more lessons from Oswald

"The things we try to avoid and fight against - tribulation, suffering, and persecution - are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. 'We are more than conquerors through Him' 'in all these things'; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn't know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it."   -Oswald Chambers

Today's devotion from My Utmost For His Highest is titled "The Source of Abundant Joy" and is based on Paul's words in Romans 8. This familiar passage contains amazing truth of God's love. Two particular verses stood out this morning:

28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

32 "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

These two verses vibrantly express the source of our abundant joy as believers in Christ. I know this to be true, in my mind. I wish my heart and my soul could understand and accept it as well. Because, I could use some joy right now; even if it doesn't come in abundance. 

lessons from Oswald

Lately, I've been trying to read Oswald Chambers' classic devotional My Utmost For His Highest on a more frequent basis. While his thoughts are pretty much right on from day to day, every so often it seems that his words, originally published in 1935, were written with me in mind for that specific day. Today's short devotion was one of them. I hope that it encourages you as it did me...

Taking the Next Step
"...in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses" (2 Corinthians 6:4)

"When you have no vision from God, no enthusiasm left in your life, and no one watching and encouraging you, it requires the grace of Almighty God to take the next step in your devotion to Him, in the reading and studying of His Word, in your family life, or in your duty to Him. It takes much more of the grace of God, and a much greater awareness of drawing upon Him, to take that next step, than it does to preach the Gospel.

"Every Christian must experience the essence of the incarnation by bringing the next step down into flesh-and-blood reality and by working it out with his hands. We lost interest and give up when we have no vision, no encouragement, and no improvement, but only experience our everyday life with it trivial tasks. The thing that really testifies for God and for people of God in the long run is steady perseverance, even when the work cannot be seen by others And the only way to live an undefeated life is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to discourage you. Never allow yourself to think that some tasks are beneath your dignity or too insignificant for you to do, and remind yourself of the example of Christ in John 13:1-17."

This also reminded me of a great quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. - "If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well."

why did the frog cross the road? (or frogger for grownups)

Tonight I became the person that I spent many hours trying to avoid as a child and I am still trying to figure out how that makes me feel.

As I drove the winding curves of Wilsonville Road with a steady rain falling amidst pockets of light fog, I noticed small frogs, illuminated by my headlights, jumping their way across the road. Surprisingly, this wasn't a localized occurrence. I saw frogs crossing the road all along the majority of the 11 mile stretch. Let me be clear, there were not thousands of them, at least not that I saw. But they were noticeable as they jumped out in front of my car from both sides of the road.

I soon realized that most likely some of them failed to reach the promised safety of the other side. And that's when it hit me - I was living out the old Atari video game Frogger that I loved as a child. The one exception was that instead of playing the role of the frog frantically dodging the onslaught of the coming traffic, I was the driver that made such crossings so treacherous.

I don't know how many of the frogs made it across tonight. I learned one important thing playing Frogger: if you're a frog trying to get to the other side, timing your first jump is the most critical to your survival. Hopefully real frogs understand this as well.

Now for some additional Frogger enjoyment (from Seinfeld):

reading what i want

For the past two and a half weeks I have been on a break from the Ed.D. Program at George Fox University. I find myself happily sandwiched between fall classes (Organizational Change & Decision Making and Foundational Perspectives on Ethics & Diversity) and those starting just over a week from now (Quanitiative Research Methods and Advancing the Organization: Fundraising). The challenge of tackling Miroslav Volf has passed and the anxiety of entering a doctoral level statistics course has yet to set in.

As with most school breaks, the thing I enjoy most is the lack of academic demands on my time. I feel as if I am granted a brief window to catch up on life, resume friendships that have gone untended, clean my house, and read whatever I want. The challenge for me is trying to fit it all in, especially the reading. There are so many books to read, good books. I have shelves of books that I haven't yet read, and the stores are chalk full of others that call out to me whenever I walk by.

And so, with the start of this break I made a conscious decision to read diligently (of which a positive side-effect has been that I've watched a lot less television). Again, my challenge is selecting what to read, or more specifically what to finish. Finally, months later finish Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning? How about Peter Hessler's Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present a book that I started before going to China in July (photos coming if I can get iPhoto to export correctly)? The Servant by James Hunter? The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman? And just when I thought I had enough options to choose from - one of my classmates, Heather, gave me Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything as a Christmas gift. I must say the title really piques my inquisitive side.

In the end, although reading bits and pieces of several of these, so far, I went back to a book that I first read about six years ago as part of a men's ministry program at Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley. The book is Point Man: How a Man Can Lead His Family by Steve Farrar. I'm not married, nor am I engaged, and I don't have any children. But I hope and pray that all of that is in my future. And if and when those dreams become reality, I want to be ready for the responsibility that comes along with the titles of husband and father.

Point Man does a relatively good job of laying out the need for husbands and fathers to step up to the plate in leading their families. He outlines the Biblical role and responsibility of a husband as a leader, while making crystal clear that this leadership is not to be abused. Men are called to lead their family as a servant, as one seeking the best for those they are leading. Our model is the sacrificial love of Christ.

The book includes some kitschy humor and several silly stories, but the overall point of the book is driven home quite well. I really recommend the book to men that seek to lead their families well, particularly from a Christian worldview.    

"lights please"

And with that, Linus begins his annual reminder of the meaning of Christmas. Many of us have watched A Charlie Brown Christmas for decades. It's a classic, and for some its one of the best parts of the holidays. And yet even in light of the truth that Brother Linus preaches, we continually find ways to make Christmas something else.



Despite our best efforts to take the focus off it's true meaning, that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Merry Christmas.

work in progress

It has been months, 9 months to be exact, since my last post. I've started writing several, but as of yet, they just aren't ready. Watch for more soon. I have a three week break from school, and vacation time from work. So, I've got a little time to do the things I really enjoy - like writing.

In the mean time, I felt like it was time to update the blog visually and technically. I've already made the switch to a three-column blog format(!), and have started to change the look. In the next few days, there will be some additional changes including the header, new color scheme, and much more.


As for the promised posts on Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning, those will show up eventually. I'm currently in the midst of four other books that I want to finish over the break.

Thanks for the encouragement during the stretch when I've been off the grid, and for checking back to see if I've written anything new.

Merry Christmas!

alone and unknown

Every so often I get the feeling that I am, as the title of this post would indicate, alone and unknown. Or perhaps more accurately, unknown and alone.

In these instances, I am overcome by the feeling that very few, if any, know the real me - with all my baggage, issues, and flaws. The result is a palpable sense of being alone.

We all have an innate desire for intimacy, to be known. And yet it is often our own protectionist efforts that keep this desire from being realized. We are so preoccupied with guarding our hearts that we refuse to let down our facades so that others might see and know what is real and true.

And so we end up feeling alone and unknown...like I did tonight.