OK - back to some thoughts with substance to reflect on ... I've been collecting these thoughts over a period of several months I guess.
We sometimes find ourselves going down life's road and realize we are little off course. So we try to get back to what we should be doing. The danger is that we over-compensate and get ourselves in a worse situation than the one we were originally in. Have you ever seen/experienced this literally in a car? I was driving someone to the airport early one Sunday morning, and as I went down the highway I noticed a car come across the median and over into my lane. What happened exactly I do not know. But the driver of that car probably veered off the right side of the road then swerved too far to the left into oncoming traffic. Certainly he/she was in a bad situation traveling with traffic but not on the road, but he/she ended up in a much worse situation once they crossed over into oncoming traffic. Fortunately traffic was pretty light and no one else was affected in this case.
Spiritually, we can do the same thing. I've seen people say - well the church was wrong on this so I am changing this ... and this and this ... where does it end? I believe it is OK to change when you find something is not what it should be, but we have to be careful that we keep our foundation solid and our testimony in tact. It's sad when you talk to someone and they say "I'm changing here but I'll never do this other thing" but sometime later you see them doing exactly what they claimed they would never do. But when hypocrisy and compromise set it you can not stop the erosion of your foundation until you go back and correct the errors. Sadly, many go right on professing salvation and are blinded to their condition.
Separating truth from tradition helps us to keep our foundation in order. When a building is being built, the law requires an inspection for each step of the process. A trained inspector stops by to verify everything is built to code. Spiritually, the Holy Spirit is our inspector who is with us night and day, and as long as we have life we are under construction and must be willing to accept the recommendations of the Holy Spirit. If we ignore the inspector - we will be shut down - from having a personal walk with God. So we know who helps us understand the code. We also have the written code to read - the Bible. Now we have to have an understanding - and be respectful of the fact that the person who sits on the pew in front of you may have a slightly different understanding but still loves the Lord. The inspector will not shut you down for the color of your building, but he can if your foundation and structure are built with the wrong materials or in a hazardous way. The Bible gives us truth - some truth's seem more straight forward than others. Like the ten commandments are more obvious - "Thou shalt not ..." tells us exactly what not to do. Others take a little more understanding and leadership from the Holy Spirit - like should I drink/smoke/go here or there? The Bible was written to endure the ages of time, meaning that it is not going to name out modern inventions and use the same terms as our society uses. And then there are principles in the Bible that guide us each as individuals to keep ourselves from becoming entangled in the snares of the world. These principles protect us from inevitable erosion of our morals based on our own human reasoning. For some, sports might be a stumbling block and more caution needs to be exercised for that individual. Others might be able to become more involved and never stumble at all. Maybe this is what is meant by "Work out your own salvation". There is a point where we must leave people with God - and that is an issue on it's own.
When tradition is taught/preached as though it were truth, there inevitably will come a time when someone will question the teaching and want to make corrections. If they have a honest heart and a solid foundation of truth, then by following Christ they can make the right correction. If they are in the flesh, then they will over-compensate and start to create their own religion/creed. The over-compensating epidemic the Church of God has faced over the years of time has left much heart-ache to the newer generations who are still looking for answers as to why we do the things we do. We also struggle with whose right and whose wrong, or can both be right and share different opinions although separation has occurred.
How many religions are there? No one could say for sure - those documented are and overwhelming amount. I do not accept that anyone person or body has all the answers. I do accept that the teachings I have been around are more central to the truth than any others I have come across. Others may do some things better - like have better unity or be better stewards. However, I tend to live by the 80/20 rule. That rule says that you don't throw something away if it is 80% useful. You work on the 20% even though that 20% seems like the overwhelming majority at times. You resolve your differences and/or find room to disagree as a first priority. There are Biblical principles for working out your problems. If you do not follow them -then you will split regardless if the matter is on truth or tradition. I consider these principle to be classified as ones that are easy to understand - they do not require a lot of smarts and digging before you say "Oh, now I understand it ... a little". But they have not been followed and so we see the messes in different fellowships today. Consider Mattew 18 & Joshua 22 for a starting point of these principles. Matthew lists a three step process and you have to follow all three steps in that order. Joshua deals with a specific example of how our human tendencies automatically demand justice when we don't have all the facts. If we would be patient and collect all the information, we would not be so quick to want to kill our brothers and sisters. Today, it is not so much a killing of the flesh, but a killing of fellowship.
