Evil

Matthew 10:34, "Do not think I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword!"

Enough said……

World

               An American psychologist named Timothy Leary made famous a term now taught in every college psychology class.  Leary once a Harvard University Professor, also convicted felon, and once described by President Richard Nixon as one of the most dangerous men in America, coined the phrase, “perception IS reality.”

               This is a profound statement that has more truth than, I think, we can even understand.  Perception is reality.  Our world is as big or as small as we choose for it to be.  Meditate on that!  You choose who you let in and who you keep out.  You choose to pursue greatness or do as little as possible just to get by.  You choose whether to focus on your problems, or the problems of the world. 

Settle

               Okay, so anyone who knows my wife and I know that the word settle does not mean much to us.  We are constantly pursuing something, we are always moving, and although we make mistakes, (Okay I make mistakes) we are always trying to better ourselves.  If I were to settle with the cards I was dealt I would most likely be behind bars or dead, it’s a fact!

               The word settle has many meanings; in fact, Merriam-Webster lists 8 definitions for the transitive verb settle, and 6 for the intransitive verb!  Most people do not know the word settle is also a noun.  Today is the first photo I have posted that I did not take myself.  It is a picture of an 18^th century settle. Some of you know that one of my many hobbies is refurbishing antique furniture.  I don’t know a lot about the settle but I do know they were typically handed down in families.  Today they are often found in entry ways, which was actually the original purpose for them. 

               In the 18^th century almost all career paths lead to physical labor.  There is almost no better feeling than coming home after working a 16 or 18 hour shift of physical labor, being completely physically spent, and sitting down to take your boots off.  I think that is where the original significance of these pieces came from.  The man of the house would sit down there to take his boots off after an exhausting day of work. If you know the feeling I’m talking about, it’s a moment of clarity.  It’s the first moment of the day that you can just be still.  You sit, and you feel, and you rest, and you live the moment.

               That moment is something I need to focus on.  Although I don’t miss working like that anymore, there is a sick longing for that feeling.  Psalm 46 verse 10 has probably been one of the most impactful scriptures to me in my walk of faith.  It simply states to, “Be still and know that I am God.” 

               Another definition of the word settle, one we are all more familiar with is to “come to rest.”  There is so much significance to this.  From Biblical significance of the Sabbath, to God’s creation of the world, to sitting down as a father and telling my wife and kids that I love them.  I think that it’s time finally, in my life, to settle down…

Injustice

My pantry before I go grocery shopping for the week, because we don't have any food.

          God is good!  I do not understand why I am so blessed when others are not.  I am encouraged by the trend of corporate social responsibility in our country. Please browse the links I have attached to see how you can help.

Stop Hunger Now

30 Hour Famine

FEED

TOMS

The Water Project

See

               In order for a human to see there must be light.  Light enters the cornea, then the pupil.  Depending on the amount of light the pupil will either dilate or contract.  Still with me?

               Facts about light:

-1905 all physicists knew without a doubt that Light originates at a source, spreads out evenly and continuously through all spaces accessible to it.

-Light travels 670,000,000 miles per hour.

-When Light hits something it either; bounces off, passes through, or is soaked up

-The speed of Light is affected by the medium through which it travels.

-When Light hits a mirror it reflects Light in exactly the same pattern in which it arrived. 

               In school we were taught a Newtonian understanding of the universe. Huh?  Cause and effect. Oh yea!  Isaac Newton proved that the universe is governed by a set of rules…. Or is it?  For instance, if you are running 5 mph and are being chased by a dog who is running 10 mph the dog is gaining on you at 5 mph.  This is Newtonian physics.  So if you are driving in your car and a photon of light is following you at 650,000,000 mph and you are driving 100 mph how fast is the light gaining on you?  How about if you were driving 1000 mph?  How about 10,000 mph? (Don’t try to answer this it is a trick question.)

               The answer is 650,000,000 miles per hour…. No matter how fast you are going light will still be gaining on you at 650 million miles per hour.  In 1915 Albert Einstein declared that, “Light simply does not follow the rules?” Are we even talking about light anymore? 

               The Bible describes Jesus as the Light….Weird! We know that when Light hits something it bounces off, passes through, or is soaked up.  Huh. It’s kind of like when someone encounters Jesus. I mean it either bounces off because something in their life, or some experience has made them just not interested.  It is soaked up, because they need Jesus so bad, but they don’t think they are worthy to share him with anyone else. Or, Light hits someone like my wife, and it passes through them.  Others see the light.

               Light is also affected by the medium in which it passes through.  Uh oh!  For instance, people who know me, who know my past, who know my heart, know that Light does not always show through me.  You see, some mediums distort the light.  They turn a beautiful light into something different.  They might not mean too, but their imperfections distort the light.  It happens.

