Government dollars at work?

That is, your tax dollars.

CNN article regarding Recovery.gov

This article says, in plain english, that the website www.recovery.gov has inaccurately reported stimulus money spent and the jobs saved/ created in US congressional districts that don't exist.

"A report released Wednesday by the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity said it found such errors on pages for all 50 states, four territories and Washington, D.C. More than $6.4 billion in stimulus funds was shown as being spent -- and more than 28,420 jobs saved or created -- in 440 false districts, it said."

My knee jerk reaction is to assume that someone wants their administration to look great in front of the public and is willing to lie to look good - or worse, that money was funneled or laundered and this was how they covered it up. Let us remember, though, that we are supposed to be a nation of "innocent until proven guilty".

The explanation is that the people who received the money reported their congressional district inaccurately and, as VP Biden stated it, the errors didn't indicate unaccounted-for spending but rather were the result of people who had "bad civics classes." Good. Now we know that we're to blame...

Here are the questions and concerns that I'm left with:

1. The direct implication here is that recovery.gov is not getting it's information from the government who spent it, but from the people who received it. Why aren't they using their own data as they track what's being spent? - Answer: They admitted already that they don't know where it's being spent. This poor excuse for accountability is a reaction to that revelation, meaning they have to go back and ASK the recipients how much they got and where they spent it.

2. If we can't trust WHERE it's being spent, how are we supposed to believe anyone who tells us how much is being spent or what good it's doing?

3. We were shocked to hear that our government doesn't know where the stimulus is being spent, and they make it worse by screwing up any attempt to make good on their own accountability. The billion (trillion?) dollar question that everyone should be asking - how are we supposed to trust our Government with anything? Health care? National Defense? Civil service? REPRESENTATION?

So now, when they claim to have put 120,000 more people onto health care insurance, we can assume that means 12.

Who do you say Jesus is?

I've heard many teachers and theologians pose this question. I've heard them pose it themselves as well as reflect upon the chapter and verse where Jesus asked the same question. These theologians and teachers always come back with the same basic reflection what you, the people, "tend to say in response", but I'd like to hear it from you! I'll share some of the pat answers they give, and even my own reflections and answer - but I'd like to see some response first. Care to chime in?

Who do you say Jesus is?

Vocation

In merriam Webster's online dictionary, it's described thus:

1 a : a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action; especially : a divine call to the religious life b : an entry into the priesthood or a religious order
2 a : the work in which a person is employed : occupation b : the persons engaged in a particular occupation
3 : the special function of an individual or group

A Catholic apologist and blogger I follow has this short post with a video that I highly recommend. It's worth the 5 minutes to read and see:

The Beauty of Priesthood

It's no secret, I'm no Catholic. To watch that video, however, stirs up great emotion in the deepest parts of my soul. The musical accompaniment, the grandeur of the cathedral, dress and the ceremony involved is beautiful in and of itself, but it becomes a blur in the periphery with the declaration made “May God, who has begun this good work in you, now bring it to fulfillment.” This truly speaks aloud the very definition of vocation.

This wellspring of emotion I found in seeing the clip is not new to me, however. The day I participated in my baptism, the first time I served in my church, these moments and others brought me to a very special place where the spiritual and physical worlds converge - a moment where God stirred my soul. I was doing what God called me to do.

Sure, I'll admit I'm waxing poetic. I'm not even sure where I'm going with this, except to say that I wish i could share with the world that enormous joy and satisfaction you experience in your soul when you serve God. To know you have been reconciled to God and that the highest and only being to ever transcend existence cares about YOU and might actually be please by your deeds... well, that is life at it's fullest. To watch those men being ordained as priests is better than analogous to that feeling. It's witnessing it.

Revelation 1:6
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Much needed correction

It was brought to my attention that I made an error in my wording in a prior post.

When your child is dying and you can do nothing about it...

