Take a stand

       As I listen to the news, I am made aware of an interesting duality in our society.  As multiple riots rage throughout the Islamic world as a result of a video insulting the Islamic prophet Mohammed, the world jumps forward to point out that the is not representative of all Muslims.  I agree that this is not representative of all Muslims and that is not what this post is about.  What it is about is the idea that hundreds of riots large and small do not represent a majority, yet individual protests do.  That's right, I am talking about how a small group of "Christians" seem to be the accepted representation of all Christianity, yet if we apply the same standards of representation to other religions or sections of society we are bigoted at best, racist and intolerant at worst.
             Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating categorizing anyone based on a sample of any size.  I believe each person is an individual and is accountable only for his/her own actions as it pertains to the group they are a part of.  What I am saying is that, if we apply the standards equally, Westboro Baptist does not represent all Baptists, a few select Catholic priests do not represent all clergy, and a small group of rioters do not represent the entire Muslim world.
            I think a friend of mine put it best when he said, just because I stand for my beliefs, doesn't make me an idiot, fool, or intolerant.  In today's society, to take a stand is to be intolerant and to continually shift your morals and beliefs to adhere with the ever changing tides of society is considered progressive.  Another way to look at this is an analogy to ships.  A destination is reached by trimming sails, adjusting the rudder, and continually checking your course.  If you simply go where the wind takes you, you may very well find yourself somewhere you don't want to be, a hostile land at best or sunk by the rocks.  This is what today's society tells you is best, to go where the wind blows you. 
             I want you to notice one thing in the previous statement.  I mentioned three things in regard to reaching a destination, trimming the sails, adjusting the rudder, and checking your course.  All three of those things require effort, knowledge, and practice.  In other words, if you aren't willing to put the effort into where you want to be, you will never get there.  The weirdest thing is that everyone seems to ignore this.  One other thing that needs to be noted is the practice part.  If you don't continually practice navigating and trimming your sails, you tend to lose some of the skill you gained.  Think of it like reaching the top of any skilled profession, if you stop practicing, your skills will wane.  A professional pianist once admitted to an interviewer that he practiced more now that he had reached the top of his profession than at any other time in his career.  Why?  Because he wanted to stay at the top and he knew that the only way to do so, was continual work.  The same is true of any profession.
            So why are we so lazy about our lives?  Why are we willing to put so little effort into where our lives are headed?  Why do we continually decide to take the easiest route even though we know that it leads us nowhere at best?  I can't understand it and I find it unnerving that so many people are willing to go there.
           I am going to leave you with a challenge.  Look deep within yourself and find one thing that you think is worth standing for.  It could be a belief in the constitution, a moral stance on nudity, a belief in God, or simply the belief that your diet is the right one.  Just pick one thing.  Now, ask yourself if you are willing to stand for that one thing no matter what is thrown at you.  If all your friends and family take the opposite stance, are you going to waiver or continue to stand for your belief?  Are willing to maintain that regardless of societal change?  The final part of this is do you apply your morals and standards equally across the board?  Think about it.  To stand for nothing is to allow everything.  We all have to make a stand somewhere on something.  Whatever we allow will eventually come into our homes.  It may not be this generation, but someday it will come in.
                Thank you for reading and, as always, thanks for reading.

My biggest mistake.

              What a great weekend.  We have a new septic tank, we are now just waiting on the drain field.  That should finish up this afternoon and then we have to reseed the yard.  Saturday, we got to spend some family time on a much needed family outing on a bike ride.  Then we got to spend Sunday afternoon with friends playing games and sharing our lives.  What a great week end.  Of course Monday follows that, but that can't be helped.
              I can't help but feel rejuvenated after all that.  Even though I was spent after the bike ride, I felt great.  There was a smile on the entire family's faces even though you could see they were tired (at least the adults, the kids wanted to go again).  We thoroughly enjoyed it.
             I love being able to spend time with my sons and time near them is time well spent.  That being said, I think that for the rest of today's post I will share another excerpt from my answers for my sons.  This one is particularly close to home.

10-3 What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made?  What can I learn from it?

I think of so many mistakes I’ve made when I am asked this question that it is almost impossible to answer.  I will give it my best though.  First, allow me to clarify something.  To me, a mistake is an error in judgment or a decision made based on faulty information.  It is not an intentional action nor is it something you plan.  While it would be wrong to rob a bank and a horrible decision, it is not a mistake, it is a choice. 

So, looking at it from that point of view, I believe my biggest mistake was my choice of friends growing up.  You see, I had some of the information and, while it was my choice to be their friend, I erred in my judgment as far as what my will power was.  My friends growing up were diverse and I had two sets.  The first set is not the mistake.  They were my friends from church.  They were Christians and as far as I can tell, they lived it.  No, my mistake was the second set.  They were my friends from school and around home.  They were the ones I chose to hang out with the most.  There is that word again, chose.  My mistake wasn’t choosing to hang out with them, or even to be their friend, no, my mistake was to believe that I was strong enough by myself to resist their ungodly influence.  You see, not one of my friends from school were Christians.  They didn’t even pretend to be good.  Still, I thought I could be strong enough to resist the temptation on my own.  Boy was I wrong.

By the time I had graduated from high school, you couldn’t tell a difference between the way I acted and how my friends from school acted.  I allowed myself to be led astray and to go down a path I still regret to this day.  Because of that mistake, I walked in sin for nearly 20 years.  I told coarse jokes, made fun of others, thought only of me and my pleasure.  I refused to acknowledge God and what he wanted of me.  In my selfishness, I blamed others for my failures and felt cheated when I didn’t get my way.  I tried to live by the rules I had learned in church growing up, at least when I wanted to convince others I was good.  I pretended to be a Christian when I was home to make my father happy, but I was no longer following Christ.  It all came back to the mistake of thinking I could do it on my own, to thinking that I could be friends with ungodly people the way they wanted to be friends, without falling into their lifestyle.  While it was a bad decision to be their friend and to continue in that relationship, it was a decision, not a mistake.  We need to be clear on that.  Bad decisions are not mistakes, they are bad decisions.

What can you learn from all this?  Simply put, trust in God.  Can you have non Christian friends?  Certainly, and you should.  You must, however, be on guard at all times and realize that without God and Christian friends, it is all too easy to fall away from God and into the ungodly lifestyle of your non Christian friends.   You must also be wary of the relationship with them.  A non Christian friend should never be your first source of advice concerning, well, anything.  This is because their advice, while it may sound good, is based on worldly teachings and not on what God says.  Sure, some of their advice may even be exactly what God says, but if you rely on their advice, you will find that God has no part in your life and you will regret it.  I know I do.  You must also never let their opinion of you be a reason to do something.  God’s opinion is all that matters and an ungodly friend does not know or even hear God’s opinion.

This may seem to be a bit harsh.  It may even sound like I am against having ungodly friends.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Even God encourages you to have friends among non Christians.  Read Luke 5:29-32: “29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. ³⁰ And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, ‘Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’
³¹ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’”

Jesus sat with the worst of the society with reason.  The key is to remain rooted in your belief and to not allow them to sway you.  You should also note that, while he sat with them, he did not count them as close friends, that privilege was reserved for his disciples, those who had already committed their lives to him.

