dot.com.tom's blog at pastorob.com

...It can be really hard to not care what other people think
Sound familiar? It does if you've been reading Whateva. Eva said this in her April 3rd blog.

Funny, what made her think of this was a story I told during our Sunday school class, (I'm the teacher, Eva is one of the students, and James, her husband, is our "gold star" student, ...except when he's tired). lol

Eva is so right, it can be really hard not to care what other people think, even - or especially - total strangers. Like Eva, I just assume everyone is going to think the worst of me in an embarrassing or awkward situation.

Like the rejected credit card at the restaurant Eva referred to. When it happened I KNEW everyone thought that I was maxed out on the card, that I probably had another $20,000 in credit card debt, that my car was ready to be repossessed and that I was six months behind on my mortgage. In fact, my credit card has a zero balance.

As the waitress and my lunch partner were waiting anxiously to see what would come next, I was thinking, "Note to self: they NEVER refuse cash." Yep, it can be really hard not to care what other people think.

I've spent much of this afternoon with someone I love very, very much. This person has made some bad choices in the past (...let he among us who has not made some bad choices along the way, cast the first stone), and is now dealing with the consequences.

I know this person has a good heart and right now I'm offering some much needed fresh-from-the-oven TLC (Tender Loving Care) instead of more of that stale day-old TLC (Tough Lecturing Criticism). This person told my wife and I that our house is always filled with love. I'm thinking, yea, fresh-baked love just for you!

To help you get an idea what this fresh-baked love smells like, think Cinnabon! (Anyone who has spent more than 10 minutes in an airport knows what I'm talking about).

Too often we tend to look at the outside, (of a person or a situation), and make our decisions accordingly. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

I guess the only way we can get past the veneer of "outward looking" is to tenderly peel the layers of the onion (oh yes, if you peel the onion back, don't be surprised if you find yourself fighting back tears) until we get to the heart of the matter and see things like God does.

Sorry, got to cut this short. I'm not scheduled to travel today, but I have this sudden urge to go visit the airport.

...Passion
Funny how we get certain reputations along the way. I am known in some circles as a very passionate person. Passion can be a compliment, (it's my contention that people almost always respond favorably to passion as enthusiasm), or it can be a criticism. Overtly passionate people frequently come across as "over the top," constantly drawing attention to themselves

Yesterday, I watched the movie "Cold Mountain" for the third time. Because it is about the Civil War, and because I am passionate about the Civil War, I will probably watch the movie three more times.

In the beginning of the movie, the young men from Cold Mountain, North Carolina, are anxious for the war to begin. When it finally comes, there is much whooping, hollering and back slapping, "We got our war! We got our war!"

The movie uses the next hour to show the sad reality of war. All too quickly, unbridled passion turns to agony and suffering. According to Webster's that is the original definition of passion; agony and suffering. Today, passion and enthusiasm are pretty much interchangeable. I seldom hear the word used to describe agony.

My definition of passion is "holding nothing back," or simply "giving something your all." I admire that trait in others. When I see someone giving their all, it inspires me to do the same.

We commonly refer to Christ's suffering and dying on the cross as the "Passion of the Christ." As I study the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), I see that Jesus was passionate throughout His life. Whether he was teaching the religious leaders as a pre-teen, or turning over the tables of the money changers, He held nothing back, He gave it His all.

As I consider the life of Jesus, I see that passion always draws a crowd. Passion is to people what the light bulb is to moths.

But not everyone is passionate about the same thing. Sometimes our passions collide. Sometimes we have to pay a price for being passionate.

Indeed, the passions of the religious leaders of Christ' day would soon crash head on with those of Jesus, resulting in His death. Kind of makes you think twice about being passionate, ...that is, unless you know about His glorious resurrection.

To paraphrase Shakespeare, "To be (passionate), or not to be (passionate), that is the question."

...Pop Quiz
Today, I begin with something a little different ...a pop quiz. Now some of you are very excited because you think I am going to ask you who's going to be voted off the island, or who will be this year's American Idol. Well, to be honest, I'm not that hip to the pop culture of the day. About as close as I get to being in on the pop culture is my daily visit to Starbucks.

Picking up where I left off yesterday, we (mankind) get history all wrong when we focus on man instead of God. So says Eugene Peterson, and I wholeheartedly agree. We measure history, according to Mr. Peterson, "by kings and generals, by buildings and monuments, and by battles and treaties."

God measures history in totally different terms. You find God where man is desperate and facing death. When man can do nothing to save himself from his plight, there is God providing salvation.

Eugene Peterson says it this way, "History as told from the place of invincibility is mostly about death; history as told from the place of vulnerability is mostly about life." He goes on to remind his readers that world leaders are minor players in the biblical way of recording history.

The second book of the Bible, Exodus, is the continuing historical account of the nation of Israel, a story begun in the book of Genesis.

God's chosen people have gone into the great(?) nation of Egypt to avoid the famine in their homeland. But over time the king of Egypt (also known as the Pharaoh) has entrapped the Israelites and forced them into slavery. They labor hard, but have little for their efforts. They cry out, but no one comes to their aid.

Fearing that the Israelites have become too great a people (even in slavery), and in an escalating show of brute force and treachery, the Pharaoh orders all of the boy children to be killed at childbirth.

The law of the land is now centered on death, the killing of (Hebrew boy) children. From man's perspective the Pharaoh is mighty and powerful, and worthy of monument, but from God's perspective, it is the perfect time for Him to show Himself omnipotent (all powerful). He could do it through earthquake, but He doesn't.

Rather, He picks two lowly Hebrew midwives and elevates them to true hero status. The midwives are none other than Shiphrah and Puah.

In a direct conversation with these lowly and insignificant women, it is Pharaoh himself who orders them to kill the Hebrew boy children. How can they possibly disobey so great a man, so great an order? Exodus 1:18 gives us the clear and direct answer:

"(Shiphrah and Puah) feared God."

Eugene Peterson notes one other significant detail in history told through God's perspective (the Bible account). While we know the very names of these midwives four thousand years later, in the entire Exodus account, the Pharaoh's name is never mentioned once!

Today, more than likely, helpless Terri Schiavo will die. She has been ordered to be starved to death, (is this really less treacherous than killing children at birth?), and that order has been upheld in the highest courts of the land.

My heart cries out, "Oh God, please raise up a Shiphrah and a Puah in our great(?) nation today."

----
Update: 30 minutes after I completed today's journal, Terri Schiavo died.

...God is on Our Side
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to answer a question, "Why did Jesus have to die?" How would you answer this question? Could you?

I took a long time crafting my written response, and I am now praying that the person who I sent this to will find true and lasting peace with God.

In preparing my response, I had to choose what materials to use as a point of reference. Books written by men down through history asking the same profound question, or relying on my own experience were several of my options. I opted to use the Bible. I simply retold the historical account from God's written record of the events.

One of the many passions in my life is the study of the American Civil War, fought from 1861 to 1865. It is far more than a passing interest, for indeed, my very office (where I write this column) is entirely decorated to commemorate this important time in our history. I have a library of over 300 books devoted to just these four years in history.

Many people have asked me why I am so interested in this particular era, this particular war. I've found it's a difficult question to answer. Some probably view me as a "war monger", while others may wonder why I'm stuck in a time warp of 140 years ago.

To be frank, I've never quite been able to answer that question. I just know I am interested, and the more I learn about this event, the more I want to know. Over the years, I've studied the events that led up to the war, the readiness of our nation to battle itself, the actual battles, and finally the "reconstruction" as the nation was put back together.

I have my favorite personalities (Robert E. Lee, President Abraham Lincoln, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, and Joshua Chamberlain top the list), but I think the one thing, and here I'm speaking as a Christian, that has most captivated me is that both sides were so convinced that God was on their side.

The North was certainly fighting for a noble cause when they were fighting to free the slaves, but the South was certainly fighting for a noble cause when they fought for state's rights. The South was, in many ways, more religious. This seems especially so at the highest ranks of the military. Many of the Generals of the South were professed Christians. Far fewer on the North.

So, both sides were claiming to be fighting for God, or, said differently, both sides claimed that God was fighting for them.

In reading, "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places" by Eugene Peterson, I'm at the point where he is talking about Christ playing in history. The first third of the book was about Christ playing in creation. I have quoted several times from that section.

Eugene Peterson claims that history is real. Hard to argue with that. It is the recording of actual events with actual people. He says something most profound though, when he addresses the subject of man asking God to be in his (man's) affairs:

"...most of us have a difficult time understanding history with God as the major and definitive presence. We have grown up getting our sense of history from so-called historians, scholars, and journalists for whom God is not germane or present in what they study and write. We are thoroughly trained by our schools, daily newspapers, and telecasts to read history solely in terms of politics and economics, human interest and environmental conditions, military operations and diplomatic intrigue. If we have a mind for it, we can go ahead and fit God in somewhere or other. But the biblical writers do it the other way around; they fit us into the history in which God is the primary reality."

These words seem to confirm that I chose wisely yesterday, using the Bible as my primary source for answering the question, "Why did Jesus have to die?"

Of course, with Mr. Peterson's words in mind, I may have to re-read the entire collection of Civil War books in my library again.

...The Wonder
of the Resurrection
I've been given the privilege of preaching our Easter Sunrise Service this Sunday. Inspired by my current reading of "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places," by Eugene Peterson, I have chosen the topic, "The Wonder of the Resurrection."

As I have been preparing this message, I've been thinking a lot about wonder, or the absence of wonder, in my own life. I have this personal whim about not using the word "awesome" for anything but God. Oh, I occasionally slip and use the word to describe a movie or a win by one of the professional sporting teams I root for, but on the whole, I seldom use the word outside of my thoughts of God.