In the paragraph that starts "Some clarifications...", 3rd one down, I said my wife and I condone the murder of Dr. Tiller. I was, most definitely, mistaking the word condone. We do not approve, applaud, or take pleasure of any kind in his murder. The post has been corrected - forgive me or any misunderstanding.

The Bible being taught in public schools?

I was directed to an article from a Texas news station (thanks Nathan!):

http://www.kltv.com/global/story.asp?s=10933571

According to the story, the Bible is, by law, being taught in public schools in Texas. The reaction I saw to the article was one of sharp disgust and upset. I jumped into the conversation with both feet; suddenly, a question occurred to me that demands to be asked:

What does that mean to you? If you heard that public schools in your area are "teaching the Bible", what would you assume that means? If I were to attend that school, what should I expect?

Defining the terms in a conversation is key to a productive debate... What's your definition?

When your child is dying and you can do nothing about it...

http://www.perinatalhospice.org/

Below is a commentary I posted on someone else's blog. The original post was a response to the murder of the late-term abortion doctor, Dr. Tiller:

I want to attempt a personal response while avoiding ad-homonym. wish me luck: My wife and I were sitting on the sofa one night recently when the story of Tiller’s murder was reiterated (why, I don’t recall). From my wife, I heard an audible gasp.
(me) “What, you didn’t hear about this? It was a few months ago.”
(wife) “No, I didn’t. Hon, that was MY doctor.” She teared up immediately.

Some clarifications – we are both Christian (for 5 years now) and very pro-life. We do not condone his murder, period. My wife went through a late-term abortion during her 1st marriage 9 years ago. The baby had an acute dwarfism that kept his ribcage tiny, so the heart developed fully and left no room for lungs. My wife and her husband were convinced the baby would either die in utero or be born and suffocate (convinced by a local Dr, not Tiller). They felt they were conducting an act of mercy, and so did Dr. Tiller.

Here’s what I have learned:
(1) Pro-Lifers want to paint late term abortion doctors as evil monsters who will stop at nothing to murder. A fact that can't be ignored is that abortion kills a human that did nothing to deserve it - that is called murder, and that makes abortionists murderers. The 'monster' image, however, just isn't true. Dr. Tiller and his staff were more caring and loving than any of us (pro-lifers) may ever want to believe. They walked my wife and her husband thru the process for a week before it was done, and they held their hands the whole way. I recently saw the memorabilia my wife still has from that day.
(2) As we looked through the memorabilia, my wife sobbed openly and I joined her. Even 9 years later she was asking for forgiveness from the Lord and her son, Gavin. Before she was a Christian, she still was haunted by the guilt of killing her child, even though she felt it was the merciful thing to do. Perhaps “Post-Abortion Trauma Syndrome” is rare, perhaps it’s pervasive. The pro-abortion groups want you to think it’s fictitious – don’t ever believe them.
(3) As we battle to end the work of abortion, we have to be acutely aware that we are facing humans, not monsters, in the fight. Cain was human, Ahab and Jezebel were human, Judas was human. We all are, and we lose perspective if we forget that. All I’m saying here is that your weapons will be oversized and your aim and tactics will be adversely effected if you mistake who you’re fighting against.
(4) There are ways to help that are grossly underutilized. Spread this far and wide:

http://www.perinatalhospice.org/

Perinatal Hospice is the option my wife was never offered. Why kill you baby if it’s going to die naturally anyway? PH will give you all the love and care and medical assistance parents of “terminal pregnancies” will need to go through the pregnancy without the guilt of ending your own child’s life. So long as abortion has to be an option, be sure everyone knows there are better options.

With love in Christ,
Chris

Below is another quote and some websites and blogs on the topic:

"When I [author Dr. Matt Anderson] called the MFM [material-fetal medicine] specialist, she immediately rattled off the severe abnormalities found, the fetus' incompatibility with life, and the scheduling of an abortion. I interrupted: "If the baby is going to die anyway, why do you want to kill it before it dies a natural death?" There was silence on the other end. I went on to explain that the parents would not have to deal with the guilt of killing their child if it died naturally. There was a pause, then, "I hadn't thought of that," she said."

the above is part of an article found here:

http://www.worldmag.com/articles/15726/

I originally read the quote here:

http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2009/08/perinatal-hospice-honor-and-help.html

...and this link needs to be shared as much as possible:

http://www.perinatalhospice.org/

Willing to pay... to volunteer?

