Breather

I think I need one.  Mid-term's are coming and study is in order.  I think that's shy the reading schedule lightened up a bit.  I was so stunned by the time I had in the afternoons this week, I really didn't know what to do.  But, the Lord saw to it that I didn't waste time or get distracted.  He allowed a nice week of overtime to commence by demand.  Actually, I'm glad He scheduled that for a time when the schoolwork slowed a bit.

Be praying for Jennifer if you think of it.  She had pneumonia not too long ago.  I don't really think she ever recovered completely.  The cough seemed to linger.  She finally decided to go back to the doctor and got an antibiotic.  Feeling a bit better, she resumed her subbing schedule and promptly caught a virus.  Now, she's back down with fever and chills.  Prayer is in order.

I might add that things are more crazy at work than normal.  The internal politics seem to be ramping up.  I shouldn't take any of that with to much import, after all, the Lord is in control and all I want to do is serve Him.  I need to stay focused.  We started a prayer group in the office.  I think Satan will attack it.  There are many unbelievers there.  Maybe you could pray for our effective ministry and their salvation.

Cool Thanks...

Seeing the World

I don't think I am that unlike most Christians today. I love the Lord, try to serve Him, struggle with sin, etc. And, I tend to view the world as corrupt, ugly, cursed, evil and ruled by the Prince of the Air.  But lately, God has really been challenging my perceptions.

Please allow me to lay a foundation for my viewpoint.  I have always seen the love of God expressed int he world through the revelation of His common grace.  That is the beauty of nature, the warmth of the sun, the seasons, His administration of the earth, etc.  In fact, that is one of the primary reasons I enjoy hunting and fishing.  Those activities allow me to experience God's grace and reflect on it without the distractions of a totally man-made environment. (Ok, I realize that there is only one natural lake in Texas and that all the ones I fish are reservoirs, but they are inhabited by nature and I am not in a concrete jungle filled with noisy cars, just jet skis and boats, which is why we fish early and late... You just assumed it was because that was when the fish were biting!)  However, I now believe there is more to the perception of God's love revealed in the world than just these.

Psalm 8, 33 and 119 all mention that the world is filled with God's majesty, unfailing love and lovingkindness.  Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2 that man was made a little lower than the heavenly beings and in Genesis 1 that we bear in our essence the image of God.

When I read these things and reflect on them, I cannot but come to the conclusion that we are so very special and that God fills the earth with the presence of His love in relationship to us as the jewel of this creation to glorify Him.  So what good is it for me to recognize and focus on the evil in the world?  How do I effectively prepare my heart for love, especially love beyond myself, without recognizing God's love in the world.  This will take more than simply reveling in God's common grace.  It will take a conscious decision to look at creation, especially man, and see the love of God.

This understanding has the potential to revolutionize how I live the Christian life and view my own sanctification.  Ponder the verses in the passages I mentioned above and ask yourself if you see a world filled with God's love, or not?

Separated at Birth? Maybe...

There are two people in my life that do not know each other, have never met, don't share a field of study or even live remotely near each other.  But, they are cut from the same mold.  I smile.

The first is a famous hydrologist (well famous in certain circles).  He resides in the western US, plays guitar and enjoys photography.  He has a great sense of humor and witty insight.  He loves to write and truly see things from a thoughtful, analytical, academic perspective.  He is a former professor of engineering.

The second is a famous theologian (I'm sure there is a circle) and current professor of systematic theology at a respected seminary in the south.  His sense of humor and love of music characterize his personality as does his analytical mind and academic thought processes.  Besides, anyone who would play Sinead O'Conner followed by Wilco in class deserves some respect in by book or at least a check on the cool meter.

I must say that I cannot help but laugh a little and smile a lot every time I am in class with Dr. Kreider.  I haven't told him he has a long lost brother.  I might.  In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy his lectures while I reminisce about good times with Dr. Thompson.

Check out these pics of each.  If I hadn't told you how similar they are in personality and mannerism, you'd still think they are related!  The one on the left is Dr. Thompson, on the right is Dr. Kreider.

You know, maybe Dr. Kreider and I will turn out to be good friends too.  You never know.

The Day After

It is Saturday morning.   There's still an abundance of snow on the ground.  We held funeral services for Dad yesterday.  It snowed the night before and there was a nice blanket of 5 to 6 inches greeting us.  That kept many from coming out to pay respects.  Mom's phone rang all morning.  In spite of all that, a good crowd numbering abut 60 showed.  I thought the service went well.  God gave me the strength and peace to make it through.  Many thought it was fitting and respectful. I hope Dad was proud.

My thoughts are jumbled and coming in short bursts.  Maybe that's because there are so many in there.  Too much to organize right now...  So, forgive me the free writing, it's all I seem to be able to do.

The image is from our back patio yesterday morning.  I used the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone to capture the image.  I think it captured my feelings in a was I simply cannot describe yet.