In closing, the biggest mistake I ever made was not trusting God over my friends on earth.  Don’t let this happen to you.  Keep your eyes on him and you won’t go wrong.

           Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

The ultimate weatherman.

           Things don't always go as we hoped and nothing is predictable.  Sure the sun rises in the morning, but can you honestly say for a certainty that you will see it.  Or even that it will shine through the clouds in the sky.  We try to predict things based on past events or even scientific principles, but we still end up surprised fairly regularly.  It isn't so much science failing us or lack of information.  It isn't even a lack of knowledge or data.  It is simply that no one can predict the future with 100% accuracy.
           This is an amazing fact to me.  No matter how hard we try, we are continually surprised by the unexpected.  A particle that does the impossible, exceeding the speed of light.  A planet where it shouldn't be.  The list could go on and on.  The reality is that no matter what we do or how much we know, we will always have something new to surprise us and even contradict us at times.  Why?  Because we are human, imperfect, and prone to error.
           The only instance of a human in recorded history to be without error is Jesus Christ.  The most interesting aspect of it all is the the number of prophecies written about him before his birth that he fulfilled.  How is it that humans were able to predict so many things about him so accurately with no history or data to base them on when we can't even predict the weather accurately with tons of data, history, scientific discoveries, etc. to aid us.  We get close sometime, but the accuracy isn't there.  Imagine if you will a weatherman that predicts exactly how much rain, to the thousandth of an inch, that you will receive in your back yard.  Would you believe him?  Would you be amazed if he was right?  I'm pretty sure that you would scoff and say lucky guess if he got it right.  Yet, Jesus's birth, life, teachings, and death were all accurately predicted hundreds of years before his birth.  Jesus himself predicted his death and resurrection, Peter's denial, his betrayer, and many other things.  Simply amazing.
         Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Service is an Attitude, not an action.

            This weekend was enlightening.  In the Diehards bible study we had a discussion on the 6 woes in Luke chapter 11.  Then on Sunday the sermon covered what Jesus had to say to the pharisees.  The culmination of which was an eye opener to the world of legalism within the church.  Pastor Barry did a great job of pointing out where churches go wrong.  How they elevate good ideas and practices to must haves for salvation.  The one thing I think that could be added is a simple idea and basis.  The why we do the good things we do, our motivation.
            While it is true the bible says to tithe, it is very clear on one point.  It isn't about the money or the amount, it is about the attitude.  Do you give because God orders it and thus you give exactly 10%?  Or do you give because you truly love God, want to please him, and feel that he has a better use for it and thus tend to give extra either through rounding up liberally or just giving generously?  Do you do the right thing because it is the right thing to do or because brother so and so might be watching?  Do you volunteer at church because the church may or may not need you or because the deacon board might see you?  Do you pray out loud to be heard by others or to be heard by God?
            But they are all good, what difference does the motivation make?  Simple, if the motivation is to be noticed, then it is a selfish motivation and not a Godly one.  Eventually, that person will be noticed for the wrong reason or worse, cause hurt to another Christian who has the right motivation.  Someone who does things for the right reasons and unselfish love of God, while they may eventually err, is always quick to admit their errors and will do what they must to correct them.  The selfish one will blame others.
            When you do things to be noticed, you make yourself the focus and not the task.  When serving God, the service and God must always be the focus.  Once you start focusing on yourself, you trivialize God.  That is not a good thing.    The Pharisees forgot that.  They followed the rules that elevated themselves and did things out of a look at me attitude.  This led to hypocrisy running rampant among them.  It was noticed by the people, but the Pharisees were oblivious to it.  When we make rules to follow and things to do based on good principles and then judge others by how well they adhere to our made up rules, we are asking God to humble us.  Personally, I think I would rather avoid that.  God has a way of humbling us that no of us like.  He is especially harsh with those who claim to follow him.  As one man said, "if you are a child of God, you best be on your knees praying regularly or God will bring you to your knees some other way."  Several places in the Bible state that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is lord.  You can do it voluntarily or have God do it for you.  Personally, I would rather do it myself and save myself the pain and embarrassment.
            Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

What do I believe about the gay community and God.

            I understand that the following commentary will be controversial to many.  I also understand that if you only read the first paragraph or two it will probably anger, confuse, or insult you.  All ask is that if you start reading it, you finish it.  It was written as a whole and should be read as such.  To pick it apart based on a single paragraph is to do an injustice.  That being said, I stand by what I have written.
            There has been a recent resurgence of posts denouncing the Christian stance toward the gay community.  One of the more notable ones proclaims that we as Christians tend to decide who we will be Christians toward.  I find this reprehensible and, unfortunately true in many cases.  The problem isn't that we are hateful and mean, it's that we tend to confuse the sin with the person.  You see, we are directed to try to be like God.  To hate the things he hates and love what he loves.  God loves all people and wants all people to come to him.  God also hates all sin.  So how do we reconcile the difference between sin and people?  The simple answer is, we don't.  We have to leave that up to God.
           That doesn't mean that we have to accept sin.  The bible is very clear on how to react toward unrepentant sinners.  We are to love them and care for them, but at the same time, we are to direct them in his ways.  If they become hostile to us, we are to leave them be as they have hardened their hearts and have rejected God's love and forgiveness.
           That being said, where do we stand on the gay community?  With the above in place we have to separate ourselves from the gay community as they tend to revel in their sin.  Let's not kid ourselves, the bible clearly states that gay sex is a sin (read Romans 1:26-32).  This doesn't mean that we should spew hateful messages about God's wrath or not minister to them in hopes that they will come to God, it means that we should not do anything that would indicate we support their sin just as we should not protect someone who stole our car.  Both are sins and to condone either is a sin in and of itself. 
          If I were to offer one piece of advice it would be this, treat all people with love and respect at all times.  This includes those we see as living in sin.  This includes those who hate us.  This includes those that "rub us the wrong way."  It isn't easy and never will be.  We have to share our testimony and show them that Christians aren't hateful bigots.  We have be clear in how we treat others what it means to love the sinner but hate the sin. 
           Too many Christians forget this and see the sinner as the sin.  The bible is also clear on that.  When you decide the sin and the sinner are inseparable, you act as their judge.  Romans 2 states, "1 Therefore, anyone of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.  2 We know that God's judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth.  3 Do you really think-anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same-that you will escape God's judgment? "  The thing to remember is that, to God, all sin is the same, disobedience to him.  Reading the bible has taught me that, to God, lying and murder are both sins and deserve the same punishment, death and separation from God.  So if murder and lying receive the same punishment so do any other sin such as theft or homosexuality.  Degrees of sin is a human concept.  When you judge another on their sins, you place yourself above them as though you have no sin.  I don't know anyone who hasn't sinned.  Even my pastor admits that he has sinned.  The difference is, whether you confess it or not.
            I could continue on and on, but the reality is this, either you believe or you don't.  Either you accept what I have written or you don't and continuing on will add nothing else.  As always I welcome comments and debate as long as it is respectful and not hate filled.  If I offended you, I can't help that, I meant what I wrote.

Gay marriage: Wrong by definition.