You will find me on the conservative side of most traditional issues. I beleive that you should provide your self a buffer that keeps you away from the cliff. If you veer out of your lane a little, then you have not fallen over the cliff. And be sure the Holy Spirit is leading you when you make adjustments. I do not have any Bible for this (not to say it isn't there) but I can't believe that God shows one person or family something and leaves everyone else in the dark. God will send His Holy Spirit to the spritiual body and begin to deal with a group of individuals. This helps us know that we are not relying on our own understanding.
Main points - keep your foundation built on truth, be respectful of people whose views vary from your own (even if you beleive it is sin), and do not over-compensate.
Next, I am thinking about how to accept with change without compromising. This will take some time ...
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Nov 2008 update
This is what I figured would happen - forget about your blog then decide to write one cause I'm feeling a little guilty. But who reads this anyway? Maybe there are some people who want to know what's going on in my life but do not come around ...
I'd like to continue a series like I mentioned before. It just seems like time for typing is limited.
My traveling has slowed down a bit. No plans to travel in the near future. Work is ... right now a little frustrating. Family is all doing well.
I have built a chimney onto the house and added a wood stove in the basement to heat my office space. Need to find some wood today as the stash that came with the house when I bought it (fireplace upstairs not really a good source of heat) is running low. Also need to clean up the trim work around the chimney and am looking at rocking the outside. They no longer make the same brick that the house was built with in the early 70's.
Thanksgiving was a holiday ... took vacation day on Friday but ended up working ... should be working now as well ...
Started laying laminate floor in the hallway upstairs. I really messed up - should have run the planks the other way. Then I kept cutting pieces wrong. One thing after another. Kelly went to get more planks yesterday so I told her I would try to lay them today.
Going on the annual three amigos shopping trip today. Three guys going shopping ... this ought to bring some laughs.
I'd like to continue a series like I mentioned before. It just seems like time for typing is limited.
My traveling has slowed down a bit. No plans to travel in the near future. Work is ... right now a little frustrating. Family is all doing well.
I have built a chimney onto the house and added a wood stove in the basement to heat my office space. Need to find some wood today as the stash that came with the house when I bought it (fireplace upstairs not really a good source of heat) is running low. Also need to clean up the trim work around the chimney and am looking at rocking the outside. They no longer make the same brick that the house was built with in the early 70's.
Thanksgiving was a holiday ... took vacation day on Friday but ended up working ... should be working now as well ...
Started laying laminate floor in the hallway upstairs. I really messed up - should have run the planks the other way. Then I kept cutting pieces wrong. One thing after another. Kelly went to get more planks yesterday so I told her I would try to lay them today.
Going on the annual three amigos shopping trip today. Three guys going shopping ... this ought to bring some laughs.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Truth vs. Tradition
There has been a big debate going on for some time now. From my stand point, I have not been debating anyone, but the lingering questions I have tell me that I may have to in the future. Maybe debate is the wrong word, but it'll do for now. What I am referring to is Truth vs Tradition, and is what I have been taught truth that I must follow, or tradition. If it is tradition, is the tradition set in place as a safe guard, is it man rule, or was it based on circumstances that are no longer present?
For at least a year now, I thought about studying a group of topics and compiling it into a larger topic called "Church of God Myth Busters" - primarily for my own use. Then Casey pops up his blog with the first of ten myths he has been thinking about (still waiting for the second episode to come out!). How cool - I do not remember discussing it in depth all though I am sure we hit on a few of them in our discussions.
My reasons for this thought are many. Here are a couple. #1) I need to know for myself so I can train my children correctly, #2) I need to be able to communicate with others - not just my thoughts and reasoning but God's.
