Bathing in Its Illusory Beauty

     We have missed a couple of Sundays lately---camping trip at Sam A. Baker, Jan's family's annual reunion, and our own family's getaway to the Smokies---and it was very special to be back in our church today.  Cole gets baptized [in the creek] this coming Sunday. Our pastor is a very fine speaker who seems dedicated to expounding the Word.  I found being in the worship service especially touching today.

     The serenity and inspiration in all of God's vistas awaken in me a recognition of my emptiness without Him in my life and my dependence on Him if I'm to be any kind of a decent human being at all.  The awesome quality of His universe is indeed thrilling! Awareness of that fearsome power and intent humbles me, yet assures me of my God's glory, goodness, justness, and power.

     Faith is truly childlike, yet also remarkably supernatural.  It is a "leap" in a sense, but can also be a "simple baby's step."  In and of itself, it is not intellectual or emotional---it is a willed motion, deed, activity. Modern culture has little or no room for or acceptance of faith as a motivation or causation, and so I believe God will soon intervene in some dramatic fashion---to reassert to mankind that He is the legitimate Creator.  I don't know this; I have no prophetic knowledge.  But, we seem to have embraced sin completely, bathing in its illusory beauty. 

     Oh, well.  I don't know much of anything for sure even after years of trying to understand . . . and I now traipse about inconsequentially.  So, in the spirit of "silence is golden," I will stop.

Our Sated Egos

     What a wonderful six days of vacation:  the Smokies---Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, waterfalls, Clingman's Dome, hikes, a round of golf that was better than expected, Cade's Cove! And a five-bedroom, three-story cabin with a breathtaking view from the very top of a mountain with every member of our family there; I say: God has blessed me and blessed us!       
     Now, I'm thinking about the less fortunate.  I don't feel guilty about this; I just don't quite understand the mystery behind the blessings of God. Some people [like me] seem so blessed while others suffer amid continual turmoil and trouble.  I try to live a Christ-centered life, but inevitably, some days I'm more successful than others.  I do try to bless other people, but too often I don't recognize ways or opportunities to do so. Helping can be very difficult.

      Why does God bless some more than others? Because He chooses to and simply said the choice is His.  Not because we are somehow worthy of His gifts.  The serenity of the panoramas from the balcony of that vacation cabin were special gifts from God that I recognized as such.

   Is our goal in life personal gain and happiness? Is our purpose and truth equivalent to our sated egos? Or is our life here about conforming to the image of Christ Jesus---impossible, but our goal all the same? Are material and physical benefits the real and only indications of God's goodness? Consider the setbacks, failures, illnesses, and disappointments of Christ's followers down through the centuries. God truly is always good---despite whether we as individuals are happy or not with our lot.
       Man!  Was that one super vacation! Despite spending too much time in the car driving, I'm so thankful for this time away with my family. Thank you, God, for this blessing. Hopefully, we can do it again before too long.

All This Nonsense

     I have a friend who recently retired and now is suddenly plagued with rheumatoid arthritis. We all recognize that life holds its unexpected [actually not-so-unexpected] surprises.  In the proverbial blink of an eye, one's whole life can be upset. Such agitation can challenge our faith.
       I'm almost 70 now.  I've seen a lot of things in my life.  I've seen many attitude changes in my culture.  I cannot understand how or why the people of this country have so passively accepted some of the warped developments of late!  My God cannot be happy with us right now. Squishing Christianity into some super-tolerating, sweet-Jesus, all-is-love, accept-anything-and-everything bottle completely ignores the Just God (and much of Scriptures). Sure, we are to love---but, a just God must execute justice, by definition.  While at the same time, He loves each of us and sinners as well. He is the active agent. I really don't understand this, but I do fear many are going to regret in good time many of their current activities.
       However, God will do what God will do . . . and it is most certainly not ultimately my concern. Thank goodness!  But, my faith is not going to be challenged by all this nonsense (nor am I going to continue to live under great stress); I'm going to strive to serve my God as best I can, and others are going to have to face their own ramifications for not doing so.  I do want my friend's rheumatoid arthritis to be lessened. I do want lawlessness to be reined in. I do want my loved ones to live in a safer world.  
       So, my weapon of choice henceforth will be prayer---accelerated, intense prayer. Paul contended that without faith we could not please God (Hebrews 11) and with faith we have bold and confident access to Him (Ephesians 3).  James proclaimed that the prayers of a righteous person can accomplish much (James 5). Jesus Himself marveled at our unbelief (Mark 6).  Beyond all of these ideas, Jesus asserted that if we did not doubt in our hearts, anything could be granted us (Mark 11). This is not to suggest a rags-to-riches application for prayer, but a much more intimate relationship with God through the intercession of Jesus Christ.  Perhaps, God has stopped listening (Psalms 66, Jeremiah 14, Lamentations 3, Micah 3).  I pray not. Perhaps, He doesn't like our motives (James 4). Pray first for Jesus' mediation.
       So, keep the faith, baby!
       

. . . just ain't gonna happen

     We've been very busy with our mundane, but grand activities:  working at rental house, camping, maintaining the swimming pool, yard work, and watching grandkids.  Yes, grandkids---and they inspire this post.  I look at them in worry and wonder, just what awaits them in life?  While we were away camping (and not paying attention to national affairs), the Supreme Court authorized same-sex marriage in all 50 states and further supported Obama(mis)care. Lately, there's the greater acceptance of the warped activities of trans-genders which could directly affect their daily lives.  So, the progressives and activists celebrate these changes as victories, while I see them as a slipping-away of my life-values (biases they would say) and as degradation and threats to the well-being of my grandkids' futures.