          I am back on days and so I will be posting more often.  Today I think I will address an issue that is coming up on the ballot here in the state of Washington.  It is a referendum on gay marriage.  I understand that this is a hot issue and that it will be hotly debated, so let me start with some facts.  First of all, here in Washington state, there is the civil union law.  This law gives any couple who apply for it (much like a marriage license) may enter a civil union.  Those in that union receive all the same privileges and benefits of a married couple.  In other words, no rights or privileges granted a married couple may be with held from a couple with a civil union.  It also adds that this union may be between couples of the same sex.
           Why did I mention that?  Simple, it means that any move for gay marriage ceases to be about civil rights as no rights are being denied.  It is about redefining marriage.  The argument that we are trying to deny people basic rights is ludicrous at best.  By law, if a same sex couple is denied something a married couple gets, then they have every right to bring charges and sue the person discriminating against them.  The law that enacts same sex marriage is about definitions, not rights.  I have yet to see any right or privilege that a married couple gets that a couple in a civil union is denied by law.
            The one thing that has always bugged me as well is the idea that marriage is a right.  The fact is, we can't call it a right.  If we do, then we have been denying this right for years and the gay marriage law will not change that.  I am referring to 2 consenting adults of legal age.  I agree that the idea that enacting gay marriage will lead to people marrying animals or that it will legalize pedophilia is asinine at best.  What I am talking about is relational marriage.  If it is a rights issue, no two consenting adults of legal age can be denied this right, yet we continually deny marriage between close relations (1st cousins, siblings, father daughter, mother son, etc.).  Don't get me wrong, I understand the implications of these marriages and don't agree with them either, but the fact remains that we discriminate against these marriages as well.
           Call me what you will and be as angry as you want.  The fact remains that this ceased to be a civil rights issue when the only thing being argued is a definition.  Why am I concerned?  Because it means that, in order for a religious entity to maintain its beliefs and convictions, it must, by definition, discriminate and go against the law.  By enacting a law that redefines marriage, you force churches into a situation where they are forced to either run afoul of the law and discriminate, or go against their convictions and beliefs.  There shall be no laws establishing religion or infringing the free practice thereof.  How can a church fee free to practice its religion is against the law to hold on to their beliefs.
            Now, to answer and argument that jumps up every time religion is brought in on this.  Slavery is not directed by the bible.  As I read the new testament, it is clear that it did not agree with slavery.  In fact, every instance of slavery in the new testament that I have read has mentioned paying proper wages and treating them fairly.  I am not a theologian, but it appears to me, the biblical definition of slavery can be paralleled with someone under contract today.  Yes, it was twisted and used wrong in early America and elsewhere and I could never condone that, but I am not talking about early America.  The fact is the bible is very clear on this issue.  Homosexuality is wrong according to the bible (new testament included) and since this is what my beliefs, and most Christian beliefs, are based on I cannot condone it nor agree with it. 
            That's about it for today.  Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Perspective: what are you focused on.

            So many interesting things going on.  Friday, our church decided to pay for our new dryer.  We didn't ask for it, it just happened.  It was a wonderful blessing and we are thankful for it.  Unfortunately, I forgot the check at home, so I will have to deposit it tomorrow.  As for the weekend, it went great, had a great day at home with the family on Saturday and services on Sunday were awesome. 
            Speaking of Sunday, it was our turn in our Sunday school class to share a brief testimony.  I chose to talk about perspective and I thought I might share those thoughts with you.  I was talking about this in regards to recognizing what is important and pointing that out to our children.  As most of you know, I had a bad experience in the church I grew up in.  As I reflected on this, I realized a lot of it could have been attributed to the perspective of what was taught.  We were taught what the various sins were and what a "good" Christian did and didn't do.  Very little was taught about our relationship with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  This may seem like a small difference, but it is a huge deal.  When you look at what this teaches our children, it becomes a frightening thing.  It teaches them that outward appearances are more important than the relationship.  Sure, I was taught about asking for forgiveness and asking Jesus into my life, but what did it mean?  Was it something we did to be accepted into the group, or by Christ?  We learned that the "proof" of being saved was in what we did.  The more right things you did and the less wrong things you did, the better Christian you were.  OH, and it only mattered if someone saw you.
             It wasn't until recently that I learned the most important lesson of my life.  The art of being a "good" Christian, isn't what you do or don't do, it is in who you do it with.  If you are in a proper relationship with God, then everything will fall into line.  As a parent and a Christian, I am responsible to teach my children to have a proper relationship with Christ.  I am not responsible for their relationship, just how to have one.  Sure, I will give them rules to follow and things to do, but I have to make sure that they understand that their actions don't affect their relationship, only their heart can do that.  I find it amazing how much simpler life is when you concentrate on the relationship vice the rules.  If your relationship with Christ is right, the rules take care of themselves.  This doesn't mean that you will be perfect and won't sin, it just means that knowing the right thing and acting on it is easier.  You don't have to maintain appearances, you are living the way you should and appearances take care of themselves. 
            Change your perspective, stop worrying about how others see you and worry about how God sees you.  Focus on God, not rules and other peoples opinions.  As my pastor put it, A life with Christ at its center, is a life centered on Christ.  When your life is centered on Christ, you can't help but have it come across.
           That's about it for today.  Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

My Mom: A different kind of rolemodel

           On my way to work, the news pointed out that it was Friday the 13th.  I hadn't noticed, but then again, I am oblivious a lot.  I just don't see it as any worse than any other day.  In fact, my third son was born on the 13th and I classify that as a pretty darn good day.  Have I had bad Friday the 13ths?  Of course, but I have also had bad Monday the 1sts, Tuesday the 10ths, etc.  So why does Friday the 13th get such a bad rap?  I'll let you look up the history because I really don't want to spend the next few days summarizing it, besides, I am sure the History Channel will have something on it today.  What about you, do you consider Friday the 13th a bad day, or just another Friday?
             Yesterday, I sent a homage out to my dad.  It was what I felt at the time and it hasn't changed.  I feel the need to include my mother though.  You see, she was a role model to me in a different way.  My mom was a registered nurse before she had her first child.  When she became a mother she decided to become a housewife.  For those of you who think that a woman debases herself by becoming a housewife, I wish you could have met her.  By devoting herself to raising her kids and supporting her husband, she taught me that making money is not the only or necessarily best way to support a family.  Being there is even more important.  By shaping your child's life on a day to day basis, you have a hand in making sure that they become a productive and respected part of society.  The idea that men make women slaves by keeping them in the home is ludicrous.  Women who stay at home and raise their kids are showing love of the highest degree.  Think about it.  Love, by definition, is self sacrifice.  This means you put those you love above yourself.  By choosing to place you kids over your own desires, you have shown them what love truly is and I can't think of anything better to teach your kids.
               I say this, not to deride those that chose a career over staying at home, but to point out that the choice to give up a career to raise children is not debasing, but elevating.  My mother continually proved that.  I can't think of a single person mother interacted with that didn't respect her.  The neat thing is, she treated everyone with an equal respect. 
               You don't realize just how much of an influence someone has until they are gone.  You see, my mother died when I was 13.  It was hard on all of us.  But I want to tell you of something that happened 3 years or so before that.  My mom died of abdominal cancer.  She fought it for about three years.  Before that, she had a very active role in our church.  She taught the Shepperd's class, the class for the handicapped, and they loved her.  You could walk by the classroom during Sunday school and hear the joy in their voices.  If you looked in from the back during the lesson, they would listen attentively to her every word, just as she listened to theirs.  She knew each of their names, what made them special, and so much more about each of them.  She was more than a teacher to them, she was their friend.  When she got sick, she had to give up teaching since she was usually weak from the Chemo.  Every week at church, we had her students come up and ask about her and when she would return.  This went on for the entire time she was sick.  A lot of those special students lived in a community for them ten miles from the church and the church sent a van to pick them up every Sunday.  When mom died, we asked if they wanted to come and instead of the usual single 15 passenger van, we had to send 2 on 2 trips.  It seems, that there were quite a few who had come intermittently while mom was teaching and didn't return when she was unable to continue.  They filled three full pews and cried almost as hard as we did.
           Mom's funeral is one of the few times I ever remember our church being filled to overflowing.  You never realize how many people someone touches until they are gone.  The most amazing thing to me happened while I was home on leave a couple of years ago.  I was having a conversation with my brother in law and we were having a frank discussion about our wives.  He told me, "your mom must have been a remarkable woman to have raised such a great wife as my wife.  I can see her strength in your sister and really wish I could have met her."  This blew me away.  Nearly twenty years after her passing, and she is still influencing people and making them want to meet her.  I can only hope that I have half the influence and respect that she did.  Who do I want to see most when I get to heaven?  My mom is at the top of that list.  I hope that the line to meet Jesus is really long so I have that much more time to spend with my mom and introduce her to everyone she has touched. 
              Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

