Another thing for you to read

the war on terror

2007-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

I recognize that of those that read this post, there may be differing opinions on the United States' 'War on Terror.' This campaign has seen many of our men and women warriors on the front line of an attack that has taken place in Afghanistan, and an occupation and overthrow of a dictator in Iraq. This war has taken many of our men and women away from home, it has cost the lives of some, and has cost agony and pain for others that have been maimed or injured by the effects of the war. This also affects the many friends and family members that have a loved one serving our country in the war on terror.

My attempt at writing this post is not to speak down of the war, nor will it speak of the current US administration, but instead will speak on the war on terror that every Christ-follower has seen since the beginning. This war is a war on sin, as sin is forefront on any hurt, it is forefront of terror, of hate, and of everything wrong in this world. This war puts man against his nature. It puts humility to God against his pride. It puts me against myself. It is war, it is division, it is fire. (see Matthew 10:34, Luke 12:49)

It kills me to see Christians not living their faith.....when I don't live my faith. You see, to obey my savior means that I must live differently, I must live in radical peace - not a peace of relativity, but a peace that supersedes the understanding of men - a peace that honors God. Having said this, as others have spoken about Truth (see here, here, and here). There is no peace with Christ if truth is not fought for. The relativists of the world may not like me, but I will stand by Truth, which is found in Christ alone.

I find it relatively interesting that in the correspondence between Jesus and Pilate (see John 18:33-38), Pilate straight out questions Truth. He says, "What is Truth?" This is no different than many non-believers, and I am increasingly sad to sad to hear that many people that call themselves believers are now questioning truth. As the world distances itself from Truth, we should see a clear distinction between those that hear the voice of Christ and listen, and those who do not hear....but are we? In my own life, I have seen areas where I compromise, areas where I am holding fast to my own sin, and areas where I am acting like a child not wanting to hear something from there parents. I picture my hands over my ears and me screaming to drown out the words of Truth....where I should be with a notebook and pen, learning everything I can.

Publicly I challenge myself to listen to the Truth more, and my hopes are that others do the same. Without listening attentively to this Truth, there is no peace, as without Truth (as Jesus defines himself as the Truth) , there is no salvation.

The war on Terror is simple and complex. Fighting for a nation's freedom, fighting against injustice, and fighting against persecution is an honorable thing, as without it, we may not have the security and liberty that our soldiers and country are fighting for, but above that, there is something greater. Truth must be fought for. Truth in Christ must be fought for, first in faith, then in word and deed.

Sin exists, and there is nothing we can do to change that fact. The Truth is, however, that our sin (and your sin, and everyone's sin) can be washed away. That is the Truth. Our job, as obedient soldiers of a war on sin, is to accept the salvation found in Christ, lead others to the Truth, and be obedient in word and deed to our saviour's calling. That is our war on terror. That is the one (and only thing) that can change the world. Christ is the only way to change the world.

____________ bridges

2007-08-02T05:27:00.001-07:00

You know, I was going to title the post "Burning Bridges", but given the happenings, I thought it only appropriate to say what I was going to title it....so it wouldn't seem so bad....or something of that sort.

Here is a video of the event (Note: you will have to watch a commercial)

What can I say that has not already been said?

As you can see on the video, there were many cars on the bridge. As of now, there are 4 dead. and a bridge is down. I pray, honestly, that people will remember that this is an incident where people died, where people were hurt, where people were scared. As time passes, I hope that is what is remembered, instead of what is inevitable: people forget about what happened, and instead get mad at MN-DOT for not putting up another bridge fast enough, because it is adding an extra inconvenience to their commutes.

As far as an appropriate response....well, as with any other tragedy....all that can be said is that it is terrible that there is human death in the world. Regardless of situation, but particularly in light of situations, it is important to remember that a person's life is short, and has no guarantees as far as a certain length. For those that do know Christ, this should hopefully allow for us to see the hope, the security, and the love of God, just as it should allow us to see that there are others that do not have that hope, that love, and that eternal security that is freely given to us by God through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is a time of tremendous trial, of worry, and of fear for those that were involved at any level, and the families of those effected will be seeking to fill the God-shaped hole in their hearts.

that is all for now.

Christi Crux est mea Lux.

Profoundly interesting

2007-07-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

I was having a conversation today, and the person had mentioned that I had not written much on my blog over the past few days. I mean, there has been posts, but instead of my thoughts, or a profound story, instead, I have just made short comments on quotes or news stories. Looking at the posts.....this person is correct.

So, Irene, this is my attempt at writing something profoundly interesting. I hope it works, but I am thinking that it is just going to be a longer method of writing to the one/few people that read this blog.

I have been battling to trust God, well, trusting others that are trusting God. I find it interesting that it is easy for me to trust God as long as I can control how the process is executed - the plan, the timeline, and everything that would potentially require trust. The second that this ability to plan, schedule or execute is put in someone else's hands, I get scared.....like a 3 year-old. I'd like to say that I trust God, but my analytical side has a tendency to expect the worst case scenario...perhaps that lack of expectation is the ultimate issue......but any way it goes, I am sure that God is in the process of teaching me something great.

In the English Standard Version of the Bible, the word "Propitiation" is used 4 times to speak about Christ coming to earth, and what happened on the Cross. I find it incredibly interesting that this same word is translated to "sacrifice" in other translations. Those two words mean something completely different to me.....perhaps just as the word "Propitiation" helps provide more clarity of God's love than "Sacrifice", God's word for "trust" means something different than mine.

I recognize that this is post is going to be incomplete....but so am I (as it relates to this thought.....yeah....the thought.) so have fun with that.

pax

not every day

2007-07-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

It's extremely rare that I am jealous of an old lady.....but this one fits.

Read the story here.

pax

quote

2007-07-20T05:25:00.001-07:00

I can't say that I agree with this......but it was interesting none the less.

John Lehman

"Power corrupts. Absolute power is kind of neat."

pax

ESV Bible

2007-07-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

The folks at ESV bible make it easier and easier to read their version. First, they have a website that I could navigate to or search using Firefox's search engines, now they have an application written for the iPhone. Great stuff.

that is all

pax

quotable quotes

2007-07-17T06:11:00.000-07:00

"Stagnation in the church is the devil's delight!

I do not think the devil cares how many churches you build,
if only you have lukewarm preachers and people in them.

The devil does not care about your armies, if the soldiers are
all asleep.

What we need is new zeal, fresh energy, and more fire!"

--C. H. Spurgeon, "Lukewarmness"

from Thinkerup

pax

My Trip

2007-07-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

ok....so I got back two weeks ago. I have not written a whole lot, but a lot went on.

Camalote. It was the third time in Camalote, and it was a pleasure to see my friends. The week there went well. There were some things that I would have changed, but all in all, I think that God was honored with the team, and with the week.

Choluteca. Choluteca was a new community. I had the joy of being there with Irene and Sari (don't know if I spelled that right), and the first few days we hung out with a missions team from Ohio. It was awesome to speak with them, as they have been going to Choluteca for about 6 years. All in all, I saw God working a great deal through the believers in the community, and I was excited to learn of their projects and areas that can benefit them in having short-term missionaries visit.

I have pictures of Choluteca that I can share if requested.

I am excited to see what God has in store for next year. It should be a fun ride.

that's all.

pax

Questions to think of

2007-07-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

I got this from a message from Mark Driscoll, who borrowed some of the questions from Tim Keller. The questions can help you define what/who/where your God is.

What am I most afraid of?
what do you long for most passionately?
where do you run for comfort?
what do you complain about most?
what angers you the most?
what makes you the most happy?
How do you explain yourself to people?
what has caused you to be angry with God?
what do you brag about?
what do you want to have more than anything else?
what do you sacrifice most for in life?
If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?
Whose approval are you seeking?
what do you want to control or master?
what comfort do you treasure the most?

pax

Quotes

2007-07-09T05:27:00.000-07:00

These quotes are all from Martin Luther:

"Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying."

"First I shake the whole Apple tree, that the ripest might fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each limb, and then each branch and then each twig, and then I look under each leaf."

[My note: the above quote reminds me of how we should attempt to give the Gospel to the unbelievers.]

"For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel. "

"I shall never be a heretic; I may err in dispute, but I do not wish to decide anything finally; on the other hand, I am not bound by the opinions of men."

"Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave."

"Peace if possible, truth at all costs."

"Peace is more important than all justice; and peace was not made for the sake of justice, but justice for the sake of peace."

That's all I got.

pax

I went and did it

2007-07-06T09:44:00.001-07:00

Upon visiting the Apple Store at the Mall of America with my father, we decided to look at the iPhones.....basically so that I could "talk myself out of" getting an iPhone. After a long conversation with two of the employees at Apple, I was convinced.

The last employee and I talked about Honduras, because he was a volunteer at his church (for the last 25 years). After I mentioned that I had been gone for the release, he told me that he happened to have 1 8gb iPhone.