The problem comes, not in misusing the word, so much as not using it at all. I guess you could say that I am less awestruck by things as I grow older. I even find myself saying things like, "I've seen it all." Sadly, I have actually believed what I've said.

When my wife and I are with our grandchildren (ages 2 and 6) we are constantly amazed at being part of their "firsts" (first step, first word, first parade, first fireworks display). Though we may have "seen it all," it's fun to see it through their eyes because it's like seeing it for the first time.

Though the disciples and others were with Jesus for years, they never stopped being amazed at what He did and what He said. Yet, as you read the Gospel accounts, you begin to realize that more often than not, these same people missed entirely what Jesus was actually saying. A perfect example of this tendency to misunderstand was His resurrection.

Many times He told his friends and disciples what must come (His death, burial and resurrection), but we see that more often than not, His followers were in denial, not allowing themselves to even consider His death.

But then He died, just as He said He would. The scene all around the tomb is sadness and disbelief. That is, until it is revealed that the tomb is empty and that He is risen!

One by one, His disappointed and perplexed followers are transformed from gloominess and sadness to joy and elation.

As Easter approaches, I would encourage each of us (the older we are, the more appropriate) to cultivate wonder back into our lives. I love that phrase, "When you least expect it, expect it!" That's how we ought to be living our Christian lives ...filled with hope and wonder.

I'm often reminded that we come to church expecting to meet God, and frequently that is exactly what happens. But how about meeting God in the unexpected place?

I encourage you to read Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16: 1-8; Luke 24: 1-10; and John 20:1-16 and note the wonder, the awesome wonder, of seeing Jesus arisen, fulfilling what He had been saying all along, that the grave could not hold Him.

I hope you'll be in church this Easter Sunday, and I hope you will be looking for God in all His awesome wonder. On the other hand, I hope you won't wait for the next church service to seek new wonder in your life. What's wrong with right now?

...Writing from the Right Side
Those who know me as a hard to nail-down, outside-the-box ESTJ, know that I almost always think and write from the left side on my brain. Unfortunately that side seems to have some sort of writer's block tonight, so I've yielded to the right side of my brain for a "guest column." If there is favorable feed-back (you can contact me here), I'm considering letting this oft-neglected side of my brain write, say, once a week. For the record, what I mean by writing from the right side of my brain is that I'm writing from the heart rather than from the brain. I know, I know, technically, that's not the correct definition of right brain/left brain, but hey, it's my column...

To get things rolling let me tell you something about me that you might not know; sometimes I think of myself as a 98 pound (plus or minus another hundred pounds) "wimp." You know, way too sensitive. Then I think about it for awhile and conclude that I am as sensitive as God made me - overly sensitive to some, and not sensitive enough for others. OK, enough about me. I want to talk about what everyone else seems to be talking about, Terri Schiavo.

First, consider for a moment what the current situation is as I write this column (10:00 p.m. PST, Tuesday, March 22, 2005). It is now 4-1/2 days since Terri Schiavo's death by starvation began. Call it what you will ("slow, drawn-out killing" works), the poor girl is being starved to death, deprived of food and water.

I've been having a really difficult time watching and reading the news over the past few days, but from what I have been able to watch or read, we are being asked to believe that the husband who has "moved on with his life" (actual quote on CNN), has been living with another woman (just gotta hope that poor lady never slips and hits her head) for over ten years (does this make her his common law wife? why that's bigamy, ...or rather big a him ...sorry, right side brain at work), has had two children by this woman (what do you wanna bet one of these kids grows up to be an ethics professor at some Ivy League University?), this man is the hero in the story.

The villains (all good stories that capture our imagination have heroes and villains), are the loving and devoted parents, Robert and Mary Schindler. Their crime (it's horrific) - love for their first-born child who they insist is still a living, breathing human being - utterly refusing to accept that she is actually now a vegetable.

PVS (Persistent Vegetative State) sounds kind of sanitized and quite scientific, but I think vegetable is more to the point. You look at Terri blinking her eyes and your common sense (you know, left side brain) says, "why, that's a human." But you turn on your TV and the talking head informs you, "This (picture of Terri looking up at her mom) is a potato. Please ignore the blinking eyes on the potato."

Now, some of you are probably saying, "that's pretty crude." Killing Terri is okay, but being crass is out of line. It sort of reminds of the people who are sickened by placards showing pictures of an aborted baby (actually, it is pretty gross), but think nothing of the actual abortion. Go figure.

Back to our story. Of course, Terri is also a bit of a villain in that she will not simply die. Dang her! Her will to live, (we're asked to believe that she has absolutely no sense of what she is doing), is so strong that she smiles, she blinks, her eyes move across a room, and she even attempts sounds according to several of her nurses (you know, the ones who are legally prevented from giving Terri any kind of therapy that might inadvertently improve her condition). Why these must be the acts of a villain - for what vegetable ever did such things?

The seemingly endless parade of "expert" corroborating doctors are on pretty much 24/7 seeking to assuage our natural empathies for Terri, a fellow human being. They assure us that she has absolutely no idea she is doing these things. Why do I suddenly think of that line from the Wizard of Oz? You know, "Please ignore the man behind the curtain."

Oh, and the attorneys. Whew ... where did all these constitutional specialists come from? Why, we're being asked to believe and accept that to keep Terri alive is absolutely and irrefutably ...unconstitutional! The rights in this case are with our hero, "Moving On Mike," while the villains (those who can get out of the bed on their own anyway) are not only standing in the way of Mr. Michael Devotion ("I'll take care of my wife for the rest of her life, your honor" - Florida courtroom circa 1992 prior to being awarded over $1 million dollars in a medical malpractice suit regarding Terri), why they are standing in the way of our very constitution. They can't get away with this!

Hmmm ...was that a twinge of deja vu I just felt? In my twinge it was 1973 and the judges have just ruled that unborn babies now have no more rights that unborn birds (well, actually less if the birds are condors or bald eagles which are highly protected by the law!).

I'm thankful for the law because thanks to it, and the protection it affords to baby birds, there have been no recorded killings of any condors or bald eagles for over a decade. Yes, you are correct, that is the same decade that we silently - almost without a whimper - allowed between 12 and 13 million unborn babies to be aborted (you know, torn limb from limb). As my old friend Yakov Smirnoff would say, "What a country."

Terri Schiavo fighting for her life and her parents abetting her in this travesty of justice - bad;

Michael "Moving On" Schiavo and his death-at-any-cost ($500,000 so far, and the meter is still running) attorney - good;

keeping an "unwanted" child alive - bad ...and against the law (what where you thinking!?);

loving and devoted parents begging for their child's life (after 14 years of neglect) - bad;

the ACLU begging for a mass-murderer's stay of execution (after 14 years of television and other entertainment) - definitely good.

Well, today the federal judge (all rise) has weighed in (you may be seated), "Let her starve. Next case." (you're excused).

Not much hope left now. Maybe the Federal Appellate Court, or maybe even the Supreme Court. Nah, not much hope there. Remember, these are the same courts that over the past thirty-two years are to aborted babies what McDonalds is to hamburgers - 40 million and counting!

Let's wrap it up (don't want to over use this side of my brain first time out). I do not want there to be any misunderstanding, I harbor absolutely no grudge against Michael Schiavo, even though he has continually refused to allow any sort of therapy for Terri while he was home with the little (other) woman minding the kids. To Michael, I say enjoy the money. Yea, it's taken a long time, but as far as I'm concerned, you earned it - all 30 pieces of silver! ...less attorney fees, of course.

...The Terri Schiavo Story
If you did not already do so, I would ask that you read my previous column (...Followed by a Cross) before reading this column. It will help lay the foundation for what I want to share.

Let me also say, that I understand that not everyone will come to the same conclusion that I do. I sincerely respect the opinions of others, especially on such a sensitive issue as this.

My desire in this column, which will actually be a hyperlink to a separate page so that I will be free to give all the details I think are relevant, is simply to report what may have been overlooked in the national media.

If I were to give one bit of advice to anyone reading this column, it would be that you should have a will or a living trust that clearly states your wishes regarding "extraordinary" circumstances. Don't wait. Terri Schiavo was (and still is) a young woman. Please don't assume that wills and trusts are only for retired people.

After you read this article, or even if you don't because your mind is already made up on the matter, would your write me and let me know your feelings. I'm genuinely interested in what you think.

Unfortunately, I was not able to complete the article in time to publish it before I have to leave on a business trip to the Midwest. I will finish the article and publish it in the next few days.

...Followed by a Cross
At our early morning prayer meeting today, one of my friends told a story that I think is worth passing along.

It seems my friend Bill (not his real name) has a friend named Joe (not his real name) and they are both recovering alcoholics who regularly attend AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings.

My friend says that at AA, people are known by their first name and last initial, for example: Tim P. or Mary S.

As they were getting ready to part company after a lengthy conversation, my friend Bill wanted to make sure that Joe had his full last name, in case he ever needed to call him.

"Oh, that's not necessary," Joe replied. "I have you in my phone book already. It's Bill followed by a cross."

I think that is perhaps the highest compliment you could pay someone - to place a cross behind their name. To think, Joe thought of Christ when he thought of Bill.

I pray my words and actions will be consistent with my life verse (Galatians 2:20), which speaks of Christ living every day through me.

Speaking of life, I feel compelled to comment on the Terry Schaivo case in Florida.

I will begin by saying that I am pro-life. Some will read that as a political stance. It's far, far more than that.

