I was nervous going into my first PTC as a parent and not as the teacher. I was nervous, I mean I know my girls are the smartest, prettiest, most well behaved girls in the world, so what did I have to be nervous about. As my wife Abby and I sat down with my daughter Molly's pre-school teacher Mrs. Boltz we began to discuss things like "wandering" and attention spans and developmental ability. All of the things the teacher said were good, only a few improvements. I know now how hard it must havebeen for my parents to sit year after year in my PTC meetings hearing how I needed improvement inthis or that area, like "Matt is a jokester, Matt is disruptive, Matt got caught cheating again, Matt was smuggling crack cocaine in again to class" you know the basic stuff.
I think what I realized today was very simple, the apples do not fall far from the tree. Molly is a product of two oldest children, enough said. My hands were a little sweaty, as we began to go through the report card, All was well, just a few improvements, no big deal, before we knew it we were out of the room and on our way. It was not so bad. I also realized that my kids are not perfect, at least most people have not realized it yet..
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
God'sWill
Well for many of you it has seemed as if I have fallen off the face of the earth. I went to NY for the summer and then returned and have yet to update this thing called "blog". I have been spending a lot of time with my family and studying for my classes. I signed on to another year of teaching at Heritage Christian school again, I was asked back and that is always a good sign.
I have been teaching "God's Will" or better put the topic of God's Will in my classes. If you were to ask just about anyone what God's will is for their lives you may get answers like, : "It is God's will for me to glorify him, or Serve others, or minister to others, lead others to Him. All legitimate things. But a thread that i found that runs through all of their answers is that the question arises "how do you do that" I mean how do you glorify God as a 16 year old let alone a 31 year old, or how do you serve Him?
What if we were too concerned about a "specific will" for our lives from God and ignored all the general wills He gives for us as believers in His word. What if we focused more on the general wills for our lives as believers, (and by the way pick one to work on and it will take you all of your life) and not so much on the specific will for our individual life. It is interesting but the Bible does not lay out "specific" wills for our lives, I do not see my name in there, do you? What I do see is a plethora of wills that are general for all believers, you know the same for all, the same for everybody.
What if the general wills were "prerequisites" for the specific will, what if to find the specific will for your life you needed to take the prerequisites course work first. I mean it makes sense. how can you walk before you can crawl?
What if we put so much emphasis on "specifics" and no emphasis on generals that we made the specifics more difficult than they really were.
If my daughter and I went into a candy store and she said "dad can I have some candy?" what do you think I would say? She might say, "I do not know what I want, snickers or reeses?" I would say, "get whatever YOU want", What if God's specific will for was the accessibility to anything our hearts wanted if we took the general wills more seriously. I would not say, "Oh you want reeses? Here, here's a snickers, and your eating the wrapper too!? " No I would get her what she wanted, why would God give us a stone if we asked for a fish or some bread?
What if God's word is true when he says, seek my kingdom first and all the detailed specific stuff will be added to you! What if God was like, "I do not care which college you go to, " pick one, "which one do YOU like"? I mean if you have been seeking him through the general wills any way, would you not be in tune with him anyway?
What are these general will s anyway, well 1. God wills for all to believe and know the truth, we call that in our culture, "getting saved" (Timothy), interesting I wonder how fogged up God's will could be for us if we thought we knew him and we did not!, or 2. it is God's will that we are "living sacrifices",(romans) or 3. This is God's will you Sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, (Thess)4. it is God's will to submit to authority(Peter), 5. It is God's will to be filled with the Holy Spirit! you get the point(eph)
What if God's specific will for our lives could be whatever we want if we take the prerequisites first, seeking his kingdom and obeying, then the detailed decision would be added to us. Now go decide!
I have been teaching "God's Will" or better put the topic of God's Will in my classes. If you were to ask just about anyone what God's will is for their lives you may get answers like, : "It is God's will for me to glorify him, or Serve others, or minister to others, lead others to Him. All legitimate things. But a thread that i found that runs through all of their answers is that the question arises "how do you do that" I mean how do you glorify God as a 16 year old let alone a 31 year old, or how do you serve Him?
What if we were too concerned about a "specific will" for our lives from God and ignored all the general wills He gives for us as believers in His word. What if we focused more on the general wills for our lives as believers, (and by the way pick one to work on and it will take you all of your life) and not so much on the specific will for our individual life. It is interesting but the Bible does not lay out "specific" wills for our lives, I do not see my name in there, do you? What I do see is a plethora of wills that are general for all believers, you know the same for all, the same for everybody.
What if the general wills were "prerequisites" for the specific will, what if to find the specific will for your life you needed to take the prerequisites course work first. I mean it makes sense. how can you walk before you can crawl?
What if we put so much emphasis on "specifics" and no emphasis on generals that we made the specifics more difficult than they really were.
If my daughter and I went into a candy store and she said "dad can I have some candy?" what do you think I would say? She might say, "I do not know what I want, snickers or reeses?" I would say, "get whatever YOU want", What if God's specific will for was the accessibility to anything our hearts wanted if we took the general wills more seriously. I would not say, "Oh you want reeses? Here, here's a snickers, and your eating the wrapper too!? " No I would get her what she wanted, why would God give us a stone if we asked for a fish or some bread?
What if God's word is true when he says, seek my kingdom first and all the detailed specific stuff will be added to you! What if God was like, "I do not care which college you go to, " pick one, "which one do YOU like"? I mean if you have been seeking him through the general wills any way, would you not be in tune with him anyway?