My Dad: The unrecognized role model

            This week keeps getting more expensive.  Yesterday, I found out that it would cost more to fix the dryer than it would cost to buy a new one.  The funny thing is, it is still usable, although annoying to the extreme.  So we are going to save up and buy a new one when the newest models come out (we will by the previous years models on sale).  Hopefully it will last that long. 
             With that in mind it is time to move on to today's topic.  With everything that has been happening, I have realized just how much I learned from my dad.  I have a decent understanding of how septic systems work.  I understand home plumbing and can do a lot of the electrical without getting shocked to bad.  I have a decent understanding of what it takes to run a garden and the list goes on.  I saw a lot of different repairs and projects with my dad and he taught me about most of them.  The funny thing is, I don't remember paying that much attention while they were going on, but I remember the lessons and what they meant. 
               These practical lessons are what has really stuck with me and shaped a lot of what makes my dad to me.  Sure, I remember some of the games we played together, but most of my memories with my dad are centered around jobs I did with him.  Watching him work and his interaction with those he worked for and with, shaped a lot of how I approach things today.  I can't remember dad ever uttering a single cuss word or speaking badly of anyone.  The closest he ever got to talking badly about someone was when he referred to people as characters.  You know, "that guy sure is a character."  You may not have known whether he meant it in a good or bad way, but you knew that whoever he was talking about wasn't playing with a full deck. 
              This isn't to say dad didn't have his opinions, he just kept them to himself unless he was able to make a change.  I can't imagine that anyone could find anything disagreeable about dad if he ran for public office, other than the fact that I don't think he would want the job.  I think the lessons I learned most about dad is, he has that innate ability to make you think about what it is you are going to do and say with out saying a thing.
             Where does that lead me?  It leads me to the conclusion that dad didn't just claim to be a Christian, he lived it.  I can't think of another living person that has had such a quiet influence on my definition of Christian than my dad.  I am not saying that I don't know any other good Christians, just that my dad has shown me that definition his entire life.  Why do I say this now?  Mainly because it has only recently come to my attention.  That's right, I didn't recognize the role model I had growing up until I was trying to be one to my own kids.  Somehow or another, I failed to see that there was the model of what I want to be today trying to pass it on to me as I grew up.  So I guess, what I got to say is, dad, forgive me for ignoring you and thank you for living in God's ways and giving me that example to recognize today.
              OK, I am getting all choked up.  Thank you for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Challenges of Faith

         Today's post is directed at my fellow believers.  While it should come as no surprise that I am a Christian (at least I hope it isn't a surprise), this post is not meant to push you away.  It is just something that I felt the need to say.  I gave that warning so that those of you who have decided that "all things God are wrong" and get angry at the mere mention of religion can be aware of what this post contains.  I would encourage you to read it, but I don't expect it.  It is your choice and one I respect.  Thank you for following my blog.  I hope this doesn't chase you away from it.  Have a great day.  For the rest of you, please read on.
         Things are always the most interesting when you challenge God.  Just a quick hint, God wins...always.  You may think you are winning and that you have proven him wrong, but you need to remember that he knows just how big a fall it takes to bring you to him.  Some of us only need to stub our toe, while others require getting a bit closer to meeting him in person.  Some think that just because God doesn't answer immediately, he isn't going to.  All you have to remember is, God's schedule and your schedule are not necessarily the same.  God has eternity, you don't.
        I always find it funny when my wife gets angry at shows that contradict her beliefs.  At least until I realize that a lot of people are like that.  Of all the things I have learned from the bible, the lesson I find the most interesting is the lesson of patience with others.  Take James, Jesus's brother, for instance.  James refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.  What makes this so amazing is that, of all the people in the world at the time, James knew more about him than anyone.  Yet he refused to believe.  We don't know why, it isn't really pointed out.  It took Jesus's resurrection to convince him.  What this means to me is that God will reveal what he needs to to those that need it when they need it and until that time, they will refuse to believe.  I have to think that of all the people to disbelieve in Jesus, James hurt the most, and yet God was patient.  He knew that once James witnessed the resurrection, that he would realize the truth and become the leader he needed to be.
         It is the same today.  We have to have patience with other people's beliefs.  they just haven't been properly introduced to God.  I am not saying that they need to be physically introduced, that is extreme.  I am saying that we have to have patience and introduce God to them by showcasing what he has done for us.  We have to live in a way that stands out.  If you are blending in and keeping your head down, you are probably not living as Christ wants you to live.  To live as a Christian is to be fundamentally different.  When you make a decision based on your faith, you have to call it that, you can't blame it on your schedule or on your wife.  The best example I can come up with is a topless club.  If a guy asks you to go and you respond with any excuse other than "I believe that is wrong and I refuse to go there," you are being dishonest with the person who asked you and your faith.  That is the hardest thing for you to do,  live in your faith and by what you know is right in a society that redirects the norms toward the immoral. 
       I think the biggest mistake that we as Christians make, is to try and push our beliefs and morals on others through laws and extremist actions.  What I am saying is that, we have to live with in the society and prove that our way is better by living it, not by beating others with it.  There are some things we do need to take a stand on and share our beliefs.  There are somethings we need to help direct laws towards, particularly when it comes to our children.  If something can adversely affect our children and how we raise them, then by all means we need to ensure we push laws to protect them.  Otherwise, we end up driving more people away from the faith than towards it. 
          While we may be passionate about something, we have to be able to argue for our beliefs to the public without basing our arguments on our faith.  While it may be true that our faith is what drives our arguments, today's society has decided that anything faith based is wrong.  What this means is that the instant you mention your faith in an argument, you have lost against a non believer, because at that moment, they have decided you are a religious nut and thus everything you say is based on your beliefs and not rooted in fact.  Regardless of whether or not it is true, that is what they believe.  I know, because I was one of them for many years.  "The bible says it?  Then it is a useless argument, no further action required.  Negate all previous comments."  That is the modern mantra and what I followed until I started looking at the facts.  God brought me around by logic and truth.  Although the bible was involved, it wasn't what ultimately brought me back to God, it was examples set by other Christians through actions and logic.
          The interesting thing in all of this is that I have yet to find a single belief and moral direction in the bible that you can't argue without mentioning the bible.  What I mean is that you can convince nearly anyone that what the bible directs is right and needs to be done without mentioning the bible or God in any way.  Then when you convince them of the biblical standard (without using the bible) you get to see the look on their face when you reveal your source.
          I guess through all this, the main theme is, live your life through faith to the best of your ability and god will take care of you and the rest.  People will judge you on your actions, even if they ignore or dismiss your words.  I believe that your words support your actions, not the other way around.  Actions will always reveal the truth eventually.  You may be real good at hiding that little vice you have, but I guarantee, at some point, someone will discover it and your actions will reveal the truth, or falsehood, of your words. 
      Thank you for reading.  I know that this won't change a lot of minds, but it is what I think needs to be said.  Have a great day.