Now any time you start questioning, people will get nervous - maybe even judge you. That is part of the problem in my opinion. We tend to believe a set of rules, then we judge everybody else by our rules and condemn them when they won't follow them. This has split fellowships, churches, friends, and sadly enough - families. People who once worshiped together and were the best of friends no long want to even run into one another in public because they can't shake hands or say hello. Then they both hammer a third party and draw a line - "stand with me or against me but this is how you should believe (just like me of course)". How very disturbing. For some intriguing thoughts along the lines of judging, see Casey's blog (in the time that I have been working on this one, Casey has posted two more Myths!)
One of the biggest topics is what is modesty? I do not plan to dive into this too far right now, but my original thoughts took me to Genesis the third chapter. God comes calling for Adam and Eve but they are hiding. They have already sewn fig leaves into an apron (in the Hebrew this is like a belt, or from the waist). God had not told them they were naked but their sin troubled them to the point where they knew right from wrong - they just didn't know how to correct the new problem that they faced. So God made them coats (in the Hebrew this means to cover and it can also be interpreted as being hung from the shoulders). Without dealing with God's standard for modesty, we can see here the God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways higher than our ways (see Isa 55:9). Our human ideas and reasoning will only get us into trouble. Adam and Eve tried to fix sin #1 but were still naked in the eyes of God. We must seek the mind of God for our lives, but keep in mind we can't put it on everyone around us. God has a personal plan for each of us and it does not involve putting our plan on another person.
While I am not opening the door for sin or compromise, I think there needs to be a separation of truth and tradition. If I decide God does not want me to wear the color blue, then I need be aware that others will be wearing blue and that does not affect their spirituality. It is a tradition that God has given me for a reason - or it is something I totally came up with for some strange reason. Often times tradition begins to be presented as a truth and a holier-than-thou attitude pops up. Truth will have obvious (at least to an honest heart) Biblical principle that will apply to Christians worldwide. Traditions must only act as a safeguard to an individual or group based on circumstances they face and should be taught within the context to which they apply.
For at least a year now, I thought about studying a group of topics and compiling it into a larger topic called "Church of God Myth Busters" - primarily for my own use. Then Casey pops up his blog with the first of ten myths he has been thinking about (still waiting for the second episode to come out!). How cool - I do not remember discussing it in depth all though I am sure we hit on a few of them in our discussions.
My reasons for this thought are many. Here are a couple. #1) I need to know for myself so I can train my children correctly, #2) I need to be able to communicate with others - not just my thoughts and reasoning but God's.
Now any time you start questioning, people will get nervous - maybe even judge you. That is part of the problem in my opinion. We tend to believe a set of rules, then we judge everybody else by our rules and condemn them when they won't follow them. This has split fellowships, churches, friends, and sadly enough - families. People who once worshiped together and were the best of friends no long want to even run into one another in public because they can't shake hands or say hello. Then they both hammer a third party and draw a line - "stand with me or against me but this is how you should believe (just like me of course)". How very disturbing. For some intriguing thoughts along the lines of judging, see Casey's blog (in the time that I have been working on this one, Casey has posted two more Myths!)
One of the biggest topics is what is modesty? I do not plan to dive into this too far right now, but my original thoughts took me to Genesis the third chapter. God comes calling for Adam and Eve but they are hiding. They have already sewn fig leaves into an apron (in the Hebrew this is like a belt, or from the waist). God had not told them they were naked but their sin troubled them to the point where they knew right from wrong - they just didn't know how to correct the new problem that they faced. So God made them coats (in the Hebrew this means to cover and it can also be interpreted as being hung from the shoulders). Without dealing with God's standard for modesty, we can see here the God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways higher than our ways (see Isa 55:9). Our human ideas and reasoning will only get us into trouble. Adam and Eve tried to fix sin #1 but were still naked in the eyes of God. We must seek the mind of God for our lives, but keep in mind we can't put it on everyone around us. God has a personal plan for each of us and it does not involve putting our plan on another person.
