since it is becoming more common for people to come back out of retirement i decided to add the ?
this blogsite was started when i was in the midst of a fever over the dissolution of our government. the 'fame bug' bit me. in the guise of proposing to 'let other people know', i think a real motive has been to be known.
what are the things that, like night lights, attract away from focusing on the light of the world and letting His words be a lamp to the feet and a light to the path..attract away to destruction... well, the pursuit of fame, $, power, sex, etc. i guess they can all be summed up in the idea of seeking whatever the self desires.
today i am officially giving up (this part of) the desire to be known (remembered).
the ridiculous nature of this became especially apparent when a friend followed my son in becoming my second FOLLOWER! i was so enthralled with my VAST INFLUENCE...as i became aware of this putrid motivation..i think that was the beginning of the end. then there were other, i take them to be Holy Spirit, reminders that served to bring me to this point.
one was david's insistance on taking a census to see how many people he was over...this directly resulted in the death of 70,000 people. another was the verse that says that in the multitude of words there lacketh not sin. i have sinned many times because of the many words recorded on this blog. finally, a recent verse that has come to my attention is where paul says, 'for i will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished thru me, resulting in the obedience of the gentiles by word and deed..' this reminded me of how much-speaking-about-myself for any reason and in any way that does not lead a person to forget me and be drawn to Christ is a pretty empty pursuit...in all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. may i become a man of few words and many quiet deeds.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
11.01.09 MAY YOU LIVE FOREVER!
well, i have 58 minutes to tell you about 10 hours worth of stuff about last week...actually the last 10 days since it is actually now wednesday night 11.4.09..so i'll send you 58 minutes worth. i have entered the twilight zone as God brought me more work. i now have to paint the interior of 325 harleysville pike (route 113) so that the folks can be in before thanksgiving. this is the first big winter job i think i have ever had since being on my own. it came at the perfect time. the Lord gave me a week or so to get all the prep and priming done on all the pieces that will come back together to make up the porch. also scott, after a long absence, says he will be able to put it together saturday (the last 3-4 saturdays have been rainy, etc). so i guess i'll believe it when i see it. another blessing is that shirley, right at the perfect time offered me the former center railing that john had removed many years ago. the weather had aged it so that it, being a very detailed, difficult piece to prep, was relatively easy. i think it took about 20 man hours to get it down to bare wood and prime. it would have been impossible or would have taken a lot more time if it wasn't 'weather-prepared' perfectly. none of the wood was damaged but the paint kind of just fell off in scraping. i thank the Lord for His kindness to me. this is just one of oodles of little and big things He has given so graciously. so anyway this house will take everything i have and more to get done in time. once again i am relying on God but so greatful for the work He provided 'out of the blue'. He took away the work i thot i had in my back pocket and had someone who i don't even see anymore, but who had said that when they bought a house they wanted me to paint it, called to ask if i could do it. amazing thing..God's timing. He is so faithful. Lord help me not blaspheme You in my heart by doubting You will do what You have promised to do in Your word.
spanish is off the charts. i find it difficult to not spend an hour a day at it. it's like i'm in a zone. true i do love language but this seems to be sort of a God-thing..just sense that He wants this..but it could just be me. time will tell. am enjoying genesis. in a day or two i should be beginning chapter 7. church is good. i have very low expectations and i'm trying to be more like nee's maxim of not doing anything unless directed by the Lord. so far there are two things that have come strongly: offering to sand and prime all the bare, weathered, but in good shape old wood that covers the front of the building. God must mean it for spring because i'm not even close to having any time to do it now. the other is frankie cruz, the pastor's son. when i first came i saw his anglo wife and their two young children for a number of weeks but only saw him two times, once when the church had a birthday party for their little boy and the other when frankie came to men's sunday school class the next sunday. haven't seen him since but sunday night was finally given his phone number. if you pray, please pray for frankie. during that sunday school class he gave a long, what i take for a, testimony. it was punctuated by weeping. i was and remain deeply touched. 3 things come strongly. frankie may desperately need a friend. (that friend is Jesus, if he's lost sight of Him or never has met Him.) God is dealing with him and may have some special call upon him. God wants me to reach out to him. pray that i will do so. i have not a clue as to what to say or do.
