No, not the physical location - just a reunion of various participants over the last 10 years. Last night most of the participants from this year and some from previous years showed up to view the video memorial for this year. What a joy it was to hear of the young man who had intended to be a youth minister upon completion tell the story of his completion of the rehabilitation program and his acceptance into a ministry training program to begin in January. The memories shared and the encouragement offered were a great dessert to the pizza dinner that was shared.
A repeated theme in most of the sharing was the recognition that "real" fun (what I define as joy) feels so good when remembered; and it never has regrets associated with its experience or sharing; whereas the worlds view of fun often has a terrible price to pay and may often be remembered with regret rather than fondness.
These men and their sponsors all have that same fondness for the memories of Death Valley; and that fondness will never go away. They are truly "treasures laid up" - if not for eternity; then surely for the rest of their lives.
So how should the redeemed then live? By hoarding up treasures for self; or by building treasures by sharing with others. I am certain that if the former is the choice; then one is excluded from the list of the redeemed. I know that the greatest joy comes when a friend or loved one is recognized and the relationship and experience are remembered. One cannot know real joy alone; and one cannot enjoy salvation selfishly - it has to be shared. The question for each of us is: When did I last share the real joy of my life with someone who really needed it? Is our joy based on "thank you that I am not like those poor lost souls", or is is based on "thank you that I am saved and know what to tell others so they can rejoice, tool"?

Angels
I met an angel last week. She is only 4 years old; and some might say she was a tragedy. This beautiful little doll was born with a terrible disorder that prevents her from "normal" development. Her disorder slows down the way her nervous system works, and has prevented her from learning to walk, talk, or do so many of the things we expect our children to do. Physically, she is indeed beautiful, and her laugh and obvious joy at being in the arms of those who love her make her charming.
Why do I say she is an angel? The answer is so plain. She inspires in those around her a simple all-accepting love that is truly divine love. Her parents and grandparents have devoted themselves to providing her with the best of care, devotion, providence that can be had. How like the love that the Father has for us they have been able to show. Yet, for all of that, they do not do everything for her. They lovingly encourage her to do all for herself that they can - for though all that she can be is so much less than they would want, it is so much more for her own good and development that they lovingly encourage and challenge her.
While her tiny hands so frequently drop the morsel of food, and the caregiver's could so easily hold and deliver that same morsel - while the child knows this and tries to hold the morsel in the adult's hand, the right sad thing to do is to insist the child keep trying until success is achieved, then praise and love.
How like the love that God has for us, His children. By taking away our will, our choices, He could provide a painless life for us, and give us all "good" things. But "good" only exists where there is also "bad"; and we would not be in God's own image if we could not choose. He REALLY loves us enough to want us to be made over into His image; and that can only occur if we struggle to achieve, to grow, and if we can fail as well as succeed; for those two exist only in tandem - never in isolation.
What a great lie the father of lies has convinced us of - that God does not really care since He allows suffering. The reality is that rejoicing can only exist where there is also sorrow; and God has given us the opportunity to choose which we will grasp.
Watching this little angel, I could not help but love her. I know that God loves her and will show her to us in her full beauty in eternity; and wants all of us to have the opportunity to show His love for her while she is with us.
How great is the Father's love for us!

Death Valley continued. What a story of contrasts. Six volunteers who seem to have their lives together and 16 men men who are struggling to make something rise from the ashes - men who really had been walking in the valley of the shadow of death - men, many of whom would say that they would now be dead if it were not for CityTeam. Some of the men had committed other crimes as well - assault, burglary, robbery. Some had spent some time in jail and some in prison. Many had tattoos indicative of past affiliations with gangs. Yet, there behaviour was at least as civil as that i experienced in the Navy years ago, and the language was purer than I have heard in many workplaces. Many were deeply committed to letting God have control of their lives - having hit bottom on their own and now hoping for a light for the future. Many had not yet gotten to the point of beginning to dream again. Some just hoped to have an association with children now lost to them. Most had left behind a string of broken relationships. Yet, all were just men who could enjoy a good physical and mental challenge. The climb over rocks, gravel, along ledges, up canyons to Slit Rock canyon required co-operation, endurance, and courage that challenged some of the participants - not the least of which was Mike, our leader, whose back pain nearly crippled him on the way up. When we arrived at slit rock and set the cams and ropes for rappelling down the dry waterfall, the challenge level rose. Not all were willing to try the descent; and actually starting down was intimidating to some. But all who tried made the descent; and a still greater sense of camaraderie developed.