I am now the owner of 1 8gb iPhone.

that is all.

quote

2007-07-02T09:21:00.003-07:00

"...the mass of people do not lay hold on what is said but on how it is said. And if it is said smartly and privily and said forcedly that is enough for them, though it be a lie.

But if the truth be spoken, that they will not receive unless it be attended by some graces of oratory or elegance. Now the christian that has gone beyond babyhood does not care about how the man says it. It is the thing that is said that he cares about.

All he asks is 'Did he speak the truth?' ...he cares not for the trimming of the feast, nor for the exquisite workmanship of the dish. He only cares for that which is solid food for himself"

Charles Spurgeon

I'm back

2007-07-02T09:21:00.001-07:00

I had a great time, thanks for asking.

pax

off to that one place

2007-06-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

I know that you all have been waiting for a post....so here goes.

I am off to Honduras. it will be fun. I won't have access to internet for 2.5 weeks.

that is all.

pax

to be a chosen instrument

2007-06-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

I got an email yesterday....more like a mass mailing, specifically dealing with church - as in local church. For years, I have heard that "the chosen instrument to reach the world for Christ is the church," speaking of the local church.

Let me start by saying that I am reading into things too much. I am being the detail oriented person that God made me....and yes, that is annoying. Also, I hold no ill-will towards the author(s) of said document, and actually am rather excited that they see the local congregation as an important part of showing God's love to the communities around the world (in this case, in each local community).

The bulk of my comments relate to the understanding of the word "church." I hate to be quasi-emergent here and get bent out of shape over some definition of a word, but I will do my best to share my understanding and my concern. The greek word "Ecclesia" means "the gathering of the called out ones" (as swiped from here), which typically has identified, by common usage, a gathering of Christian believers. This church, as a gathering of believers, exists as a local gathering - a local congregation, and a global gathering, usually referred to as the Church.

I believe the above definition to be correct, to be accurate to what the Bible says, and because the Bible is the words of God, which points to the Word of God, Jesus Christ, I cannot argue with the definition. Well, I guess I could, but I would be wrong.

The other definition is what I see more often. This defines the church as the location, the building, the structure, and/or the non-profit organization designated a particular status by the government. There is nothing inherently wrong with the government's designation of a particular church as a religious non-profit (and rather a benefit to the believers and to the government, in my opinion).

As Jesus himself said, He is the way to God. In fact, He is telling Thomas, that because his disciples know Him, they know God The Father as well. See John 14:6 for this verse. As I read the words in John 20:21, the words became more powerful to me.

In my opinion, the church exists because of the shared callings of its congregation, those that believe, and know of Christ. Just as God sent Christ to show us the way, so we are to show others of the way to God through Christ.

A church is not a building. It is not a structure. A church is not it's leaders, or it's congregation. The church, as a community of believers, exists because of Jesus Christ alone, and to Him and for Him we, as individuals, and as a community of individuals have been given the calling to be the chosen instrument to glorify Christ.

So I guess my conclusion is that God's chosen instrument to reach the world for Christ is YOU. The church, as a community of believers, allows you to learn, share, grow, and develop so that you can serve God more. The local church plays a huge role in discipleship, in outreach (to organize events, and also invite people to the church services), and in many of the things that will allow the individuals to reach the unbelievers. You, as an individual believer, are God's chosen instrument to reach your community.

Is the church, as in a gathering of believers, God's chosen instrument to reach the world for Christ - yes, because that is the mission that each individual within that church body has been given from Christ.

Is the church, as in a specific organization, denomination (or lack thereof), or building God's chosen instrument - No, because that certainly does not give the Glory to Christ.

I am confident that the email I received was sharing the church as in a community of believers, but my opinion is that there needs to be care when using a word with more than one competing definition.

I can be done with my rant now. I hope that you enjoyed.

pax

update of sorts

2007-05-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of work for a friend of mine. He took a job at another company, and it will be difficult to see him go. It's especially tough, because he was (and is) a good friend, and work seemed easier with him joking next to me. I hope his replacement will be as cool.

I went to the Orthopedic Surgeon today, and my appointment lasted for about 15 minutes. I guess the doctor didn't need a whole lot of time to figure out what was going on. He told me that he could feel a small ball on my achilles tendon, meaning that scar tissue had built up. The reason that my ankle hurts is because I have achilles tendinitis, which is better described here.

so, for the 5th time (and I can validate that by the number of prescriptions that are in my freezer), I got a prescription pain killer (an anti-inflammatory)....this time, 60 pills, and I can refill up to 3 times.

so....I get to complain more about my ankle. you all should enjoy that.

hmm...

2007-05-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

Read this.

Note to self: If you see an add that says free computer virus, DO NOT click link.

That is all.

pax

Complaints and other things

2007-05-21T06:02:00.001-07:00

ok....most of you that know me are aware of a certain physical pain that I have fairly often....and complain about around every one of you at least once a year....my ankle. I realized that I hadn't done that a whole lot on my blog, so that is one of my complaints. Minnesota weather changes on a dime, and that is not nice for the joint/tendon injuries. Sometimes I feel like I am complaining like someone with arthritis. But now, I get to actualize that, because I will be going to the doctors again to complain about some phantom pains.

My other complaint stems around my own stupidity. For some reason or another, it has been a fairly long time since I have studied the Bible. I have seen a degradation on my feelings, my thoughts, and some of my reactions towards people. Although I would never be one to say that there is a certain thing that a person must do daily to make everything ok, I certainly am reminded that there is Truth and Salvation found in the Bible, and being reminded of that Truth and Grace is exactly what I need.

On a similar subject, one of my friends from the past, Paul Johnson, who is a pastor in Ames, IA, spoke at Evergreen yesterday. I found his testimony to be good. His message was good as well, and it was cool to hear someone different, from a different mindset than some of the other pastors.

Really, that is all I have.....

pax

I'm such a geek

2007-05-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

The Apple Store is down right now....as it is being updated....I hope it's something cool. I've heard new Macbook configurations....but I hope that it is something cool in addition to that.

We'll see in a little bit.

That is all.

pax

to admit

2007-05-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

I need to tell you something. I find this very difficult to say, so I want to make sure that I am clear. I am going to admit some things that I probably shouldn't, and it may make you think less of me.

Since signing up for Blockbuster Online, I have found myself picking up a handful of movies, and enjoyed Friday night watching movies. Lately, I have added a hot bath to the mix.

This evening, I picked up 3 movies. Miami Vice (which is terrible), The Holiday, and Serenity. I began by watching Miami Vice.....which lasted about an hour, and then it got shut off. I suppose I could have given it a chance....but if nothing came of it in an hour, I figured nothing would. Next, The Holiday.

The Holiday was a movie about two women who switched places for a vacation away from the men that they had needed to forget. They then, systematically, found an attraction to a man from the place they were visiting, and then came the big difficulty. I paused the movie.

About 10 minutes or so before I paused the movie, I began boiling about a quart of water. In this water, I put about two tablespoons of kosher salt. I walked into the bathroom, and began preparing the bath. As the hot water was filling the tub, I added about 2 tablespoons of oil, some salt, and a mineral/vitamin soap. Once the water in the kitchen had boiled, I poured that into the bath.

After the bath, I continued the movie. The difficulty that these people were facing was that they were developing interest in a relationship, and recognized that it would be a "long distance" relationship. Since I have no idea how that feels, I continued watching the movie. I felt that I was similar to both Jack Black and the idiot. Anyways.....after admitting that I rented it....I have to tell you that I really enjoyed this movie....and my eyes even watered a little towards the end.

that's too much. I will go now.

pax

inadequate

2007-05-03T05:50:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been fighting over feelings of inadequacy. I don't mean to say that I am depressed or anything of that sort, I am just finding things in my life that keep me from being perfect, and they kind of make me sick. Needless to say, I have many things that make me less than perfect, but it just amazes me that God would WANT to use me in the ways that He does.

This morning, I woke up with a feeling I haven't felt in a while - the feeling that I am a complete moron, doing everything wrong. Now, I won't spend too much time on that, because frankly, I don't think you care...but I did want to share something that I found in a very unique place.

As I was enjoying my triple mocha this morning from Starbucks, I noticed a quote on the cup:

"In reality, hell is not such an intention of God as it is an invention of man. God is love and people are precious. Authentic truth is not so much taught or learned as it is remembered. Somewhere in your pre-incarnate consciousness, you were loved absolutely because you were. Loved absolutely, and in reality, you still are! Remember who you are!" - Bishop Carlton Pearson

Now, I don't think this is arguing that Hell doesn't exist....just saying that God loves you, and God loves me.

thought I would share that.

pax

Zoomcloud

2007-04-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

I don't like it that Jesus isn't capitalized. Jesus should be capitalized. it should not be 'jesus', but instead, it should be 'Jesus'.

Part of this post is simply to make sure that "Jesus" is the biggest word on the Zoomcloud.

pax

yep.

