and we did. We have matching purple iris tattoos.
Why an iris? We tend to move around a lot...can't seem to stay put for too long at a time. One of my daughter's memories about all of those relocations is that with each move we would dig up a few iris bulbs passed down from my maternal grandmother. We would carefully dig up the bulbs and when we arrived in our new location, we would begin putting down our roots by planting our iris.
She recently moved into a new place. Springtime cries out for new beginnings and new growth, so we traveled together to a garden center and purchased purple iris to plant on either side of her porch steps. All who enter are greeted by their purple petals...new beginnings rooted deeply in memorable traditions.
tattoo. I knew that if my daughter ever suggested that we get mother/daughter tattoos, that I would get inked for her. Well, she asked, and we did. We have matching purple iris tattoos.
Why an iris? We tend to move around a lot...can't seem to stay put for too long at a time. One of my daughter's memories about all of those relocations is that with each move we would dig up a few iris bulbs passed down from my maternal grandmother. We would carefully dig up the bulbs and when we arrived in our new location, we would begin putting down our roots by planting our iris.
She recently moved into a new place. Springtime cries out for new beginnings and new growth, so we traveled together to a garden center and purchased purple iris to plant on either side of her porch steps. All who enter are greeted by their purple petals...new beginnings rooted deeply in memorable traditions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)