While I am not opening the door for sin or compromise, I think there needs to be a separation of truth and tradition. If I decide God does not want me to wear the color blue, then I need be aware that others will be wearing blue and that does not affect their spirituality. It is a tradition that God has given me for a reason - or it is something I totally came up with for some strange reason. Often times tradition begins to be presented as a truth and a holier-than-thou attitude pops up. Truth will have obvious (at least to an honest heart) Biblical principle that will apply to Christians worldwide. Traditions must only act as a safeguard to an individual or group based on circumstances they face and should be taught within the context to which they apply.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Back at it
We had an awesome time at Tar Hollow last week. Took Thursday and Friday off and drove up - traveling takes so much longer with 10 people. Tyler Swink went with us - thought he would enjoy himself and did he ever. Scott and Dawn + 3kids decided to go this year to and we traveled together. Lot's of bathroom stops but we got there.
Dad found Tar Hollow years ago and the congregation we were attending then (plus a few others) went for three straight years (I think 1991 was one of those years). Lot's of good memories. Last year, Ryan Wagner started putting together retreats but it was open to anyone and was more for keeping in touch and meeting new people. We played paintball, football, volley ball, and other activities, ate great food, and just enjoyed some time relaxing. Eric was there, but he did a lot of work with the activities and food prep. so we did not get to spend as much time as we would have liked to with him. We also go to see Paul and Andrea which was nice. Annette wound up being sick. Ryan and Jenny did a great job preparing the entire thing (with lots of help) and Albert and Cindy got lots of support in the kitchen to help with 2 large meals each day.
The Amusing Race was a blast - I never thought I would eat a live earth worm. And to top the race off, I spent some time in the lake trying to complete the final task. Not on top of the lake, in the lake. My first trip in a kayak was not very balanced so I jumped out. Then Britney dove in to save my life in 2 ft of water :) and then we tried to get the water out but after taking off again I realized that the kayak was still sinking and I tipped it over and swam to a boat that Chad Wolfe was paddling. Ended up swimming to shore where Rance Fetherolf was videoing our team performance and he carried the kayak to the dock. Now we are hoping that the camera and tape are not ruined as there must have been some water that got on the camera.
Did a little fishing with Chad - he had an extra Barbie fishing pole so I put it to good use and caught a couple fish. Look at the size of that catfish - it was really only about 6" long but this photo makes it look huge.
So we headed back home Sunday and what do you know, another potty break filled trip. Garrett really needs to learn bladder control. We stopped within 30 minutes to potty (bathrooms were cleaned and without paper when we left the park) and get drinks. Ten minutes later Garrett had to go again. We pulled over behind a small shed/barn and pulled out his potty seat! Note that he also had a diaper on but refuses to go in it.
Dad found Tar Hollow years ago and the congregation we were attending then (plus a few others) went for three straight years (I think 1991 was one of those years). Lot's of good memories. Last year, Ryan Wagner started putting together retreats but it was open to anyone and was more for keeping in touch and meeting new people. We played paintball, football, volley ball, and other activities, ate great food, and just enjoyed some time relaxing. Eric was there, but he did a lot of work with the activities and food prep. so we did not get to spend as much time as we would have liked to with him. We also go to see Paul and Andrea which was nice. Annette wound up being sick. Ryan and Jenny did a great job preparing the entire thing (with lots of help) and Albert and Cindy got lots of support in the kitchen to help with 2 large meals each day.
The Amusing Race was a blast - I never thought I would eat a live earth worm. And to top the race off, I spent some time in the lake trying to complete the final task. Not on top of the lake, in the lake. My first trip in a kayak was not very balanced so I jumped out. Then Britney dove in to save my life in 2 ft of water :) and then we tried to get the water out but after taking off again I realized that the kayak was still sinking and I tipped it over and swam to a boat that Chad Wolfe was paddling. Ended up swimming to shore where Rance Fetherolf was videoing our team performance and he carried the kayak to the dock. Now we are hoping that the camera and tape are not ruined as there must have been some water that got on the camera.
Did a little fishing with Chad - he had an extra Barbie fishing pole so I put it to good use and caught a couple fish. Look at the size of that catfish - it was really only about 6" long but this photo makes it look huge.