So, my friend has this friend who volunteered at Hazeltine for the PGA tournament. I don't care much for golf, but this caught my attention: To volunteer, it cost her $180. She got passes to get in all week regardless of which days she's working, so I think it pays off. Saying/ reading it out loud is still rather bewildering to me.

"You want to volunteer? Sure. $180 please."

"You want a week's pass to watch golf? Sure. $180 please. Oh, plus a little manual labor. No big."

"Want a job with the PGA? Sure. Make our paycheck out to... yes. You work for us AND pay us."

My challenge to you is to tell me any other experience where it costs you money to volunteer. Tell me some form of work you would willingly PAY to have to do. Oh, lets keep it clean too, boys and girls.

Paying to volunteer. Unbelievable.

Fisherman, Fisher of Men.

I write this one for those who never read the bible and for those who love this part as much as I do.

Many people think Jesus was a good teacher and not much more. His message was peace and love, "do unto others", and "love your enemies, love your neighbors". He was all of that, but he was much more.

Jesus' real message focused so much more on showing God's glory to others. Share the the power and awesomeness of God and share the good news of salvation and reconciliation to God. My personal favorite is when he calls his first apostles as read in Matthew, chapter4 v 18-20:

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.

Now, if you read the Gospel of John you will see that this wasn't the first time he met these brothers. They had become familiar with one another by this point, but the comment by Jesus and the response of Peter and Andrew is remarkable, none the less. Think about it as a fisherman: your sole purpose is to catch fish. These guys didn't really use bait, but cast large nets. Bring em in, He said! Jesus made these brothers to be fishers of men! Go forth, and bring me people - all shapes and sizes, indiscriminately. Bait them with the good news and bring them to me, the Messiah, and I will keep them!

In John ch10, v7-8 Jesus says "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

The sheep, here, are the caught fish of Matthew, chapter 4. Think of the promise and the hope in these words! How exciting is this?! Despite the pain and the heartache of this world, He is faithful to comfort you and to love you. Despite your transgressions and sins, past or future, he's faithful to forgive you and pay the punishment you have earned. Despite the Devil and his entire band of demons, the people who would turn you from him, or even the temptations of your own flesh, He is strong enough to keep you - NO ONE can snatch you from His hand!

If ever there was a lure I'm glad I bit onto, it was the one Jesus cast to me. Now, with His guidance and direction, I hope and pray I can be the bait He wants me to be. I say with great hope and joy: I want to be a fisher of men!

A Fine Line Between Worship and Idolatry

A good friend sent me a quote the other day. He is reading "Open Ice" by Jack Falla. I'll not commit the injustice of trying to repeat the quote; read the book and you'll know it when you see it. It's about Falla observing the Sistine Chapel ceiling artwork. Witnessing the painting of the creation of water made him think of ice, from which we get hockey. It really was a pretty amusing quote, and it got me to thinking...

Here's the difference, the fine line between worship and idolatry: If I think of creation and am automatically drawn to hockey because I love hockey, that is (or it risks being) idolatry. If I see hockey and it makes me think of God, that's worship.

Don't get me wrong, you can enjoy the many things in life without them being an idol. Really, this is a thought process that needs to be fleshed out a bit (to onlooking theologians, no pun intended). Many a young Christian has asked themself, however, just how much can I enjoy something before it becomes an idol? This is really the question I think I'm facing here. I think the illustration is sound, too.

God's glory can be found in just about everything.