After the hike back down with another rope-assisted descent, we camped where a swimming pool and shower were available. (It felt soooo good to be dry and clean that I skipped the pool.)
Tri-tip steak around the campfire closed the day; and sleep was delightful.

The trip back was even more telling of stories and dreams - now from men who trusted each other. Lunch at McDonald's was punctuated with the distribution of "Desert Rat" awards, with each man recognized for something significant about them.

I did not hear a single harsh word on the trip; and the close in group prayer and hugs all around was sincere. I cannot help but think "If only these men had had this kind of experience in their families as they grew up - how many would be in this program now???" Most knew abuse, neglect, had no loving father - if they had one at all.

Please, God, keep my heart tender and thankful and serving.

This past weekend was a real trip. No, I mean that in more ways than one. After missing out on last year's CityTeam Death Valley trip due to a broken leg, I was finally able to make my schedule, my body, and my mind all work together. (I came down with some sort of intestinal distress on Sunday evening before the trip on Thursday, and was afraid that I would, once again, be denied the privilege.) Getting up for a 3:00 AM load and departure was one of the most challenging parts of the trip. I made a thermos of 4 double shots of espresso and found my way to San Jose CityTeam. As we headed out, my assigned riders mostly fell asleep while I drove until around 7:00 AM when we stopped for breakfast. Since part of the purpose was to get to know the participants - all of whom were in various phases of recovery from alcohol and/or drug addiction, we encouraged the awake riders to tell their stories. CityTeam's approach is Christ-centered, and has one of the highest "success" rates for drug and alcohol rehabilitation known. Those stories were challenging to listen to as the trip began. We had to be responsible to non-judgmentally encourage the discussion and sharing. I am not used to being around people that have managed to have lives that are so far removed from "the way".
We drove over 500 miles the first day to arrive at our first campsite. There, in the shadow of Eureka Dunes, we set up camp and experienced great fellowship. The weather could not have been better. (Although I seem to have missed the note on bringing a tent; I am really glad that I did. It gave me an excuse to sleep in my Mountaineer on two thin pads with better insulation from the cold than my companions had.)
The views were breath-taking. The hike alone up to the peak of one of the dunes with just me and God was inspiring. Taking care of the coffee demands of a group of 20 or so men was both challenging and rewarding; but the evening devotionals with singing, witnessing, and sharing were the highlight of the trips. Death ball (like baseball with a rock wrapped in duct tape for a ball, sand traps, cacti, sage brush, and capricious rules and umpiring for spice) was the afternoon's entertainment, along with launches of model rockets and potato cannon firing.
Listening to men share in various phases of their re-hab and the stories of their movement from suicidal despair to desperate search for redemption to hope for a future reminded me that Christ did not come only for the the God-fearing; but for the desperately lost and dying.
My prayer is that every one of the men I met would be inspired to develop the faith that is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The young man who went from seeking out used needles on the street in order to inject drugs to wanting to become a youth minister - knowing that first he must return to another state and face a warrant that could lead to prison time - who came to me and asked where to find a scripture that he recalled for use in the evening's devotional helped me recall the redemptive power of Christ.
I hope I am forever changed by this trip. I know it has given me a greater sympathy for men who grow up without a Godly Father image in their lives; but who begin to respond positively to the witness of what He can do when we really do serve Him; and who see for the first time the difference in joy and fun; and who find that Christians can have a LOT of fun that has no adverse consequences.
(to be continued.)

Today I read a review of two books that had been written on the existence of God. I was once again "astonished" at the remarks that were made regarding the two books. One of the books was written by a man who had been trained and lived as a minister, but had finally concluded that a benevolent, all-powerful god could not exist in light of the evil and suffering that exists in this world. The second, a former atheist, had concluded that only a god could explain the self-contemplation and awareness that exists in life.

Most of the comments supported the former position, and hinted that the latter was the result of the onset of Alzheimer's in the former atheist.