What did you get?

          We all look at things differently and find that we need direction from time to time.  The question you have to answer is, where do you get that direction from?  Some rely on what feels right.  This may work from time to time, but is hardly reliable.  It may feel right to sit on the couch and do nothing, but it gets you nowhere.  Some rely on past experience.  This is fine as long as the situation is identical to what has previously occurred.  In my experience, things rarely happen the same way twice, and if they do, it is usually because you did something to direct it that way.  Sure we can apply past experience as a guide for what to do, but it in no way ensures success.  In fact, I can't think of anything that ensures success.  I can think of several things that can influence the outcome favorably, but nothing that ensures things will go as you want them.
         I can already feel the response from my pastor coming.  I ask that he note that I said as you want things to go.  Just remember, what you want and what God has planned aren't always the same.  In fact, I find that you stand a better chance of getting what you want when you want what God wants even if you don't know what that is.  It's kinda like Christmas.  You know, that one gift you have no idea what it is because its shape doesn't match anything on your wish list.  You open it and at first you really have no clue what it is or how to use it.  You kinda smile and nod, then give a feeble thanks and set it aside, not really sure what you are going to do with it.  The next morning as you are going through all your gifts and find that you are bored and not really satisfied with what you wanted, you pick up that mystery gift.  You sit there and study it and start to puzzle it out.  Maybe someone comes by and sees what you have and gets all excited.
         "You know what you have there?!" they ask, "its a whatchamacallit.  Check out what it can do."  As you watch them demonstrate all the wonderful uses you become more excited.  Soon, you can't live with out this gizmo that, just yesterday, you had no clue what it was.  You forget about all those gifts you practically bought for yourself because you just had to have them.  That's when you realize that you aren't even sure who gave you that wonderful new gizmo.  Or maybe you do, and that's when you realize that you didn't even think of getting them anything.  You completely forgot about them.
          Is that what your relationship with God is like.  Does he give you a gift that you have no clue how to use or even what it is and you ignore it?  Did you completely forget to thank him for that unexpected gift?  I know I have.  The neat thing is.  God is willing to continue to give and help you.  While some of us my have gotten the proverbial wonder gift from a distant relative and forgot to thank them only to have them drop us from their Christmas list, God will never drop us fro his.  Granted, he may nudge us back to where he wants us to be and sometimes those nudges hurt...a lot, but he never forgets us or abandons us. 
          I am writing this for a few reasons.  Firstly, because I recently received one of those nudges.  You see, of all the shifts I have to work, I hate graves the most.  While on graves, I am in an almost constant state of exhaustion.  I am grouchy most of the time and sleep rather poorly.  To make it even more interesting, I have to perform in our church's production of "Annie!"  This means I have to be alert enough to do my lines and my already bad schedule is no worse.  It made me look at why I was doing this play.  Was I doing it as part of the outreach, or for myself?  I realized, I was doing it for the wrong reasons and that I needed to recenter my life.  Through this, I have rededicated my life to Christ, starting with this play and my attitude while I am in it.  I realize that I have not put forth the effort that I should have and have rededicated myself to it.
            I find that God has the best understanding of when subtle works and when it is time for the megaphone.  Luckily, I responded before the megaphone was necessary.  Where are you?

Weekend update: The camping was fine.

           Great weekend.  It was 4 days of enjoying the sun and communing with fellow Christians.  The park was awesome and the weather perfect.  The boys had a great time and we never once heard them say they were bored (at least not until the ride home).  Now we just need to prep the camper for winter storage and clean up.  We started yesterday, but it will probably take a few days to get it fully unpacked and cleaned.  We did manage to give the boys hair cuts as well as baths.  All in all, we are all feeling great after a wonderful weekend.
           I have to say that the biggest thing I got out of this trip was the testimonies and the evidences of God's work.  I had many discussions with my fellow campers and they were always productive.  One of the topics we touched on was how God makes it easy to believe what we want.  After all, he did say, "Seek and ye shall find."  Although many Christians take this to mean seek God and you will find him, we came to the consensus (I am pretty sure it is accurate as well) that this meant that what ever you seek you will find.  I had some help in this from reading Lee Strobel's "A Case for Faith."  God has given us every evidence we need to prove his existence, if we seek that proof.  He has also given us enough evidence to disprove himself to a certain degree if we choose that direction.  What I find even more interesting though, is that if you keep digging into proof that God doesn't exist, you eventually reach the point where you have disproved your proof and have to start again.  Most people that I have ran into stop when they have enough proof to satisfy themselves and stop looking.  As a Christian, I keep finding more and more proof of God's existence and have yet to find that point where my proof is disproved. 
            We also found that those that decide to prove that God doesn't exist have their reasons for doing so.  These range from not wanting to admit they are sinners to the understanding that if they admit God exists that they have to give up the life and beliefs they currently hold.  To quote Pastor Barry, "A faith that requires little to nothing is a little to nothing faith."  I was among the sinners who didn't want to give up what he had.  The problem was I believed in God, I just chose to ignore what I needed to do to have that closer walk with him.  Once I gave that up, I found that I had less stress, I had a closer relationship to my wife and kids, and I was happier overall.  I am not saying it is easy.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  Turns out, the sin nature is quite the strong and determined little beast.  I have to be ever diligent to keep from cussing or getting involved in looking at things I shouldn't.  I have to fight the fight daily to keep from doing the things I used to do.  I don't always win, but it is easier now to admit them to God and be brought back.  It is just the way it is. 
          Thank you for letting me ramble today and giving me some of your time.  Have a wonderful day and keep your chin up.  Every bad day ends and a good day is sure to come (we can hope anyway.)

Tragedy and compassion.