Lord willing, I will always stand in the gap for the unborn and the other weak ones in our society. For me, it is a matter of obeying the command of God:

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." (Psalm 82:2-4)

I was 38 years-old when I became pro-life, when I first seriously considered defending those who could not defend themselves. My pro-life position (my pro-life life, if you will) was for years almost exclusively centered on the cause of the unborn and I put all of my energy into helping pregnant unwed mothers (mostly teenagers) choose life rather than abortion.

Over time, my pro-life position began to expand as I considered the retarded and the handicapped, and in the past few years my heart has been more and more touched by the needs of the elderly and the infirmed.

In every case, I've come to see that we who are strong must defend those who are weak. The weaker; the frailer; the more defenseless; and the more insignificant, ...the more we are called to defend.

Regarding Terri Schlinder-Schiavo, there is much that is reported that is simply inaccurate. It will take some effort to find the truth because the national media has, in my opinion, been lazy in their reporting. But the facts of the case are available. I'm going to lay them out in tomorrow's column.

Today, I would simply like to end with a recent picture of Terri. This picture refutes one inaccuracy that has been repeated continually over the past few years - that Terri is in a coma.

For those who have ever spent a Tuesday morning at Royal Oaks Convalescent Home singing, praying and loving on those weaker ones, (many who cannot feed themselves), you will immediately see that this woman is very much alive, and certainly not comatose.

Yes, she absolutely needs others to help her, and to feed her (she is fed through a feeding tube in her stomach), but I have difficulty seeing how that is different from an infant who cannot feed itself and depends on others. I thank God for Terri's loving and devoted parents, Robert and Mary Schindler.

As I end this day, I'm thinking of a good friend that many at the Epicenter know, Fred Greene. Fred is now in his eighties and has moved from the local area. I had the privilege and honor of watching Fred love and care for his wife Riva over several years of her suffering and enduring Alzheimer's disease, especially the last few years when she was at Royal Oaks.

Though his wife could not recognize him or respond to his love, and though she required constant care, he was faithful to her, and never left her, until death took her to be with Jesus.

Thank you Fred. Your example of faithfulness and love are a constant source of courage and hope as my wife and I enter our "senior" years (well, at least according to Denny's and AARP).

In my phone directory, I'm changing Fred's name from Fred Greene to Fred followed with a cross.

...I Believe, Therefore I Am
Sound familiar? Well, actually the quote is, "I think, therefore I am." This famous quotation was from the 17th century French philosopher, Ren� Descartes. He is best known for his attempt to put philosophy, (defined as a theory of the principles of conduct, thought, knowledge, and the nature of the universe), on an equal par with mathematics and science.

W. W. Rouse Ball wrote in 1908 that philosophy is chiefly engaged with the inter-relations of God, Nature, and Man. He claimed that down through the ages, philosophy has looked at these three relationships this way:

I agree with Rouse Ball's analysis, and I don't really believe much has changed in the 97 years since he authored his study. Understanding this philosophical timeline helps me understand why there are those who will stand in the path of a chainsaw to protect a tree, but will not lift a finger to help an elderly grandparent; or those who will travel five thousand miles to save the life of a baby seal in Greenland, but never give a second thought to the four thousand unborn human babies aborted every single day in the United States.

It also helps me to see why today, God is so often omitted in the public square, and why there are those who want to eliminate the very mention of His name.

As her friend, fellow web-writer, and Sunday school teacher, I was very intrigued by Eva's comments about a judge's ruling on allowing homosexual marriages in California a few days ago.

I'm glad Eva had the courage to mention it. As she says, she thought about not mentioning it. I admire that she not only states her opinion, but that she is determined to teach her son (and her daughter I'm sure) that marriage is a sacred thing between a man and a woman.

Actually, these contemporary court rulings don't really surprise me in light of the philosophy of the day (chiefly concerned with the relation between Man and Nature, and less about God). It's a very natural progression. Deadly, but natural.

We studied this natural decline a few months ago when we first began our adult Sunday school study in the book of Romans. Man's move away from God (hiding, if you will) began with Adam and Eve and continues to this day.

In the first chapter of Romans, Paul says about men, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." (Romans 1:21-23)

There is the modern philosophy, just as Rouse Ball saw it almost a century ago, a philosophy concerned chiefly with Man and Nature, and less with God.

Not surprisingly, the very next verse in Romans 1, speaks to the logical next step, when men (and women) put God out of their lives...

"Therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity with one another... They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator." (Romans 1:24-25)

Paul goes on to describe the next step down on this descending slope as man moves further and further from God ..."their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another." (Romans 1:26-27)

I'm not surprised that judges sitting in courtrooms in the 21st century, perpetuate this natural progression away from God, even attempting to legalize that which God clearly calls sin. I can only assume that this judge's chambers have long since had the ten commandments removed from the walls. Soon, other courts will follow. The law, you see, always increases sin! (Romans 7:5-6)

Think I'm (or more correctly that the apostle Paul is) misspeaking? Pastorob recently wrote about the dangers of Internet pornography (I'm glad he had the courage to do so). With all of the anti-pornography laws the courts have passed over, say, the last two decades, has pornography decreased or increased? I rest my case, Your Honor.

No matter the next legal decision, I believe God is truth (John 14:6). I believe that all scripture (the entire Bible) is the Word of God, and can be used to teach, guide, and lead us through all the confusion our culture throws our way (2 Timothy 3:16).

Every day, the news headlines plead for us to move further from God, tempting us to put a greater portion of our faith in Man and Nature. And the law of man naturally follows suit. I believe this is nothing new.

I believe Solomon's rhetorical question rings as true today as when he asked it over 3,000 years ago, "Is there anything of which one can say, 'Look! This is something new'?" I believe Solomon was correct when he answered his own question, "It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time." (Ecclesiastes 1:10)

I believe we have to choose this day, and each day, who (or what) we will follow, because "Those who live according the the sinful Nature have their minds set on what that Nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires ...the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:5-6)

After five and a half decades, I'm not surprised by anything I read in the newspaper or see on the television. I'm not even surprised when I see evil called good, or good called evil. In truth, it doesn't even matter what I think. What's important is what I believe.

...The Language of Love
I've written quite a bit about my wife over the past few months, but I don't think I've ever mentioned that she speaks six languages. English is actually her second language. In addition to Tagolog (now more generally referred to as "Filipino"), she speaks four other dialects common to the Philippines. She can also follow conversations in Spanish, though she does not speak the language.

My wife tells me that it will be wonderful when we all get to heaven and speak one language - Tagolog!

"Community" is a word that my son, a former youth pastor, introduced into my vocabulary about four or five years ago. To this day, as he leads a home church in Sacramento, he constantly hones in on the importance of community.

Most are probably familiar with the Bible account of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11) where men first began to speak different languages. The purpose of introducing the various languages was to discourage community. That is, to discourage community that attempted to usurp God.

To this day, there is no question that language separates us. But, in reading Eugene Peterson's "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places," I'm reminded that the very same God who introduced differing tongues, gave understanding (at least for a day) to all who were assembled in Jerusalem, where at least 16 uniquely different languages were spoken.

On this particular day, the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13), God used community to speak to all of the people assembled. What amazes and thrills me as I re-read this account is that God used not one, but many people (the "entire community" that was gathered together waiting for God's Spirit), so that everyone could hear the good news in their own language.

I have fellowshipped with believers speaking a different language, in particular Filipino and Spanish, on many occasions. It thrills me to sing along (in my heart) as they sing another language, a language I don't speak or understand. But as they worship with unfamiliar words, it's as if I do understand. Truly, we are one in these settings, and I praise God for every time He has allowed me to sip from this cup of fellowship in another language. I guess you could say we speak the common language of love.

Before I leave this subject, I would point out that even when we speak the same language, we may speak it differently. Have you listened to the precious children of Liberia repeating their abc's for their American visitors, Mike and Robin McCall. Watch this
14 second video.

...The Situation is Hopeless
What do you think when you hear someone say, "The situation is hopeless"? Practically speaking, these can be crushing and defeating words when applied, for example, to financial circumstances.

Yet ...these words can also speak to opportunity; not for us, but for God. When we can work out things for ourselves, the need for God diminishes.

This morning, as I prayed with a number of other men, I learned of a situation that, as of this writing, appears hopeless. It seems that the deck has been stacked against a particular man and there is no "logical" way out.

As a natural problem solver, I wish there was something I could do to remedy the situation, but alas, I have no solution.

I believe that God appreciates it when we say the word "hopeless." Not that we live hopeless lives, but that we bring Him our hopeless situations, situations only He can resolve.

"Spiritual" is the insistence that everything that God reveals of Himself and His works is capable of being lived by ordinary men and women in their homes and work-places.

...This Would Be a Great Job
As the co-owner of a sales company, I sometimes find myself saying, "This would be a great job ...if it wasn't for the people!" Of course, the joke is that there would be no sales company were it not for the people.

You might find yourself saying the same thing about church at times, "This would be a great church ...if it wasn't for the people!" Of course, the joke is that there would be no church were it not for the people.

In Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, Eugene Peterson reminds us that, "the Christian life is lived with others and for others. Nothing can be done solely for oneself."

"Community" is the word that Mr. Peterson uses to describe our daily interaction with others.

I, for one, find no great pleasure in the thought of retiring on an island by myself. I need others. I need community. Problem is, I need (or want) them pretty much on my own terms.

Rob Patterson introduced me (along with the rest of the community known as fbcgalt) to the Myers-Briggs method of identifying personality traits some years ago. Here is an overview of Myers-Briggs to help you understand the concept. For what it is worth, according to the test, which I have taken several times, I am an ESTJ (see what makes me tick).