2007-04-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Everything is ok today. I just thought you should know.

coffee

2007-04-27T05:28:00.000-07:00

In hoping to replicate some fantastic coffee I had while in Miami, I traveled to the local Starbucks and ordered a Doppio Expresso Macchiato, and added two packets of the "Sugar in the Raw" Sugar. This was tasty....but I didn't much care for the Macchiato part of it.

This morning, I requested a Triple Expresso with two packets of the "Sugar in the Raw", and found that it is not enough sugar. I added one more, and found that it was a good morning dose of goodness.

I think that two shots is my limit....but it pains me to ask for "Doppio" instead of Triple. Why can't they just say double?

On a related note, why can't the coffee sizes be Small, Medium, and Large, instead of whatever it is.....grande, venti, tiny.

pax

Heretics #2

2007-04-26T08:49:00.001-07:00

See here for the first few quotes. This is a continuation of G.K. Chesterton's book on Heretics.

pg69 "The truth is that there are no things for which men will make such herculean efforts as the tings of which they know they are unworthy. There never was a man in love who did not declare that, if he strained ever nerve to breaking, he was going to have his desire. And there never was a man in love who did not declare also that he ought not to have it."

pg80 "Unless you are going deliberately to prevent a thing from being good, you cannot prevent it being worth fighting for."

pg80 "You can often get men to fight for the union; but you can never prevent them from fighting also for the differentiation. This variety in the highest thing is the meaning of fierce patriotism, the fierce nationalism of the great European civilization. It is also, incidentally, the meaning of the doctrine of the Trinity."

pg97 "A man who has faith must be prepared not only to be a martyr, but to be a fool. It is absurd to say that a man is ready to toil and die for his convictions when he is not even ready to wear a wreath around his head for them."

pg130 "pride is passive, desiring only the applause of ine person, which it already has."

pg146 "Science can analyze a pork chop, and say how much of it is phosphorus and how much is protein; but science cannot analyse any man's wish for a pork chop, and say how much of it is hunger, how much custom, how much nervous fancy, how much a haunting love of the beautiful. The man's desire for the pork chop remains literally as mystical and ethereal as his desire for heaven. All attempts, therefore, at a science of folk-lore, a science of sociology, are by their nature not merely hopeless, but crazy. You can no more be certain in economic history that a man's desire for money was merely a desire for money that a saint's desire for God was merely a desire for God. And this kind of vagueness in the primary phenomena of the study is an absolutely final blow to anything in the nature of science."

pg159 "the virtue of hope exists only in earthquake and eclipse. It is true that there is a thing crudely called charity, which means charity to the deserving poor; but charity to the deserving is not charity at all, but justice. It is the undeserving who require it, and the ideal either does not exist at all, or exists wholly for them."

pg161 "A good man was a good man; a bad man was a bad man, For this reason they had no charity; for charity is a reverent agnosticism towards the complexity of the soul."

pg164 "Until we understand that original dark, in which we have neither sight nor expectation, we can give no hearty and childlike praise to the splendid sensationalism of things."

pg191 "Falling in love has been often regarded as the supreme adventure, the supreme romantic accident. In so much as there is in it something outside ourselves, something of a sort of merry fatalism, this is very true. Love does take us and transfigure and torture us. It does break our hearts with an unbearable beauty..."

pg209 "As a matter of fact, the Vikings did not repress their feelings in the least. They cried like babies and kissed each other like girls; in short, they acted in that respect like Achilles and all strong heroes the children of the Gods."

pg220 "Mr. McCabe things that I am not serious but only funny, because Mr. McCabe things that funny is the opposite of serious. Funny is the opposite of not funny, and of nothing else. The question of whether a man expresses himself in a grotesque or laughable phraseology, or in a stately and restrained phraseology, is not a question of motive or of moral state, it is a question of instinctive language and self expression. Whether a man chooses to tell the truth in long sentences or short jokes is a problem analogous to whether he will choose to tell the truth in French of German."

70 more pages to go.

pax

thoughts

2007-04-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

giving it to God does not mean that I do not care.
trusting God does not mean that I trust nothing
in fact, giving to God means that I care more
trusting God means I am trusting my everything

2 Corinthians 4:16

"Therefore we do not lose hear, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day."

thought

2007-04-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

I thought patience was good enough....but in calling myself patient...I wasn't
I thought confidence was good....but my confidence in Jesus turned to me....I became selfish
I thought humility was good....but I thought I was....so I became proud
I thought I was good enough....good enough to stop.....and I have barely started.

Now I cling to the only thing I can
and hope in the only thing I can
and dream for what matters the most
and live for what I cannot see

My path ahead is long
and I don't know the way
but I will walk...hopefully learning from my past

I will wait without ceasing
I will have only confidence in what matters
I will work to extinguish my pride
I will recognize my worth is in what matters.

What matters is Jesus Christ.

letter.

2007-04-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Jesus,

what do you want from me? what can I do to make things right? How can I show the Truth?

The enemy challenges me because I am seeking you. I am thankful for this challenge, however, I certainly would like to see this fixed. If you could guide me, that would be great.

Thanks,

Mike

on Me

2007-04-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been thinking about a topic. I don't know if I will be able to explain myself well, but I will try. I hope to be precise with my words....and honest.

When I was growing up, I had a series of interesting experiences. I won't go into them too much, in part because I don't remember the incidents, and partly because there have been many things that have changed since then, and I would rather bring to attention the positive changes instead of the bad of the past. To explain the feelings inside me, there was a consistency throughout my childhood.

Distrust
Doubt
Betrayal
Suspicion
Fear

These feelings left me with some "baggage" in regards to anyone getting close to me. I guess that it is fear of being hurt, or to be more specific, the assumption that everything leads to this hurt, and that there is no one to trust, no one to believe in, no one.

Perhaps this is why I distance myself from friends. Perhaps my inability to get to know people is due to this fear of being hurt. I have a hard time trusting, I doubt, I fear, and I am suspicious.

That is me.

Because of these items in my life, I am hyper-sensitive to making sure that my actions are pure, and my words are true to those I care about. The words above are perhaps the most
disgusting words that I know.

that is all for now.

speaking engagement

2007-04-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend, God allowed for me to visit Irene in Miami, and go to a conference for work. It was a joy to do both - to see Irene, and also to be able to speak at the conference.

The conference was good. I left early, so I can't really tell you about all of it, but I can say that My boss and I were allowed to speak, and I was satisfied with my presentation. A lot of work had gone into it, and it was nice to be able to share the information with the other financial institutions that were there.

That is all for now.

pax

don't want to write

2007-04-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

[Update: on #1 below, I made a mistake when typing. I accidentally typed "mackbook" instead of "macbook". I humbly apologize to all that were effected by this mistake.]

I don't want to write....but there are a few things that are going on in my life that I had to comment on.

1.) My sister is the proud owner of a Mackbook. Duane and her welcomed into their lives this fine machine last Saturday, and I was proud to be a part of the selection process. I am sure that they will enjoy their lives with their new bundle of joy - the macbook.

2.) On this last Friday, after much deliberation, I went ahead and purchased the monthly subscription for Blockbuster's online thing - you know, the copy of netflix. I already have 3 movies, and am looking forward to viewing all of the 31 movies/tv shows that are in my queue. And yes, I have no life.

3.) On this Friday, I will be leaving for Miami, then Saint Petersburg. In Miami, I get to visit Irene for a few days, and see her compete in her first sprint triathlon. I am rather glad that I get to be there to support her. I then take what must be one of the smallest commercial planes in existence to Tampa, where I am off to a user's group to give a presentation on my company's experience with the Business Intelligence...which is the thing that I have been working on since this September.

ok....that is all for now.

pax

Heretics

2007-04-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am currently in the process of reading a new book, "Heretics" by G.K. Chesterton. This is proving to be a good book, and I'd like to share a few quotes that I enjoyed thus far:

pg 26 "He [the monk, priest] may even go mad; but he is going mad for the love of sanity. But the modern student of ethics, even if he remains sane, remains sane from an insane dread of insanity."

pg 28 "But if it was a chief claim of religion that it spoke plainly about evil, it was THE chief claim of all that it spoke plainly about good. The thing which is resented, and, as I think, rightly resented, is that great modern literature of which Ibsen is typical, is that while the eye that can perceive what are the wrong things increases in an uncanny and devouring clarity, the eye which sees what things are right is growing mistier and mistier every moment, till it goes almost blind with doubt"

pg 59 "But this is not really because the man is playing with ten swords, it is because he is aiming very straight with one. Moreover, a man with a definite belief always appears bizarre, because he does not change with the world; he has climbed into a fixed star, and the earth whizzes below him like a zoetrope."

pg 60 "Truth, of course, must of necessity be stranger than fiction, for we have made fiction to suit ourselves."

pg 65 "Until we realize that things might not be, we cannot realize that things are. Until we see the background of darkness, we cannot admire the light as a single and created thing. As soon as we have seen that darkness, all light is lightening, sudden, blinding, and divine.....It is one of the wild jests of truth that we know nothing until we know nothing."

pg 67 "When Christ at a symbolic moment was establishing His great society, He chose for it's corner-stone neither the brilliant Paul nor the mystic John, but a shuffler, a snob, a coward - in a word, a man. And upon this rock, He has built His Church, and the gates of Hell have not prevailed against it. All the emprires and the kingdoms have failed, because of this inherent and continual weakness, that they were founded by strong men and upon strong men. But this one thing, the historic Christian Church, was founded on a weak man, and for that reason it is indestructible. For not chain is stronger than it's weakest link."

more to come.

pax

testing things

2007-04-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

I guess up until now, I have been completely unaware of the possibilities relating to blogger pictures. I am now testing this, using a picture that I know will make my sister upset with me for posting.....for two reasons:

1.) She looks deathly afraid of something.
2.) She's wearing a really funny looking shower cap. I think it looks like one of those poofy things.....you know what I am talking about.