I cut at the ice with the freshly sharpened blades of my skates, the smell of that cold winter air permeating my senses. I see the flakes of snow falling against the glow of the rink lights during an evening skate down at the park. I hear a slapshot crack and the near immediate thump of a steadfast sideboard holding back the snow and keeping in that little black disc. All this in mind, and I realize: the wood of the stick and of the boards, the frozen water beneath my skates and the crystalized water falling from the sky, the rubber puck perfectly round and within fractions of an ounce of an exacting weight, the current of electricity for the lights and the heat of the warming house - all these varying systems and substances come into a created harmony mimicing, in a small way, the created harmony from the almighty God. He gifted us this that we may have joy and say how great is our God!

Yet when I had such joys I rejoiced in the people that made it, not the God that made it possible. I put my back to Him as I laced up my skates. I said "Assuming He exists, I'll leave Him alone if He leaves me alone". Instead of bringing just punishment to a thankless, disobedient and recalcitrant boy, He showed me His glory. He said "Look at all I have created for you. See all that you have been given, that you may know the power and the majesty of your creator. This water that sustains your human flesh, that you skate on, breath in, swim through, watch falling from the sky and crashing upon your shores - see it and know I made it and I made it do that, and it is a tiny shred of my abilities."

I fall to my knees, to think how I tried putting God in a little jar on my shelf. I would beg forgiveness except to realize a great sin like mine shall not go unpunished. "The wages of Sin is death" our God declares. Death it shall be. I have purchased my death. The purchase price, I have met; the reward, however, I shall never see - for my God is "both the Just and the Justifier". I have been justified in the eyes of my Lord. I'll see Him and, though my sins be like scarlet, I shall be white as snow. It is the Lord Jesus who died. The punishment of death purchased by me was served in whole by Him who was sent of God and bore the full deity Himself. Yes, I shall one day bow joyfully in the presence of the Lord because my punishment was placed on Him who knew no sin, the lamb, Jesus Christ.

The next time I feel the wind in my face as I listen to the rhythmic shhruk-shhhruk-shhhruk of steel on ice, I'll see the white of the snow and think of God - the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer... and I will rejoice.

Of Napping and Anger Management

Some thoughts regarding napping: I'm finding that I have 2 primary options come nap time: the couch in the living room, or the bed in, well, in the bedroom. There is a third option, but that's simply falling asleep where I am, and that's not so cool. So here is what I'm learning: The basic factors in the decision are intended length of nap and peace and quiet required.

The Shock Nap

There is the occasion where I feel like my limbs are gaining weight by the second and life is slowly becoming impossible. The nice part about these moments are that I can lay down and take a nap anywhere with little regard for atmosphere. Most often, 5 to 10 minutes and I'm right as rain. I think I shall call these my shock naps. Shock nap is a good name because they recharge my battery like a lightening bolt, and because my wife expects me to be out for a half hour, and that makes it shocking for her to see me 7 minutes later wide eyed and looking like I never fell asleep.

The Day Killer Nap

Then there's the occasion where I feel like I haven't been to bed in days. I'm just plain-old tired. Times like this, I often attempt to use the couch and the wifey softly suggests I go try the bed. By then I've tried unsuccessfully to nap for 15 minutes and I'm likely growing impatient. Invariable, I take my doting wife's good advice and go to bed. Herein lies the rub: napping in the bedroom usually ends in a 90 minute nap, sometimes over 2 hours. I've tried setting an alarm and I've tried leaving the TV on. Either way, the nap stretches out, I waste a big chunk of the day and I often get the added effect of grogginess for what's left of the day. I hate to think I'm unavailable for my wife or my kids. That's why I hate day killers, and that's all I'll say about that.

A happy medium, The Nap, Nap

I try the couch, even though I know I should just go to bed. I do this because it's nearly impossible to sleep for hours there, and the kids make it easy to get up after 20 minutes or so. When I voluntarily use the bedroom, I turn on the TV because I can hear the TV program in my sleep. A cool narcolepsy trick I have is waking up at the end of a show. I might try to explain better another time, but it suffices to say that it's not always successful, it's great when it is successful, and it's definitely a narcolepsy thing. When a successful nap is had either way, usually around 20 minutes, life is good. Very good.

