Who Are You?

As we close 2010, take some time to remember who you are.  The world changes fast, and new discoveries, technologies, and philosophies are a daily occurrence.  Who are you?  What do you believe?  Does the fast pace of change in society affect your own worldview and identity?  Hopefully we are all open to new people and new ideas.  If we weren't we would still be pulling carts with square wheels, using hay for roofing materials, and living to a ripe old age of 40.

Not every idea, however, is a good idea.  Just because someone intelligent proposes a new theory, doesn't mean we need to throw out what we know to be true.  Just because  a new gadget gets all the buzz, doesn't mean it is useful.  Just because someone else says "there is no God" doesn't mean it is true.  God has heard that one a million times.  Check it out!

This year I plan to celebrate diversity, take advantage of technology, but never lose my identity.
Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

I love the holidays.  I also hate the holidays.

I love getting our kids into their jammies, loading up the car, cranking the heat and Christmas tunes, sipping hot chocolate, and looking at Christmas lights.  I love decorated churches and Christmas concerts.  I can't wait to see my kids tear into their presents, watch people open ones they gave, and then have them call all the aunties and uncles, grandmas and grandpas, and cousins to say thank you.  I can't wait for them to come running in at 6 am on Christmas morning and bounce on the bed in excitement.  I love our Christmas morning tradition of opening presents, eating monkey bread, and just enjoying ourselves all day.  I love eating a lovely Christmas dinner Christmas Eve, and opening one present.  I love that a stocking not overflowing is not yet full, and I love that my wife never fails to make Christmas special no matter what.

I hate traffic, crowded stores, and the commercialization of Christmas.  I hate Walmart at Christmas (no offense to Walmart, there is not much they can do).  I hate being 3000 miles form much of my family.  I hate that travel is nearly impossible this season.

I have discovered a Christmas secret: relax!  How?  Try these ideas:
1) Shop online- lots of free shipping this time of year.
2) Travel earlier, later, or not at all.  We make our big visits in the summer.
3) Keep traditions, embellish them, and enjoy them.
4) Make sure you kiss someone under a mistletoe and at 12:00 New Years.
5) Make sure Christ is the center of Christmas.  It's about GIVING: money, time, help.  Make sure the kids are part of this.

Relax, enjoy, love and give.  Happy Holidays!

God is in Control

Have you ever told anyone, "God is in control?"  It is supposed to be comforting, but sometimes it is just something we say to make someone feel better.  There is nothing wrong with being empathetic, but we also need to take those words seriously.  Life can take a quick turn with one phone call: cancer, car accident, or killed in action.  Find peace in the truth of those words: "God is in control."  When you realize you cannot change the circumstances, and you have nothing else to do but lean on God, then you can have the emotional strength to hold others up when all hell breaks lose.  The enemy may hammer us relentlessly, but as one author once said, "The anvil outlasts the hammer."  God will shape us on the anvil, and it may hurt, but he is creating us to be all he meant for us to be, and no matter how much it hurts, he always knows what he is doing.

The Supernatural and Gasoline

The day before my birthday, I had to take my truck into the shop because it was running very sluggish.  I was upset.  It is Christmastime, it was my birthday, and of course my truck has to break down.  Just to make it memorable, the bill came to just under $1000.  That is about $999 more than I have to spend on repairs, especially this time of year.  What a drag.  Thanks a lot, Lord.

Can you see the blessing in this situation?  Neither could I- until I talked to the mechanic.  My O2 sensor went out, causing the truck to pour fuel into the engine.  This filled up the catalytic converter with unburned fuel residue.  My spark plugs were not only coated with residue, but some were even damaged because they were the wrong size.  The miracle was that my truck kept limping along for nearly a month with all these things wrong, and finally got me to the shop.  I suspected there might have been some supernatural intervention that kept me going.  Also, the starter went bad and had to be replaced.  I almost laughed.  This summer, the starter gave me trouble, and in particular nearly stranded me with my kids on a blistering day.  We all sat in the parking lot and prayed for a miracle, and then turned the key again, and the truck fired up like a dream.  It never gave me any more trouble until it was at the mechanic.  Now I'm convinced I was running on the supernatural and gasoline for several months.  Praise the Lord!

I'm not happy about paying $1000, but there again the Lord gave us assistance in the form of a timely loan from a good and generous friend.  We live in a sinful world with disease, crime, and cars that break down.  I'm so glad I have the Lord to call on when everything else seems to fail me.  Can you imagine handling life alone?  Sometimes we should look past our circumstances, and see the hand of God working on our behalf, especially in the middle of chaotic, stressful, or even tragic situations.  It is usually through these situations God works to bring blessings into our lives.  I know I will enjoy my blessing every time I turn my key and listen to the purring sound of my faithful truck.