What are these general will s anyway, well 1. God wills for all to believe and know the truth, we call that in our culture, "getting saved" (Timothy), interesting I wonder how fogged up God's will could be for us if we thought we knew him and we did not!, or 2. it is God's will that we are "living sacrifices",(romans) or 3. This is God's will you Sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, (Thess)4. it is God's will to submit to authority(Peter), 5. It is God's will to be filled with the Holy Spirit! you get the point(eph)
What if God's specific will for our lives could be whatever we want if we take the prerequisites first, seeking his kingdom and obeying, then the detailed decision would be added to us. Now go decide!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Dead Stinks
One of the only things about Indiana that I like in the area of travel is that there are still quite a few farm roads in which I can take as alternate routes to school in the morning. Some days I ride my motorcycle and other days just cruise in the car. I have yet to experience a full summer here and I have heard that it gets pretty hot. As you know Fishers Indiana is in the top 10 fastest growing cities in the country, which means, CONSTRUCTION everywhere. Homes going up like crazy. Track homes side by side by side. Woods and farmland being bought by the hundreds of acres and "developed".
Now as I said I have not experienced a summer here yet, but the other day I was driving and had my window down. I was experiencing the smells of summer. Cut grass, farm animals, flowers, and then it hit me like bat right in the sensory region. Dead Carcass.... You know that smell, it hits you and gets into your car and in your vents and on your skin.. I see up ahead in the road a dead animal. Now earlier that year I have noticed many raccoons right in this area, and everything is waking up from the winter and for whatever reason heads right for the road.
All that woods, nope heads for the road. So you know the scene, Bloated little animal on its back, little legs straight up, you know the whole nine, no literally nine yards of intestines strewn across the road, I could tell what the little guy had for dinner the night before, CORN? no I think Walnuts, is that some fruit. So I drive on and eventually the smell goes away. The next day I noticed something strange. As I approached the same spot, I saw the dead little raccoon who by now had bee flattened like a pancake and it was evident that he was dead, the funny part was there was another dead animal next to him. All that road to die on, and two animals in the same spot. As the smell permeated my car and vents and face I had my nose in my shirt like you did in 3rd grade when teasing someone that they smelled, I saw that it was a opossum. As I thought about what I saw I realized the opossum was more than likely drawn to the death. Dead Stinks but it attracts us. Things that kill us spiritually and physically attract us. Lust Anger Porn Gluttony Envy Hatred.
I heard a story once of a boy and His Father. They had some trouble with rats so the father and the boy set up the big rat trap in the barn. They waited all night. In the morning the boy told the father the trap had caught a rat. It had taken the bait and Whammy. The boy quickly started to reset the trap. The father spoke up, "Son you need to clean all the blood off of the trap, if the rat smells death it will not come for the bait, the trap has to be perfectly clean." As the boy cleaned the trap and reset it he said to his dad, "If only humans were that smart"...
Dead stinks, so why am I drawn to it. John tells us to take off those dirty clothes and put on Christ, I am big fan of hamper fashion. I go to the hamper and just wear dirty stuff. My wife says take it off it is dirty. I am so quick to put on that stinky dead stuff that only kills me in the end. I have many times been that opossum looking for pleasure in the Dead. For we are dead in Christ and have been raised with him. Dead stinks. I hope it does not kill me or trap me. I need to stay away from the road.......
Now as I said I have not experienced a summer here yet, but the other day I was driving and had my window down. I was experiencing the smells of summer. Cut grass, farm animals, flowers, and then it hit me like bat right in the sensory region. Dead Carcass.... You know that smell, it hits you and gets into your car and in your vents and on your skin.. I see up ahead in the road a dead animal. Now earlier that year I have noticed many raccoons right in this area, and everything is waking up from the winter and for whatever reason heads right for the road.
All that woods, nope heads for the road. So you know the scene, Bloated little animal on its back, little legs straight up, you know the whole nine, no literally nine yards of intestines strewn across the road, I could tell what the little guy had for dinner the night before, CORN? no I think Walnuts, is that some fruit. So I drive on and eventually the smell goes away. The next day I noticed something strange. As I approached the same spot, I saw the dead little raccoon who by now had bee flattened like a pancake and it was evident that he was dead, the funny part was there was another dead animal next to him. All that road to die on, and two animals in the same spot. As the smell permeated my car and vents and face I had my nose in my shirt like you did in 3rd grade when teasing someone that they smelled, I saw that it was a opossum. As I thought about what I saw I realized the opossum was more than likely drawn to the death. Dead Stinks but it attracts us. Things that kill us spiritually and physically attract us. Lust Anger Porn Gluttony Envy Hatred.
I heard a story once of a boy and His Father. They had some trouble with rats so the father and the boy set up the big rat trap in the barn. They waited all night. In the morning the boy told the father the trap had caught a rat. It had taken the bait and Whammy. The boy quickly started to reset the trap. The father spoke up, "Son you need to clean all the blood off of the trap, if the rat smells death it will not come for the bait, the trap has to be perfectly clean." As the boy cleaned the trap and reset it he said to his dad, "If only humans were that smart"...
Dead stinks, so why am I drawn to it. John tells us to take off those dirty clothes and put on Christ, I am big fan of hamper fashion. I go to the hamper and just wear dirty stuff. My wife says take it off it is dirty. I am so quick to put on that stinky dead stuff that only kills me in the end. I have many times been that opossum looking for pleasure in the Dead. For we are dead in Christ and have been raised with him. Dead stinks. I hope it does not kill me or trap me. I need to stay away from the road.......