Here's the dichotomy: as much as I need community, I am a rugged individualist. I believe that the single thing that has made the United States unique in the annals of history is rugged individualism. Our nation was founded by rugged individualists who left Europe for an unknown land rather than conform to traditional (and may I say, dead) religion.

What's fascinating to me is that almost immediately after arriving at Plymouth Rock they set about to establish community.

History repeated itself time and again as our thriving young nation moved west. Rugged individualists carved the trail and community soon followed until, together, they stood on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

I'm thankful for the likes of Lewis and Clark, Daniel Boone and other trail-blazers. I'm also thankful for those who soon followed and established communities.

So yes, there are days when our job or our church might seem great without the people, but it would never be community, which is what God wants for us.

Today, I'm reminded that we do need each other, even when we're being rugged individualists.

...Up Close and Personal
If asked to define myself in a word, I would have to say, "complex." As far back as I can remember, my life has been a series of related, yet unrelated events. I have always been a "searcher," seeking more. This inborn curiosity about who I am and what my true purpose in life is, has resulted in my seldom being content with the status quo.

As a Christian, I am continually drawn back to the opening sentence of Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life, "It's not about you."

For the one who is looking at and to themselves (and the immediate world around them) and trying to make sense of it all, these words pose a real challenge. They cause a change in focus, a redirection of the light ...away from self, towards God.

Fully, two-thirds of my life was lived without the thought of God, focused almost entirely on self. In those first thirty-five years there were formed many habits, and redirecting all of that self-absorbed living to a new focus, centered on God, has been, at times, very difficult.

It seems that I have always been interested in spiritual things, things that cannot be simply explained away by reason and logic. Yet, I am, in many ways a very logical and methodical person. You see why "complex" is such an apt term.

Finding God twenty years ago did not end my searching, it intensified it. The change was that I no longer was searching in the abstract. I found that there was a God, that He was always there, and most importantly, that He was personal. Indeed, what is most amazing about being a Christian to me, is not what I now do or don't do as a result, but rather that so awesome a God--the very creator of the universe--could take a personal interest in me.

One evidence that I have that God is real, is that I quit searching on October 15, 1984. I knew with a certainty on that day that I had found God, or more accurately, that God had found me.

I had spent the previous eleven months gathering information about the claims of Jesus Christ, and many months before had "reasoned" that He was truly the Son of God who died for my sins, but the transaction of that particular fall day in 1984 wasn't about facts or feelings, it was about trust. God was asking me to trust Him with my life. Through tears, I yielded my life to His.

In some ways that is the end of my story, yet it is actually the start. Eugene Peterson says it this way in the introduction to Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, "Endings take precedence over beginnings. We begin a journey by first deciding on a destination."

All roads do not lead to God. It took me thirty-five years to realize this. Theology, sound theology, teaches that there is only one way to God, through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Any sound theology has to have Christ at the center. Christ is not abstract, He is personal. He is not a fictional character created to simulate what God would look like if he were a man, He is incarnate (God in the flesh). He worked, ate, slept and lived among men for thirty-three years. Yet He never stopped being God.

Let me end today by quoting Eugene Peterson as he defines "spiritual theology." It will help us in our journey in the days ahead.

The two terms, "spiritual" and "theology," keep good company with one another. "Theology" is the attention we give to God, the effort we give to knowing God as revealed (in the Bible) and in Jesus Christ. "Spiritual" is the insistence that everything that God reveals of Himself and His works is capable of being lived by ordinary men and women in their homes and work-places.

"Spiritual" keeps "theology" from degenerating into merely thinking and talking and writing about God at a distance. "Theology" keeps "spiritual" from becoming merely thinking and talking and writing about the feelings and thoughts one has about God.

...Spiritual Theology
I was blessed and challenged by the memorial service I attended today for Vela ("Veda" to friends) Rackley, a three-decade member of fbcgalt who went to be with the Lord late last week. Pastor Rob Patterson led the service, which I have to think was at least a little difficult, as they were such close friends.

Many people stood to speak words of tribute to this very, very special lady. While I was not one of those who spoke aloud, I quietly thanked God for her love for people and her strong desire to share God's love with all those in which she came in contact. On a personal note, Veda was especially kind to my wife. I can't share all the details, but the word that comes to mind is that she loved my wife "unconditionally."

Somewhat motivated by Veda's influence, and the desire to be more like her, I started a new book today by Eugene H. Peterson. Many of you will be familiar with Mr. Peterson because of his contemporary translation of the Bible, "The Message."

pastorob.com has had some lively debate about contemporary authors, debate in which I fully enjoyed participating. I find the writing of Eugene Peterson to be quite refreshing and amazingly relevant to our generation. Frankly, I'm impressed at how this sixty-something pastor, professor, and author is so "hip" to the language of not only the baby-boomers and baby-busters, but the post-modernists all around us.

In "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places," Mr. Peterson attempts to combine spirituality with theology in the context of our current culture.

Those who know me, know that I am passionate about sound theology. That said, it bothers me when my theology seemingly fails to have relevance to my world; to my "sphere of influence." I'm really hoping this book will help me find some answers.

Eugene Peterson uses the term "spiritual theology" to describe a life-style that is biblically based, sensitive to ordinary life, and rooted in the "fear of the Lord." Echoing Rick Warren's opening sentence in "The Purpose Driven Life," Mr. Peterson states that spiritual theology "must be about God and not about us."

In the days ahead, I will be offering what I'm learning about being spiritually relevant and remaining biblically grounded. It should be an interesting journey, one I hope you'll take with me.

For today, I simply want to say thank you to Veda Rackley for a life well-lived. Because I watched you up-close and from a distance, and saw consistency and relevance, you have inspired me to do more ...until that day I join you in that mansion just over the hilltop.

...It's All Greek to Me
The first e-mail I read this morning was from my good friend and Kip look-alike, Pastor Rob Patterson, commenting on yesterday's posting:

Rob

What a Berean brother (see Acts 17:11). Since its all Greek to me, I checked it out for myself. Sure enough, doulos is the correct spelling. (I've since gone back and corrected yesterday's posting). In verifying the spelling, I learned a few more things about the word that are worth mentioning:

The two primary definitions according to my sources are: slave, or servant. I discussed both of these yesterday, so I won't repeat myself. However, there are a few details that are worth mentioning as they can help deepen the understanding of what it means to live our lives as slaves.

Doulos speaks of one that willingly gives himself or herself up to the service of another. Doesn't that definition sound contradictory to you - a willing slave? That has to be an oxymoron. To the human mind it is, yet it is another reminder of just how different our thinking is from God's.

Do you think anyone would really choose to become a slave? History records one person who did, the man Christ Jesus. In Philippians 2 we learn that Jesus left all the unimaginable riches of heaven to come to earth ...for our sake.

Yielding His will to the Father's we are told in verse 7 that He "...made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant (doulos)"

Doulos has one other unique quality. Besides describing one who serves as a slave or servant willingly, it is one who serves without wages; actually a bond-slave or bond-servant.

Pretty incredible! Our Lord not only left His heavenly domain with all of its riches, but he left it willingly to become a bond-servant without wages. Can you imagine a wealthy athlete or entertainer leaving the mansion to move into the ghetto? Yet, that is exactly what Jesus did.

Hard as it may be to understand, and harder yet to do, "(Our) attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 2:5)

I hope you'll pause and consider the word doulos the next time you happen across "Life Styles of the Rich and Famous," remembering all that Jesus did for you and I.

...Servant Leadership
In his best selling book, "The Jesus Style," author Gayle Erwin uses a term that I want to incorporate into my daily vocabulary ...and ultimately, my daily life - "servant leadership."

According to Erwin, "The Jesus-style of leadership is a servant style. There are two words words in the Greek language, which are sometimes translated "servant." One is "diakonos" which means a table servant. The other is "doulos" which means "slave." When the mother of James and John requested places of prominence for her sons in the kingdom, Jesus turned their whole idea about important upside down. He said, "whoever wants to be first must be your slave."

When I think of servant leadership, the first person that comes to mind is Joseph of the Old Testament (Genesis 37-50).

By the time he was 17, he was hated by his brothers because their father showed favoritism, loving him more than them. As jealousy burned within them, their hatred grew and they plotted to kill Joseph. Only his oldest brother, Reuben, prevented the others from actually taking his life. Instead of killing him, he was sold into slavery.

As a servant, Joseph became a great leader. Genesis 39:2-4 says, "The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his (master's) eyes..."

Joseph did not wait until he was free from servanthood before doing his best. Serving brought out his best. He prospered as a servant and became a servant leader.

We say something like this, "If I get that new management position at work, I will really start giving this job my all." Or, "Of course Bill gets all the breaks, he's a supervisor."

Noted leadership speaker and author, John Maxwell speaks about leading from the middle. God, as seen through the life of Joseph and others, (most notably Christ Himself), speaks about leading from the bottom; about servant leadership.

As a business owner, husband and deacon, I'm expected to be a leader. But I'm beginning to think that I might actually lead better and enjoy greater prosperity, were I to think and act more like a servant

...not being quite so anxious to
throw off the slave's chains.

"Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
-Romans 6:16, 18

...The Servant's Quarters
Today, my business travel found me in Bakersfield, California at the home of a very successful businessman and local TV personality. The home was large and elegant with an exceptional view of the Tehachapi mountains.

I found myself wanting all I saw; the custom designed pool, the spa, the recreation room, the built-in patio grill and wet bar, the palm trees, the...

Though this businessman, to the best of my knowledge, does not have resident servants, as I was driving home I got to thinking about other large homes I have seen that do have servant's quarters.

* Are in an inconspicuous place so
that the servants will not be seen
by guests except when serving.

