Mission trip ahead

Joye and I met with our missions director last night to begin preparation for a trip to Kenya in February. We will be traveling with a group from our church to train pastors and layman in Kenya. We have a lot to do as we prepare with only two months until we leave. May I ask for your prayers as we get ready for this great opportunity to spend time with believers in Africa?

Ironic and funny

A few days ago I mentioned the sign posted in the Washington state capital building. It was stolen, but later found and posted once more.

The intent of the sign was to "counter" the nativity display across the lobby. Here is what was funny, it's a quote from those who posted this sign-

"The incident will not stifle the group's message, Gaylor said. Before reports of the placard's recovery, she said a temporary sign with the same message would be placed in the building's Rotunda. Gaylor said a note would be attached saying, "Thou shalt not steal.""

What's really funny to me, and rather ironic, is that the note attached, "Thou shalt not steal." is part of the commands of God himself....the God they deny exists. How ironic that to keep their sign of protest against God they must use his very words to protect their right to deny him....I'm smiling about how silly they look.

The loss of sighing

Isa 51:11 So the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, And everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

..........

I read this passage a few weeks ago and have been thinking about it for a while. The part of the verse that caught my attention was the very last few words- "sighing will flee away."

..........

Why sighing? What does this say about the very act of sighing? I found this definition of sighing, it might help in our discussion-

.........

"Sighing, Sigh\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sighed; p. pr. & vb. n. Sighing.]

.............

1. To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual, and immediately expel it; to make a deep single audible respiration, especially as the result or involuntary expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow, or the like.

..........

2. Hence, to lament; to grieve.
He sighed deeply in his spirit. --Mark viii. 12.

................

3. To make a sound like sighing.
And the coming wind did roar more loud, And the sails did sigh like sedge. --Coleridge.
The winter winds are wearily sighing. --Tennyson."

.................

Sighing is a sign of a negative thing, a sound of fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow and loss. It's an audible expression of loss and frustration. Sighing will flee away.....there will be a day when all fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow and loss will end and there will never again be a day when I will need to sigh, a day when I will hear another sigh from loss or frustration. I can't imagine that new reality where sighing will not ever be expressed again, not ever be needed again, but I can't wait......I can't wait for that day when this very expression of living in a fallen world will end....I can't wait.....sigh.

.............

Growing chairs...what a great idea!

"In 1986 Peter had the idea of growing a chair. Nine years later Peter and Becky became partners. Pooktre was born. Together they have mastered the art they call Pooktre, which is the shaping of trees as they grow in predetermined designs. Some are intended for harvest to be high quality indoor furniture and others will remain living art."

Finally, a new idea! I love it. Now your lawn furniture can be made from the lawn itself.

The arrogance of fools

There is a poster on display in the Washington state capitol building. It's an interesting statement of "faith", or maybe I should say lack of faith. It's arrogant, and foolish. Here is what it says-

.................

"At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail.

There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell.

There is only our natural world.

Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

....................

Whether those who made this poster know it or not it is a statement of faith, it is an absolute statement of faith. What's most interesting to me is that this statement of faith is based on no evidence, no experience, no facts at all.....only a dogmatic "belief" that this is true. It's a statement that shouts, "I will not believe, I will not believe...there is no God, I will not be accountable to him...I'm the master of my own fate." And as they stomp their feet in protest to God's rule he rules anyway. The bible clearly says, "The fool has said in his heart, 'there is no god!'" This statement of "faith" is the temper tantrum of the atheist, but it makes no difference to God's existence...he's still the sovereign of the universe, he's still there....alive and well.

...............

It's the same thing John describes in Revelation when God's judgment is evident to the world and yet the world will not repent, those who resist God will not surrender. Those who maintain this statement of faith declare, without any proof at all, that they "know" there is no supernatural world only because they don't want one to exist, and yet God reveals himself in millions of different ways. The only way you can come to this belief is to boldly turn your back on the God who is there, and they do. They fulfill what Paul describes in Romans 1.....and so God turns them over to their wishes and their ways, and ultimately to their own fate....an eternity away from the God they deny and want no part of.

...............

I choose to bow my knee to the God who is, the only God who is...the God who reveals himself, his grace and his love through his word, the bible.