That really is all I have......so there.

pax

I'm so proud

2007-04-11T18:38:00.001-07:00

You Are a Mac

You are creative, stylish, and super trendy.
You demand the best - even if it costs an arm and a leg.

Are You a Mac or a PC?

April Snow

2007-04-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I wrote an open letter to snow. In this letter, I mentioned that snow should go away. It did, for a time, and now, it is back. April should be warm. There should be rain, after all, the phrase is "April showers bring May flowers." It is not "April snow brings May ____" I use a blank line there because as I was writing this, I realized that there are a lot of fun things that rhyme with snow.

Go here, and have fun making your own quotes about snow.

pax

hmm.

2007-04-10T05:17:00.000-07:00

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Emperor Michael the Mellifluous of Tempting St Mary
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

For the definition of Mellifluous, go here.

Wonder

2007-04-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I chose differently. I wonder how my life would be, what kind of things that I would be into, what kind of people I would hang out with, and all the other things involved.

You see, I chose to accept Christ as my savior as a sophomore in high school.....well, actually, I made the choice before that, but I actually chose to follow Christ in the summer between my freshman and sophomore year. It was a High School Leadership Training.....in Myrtle Beach, SC......and I got baptized there as well.

I really don't have a long post today...but because today is Easter, the day that Christians celebrate Christ's resurrection, I thought it would be good to look back at the path that I have taken (by the grace and leading of God), and recognize the many other ways that I would have otherwise led myself on to.

I am eternally gratefully for the Grace, the Love, and the Forgiveness of my savior, Jesus Christ.

pax

listen to my story

2007-04-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

I have a story.....a story that involves fire, an Apple Laptop, my father, Chris Dugan, two different varieties of tape, and a conversation with Irene (as I would consider any day a good day if I get to have a conversation with Irene).

It has been a few weeks since my laptop was charging correctly. You see, there is a wire that connects to the power adapter that had the sheathing cut, and the only way to guarantee that my laptop was charging was to get the wire in the perfect position. This began to become difficult, because every time I would move, the computer would stop charging.

Today, being a Saturday, I chose to leave my house on some errands. After getting some breakfast at Bruegger's Bagels, and enjoying a fine "Moosed" Large Mocha at Caribou, I went back home (and felt bad, Irene, because it was not Starbucks's. I decided it was time to tackle my problem by taping the wire in the correct placement. I looked around the house, and for the life of me, I could not find any electrical tape. So, being the genius that I am, I decided to use some masking tape - you know, the blue kind that you use for taping your walls to prepare for painting; yeah, that kind.

So I taped the wire, while the adapter was plugged into the laptop and the wall. I began taping, and noticed the wire sparking, and a small amount of smoke coming from under the tape.

I prayed.

So between the time I noticed the smoke and I began to see small flames, I did two things: First, I prayed that my house, my computer, my carpet, and everything else around me would not catch fire, and second, I jumped over to the place that the adapter was plugged into the wall, and unplugged it. I guess masking tape was a bad idea.

I ran to Target, and purchased some electrical tape, along with Haagen Dazs' chocolate iced cream. I came back to my house, and attempted to tape the wire again, with the same results. So, the same thing happened. I prayed, and I unplugged the computer from the wall. Then I called Irene. we talked for a while, about theology, and about life. it was fun.

I was lazy, I didn't want to leave the house, but then my dad called. he wanted to know how I was, so I told him that he gets to join me for some shopping. We went to Southdale mall, and I purchased a new power adapter from a fine gentleman at the Apple store - Chris Dugan. We talked for a while, and then my dad and I enjoyed a meal at Ruby Tuesday's.

I got home, plugged in my new adapter, and decided to be lazy for the remainder of the day. It has worked for me thus far.

that is basically my entire day....now I am off to enjoy the chocolate iced cream.

Jesus

2007-04-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been thinking of the nature of church. Perhaps this is a topic that comes up for me a lot, but it is something that is increasingly important to me, as it effects my faith and ultimately my relationship with Christ (by various examples, the teachings of others, and many other things). Because I help facilitate missions trips, also, my example in my faith and my service effects others, and hopefully shines some light to where it should be shone.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, begotten, not created. What this means is that Jesus existed in the beginning, in the present, and in the end. Jesus (as the Son - also known as the Word: see John 1:1) exists in a perfect relationship with God the Father, and God the Spirit. Jesus, as the Word, exists to exalt God, and reconcile the relationship between God and man. This reconciliation is imperative for man, because we are imperfect at birth because of original sin, and beyond that, we are pretty much incapable of living a sinless life, something that God requires of us because God is perfect.

I'm getting off topic...well, sort of.

The Church, as the bride of Christ, is given the calling of sharing the love of God, and the reconciled relationship through Jesus Christ. It exists to exalt Christ, as Christ exists to exalt God.

When the church decides to promote itself as anything other than a messenger, it takes away from the exaltation of Christ. By definition, it is trying to seek some glory or honor outside of what is possible. For example, let's say that you are at a restaurant and someone at another table tells the server that they would like to pay for your meal. Instead of telling you that the other person is paying for your meal, the server tells you that you need not worry about paying, and leaves it at that (thus neglecting to point out the gift from the other person).

As believers, and as the church congregation, we must ensure that the church is directing the exaltation to the correct place - to Christ. Anywhere else, and we are being improper messengers. A church, as a congregation, is a messenger, and although we have a fantastic message to deliver, we are still the messengers, not anything else.

My thoughts are simply that we need to grasp this with all of our hearts, and deliver the message as it is. I am not important. The church is not important. Jesus is important. Jesus is important.

Jesus is important.

that is all.

pax

craving

2007-04-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

ok....so you all know I like to watch movies. Perhaps a little too much.

Over the past few weeks, I have had many opportunities to watch films....from weekends at home to being home sick....many movies were watched. There was one thing though...for some reason or another, I wanted to watch one movie.....but I never got it.

Today, I rented it from Blockbuster. I am watching it now.

that is all.

pax

days

2007-04-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

It has been several days since I last posted. Part of the reason that I have not posted is that I have not taken the time to analyze anything in my life for the past two weeks...sometimes because it hurts, sometimes because I have trouble with patience, sometimes because I don't want to, and sometimes because of my work.

One of the things that my boss is really good at is making sure that there is balance in life. He certainly knows when work is too much, and a person needs to spend some time away. I am thankful that he is a person that he is, because it has certainly taught me many things.

Yesterday, I blew up at a manager for something really stupid, I over-reacted, and said some things that were both inappropriate, and outside my usual self.

In addition to my boss, I am particularly glad that this manager is a friend, and accepted my apology.

That's all for now.

pax

bittersweet

2007-03-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

I am back from a trip to Miami to visit Irene and her family. Actually, I got back Wednesday night, but I have been desperately trying to catch up with everything (including my sanity) as I am realizing I am back home.

I had a great time on the trip. It was fun to have my family there with me for a few days, and we all got to spend some time with Irene's family, who seem to impress me more each time I have the opportunity to see them. They are a very cool bunch of people, and very kind to allow for me to come and visit.

Honestly, I wish that I could write a long post about this, but I am still formulating some thoughts, and others are better not written here. I had a great time, wouldn't have changed anything at all.

pax

Pi

2007-03-14T05:33:00.000-07:00

Today is Pi day....just thought you should know.

pax

300

2007-03-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

Saw 300 tonight. I liked it, except for a few parts.

Click here to read about the real historic battle.

pax

Flirt

2007-03-09T05:15:00.000-08:00

I've always kind of been interested in looking at the motivation of others (and myself), specifically the motives of people who are leading in the church. Many times, this is not good, but sometimes it brings healthy dialogs that would otherwise be missing. Lately, as you can tell by other posts, I have been thinking of the church being attractive to the world.

This morning, I stumbled upon this article that deals with the church trying to be attractive to the world. It is an interesting example. You should read it.