That pesky Anger Management thing

The part I'm still working out is when I oversleep to the tune of 2 hours in my room, or when the kids wake me prematurely on the couch. It's way too easy to get upset there. Over the years Concerta has helped me recognize a bad mood coming, and it's a good thing because it takes a concious effort to awaken upset and not let it become anger. Angry at the clock, angry at myself, angry at my wonderful wife or whoever else can be blamed for letting me sleep that long. Angry at the dog, angry at my kids or anyone who might disturb my perfect couch nap. It's about that time, or perhaps now while I think about it, that I simply raise a prayer to the Lord and ask for His peace patience and kindness. It's a good thing I have His guidance and the Holy Spirit working in my...

...'cause I can be a real bear.

Responding to "What the un-churched don't like about Christians"

"What the un-churched don't like about Christians" a blog post by Thom Rainer

If you're reading this, please hit the blog link above and read that first. It should take you 5 minutes - I don't mind waiting.

My request of you now is this: Tell me what you think. Agree or disagree? What side of the equation are you, Christian or not? Churched or unchurched?

For people new to me, let me tell you: I place myself on the inside of "churched" looking out. I've been Christian for some 6 years now and I've been an elder of my church, so I'm very much churched, but I'm still try to remain familiar with my old, unchurched self. I need to avoid being those things listed by Rainer. That blog resonated with me and I would love to start a whole conversation around it. Won't you help me?

It's the 'H' word for "Nights in Rodanthe"

I try to use it sparingly. About people or food I'll (almost) never use it. When I use it the most often is regarding washing the dishes...

The above is stated to assure you that I say this with much thought and intention: I hate the movie "Nights in Rodanthe". The movie was predictable but I don't mind a predictable movie. It was a sappy chick-flick but I don't mind that either. What I hated about this movie is the frontal assault on marriage.

Here's the plot in simplest terms: A woman has separated from her husband because he was unfaithful - he cheated on her. She has their 2 kids (10 yr old boy and early-teen girl) in their house and dad is out on his butt. Her friend owns an ocean-front inn in Rodanthe, NC. The friend is gone on vacation so our lead actress stays at the inn for a week as care-taker for sake of a single guest who insisted on staying there for a few days despite the off-season. Enter the guest, a hansome older gent with personal problems, not unrelatable to our care-taker. She's professionally hospitable for a day, inquisitive for a day, and by the end of the week :::spoiler alert::: they shack up together. This inspires a relationship that, though they never see each other again, will change both of them forever as they remain hopelessly in love with each other.

In and of itself, the movie wasn't bad. It was written decently, acted well, and kept your attention. There were a few tiny inconsistancies good enough for the amusement of nerds like me. Fair? Fair. Here's what kills this movie for me:

Before our lead actress runs off for the week, her husband returns on hands and knees. He repents of his sins and begs to come back. She actually considers it, too. Being strong and cautious, she tells him to give her this time away to think it over and he aquiesces. He takes the kids, she's off to Rodanthe. We're then assulted by her friend, the inn owner, playing the familiar role of the antagonizing girlfriend who calls him a reptile and does nothing to help the situation. The long and short of the rest of the movie is that we are taught that you can find that one perfect someone who will make everything wonderful for the rest of your life. Someone worth throwing away your marriage for. There is no excuse for this.

Here's the rub: I am that guy for my wife. She was in a bad marriage. When it was over, we got together and, before long, we got married. To borrow a line from the movie, my wife will tell you I have given her "a love that gives you the courage to be better than you are, not less than you are. One that makes you feel that anything is possible." I love to know I have done that for my wife. So how can I be mad at Richard Gere for playing the same role that I'm playing myself? That took much thought to reconcile.