               A mirror reflects Light in the EXACT same pattern in which it arrived.  Jesus was a mirror.  Jesus and only Jesus showed mankind Light in the exact same pattern in which it was meant to be seen.  People need to know this.  Because I or anyone else claims to be a Christian does not make us free from imperfections.  We only try to be accessible to be a medium for Light to travel. 

Return

 

 

              The Bible is full of stories about men who have at one point turned away from God.  The Old Testament reminds me of a 1980’s horror movie.  The ones that when you are watching you are like, “No you idiot don’t open the door!” but the whole time you know they are going to.  I mean it’s obvious what is going to happen.  All of your friends have disappeared, there is a pool of blood seeping in underneath the door, and yet they still open the door.

               This is the way I live my life… Right down to the creepy music that starts to play after the first knocks.  I know what is going to happen when I open the door, but I open it anyway.  Every time I am left questioning myself.  I yell at the screen, “Why you idiot, you knew what was going to happen! Why did you open that door!”  This never seems to resolve anything.  Eventually I get past the why.  The why is a “sunk cost.”  Sunk cost is an accounting term that means something that cannot be recovered regardless of decisions made after the fact.  So now what? I’ve turned from God….again, what now.

               I guess there are really only two places I can go.  I can attempt to continue in the direction I am going, or, I can RETURN.  Psalm 71:20 says, “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again.”  This is a great passage to reflect on.  Troubles many and bitter.  I have experienced some moments in my life that were almost so bitter I can still taste them today.  Some of them were because of decisions that were made by other people, and some, the very bitter ones, were because of decisions that I made myself.  Sometimes it’s hard to even get past that part of the verse.  If you do get past that part of the verse, there is Truth. Truth that regardless of your situation or how far you have gone that Jesus can and will restore your life.

Who am I?

 

               It’s funny to me how difficult this question can be to so many.  Often when someone is presented with the question they will pause, they might reply with a description of their career, talk about their families, or they may not have an answer at all.  It’s a pretty easy question to answer.  I mean, as humans we have many ways to identify ourselves. We have names, we know our dates of birth, we have social security numbers, and we have all types of records.  This time of year if you don’t know who you are I suggest calling the IRS, they can tell you!

               Somewhere down the road the question, “Who am I?” was confused with the question, “What is my purpose?”  This question is much more difficult.  I have decided that for me it is not a question I should try to answer.  I don’t know that any person can truly answer this question. 

               Who am I?  The Bible explains creation in a profound poem known as the book of Genesis.  While there is so much debate about different parts of the Bible, whether it is literal or figurative, Genesis does not fit the mold of any other theological argument.  The book is beautifully written in a way that, while it does leave many, many questions, it leaves absolutely no doubt of Divine intervention.  God created. I believe that Genesis is literal, not in time, not in a way that we fully understand, but in the way that God created.  I believe that we are no more than dust from the ground exposed to Divine purpose.

               What is my purpose?  I don’t know.  I can’t answer that question.  I do know this, my life is not my own.  The Bible tells us very clearly in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that “you are not your own; you were bought for a price.”  To try and say that I am here for any reason that I can think of would be selling myself short.  I can only know who I am, and seek God’s purpose for me.

Tomorrow’s theme; Return.

 

               Today while browsing Facebook a post from a local youth pastor where I live caught my eye.  I was just looking at my photography page and trying to brainstorm ways to draw attention to it.  The post was for a photo challenge.  I have heard of these before, basically there is a theme presented and you post a photo-a-day in an attempt to capture the theme.  My wife told me about one in the past, the idea is that by forcing yourself to focus on a subject matter every day you will grow in your ability to capture ideas. 

               The post that caught my eye was for a Lenten photo a day challenge.  Lenten is the Christian season leading up to Easter.  We attempt to reflect and focus on God as Jesus did in His time of fasting in the wilderness.  Typically people will try to give up something for the season.  I find that for me, personally, I find myself missing whatever it is that I gave up, and miss the bigger picture of focusing on God.

               Each day there is a word, the theme.  The photo will reflect the theme and I will also give a short description of why I chose the image that I did.  I hope this is a time of reflection and of truly seeking guidance from the true Creator, the Creator of Heaven and Earth!  I encourage you all to seek the Creator as well, whatever that entails.

               I will post a link to the challenge for anyone else who is interested.  If you start late simply jump in where ever you can start. I will post the word or theme for the next day in each post and remember my posts will be a day behind allowing me to complete my image and blog post.  I hope you will follow my journey and share with your friends.   Lets get started the first theme is; Who am I?

http://rethinkchurch.org/article/lenten-photo-day-challenge