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Last Day of School
I have had an opportunity to teach Bible again at one of the largest Christian schools in the country. Heritage Christian is your typical prep school that has all of the cool stuff. A million dollar football field, I mean the kind of field that the pros use, you know the rubber field that when you make the great Harrison catch near the out of bounds line you drag your foot to stay in side and the black beads fly up out of the rubber grass. Semi pro teams rent the field to play on it. Heritage is a classic Christian school that still has not separated the idea that just because it is a ministry to teach there, I mean isn't every place a ministry field?, they still pay pretty poorly. So I did not sign up for the money obviously. I signed up for the kids. These kids are rich too, well there parents are rich anyway. I pull into school in my 01 Jetta and these punk 9th grader are driving Lexus, and Rovers. You know the old song, Novas to Hondas to Lexus to Rovas', well these kids skipped the novas and Hondas part and went right to Rovers.
I am finding myself sad to see this class go. They are tenth graders, and I remember when I was in 10th grade, and I really did not care about how to do a geometry proof, let alone Bible class. It was social life and the "Ladies". As I have gotten to know all 150 of these sophomores I have realized that I am still a sophomore at heart. Those of you, you three, that read this and know me might even say that is pushing it. But aren't we all just sophomores who have for whatever reason decided to grow up by acting mature. Yet we all still laugh when someone farts. We would never claim to be sophomores anymore. Maybe we should claim to be sophomores again. Have we forgotten what it is like to have our hearts broken or to be rejected by that hot chick that you liked for so long, or raging hormones that almost seem uncontrollable? Am I really that different now? Or does culture tell me to be different? All grown up so to speak?
Obviously we need to be mature, but really what is the difference? I think I like these kids so much because they are real, or at least struggling to be real. Maybe they have experienced divorce or abuse or illness or death, these kids will be those same kids 15 years from now.
Do you ever see an older guy or girl and think about how they probably were as teenagers? You probably might not be that much off. I mean I am basically the same guy, just hopefully a little smarter, a lot more cynical, and a whole heck of a lot heavier(fatter that is). Most parents have forgotten what it was like to be 16. I pray I never forget what it was like to be 16. It is only high school right, Can I say that as a teacher? It is only high school...
So the year went on trying to get to know 150 kids every day, they learned my weird idiosyncrasies and I learned theirs. Now the year is over and I feel like I have just gotten to know them. They are moving on. My prayer for the year was to show them that Jesus loves them and that He wants to give them a life more abundant right now. There is so much pressure out there today pressure I did not have. I just found out one of my girls, 10th grade girls, was sexually harassed yesterday at the park trying to study with her friend for my freakin final, I mean come on the park? I guess he exposed himself to her. I was furious. I thought of my girls(wife and kids) and I realized how much I care again for these kids. I say this again because I have not taught in a school setting for many years, and being back I realized why did I leave?
Thank you Sophomores for your honesty, your emotions, your mood swings, your compassion, your teasing, your respect, your hope. Maybe that is why Jesus became so annoyed with the disciples when they told the children to stop coming and "bothering" him. I believe that it probably was the most relaxing time of the day for Jesus, maybe. He had a chance to let the politics go, to have a real conversation, an honest conversation, a transparent conversation. He got to be a sophomore again. He got to have a little fun. I have heard some teachers say the kids drive them crazy, I find them intoxicating, almost like it brings me back to what is real and important, so the question is when I leave the classroom and get in to the "real world", what is so real and genuine about being an adult?
I am finding myself sad to see this class go. They are tenth graders, and I remember when I was in 10th grade, and I really did not care about how to do a geometry proof, let alone Bible class. It was social life and the "Ladies". As I have gotten to know all 150 of these sophomores I have realized that I am still a sophomore at heart. Those of you, you three, that read this and know me might even say that is pushing it. But aren't we all just sophomores who have for whatever reason decided to grow up by acting mature. Yet we all still laugh when someone farts. We would never claim to be sophomores anymore. Maybe we should claim to be sophomores again. Have we forgotten what it is like to have our hearts broken or to be rejected by that hot chick that you liked for so long, or raging hormones that almost seem uncontrollable? Am I really that different now? Or does culture tell me to be different? All grown up so to speak?
Obviously we need to be mature, but really what is the difference? I think I like these kids so much because they are real, or at least struggling to be real. Maybe they have experienced divorce or abuse or illness or death, these kids will be those same kids 15 years from now.
Do you ever see an older guy or girl and think about how they probably were as teenagers? You probably might not be that much off. I mean I am basically the same guy, just hopefully a little smarter, a lot more cynical, and a whole heck of a lot heavier(fatter that is). Most parents have forgotten what it was like to be 16. I pray I never forget what it was like to be 16. It is only high school right, Can I say that as a teacher? It is only high school...
So the year went on trying to get to know 150 kids every day, they learned my weird idiosyncrasies and I learned theirs. Now the year is over and I feel like I have just gotten to know them. They are moving on. My prayer for the year was to show them that Jesus loves them and that He wants to give them a life more abundant right now. There is so much pressure out there today pressure I did not have. I just found out one of my girls, 10th grade girls, was sexually harassed yesterday at the park trying to study with her friend for my freakin final, I mean come on the park? I guess he exposed himself to her. I was furious. I thought of my girls(wife and kids) and I realized how much I care again for these kids. I say this again because I have not taught in a school setting for many years, and being back I realized why did I leave?