The fallacy of the argument that a benevolent, all-powerful, loving god could not possibly allow pain and suffering to exist is a great example of the perverse nature of Satan. First, one must conclude that what happens in the brief interval of physical life is more important than eternity. Second, one must conclude that a benevolent god would take away self-determination in order to alleviate pain and suffering. Third, one must conclude that "truth" is impossible to discover or is relative. NONSENSE! These assumptions are all the consequence of succumbing to the temptation to determine right and wrong for oneself. The hubris, the arrogance, the self-aggrandizing thought processes that lead one to even begin to think that understanding life is possible while ignoring the implications of eternity are simply astonishing. The problem of human suffering and its source are well documented in Job, as is the promise that God can make it all worth while, both on this side of eternity as well as on the eternal side. It takes a fundamental disbelief in God and His promises to embrace the belief that temporal suffering is unacceptable. It also takes a heartless approach to Christianity to fail to have compassion for the suffering and the oppressed. It takes head and heart to be made over into the image of Christ, who was the very image of God. Still, our primary mission in life MUST be to assure that the opportunity to eliminate eternal suffering is made known to all. The real source of suffering, EVIL incarnate, exists. Why it exists may very well be beyond our comprehension. Why it cannot defeat us is well within our grasp.

Astonishment – that is the word. Not incredulity, not unbelievable, just astonishment. That, perhaps, begins to describe the way that I feel when I contemplate the way our relationship has developed and continues to grow. Not driven by lust, overwhelming loneliness, nor grief – just a desire to have a “suitable companion” one to encourage, comfort, share, and, most of all to love in a healthy God-centered life. So I daily continue to be astonished, enthralled, at how that love grows.

I have not added to this blog for a long time - six months. Much has happened in those months, as you can probably tell from the beginning paragraph. I have fallen in love with a godly woman who has spent years ministering to kids in juvenile hall. The match that God has provided for us and the joy of planning a future continues to astonish me. The overwhelming joy that daily grows is indescribable.

Love, real blessed by God love that has its basis in His way is truly incomparable. Doing things the right way, letting Him lead and gratefully accepting the blessings He provides without doubt, without remorse, without guilt and the joy that brings is indescribable.

What deep regret I feel that not all of His children feel compelled to let His way rule their lives and thus experience the joy that His way brings.

I can hardly wait to see what else God has in mind for us for the future.

Yesterday I spent much of the day in Cologne, Germany, worshipping with the widowed son of an old friend. Yesterday would have been their 40th anniversary. Fortunately for him, he had his son's family, two grandchildren, and his son's in-laws from Texas to spend the day with him. His wife fought cancer for 6 years before succumbing 4 years ago. While he is kept busy serving God, he is still alone, and I could hear that in his voice as we shared some experiences.

I can now listen to Sarah Brightman's beautiful love songs without choking or tearing, perhaps because I have come to grips with the fact that as beautiful, wonderful, enduring as the love of a man for a woman can be, it is only for this side of eternity. I believe that it will be replaced by a love that is astonishingly greater that we will have for one another on the other side of eternity. There will be no "physical" component there, no jealousy, no hurt, no cliques, no isolation - only an enduring intimacy that will make the word "fellowship" pale into insignificance.

Still, we are bound by our physical presence here, and cannot experience the intimacy of love as it was intended by ourselves. We are not complete in and of ourselves, and no degree of having been complete in the past is sufficient for the present. A wonderful past relationship is but a reflection, a glimpse of what the other side of eternity has to offer - unbounded by physical limitations or spirits chained up in physical minds. What a pity that the world around us cannot imagine a form of love that is not limited in scope of breadth or depth or height or anything at all. Yet, are even we who are believers able to ask for or imagine this love?

"Just show me how to love you", "The last words you said to me", "Love changes everything" all still make the hair on the back of my neck stand up with chills down the spine. Yet, these are written based upon the world's views of love.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus make me wonder what Karen would say to Father Abraham as she gazes upon me-what message she would send to me, our children, and our grand-children. And yet, I cherish the letter that a woman who never met Karen wrote to us as though it were from Karen. I have to believe that the Spirit gave her the words to write.

I hope to one day love again; because I miss that daily glimpse of Heaven. I know all too well that the glimpse is not without imperfections, for the earthly model is not without pain, sickness, tears, and death. For all of those imperfections, however, it is also not without a joy that fulfills. So I hope to again sing those songs, not to a memory nor to a hope, but to a present.

Personal Locater Beacons
Don't turn off if you are intimidated by high technology! This is just an intro to a very important subject.