I don't know if I 100% agree with what it's saying, but one thing I do know: You cannot please God by attracting people to your church by sacrificing the Truth found in the Bible, nor can you truly be in God's will and explain some things off as a "necessary evil." By definition, both are contrary to God. If God wanted us to attract the world without using the Truth, there is no reason for Jesus. If God wanted "necessary evils," he would not have made the law, morality or anything to differentiate evil from good.

but He did.

pax

The Last Kiss

2007-03-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

I rented a few movies tonight, including the movie "the First Kiss." Really, I was hoping that it would be a movie similar to Garden State, which was not my favorite film, but I thought it was good.

Anyways, I was struck at the end by a quote from the father of the woman that the main character cheated on....which is as follows:

"It's what you do to the people you say you love... it's the only thing that counts."

in other words...actions speak louder than words.

I don't want to put too much commentary, but I thought this may be enough.

pax

The church and Magnetism

2007-03-06T11:57:00.001-08:00

A significant issue in my mind as of late has been the nature of the Church, the mission that Jesus gave us, and the methods of accomplishing said mission. In part, this is due to an ongoing goal of mine to test the ideas and concepts being given to me by my church leaders, and to ensure the health of the church that I belong to, and the ministries in which I facilitate.

Specifically as such, I have been looking at Evergreen's mission to "Attract the world to Christ." <a href="http://www.evergreencc.com/aboutus/mission.shtml ">Evergreen's Mission Statement</a> is an Acronym, meaning that each letter stands for something. In my mind, there are a few things that I think when I look at this.

First, there must be a meaning behind the word or statement, and second, of course, the meaning of the acronym must be equally stated. On the link above, you will see the explanation of the acronym, however, there is not much time spent on the sentence "to attract the world to Christ." What I am not saying is that there is something wrong, but I fear that I am an overly analytical person who needs to deconstruct just about anything before I feel confident with it's stability.

As far as an analytic approach, one should look at both the acronym, and the meaning of the statement. I could go over each item in the acronym, and let you know if I think that the church is fulfilling their goals for themselves, but I fully admit that would not be useful or beneficial to anyone. The part I do want to mention relates to the statement itself.

In magnetism, there are two reactions (I'm not sure if "reaction" is the correct term), the first being Attraction, and the second, Repulsion. Now one could come up with many different analogies for both attraction and repulsion, but my intent is to mention that I think both are good, and should be sought after by the christian church.

Attraction

In magnetism, attraction is when the polarity of the items are just right so that it forces the item together, and because of the magnetic field, the items are drawn together in such a way that there must be a foreign force (muscle power, gravity, etc) to seperate the items.

I believe that this is best illustrated by Jesus, specifically when Jesus was just entering ministry, and calling his disciples. Speaking to men (with jobs) he called them to follow him, and they left what they had(their jobs) and followed Jesus. During this time, Jesus discipled them, teaching them the things that they needed to know in order to be mature in their faith. I think that John 20:21 states that we should do what Jesus did. His first job was to get a bunch of people and train them.

Repulsion

The second thing that magnetism may cause is called repulsion. The items are charged such that bringing them together can only pus them apart. In fact, if one item reverses it's polarity (by some act.....it rarely "just happens"), what once was stuck together, now cannot be forced together....instead the item is pushed apart. For the sake of our argument, we will call this a sending.

Now there are a few things I could say now, but I think I am going to take the high road and speak on good things (but know that I have thought, and am thinking some other things too, because I am not really a "good" person). The great commission is the time that Jesus is sending his disciples. John 20:21 says basically that Jesus told his disciples 'hey, you saw what I did, who I was, and how I lived....go do that.' This was Jesus calling the men to ministry. The ministry involved going....it involved not attraction, but instead an effort to reach out to (perhaps this could be called Attract) those that had not been attracted before.

I think that church ends up being in a cycle of attraction and repulsion....or at least it should be. We should be attracting people in, then sending them out, but not cause them to leave. Our ability to send directly relates to our ability to attract. This is the calling of the Great commission, John 20:21, and Acts 1:8.

my own worst enemy

2007-03-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

"The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" - 1 Timothy 1:15

I don't think that this is going to be the longest post on earth, but I have been thinking recently (partly due to some interesting conversations that I have had the last few days) about my own nature, my expectations of myself, and how I fail at the simplest of little tasks when it comes to choices between sinning and not sinning. Too often, I think, especially with my thoughts, I choose to sin...and that is a very sad realization.

I can appreciate the words that Paul said to Timothy, recognizing himself as the foremost sinner of all......because he saw his own thoughts. Because his thoughts are visible only to him, he sees himself as worst of all. Some people think that he was calling himself the worst of sinners because, when he was named Saul, he was killing the church - the bride of Christ, and that was a huge sin. I don't disagree that killing of the church was a sin, however, I think that he was simply recognizing his own thought life.

If I look at <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Romans+7%3A15-25">Romans 7:15-25</a>, I see the kind of challenge that Paul is having...I think he is recognizing the struggle that everyone has in their own flesh - their mind and heart.

I find it so easy to recognize myself as a terrible sinner. I see myself in conversations where I am complaining about things that I should not be complaining about. I see myself thinking thoughts of hate instead of love, agitation instead of patience, and especially selfishness instead of selflessness. It is so easy to stop at seeing myself as a sinner, and wondering why God would want to use me. Even more, I start convincing myself that I shouldn't follow the great commission and GO into the world, and share the Gospel of Christ.

Because of my own pride, I find that there are really no options for me. Part of me wants so much to punish myself for my sin that I do not want to read anything else in the Bible. I don't want to read about grace, about salvation, or about Jesus. But my pride is dumb, and perhaps the struggle that Paul was talking about in <a href=" http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Romans+7%3A15-25">Romans 7:15-25</a>.

Having said all of this, I am constantly blown away by what comes next for those who place their faith in Christ, <a href=" http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Romans+8%3A3-5">Romans 8:3-5</a>. In fact, I will not add any more commentary, but please take the time to read <a href=" http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Romans+8">Romans 8</a>.

pax

Open Letter to snow

2007-03-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Snow:

Over the past few months, many of my friends, family, and I sadly admit, even I have wondered where you had gone. You see, typically in winter time (or for that matter, autumn and spring too), you kindly visit my neighborhood, and my community. You are typically a very pleasant thing, and although you are not my favorite, I can deal with you, as I try to be kind. You leave a layer of white on everything, reminding me at times that God wipes away my sins - so we are white as, well, you. Of course, you understand that this is an analogy meant for those that have accepted Jesus Christ into their heart. This is a fair analogy, and something that perhaps I need a reminder of every now and then.

Having said all of that, I feel that your neglect of my community had been a welcome vacation, and your sudden onslaught of time with us has really effected us negatively. You see, people like things, but in moderation. We don't go to a restaurant and eat a ton more than we need to.....oh, wait, that doesn't work because of buffets. We don't like to sit on our couches all night doing nothing....dang...that's what American Idol (I don't watch), House, Bones, The Office, Simpsons, Heroes, and 24 are for. Well, the point is, moderation is good.

In order to not sugarcoat any further, I wish to make one statement: Go Away! You are pleasant, however, we have had enough of you for a while. Come back in like 10 months. that would be ok.

Thanks,

Mike

PS. I hate to say this, but if you continue to throw yourself at us, I will have to choose between you and I. quite frankly, I do not know who will win, but I am willing to do what it takes.

thoughts

2007-02-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

I was reading CNN.com (I'm not going to hyperlink, because if you can't get to cnn.com, you have problems), and came upon an interesting article. Jesus has come back (read this). So that is a plus.

I shouldn't make light of the issue at hand. I am saddened to see this article make it on cnn.com. The reason that I am saddened is people read it and think that this is what Christianity is. They think of church as a bunch of people ready to down some kool-aid at the beckon call of some guy who claims to be much more than he actually is. This guy is not Christ.

I am also saddened to see that he has followers. I think that if anyone spent more than 15 minutes reading the Bible, they would recognize that there are inconsistencies with the message that this guy is preaching, and what the Bible says. God, Jesus, and the message that Jesus told believers to deliver to the world is a very consistent message.

This guy preaches that there is no sin, and no hell. 30 members of HIS church went and got '666' tattooed onto their bodies. '666' is of course, Biblically representative of the Devil (because in Hebrew, saying things 3 times in a row means that their is nothing more [whatever is being said] than this). '6' is the number of man [man being fallen, sinful created beings] '666' would indicate the most wretched of the fallen beings - the devil.

ok, I will stop my rant, but it is because of the sins of people (myself included) that discernment is so necessary. This article shows to me the urgency of discernment, and also of studying what the Bible says and then using the brain that God gave you.

That is all.

pax

Happy to say that

2007-02-19T05:17:00.001-08:00

You Are a Mac

You are creative, stylish, and super trendy.
You demand the best - even if it costs an arm and a leg.

Are You a Mac or a PC?