Thank you Sophomores for your honesty, your emotions, your mood swings, your compassion, your teasing, your respect, your hope. Maybe that is why Jesus became so annoyed with the disciples when they told the children to stop coming and "bothering" him. I believe that it probably was the most relaxing time of the day for Jesus, maybe. He had a chance to let the politics go, to have a real conversation, an honest conversation, a transparent conversation. He got to be a sophomore again. He got to have a little fun. I have heard some teachers say the kids drive them crazy, I find them intoxicating, almost like it brings me back to what is real and important, so the question is when I leave the classroom and get in to the "real world", what is so real and genuine about being an adult?
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Thanks Jerry
I found out today that Founder of Liberty University Jerry Falwell died today at 73. I guess they found him at his desk. Maybe he died working or maybe praying. I remember the first time I met Jerry Falwell at the notorious Liberty University, (go flames) that I remember thinking this guy seems pretty cool. He always had time to talk to students as he walked around in his suit and tie. Interestingly enough he always thought the music and clothes we wore was ok and never had an issue with it. He was a traditionalist in every sense of the word but never a legalist. He had a funny habit of seeing you walking around campus as he was driving and he would swerve at you with his huge black SUV. I remember hearing him in chapel, He loved the Lord. He loved his family and He loved his school.
He has for obvious reasons not been very popular with people who are against what he stands for and I guess he has rubbed people the wrong way in "blurting out" what he thought. He was always judged for that, but always managed to apologize if needed. He was anice guy, a true evangelist in every sense of the world.
The years I spent at Liberty was in my opinion some of the best times in my life. I met my wife there and enjoyed school. I did not know the man well, but actions speak louder than words. He has done some great things and although he has messed up, like all of us by the way, I know there is a party going on in Heaven right now, and Our Lord has welcomed a hero of the faith home, home for good....
He has for obvious reasons not been very popular with people who are against what he stands for and I guess he has rubbed people the wrong way in "blurting out" what he thought. He was always judged for that, but always managed to apologize if needed. He was anice guy, a true evangelist in every sense of the world.
The years I spent at Liberty was in my opinion some of the best times in my life. I met my wife there and enjoyed school. I did not know the man well, but actions speak louder than words. He has done some great things and although he has messed up, like all of us by the way, I know there is a party going on in Heaven right now, and Our Lord has welcomed a hero of the faith home, home for good....
Monday, May 14, 2007
Thanks Mom
I called my mom up yesterday to wish her "happy Mother's Day". her voice sounded so warm over the phone and excited to hear me. We moved away from "mom" almost two years ago, and one of the hardest things about moving 15 hours away is that not only can I not see her but my kids miss out on too. They miss their "Grammy". I guess it says alot about a mom whose kids think she is the best. We all want to be by her, even my wife wants to be by her, she is a great mother in law. I remember my mom and I not always getting along growing up, you know she would not always be happy with some of the choice girls I would bring home, the truth was it was me she had to worry about, not the girls. We budded heads some times, but the truth is I think that we are the most alike out of all of my siblings. I always wondered where I get my opinionated ability to tell it like it is, obviously the three of you that may read this blog know my dad and I surely did not get that trait from him. But when I called my mom yesterday for her special day, I am sure the highlight for her was not getting the "flower: at church that the elders pass out at church with that cheesy smile, I am sure the high light of her day was not even talking to me, but maybe it was just the high light of her life and her kids, and dad. All of my siblings have grown up well, married well and are now trying to raise kids like we were raised. My mom seemed tired on the phone, she sounded older, she is 54 now. I remember seeing pictures of my mom in the seventies and teasing dad saying, "wow, mom is a nice piece of.... slap, Dad would cuff me in the head and then laugh and say "you know it!!!"
Mom is older now, older from raising not only us four kids in which I gave her the most trouble, but older from investing in my kids lives as well. See my mom and dad too are not these kind of Grandparents that just expect my kids to come to them, they go to my kids. My mom has invested so much time into my kids.
Moving was hard, like I was whining about before. I miss those summer afternoons of sitting around the kitchen playing scrabble and drinking tea or coffee, you know whatever was our fancy that day. Running relay races in the yard, going skiing on Sunday, when all the "fundy's" judged us for having family time like that on Sunday, hiking etc.
Later in life we all got motorcycles, mom and dad got Harley's. I have a triumph, a rice burner so to speak. Some of my favorite times was when myself, mom and dad would go for those bike rides. We would cruise around upstate NY and stop after about 30 miles to get something to drink, Mom would always treat me to a YOO-HOO. We would sit and talk about life, about the kids. It was like for a small moment in time mom got to be more than a mom, I mean really what is more than a mom, what could possibly be more than a mom? Maybe being more than just a mom comes when you your kids become your friends, there is that transition, that cross over in which, that person who bore you, who changed you, who spanked you, who was wiling to have you hate them to make you better some day, to stick to their guns, can now experience the fruit of their labor for just a moment, maybe it is nothing more than a short talk on the picnic table with her son while we have some YOO-HOO, Maybe it is nothing more than a walk down to the river with the dogs, or maybe a game of Dutch Blitz, maybe painting together, or just a quick trip to Wal mart that always ended up with mom paying for lunch at McDonald's. Maybe being more than a mom is just that, I think there is one more thing that is more than being a mom and that is being a Grand-ma. Now all of those things I did with her, I get to watch my kids do that with her, but I see it from a different angle, I get to see it from the angle that she saw it with me so many years ago, I get to watch her be a mom again, but now I get to peak in, like a third party getting to experience bits of her being a mom to me through watching her with my kids. I guess maybe I am the one really being blessed, Thanks mom, I love you.. Hey mom do you want to play Scrabble?