            I am so excited.  This weekend is the final camping weekend of the year and I get to spend it with my church family.  Should be a great time.  We still have a lot to do to get the camper packed and I still have shopping to do, but We are so close.
            Now it is time to get serious.  For a couple of weeks I have been keeping a secret my sister asked me to keep (Sis, if you read this and I am wrong on anything, please let me know and keep the updates coming).  I kept it off of the Internet, for reasons I will detail below, but shared it verbally with my church and friends here.  My younger sister and her family is going through a really rough time.  They live in an area that has a high gang population.  My brother in law is the pastor of a church in the middle of this area.  The gangs there have decided they don't like the fact that he is offering alternatives to gang life and have decided that he needs to leave.  He is of a different mind.  What began with midnight calls and knocking on the door and running, escalated to texts with direct threats against their sons.  They went to the police and were told that the mayor didn't want the police to address the gang issue as it would draw attention to it and thus hurt tourism.  Due to the threats and inactivity of the local police, my sister was forced to leave her home with her children while things, hopefully, cooled down.  This left my brother in law alone with his ministry.  To make it worse, after my sister left, the house and church were both tagged with gang graffiti.  Then my brother in law had a log thrown at him from a moving car.  The log struck him in the jaw, knocking loose some teeth.  While he was lucky his jaw wasn't broken, he now needs a root canal that he can't afford due to various reasons.  As before, the police are still silent on this. 
         Now for the reason I kept this silent until now.  When my sister went to the police the first time, they saw an increase in the threatening activity, including pictures of her boys sent to her via text with threats accompanying them.  For this reason, she wanted the story and her location kept off the Internet as she was afraid of reprisal.  These gangs have not relented and my sister and her family are at the end of their ropes.  The reason I chose to write this today is because, she finally felt comfortable enough to share it via Face Book yesterday.   They need whatever support you can give them and I send them my prayers daily.
        I need to add that I have the deepest respect and love for my sister and brother in law.  Through out this the thought of giving up on their mission and leaving the church for their own safety has been the last thing they want.  If not for their boys, I believe the both of them would still be out there and spreading God's love.  If there is any Christian you should look up to, my sister and her husband are two of the best.  Sis, I love you and wish I could be there for you.  Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.
       

Weekend update with a side of wow.

         I started my story site yesterday.  I hope those of you that found it enjoyed it.  I should be able to add to it today as I am the late guy.  I have an Idea of where it is going, just no idea how it is going to get there.  Hopefully, I can get there in an interesting manner.
         Since I didn't give a report on the weekend yesterday, let me get you caught up.  The weekend was an interesting one.  It started off with a party for my work at a nearby park.  The kids had a blast and we all managed to have a wonderful time.  We then went to a church rally to prepare for Sunday's serving day.  We called it "The Church Has Left the Building."  On Sunday, there were no actual services.  Instead a majority of the church (over 400 volunteers) went out into the community to serve.  The church did things like cleaning up yards in an older community, cleaning up a cemetery, a positive protest at the local base (we held signs that thanked the service members for their service and cheered for them), and we also had a free car wash.  I was at the car wash from 12:30 until around 4:30 and we washed 83 cars in just the afternoon (the morning crew only did 80).  It was amazing to see the looks on peoples faces when we told them it was completely free, no donations allowed (we strictly enforced that bit).  It was a great time.  Even the kids got into it.  There is something to be said for serving the community.
        And that was the weekend.  This week should be interesting.  We need to get ready for our final camping trip of the year.  We need to make sure the camper is packed and we have everything we need.   We have to do this around a busy schedule and we don't even have our meals planned so we know what food we need to take.  In all, it should be fun.  Not much else to say.  If you have a chance, keep an eye out for the link to my other blog "Joe's Story time" and take a gander.  I tried to make it one post per page so you can read the story in order.  As always, thanks for reading, and come again.

Manic Monday: Islam Vs Christianity

     So many issues, so little time.  Today on Manic Monday, I think I will discuss a few things that caught my eye in the news.  Two stories on the KOMO news web site caught my eye and they are related in a way.  The first is about a Muslim man who felt he was being discriminated against by the border patrol and the second is covering a quote from a potential presidential candidate who says that communities have a right to ban mosques.  The thing that really caught my eye was the parallels in the comments.  This post will dwell primarily on those parallels vice the subject matter of the articles since the discussions from each forum tend to cover most arguments (thought they tend to denigrate to Christian/religion bashing).
      The first thing that caught my eye were the repeated references to terrorism and the following replies that Christianity had done the same.  The fact is that, while their were the crusades and the inquisition, in context of the times, all religions (or peoples for that matter) were pretty much at war and it was the accepted means of resolving disputes (and the side that had the church backing them was considered more right, unfortunately).  I am not saying that it made it right, I am merely putting it in perspective.  This is further complicated by the arguments of the core of religions. 
        At some point, any discussion of Muslims eventually leads to someone pointing out that the Quaran (spelling?) directs killing of unbelievers.  This inevitably leads to someone pointing out that the bible does as well.  The fact is that the Christian bible doesn't.  The quote used recently to point out that it does was Leviticus 24:15 & 16.  This line of reasoning is flawed.  Firstly, Islam directs you to hunt out non-believers and kill them whereas these particular verses are directed towards blasphemers.  This means that unless you directly blaspheme God (Def.: To speak of, or address, with impious irreverence; to revile impiously (anything sacred) or in clearer terms: to attribute to God that which is contrary to his nature, and does not belong to him, and to deny what does or it is a false reflection uttered with a malicious, design of reviling god).  In other words, if you don't mock God with evil intent you are safe from the Jewish community, whereas Islam, just not believing and following Islam is death.  The reason I stated Jewish instead of Christian is this, the New testament is the driving force for Christians.  The Old Testament is the basis and background for the New Testament and is the Christian copy of the Torah (Hebrew bible).  The primary set of rules is for Christians is in the New Testament as it is the teachings of Christ (you know, the guy we are named for).  The difference is that as Christian, we are taught (or should be) that your sin is between you and God and it is not our place to punish you for it.  We can call you out on it and show you where you went wrong, but it is between you and God.  Don't get me wrong, there are also directions in there for dealing with repeat offenders, but if you read closely, you find that the most severe punishment in the New Testament that Christians are to impose is kicking the sinner out of the Church and then only after many attempts to keep them in (at least that's how I read it).  I may have missed something as I am not a Theologist by any stretch of the imagination, so I welcome any further additions you have.  I can hear some of you already, what about the laws in our society?  They serve a purpose which is to prevent society from being overran by the lawless and, while some may be based on biblical principles, they are generally man made. 
          I can't blame a lot of people for their stance on religion.  There are a lot of hypocrites out there after all.  I turned away from religion for many years myself for that reason.  Luckily, I found a place that taught and followed the bible and has allowed me to follow what I believe.  For those of you who have been disenfranchised by hypocritical churches and Christians, and I am sorry.  You shouldn't have had to deal with that.  I can't help but think that those of us who try our hardest to live as Christians should are hurt the most but those who claim to be Christians and yet don't act it.  That's my two cents for the day.  Whether you agree or not.  I enjoy hearing from you.  Thank you.