24

2007-02-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

In 9 days, my sister turns 24. that's right....."mikeys little sister yoyo laura" turns 24. If 24 meant anything....I don't know.

Oh yeah, and also, the Fanning the Flan is going on at Evergreen.

that's as close to an update as you are going to get from me today.

pax

messages

2007-02-09T05:24:00.000-08:00

I have been listening to Mars Hill Church (in Seattle) sermons lately, specifically this last series on the book of Ruth. This morning, I listened to the following, and thought it was a good, concise way of defining Scripture:

"Mars Hill view of Scripture:

At Mars Hill, we believe that scripture is true, it is ultimately inspired of God through human authors, that it is perfect, and it is how God has chosen to reveal Himself to us most clearly. Furthermore, we believe that because Scripture is a true story, with God as author, like every good story, it has a Hero. And the hero of the story of scripture is Jesus Christ. The first line is "In the beginning there was God," and the last line of scripture in the book of Revelation speaks about Jesus. So it begins by telling us that it is a book about God, and it ends by telling us that that God is Jesus Christ. Furthermore, Jesus tells us that everything in Scripture is about Him...scripture in general, is about Jesus.

The reason [the book of Ruth] is that it is ultimately of the story of the family of Jesus."

Here are links to the messages, for your enjoyment:

Ruth 1: God's Hand in our Suffering

Ruth 2:1-13: God's Hand in our Luck

Ruth 2: 14-23: God's Hand in our Blessing

Ruth 3: 1-18: God's Hand in our Risks

Ruth 4: 1-12: God's Hand in our Shrewdness

That should last you a while.....

and I am sorry....I have been kind of link happy the last few days.

pax

Sola

2007-02-06T18:46:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking lately about some of the ideas of the reformation. Perhaps saying that the ideas stem from the reformation are a bit absurd, as they stem from well before scripture existed.....but anyways, here are the solas

1.) Sola gratia
2.) Sola fide
3.) Sola scriptura
4.) Solus Christus
5.) Soli Deo gloria

thus ends the solas. or at least the ones from the Synod of Dordt.

pax

feeling

2007-02-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

I got home from work early....kinda feeling sick, which is not good. But, on the other side, it goves me reason to rent some movies and make it a "relaxing" night at home, instead of going out.

I rented two movies;

The Guardian
Pirates of the Carribean II: Dead Man's Chest

The Guardian was far better than I thought it would be. Towards the end, it became almost God teaching me something through it....it reached my heart. It follows the Coast Guard class of Rescue swimmers, a rare breed. Anyways, the motto of the US Coast Guard (at least in this move) is "So Others May Live." Also, in the beginning and the end, it mentioned about a "fisher of men," which obviously is going to make anyone that has ever read their Bible think of Jesus. And also, it will make all the fundamentalist Christians go and buy the movie....and the pastors of some churches use it for their next message on the concept of "Fishers of Men."

Anyways, it got me thinking.....that is a good motto......so good in fact that Jesus used it. So others may live. So others may live.

I am thankful that Jesus died to honor God. I am thankful that Jesus died for my sins, so that I may live. I am thankful that Jesus was willing to die for others.

I hope that I can be used to simply get out of the way and let Jesus shine. So others may live.

pax

ceteri sis vixi

lot of whistling lately

2007-02-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

Thursday was a very interesting day. I ended up working for about 11 hours, and it was a very stressful day. To make a long geeky story short (and not geeky), there was a problem with one of the computer systems, which made basically the entire system to be offline.

Friday, the same system didn't go down, per se, however, it did slow down enough so that we had to do some serious troubleshooting to make it functional at all.

Yesterday, I came into work just to make sure everything was working, and it was. I was there for about 4 hours or so, and left after everyone else did.

Today, I had the pleasure of before the sun did, arriving at work at 4:00 AM. Just in case you wanted to know, I would rather stay up until 4 AM than wake up at the same time.

Not another day off until saturday.....and I think that I am on call next weekend...fun.

it makes me thankful that I can rest my burdens on Christ. and instead of being anxious about things, I can (am allowed to) pray to God about it.

that's all.

pax

Bored

2007-01-30T17:20:00.001-08:00

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits.
Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle.
Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it.
You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

You Follow Your Head

You're rational, collected, and logical.
Generally, it takes you quite a while to fall in love.
In fact, you've even been accused of being very picky.
While you're cool, you're not ice cold.
You just know what you want, and don't mind waiting to get it.

Do You Follow Your Head or Your Heart?

Your Personality Is

Guardian (SJ)

You are sensible, down to earth, and goal oriented.
Bottom line, you are good at playing by the rules.

You tend to be dominant - and you are a natural leader.
You are interested in rules and order. Morals are important to you.

A hard worker, you give your all at whatever you do.
You're very serious, and people often tell you to lighten up.

In love, you tend to take things carefully and slowly.

At work, you are suited to almost any career - but you excel in leadership positions.

With others, you tend to be polite and formal.

As far as looks go, you are traditionally attractive. You take good care of yourself.

On weekends, you tend to like to do organized activities. In fact, you often organize them!

The Three Question Personality Test

You Are 50% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird...
But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

You Are 92% Gentleman

No doubt about it, you are a total gentleman.
You please the pickiest ladies, and you make everyone in a room feel comfortable.

Are You A Gentleman?

Geeks and the Gospel

2007-01-26T20:23:00.000-08:00

I was listening to a message by one of my pastors tonight, and he spoke on the nature of sin. I believe that what he was preaching on in particular was the idea that there are consequences for the sins, and there are levels of consequences of sin: some sins are worse than others.

I was curious to think about the nature of sin in context of the way that God sees sin.

In computers, the way that a computer understands things in raw terms are switches. Essentially the switches can either be on or off, illustrated by a '0' (zero) being off, and a '1' (one) being on. This system is called binary. As of now, computers only recognize this binary system, as something that can be on or off, and nothing else.

Habakuk 1:13 talks about how God sees sin (the word for sin in this verse is evil). What this verse says is that God cannot see evil, in other words, evil (sin) can not exist where God is. In a binary world, Let's say that everyone starts out at an off position (0), and their sins are counted. Because the only options are 0 and 1, when a person sins, their switch is set to 1, or on. Regardless of the number of sins a person commits, the switch is still turned on.

James 2:10-11 says basically the same thing: If you've committed one sin, you are accountable for them all. Binary system. It is fair. It is either one or the other. Either you are sinless, or you are not. This verse speaks on the Law being one thing. You either are a follower of the Law, or you are a transgressor of the Law.

I kind of wonder what life would be like if it ended there. Would it be worth living? Would hope, love, and trust exist in a world like this?

Enter Jesus. The entire scope of humanity, and the God-breathed words of scripture were intended to Glorify God, as was the intent of Jesus. Jesus taking our place for sin allowed this binary system to be broken, and something different (re)entered. Because of this sacrifice by God the Son (or God the Word), us sinners are recreated, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ.

---

These are just some quick thoughts...feel free to leave comments or whatever you'd like. If you would rather email me, feel free to email me at lindberg (dot) mike (at) gmail (dot) com

pax

quiz deal

2007-01-26T05:40:00.001-08:00

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.
An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.
You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view.
A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary.

You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Update of sorts

2007-01-22T05:14:00.000-08:00

I realized that I really have not updated the blog of any of my recent events. So here goes:

1.) Last weekend (Jan 12 - 14), I had the joy of having Irene come to Minnesota. The weekend was pretty fun, as we went to the Underwater World, the MOA, walked on Lake Nokomis, went tubing, went to the Times, and otherwise just talked. It was cool to show her around, and have her meet some people that I am close to.

I guess the Times restaurant was as close as we got to my birthday dinner.....which was great. There were a handful of the people that I would call my closest friends (although there were also a handful of my closest friends that were not there), and I think that we had a good time. There was a band playing, which was basically a Sinatra/Nat King Cole cover band, but it was enjoyable. And the singer called me a "little sh..." that was funny.

2.) I'm now 25. As some of my friends say, I am now "half a century..." to which I quickly reply, "a quarter." I say this not because not because I am concerned about my age, but instead more attempting to make sure that everyone knows their math. and sometimes logic.

3.) Missions trips. We started meeting for the missions trips to Honduras. I am particularly excited about this year, and we are beginning to see more people interested in the trips as well. I am hopeful that God will use the missionaries to Preach the Gospel bith by words and by actions. One of the things that gets me going about the missions trips is that these people get excited about serving while they are on the trip, then when they get home, they are more prone to helping people here.

I think 3 is enough for now.

pax

Desire

2007-01-08T15:12:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, Steve Jobs will announce a handful of products that I am sure that I will "need." Just thought the internet should know. Go here at about noon.

Oh, yeah, and this better be much, much better than last year.

that is all

pax

Saint Francis quotes

2007-01-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

Linda Dugan got me hooked on looking at quotes from Saint Francis.

Here are some:

“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”

“Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

“While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.”

“I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone.”

“Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well and an be of service to him. And blessed is he who loves his brother as well when he is afar off as when he is by his side, and who would say nothing behind his back he might not, in love, say before his face.”

pax

more quotes

2007-01-03T08:14:00.001-08:00

>From Walking with the Poor by Bryant L Myers:

pg31 "Deuteronomy tells is the the prophet was "raised us" by God and set up over and against the priest and the king, taking on the character of God's own voice: "I will put my words in his mout" (18:15,17). The stories of the prophets tell us a great deal about how God views sin and its impact and serve to remind us of what God wants in creation as well as what God intends to do."

pg34 "Development workers must search their heart to see where they believe the center is that can transform the poor, where they believe Jesus will be found, where the "foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." Perhaps the perihphery [speaking of places that are not the center of man's "power"] is not God-forsaken at all."

pg35 "Transformation is the work of a community; it is not served well by lonely 'cowboys.' The gospel mesage is a way of living with Christ and each other that then enables the ministry of word, deed, and sign."

pg45 "We must fulfill our mission by accepting the paradoxical location of every Christian. The gospel is infinitely translatable, available to everyone in every language. Therefore, as bearers of the gospel story, the Christian agent of transformation can and should be thoroughly local, at home everywhere, just as the gospel is. At the same time, however, the kingdom is not yet fully here and will not be until the second coming of Christ. This, we are also pilgrims, at home nowhere, because our real home is the transcendent Christian community moving toward a kingdom not yet here. This means we are in the world and not of it. This also means that we accept people where they are without judgement, while also knowing that the Spirit of God celebrates the good, unmasks the evil, and calls for the most fundamental change in everyone.

We are to see the world as created, fallen, and being redeemed, all at the same time. We must not seperate creation and fall from redemption. As a story, the parts are inseparable, each giving meaning to the other."

pg53 "The Great Commission, therefore, is about the discipline of the nations, the conversion of the things that make people into nations -- the shared and common processes of thinking; attitudes; world views; perspectives; languages; and the cultural, social and economic habits of thought, behavior and practice. These things and the lives of the people in whom such things find expression -- all of this meant to be within the call of discipleship."

pg53 "Being must precede doing"

pg55 "No story in which the poor are forgotten, ignored, or left to their own devices is consistent with the biblical story. If the poor are forgotten, God will be forgotten too. Loving God and loving neighbor are twin injunctions of a single command."

I hope that you enjoyed those as much as I did.

pax

2006

2006-12-31T19:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't done a year-in-review post....ever, but I thought since I am bored, I might as well.

Higlights of 2006 (in no particular order):

1.) Having Aaron and Chris as roommates

Although this group of people certainly allowed for a multitude of arguments, looking back, I am thankful for the amount of time and energy both of these men spent talking with me on various subjects.

2.) Camalote, Honduras

I could mention a few things. The mission trips this year intensified my desire to see others get to know Christ. Having my mother join me on one of the weeks was humbling and honoring. It was great to see friends that I hadn't for a year, and it was a joy to meet many new friends. I had the joys of sharing some of my testimony in front of the church in Camalote.

3.) Improved Faith

There are many places that I could say that I have grown in. Each of these has allowed me to focus on God more, and allowed me to become a better person, by the grace of God.

4.) Weddings

Both my sister's wedding to Duane, and also Aaron's wedding to Lexi have been this year. I wish them the best. I feel like there was another wedding....but can't think of it.

5.) Miami

It was very fun to visit Irene, see Jonathan again, go airboating, parasailing and otherwise celebrating. It was the closest thing to a vacation that I had, and I liked it so much, I missed my flight back to MSP.

Lowlights:

1.) Conversion at work

The conversion at work caused some unbalanced life for a time, and was a great deal of stress during that time. I am glad that the conversion is over.

2.) Dugans

Although the Dugans did all that could be done to ensure that their leaving Evergreen would not be painful, it ended up being so. Their attempts at being very gracious and specific about the explanation of them leaving ended up offending a pastor/some pastors of Evergreen, and caused a great deal of friction between them and the Dugans, along with to a lesser extent, some of us that are friends with the Dugans.

I continue to be impressed with the grace and integrity that the Dugans show in regards to this situation. it has been an example in my life.

3.) Patience

I don't much enjoy waiting.

I guess that's all I got.

pax

New Book - more quotes

2006-12-31T12:03:00.000-08:00

From the book "Walking with the Poor" by Bryant L Myers. Bryant L Myers is a Vice President for International Program Strategy at World Vision.

(pg 20) "...I understand the Bible to say that God is the creator of this world. Furthermore, the Bible asserts that in Christ all things hold together through the work of the Holy Spirit. This suggests that God is actively at work in the world, working for God's purposes. If this is so, then God has a stake in what we are making in the world. God is very interested in our work of transformational development, since it either supports or works against what God is doing."

(pg 22-23) "The Bible is the narrative of God's creative and redemptive work in the world; thus it also contains the story of the Christian Community. It is God's story about what God is doing."

(pg 23) "But the biblical story is also a very unusual story. We are told the beginning, the middle, and the final chapter of the story. But the piece between Jesus and his work on the cross and the final chapter is still being written. God's story is not just about what God has done, but also about what God, through his church, is doing now. God is still writing the story, and incredibly, God has invited us to participate in that writing."

that's all for now....more to come.

pax

Quotes

2006-12-27T18:09:00.000-08:00

From the book "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger."

pg 202: "By all means avoid legalist and self-righteousness. But have the courage to commit yourself to some specific method for moving towards a just personal lifestyle.

Will we dare to measure our living standards by the needs of the poor rather than by the lifestyles of our neighbors? Will we have the faith to believe Jesus' word that joy and happiness flow from sharing?"

pg 209: But if the church is to consist of communities of loving defiance in a sinful world, it must pay more attention to the quality of its fellowship and find new models of Christian community."

pg 216: "The question is not, Are gothic (or glass) cathedrals ever legitimate? Of course they are. The right question is: Is God calling our congregation to spend millions on church construction when more that a billion people have not yet heardof Jesus Christ and over one billion people are starving or malnourished?"

that's all for now.

pax

book report

2006-12-27T11:39:00.000-08:00

I'm currently in the long process of reading "Rich Christians in an age of Hunger", written by Ronald J Sider. The current chapter that I am reading on is how one can practically make a difference towards living a simpler lifestyle, which ultimately will help the poor. Amongst many other suggestions, I found the following:

Opposing (by speech and example) the flagrant misuse of grain for making beer and other alcoholic beverages (the United States annually uses enough grain --5.2 million tons--in the production of alcoholic beverages, enough to feed 26 million people in a country like India)

I'm hesitant to say that this quote is going to cause a huge amount of change in my drinking (as I don't really drink that often anyways), but I am amazed at what it is saying. Beer is certainly not a necessity in anyone's life, and it essentially is taking away food from those that are hungry. I wonder what would happen if people took a few items like alcohol, and quit consuming them. would that assist those in Poverty?

I am confident in saying that the next time I see beer on a menu, I am going to think of this quote...

just thought I'd share.

pax

Least Favorite word

2006-12-27T05:22:00.000-08:00

You know what my least favorite word is?

Wait.

I'd like to tell you that patience is one of the things that I have been working on, and ultimately have been "succeeding" at, but I guess that I really can't. Perhaps looking back, I was a little less patient, but in most things, I find myself at least thinking the same things as I had in the past.

This post is going to be mainly for me, in hopes that I will read it, and actually think about it.

Wait does not mean "no", like I think most of the time, it simply means wait, or slow down, or something of that sort. Many times, I take it as a "no," because the word "wait" forces me to stop, and I don't like stopping. Again, perhaps much of this is in my head, but it certainly proves itself true in my life.

I am beginning to see this word "wait," and of course the two things that I was told to wait on, as not only a test from God (a test as in a challenge, but a call to further develop my trust and faith in God), but as a gift. Perhaps it's time that the word "wait" would take a better meaning in my head. I'll end there.

pax

Test

2006-12-21T08:03:00.001-08:00

Below are a portion of MY OPINIONS. I would love to discuss them as time allows....and am open to correction if you have any.

I believe that it is the role of every believer to test everything. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says 'test everything, hold onto what is pure.' I believe this to be a true statement, however with some thoughts:

1.) LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S EXAMPLE

I learned from my sister that you can successfully learn from Other people's examples, not forcing you to fall into the same traps. In this sense, your elders (speaking of people that are older in faith or in life than you are, not just specifically pastors/elders) can teach you things that they have learned, and you don't have to make the same mistakes. In order for these to be put in practice in my own life, however, they do need to be tested and proven to be pure. I believe this to accomplish what the verse is saying.

2.) A TEST

I believe in this verse, a "test" is not necessarily a detailed analysis of the implications of every activity (although as I write that, I feel comfortable with calling it that as well). Sometimes (NOTE: I did not say all the time or most of the time), a test can be a simple thing, making sure that your intentions or another's intentions are following Christ.