So we headed back home Sunday and what do you know, another potty break filled trip. Garrett really needs to learn bladder control. We stopped within 30 minutes to potty (bathrooms were cleaned and without paper when we left the park) and get drinks. Ten minutes later Garrett had to go again. We pulled over behind a small shed/barn and pulled out his potty seat! Note that he also had a diaper on but refuses to go in it.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
2 Posts in 1 Week
Just to blow your socks off I'm posting twice in one week. I got off work about 15 minutes early and went out to mow grass. It only takes about an hour, but I help my neighbor out when I can since he mows mine when I'm traveling. He's been a great neighbor and I try to return the favor when I can. Kelly had gotten back from Hickory and had supper ready when I walked in the door. So now it's 6:15 and I don't have much going on tonight - last resort - post a blog.
Check out the magic #7 for the Dodgers. Things are looking good - hopefully Arizona loses tonight and drops it to 6. I'm not really a huge baseball fan but when my football teams are loosing, I need a pick-me-up. I usually can find happiness in the teams I hate loosing, but even Ohio State's 35-3 lose to USC last week didn't give me the boost I needed. I guess my expectations this year for Michigan football are so low that an OSU lose doesn't mean much.
It's going to be a very hectic 7 days - par for the course since vacation time is coming up. Tomorrow I am going to try to go to one of Garrett's events (he has two things going on tomorrow.) The kid is three and already there are times it seems we have to run here and run there just for his schedule. That is crazy. Saturday we were suppose to have CPR training, but that got canceled so it looks like I'll be at the work day at the church. Sundays are always full - then Monday and Tuesday are packing days, along with mowing again and probably something else will pop up. Somewhere I have to find time to study - I am suppose to teach next Wednesday night at church. Thought I'd give some of you a chance to decide to skip. Oh yea - I've also started a web page for a friend who is starting his own business and I promised him something by this weekend. My blogging time just ran out - I've thought of too many other things I need to do.
Check out the magic #7 for the Dodgers. Things are looking good - hopefully Arizona loses tonight and drops it to 6. I'm not really a huge baseball fan but when my football teams are loosing, I need a pick-me-up. I usually can find happiness in the teams I hate loosing, but even Ohio State's 35-3 lose to USC last week didn't give me the boost I needed. I guess my expectations this year for Michigan football are so low that an OSU lose doesn't mean much.
It's going to be a very hectic 7 days - par for the course since vacation time is coming up. Tomorrow I am going to try to go to one of Garrett's events (he has two things going on tomorrow.) The kid is three and already there are times it seems we have to run here and run there just for his schedule. That is crazy. Saturday we were suppose to have CPR training, but that got canceled so it looks like I'll be at the work day at the church. Sundays are always full - then Monday and Tuesday are packing days, along with mowing again and probably something else will pop up. Somewhere I have to find time to study - I am suppose to teach next Wednesday night at church. Thought I'd give some of you a chance to decide to skip. Oh yea - I've also started a web page for a friend who is starting his own business and I promised him something by this weekend. My blogging time just ran out - I've thought of too many other things I need to do.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Wow - another post (I'm sure faith will be amused since she thinks I'm going to out-blog Casey - we are competitive when it comes to football but not blogging!)
The whole reason I am blogging is to add the Dodgers magic number to my blog. I stumbled across the code for this and thought "where can I try that at?" So their magic # is 10 today, which means that any combination of Dodger wins/Diamondback loses that equals 10 puts LA in the playoffs. They are not that great this year, but good enough in their division. Have to root for somebody this year - Michigan and the Bengals do not appear to be going anywhere.
So the script will not run in this post but it is added at the bottom of the page. I'm a little disappointed in how it turned out but the info is there. Dodgers are up 6-0 tonight so it's looking like we will be seeing a 9 down there tomorrow.
Well, Kelly is very tired so I had better get back upstairs and see if she needs any help. I do have Garrett down here with me so she only has the stubborn child (bless his heart).