John the Baptist said a most interesting thing right at the height of his ministry success, when many were leaving the traditional church (synagogue) to follow him into the wilderness.

"I must leave the mansion and take up residence in the servant's quarters. I do this so that the Master can take His proper place in the mansion. From now on my only desire is to serve the Master."

I wonder how many of us would give up our success, our station, or all we've worked for, and willingly take up residence in servant's quarters.

...I ~~Want~~ Demand a Raise
I was listening to the radio this morning and I heard about something called the "effort-reward imbalance." Simply stated, it says that we are not always rewarded in direct proportion to the effort we have expended. Why, there is even a test to measure this "imbalance."

What if Jesus, the Ultimate Servant, had known about the effort-reward imbalance? Would He have taken an offering before He read from the scrolls in the synagogue? Would He have counted the money and then determined how long He would speak, making sure He was adequately compensated?

Would He have demanded His fair share of the take of fish, when He told the professional fisherman of the day exactly where to place their nets before their boat was filled to overflowing?

No, servants don't think in terms like effort-reward imbalance. They think in terms of service. The true servant asks, "What can I do to help meet the needs of others?" Not, "Oh my, what if I'm not fairly rewarded for my efforts?"

While my wife has been sick, I have purchased all of the groceries, which is normally her role in our family budget. Think about it. Not only have I served her most of her meals, I had to pay for them! How fair is that?

Thank God, that hasn't been my attitude (sadly, I can imagine a time when that would have been). No, I'm glad to serve the meals ...and buy the groceries.

According to Rick Warren in his book, "The Purpose Driven Life," discipleship means becoming more Christ-like. Before reading this book I thought discipleship was about training others, kind of a mentor-student relationship. While there is certainly that element to discipleship (see 2 Timothy 2:2), I've come to see that it is actually far more about me and my need to grow in Christ, becoming more like Him.

Because I truly care more about what Christ thinks about me than about how much "stuff" I can buy with more money, I hereby withdraw my demand for a raise.

Better I think, to be poor and hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

...In Sickness and In Health

Deacon Jim Fugate has been an incredible positive influence in my life over the past five years. He has not only inspired me by his natural leadership, he has, by consistent example (especially in dealing with his wife), taught me many valuable lessons about serving.

I've asked him to share about serving his wife, Doris. In the past few years Doris has suffered through two spinal fusions and is dealing with diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Jim remains ever by her side, committed to the vows taken fifty-five years ago. His story follows:

To tell you about the real blessing in serving Doris now, I must give some background. Doris and I raised three wonderful children; two daughters and a son. While the children were growing, we served at Calvary Bible Church in Hayward where we attended for 35 years. "Doris Colleen" was an active Sunday school teacher, involved in Girl's Auxiliary, Acteens, and two weeks each year at Vacation Bible School.

Doris was a stay-at-home mom who could be counted on to attend school plays, little league games, piano lessons, or other school activities. Perhaps her greatest skill was keeping all the kids quiet during the day when I was working the "dog" watch (graveyard shift) for the police department.

When our children were college age, Doris began working to help pay their tuitions. She worked in a nursery, for a the school district and even packed cereal for Kellogg's.

Looking back over those years, I just can't praise Doris enough. Honestly, I don't know how she did it all! Over the space of fifty-five years, she's been my sweetheart, encourager, and constant friend.

Now she's trying to fight back from her two major back surgeries and the other physical problems. Yet ...she still has that wonderful, smiling disposition that somehow finds expression even when she has pain or is discouraged by her health restrictions.

I'm able to do for her now what she has done for me and the kids all the years of our marriage! I can meet many of her needs, and she blesses me with a continual attitude of thanks, even for the small things I do.

And best of all ...we are having a wonderful time of "togetherness." She tells me she really enjoys our greater time together, and I know I do!

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone, I will make a helper suitable for him. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. -Genesis 2:18,24

...Our Sunday Service
As I continue pondering what it means to serve, today I would like to consider an incident in the life of Christ, and then I would like you to listen to a song that relates what service looks like.

Each week we gather at church for our Sunday "Service." But sometimes, upon reflection, I wonder if we really had a service. The question would simply be, "who was served and who served them?"

In Matthew 10:28, Jesus says that He came to serve, rather than be served. Do His actions line up with His words? Consider...

Just one day before Jesus would go to the cross, He showed his disciples the full extent of His love. He ate a final meal with His friends, and then He got up from the meal, took off his outer garments and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. (from John 13:1-5)

During my wife's recent hospital visit she was compelled to take sponge baths. One afternoon as she was bathing in her bed, I noticed she was having a lot of trouble washing her feet (bear in mind she was hooked up to an IV at the time). I took the cloth and bar of soap and began to gently wash her feet. She smiled lovingly and I knew it felt good as she leaned back and closed her eyes. I was not hurried in my efforts. You see, I love my wife very much.

But God loves us more! Just one day before His death, Jesus thinks more about His friends than He does about Himself.

If it were one of my children or one of my grandchildren, I would call this a "teachable moment." Jesus was teaching the disciples to serve others; to put the needs of others ahead of themselves. In preserving the incident in the Bible, Jesus asks us to do the same.

Point of fact, last week was the first time I ever remember washing my wife's feet. You see, for me the words are many, but the deeds are few. I'm trying to change that, and I'm finding that God is very accommodating. He is putting me in exactly the situations that will ~~force~~ allow me to put my words into action.

Pastor Rob has taken this incident in Jesus' life and in a song aptly titled "Serve," challenged each of us to apply Jesus' teaching to our world, ...our city, ...our neighborhood.
(Click here to listen to "Serve")

After you listen to the song, you might want to read the lyrics and get the fullness of Pastor Rob's message. As you listen and read along, you might want to consider the orphans of Liberia, the cancer patient, the student away from home for the first time, or the pregnant mother who's feeling really tired; all of which are recorded within the pages of this web site.

Maybe you could find a way to serve one of these people in a practical way ...today.

... On Serving
For the past few weeks I have been busy serving my wife. She developed pneumonia during her recent visit to the Philippines and then had other complications from certain medications given to treat the pneumonia.

She spent a total of nine days in the hospital, but is now home recovering. This ordeal has helped to remind me of the role of a deacon.

The word deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos, which means "servant." The New Testament records the appointment of the first deacons in Acts 6 and lists their qualifications for office in 1 Timothy 3. Churches differ as to the specific role of the deacon, but the thing I find in common is that it is always involved with serving or ministering.

Our church currently has three deacons. Jim Fugate is our senior deacon. Jesse Gaskin and I serve along with Jim.

In the days ahead I will be using this column to discuss the role of the deacon, it's biblical basis, why I accepted the position, and, most importantly, what I am learning as I strive to serve more faithfully.

Let's be honest, the world does not place a high value on serving. Doubt this? What colleges are currently offering degrees in serving? It just isn't a position that is valued. Yet we are encouraged to "serve one another in love." (Galatians 5:13)

In prayer this morning, I prayed aloud that serving does not come naturally to me. I have to work at it. And I'm learning that God is faithful to provide plenty of opportunities for me to learn!

I want to be personal in sharing what God is teaching me about being a servant (even daring to share the things that reveal how slow I am to get it sometimes).

As I develop the theme of serving, I hope others will e-mail me with lessons they have learned. I'm sure it will benefit us all as we travel this road together.

I've been thinking the past few days about the word "reconciled." So I went to a place that I sometimes go to look up words and definitions and dig deeper into their meanings

; hyperdictionary.com.

I have this picture in my mind of what a "hyper-dictionary" would sound like if it could talk. I imagine that the voice would speak very quickly and probably say things like, "Oh, oh look over here. Here's the word you want. Here, let me turn the page. Is this the word? How bout this one?"

According to the hyperdictionary, "reconciled" simply means made compatible, or no longer opposed.

How great it is when relationships are made compatible, especially when it comes on the heels of a time of discord. For example, it is always wonderful when my wife and I reconcile our differences (which usually involve rather unimportant or inconsequential things). It feels great when we are no longer opposed.

In Romans 5, Paul talks about us (you and I) being reconciled to God. We go from being opposed to God and His enemy to being His friend. He reconciles us to Himself. Can you imagine?

It bothers me to think that I was God's enemy at one time. Yet it thrills me to realize that He was the One that reconciled our relationship! I was (and am) that important to Him.

My wife and I usually reconcile our differences by admitting our mistakes and asking forgiveness. For me, it's always humbling admitting I was wrong or insensitive, but very necessary to keep our relationship strong. Thankfully, it doesn't cost anything (well, maybe some occasional flowers and the like).

In contrast, what a great cost God paid so that we could be reconciled to Him. It cost the very blood of His only Son. I can't even comprehend the magnitude of that kind of love, of that kind of commitment.

To think, I'm no longer God's enemy. Today I'm His friend. And it's not because of ANYTHING that I did. I'm His friend because of what He did for me.

Today in our Sunday school class we considered how we can demonstrate love. Why is that necessary? Because sometimes, words aren't enough. In fact, it rings hollow when our words of love don't match our deeds.

An example is the person who says they love their spouse, but every time they are around others they use the occasion to put their spouse down. Sadly, I speak from experience. For too many years I did that with my wife, failing to see the obvious, that words without corresponding actions are simply that ...words.

My wife has been gone for almost four weeks, visiting family in the Philippines. I'm anxiously (in a good way) looking forward to her return in just a few more days. I'm thinking of ways that I can demonstrate my love for her.

I could buy her some nice flowers (I will) and I can dress nicely when I pick her up to show her how special she is (I will). But, I've decided that the day before she returns I will

do something that I KNOW will convince her of my love.