     Don't picture me as some mean-spirited, ugly, hate-spewing monster, friends.  I'm far from that I hope---perhaps, a bit weak in your concept of tolerance and in great need, no doubt, of God's help in the area of compassion and mercy.  However, your need for my approval of your sins  just ain't gonna happen. Your emotional and intellectual arguments, your tendency to bully me over to your view, will always play second-fiddle to God's orchestra, only to be heard in His Word, the Bible.  (Wow, this loony-tune even referred to that outdated bible!)  I only mentioned a few of man's sins and weaknesses earlier.  There's an entire host of them. I know, for I'm guilty of my fair share of them.

     But, please don't be a total hypocrite!  Just because you have no moral compass except your own ego, don't presume that I shouldn't choose some other ethical guide than yours. Give me my elbow room, too.  Legal isn't necessarily Moral.  And, please, question for yourself whether you now have the right to stomp all over me and mine. Yep, I worry about the futures of my grandkids.  God forgive us all.

     

Emptiness and the Longing for God

       Remember those times in your life when you've felt emptiness?  No, don't lay claim to them---they might indicate some psychological disorder or they might suggest you are too emotionally inclined.  Just keep busy, instead . . . and quiet. There have been times when with all the activity and people and blessings of life, even I have felt empty.  

     Right now, for example.  In my older age. I have more time, occasionally, to reflect.  My discovery is that life has its tangible, palpable moments, but life also has its unfathomable holes. Sometimes, I'm "waiting for death"---the erasure of oneself from this temporal world---albeit, with a very real Christian faith and hope of a joy and reward in the spiritual world. Other times I'm occupying myself somewhat intensely with physical and material, earthly actions and reactions. But, eventually, though not overly often, the emptiness will return---I believe that it is an integral part of the human experience [the longing for God] and all people encounter it at different levels and respond to it in various ways.
       One of those ways has always irritated me.  It becomes most visible in our pretenses . . . our veneers, our charades, our cloaks.   Affectation is everywhere about us today; you can't be alive without  having to deal with it.  The whole "political correctness" concept perfectly displays it---not being able to call things what they actually are or to use certain words in our communication. Matthew 23:5-7 catches the gist of the trend:  "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men." Yeah, I know, overlook the tassels.  Hypocrisy rules---some believe it hides them somehow from those moments of emptiness.
       Another way some people deal with emptiness is hate.  But, that's a topic for another day.  I'd leave you with this:  Embrace the emptiness; it just might bring you closer to God !  Hey, read that sentence one more time before you leave me.
  
       

   

Privacy: 21st Century Drop-Out

     My wife says that after several stopovers in the hospital and giving birth to four children, privacy has a different meaning for her than it did before. I can't say; I've never had those experiences. But, I know that you, and TV cameras, are not welcome in my bathroom or bedroom---probably several other places. However, if my goal in life were to destroy as many people as I possibly could, I suppose society and government could justify their need to enter into any and almost all aspects of my life. Therein lies the perplexity.  I don't know. Go talk to Orwell, Huxley, or Kafka.

     Delineating what is private and what is public is not at all clear-cut. Surveillance cameras follow great portions of our activities; our telephone calls may be audited; our internet activity serves to provide data for various persons and agencies. So, where are we? Some of the snooping seems simply dirty and malevolent; some of it makes perfect sense. I'm presuming that millions of records, including calls, emails, downloads, texts, retail receipts, bank balances, credit card numbers, medical records, even our travel plans, are being monitored on any given day. I certainly hope and pray that the possessors of this knowledge are not tyrannically inclined.

     I have no solutions to this difficulty we face, but I still know a few things certainly: You're not welcome in my bathroom with me, you're not welcome in my bedroom with me, you're not welcome to scrutinize any of my other actions without absolutely convincing reasons. And even with such stringent guides, the ones doing that tracking must be honorable and worthy humans. Anything less is entirely unacceptable.

     I would like to conclude with this:  I am the boss of my house (life, etc.) and I have my wife's permission to say this. Get it? Nobody, nor nothing else, could give me such privilege, well, except God, who I believe is really the Boss.
      
         
          

       

Pure, Sweet Water and Feculence

       Recently, one of my sons bought a rental house in a small town here in Southeast Missouri.  My wife and I have been helping him in any way we can to get it ready to rent out.  The price was necessarily low; so the product was small and in disrepair . . . but most notably, absolutely filthy with a gagging odor of dog urine saturating everything.  I spent large parts of two days on my hands and knees scouring the commode and bathtub.  We have since been told by neighbors that the lady who lived there had three kids and fourteen dogs living with her.

         I have at times in the past proclaimed that "people just do the best they can" (usually in my most pious voice and suggesting a certain latent forgiveness on my part for their failures and one's need to overlook their weaknesses).  I don't consider myself somehow a candidate for a blue ribbon in cleanliness; I'm often a bit lazy I suppose in that category---but, good grief, the feculence (sweet word) of this place was horrendous.

          How could someone live in these conditions?  I'm sure socio-economic and psychological explanations abound in answer to that question---at least, explaining  a possible necessity on the part of many people to so live.  However, in this case, there was running water---pure, sweet water!   And, you know, after dealing with this mess, I just don't feel very forgiving.  (Don't know if you can tell or not, but I'm trying diligently to be politically correct here.)  Perhaps, our current culture spends too much time forgiving people's failures and not enough time encouraging them to have higher expectations of themselves.
          As an educator, I spent many hours quietly influencing students to have higher and higher goals for themselves--one of the greater accomplishments I had (many of my fellow teachers likewise sought that outcome).  Many of those students  have gone on to success, it seems to me, in almost every area of their lives because they accepted that summons as teenagers.  I certainly pray that none of them are living in filthy, smelly little houses unwilling to "clean up" their act!  That would be a mighty sorrow for me.