The hands of a baby hold wonder as he begins to grasp at life, toys, the faces of loved ones.
Wonder.
The hands of a toddler hold his parent's hand to learn how to navigate in a whole wide world.
Security.
The hands of a child hold bugs, crayons, schoolbooks and hands of friends as his personality emerges and takes its place in the landscape of relationships.
Personality.
Besides the physics, order and beauty of the universe, God is known by our hands. Seen through the hands of children, He is wonder, security and personality. Up through childhood, God appears generous, fresh-faced and lively. He is accepting and soft-hearted.
But what happens to our hands as we move into adulthood? Do we labor more than love, hold tightly more than live giving, build walls more than reach out?
If God is known by our hands, who is He then?
Lord, if my hands speak your reputation, let them love, rescue, forgive and lead well.
02 June 2012
01 June 2012
The Premise of War: For Greater Glory
You must remember: men will fire bullets, but God decides where they land.
Does God inspire us to fight the right wars through movies, books and other media? If someone has a gift of expression and a story to tell, might God use his or her mouthpiece for His message?
Today is the release date of For Greater Glory, a film depicting the 1920's Mexican Cristero War which saw Catholic laity and clergy taking up arms to oppose government efforts to harshly restrict the influence of the church.
Sometimes to enter into our own proper wars, we need to be inspired by the courage and sacrifice of others.
We must find means to keep our hearts melted so we won't walk away from any war that needs us as its soldiers.
When they outlawed freedom, free men became outlaws.
Freedom is our home, our wives, our children and we will defend it.
Hopefully, we end this week of considering war with our willingness intact--that is, with the conviction that proper wars, where authentic freedom is at stake, need our entry as soldiers.
Stand up for what you believe.
(Quotes are from the trailer: For Greater Glory.)
Does God inspire us to fight the right wars through movies, books and other media? If someone has a gift of expression and a story to tell, might God use his or her mouthpiece for His message?
Today is the release date of For Greater Glory, a film depicting the 1920's Mexican Cristero War which saw Catholic laity and clergy taking up arms to oppose government efforts to harshly restrict the influence of the church.
Sometimes to enter into our own proper wars, we need to be inspired by the courage and sacrifice of others.
We must find means to keep our hearts melted so we won't walk away from any war that needs us as its soldiers.
When they outlawed freedom, free men became outlaws.
Freedom is our home, our wives, our children and we will defend it.
Hopefully, we end this week of considering war with our willingness intact--that is, with the conviction that proper wars, where authentic freedom is at stake, need our entry as soldiers.
Stand up for what you believe.
(Quotes are from the trailer: For Greater Glory.)
31 May 2012
The Premise of War: Day 4
If God offers war as a tool in any fight for truth and freedom, then perhaps the ultimate war is to win in the forum in which we find ourselves placed as humans--that of good vs evil.
The pursuit of God is good.
Every enemy of that pursuit in our lives is evil.
Though the Western world often ignores the reality of evil, God doesn't duck it a bit--in fact, it seems He calls us to investigate it, seek to understand it and become armed to fight it.
We can discuss evil when it comes packaged in molesters, rapists and murderers. We are much less comfortable labeling tyranny, oppression and punishment of faith as evil.
But if there is a God and He is good--and there exists the potential for evil--isn't it possible that there is true evil that wants more than anything our distraction from finding God? That would be the true victory for evil.
The ultimate war...the ultimate freedom. Victory in this arena would give us our discovery and relationship with God that may even extend beyond the borders of this lifetime.
Are these the stakes for eternity?
The pursuit of God is good.
Every enemy of that pursuit in our lives is evil.
Though the Western world often ignores the reality of evil, God doesn't duck it a bit--in fact, it seems He calls us to investigate it, seek to understand it and become armed to fight it.
We can discuss evil when it comes packaged in molesters, rapists and murderers. We are much less comfortable labeling tyranny, oppression and punishment of faith as evil.
But if there is a God and He is good--and there exists the potential for evil--isn't it possible that there is true evil that wants more than anything our distraction from finding God? That would be the true victory for evil.
The ultimate war...the ultimate freedom. Victory in this arena would give us our discovery and relationship with God that may even extend beyond the borders of this lifetime.
Are these the stakes for eternity?
30 May 2012
The Premise of War: Day 3
The common denominator of war is that, upon its declaration, we volunteer our pain.
The people who navigate the land mines of life with the most victory understand the role of pain that colors our entire earthly journey.
They understand that pain is necessary nutrition for the soul.
They sense that pain is the strength of God.
They enter into pain as the stretch of God.
They learn that pain is the stay of God.
Think of any war being waged around you--in your soul, your diet, your family, your country. The soldiers in the battle are volunteering their pain to gain victory's ground.
Pain is commonly accepted as growth. Perhaps God's message is that war's pain is growth toward freedom. The victory is that freedom.
Thank you for volunteering your pain. The world is better for it.
The people who navigate the land mines of life with the most victory understand the role of pain that colors our entire earthly journey.
They understand that pain is necessary nutrition for the soul.
They sense that pain is the strength of God.
They enter into pain as the stretch of God.
They learn that pain is the stay of God.