As I promised my daughter, I have obtained a personal locater beacon. This is a wonderful device for a pilot, a sailor, or an outdoorsman. The small unit comes with its own carrying pouch and a belt, including a battery good for 5 years and a certificate for a free replacement battery. It must be registered with the U.S. Government, so they know who needs to be notified if the device is ever activated. In a real emergency situation, the cover is lifted, an antenna extracted, and it is placed in the open. A local radio beacon then begins transmitting, a GPS receiver is activated, and a satellite transmitter is activated. The message sent to the satellite contains identity and exact location of the beacon to within a few feet. The government agency will immediately check my contact numbers to assure the likelihood that there is a real emergency, and dispatch search and rescue teams to that location. Wow! What security to have such a device!

Guess what? For most of my life, I have had a spiritual PLB that works even better. Far more important than my physical safety when exploring, hunting, flying, or sailing is my spiritual welfare. The "device" occupies no space at all - it is embedded in my mind. Its battery never needs replacing. It does not require a clear view of the sky. It does not need to be registered with any government agency, and its user's identity is never uncertain. In times of spiritual danger or distress, its activation time is instantaneous; and its efficacy is guaranteed. So, what is this spiritual PLB? It is prayer and submission to the Holy spirit. God promises that no temptation will be set upon us that He will not provide a way to overcome. We only need to call upon Him and then follow His way.

The only way that this PLB can be thwarted is by disuse or "failure to follow the directions provided." We only have to recognize spiritual emergencies and then put the device in action to know how to respond. If our first effort is to try to overcome on our own, we are likely to make the situation worse. If we activate the system, and then try to ignore the spiritual guidance He provides, we are doomed to failure. For the system to really be effective, we need to run drills during non-emergency times, so we can be sure the communication lines are open at our end! There is no risk of failure at His end, but we need to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and His guidance for our lives. That listening begins with knowing His word, grows with prayers for wisdom, and matures by following, even at the cost of seeming foolish to the world about us. (I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have prayed for guidance in a dilemma, and had a scripture or song come to mind that gave clear indication of what I then knew to be the correct response.) The utility and effectiveness of this PLB, the most important one that can ever be owned, needs to be tested, exercised, and utilized until it becomes virtually the spiritual GPS for our lives. It is what He wants, and what He tells us to do in His User's Guide for the Human Soul - a.k.a. The Bible.

I really don't like the idea of using this blog to discuss a "debatable theological issue"; but I guess my conscience forbids me to be silent. Twice in the last few days, I have been asked whether I believed that baptism was necessary for salvation. (Not that it matters what I think - the question really is: what does God want.) I only know one way to discover what God wants, and that is from His scriptures. I know that He does not want any to perish; so He sent His Son to bear the burden for our sins so we could be reconciled to Him. I know that Jesus was baptized, although John thought he (John) should be baptized by Christ instead of the other way around. I know that Jesus commanded His disciples to "go and make disciples ... baptizing them..." But does that make baptism necessary for salvation or is it just a symbol of obedience? Interesting question. A signature on a contract is "just a symbol" of acceptance of a contract; but it is required to make the contract binding. However, this is man's law and man's understanding. What does God say?
Romans 6 reads:
1What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Paul gives the clearest, most decisive explanation of Christian baptism found anywhere in the Bible. He says plainly that: "all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." This plainly indicates that in order to live a new life, we have to die to the old life. Verse 4 clearly states that when we are baptized into Christ we are baptized into His death. How can we live a new life unless we first symbolically die to our old life? Paul says further this is a death to sin, and that those who have died are freed from sin. In verse 5, "5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." I read this as the only certainty of being united with Him in His resurrection comes from having been united with Him in His death, and Paul says this happens in baptism.

Is being united with Christ in His resurrection the same as salvation? I know of no other definition. I know of no other way that is promised anywhere in the word. Jesus "symbolically" took the sins of the world upon Himself and died on the cross. Does it being symbolic make it unnecessary? Apparently not to God, who refused Christ's prayer to "let this cup pass from me."

Thanks be to God that I am not the one to judge for others which portions of Christ's and His apostles commands that they must follow - I can only judge for myself. What I must teach and reply when asked is that I know what He commanded and what his "apostle out of due season", Paul, explained; and I could not possibly consider doing any other than submit to their commands, teaching, and wisdom.