Manic Monday: Contextual Quotes

     This week end we took the boys camping for the first time this season.  As we were setting up, I discovered that I had no power in the camper.  The same problem I had that led me to drop $200 to have a new battery installed.  I was devastated.  My camper didn't work and I had just dropped a lot of money to get it fixed.  Because I now knew that the battery was good (yes, I checked, they did give me a new one), I decided to do some trouble shooting.  As I started tracing the wires from the battery I found something interesting.  The two red wires coming from the battery (yes, two red wires) were connected to each other.  I also discovered that the two black wires coming from the camper (yes, two black wires) were also connected to each other.  After some simple deduction, I disconnected the black and red wires ate their connectors and connected one red to the black with the appropriate connector and repeated with the remaining wires.  Low and behold, I had power. 
         Luckily, my wife was very nice about it and simply said, "are you done setting it up yet?" 
         Of course I was, but I wasn't about let the sheer idiocy I was feeling ruin the weekend so I just replied, "yes, dear" as any good husband does.  The rest of the weekend went well.  The boys enjoyed themselves and my wife and I are worn out.  So all in all, a typical camping weekend.

         Now for the part you've either been waiting for, or dreading, Manic Monday.  Today I am going to be talking context.  The society we live in today loves using things that sound the way they want it to sound.  It is nothing new, it has been done for millennia  One political or religious figure, will use one particular phrase from some source and as it is written it will sound just like he wants it to sound.  When someone quotes something to you, get the source and read the entire passage.  Sometimes, if you read the entire passage, you find that the original quote means the opposite of what it sounded like.  We have all seen this happen in some circumstances.  The problem comes when we perpetuate it.  We may not do it intentionally, but we have done it.  I have as well.  You know what I am talking about, you hear a seemingly controversial quote and you pass it on.  Either because you agree with it, or because you want to hear others agree with you that it is wrong.  But did you hear the entire quote?  Was the quote you read meant to be a stand alone quote, or was it part of an entire passage?  Think on it.  The next time you are planning on passing on a quote you heard, look it up.  Read the entire passage.  You may be surprised.
           Why am I writing this?  Over the past few months my  Sunday school class has been going over the book of Ephesians in the new testament.  The last couple of weeks we have been looking at just such a verse.  By itself and out of context, it has been used incorrectly for centuries and has pushed many away from the church and religion.  The verse is Ephesians 5:22.  I challenge you to read it and look at the context.  Compare the words in the original Greek with how they were translated.  Look at the entire chapter.  Find similar areas and expand on it.  Look at the area and era for which it was written.  Time and area play a huge part in context.  Abraham Lincoln himself used the word negro many times.  The difference is that in his time, it wasn't an insult, it was how the African American community was categorized.  Where we say black or colored, in the 1800's they used that word.  Thus time and area play a huge role in context.  I think sometimes we forget this.  Just something to think about. 

New feature: Manic Monday. (warning political and religious content) The Bible VS. Gay Marriage.

  I've decided that I've avoided hot button issues long enough.  So I give you Manic Mondays.  Once a week I will go ahead and rant on whatever happens to be bothering me at the time. 

    Today I am going to talk about gay marriage VS The Bible.  This is a quick rundown on what I believe.  It is not all inclusive, but the basis of my beliefs.  This is probably the hottest issue we have today and it continues to haunt us.  The catalyst for this discussion today, is the fact that New York state just recently passed a law allowing gay marriage.  The thing that really disgusts me is the arguments used against us Christians.

    I recall having this discussion with one of my FB friends a while ago.  At the time I was not as well read on the subject and was unable to effectively counter his arguments as I always operate on the rule that if I can't back it up with my own research, then I shouldn't say it.  His argument was that the bible doesn't expressly forbid gay marriage nor homosexuality and thus Christians had no basis for argument.  To further compound this is the fact that I continue to see time and again where the bible has been skewed with the gay community stating that God loves them and thus it's OK.  While it is true that God loves them, God loves all sinners and will readily forgive and love any sinner who confesses his sin and honestly seeks to come to him.  So yes, in that sense, God loves gays, just as he loves all sinners, this doesn't mean that he will ever condone the sin.  As for the argument that the bible doesn't forbid homosexuality, that too is wrong.  I give you:

1 Timothy 1:8-11

New International Version (NIV)

⁸ We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. ⁹ We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine ¹¹ that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

There are other examples but that is the clearest.  As for Gay marriage the answer isn't as clear.  The bible doesn't come out and say directly no gay marriage.  It does, however, point directly to marriage being between a man and a woman.  Every passage I have ever read in the bible that refers to marriage (and I have read nearly all of them), refers to husband and wife.  Since the idea that any sex can be husband or wife is a recent development (I would guess the 1960's at the earliest), the argument that this can mean gay marriage is OK is invalid.  That would be like implying that when Shakespeare said to light the fags in one of his plays he was meaning to burn the gays.  It's just silly.  To retroactively apply a modern (albeit twisted) definition of a term to a past document to attain a desired meaning is not only dishonest, but blatantly wrong.  Thus, the arguments that the bible is not against gay marriage and homosexuality is flawed at it's most basic sense. 

   If there is one thing where the bible is most clear, it is the issue of sex.  Throughout the entire bible, sex is reserved for marriage.  The bible is very clear that, within the confines of marriage, sex is a beautiful and wonderful thing that should be shared intimately and often.  Since the bible states that marriage is between a husband and wife (male and female), this means that sex should only be between a man and a woman who are married.  Note that I didn't say married couple, I said man and woman who are married.  Since sex outside of marriage is wrong and only a man and woman can be husband and wife and husband and wife are male and female, not only is gay marriage wrong so is gay sex.  For these reasons, I cannot and will not condone gay marriage.  Sorry if this has offended anyone, but it is how I feel on this issue.  If you have an argument that is biblical based, please present it.  I do not do this out of hate nor will I come and protest at your wedding.  I will not preach hate to get my message across, I will simply pass on God's love for you.  May god bless and watch over you. 

The Trio of faith miracles, science, and knowledge.