This is what I've realized:
My wife's marriage was far more injurious that what was depicted on screen. Our relationship cultivated over years, not days. I've never seen the pain and suffering my wife has, so I don't feel so paralleled to their story. Instead, I fear a parallel to the story of her and her husband.

No human being is immune to adultery. I'm afraid that, should I ever go down that treacherous and wicked road, there will be no hope of recovery. That's what this movie teaches us. Don't bother taking hiim back because he was the wrong one for you and there's that perfect someone out there waiting for you. The same would be said if my wife ever cheated on me. It shouldn't be that way, though! The Lord has brought my wife and me together. His strength has kept us through very, very hard times. There IS hope for broken marriages but this movie want's no one to believe that. My biggest fear it that it's the standard message.

For anyone who might read this, I should say this aloud: I don't know the pain of adultery. I've never suffered at the hands of a cheating spouse. I don't know what the loss of trust and faith is like. I know there is a lot about that situation I know nothing about, and I make no claims to it. If you are that person, please don't interpret my commentary to say I know how you feel and I know your pain. What I DO know is that the Lord had brought couples through it before, and He will do it again. Seek Him and his strength and his guidance. There is hope for the hurting in this world. If you know the grace and the love that God has offered to us - if you've tased the mercy bought by the blood of Christ... if you truely know the forgiveness we have in the Lord, then it will only be natural to extend that mercy and forgiveness to a spouse who has returned on his knees.

Faith and Reason

(Blog at Stand to Reason)

Greg Koukl is a Christian apologetics guy over at www.STR.org. His latest blog really sums up one of my biggest frustrations of being a Christian. The whole blog post is this:

Faith is not what we fall back to when reason isn't available. It's the conviction of what we have reason to believe.

Spiritual things have become so trivial to the everyday life that no one seems to have a problem with the concept of blind faith being just that: blind.

In a sense, there is that. Let it be understood, though, that Christian faith is NOT that. The only "blind" in Christian faith is that God is not standing before us in a body. We can not see him now. That's where the blindness ends...

Narcolepsy - an open ended reflection...

I posted on twitter last Saturday that I had a no-narco-nap day. It was pretty nice, I have to say. When you have narcolepsy, not being tired is a great thing. It's like what you've heard about the blind, how their hearing and other senses get more acute, stronger. For me, I get tired quite often. It's not all the time, but often enough that when I'm fully awake I can get the feeling like I'm switched on. Being awake is that much more vibrant.

Alas, it's often like a pendulum. I will say this much, though: embracing the naps has been a success. When I start to get tired I lay down and rest. Sometimes 20 minutes, sometimes an hour. I think I'm done trying to ignore the fact that I have narcolepsy. I just hope this is the only place where it becomes a defining factor in my life. I will admit I like that no one really cares, or at least no one cares to comment about it. It's a forgettable trait in me and I'm okay with that.

As for the moodiness, if you ask me it's pretty much history. We'll check that against the panel of judges (my wife)...

What Timothy gave up for Christ's sake

Somewhere around the end of Acts chapter 15 and the beginning of Acts chapter 16 the apostle Paul meets Timothy for the first time. This would be the same Timothy for whom the 2 books later in the Bible would be named.

I was listening to a podcast that read through that particular passage when something struck me as funny (not funny - haha, but funny - huh?). These two meet each other and Paul decides he'd like to bring Timothy along on his journeys. The fact is stated that Timothy is Greek on his father's side. A later verse said Paul had Timothy circumcised, since the locals new that his father was Greek.

Some brief context of that day and age:

- Jews got circumcised as a requirement of their laws passed down from God. Greeks did not.
- Jews did not fraternize w/ non-Jews (aka gentiles) since they were considered spiritually unclean. It was in their laws.
- In order for a Gentile to fully convert to Judaism and be accepted as company among Jews (you guessed it), they had to be circumcised.

So here's the setup and question:
Everyone involved knew Timothy to be a gentile. In order for him to be accepted among Jews, Paul felt he had to have him circumcised. Does this assume that no one would take their word for it? Would he be CHECKED?