Think of any war being waged around you--in your soul, your diet, your family, your country. The soldiers in the battle are volunteering their pain to gain victory's ground.
Pain is commonly accepted as growth. Perhaps God's message is that war's pain is growth toward freedom. The victory is that freedom.
Thank you for volunteering your pain. The world is better for it.
29 May 2012
The Premise of War: Day 2
Truth is not always what we want it to be.
War's reality is much closer to home than we want to acknowledge.
As parents, we wage war against that which threatens to steal our children's allegiance when it poses danger and harm. Drugs, unstable friends, the path of least resistance--we teach our children to fight against such, to grow into adulthood understanding the value of hard work, careful choices and self-denial.
In our marriages, we wage war against adultery, neglect and abuse. When any of those bullies enter our spousal relationship, if we don't wage war, we will lose the once stable ground upon which our marriage was built.
War is reclaiming that which bullies (visible or invisible) seek to destroy.
Are you going to negotiate with the drug dealer that sweetly introduces himself to your child?
Are you going to compromise with the office worker who is making a play for your spouse?
We can't fight war at home and then apply anti-war rhetoric to larger ground that is in jeopardy.
We can, however, bravely consider truth.
Is freedom for human souls at stake? Do we have the resources to help? And, most critically, are we called to help?
Yes, yes and yes may be a declaration of war...in any setting.
War's reality is much closer to home than we want to acknowledge.
As parents, we wage war against that which threatens to steal our children's allegiance when it poses danger and harm. Drugs, unstable friends, the path of least resistance--we teach our children to fight against such, to grow into adulthood understanding the value of hard work, careful choices and self-denial.
In our marriages, we wage war against adultery, neglect and abuse. When any of those bullies enter our spousal relationship, if we don't wage war, we will lose the once stable ground upon which our marriage was built.
War is reclaiming that which bullies (visible or invisible) seek to destroy.
Are you going to negotiate with the drug dealer that sweetly introduces himself to your child?
Are you going to compromise with the office worker who is making a play for your spouse?
We can't fight war at home and then apply anti-war rhetoric to larger ground that is in jeopardy.
We can, however, bravely consider truth.
Is freedom for human souls at stake? Do we have the resources to help? And, most critically, are we called to help?
Yes, yes and yes may be a declaration of war...in any setting.
28 May 2012
The Premise of War: Day 1
War, fought properly, is to protect what a bully nation, cause or person threatens to dismantle.
When freedom is on the line, war appears to be encouraged by God Himself as the only solution. The Bible is war-torn and repeatedly calls for strength and courage to face visible and invisible enemies.
We get lost in self-pampering when we decide that war is not required. We occupy ground won only through battle. We live in freedom only established through untold courage and loss of life.
Today I will walk a few blocks to a park on the Hudson River, in view of the Statue of Liberty, and tell my 21-month-old grandson that God anchored this country with roots of choice of faith, creating a place where He is free to pursue us.
My grandson won't understand because I am just beginning to--to know, without doubt, that God had a message and a plan when He moved hearts to plant a vision of freedom of faith that became the United States of America.
On this Memorial Day, I want to honor God by realizing I don't have all the answers. I don't know better than God. If war is His reality, then I need to embrace it as mine.
Jesus was collected by soldiers in a garden and hung on a cross by the desires of self-pampering people whom we live as today.
Though we can play endless lip service to compromise and negotiation, people just don't play nicely. When freedom is desired, war is required.
When freedom is on the line, war appears to be encouraged by God Himself as the only solution. The Bible is war-torn and repeatedly calls for strength and courage to face visible and invisible enemies.
We get lost in self-pampering when we decide that war is not required. We occupy ground won only through battle. We live in freedom only established through untold courage and loss of life.
Today I will walk a few blocks to a park on the Hudson River, in view of the Statue of Liberty, and tell my 21-month-old grandson that God anchored this country with roots of choice of faith, creating a place where He is free to pursue us.
My grandson won't understand because I am just beginning to--to know, without doubt, that God had a message and a plan when He moved hearts to plant a vision of freedom of faith that became the United States of America.
On this Memorial Day, I want to honor God by realizing I don't have all the answers. I don't know better than God. If war is His reality, then I need to embrace it as mine.
Jesus was collected by soldiers in a garden and hung on a cross by the desires of self-pampering people whom we live as today.
Though we can play endless lip service to compromise and negotiation, people just don't play nicely. When freedom is desired, war is required.
27 May 2012
Solomon Says
Dear Friend,
Guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don't for a minute lose sight of them.
They'll keep your soul alive and well, they'll keep you fit and attractive.
You'll travel safely, you'll neither tire nor trip.
You'll take afternoon naps without a worry, you'll enjoy a good night's sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner, because God will be right there with you; He'll keep you safe and sound.
Kind regards,
Solomon (Proverbs 3:21-26, MSG)
Guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don't for a minute lose sight of them.
They'll keep your soul alive and well, they'll keep you fit and attractive.
You'll travel safely, you'll neither tire nor trip.
You'll take afternoon naps without a worry, you'll enjoy a good night's sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner, because God will be right there with you; He'll keep you safe and sound.
Kind regards,
Solomon (Proverbs 3:21-26, MSG)
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