The Debate Is Over

Imagine if Presidential Debates (the only debates most people pay attention to) went on for days or even weeks.  What torture!  Few people would pay attention after a few hours, and most will have made up their mind long before that.

Have you ever been part of a "Facebook Debate," where someone has posted something controversial and dozens of people make comments for the next several days?  The angry statements "There is no God because..." seem to draw the most attention.  I love to weigh in on those debates, but sometimes you have to draw a line, and decide when the debate is over.

In 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 Paul says, "When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."  

You can consume your intellect with arguing about the existence and nature of God, but ultimately it is a matter of the heart and faith, not the mind.  When people make the statement "I don't believe in God" they usually mean, "I want to live for myself."  Let's lay down the biggest idol in the world today: self.  It is only then we can truly see how big God is, and all he has for for our life.  It is then that the debate is over.

Falling Toward the Cross

Most of us have had to deal with the disappointment of those we looked up to that have let us down.  Sin can sneak into anyone's life, and the slightest compromise can open the doors for sin to pour in.  In these times, it is important for us to remember that we are all fighting the sinful nature, but when we fall, if we are still moving towards the cross, then we fall towards the cross.  It is much easier to recover from an uphill fall than a downhill fall.  We also need to remember that we need to be quick to forgive, but wise to know when we should trust again.  Don't turn your back on your brothers or sisters; instead, "restore him gently." (Galatians 6:1).  You never know when it may be you that needs an understanding heart.

Jesus Who?

We are busy people.  Sometimes we are too busy.  We cry out to Jesus when it's hard to pay the bills or someone is fighting for their life in the ICU, but when things are rolling along just fine we don't have time to pray.  One of the reasons I love Jesus Christ is because he is so patient with us.  Even so, we must break the cycle of crying out to him, then ignoring him until a crisis, and then crying out again.  Let's enjoy his presence; let's worship him for who he is; let's come to him for once not expecting something in return.  Ironically, it at these times he blesses us the most.

Answered Prayer

In 1 Samuel 1 Hannah prayed year after year for the blessing of a child.  She didn't know if or when God would answer her prayer, but one day her waiting was over.  My sister can relate.  After 2 1/2 years she and her husband have finally received the call they have been waiting for: they have a son!  He is nine months old, and he is waiting for them in Ethiopia.  If all goes well, they will be able to go to court in Ethiopia in a few months, and then return a few weeks later to get their precious boy.  Are we all nervous about the next few months?  Of course, but the Lord has always been in charge, from the moment he burned it in my sister's heart to adopt a child from overseas.  Can you imagine waiting 2 1/2 years for anything?  Join me praising the Lord for this incredible miracle, and know that whatever you are waiting for, if it is God's plan, it isn't over until God says it's over!

Darkness

It is just me, or does the time change feel like jet lag?  We get an extra hour, but for some reason I am thrown off!  In reality, the change of seasons can throw many of us for a loop.  Less sunlight means your brain releases more melatonin; in a bear, it makes you sleep for 5 months, but in humans, it makes us tired, lethargic, and grumpy. It is the source of a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or S.A.D.  Some people get depressed, and others simply retreat into their comfort zones.  I am guilt of the latter.  I become attached to my favorite spot on the couch, my regular bedtime, my daily routine, and my favorite foods.

It might not be a bad idea, as some S.A.D. patients do to suppress their melatonin levels, to look into the light.  Stick with your Bible reading, keep plugged in at church, and stay attuned to the voice of God.  Nothing overcomes spiritual apathy like the presence of God.  When you least feel like it, when you have nothing to say, when you are angry, depressed, or just tired, there is nothing better to do than just worship the Lord with all your heart.  Don't ask him for anything at that moment, and don't run down your list of prayer requests just yet.  Simply worship him for who he is, and the light of his presence will drive away the darkness that feels like it is smothering you.  Just like good medicine, it might not feel good at first, but it works wonders every time.