Mom is older now, older from raising not only us four kids in which I gave her the most trouble, but older from investing in my kids lives as well. See my mom and dad too are not these kind of Grandparents that just expect my kids to come to them, they go to my kids. My mom has invested so much time into my kids.
Moving was hard, like I was whining about before. I miss those summer afternoons of sitting around the kitchen playing scrabble and drinking tea or coffee, you know whatever was our fancy that day. Running relay races in the yard, going skiing on Sunday, when all the "fundy's" judged us for having family time like that on Sunday, hiking etc.
Later in life we all got motorcycles, mom and dad got Harley's. I have a triumph, a rice burner so to speak. Some of my favorite times was when myself, mom and dad would go for those bike rides. We would cruise around upstate NY and stop after about 30 miles to get something to drink, Mom would always treat me to a YOO-HOO. We would sit and talk about life, about the kids. It was like for a small moment in time mom got to be more than a mom, I mean really what is more than a mom, what could possibly be more than a mom? Maybe being more than just a mom comes when you your kids become your friends, there is that transition, that cross over in which, that person who bore you, who changed you, who spanked you, who was wiling to have you hate them to make you better some day, to stick to their guns, can now experience the fruit of their labor for just a moment, maybe it is nothing more than a short talk on the picnic table with her son while we have some YOO-HOO, Maybe it is nothing more than a walk down to the river with the dogs, or maybe a game of Dutch Blitz, maybe painting together, or just a quick trip to Wal mart that always ended up with mom paying for lunch at McDonald's. Maybe being more than a mom is just that, I think there is one more thing that is more than being a mom and that is being a Grand-ma. Now all of those things I did with her, I get to watch my kids do that with her, but I see it from a different angle, I get to see it from the angle that she saw it with me so many years ago, I get to watch her be a mom again, but now I get to peak in, like a third party getting to experience bits of her being a mom to me through watching her with my kids. I guess maybe I am the one really being blessed, Thanks mom, I love you.. Hey mom do you want to play Scrabble?
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Like Father Like Son
I had the priveledge of teaching up at Word of Life this last weekend at the annual Father/Son Conference. I felt a little out of place when my friend called me and asked me if I would speak. I do not have a son, but I have a Father and I am a son, so I said yes. My friend Troy and I arrived in NY on Thursday night in Albany International Airpory and my friend Chad and my Dad met us there. I do not get to spend as much time with my dad as I would like, since I have moved away. He is the kind of guy that everyone wants to be around. Growing up my friends thought he was cooler than me. He had long hair, which eventually evolved into a mullit and than back in to one length, ( we have all been guilty of long hair short hair) But anyway he could barefoot ski, and rock climb and fix everything. As I thought about what I would say to this mish mash of evangelicals and one Catholic, I thought about God the Father and how His Son is just like Him, Like Father like son, right? I could see the relationship of my Dad and I and how I was very much like him. The way he laughs, his sense of humor, How he treats my mom (which is great), all of that. I was realizing that Jesus was very much like His Father. Everything that he said was a reiteration of something His Father said out of His word written by Him so long ago. Little things like when the devil was tempting Jesus and all the devil wanted was for Jesus to bow down and worship Him. Jesus knows that His Father taught Him that, "You shall worship and serve the Lord your God only." It is interesting to me that Jesus quotes it correctly, he does not leave out the serve part. The serve part is always left out today. We think that we can worship without service. The devil thought that if Jesus just gives him this "lip service" worship once and that is all than He can have all the kingdoms.
Jesus corrects Him with His Father's words and says basically that you think that you can have true worship without service but you cannot according to my dad. Like Father like Son. What if Jesus usurped God's word, what if he was not like his father, what if he left out the details and made the verse what he wanted. What would have happened I think, is that Jesus would have jumped off the temple during the other temptation and the angels would have caught him and he would have mande that graceful landing in the courtyard by the temple. I think that if he had done that they would have worshipped him and they would not have, (this is totally specualtion), crucified him. He would not have died, Satan would have one, just the same way he won with Adam. Like Father Like Son, Jesus knew His dad enough to know that His obedience was crucial to our salvation. What if Jesus had not known God's word well enough and when the devil said, "worship me" without service, Jesus would have just worshipped him? Jesus knew that true worship goes hand in hand with service, because that is what His Father said.
My knowledge of my dad is not as profound, but we both like to play jokes, but I will tell you this much, I remember the important stuff he taught me and when I choose to forget it, I am in a bad place. Like father like son. My dad, grandpa, and two brother in laws were at the meetings to support me, and I told endless stories of the lessons I had learned from my Dad. Like Father Like son. I am glad to be like my Dad...
Jesus corrects Him with His Father's words and says basically that you think that you can have true worship without service but you cannot according to my dad. Like Father like Son. What if Jesus usurped God's word, what if he was not like his father, what if he left out the details and made the verse what he wanted. What would have happened I think, is that Jesus would have jumped off the temple during the other temptation and the angels would have caught him and he would have mande that graceful landing in the courtyard by the temple. I think that if he had done that they would have worshipped him and they would not have, (this is totally specualtion), crucified him. He would not have died, Satan would have one, just the same way he won with Adam. Like Father Like Son, Jesus knew His dad enough to know that His obedience was crucial to our salvation. What if Jesus had not known God's word well enough and when the devil said, "worship me" without service, Jesus would have just worshipped him? Jesus knew that true worship goes hand in hand with service, because that is what His Father said.
My knowledge of my dad is not as profound, but we both like to play jokes, but I will tell you this much, I remember the important stuff he taught me and when I choose to forget it, I am in a bad place. Like father like son. My dad, grandpa, and two brother in laws were at the meetings to support me, and I told endless stories of the lessons I had learned from my Dad. Like Father Like son. I am glad to be like my Dad...