The whole reason I am blogging is to add the Dodgers magic number to my blog. I stumbled across the code for this and thought "where can I try that at?" So their magic # is 10 today, which means that any combination of Dodger wins/Diamondback loses that equals 10 puts LA in the playoffs. They are not that great this year, but good enough in their division. Have to root for somebody this year - Michigan and the Bengals do not appear to be going anywhere.
So the script will not run in this post but it is added at the bottom of the page. I'm a little disappointed in how it turned out but the info is there. Dodgers are up 6-0 tonight so it's looking like we will be seeing a 9 down there tomorrow.
Well, Kelly is very tired so I had better get back upstairs and see if she needs any help. I do have Garrett down here with me so she only has the stubborn child (bless his heart).
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Getting Started
Ok - I probably do not have time to maintain a blog, but after today I can say I've at least post my own blog - once. Why not, every one else is doing it.
Kelly was very sick today, so being a work at home kinda guy I took most of the day off to watch the boys. I myself was not feeling well, but managed to get through the day and enjoy time with the boys. It was tough to lay work aside, but my schedule allows it and I can make up the hours - probably on Saturday. Actually, I'll be talking to my boss tomorrow about a trip to Richmond next week, so if I travel on Sunday, then those hours will go on this weeks time sheet.
I've finally had time to do more spiritual reflecting on the wilderness experience I've been in now for several years. My limited reading time consists of a book "The Upside of Adversity" by Os Hillman, which has helped me to realize that 1) I am probably still in my wilderness experience and possibly will be there for some time to come and 2)God's purpose can still be fulfilled in my life during the down times of my life. My biggest obstacle is (and always will be) myself - and I attribute most of it my analytical mind that God has "blessed" (I say that with a little sarcasm) me with. I usually have to have proof in hand before I act on anything. Oh - that makes me a Doubting Thomas!
Today's weather was very warm - probably in the mid to upper 60's. I am thankful because I've prayed for warmer weather due to the cost of fuel oil to heal my home. It is over $3/gallon right now and to have it delivered you must buy 100 gallons. In really cold weather, that will not last a month! Since I've begun working out of my home, I need a heat source in the basement. I am considering a wood burning stove as this will help heat the rest of the house and reduce the need for fuel oil.
I did add a few pics which will get more explanation at a later date. Will have to find a picture of the family - until then you get to see my artistic skills :)
Well, I've made a first step in what may prove to be a continuous effort to blog. My guess is that a weekly update would be the best I could do, but don't be surprised to find that today is the only day of my life that you get to read about!
Kelly was very sick today, so being a work at home kinda guy I took most of the day off to watch the boys. I myself was not feeling well, but managed to get through the day and enjoy time with the boys. It was tough to lay work aside, but my schedule allows it and I can make up the hours - probably on Saturday. Actually, I'll be talking to my boss tomorrow about a trip to Richmond next week, so if I travel on Sunday, then those hours will go on this weeks time sheet.
I've finally had time to do more spiritual reflecting on the wilderness experience I've been in now for several years. My limited reading time consists of a book "The Upside of Adversity" by Os Hillman, which has helped me to realize that 1) I am probably still in my wilderness experience and possibly will be there for some time to come and 2)God's purpose can still be fulfilled in my life during the down times of my life. My biggest obstacle is (and always will be) myself - and I attribute most of it my analytical mind that God has "blessed" (I say that with a little sarcasm) me with. I usually have to have proof in hand before I act on anything. Oh - that makes me a Doubting Thomas!
Today's weather was very warm - probably in the mid to upper 60's. I am thankful because I've prayed for warmer weather due to the cost of fuel oil to heal my home. It is over $3/gallon right now and to have it delivered you must buy 100 gallons. In really cold weather, that will not last a month! Since I've begun working out of my home, I need a heat source in the basement. I am considering a wood burning stove as this will help heat the rest of the house and reduce the need for fuel oil.
I did add a few pics which will get more explanation at a later date. Will have to find a picture of the family - until then you get to see my artistic skills :)
Well, I've made a first step in what may prove to be a continuous effort to blog. My guess is that a weekly update would be the best I could do, but don't be surprised to find that today is the only day of my life that you get to read about!
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