every time i go to church i feel like i am running a gauntlet of overly friendly women. either i have delusions of grandeur, am crazy or there is something to it. i tried to grow as much white hair on my face as possible and it seemed to get worse. now i'm letting my hair grow out and never combing it. my looks are indescribable yet, unexplainably, the phenomenon continues to grow. sunday night going out thot i was in some kind of greeting line. (seriously, though, most all the people are very friendly.) i guess they think i'm some fat-cat gringo who will bring them into the land of milk and honey materially (what a shock reality WITH ME would be!) ..who knows..but it is draining when you know you can't marry nobody..and a bunch are pretty nice seemin'. God has me in this particular vise for some reason. may God help me and have mercy.
in spanish study for today came upon something interesting when i was looking at different words for 'fish'. PESCAR (to fish) MARIDO (a husband) is actually a phrase in spanish for, in english, 'land a husband'! the first language i've come across which accurately describes the process leading to matrimony. maybe spanish women are expert fishers..
came across this editorial in world mag (nov.7.09, p6). i will not get it typed but will start...
latest VIEW OF EVANGELICALS in barna survey:
ages 16 to 29 see us as: non-christians churchgoers
ANTI-HOMOSEXUAL 91% 80% JUDGMENTAL 87% 52%
HYPOCRITICAL 85% 47%
OLD-FASHIONED 78% 36%
TOO INVOLVED IN POLITICS 75% 50%
OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY 72% 32%
INSENSITIVE TO OTHERS 70% 28%
BORING 68% 27%
NOT ACCEPTING OF OTHER'S FAITHS 64% 39%
CONFUSING 61% 44%
..'if it's true that we evangelical christians have a pretty ugly reputation in today's culture-and the newest figures from the barna group suggest strongly that such is the case - then it's certainly appropriate to be asking with increasing urgency (my note: why?): whose fault is that? who's to blame for our bad press? (note: who cares what people think? the real ? is what does God think of me! i'll stop butting in.)
i spent several hours last weekend with barna's president..and he assures me that the numbers are accurate. and it's not just the pagan outsiders who are skeptical about us. we don't even see ourselves all that positively. our own children share with unbelievers some of the same questions about what they see as flaws in our character.
...self-serving and self-forgiving creatures that we are, our tendency is not just to overlook the foolish things we say and do that make the truth of God repulsive to people, but even to congratulate ourselves for being 'do faithful'. the reason people see me as judgmental, we tend to rationalize, is tha i am so diligent in my pursuit of God's truth. if the world hates you, we like to quote from Jesus Himself in john 15, know that it has hated Me before it hated you...
so i'm bold to suggest here that our default position shoud be an assumption that we are the guilty ones (and those criticizing are not?..sorry..) we're too often the ones whose offensive ways have made God's good news seem other than good. of course, we're anti-the-sin-of-homosexuality; the Bible couldn't be clearer on that issue (yea, but why are 'christians' known for that. how come we aren't known for being against, say, greed and adultery and other things we're up to our necks in) but then we have to examine our hearts and confess we're not very good at holding that perspective while also lovingly sharing God's truth with men and women caught up in such a lifestyle. (it's because few of us even know such people and if we do we stay away from them. you can't show love to someone you won't get near enough to talk to.)
yes there's a profound sense in which God's truth, even when sweetly portrayed, is an offense to many. and that recognition leaves us inching with great care across a very high tight wire - 'speaking the truth in love'. sadly, the history of..(sorry, i can't type out the rest. i started thinking this was an insightful article but while typing it i have come to think it gross. the whole answer is that CHRISTIANITY IS SHOT THROUGH WITH PHARISAISM AND IT STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN...GROSS, GROSS, GROSS. i want to vomit at my self-righteousness and lack of caring squat about people.. God have mercy on me and all the rest who label themselves but don't match up...gotta go for now. hope you have a good week. love, dad
spanish is off the charts. i find it difficult to not spend an hour a day at it. it's like i'm in a zone. true i do love language but this seems to be sort of a God-thing..just sense that He wants this..but it could just be me. time will tell. am enjoying genesis. in a day or two i should be beginning chapter 7. church is good. i have very low expectations and i'm trying to be more like nee's maxim of not doing anything unless directed by the Lord. so far there are two things that have come strongly: offering to sand and prime all the bare, weathered, but in good shape old wood that covers the front of the building. God must mean it for spring because i'm not even close to having any time to do it now. the other is frankie cruz, the pastor's son. when i first came i saw his anglo wife and their two young children for a number of weeks but only saw him two times, once when the church had a birthday party for their little boy and the other when frankie came to men's sunday school class the next sunday. haven't seen him since but sunday night was finally given his phone number. if you pray, please pray for frankie. during that sunday school class he gave a long, what i take for a, testimony. it was punctuated by weeping. i was and remain deeply touched. 3 things come strongly. frankie may desperately need a friend. (that friend is Jesus, if he's lost sight of Him or never has met Him.) God is dealing with him and may have some special call upon him. God wants me to reach out to him. pray that i will do so. i have not a clue as to what to say or do.
