I upgraded my blog to the latest and greatest version of Wordpress today (version 2.8 for those of you keeping track), and it has been nothing short of a royal pain in the back side. I somehow even managed to create some massive error condition that prevented the site from loading at all. I couldn’t even get into the admin page to fix anything…ended up reverting back to an older version and re-installing once again.
As a result, my sidebar isn’t fully up-to-date yet, but it’s in progress. This is the first time I’ve had these types of issues attempting an upgrade and I am reasonably sure that all of the customizations I’ve done played a key role in the issues I had today…but I can’t help the tinkering. And I do like this new version. The readers may not see much difference, but I can see a difference on my side of the website.
Heading off to campi this weekend so there should be plenty of pictures when we get back. Five families. 10 adults. 14 kids. We’ll see how many kids make it home!
This past week, Logan and I spent two and half days at Magness Adventure Camp for Cub Scouts. We had an absolute blast! Logan is now a Webelo…so we even got to sleep up on the Mesa in a tent with the other Webelos. The night hike they had planned was called on account of rain and wind but it was still fun.
Every day was full of activities perfect for keeping a young boy from getting bored (and keeping his Dad sore). o fewer than either times, Logan declared: “This is the best day of my life!” We had fun…and we did it together. I am looking forward to next year’s camp.
Here are all the pics…
We’re Ready to Roll!
The Entrance to the Camp
Catching Some Sleep Before We Get Started
The Morning Flag Ceremony
The Ice Cream Social
Our Tent for the First Night
Campfire Skits at the end of the first day
The Compass Course on Day 2
Looks fierce…doesn’t he?
Testing The Catapult…it works great!
My Favorite Pic!
He’s Out for the Count
The Mesa Camp Ground (Day 3)
He Looks Official
Archery…stay behind that line!
He loves shooting BB Guns
Swimming at the Lake. We also took the boats out earlier in the day.
I have mentioned before that I have been reading Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning as part of my morning routine, and couple weeks ago I read a statement he made that me say “OUCH!” (I even wrote that in the margin). It’s one of those truisms that hurts because it’s true. And it’s a statement I wish I had made myself…but I give credit where it’s due.
Here’s the statement (from page 129):
The number of people who have fled the church because it is too patient or compassionate is negligible; the number who have fled because they find it too unforgiving is tragic.
Like I said “Ouch!” It hurts because there is to much truth here. And I am sure I have contributed to the problem, but I am determined to do my part to be “too” patient and compassionate instead of too unforgiving. This is the same issue that Jesus confronted and it plagues the church yet today.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can all do our part to love one another and show compassion to a world that’s dying for a little love.
I have taken a little hiatus from blogging this month as I tried to find a new “life equilibrium” once school let out. I have been trying to spend time with family and with God to be sure my priorities are right. Blogging paid that price (and that’s as it should be). Life is getting back to “normal” (whatever that is) and the blogging itch is slowly returning. It’s a creative outlet for me…and hopefully it gives back a little too.
This morning I was reading in Romans and had one of those “light-bulb” moments. Here is the passage I was reading and meditating on:
For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son…
he called them to come to him…he gave them right standing
with himself…he gave them his glory. Romans 8:29-30, NLT
I have read this passage, and other like it, without much thought to this notion of being “chosen” by God. I have been in classes that explored the theological implications of us being “chosen” by God. I understand the theological concepts (and “controversies”) behind the word and the concept.
God gave me new insight this morning. It might not be new to you—I pray it isn’t—but it was fresh and new to me…my “light bulb”.
Here it is: God chose me! (I know…groundbreaking isn’t it?). I mean…he actually chose me. He made a conscious decision. God wants to know me.
This goes back to the adoption metaphor that Paul uses earlier in Romans chapter 8. I wasn’t born into God’s family (like my own children were born into our family)—God adopted me. He chose me. God wants me so much that He actually selected me—God picked me! I wasn’t the last kid left to be picked for kickball…He chose me to be His son…and to be like His Son.
That is mind boggling and life changing. The God of the universe…the God who spoke worlds into existence…chose me to be adopted into His family.
This guy clearly has too much tie on his hands, but at least he does something cool with it. This is one of those things I just wouldn’t have the vision or patience for…
I gotta tell you, I am getting way more out of my study of Jeremiah than I thought I would (I know, not much faith huh?). I am 13 chapters into the book and I must say that I am starting to feel…just a little…for Israel. God is putting the hammer down on them. They deserve it for turning to idols instead of turning to God, but He is really letting them have it.