By this will men know that you are my disciples.
Yesterday during the morning sermon, we watched a short video prepared not by an actor, but by a man who came to know Christ. If you saw this man, you would initially probably not want to meet him in a dark alley. As his story unfolds, you cannot help but wish to be made over, made new into the kind of person his neighbor was.
The man grew up in an abusive household, bitter, angry, profane, and became that same sort of person himself. He did have his own family, and moved into a neighborhood where there were both good and bad influences. His next door neighbor often tried to be friendly and helpful, but his "goodie-two shoes" ways were unappreciated and rejected. Instead, an equally profane acquaintance was found to sit on the front porch drinking and cursing the "nice" neighbor.
When an accident left the man with a broken arm the nice neighbor offered to help in any way, but was warned out of the yard and rejected.
When the man looked out his window, he was astonished to see the nice neighbor in his yard starting his lawn mower. When accosted, he simply stated that he intended to mow the man's lawn unless he was forcefully sent away. Reluctantly, he was allowed to do the mowing and continued to do so for the next 3 weeks. He then asked if the man would watch his home for the weekend while he was away. Thankful that he could unburden his debt of gratitude, the man agreed to do so; but was astonished to awaken Saturday to find another man mowing his lawn. It turned out to be the son of the "nice neighbor", saying his dad had asked him to fill in while he was gone.
The following week, the man received a letter from his brother along with a book by Max Lucado that had changed his brother's life. Upon reading it, he realized why his neighbor had continued to act in compassion and friendship, even though profanely rejected. The man accepted Christ and now tells his story with tears in his eyes. My adult daughter sobbed next to me as we watched the end of the film. I felt moved myself.
The wrong sad thing that we often do is accept rejection and ridicule of our faith and efforts to show His love. That is, to accept the rejection and move on to greener pastures. The right sad thing is to accept the rejection or ridicule gracefully, and then show that love at the next opportune time, actively looking for those times. We are not reconciled to God when we befriend Him. We are reconciled while His enemies by the death of Christ. "Much more, being reconciled shall we be saved by His life." Is it not His life living in us? Are we really dead to the world and alive to Christ? What a challenge this story and the life that inspired it present.

More on the Brownie outlook.
Let me first explain that family and relationships are VERY important to me; and in no way do I mean to trivialize them by comparing them to a dessert. However, if one wishes to follow Christ's own words, there is a perspective on life, relationships, trials, even devastation that one needs to cultivate. "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his won soul?" This question includes one's family and friends. Think not? Again, in Christ's own words, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Very strong words, and acceptable only if one is a true believer that we were created for eternity. God's intention was not for us to achieve paradise here; rather that we glimpse His Kingdom here and experience it for eternity. The little bits of paradise that are made up of family, friends, relationships, physical pleasures are just the "trailers" for the real event. To live a life full of faith that God is faithful, and has Himself made a way for us to be reunited with Him for eternity is sufficient reward to the true believer. Of course, the joy that those "trailers" bring, the hopes they reinforce, WHEN EXPERIENCED IN GOD'S PLANNED WAY, are indescribable to the unbeliever. What brings temporary pleasure to the unbeliever brings real joy to His children. What seems overwhelmingly good to the unbeliever is just a hint of the joy to come to God's sons and daughters. What seems to be an unbearable pain or grief to the unbeliever is like my broken leg was to me - a temporary painful, inconvenient, disgruntling mishap that time and resources has set fully straight. There is nothing in this life that I could not give up for Him, if He asked it of me. I pray that I can confidently say with Paul, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
As a loving father and grandfather, I feel overwhelming joy as I hold my grandchildren in my lap and they peacefully fall asleep upon me, or insist on calling me to say goodnight before reluctantly going off to bed. I felt incredible peace embracing my spouse after an evening scripture and prayer - falling off to sleep. But those joys are just hints of the kind of joy for which we were created. Are they important? Of course they are! Will they last for eternity? No! They will be replaced with a joy that is presently only barely imaginable. Only a true believer can experience the knds of joy that God created in the way that internally is augmented by the reassurance that one has experienced that pleasure in a way that is pleasing to God, hearing Him say "Well Done!"

Viewing Life as a Brownie???
I recently had a discussion of where I am in life and where I would like to be. I have a lot of rewarding activities to fill my days: a rewarding job that is meaningful, a loving family and friends that give me great joy, a relationship with God and Christ that make life truly meaningful and hopeful, a church family that provides opportunities for service and encouragement, a level of economic comfort that gives me a degree of freedom of choice, very good health, and hobbies that fill my days. So what do I need with a more intimate relationship?

I no longer have a companion to share an intimate meal with and open my heart to discuss the days activities, concerns, successes, or failures. I have no one to remind me of social obligations - no one for whom to cook my specialties, or to encourage me to be all that I can be, instead of just "good enough." That is, no one except myself and my knowledge of who I really serve. It is not that my life is in any way "bad" or even "not good", it is just that it is not complete. That's when I came up with the brownie comparison.