    So There has been a recent discussion that has been weighing on my mind.  A friend of mine on Face book, who is a staunch Atheist, called the bible a fable and fairy tale based on a few of the stories (Jonah and the whale for example).  He automatically dismissed them and thus the entire bible.  Normally, this wouldn't bother me that much as I believe that people have the right to believe as they wish and that it is better to lead by example rather than by pushing.  Anyway, this time it really irked me.  I now realize why.  It wasn't so much the unbelief, it was the fact that he was willing to dismiss the entire bible out of hand. 
     For those of you who have chosen not to believe in God, here is my issue.  You claim that there is no evidence of God.  Then, when a writing that has been verified through archeology and other non religious texts (yes, I am describing the bible) to be accurate in many details, it is dismissed out of hand for several passages that have no naturalistic explanation and thus "could not have happened". 
      Think on this.  If every act of God had a Naturalistic explanation, what kind of God would he be?  On the other hand, if an event has no naturalistic explanation and can be proven that no naturalistic explanation exists, would this not prove the existence of a supernatural event?  In other words, the supernatural events that you dismiss as false because they couldn't happen naturally are proof to the believer of God's existence.  When you dismiss the supernatural explanation, you dismiss God.  I guess the meat and potatoes is this, if you can't accept that a God exists, then you can't accept the existence of the supernatural.  Thus, the supernatural never happened and any mention of it nullifies anything associated with it. 
       Now for the flip side.  Not everything is a supernatural event.  What this means is that there is much that science can explain and should.  All to often, we as Christians are to willing to jump on the God did it band wagon and dismiss all scientific research.  There is ample scientific evidence for many things and thus a supernatural explanation is not required.  To try and apply a supernatural explanation to things that science has adequately explained and proven is to live in ignorance. 
       Just because you are a scientist, doesn't mean you have to give up God.  And just because you are religious, doesn't mean you have to give up science.  The two are not mutually exclusive.  In fact they enhance each other.  God encourages us to ask questions and seek answers.  " ⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. " Matthew 7.  This applies to many things, not just the search for God.  I have found that when I study the sciences, I find God more and more.  This doesn't mean that when I find something I don't understand, I stop and say "God did it."  It just spurs me on to find out more.  How can I believe that random chance is responsible for all the increasing complexities I see in nature.  The balance that exists is awe inspiring.  Then there is the fact that I can appreciate the beauty that is in nature and that nature is in fact beautiful.  More beautiful than is necessary for naturalistic functions.  God and science are not mutually exclusive and do not cancel each other, they only enhance each other.
    In all, I guess that my real problem with his remarks wasn't so much with his disbelief, as with how I reacted.  I allowed myself be angered by it and rather than studying up on what I should say, I ignored the post and let it stew.  This was wrong and it I apologize for it.  He is entitled to his beliefs and I only hope that he can forgive me my attitude.  Than you for allowing me to rant on this.  I look forward to any comments you may have.

Thoughts on evolution and faith.

     There are so many things that go through my head on any given day that I sometimes have trouble choosing a topic to go with.  Today, I think I will go with one that has been tearing at me for a while.  I have several atheist friends on facebook who are rather verbose in there anti-religion stance.  One even went so far as to call Christians, "narrow minded, bigoted, hypocrites."  It bugs me that this is his opinion.  I can see his point of view with some of the posts from some of his other supposed Christian friends though.  I just wish people would spend a few minutes and think about what they are saying before they say it.  I allow things to go as they will and let my friends lead the conversation for the simple fact that if I attack first, which is what bringing up contentious subjects seems like, then they are less likely to listen.  I am waiting on many topics.  As I mentioned in previous posts, I have been reading Lee Strobel's series of books.  I have finished "A Case for Christ" and "A Case for Faith" and am now reading "A Case for a Creator."  They are all wonderful books and use genuine facts and quotes to answer many of the tougher questions about Christianity.
  
      The current book has been a real eye opener as far as evolution goes.  All I gotta say is I now admire the faith someone has to believe in evolution.  If Christians had that much faith in God, we would be unstoppable.  Of the "facts" of evolution discussed in just the first 2 chapters, many have been debunked since before the 60s.  The sad part is, many textbooks still tout them as facts.  I am not done with the book, in fact the current chapter is about how science and religion are not opposites or even separate, but can lift each other up.  I encourage any of my atheist friends who are reading this to actually do some research and look up the truth behind the "facts" of evolution.  If you still feel that evolution is a fact, we can discuss it by sharing our facts and what we find.  I will not say that I am an expert, but I have my research, which is why I say do your own as it is easy to claim other people's research is tainted when you haven't looked at the subject yourself.  I also ask that we concentrate on the evolution discussion first as attacking another theory is not a defense for the original theory.

      That being said, I had a wonderful weekend.  The Sunday service was awesome and motivating.  I know I have areas in my life that I need to improve upon and I will work on it.  I was able to cook breakfast and dinner for my wife and mother in law.  As I mentioned on my last post, my wife already has her Mother's Day gift.  Amazingly enough, we had a wonderful day in spite of the rain.  Have a wonderful day and I look forward to any comments.

Birthers, Beliefs, and blessings.

     So, there have been a lot of posts and news on this whole Obama birth certificate thing.  The fact is that in order to become president you have to have been born a US citizen.  This means that you are born to US citizens or born on US soil legally (read amendment 14).  The other side is, the president of the US has one of the highest security clearances in the land.  In order to get it he has to pass a background check while he is running.  If you think that the pentagon, CIA, NSA, or any of the other intelligence agencies are just going to allow anyone with a checkbook run for president without verifying their citizenship, you are horribly mistaken.  I guarantee, that his citizen ship and eligibility to be president were verified long before he started campaigning since he was a senator before he ran.  For those of you on the side of drop it all ready, I am with you.  The down side is that the "birthers" won't.  They are like any other group of people who believe something.  They will always find someway to question what is presented no matter what the truth is.  Terry Goodkind put it best in "Wizard's First Rule".  "People will believe almost anything, either because they want it to be true, or they are afraid it is.  "

      The downside of that is that we each have our beliefs and are not easily swayed from them.  In this day and age, there is a mountain of information and all of it can be contradicted by an expert.  Take the God and Christianity debate.  As a Christian, I have read all kinds of proof for why the Bible is reliable, Jesus existed, God exists, etc.  This supports what I believe and at times I catch myself thinking, "How can anyone believe otherwise?"  Then I receive a little understanding.  They believe otherwise because they want to.  They will argue that it can only be right for hundreds of reasons.  And of course, there is plenty of evidence out there for both sides.  I can find as many arguments and answers to arguments as the atheist can and the fact remains that we will still end up believing what we want and just end up alienating each other.  What it really comes down to is what do you want to believe.

    As I reread what I just wrote, I realize it seems like I am trying to placate my non-Christian friends.  I really am not.  All I am saying is that with free will, we are allowed to believe as we will.  My belief in God says that to not believe in him and thus reject him is to condemn oneself and thus I will do as I can to bring others to my beliefs.  I must, however, temper this with the knowledge that not all will believe.  Why?  Because if God forced all to believe, there would be no free will and without free will, how can we truly love him?  Love must, by definition, be a choice.  Thus, while God didn't create evil, he must allow it as to remove the option for us to do it, removes free will.  This means that, by giving us free will, he gave us the ability to hurt him, and we did.  While I wish that my atheist friends would see what I see and come to God, I also recognize the free will God granted them and can only try to persuade them and recognize that until they choose to come to God, they will believe as they will for whatever reason.

     For my Christian friends, please, think before you speak.  When you condemn non-Christians for their belief, you try to usurp God's authority.  This is what God meant when he said judge not less ye be judged.  Only God has the right to judge the condition of someones heart.  Have friendly discussions.  Live the Christian life.  Study the Bible and live it to the best of your ability.  If you live as a Christian, you become the best testimony.  As my local pastor said, "if you proclaim to be a Christian and act like everyone you live with, what would make anyone around you think that being a Christian means anything?  If you live as a true Christian should, you will bring others to you as they notice a difference in your life."  Let others believe as they will.  Show them what God said, but if they reject what you have to say, let them go and witness through how you live your life.  This is what being a Christian means.  Respecting others means respecting their beliefs and wishes as well as their property.  Be a witness through actions, not just words.  God bless.