Thursday, April 26, 2007
all grown up....not really
I am leaving on a jet plane tonight for NY, Schroon lake NY to be exact. This little town hidden in the Adirondack park in Upstate NY is the place where I called home for 30 years. Throughout those 30 years I have had some unimaginable fun, whether it be in the summer skiing or riding horses or saving two people from the river in which they capsized their small canoe. My friend and I heard someone yell, "Little help here!".
I also went to school there, middle school, highschoool and one year of Bible college at Word of Life. Now Word of Life for those of you that do not know could be characterized as a medium security prison at times mixed with some Military school tactics for good cheer. I was one of those local kids who at one point was called to the Dean's office and honestly did not know if it was for, having physical contact with my girlfriend, going to movies, going to high school dances or other things. The Irony of it now is that recently I was asked by one of my friends, who is now the Dean of Admissions, to speak at the annual Father Son Banquet. It is so interesting becasue I am going back there, that place where one could recieve "demerits" for walking on the grass, so to speak.
I wonder what it will be like, my friend already told me that the numbers seemed low due to the weather. I emailed him and said, "maybe they are low due to who you have chosen to speak."
I am a little nervous about going back, I am much different now. I would not say for the better, but maybe not the worst either, just different. Everyone has a philosophy, and what I like about that word is people say it like it is this "absolute", like one might say "well our philosophies are just different, we do not allow long hair at our college, it is just our philosophy". The funny thing is a "philosophy" is just an opinion, but that word sounds a lot more "absolute" or mystical or spiritual.
My philosophy is much different than the folks I will be coming into contact with this week. I am not even sure what the dress code is yet! I brought a sport coat to be safe. The last time I was on this property My friend Bumper and I worked there. He was the camp's assistant director and I was just a life guard. Some of the fun we had I will save myself the embarrassment of letting all the viewers here of it, but it is amazing to say that least that after all these years and schooling, for some reason I am qualified now to "educate" these fine men and their sons.
We will see. My dad is going with me, and it is funny but I am the speaker and he is my dad. It seems like it should be the other way around. I am going to be 31 soon and it seems like yesterday I was at Word of Life running from the security or dressing up like snowcampers and raising hell on the staff. With our full face snow masks we attacked people, launched snowballs and through people in the snow. The word was out for the "tall campers who were causing trouble". No one could see their faces, no one knew it was us. As I sat in the counsellor meeting and heard what we needed to look for to stop this attack I laughed to myself thinking about when we would strike next.
I am speaking on the issue of "Like Father, Like Son" . I will try to integrate the idea that although our culture paints God the Father as this "town sheriff" in the OT who judges and condemns and His Son comes later and balances things out with his love. I want to point out 2 names for God in Genesis, Elohim and Yahweh. Elohim is this strong creator in Gen 1 and he is all-powerful, but then in Gen 2, we see a new name for God "LORD God"- Yahweh, A God who is faithful, a God who comes to Adam and Eve on there level, "Walking in the cool of the day" He could have pulled an "Elohim" on them, you know like, "Oh , You want to disobey me? Zap you are gone man, Oh I see you hiding over there, zap, now where are your legs?, Oh they are just bloody stumps, etc." But he doen't do that he wants to be known to them as Yahweh, A God who is faithful. We see this when he sends Moses to Pharoah, He does not want to be known as El ohim, that is already how the Jewish people view Pharoah, see El was not a knew name for God it had been around a long time and meant other Gods too. I wonder what kind of Dad I am, Am I an Elohim Dad or a Yahweh Dad? As I prepare to leave today I hope that maybe God will use me. I have been humbled alot in the last 10 years since I stepped foot on that campus. We will see, and hey it is not like they have to ask me back next year..........
I also went to school there, middle school, highschoool and one year of Bible college at Word of Life. Now Word of Life for those of you that do not know could be characterized as a medium security prison at times mixed with some Military school tactics for good cheer. I was one of those local kids who at one point was called to the Dean's office and honestly did not know if it was for, having physical contact with my girlfriend, going to movies, going to high school dances or other things. The Irony of it now is that recently I was asked by one of my friends, who is now the Dean of Admissions, to speak at the annual Father Son Banquet. It is so interesting becasue I am going back there, that place where one could recieve "demerits" for walking on the grass, so to speak.
I wonder what it will be like, my friend already told me that the numbers seemed low due to the weather. I emailed him and said, "maybe they are low due to who you have chosen to speak."
I am a little nervous about going back, I am much different now. I would not say for the better, but maybe not the worst either, just different. Everyone has a philosophy, and what I like about that word is people say it like it is this "absolute", like one might say "well our philosophies are just different, we do not allow long hair at our college, it is just our philosophy". The funny thing is a "philosophy" is just an opinion, but that word sounds a lot more "absolute" or mystical or spiritual.
My philosophy is much different than the folks I will be coming into contact with this week. I am not even sure what the dress code is yet! I brought a sport coat to be safe. The last time I was on this property My friend Bumper and I worked there. He was the camp's assistant director and I was just a life guard. Some of the fun we had I will save myself the embarrassment of letting all the viewers here of it, but it is amazing to say that least that after all these years and schooling, for some reason I am qualified now to "educate" these fine men and their sons.