I'm going to clean the house, from one end to the other. That means vacuuming and shampooing the carpet, cleaning the windows, scrubbing the bathrooms, and dusting

in hidden corners. If I can complete these tasks I won't even need to tell her that I love her ...SHE WILL KNOW IT!

The Bible tells us about God's love for us, His creation. He not only tells us that He loves us, He DEMONSTRATES it.

"God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

I want to show my wife I love her, I want to demonstrate it. And to think, the very God who created me wants to do exactly the same thing.

I hope that everyone who reads this today will do something to demonstrate their love for someone significant in their life (spouse, child, parent, good friend, etc.), and that everyone will take great joy in knowing that God loves you.

If you have never experienced God's unconditional love personally, please e-mail me. I would love to share with you how you can KNOW this kind of love.

I was going to write something light and cheerful, but was reminded that today we celebrate ..."a date which will live in infamy." Historians recognize these words from a speech given by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on December 8, 1941, the day following the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese.

In the following four years, more than 500,000 American soldiers would make the ultimate sacrifice to guarantee our freedom and way of life.

But the date I have in mind is not December 7, 1941. Rather, it is today's date, January 22nd. On this day in 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court, by a vote of 7-2, declared that abortion was legal in the United States.

Since that date, when it was argued that if legalized abortion would be rare, over 42 million babies have been aborted, deprived of even a single breath.

The first year there were between 600,00

0 and 750,000 abortions committed (makes your rethink the definition of "rare"). By 1977 the number had climbed above 1 million, peaking in 1990 with 1.6 million. It has since "leveled off" at approximately 1.3 million abortions every year.

Mother Theresa commented in 1994 that, "America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts--a child--as a competitor, an intrusion, and an inconvenience."

As a parent, and now a grandparent, I am sickened by the thought that we have allowed the equivalent of almost an entire generation to have been wiped out by rendering the word "abort(ion)" as something political, something to be argued in the halls of congress.

I wonder aloud on this infamous date in history what it will take for us to come to our senses and end (abort) this travesty and blight on our nation that allows the senseless killing of well more than a million unborn children every year ...one every 24 seconds.

If you are an average reader, in the time it has taken you to read this column, five unborn babies were aborted, lives ended before they began. Please think about it and pray for our nation today.

While I do not qualify for our new Most Eligible Bachelor web reality show, I am at week three of "just me and the dog," what with Mrs. Dot-Com still in the Philippines visiting family.

Last night I noticed something that had been bugging me but I

hadn't quite figured out. Everytime the phone rings and I start talking, Shiloh the dog immediately wants to play.

Now I get it... she hears my voice, doesn't have a clue what a phone is, and assumes if I'm there in the house alone talking out loud, I MUST be talking to her.

This got me to thinking about life through the eyes of a dog. I quickly did a Bible nexus and found a total of 14 instances where the word "dog" appears, none that suggest they are man's best friend ...guess I must have read that on the Internet somehwere.

Most of the verses are not very complimentary to dogs, calling them "mere," and "dead."

Two verses intrigue me. Proverbs 26:17 says that someone who meddles in a quarrel that's not his is like someone who grabs a dog by the ears.

I don't think Solomon had cute little Shiloh in mind when he penned this bit of wisdom three millennia ago.

I think he was envisioning something more like this fella. Bet you wouldn't hold him by the ears for long. OK Sol, you're so right, henceforth I'm minding my own business.

The most positive verse pertaining to the dog that I could find is in Solomon's Sequel, which he titled Ecclesiastes. I would have called it Proverbs II, but hey, that's just me.

Ecclesiastes 9:4 says, "But there is hope for whoever is joined with all the living, since a live dog is better than a dead lion."

You know what? You don't have to be the smartest man in history to figure this one out. While Shiloh the dog can be a pest ~~some~~ lots of times, she is still a much better companion than a dead lion. Doesn't that verse make you glad to be alive? Me too.

In truth, Shiloh has pretty well figured out the phone phenomenon after three weeks of being without Mrs. Dot-Com. What she is struggling to understand right now is what to do when the stereo is playing and the man starts dancing.

With her little head propped to one side, and ears perked up, she seems to be saying, "I get the part about him talking out loud to himself everytime that black plastic thing makes a ringing sound, but this jumping up and down and side to side every time the music starts is just plain ...weird."

Last night we transformed our home into the Dot-Com Cinema, for a one-night showing of the hit movie, "Napoleon Dynamite."

It was a gala event with popcorn, chips, soda, Junior Mints, Raisinets and Dots aplenty.

We had a good group, about half who had not previously seen the movie. Those that had seen it previously (including yours truly) were on their best behavior. There were no more than two or three annoying, "Oh, this next part is really funny" comments.

When you have already seen a comedy, it's fun to watch others seeing it for the first time. I especially enjoyed my good friends Mike and Robin McCall who both possess wonderful laughs. There were several scenes that I laughed harder the second time because the cinema-living-room was filled with out-loud laughter. I got the impression that our live audience was more relaxed in our converted living quarters than they would have been in some cold indifferent theatre . On the other had, the smiles might simply a reflection of the fact that I only charged $6.75 for the tickets.

Having seen the movie three times now, I think I get it. I've heard that in every movie, people relate to one character. I don't want to give the plot of the movie away, (actually, that's not a problem because there really is no plot to this coming-of-age cinematic paragon), but I would have to say that I most related to none other than Napoleon Dynamite himself.

Frustrated that others don't get it, frequently misunderstood, awkward, and lacking in social graces, our hero has a strong belief in himself and his abilities (even when greatly exaggerated), and proves himself a loyal friend. Determination is also an admirable trait in our curly-haired, bespectacled champion. I have a similar reputation for being determined and I had curly hair til it all fell out. The glasses? Well you know about that if you've been reading this blog for the past two months.

The dance skit scene alone is worth the price of admission, especially if, like me, you had to "work" at being even remotely graceful on the high school dance floor.

I could say so much more, but then I'd be one of those, "Oh, I love this part people" I so resent. So...

See the movie. See it with friends. And it's okay to laugh at the simple and the ridiculous, especially when you realize that you're really laughing at yourself.

So the other day I'm reading on our Epicenter page that the youth are planning some big shindig (oops ...I just dated myself) in February about Napoleon.

I'm thinking, "Cool, these kids are taking a serious interest in history." Then I read closer and I see it's not Napoleon Bonaparte that is all the rage, but Napoleon Dynamite. Napoleon who??

I decide to go outside and see if I can get some "serious air," but decide it's too cold.

Now, if you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, then you obviously have not seen the movie all the kids are talking about, "Napoleon Dynamite."

Friday night, January 13th, I am going to right this injustice (try and rent this movie at the local video store if you think I'm exaggerating).

I'm going to show the movie to "adults only" on our 53" wide screen, surround sound-equipped rear-projection TV.

Here's the deal. If you are in the Galt area (near Sacramento, California) you are invited. I will have two showings (6:30 and 8:30 PM). I can seat 15-20 people at each showing. I will provide the popcorn and soda ...you bring the jujubes.

This is a serious invitation. My location is within shouting distance of the Epicenter.

Difficult as it is to admit, since returning from Hawaii four days ago, I have been navigating Y2K5 in a "fog."

Considering the rain and cold climate I've come home to, I guess it's not that hard to understand. But there's more to it...

My wife has traveled to the Philippines for a month to visit her family who she has not seen for over three decades. After thirty-three years of marriage, I'm just now realizing how much I love her. I miss her a lot!

The first of the year always brings lots of challenges. Our business is certainly no exception, and the pressures remind me of that roast simmering in the pressure cooker the day after Christmas filling the house with the pleasant aroma for hours before we actually dined. Uh oh, I'm getting lonely again. I really miss Mrs. dot.com's cooking.

I can tell you this ...TV dinners heating in the microwave emit very little aroma. Also,, I've learned that the steam burns resulting when you first open the TV dinner after removing from the microwave stops hurting in about twenty minutes ...if you put butter on the burn right away.

This morning I arose early and turned on the big screen to catch the news. After a few minutes I changed the channel to watch the last half of a special on the recent devastating tsunami in the far east.

The program was produced by the BBC and focused primarily on finding Brits in the hours and days following the incredible wave. Watching the program was difficult because there was so much tragedy. I was especially touched by the children who lost parents and family. The program said that one-third of all the deaths caused by the tsunami were children.

There was a particular comment that really caught my attention, uttered by a man who was very involved in the rescue efforts. He said, "We are dealing in the currency of comfort."

The "currency of comfort" means (to me) that sometimes we have to be willing to get our hands a little dirty. While resourcing (translate = giving money to) others is honorable, the example of Jesus reaching out to physically comfort people (even those with leprosy and other contagious diseases) is still applicable in the 21st century.

Amazing how 20 minutes in front of the TV brought me completely out of the fog. Today, I will be thinking about my personal need to deal in the currency of comfort. Put in perspective - along side the tsunami - my temporary fog was composed of small and mostly inconsequential things.

Oh, and speaking of my Big Screen TV, as Pastor Rob mentioned in his blog today, I am going to be showing a sneak preview of "Napoleon Dynamite" this Friday at the otherwise empty dot-com-tom house. (Shiloh the dog will be disappointed to read that I don't consider her a resident).

Arising this morning, I reflect on the fact that I have but 48 hours left in Hawaii. �These are truly the last days,� he says sighing.

What to do with these last days? So many things I considered doing that will have to wait until my next visit, yet still time to do more. How to use my time effectively? If you can�t tell, I�m feeling more than a little conflicted.