"You were circumcised, eh? Well, you best flip up that toga and give a look-see!"

Crazy, I know.

Admittedly, that comment presumes one might fake the circumcision. Why put a guy's business under the knife if you can get away with lying about it?

Further postulation led me to think they were way too devout to lie about it. We ARE talking about one of the greatest apostles and most devout Jews of their day, after all. The apostle Paul would never lie about such things. He probably wouldn't lie about anything. He was a Jew among Jews (..thou shalt not bear false witness) and one of the most prominent apostles of Christ. Besides that, Jewish law demanded 3 testimonies to consider an assertion like that. That would necessitate bringing in a third accomplice. What's worse than telling a lie? Making someone else tell the lie for you. So lying is out.

Seriously, though.

"Hey Tim, I want you to join me on my apostolic missions. Um... how to put this... you're gonna need to lose that foreskin."

"Huh? Um, can we talk about this? You've become like a father to me and all, but... really? Can't we fa-"

"No, no way. No faking it. We'll need witnesses, too. It's that or flash the evidence whenever someone questions you. That kind of thing doesn't go over well among the Jews, either. Just read up on Noah's sons."

"Well, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, right? If it's for Christ's sake."

"It's for Christ's sake."

The Wisdom of Gamaliel

I always pronounced it guh-MAY-lee-ul, but apparently it's pronounced GAMMA-lyle. So who is he and who cares, right?

From theBible:
Acts chapter 5, v33-39
5:33 Now when they heard this, they became furious and wanted to execute them. 5:34 But a Pharisee whose name was Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the council and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 5:35 Then he said to the council, “Men of Israel, pay close attention to what you are about to do to these men. 5:36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it. 5:37 After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, and incited people to follow him in revolt. He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered. So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing, 5:39 but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God.”

(NET Bible, copyright © 2005-2009 bible.org )

So Jesus has died, risen and ascended into heaven at this point in the historical narrative. The apostles have gone into and out beyond Jerusalem to spread the news about Jesus being the savior. This upset the Jewish leaders. Ticked them off. They were ready to kill Jesus's followers, especially the apostles and Peter the most. Did you catch what Gamaliel said? This has happened before and it came to nothing. If it's from people, it'll die off. If it is from God, you can't stop them; what's worse, you may even be found fighting against God.

So where do you fit into the equation? You can't dismiss the question base upon personal beliefs, either. You might take the time here to look up Pascal's Wager. The risk is too great and the evidence is stacked against you. Think of it in the context of Gamaliel: He expected the apostles' movement to die off quickly. That was nearly 2000 years ago, and their movement lives on all across the earth. I'm betting that it was from God.

Oh, and his Son.

Ever held a life in your hands?

We were swimming at the pool this evening. My 3 yr old daughter was adrift in a floaty ring and when all backs were turned, it tipped. She went under for a second or two when grammie and mom both shouted. I turned and dove in from across the pool. I came up underneath her and lifted her out. She coughed and wimpered a bit, but was fine. It was terrifying, yet (for the most part) we managed to laugh it off.

Here's a moment where the rubber really hits the road. My daughter is shaken - at bedtime she said she keeps thinking about "sinking", but, physically, she's fine. I don't want to sound melodramatic, but one gets to thinking: where is God when our children are in danger? If you ever get put in a situation like this (and I've experienced worse), this question surfaces.

When I prayed with my son before bed, we thanked God that we may have his sister still in this world. God was there tonight - at the pool and at bedtime. We were reminded that He is sovereign. If He want to call my little girl home, that's his prerogative. When you're the creator, sustainer, and redeemer, you get to make these decisions. I'm glad he does. Only He knows just how bad I'd screw things up if it were left up to me!

Narco-sleepy

This is what my good buddy has always called it. Narco-sleepy, and my narco-sleepy pills.

I have narcolepsy. I've started reading other blogs on this topic and I now say with confidence that mine is a low-grade narcolepsy. As I get to know these many ways of sharing information, I'll have to link them - they are quite an insight to the disorder, if you care to read about it.