every time i go to church i feel like i am running a gauntlet of overly friendly women. either i have delusions of grandeur, am crazy or there is something to it. i tried to grow as much white hair on my face as possible and it seemed to get worse. now i'm letting my hair grow out and never combing it. my looks are indescribable yet, unexplainably, the phenomenon continues to grow. sunday night going out thot i was in some kind of greeting line. (seriously, though, most all the people are very friendly.) i guess they think i'm some fat-cat gringo who will bring them into the land of milk and honey materially (what a shock reality WITH ME would be!) ..who knows..but it is draining when you know you can't marry nobody..and a bunch are pretty nice seemin'. God has me in this particular vise for some reason. may God help me and have mercy.
in spanish study for today came upon something interesting when i was looking at different words for 'fish'. PESCAR (to fish) MARIDO (a husband) is actually a phrase in spanish for, in english, 'land a husband'! the first language i've come across which accurately describes the process leading to matrimony. maybe spanish women are expert fishers..
came across this editorial in world mag (nov.7.09, p6). i will not get it typed but will start...
latest VIEW OF EVANGELICALS in barna survey:
ages 16 to 29 see us as: non-christians churchgoers
ANTI-HOMOSEXUAL 91% 80% JUDGMENTAL 87% 52%
HYPOCRITICAL 85% 47%
OLD-FASHIONED 78% 36%
TOO INVOLVED IN POLITICS 75% 50%
OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY 72% 32%
INSENSITIVE TO OTHERS 70% 28%
BORING 68% 27%
NOT ACCEPTING OF OTHER'S FAITHS 64% 39%
CONFUSING 61% 44%
..'if it's true that we evangelical christians have a pretty ugly reputation in today's culture-and the newest figures from the barna group suggest strongly that such is the case - then it's certainly appropriate to be asking with increasing urgency (my note: why?): whose fault is that? who's to blame for our bad press? (note: who cares what people think? the real ? is what does God think of me! i'll stop butting in.)
i spent several hours last weekend with barna's president..and he assures me that the numbers are accurate. and it's not just the pagan outsiders who are skeptical about us. we don't even see ourselves all that positively. our own children share with unbelievers some of the same questions about what they see as flaws in our character.
...self-serving and self-forgiving creatures that we are, our tendency is not just to overlook the foolish things we say and do that make the truth of God repulsive to people, but even to congratulate ourselves for being 'do faithful'. the reason people see me as judgmental, we tend to rationalize, is tha i am so diligent in my pursuit of God's truth. if the world hates you, we like to quote from Jesus Himself in john 15, know that it has hated Me before it hated you...
so i'm bold to suggest here that our default position shoud be an assumption that we are the guilty ones (and those criticizing are not?..sorry..) we're too often the ones whose offensive ways have made God's good news seem other than good. of course, we're anti-the-sin-of-homosexuality; the Bible couldn't be clearer on that issue (yea, but why are 'christians' known for that. how come we aren't known for being against, say, greed and adultery and other things we're up to our necks in) but then we have to examine our hearts and confess we're not very good at holding that perspective while also lovingly sharing God's truth with men and women caught up in such a lifestyle. (it's because few of us even know such people and if we do we stay away from them. you can't show love to someone you won't get near enough to talk to.)
yes there's a profound sense in which God's truth, even when sweetly portrayed, is an offense to many. and that recognition leaves us inching with great care across a very high tight wire - 'speaking the truth in love'. sadly, the history of..(sorry, i can't type out the rest. i started thinking this was an insightful article but while typing it i have come to think it gross. the whole answer is that CHRISTIANITY IS SHOT THROUGH WITH PHARISAISM AND IT STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN...GROSS, GROSS, GROSS. i want to vomit at my self-righteousness and lack of caring squat about people.. God have mercy on me and all the rest who label themselves but don't match up...gotta go for now. hope you have a good week. love, dad
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