Let�s see, there�s packing to do (nah, that can definitely wait), crossword puzzle not completed, eight chapters remaining in the book I�ve been reading, e-mails to check and blog to update, get more sun. OK, I�ve decided �I�ll get more sun.

As I went for my daily early morning walk, I came upon an old Hawaiian man sharing his breakfast with some birds. They were chirping merrily (well, the birds anyway) as he threw them scraps of chicken and broken pieces of bread. The little birds were multiplying by the minute, but the aged man seemed unbothered by the amassing numbers. I thought about the promise in God�s word that the birds have their needs met every day. It encourages me to see that sometimes their needs are met by gentle elderly men, willing to share out of their bounty.

Last night, as I was walking near the beach I watched as a little girl with her mom and dad was evidently enjoying the freedom and boundless joy that comes from learning how to run. She was probably about two years old and her legs were a little wobbly as she ran from one side of the sidewalk to the other, then back again. I watched as she repeated this little dance many times. I couldn�t help but think about my grandson who is just learning to run.

Finally, it came time for the family to cross the street. Dad called the little girl to his side, only to have her run further away. Dad became stern, while little girl laughed and ran more quickly. Dad lunged and missed while the little girl giggled merrily. Dad managed to catch the little one on the third attempt. I could see the love as he pulled her close, concerned that in her innocence she could dance away, possibly into the danger of the street.

I won�t guess the decibels of the ensuing screams, but I avoided the impulse of putting my hands over my ears, lest it be too obvious that I had been watching the entire event without having purchased a ticket. In this drama, I saw myself as the loving dad who cared enough to endure the crying and complaining, and as the dancing, screaming little girl, rebelling when a Loving Father reaches out, rescuing from danger.

Little birds with kind benefactors and little girls with stern loving dads�just a few of the sights and sounds of Hawaii. I can�t help but wonder what else God will show me in these last days.

Sunday morning, the first Sunday of Y2K5, finds me in Maui looking for a place to worship. The local yellow pages say that Grace Baptist Church has Sunday school, worship services (morning and evening) AND a website. The choice is simple.

It turns out that I have picked a Sunday when both the Sunday school and regular service are being led by guest speakers, both from Alabama. The Sunday school emphasis is on our treasure (salvation) that we too often hide from a lost and dying world when we don�t share it (2 Corinthians 4:3-7).

The speaker, Dan Dwire, is a new missionary to Africa. He shared from his heart about the AIDS epidemic in Africa, particularly Uganda. He, his wife, and their young daughter will be leaving very soon to begin their ministry. Dan pointed out that Uganda is the size of Oregon with a population of 26 million. He said that two thirds of the country is directly affected by the AIDS epidemic.

While Dan was talking I thought about our Sunday school class at fbcgalt and our current study of the book of Romans. One of our desires is to help equip our students with an effective and simple treasure map (plan of salvation) to share with those who do not know God.

I had a pleasant conversation with Dan following the class, and told him about our association with the Sanyu Baby Center and Pastor Rob�s upcoming trip to Africa with other pastors from Galt. Dan promised to look up the Sanyu Baby Center when he gets to Uganda.

The worship hour was disrupted by rain, or the after-effects of it. Seems that the sound booth was flooded and no microphones or other electronic equipment could be used. Voices carried fine and the guest speaker, Dr. Ken Grinstead, reminded us that Paul and the other apostles had no sound system and thousands were saved during their ministries. Good point.

Dr. Grinstead used the worship hour to talk about looking through his �field glasses at 2005.� I found it not surprising that on the first Sunday of the New Year the message would be about looking forward, but I considered that God would have me here, in this particular church, using almost the exact analogy we have been using here for the past month regarding �vision.� I consider it a confirmation that we are on the right track.

As an aside, a particularly emphasized prayer request was given for Wendy Kurth who is battling cervical cancer �for the second time. Wendy, who�s mom is a nurse, is 19 years old!

As I bid farewell to my new Island friends, I think how remarkable (and personal) is our God. To be 1,000 miles from home�separated by an ocean�God draws me to a church and to a service that is focused on Africa, a vision for the future, and dealing with cancer. I could have been at fbcgalt and found that the focus was on exactly the same things. Finding Grace (Baptist) in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii was, for me, just the latest of the many blessings of the God who's name is grace.

Well, "stuck" is probably not the right word. I write today from my accommodations at the Ohana Maui Islander. I have my own bags with me and getting checked-in has proven uneventful (what a GREAT situation that is!).

My favorite Hawaiian island is Maui. I have been here several times before and it is all quite familiar. I drove to a number of familiar places just to reacquaint myself with the island. Regrettably, it is raining heavily and there will be no working on my suntan for the next few days.

I spent a few minutes at the Paki Maui, where we stayed when I treated my mom and step-dad to a vacation about eight years ago. With the passing of my step-dad last year, I�m thankful for the great memories of that special vacation we spent together. My first New Year�s resolution (I wasn�t going to make any this year), is to spend more time with my family. You just never know when they might be gone�

Because of the rain, I decided to go to the movies. I chose �The Aviator� because I had seen a short trailer for the movie a few days ago. For those not familiar with the movie, the aviator is Howard Hughes, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. It was a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and I recommend the movie.

For me, the theme that kept resonating was what a visionary Howard Hughes was. The movie did a good job of artistically showing how Howard Hughes could see the future of aviation. If the movie is accurate, many (or most) people had difficulty keeping up with his foresight (ability to look ahead) as he continually saw how rapidly changing was the field of aviation.

I was thinking during the movie, aviation was changing rapidly, in part, because you (Howard Hughes) were changing it. It is fairly common knowledge that Howard Hughes could see years into the future (as it relates to aviation), but had real difficulty caring for himself in practical ways. I won�t give away more of the story than that, but the movie was, for me, yet another opportunity to see the subtle relationship between focus and vision.

The rain did not let up during the three hours I was safely secured inside the theatre. Looking ahead to the mile or so I had to walk back to the hotel, I wondered if I wouldn�t have been more of a visionary if I had driven to the theatre. The clouds were, after all, a dead give-away of things to come�

When we in the mainland (48 states) think of fireworks, we think of the Fourth of July. In Hawaii, they think of New Year�s Eve. For the past twenty hours or so, I have heard at least a thousand firecrackers exploding. Firecrackers are legal in Hawaii, so long as you have a permit. According to the paper, almost 12,000 permits have been issued. It appears that all 12,000 at staying on Paoakalani Avenue, home to the Ocean Resort Hotel where I�m enjoying the view from my deluxe ocean-view room.

Before I share the excitement of the actual ushering in of Y2K5, a little reflection seems in order.

In my sharing of the details of the past few days, I have realized that sometimes we fail to live up to our reputations. We tend to read our own press as it were, and get filled with ourselves�never a good situation.

My reputation for being organized was blown out of the water these past few days. I�m the one who packs everything in the same exact location every time I travel so as to be sure not to forget anything. I make two copies of reservations and then also put it in my PDA (electronic Daytimer). Well, usually�

You see, for whatever reason, I failed to do my normal routine. I trusted in my reputation. I assumed I had taken all of these steps back in early December when I made the reservations. Turns out I didn�t.

Here again I�m reminded of the difference between �focus� and �vision.� I envisioned the trip to Hawaii with great excitement, but I missed the details. This failure to focus was costly (extra hotel room, lost sleep, stress, etc.), but I�ve learned a valuable (if costly) lesson.

Fireworks on the beach at Waikiki were fantastic! I, along with thousands of people from all over the world, was there on the sand counting down the seconds to 2005. It�s a New Year�s Eve I will not soon forget. Turns out that fireworks were not dropped out of a helicopter (as I had been told earlier in the day), but actually launched from a barge out in the harbor. Spectacular nevertheless, �with much less whirring.

Well, tomorrow I head for Maui. Let�s see, my reservation says I�m staying at the Ohana Maui Islander. Here�s a copy of the reservation. Oh, and here it is in my PDA. Did I ever tell you how organized I am?

Did I mention that we solved the mystery of the missing hotel reservation? It came in the form of a credit card bill for the full amount of my five-day stay since I was now a notorious �no-show.�

My partner, (who also functioned on three hours sleep yesterday), informed me that I had a reservation at the Ocean Resort Hotel (let�s see, had I kept dialing every hotel in Honolulu, I would have gotten to that one by next Thursday). By now, with no real prospects of finding the original reservation, I had booked another hotel.

Small problem. Since I had failed to show without calling to cancel, they charged me for the entire five days. That, plus the other hotel I had now booked was beginning to make my stay on the Islands just a tad expensive. I�ve never seen the book in print, so I�m thinking about writing it myself, �How to Visit Hawaii for $678.46 a Day.�

With a few phone calls and the (now) customary, �sorry,� I manage to reinstate my original reservation. When the clerk at the second hotel got done laughing, what could she do but let me cancel? �Maholo� I said, this time with much greater confidence.

For my trouble, the clerk at the first hotel (are you keeping up with all of this?), upgraded me to a deluxe ocean-view room that normally rents for twice the rate I was being charged. �Mahalo,� I said. �Are you from the Islands?� she inquired. �No,� I replied, but figured she didn�t have time to hear how I had learned to pronounce this word so deftly in just the past forty-eight hours. Repeat something enough times�

When I got to the hotel early this morning, I decided not to drag to golf clubs up to the second floor where I would spend just one night. As the clubs would not fit into the trunk (I mentioned it was a small car, right?), I left them in the backseat. I got into bed and lay there thinking what an inviting target for a thief. I tossed and turned for awhile and then decided I would never get to sleep while worrying about those golf clubs.