We will see. My dad is going with me, and it is funny but I am the speaker and he is my dad. It seems like it should be the other way around. I am going to be 31 soon and it seems like yesterday I was at Word of Life running from the security or dressing up like snowcampers and raising hell on the staff. With our full face snow masks we attacked people, launched snowballs and through people in the snow. The word was out for the "tall campers who were causing trouble". No one could see their faces, no one knew it was us. As I sat in the counsellor meeting and heard what we needed to look for to stop this attack I laughed to myself thinking about when we would strike next.
I am speaking on the issue of "Like Father, Like Son" . I will try to integrate the idea that although our culture paints God the Father as this "town sheriff" in the OT who judges and condemns and His Son comes later and balances things out with his love. I want to point out 2 names for God in Genesis, Elohim and Yahweh. Elohim is this strong creator in Gen 1 and he is all-powerful, but then in Gen 2, we see a new name for God "LORD God"- Yahweh, A God who is faithful, a God who comes to Adam and Eve on there level, "Walking in the cool of the day" He could have pulled an "Elohim" on them, you know like, "Oh , You want to disobey me? Zap you are gone man, Oh I see you hiding over there, zap, now where are your legs?, Oh they are just bloody stumps, etc." But he doen't do that he wants to be known to them as Yahweh, A God who is faithful. We see this when he sends Moses to Pharoah, He does not want to be known as El ohim, that is already how the Jewish people view Pharoah, see El was not a knew name for God it had been around a long time and meant other Gods too. I wonder what kind of Dad I am, Am I an Elohim Dad or a Yahweh Dad? As I prepare to leave today I hope that maybe God will use me. I have been humbled alot in the last 10 years since I stepped foot on that campus. We will see, and hey it is not like they have to ask me back next year..........
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Married Life
My wife and I recently celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary. I could not believe it has been eight years. For fun we went to the Cheese Cake Factory and then to see the notorious Blades of Glory with Will Ferell. I am not sure how to spell his name. Anyway when we got home we got out the big box of college pictures. it was so funny to see our lives as we were so young and carefree, no responsibilities except whether or not we would go to our classes the next day or sleep in and what party to attend on the weekend. It was a hard life. We laughed as we stumbled upon some pics of an "eighties party" that we had and all the funny outfits and dancing to Depeche Mode and Def Leopard, (if you can dance to that). We laughed as we saw old friends and how young and skinny I looked.
I found some pictures of Abby and I when we were dating and how innocent she was, (now totally corrupted by me) and how easy things were. I realized again how college is just not real life at all. It is this serene adaptation in which everything is almost as close to perfect as it can get. People have not really known each other long enough to know their secrets, to know what their addictions are and struggles. You can almost mask them the entire 4 years and know one will really know. John Mayer says that dating and college is like an "A" movie. You show all your "A" movies first to people. Like maybe the first Die Hard, or Titanic, or Raiders of the Lost Ark, but sadly given enough time some of those B movies will come out. For instance given eonough time a "Police Academy 7 will slip out". Real life I think is what my wife and I experienced while we looked at those pics. We have been through a lot in those 8 years. She has found out alot about me, how selfish I am, How I have a very addictive personality, how I have a temper, how mean and selfish I can be. I have found out alot about her like how strong she is having lost her mom to a drunk driver when she was 11 and how she has dealt with that. At first I thought I wish that she had never found those things out about me, and that it could be like college and fun and utopian. But then I realized that is the fake aspect of life, and it is not real life at all. Real life is struggle, relationship, true relationship is work. It only happens when all the cards are on the table, and even though all through college I may have appeared to have a full house, all I really had was a 2/9 off suit, or if I was lucky "a pair of twos".
Real life is having kids and being able to not lose my temper with them when they are doing what it is that kids do. Relationship is loving my wife as Christ loves the church and trying to make a covenant with my eyes every day. Married life has really been an eye opener for me. After 8 years I realized that for one I have not been married that long comparitively speaking to that of my grandparents who have 55 years under their belt. But I have learned that real life is not college. Married life as Paul says is the mystery of Jesus and the church. That tension, that struggle, that love, that committment, that self-lessness, that sacrifice, that daily sacrifice. As my wife and I looked through pictures we laughed and we cried. In a sense we missed the old times, but not as much as we love the new times..
I found some pictures of Abby and I when we were dating and how innocent she was, (now totally corrupted by me) and how easy things were. I realized again how college is just not real life at all. It is this serene adaptation in which everything is almost as close to perfect as it can get. People have not really known each other long enough to know their secrets, to know what their addictions are and struggles. You can almost mask them the entire 4 years and know one will really know. John Mayer says that dating and college is like an "A" movie. You show all your "A" movies first to people. Like maybe the first Die Hard, or Titanic, or Raiders of the Lost Ark, but sadly given enough time some of those B movies will come out. For instance given eonough time a "Police Academy 7 will slip out". Real life I think is what my wife and I experienced while we looked at those pics. We have been through a lot in those 8 years. She has found out alot about me, how selfish I am, How I have a very addictive personality, how I have a temper, how mean and selfish I can be. I have found out alot about her like how strong she is having lost her mom to a drunk driver when she was 11 and how she has dealt with that. At first I thought I wish that she had never found those things out about me, and that it could be like college and fun and utopian. But then I realized that is the fake aspect of life, and it is not real life at all. Real life is struggle, relationship, true relationship is work. It only happens when all the cards are on the table, and even though all through college I may have appeared to have a full house, all I really had was a 2/9 off suit, or if I was lucky "a pair of twos".