I really like a good brownie. (Not that I eat them often - it just takes too much exercise to work them off.) Good, dark, rich, crunchy on the outside, chewey on the inside brownies. But I REALLY like good brownies with lots of nuts - preferably black walnuts; but English walnuts will do if the quantity is sufficient. So, my life is like a good brownie, but without the nuts. It would be so much better and more satisfying if there were someone to complete and fill the empty spaces that make up a portion of my life - someone to try to please, to delight, to cherish - someone who would delight in my company and efforts. It is not that I need nursing, smothering, or even to be needed - I need to be enjoyed and to contribute to their joy - to hold accountable and be held accountable.

I would hope that every Christian Single would feel just that way. That Christ and His Way provide a truly meaningful life that is motivated to do every task as though Jesus Himself were the supervisor. That all that it would take to make the life complete would be a "suitable helper" to work alongside, not necessarily at the same task; but rather at the same vocation of pleasing God. Someone to share the "break times" with. Someone to remind of the needed rest breaks. Someone to jawbone with during lunch. NEVER someone else to do the work so they could goof off or simply supervise.

Now obviously, not everyone likes brownies. Not everyone like nuts. Some people like ice cream or whipped cream with their brownies to make them "perfect". Whatever! Just realize that to have a healthy complete life, one shoud have a life that is almost complete and healthy without that special garnish, and then be prepared to be that special garnish to someone else who is healthy and almost complete. Of course, without spiritual health, none of this would matter.

Mere Christianity
I would not presume to compare myself to C.S. Lewis and the depth of his thinking as he wrote "Mere Christianity". It took me a long time of development in my walk before I could make myself sit and read this excellent book all of the way through. So much of the book is concise, well-stated, yet thorough. Unfortunately, it is also relatively dated by the historical context in which it was written, so some of his analogies might be difficult for "boomers" or "generation X'ers" to relate.

There are those who say we are now in a "post-modern" era of thinking, particularly in the area of spirituality. Organized religion is demonized; "churches are full of hypocrites" is claimed; and "any path to God is acceptable" is championed as the appropriate philosophy upon which basis human peace and prosperity can be achieved. Unhappily for much of the world, that is just not so.

"Good" and "Evil" are NOT subjective; nor are they individual. Happy and unhappy may indeed be subjective and individual; but these are not the same as good and evil. When mankind tries to determine good and evil by some democratic process; it is always subject to the vagaries of individualistic opinion.

I submit that any creed which teaches the forceful or violent imposition of acceptance is inherently evil -even if it is based upon "truth". Any teaching that is not sufficiently compelling in and of itself, for which the benefits to its adherents is not self-evident, or for which those benefits are not readily available to any seeker and which cannot be available to humanity at large should be viewed with extreme skepticism.

Man is endowed inherently with a sense of right and wrong. Even the meanest of sociopaths can wants to be treated "fairly" and is likely to respond to "good" treatment and "bad" treatment in a like manner. As Lewis points out, every honest individual will admit that, at least on occasion, they do not always live up to their own sense of "right" and "wrong". The fact that many "organized religions" corrupt fundamental truths to excuse occasional failures and institutionalize them for the sake of control or power does not negate the fundamental truths that may be the basis of most of their teaching.

The fundamentals of Christianity are: 1) That God created man in His own image, male and female (so this must be a spiritual image, not a physical image. 2) That man did not and does not live up to the Godlike standard that God requires to live forever in His presence. 3) That God Himself provided a mechanism to atone (make up for) for man's not living up to His standard. 4) That that atonement must be accepted. 5) That the reason for the atonement is so that we can continually be made over into God's image walking in those same Godly footprints, and reach out to rescue all of mankind.

There is no hatred or violence in this teaching. There is no hypocrisy. There is no forced submission. There is no rejoicing in misfortune. There is no thirst for revenge. Everyone who accepts the atonement must continually remember the parable of the unjust servant who would not forgive his fellow servant a tiny debt after having been forgiven an insurmountable debt.
No social, criminal, nor economic slight excuses the behavior indicated by the unjust servant, nor does it excuse institutionalized wrongs. It is not that the Christian should not tray to correct any such wrongs - it is inexcusable for a Christian to participate in such wrongs. Rather, it is wrong to try to avenge or violently correct those wrongs against ourselves, for then we become the unjust servants. However, it is equally wrong to idly stand by and watch an innocent be subject to evil when we have the power to intervene. We simply must not do so in a harsh or vengeful manner.