Why? Because He loves them. And He’s a jealous God…very jealous. This morning’s reading gave a little insight into what is frustrating God so much. God has Jeremiah buy and then bury a loincloth. God waits (I am assuming for a looooong time) and then tells Jeremiah to go dig it back up. It’s completely ruined…”good for nothing” is what Jeremiah calls it. And that’s when God makes his real point:
As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist,
so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord.
They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—
an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me. Jeremiah 13:11, NLT
God was frustrated because He had created Israel to cling to Him…but instead they turned from Him. It broke His heart (so to speak). He wanted relationship with His people and they walked away…they ignored God and turned to idols instead.
Ouch.
God created me…us…for that very same relationship. He wants me to cling to Him…to be His pride and glory. Too often I blow it and turn away from Him instead. I want to listen to Him. I want to walk with Him.
I had a great time with God this morning. The hotel room is quiet; I have a diet Pepsi at my side…and God was speaking (and perhaps more importantly…I was listening). I am currently walking through the book of Jeremiah and reading Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning. This morning they came together.
Manning was talking about how often we treat “life like as a series of disconnected episodes” with no meaning or value to them. But nothing could be further from the truth. We are just looking in the wrong place for the meaning and value (or ignoring it altogether after a lifetime of disappointment):
The dark riddle of life is illuminated in Jesus; the meaning, purpose, and goal of everything that happens to us, and the way to make it all count can be learned only from the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
All day and every day we are being reshaped into the image of Christ. Everything that happens to us is designed to this end. (Abba’s Child, page 108).
Life is about being transformed into the image of Christ. Life is not a mistake of circumstances. Life doesn’t just happen. It is designed and used by God with our best interests at heart. And Jeremiah understood this. In the midst of God railing about the destructive influence of idols, Jeremiah prays this prayer:
I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own.
We are not able to plan our own course.
So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle. Jeremiah 10:23-24a, NLT
That is my prayer this morning. I know God is at work changing me into His image. And it’s hard work…I’m stubborn and thick-headed. I want Him to correct, change, and transform me. I just pray that He will be gentle in doing it and that I will be more aware of the intentionality of His purpose in my life. Life is NOT haphazard. God is using my life to change me…gently.
My precious wife (see Proverbs 31) is 29 years old again today!! And we are off to spend a quiet weekend together (sans children) to celebrate and just get away. She has earned it more than anyone…putting up with me, three kids, and school over the past 18+ months.
19 years ago she actually said “yes” to a crazy kids who got up the nerve to ask her to marry him. Sometimes you just get lucky!!
I love you Anita…I couldn’t imagine a better wife or mother! Happy Birthday!
As part of my time alone with God in the morning I have been reading the book Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning (thanks to a recommendation by Natalie Witcher—read her blog). A few weeks ago one of the chapters in the book hit me pretty hard…God used it (and is still using it) to shift some of my old paradigms about how I look at God’s love for me. He asks this great question that I am still wrestling with:
How would you respond if I asked you this question: Do you honestly believe that God likes you, not just loves you because theologically God has to love you? (Abba’s Child, page 64)
That’s a great question…do I really believe God loves me…or that He even likes me? Not because He has to…but because He just does? I have difficulty answering this question; I don’t like my answer. But the truth is, God does love us. Period. End of story…
God loves who we really are—whether we like it or not. (page 22)
Thank God for that one…but I wonder how many of us actually believe it. I wonder how much I actually believe it.
School is over. Homework is done. Graduation is complete.
It’s hard to believe. I am still in “re-entry” mode to a large degree…even blogging again is a little therapeutic. The past month has been so full…so busy…that blogging has taken a backseat. But I’m back now. And I need a place to work through my thoughts and feelings…and God’s workings. And He has been working, I just haven’t been writing about it.
Now that school is over there is The Big Question: What’s next?
I started reading Jeremiah this week and came across this passage:
This is what the Lord says:
“Stop at the crossroads and look around.
Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.
Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16, NLT)
That’s how I feel right now..like I am standing at the crossroads looking around. And I want to take the “godly way” and walk in it and find rest for my soul. So I have been praying for God’s leading and direction for the “What’s Next?” question.
Here’s what’s clear: My education may be done, but He’s not done working on me yet. There is more internal work left to be done. I may have some book knowledge but God wants my heart…He wants me. And He has more to do within me. As His child. As a father. As a husband. I need to take some time to be sure my heart and soul are ready for whatever is next.
And I am ready for this part of the journey as well. I get the sense that it will be this way for a couple of months. I submit to this process. I need this. So I stop and look down the crossroads. I ask for the Godly way. I will walk in it. I will travel its path. I will find rest for my soul.