...........

Amazing Origami

"Built by a self-employed Montreal man named Yee, the Origami V-12 is a paper engine that pumps just like real engines (with the help of electrical wires, a resistor, a motor and a battery holder). It looks complicated because it is: One V-12 engine consists of 195 sheets of fine-printed patterns. From those sets, 1,978 pieces are used in total. And it only weighs 3.2 lbs when finished. This makes your 1,000-piece puzzle look like a piece of cake.

But if you have the intestinal fortitude to go through with it, the build comes together rather beautifully: The engine representations include a compound crankshaft (running at 13.5 rpm), cooling fan, 12 rods, 12 pistons and 12 spark plugs (which "ignite" on each cycle pump).

You can buy your own Origami V-12 engine online for about $110. The package includes, along with the paper, a PDF with 575 pages of detailed, picture-filled instructions. You will also need white glue and a sharp knife with a comfortable handle, for precise maneuvering." -http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/06/the-amazing-ori.html

All I can say is "WOW!"

Happy Birthday

................

................
...............

Today is our grandson's 2nd birthday.

..............

Happy birthday, George!

Quoted!

My good friend, Kevin, recently wrote an article for a local paper and he quoted me! Thanks, Kevin.

.............

Kevin is one of the best writers I have known, so to be quoted by HIM is awesome. You can read his article here.

The look of obedience

This morning, in part of my reading, I came to Joshua 6. This is the story of the battle at Jericho, or should I say the look of obedience. When I read the story with my 20th century eyes I often fail to see the absurdity of what God told them to do in light of the problem. God told the people to march around the city once each day for 6 days and on the 7th day to wall around it 7 times, shout and the walls would fall down. Can you imagine what this simple obedience looked like to those looking out from the city? "What are they doing?" one would ask another. "What do they hope to accomplish with all that marching?" another would respond. Then from the wall another would yell to the children of Israel marching around the walls, "You can march all you want, but you won't get in here." You see, the walls of Jericho were built in a very interesting way to prevent attach. In that day and time it made conquest of the city almost impossible. If you attached the walls it would look like D-Day all over again...dead warriors everywhere. God's plans for us often look funny to us and to the world around us. He works with us based on the fact that he will be working through us, and that changes everything about how we approach a problem. It makes everything different when God's involved, and it makes our obedience look rather silly to the world, but be obedient anyway. It's that simple obedience, that little faith, that makes room for God to do the amazing and impossible.

Time with family

Thanksgiving is always a great time to be with family and eat too much food. This year, for the first time in many years, we drove to Iowa to spend the holiday with my family. It was great to see them all. It's the only time we can get a photo of everyone because those Iowans who don't move away also don't travel....so if we don't go to Iowa we won't see them. (If you're from Iowa you know what I mean....it's an Iowa thing.) Anyway, it was great to see my brother, Mitch and my sisters, Peggy and Suzy. No one talked about it, but I missed our younger brother, Marty, who passed away 4 years ago. The photo of us kids just didn't seem right without him.

Quote of the day

While visiting family this week I found an old copy of Francis Schaeffer's book, He is there and He is not silent. I was even more surprised to find that it was autographed. I haven't read this book in years, and was thrilled to have another copy, so I'm working my way through it again. With that brief intro here is the quote of the day from Francis' book:

"There is only one philosophy, one religion, that fills this need in all the world's thought, whether the East, the West, the ancient, the modern, the new, the old. Only one fills the philosophical need of existence, of being, and it is the Judaeo-Christian God- not just an abstract concept, but rather that this God is really there. He really exists. There is no other answer." -Francis Schaffer, pg. 13

Hard labour, guy stacking 20 bricks on his head

Message? You can always handle more than you think you can. It's just a matter of balance.

Front Fell Off

Time for a good laugh. Enjoy.

Saturday's cartoon

We live in a very interesting country where we get to see a peaceful transfer of power from one government to another. It's a very unusual thing in world history for a country to work this way, but this year has been a strange political year. I thought this cartoon expressed our reality well.

Exhausted!

We just got in from a long drive back from Iowa after a great Thanksgiving with our family. It was good to see family, but the 800 mile drive home is exhausting! I'm glad to be home, but I am worn out....I think I could sleep anywhere!