The challenge that we have is how to do this, and to encourage each other to do this on a daily basis. An approach to how to do this on a social and economic basis can be found in Charles Sheldon's "In His Steps" - readily available as either an audio, e-book, or hard copy; and even an updated version of this over 100 year old Christian novel classic.

Think this through, and compare it with the teachings of other religions and with that of extremists of virtually any religion, and comment if you would.

When God Says "No".
I overheard an atheist/agnostic use what he deemed to be a very logical argument against the existence of a loving God. His logic went like this. If God is a loving God, and He answers prayer, sometimes miraculously healing people of incurable diseases, then He must hate amputees; because I have never met nor heard of God restoring an amputee's lost limb. But, since God is supposed to love everyone, then the cases of miraculous healing must simply be spontaneous healing by the bodies own repair/defense systems or simply very improbable coincidences.

Nice, neat, tidy little argument; except it just does not really work.

God not only loves us as individuals, He also loves us as a member of mankind and a part of His overall creation. A loving parent does not always do what a loved offspring asks them to do.
First, what an offspring asks for may be beneficial only to the child, but not to the family or to mankind as a whole. If the consequences of dangerous activity - drunken driving, reckless play with sharp objects, power tools, etc could be alleviated simply by fervent, repentent prayer, then many more people would engage in reckless activities. Pain and suffering serve a very useful purpose in life - they tell when something is wrong.

Of course God does not want us to suffer, and His decisions and His directions when followed will alleviate a great deal of suffering and sickness. Refraining from illicit sex will result in virtually no unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. Combine that with refraining from illicit drugs, and there would be no AIDS epidemic, and far less cirme.

The reality is that much of the suffering that occurs in the world is brought on by behavior that is contraindicated by God's word, or by counter examples, or just plain minimal wisdom, and we see that it is far wiser to allow some of this suffering to take place to assure that people who want to do God's will will not be tempted to risk the consequences of disobedience.

You may opine that it is not fair that an individual innocently suffer for the sake of someone else's misdeed or misjudgment; and you are right. That is not fair. But that is just exactly what God did himself, taking on the form of humankind, living a flawless life, and then being tortured and dying for each of our misdeeds -so that we need not suffer for eternity.

When God says "no", He is not being unkind, nor is He imposing an unbearable burden. He always provides a means to bear that burden with joy if we seek it out. Sometimes, it may be years before we see the wisdom or the joy in His answers; and if we turn away from Him, we may never see that wisdom. But He is faithful, and in His word He promises that if we seek, we will find, and if we knock at His door, it will be opened to us.

The right sad thing is that there is joy available in prolonged suffering, even when God says "No".

A Life of Joy and Love

It is a very sad comment on our times that divorce is as common among believers as in the society that surrounds us.

Yet, as Christians, we know that directly from His word: “God Hates Divorce.”
It is not that divorce is an unpardonable sin that cannot be forgiven; it is that the idea of it should be a very last resort after all has been given over to God.

Till Death do us part has become – till the disappointment becomes “unbearable”, or my personal growth is inhibited, or just “we have irreconcilable differences”, or “my rights are not being granted”; or…..whatever.

Let me ask each of you. What great burden have you been asked to bear – what grievous wrong have you suffered that could possibly cause you not to rejoice in the blessing of a loving relationship with your spouse, your siblings, or your children. None of these burdens can possibly compare with what Christ bore for each of us so that you might have eternal joy. He bought that joy, that hope, that bliss with his life and his death.

When you accept His grace, and then refuse to be as gracious and loving, refuse to grant that same unconditional, undemanding, unselfish love to those to whom you have pledged it, you become like the unjust servant who was forgiven an unpayable debt; but would not forgive a minor debt. As a result of that attitude, he lost his own forgiveness and the graciousness of his master.

When all is said and done, love only keeps count of blessings, not of sorrows. Good memories can easily wipe out years of suffering and anguish if we only learn to count our blessings instead of our sorrows.

The joy of running the course before us to completion is indescribable; and the sorrow and regret of letting our pride, our selfish interest, our short-sightedness cause us to break a pledge to God in our relationships result in a life-long wound.