Seeing Through God's Eyes

In the short book of Jonah, we see a prophet with a problem.  When given clear direction by the Lord, he turns tail and runs the opposite direction.  After realizing the hard way he made a bad choice, and setting new records for body odor after being vomited out by a fish, he finally obeyed and preached repentance to Ninevah.  To his surprise, they actually repented!  This made Jonah upset; he was waiting for hellfire and damnation, but instead he witnessed mercy and forgiveness.  God told him, "What right have you to be angry?"  It's a good thing the Lord gives us mercy, and not a human jury.  What things make us angry that are really not worth getting angry about?  Would we be as angry if we saw things through God's eyes?  Is a homeless person a lazy drunk or a person who needs help?  Are the starving children of the world the result of corrupt foreign governments, or our obligation to care for as Christians?  Is the sex slave trade of Asia a cultural tragedy, or an evil that demands a response from the Church?  Let's try and see things through God's eyes, and we might end up seeing much more than we ever have before.

The Results Are In

Let's not forget that our current blessings are the results of sweat, blood, and unimaginable sacrifice by our parents and grandparents.  We are not entitled to anything; we may face new challenges in the global economy, but these challenges are nothing that can't be overcome with good old fashioned hard work, sacrifice, faith, and ingenuity.  Just ask the great generation about beating the odds.  Whoever wins in the polls tonight, let's hope they understand this concept.

Jesus or Bust

I am utterly amazed at the grace, mercy, love, and patience of Jesus Christ.  Have you ever become annoyed by someone asking the same question over and over you have already answered?  Sometimes we are like that with Jesus.  Life settles down, things get routine, and we start questioning: what am I doing?  Do I make a difference?  Am I answering his call for my life?  It is not a bad thing to ask these questions, but remember if you started off following his plan, and you have not willfully disobeyed him, then you just may be going through one of those times where you just have to stick it out.  It is the daily faithfulness of the everyday saint, not the famous sermon or hit song, that is the engine of the Church.  Sometimes it helps to just think of this part of the journey as the straight stretch; enjoy the peace, enjoy the pace, and be ready for the hills and curves up ahead.  Also, don't forget to fasten your sign securely, so everyone knows that no matter what lies ahead, it is "Jesus or Bust."

That One Thing

Curly, the enigmatic tough cowboy played by Jack Palance in the "City Slickers" movies, had a great quote.  He told the New Yorkers to "find that one thing."  Of course, he never said what that ONE thing was!  For Christians, we know the one thing is Christ.


Let's not grow apathetic in our faith.  If we are blessed, we should focus on blessing others.  If we are talented, we should focus on serving others.  If we are feeling aimless, we should make missions our purpose.  Take a step of faith, even a small one, and see what God can do.  Corrie Ten Boom once said, "Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible."  You don't have to be a missionary in the slums of Calcutta for this to be true.  


Turn your perspective inside out- it is not about us, but Christ- and you will see amazing things happen in your life and faith.  Remember: hang on to that ONE thing!

Fiction or Non-Fiction?

What speaks to you most?  Do stories and their messages stick with you, or do you need to hear it plain and simple?  Let me know what you think!

Technology

iPad and Kindle...what are these new gadgets?  What do they have to do with Faith and Facts or Millennium?

In short, they are more ways for people to read  books- without paper.  I have to make a decision: do I pay to convert my books to an "EPUB" format so they can be sold and distributed directly to iPad and Kindle users?  Unlike paper, the answer is not black and white.

The Kindle and the iPad are handy and impressive.  The Kindle is essentially a document reader connected to the Internet so you can purchase books and read them on the spot.  The iPad is a little more like a small, flat, touch screen computer also connected to the Internet.  You can read books like the Kindle (and even "turn pages" with the touch screen), but you can also get on Facebook, Twitter, send email, watch video, listen to music, and other handy applications.

Will Faith and Facts and Millennium be available on the iPad and Kindle?  Actually, they already are!  You can download them in Adobe .PDF files, which are now able to be viewed on the Kindle with the latest software update, and the iPad with the new .PDF converter app that costs $.99.  Of course you can still download the books and view them the "old fashioned way" on a computer, or you can get a shiny new print copy sent right to your door.  There are 6 + billion people in the world that get mail; there are a billion computers in use around the world, and there are a few million Kindles and iPads out there, owned undoubtedly by folks who also have a computer at home.  I'm going to stick with the .PDF files for now.

Sometimes it is best to to hold off a bit and see where all the dust settles before rushing off to embrace the latest technology.  All the folks who bought Sony Beta VCR's and HD DVD's know what I'm talking about.

Originality or Purpose?

"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."  C.S. Lewis.  


I have struggled a bit with the limited scope of Faith and Facts, yet every time I question what I wrote, the Lord patiently confirms that I have said what he put on my heart.  Faith offers much for the mind, but ultimately it is a simple matter of the heart.

Question of the Week

The question of the week: to kick this blog off, how do you think Faith and Facts could possibly help an unbeliever or new believer with their faith?