So I offer some insight. I nap really really well. Seriously. When I first took my sleep test, I fell asleep at every opportunity. 3 times, spaced 2 hours apart and starting at 9 am, they had me lay down to see if I would fall asleep. The human body should take +/- 20 minutes to fall asleep from a fully awake state. You shouldn't readily fall asleep after 9 or 10 in the morning if you had a good night of sleep. Ready for this? I averaged around 7 minutes to fall asleep and hit REM sleep all 3 times. That, too, shouldn't happen in a 20 minute nap. Lets have fun with this.

I have acute awareness in my dreams. If woken during a dream, I can often go back to sleep and finish the dream. Like stepping back into a pool I just climbed out of, or backing into a cave I just emerged from. The corollary to that is that I have fallen asleep with something going on around me and that experience translated to a dream. I awoke from the dream believing what is still going on around me went like it did in my dream. That can be... awkward. Funny, too! Hopefully...

I recently switched medication. I was taking Concerta for many years. I firmly believe Concerta is evil. For some people. Okay, it's not evil - but if you're taking it and you are great at being a jerk I strongly suggest you switch meds. This is the part of the show where I take a moment to that God for blessing me with an infinitely patient wife. I'll save the stories for another day; suffice it to say, I had mood swings. I'm finding lately that I supress the need for naps too well. Think of it like this: you get a little crabby when you didn't sleep well or you're tired, right? Imagine if you're tired often, and for no reason. I would get irritable for no reason and have a medication to amplify it. It's like a joy parade, and I firebombed it. :-)

So the new medication is much nicer. It really makes for poor writing, actually. I'm reaching a crossroad, though. I'm taking a short nap before dinner more often than not lately. The natural reaction is that I should up the dosage so I stay awake through the evening and I don't have to pass on enjoying my children and wife. I'm considering embracing the naps, though. Sometimes they're 20 minutes, sometimes 45. Occasionally, after 10 minutes I'm right as rain. I'm considering embrcing the naps.

Hi. My name is Chris, and I need a nap. Thanks for listening.

The chair analogy

I heard this analogy last week. It originates from John MacArthur and my paraphrase of the analogy goes like this:

The question is about putting your faith in Jesus. What does it mean, what is it like? This question seems simple to the average christian, even to non-believers who know a thing or three about Christianity. Lets look at Jesus like we do a chair, for a minute. (Here, John MacArthur is up at the pulpit with a guest staring at a chair).

Is it a chair? Yes. Are you sure? Yes.

Will that chair support you if you sit in it? After a bit of inspection, our participant declares with confidence "Yes". Are you certain? Will you declare it to the audience? Absolutely. This chair will support me.

So, here's the deal. Putting your faith in the Christ is the analogy for putting your trust in the chair. You can believe it's a chair. You can believe it will support you - you can even declare it aloud. That does not mean you have put your trust in the chair.

Here, the bible speaks loudly and clearly: "You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear." James 2:19

The analogy is complete once you sit down in the chair. You can trust the chair and not put your trust in the chair. You can have faith in Jesus but not put your faith in Jesus.

So the necessary conclusion is would be to explain what that looks like. My suggestion is to read. Read the book of James. Read the Gospel of Matthew. Good sermon, blog and study sources are at www.desiringgod.org (the ministry of John Piper), www.Ligonier.org (the ministry of R.C. Sproul), and the afore-mentioned John MacArthur at www.gty.org. Before you do any of that, pray. Petition God himself! Ask him - I've been willing to beg him - for the insight and wisdom only He can inpart.

Help (me) to know You, Lord. You say Demons declare your power and station - I don't want to be lost with the demons. Help me to know what it means to put my faith IN YOU. You have called for such a thing, help me to achieve it!

Know that he will answer that prayer. Philippians 1:6 says this: "I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." I can say with confidence that if you really desire to know the real God, that work has really begun.