In every relationship, let Christ’s words – “by this will men know that you are my disciples – that you love (sacrificial love) one another” be the basis of love in your home; and throw any selfish expectations down at the foot of the cross. Realize how much He loves you, and you will be better able to walk in His steps, and show the world what a joy-filled relationship can be. That joy cannot come from how your loved one treats you, but only from how you treat your loved one.

Back from Germany.
The weather was awful on Thursday - winds and rain with winds in excess of 140 km/hr - clay tiles blown off of many roofs - marble facing blown off my hotel - national train system shut down due to blown over tress and downed power lines. Fortunately, I was safe and warm in the offices I was visiting.

Today I shared some observations based on my own experiences and reflections on relationships. I am convinced that the reason so many marriages fail and so many relationships are broken is that people have developed a perverted idea that that their joy is controlled by the actions (or lack thereof) of others. If a relationship is Christ-centered; then the joy and fulfillment of that relationship is determined not by what one gets out of it; but what one puts in to it. Jesus never demanded anything from His disciples for His own sake - He only gave to them. We are commanded to "walk in His steps". How can we be doing that if our thoughts are focused on what we need or what we do not want.

This morning, our minister spoke of the things most people in relationships need to be fulfilled - typically a woman needs to feel cherished, and a man needs to feel respected. Guess what? Both of these are encompassed by the word "agape", or divine love. A marriage in which both partners do not give 100% sacrificial divine love regardless of the the response from the partner will never achieve the joy that God intended when He instituted marriage. If both partners in a marriage have at least an intention of pleasing God, then either one can inspire their spouse to become the husband/wife that God intended by being the wife/husband that God intended for themselves. Of course, this presumes that both want to be Godly, and may simple need an example to begin to let the Spirit make them over into the image of Christ.

Thus, ultimately, the secret to a joy-filled relationship is to choose someone who loves God with all of their heart, soul, and mind so they will continually let God re-make them into the person they were intended to be.

Here I am, in Germany on a business trip. The weather is ugly - rain, cold, and winds forecast at over 100 km/hr for around noon-time. Back home, the weather is finally on the mend and warmer sunshine is forecast. I had a free evening last night, and no really interesting thing to do. Walking around in the dark rain at 40 degrees Fahrenheit is not my idea of fun. There was not even a restaurant in the hotel, so I walked the 1/2 block to the train station and ate a ahm and cheese sandwich. (Actually, it was a good thing there was no restaurant - I have been eating too well here.)

It seems that for now, my choices of what to do next are made. I will continue to serve as an elder, act as CTO for my company, be a doting grandfather, and see what God has in mind for relationships for the future. While I enjoy "cave time", I am ready to not be so alone as for the last 6 1/2 years.

While I would enjoy a trip to Nairobi and a period of work at "Made in the Streets", I am pretty sure that that is not really my calling. Maybe I am where God wants me to be - at least I do not feel any urging to make any drastic changes in my vocation/avocation.

So I will get back to typing what I hope to be pearls of wisdom on dealing with, recovering from, and generally supporting others in times of adversity, in hopes of helping others see that God always provides a way if we let Him.

I'm back!

First, let me explain that the reason I have not posted for quite a while is that I went into what I think was the last phase of grieving. I found that when I tried to write in my Blog, the only thing that came out sounded like whining when I read it; and this was not meant to be something for me, but rather something to edify or help others who might be grieving or going through significant difficulties in life.

O.K., so if it helps you to now that in my own private space and time I whined, then maybe this is useful. I am through whining, even to myself and to God. He has been so good to me, and I will follow His word as it says to "do everything without grumbling or complaining."

The holidays have come and gone. I got to spend an early Christmas with daughter and her family, a quick meal with my father-in-law, ( ? former father-in-law now that Karen is deceased? How does one describe the relationship with someone referred to as "Dad" for nearly 40 years?); then a flight to Temecula to spend Christmas day with my son and his family.

I introduced them to "real" Belgian waffles - the kind with yeast-raised dough and granulated sugar and loads of butter in the batter. They are now completely ruined to our American ersatz Belgian waffles.

Then on to my cabin for a couple of days.

I had a couple of moments only when someone asked how I was doing on Karen's birthday and on our anniversary. Seeing her beautiful headstone in place really brought some closure. She lived the best life that she could with the limitations her disease brought her; and I am glad she is at peace.

I am now fully engaged back at work - spending a week in Germany on business.

I now look forward to the adventures that the rest of my life has to offer. I have dreams, hopes, loved ones, friends; but most especially God to lean on regardless of what happens next.