I got up, got dressed, went downstairs (it was now 2:30 am), and dragged the clubs out of the car and up the stairs. Gosh, I don�t remember the clubs being so heavy. Smashing the bag into my shin, I struggled not to yell out and wake someone (Sheeesh, I already have enough to deal with).

Safe in my room, rubbing the now bruised and swelling leg, I decide it would probably be a good idea to check my golf clubs to make sure they are not as damaged as my leg. Hey, who took the lock off my bag?

Oooops� Small problem. This is not my golf bag! No wonder it�s so heavy, this guy packed everything but the kitchen sink. It�s now 3:00 am, and I�m reminding myself how great it is to be back in paradise!

At 6:00 am, I decide to get up. Well, let�s see, this nap just cost me $40 an hour. Man, I could have gone scuba diving for that amount, or played a round of golf on one of the better island courses (if I just had my own golf clubs).

I head back to the airport to report my oversight and am greeted by one of the lovely Hawaiian baggage ladies, complete with floral skirt and a lei around her neck. I explain my mistake and get my first ever �Island Scowl.� This sweet leilani is NOT happy. �That�s the bag I�ve been looking for,� she says with a frown. �That�s where the bag went.� �I was looking everywhere for that bag.� �So, you had that bag.� There were another fifteen or twenty comments, but I think you get the drift.

My, �sorry,� seems somewhat inadequate for the moment. �I don�t suppose I could get my golf clubs and be on my way?� Her one word response, �Come!� pretty well sums up our conversation. My apologetic smile seems wasted as I wish her �mahalo,� which means �thank you� in Hawaiian. I speculate that it�s more than my �howley� accent that bothers her.

Somewhere in Honolulu, someone is very happy to learn that their golf clubs (and half of their earthly possessions) have been found. I don�t stick around to see their joy at being reunited. I�m just happy to have my own golf clubs. Clubs in hand, I don�t even turn around to look back...

As I boarded the plane bound for Hawaii I thought how enjoyable the next two weeks will be. Hey, they don�t call it �paradise� for nothing. Five hours later, we saw land for the first time�the lights of Honolulu. Wow, this is going to be great!

It felt good to stand up again. I headed for baggage claim and once there decided to pull out my reservation to confirm where I was staying and which direction I would head when I left the airport.

Small problem �I couldn�t find the reservation! I looked. I looked again. This can�t be. I made the reservation a month ago. OK, more than one way to skin a cat, I�ll just grab the yellow pages and I�m sure I�ll remember which hotel it was.

Another small problem �there are like 1,000 hotels in Honolulu. Each one seemed to be the right one. The bags are going round and round, but I�m having a hard time focusing. What good are bags if you don�t know where you are going?

At 11:00 pm (1:00 am California time), I called my partner for help. Once he was awake, he agreed to run down to the office and check my computer for the confirmation. I learned later that he did all this in his pajamas, but that�s probably more detail than we need here.

An hour and a half later, we concluded that there was no confirmation on my work computer. The rental car is rather small, but if I tuck into a really small ball in the back seat, I can probably get a few hours rest. Common sense quickly takes over and I find a hotel near the airport with a room available. I�ll deal with all of this tomorrow. At least I have my luggage and my golf clubs.

After a wonderful Christmas spent with family and friends, it's now time to get ready to travel to Hawaii for ten days of work and relaxation.

The problem with traveling is packing. What to take? What to leave behind? Some-how it's got to all fit in that one bag (surely, you didn't think I was going to leave my golf bag at home)?

Since I'll be gone for ten days, I have tried to plan out each day; counting socks, underclothes, shirts, shorts (yea, shorts in the middle of winter!!), etc. trying to be as exact as possible ...then eliminating items until the suitcase closes and stays latched.

As we approach Y2K5, I'm wondering aloud what are we packing to take with us? In other words, what is really important as we plan our future together?

As much as I need it here, in Hawaii I won't need this heavy coat. How many of us pack things we don't need and we'll never use? Like programs that were effective a decade or two ago, but have long since passed their usefulness?

New ideas? Yea, if I take this out, and this, and this, ...there, perfect. Lots of room for new ideas.

Traditions? Hmmmmm, gotta think this one through carefully. Some traditions are very good and I think we should be very careful about casting them aside. I think we have to use some Leonard Sweet thinking and cast these good traditions forward.

On the other hand ...some of these traditions really do need to be cast off - for good. That's right, for good. For everyone's good. (My gosh, this thing we do every year dates back to my great-great grandmother. "OK kids, let me explain this buggy whip to you one more time.").

Planning for the future, even the short-term future, can and should be exciting. The really great thing about being a follower of Christ is I don't need to stress about it. God's got everything under control. In fact, He cautions me not to be worrying and fretting about tomorrow. Rather, I should be using my energy to focus on today.

OK, time to close this bag up. With just a little more effort ...there, got it. Whew, now that was just a little too much work. Think I'll relax for a while.

It's Christmas eve and we have decided to close the office for the day. Our decision was arrived at after spending the entire day yesterday fielding three calls (two requesting us to change our telephone service and one wrong number).

Since I'm in my holiday (translate "resting") mood, I thought I would save my energy for last minute shopping and use today to quote what others have to say about "vision."

I woke up this morning thinking about the word "vision." I was thinking of the fabled man crawling in the desert who sees an oasis only to learn that it was a mirage. Retelling the story years later, he says, "It was only a vision."

So... vision can be positive, motivating us to action, or it can be false and disappointing. Since we're looking for clarity, let's focus on what others have said about vision.

What place better to start than the Bible. Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

Our Minister of Information, Skip, lives out his vision:

"I have a vision--for children (of all ages). We all need to smile...to laugh. God has given each of us a seventh sense--the sense of humor.
My vision is that we develop that all-important, God-given sense at church and everywhere we go!"

I love anonymous quotes. They are sayings that I could have said. Hey, maybe I did!

Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart said, "Capital isn't scarce; vision is."

When I think of Sam Walton, I marvel at how his children carried his dream and life's ambition (translate "vision") far beyond what he ever imagined in his lifetime.

There are two quotes from Helen Keller worth mentioning. Helen Keller, as most of you know, was physically blind.

"The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision."

Does your vision cause you to look inward, outward, and most importantly, upward?

I'm a big Jim Carrey fan. My favorite Carrey movie is "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000). The reasons I like the movie are manifold. Jim Carrey's wit and talent, the little girl (Cindy Lou Who) who looks exactly like my goddaughter at that age, and the parody of true human nature (greed, envy, love, etc.) are but three of the reasons I have watched this movie a dozen times or more, at all times of the year.

My favorite line from the movie is when The Grinch (Carrey) looks at his little dog, adorned with fake reindeer antlers and says, "Focus Max, focus." When Jim Carrey says it, it sounds more like, "Focush Max, focush."

When we re-launched the fbcgalt website in October of 2004, we did so with a special emphasis on our "40 Days of Focus." This was an important time at the Epicenter, and the momentum of those 40 days has helped carry us to this point, nearing year's end.

As we move in the days ahead to Y2K5, we will be talking a lot about vision. How appropriate, since my physical vision is improving each day. Because of my recent eye surgery I am constantly being asked, "How's your vision?" My standard answer has been, "It's improving." But now that I've thought about it, when people ask me how my vision is, I'm going to respond, "Long range with limitless possibilities!"

Focus and vision are similar words, but subtle in their differences. Whereas focus is a concentration (of rays of light or heat for example), vision can refer to more obscure images, off in the distance if you will.

Focus speaks to clarity and concentration (Max the faithful dog/reindeer brought the Grinch the wrong wrench, so obviously he wasn't concentrating. Thus he needed to be reminded to "focush").

Vision speaks to foresight and even the ability to perceive the unseen, the possible.

I am very thankful to be a part of a church that values both focus and vision. Taken together they allow us to see well into the distance while retaining the ability to see things up close.

I've heard that some visionaries can't tie their own shoes. That seems out of balance to me. I believe we need vision with clarity.

I'll be writing more about this in my blog and elsewhere on the site, but I have to go now. I cannot believe what just happened. My dog Shiloh (No, that's not a slurred "Silo") just brought me a wrench. Now where do you suppose she got that idea?

Today I went for my follow-up visit to the doctor one week after my eye surgery. To understand what's going on, I need to back up a little.

When my eyes were checked before my surgery, my vision was 20/525 in one eye and 20/650 in the other eye. Anything over 20/200 is considered legally blind (without corrective lenses).

What exactly do these numbers mean? Well, for whatever reason, when doctors began checking eyes and establishing what "normal" vision is, the selected a distance of 20 feet (approximately 6 meters). They established that a person with normal eyes should be able to see what other people with normal eyes see at this distance.

Now in my case (prior to surgery) what this means is that what most people see at a distance of 650 feet (more than two football fields in length) I could see at 20 feet.

Some people have better than "normal" vision. That is, they may have 20/10 vision for example--seeing at 20 feet away what most people see at a distance of 10 feet.

It is estimated that hawks have 20/2 vision, or the ability to see 10 times better than a person with normal vision, or 6500 times better than I could without my glasses!

The day after my surgery (last Thursday) my vision had improved to 20/40 in each eye. Today, as my eyes continue to heal, my vision is at 20/25 in each eye--within 20 percent of normal!

The doctor believes that I am still in line to see at 20/15 in the next few months. Now do you see (no pun intended) why I am so excited about the surgery.

I'm not going to reveal the details of Y2K5 yet (it's still classified "Top Secret" - destroy before reading), but I have been given clearance to reveal that it's "A Vision Thing."

Be sure to return to this blog, as well as Pastorob's blog often for more details (best viewed at a distance of 20 feet).