Real life is having kids and being able to not lose my temper with them when they are doing what it is that kids do. Relationship is loving my wife as Christ loves the church and trying to make a covenant with my eyes every day. Married life has really been an eye opener for me. After 8 years I realized that for one I have not been married that long comparitively speaking to that of my grandparents who have 55 years under their belt. But I have learned that real life is not college. Married life as Paul says is the mystery of Jesus and the church. That tension, that struggle, that love, that committment, that self-lessness, that sacrifice, that daily sacrifice. As my wife and I looked through pictures we laughed and we cried. In a sense we missed the old times, but not as much as we love the new times..
Friday, April 20, 2007
the weekend
I always feel good when it is friday, I think maybe it is because I am able to get out of my routine. I do not have to follow the guidelines, I can assume to be surprised, I can assume to not have any plans. Now of course my wife always has plans for me on the weekend, but for the most part I do not have plans except to spend time with the kids and work on stuff. I have that option to accidentally fall asleep in the chair, or accidentally fall asleep on the couch, or accidentally fall asleep out in the grass, or shower, or just some random place on the ground, but seriously I often wonder if this was what the Garden of Eden was like all the time, (not random nap places) I mean yeah there was some work to do like naming the animals, but schedule? it seems as if before there was sin there was not routine. I am sure to some extent there was but maybe a schedule that was much more similar to that of a weekend schedule. Now this is clearly speculation but Adam's work that he did in the garden was "good" according to God so I would assume that it was the kind of work that one would like or love. In our world today very few people love their job, they therefore work for the weekend, as Mr. Lewis and the News said it best. Is it possible that if you love your job, which few people seem to do, then maybe we share that kind of "good" work that maybe Adam did? Tainted with sin in a fallen world granted, but I think that if you are satisfied with work as much as you or I look forward to the weekend, Monday does not seem so bad, It could in fact be good?
Monday, April 16, 2007
Passover
I am in the midst of teaching the Passover from a Jewish perspective in my 10th grade Bible class. As I taught the same thing over and over all day long I was pleasantly surprised by new things that the Lord brought to my mind as i read and studied. Jesus said to His disciples, " I have fervent desire to eat this last meal with you." That is pretty strong Greek. The more I thought about it, the more I could not let the idea go that there is/was a pretty high, positive attitude from our Lord as He prepared for the Passover knowing that He would die the next day, yet He remained in good spirits. The event of the Passover can really be broken down into two things: The event and the remembrance (meal). As we know the event is the time in history when The LORD had promised that the death angel would come and kill all the first born kids, despite race, and the only way to live was to make sure that you have the blood of the lamb on the door, I mean death really surrounded this whole plague, Death, for the wages of sin is death. Then comes the celebration, the feast of Unleavened bread, the celebration in which much of the emphasis if not all is put on the fact that the Jews first Born got a "get out of dead" free card, but than I took a closer look, they really did not get out of death, they just got it prolonged, a prolonged death, a prolonged physical death. This celebration is in the midst of an event in which its emphasis is on a prolonged death and physical freedom from death, but physical freedom is not enough, in fact wasn't physical death a blessing to Adam, "What shall we do lest they eat from the tree of life and live forever?" God banished Adam and Eve so they could die, if they lived forever we would not be here. So Jesus institutes something special in the heart of the Feast of Unleavened Bread that He is so excited to share with his friends. So many years earlier when Adam and Eve sinned they should have been cursed, instead they were judged, the cursing went to the serpent and the ground, man's curse, well let's just say God has been holding onto it for a long time. Jesus is fervently desiring to eat this meal with the disciples because He is about to take something that is saturated in death and physical freedom only and turn it into life and spiritual freedom, a Passover like none other. He then makes a promise, "I will not drink of the vine again until we are in my father's house. See next year Passover will be celebrated and the year after and the year after, just like it always had. But that passover was different, there will not be one like it until we are with Jesus in Heaven, he is not eating it until he comes to get his bride. The groom goes to prepare a place for his bride but he is not at his dad's house eating the wedding cake, He will eat that later after he comes to get her, his bride, us. God has been holding onto that curse for a long time, Jesus is fervent with desire to eat this with his friends because he is bringing death to life. The event of the Passover is followed by the remembrance of the Passover feast, incorporated in that is the event of Christ's death burial and resurrection, the real remembrance of that will be, not when we take communion again, but when we have that feast again at the marriage supper of the lamb. God has been holding that curse for a long time, he is going to give it to someone finally on good Friday, he should have given it to Adam, he should have given it to me, but he held it and blessed me with death so to speak, a physical death, so that I can have spiritual life in him. Adam fell to the sin of pride, he died, Jesus was tempted on top of the temple by the devil, "jump off the temple, let them see that you are God" What if he had done this? What if they had seen him descend and angels carry him to the ground, I believe they would have called him Lord and you know what? I believe that they would not have crucified him, Satan would have won. Jesus beat the devil in the desert.
Jesus was pumped to eat this meal for the first time with his disciples, because it would not be the last time that they did this, in fact, it is not the beginning of the end, but rather the beginning of the beginning of the beginning. Jesus was pumped to eat this with his friends because he knew He had made it, he made it to the end, He made it the point in which he would in hours beat death, He made it further than Adam, He made it further than me. He offers more than a supper representative of prolonged physical death, he does not represent anything, He is.
Jesus was pumped to eat this meal for the first time with his disciples, because it would not be the last time that they did this, in fact, it is not the beginning of the end, but rather the beginning of the beginning of the beginning. Jesus was pumped to eat this with his friends because he knew He had made it, he made it to the end, He made it the point in which he would in hours beat death, He made it further than Adam, He made it further than me. He offers more than a supper representative of prolonged physical death, he does not represent anything, He is.
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