3.) FOLLOWING

Following Christ is the goal of every believer, not following another person. All the time, there are failings in the lives of others, and in yourself. If you were to blindly follow the lead of others, you cannot "test" how you are following in order to determine if you are following because of Jesus, or following because of someone else.

4.) STRUCTURE (as related to following)

There is no structure on earth that is perfect. OK, perhaps the structure in themselves are good, however, when men are involved, in comes sin. By definition, anything man is involved in is not perfect, and we cannot treat it as such. There are two types of people involved in structures (or at least for my comments): The first is those that maintain the structure (call them managers, leaders, pastors, etc), and then those that use the structure (the congregation, the followers, the general population). It is the role of both groups to test everything.

Those that maintain the structure are to test the structure, and verify that it is holding to the Truth found in the Bible. If it is not, it is their responsibility to modify the structure accordingly. These are the people that are RESPONSIBLE TO those that use the structure, and to God. Without those that use the structure, there is no need for those that maintain the structure.

Those that use the structure are to test both the structure and the process of those that maintain the structure. In a church setting, these people are responsible to the people that maintain the structure and to God.

OK....I'll stop there...because I think there may be some interesting discussions in the comments....we'll see.

Post

2006-12-21T06:40:00.001-08:00

The last post of mine was commented on. The comment had nothing in particular to do with the post (as the post basically meant nothing), however, I removed the comment.

I chose to remove the comment, not because I was "afraid" of reading what was posted: The comment was a "statement of error/apology" by GCM leaders in 1991. I have read this letter several times, and am not afraid of sharing it openly with whomever would like. There seems to be a multitude of resources on the internet pointing out (perceived) errors in GCM's leadership and GCM's theology. I use the word "perceived" meaning that some of the times, the issues are not with Biblical Doctrine, but instead on the non-essential doctrine of the Bible, the stuff that people can disagree on and still be believers in Christ. I do not use the word "perceived" to lessen the urgency or importance of what some of the people have written. I am very appreciative of the friends that I have both in GCM churches and those serving Christ in other congregations.

The comment was simply the statement, and the author of the comment did not expound on their thoughts. In addition, the comment was posted anonymously, which led me to believe that they were uninterested in a conversation, and more interested in providing documentation that without a healthy conversation could possibly cause division. If that author is interested in a discussion as such, I would ask them to either post with a link that I can get back to them, or email me.

That's all for now.

Mike

apologies

2006-12-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

My apologies for those of you who read this via an RSS feed. I updated my blogs to the new "Beta" blogger, and it republished quite a few posts.

That is all.

pax

[Update: There was a comment added to this post relating to a document written in 1991 and Great Commission Association. I did remove the comment, for the following reasons:

1.) The document was posted Anonymously
2.) The comment had very little, if any, relationship to this post
3.) There was no specific reasoning behind posting the document, and no communication on why the document was important in this post.

My next post may explain more of my thoughts on this.]

I'm a geek

2006-12-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

mike the young geek
Originally uploaded by mikelindberg.

You know, much of my life, I have been trying to be "cool." I fear that after assisting my mother clean her house, I found proof that I never was meant to be "cool," but instead to be one of the youngest confirmed geeks on record.

In this picture, I am less than one year old. Although I am excited to share that I always seemed to have a draw toward baseball, I am not as excited to point out my right hand. For those of you who don't know anything about Star Trek (the original series), Spock was a main character. His deal was to separate his right hand's middle finger and pointer finger from his ring finger and pinky finger, while saying Live long and prosper......amongsth other things.

Anyways, I thought that I would point out that I am in fact doing the thing with my right hand. So yeah, I am a nerd. simple as that.

pax

Response/Advice

2006-12-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

I leave this as I commented on Caleb's blog....not to take away anything from his blog, but instead to bring comments to mine if there are disagreements with what I said.
---

hmm....I want to join in on this one. looks like a fun "conversation."

I agree with Brent. for the important parts.

Acts 1:8 tells you of the order in which you should address the option of being a missionary: first locally, then regionally, then throughout the world. This is a really good plan (so good, in fact, that it made it's way into the Bible.) In following Christ as a missionary (as every believer should be), you need to live it, and there is no better place to live it, then where you live, for starters at least.

Sometimes I wonder when I think of the missionaries of the past who have had such a heart for God's work throughout the world...(insert your favorite past global missions person here). I wonder what the world would be like if they didn't first identify the calling that God has placed in their hearts, and move towards it. Would Christianity exist in places like India, Asia, or the Americas?

I speak now as a hypocrite. My excitement toward "local missions" has been at best poor. I have been a horrible example (in my own head) of living my faith locally prior to going internationally. I think that your father is correct in saying that there is a desperate need HERE. That need exists, without any doubt in my head, and is in desperate need of men and women devoted to Jesus Christ, and the mission for His followers (Matthew 28:19-20 and John 20:21). I am here locally, so I NEED to do God's work locally. The list of things to do that Brent gave are a terrific example of how everyone can honor Christ more effectively here.

Having said that, I see the life of John G Paton (a missionary to a small group of islands northeast of Australia) as a fantastic example of being successful in God's eyes, and not in the eyes of man. In every way that man would gauge his missionary work, it was a failure, but through it, much good was done in God's eyes. As far as his sending church and organization was concerned, he was ineffective. But through his life, many were taught of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps this is just a long way of saying what Ben did (at least point #1). That could be, and i apologize if it is. Above anything, I would say that you are at a great point in your life: you recognize that you and your wife are at a point where you can do anything for the sake of Jesus. In that respect, I pray that you consider the path that God is leading you on, and do it. Whatever it is, Do it. But in the mean time, before you are certain.....you are here....so be a witness in Jerusalem (or Minneapolis).

I think perhaps your thoughts hit a nerve with me, as it seems to be something that I am questioning as well. But I have come to enjoy seeking an answer in this, and you should too....because any way it goes, you are seeking God's will in your life, and you can give Him the honor that he is due.

I'll leave you with some words from John G Paton:

"And should the record of my poor and broken life lead anyone to consecrate himself to Mission work at home or abroad that he may win souls for Jesus, or should it even deepen the missionary spirit in those who already know and serve the Redeemer of us all- for this also, and for all through which He has led me by His loving and gracious guidance, I shall, unto the endless ages of eternity, bless and adore my beloved Master and Saviour and Lord, to whom be glory for ever and ever."

funny website

2006-12-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

Go here.

Click on I Like You

Click on I'm Sorry.

Those are funny. and good.

That is all.

pax

Latest Book

2006-12-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

I am currently reading "Soul Cravings," a book by Erwin Raphael McManus. Although at times, McManus seems a bit too mystical for my taste, I really enjoy his books. This book appears to be more of a collection of essays, not in the usual book fashion of a series of chapters. I like that. It is split into three topics: Intimacy(as in Love), Destiny, and Meaning. I want to write a few quotes that stuck in my head:

Entry 1: "Perhaps John Donne said it best, 'I am two fools, I know, For loving, and for saying so.'"

Entry 3: "We cannot live unaffected by love. We are most alive when we find it, most devastated when we lose it, most empty when we give up on it, most inhumane when we betray it, and most passionate when we pursue it."

"We are created to know God and to know love. It is love that moves God toward us and love that pulls us toward him. Follow love and it will guide you to God."

Entry 8: "The strange thing about God is that the One we deserve the least is the One we need the most and the One who desires us the most(so much for abandonment issues)."

"home is ultimately not about a place to live but about the people with whom you are most fully alive. Home is about love, relationship, community, and belonging, and we are all searching for home."

Entry 10: "Therea re a lot of things that are dispensable to God. He can re-create whatever he wants. You, however, are not on that list. You are unique and irreplaceable. You are the object of God's love."

on Destiny

Entry 3: "It is only as we lose our childlike innocence that we begin to settle for far less. A part of growing up seems to be acquiescing to mediocrity."

Entry 5: "It is, in fact, our dreams that energize us to literally go to war against reality and make what only exists in our imagination our future."

Entry 20: "To be a follower of Christ is to believe that everyone's life can be different. No one is defined by the status of birth. Our destiny is not limited to our pedigree. Every human being is of equal value to God. No one must remain a prisoner of fate."

Entry 22: "If you were to interview people wo have come out of churches and have no intention to return, you'd find some common themes. One of them is the controlling nature of the churches they came from. Somehow, we've equated conformity with holiness."

Entry 23: "He has created us like him - with passion and desire and emotion. God is like a fire that burns within your soul."

I look forward to reading the third part.....on Meaning.

hope you enjoy these quotes.

pax

quote

2006-12-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

Thought this was too good to not post:

"All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things."

Bobby Knight

Writing and Humility

2006-12-01T06:21:00.000-08:00

Good day. The last few days I have had trouble writing. For some reason, there was writer's block to the extent of anything involving writing, including emails, were suffering. That is why there is no updates on here....but I am going to try now.

I was talking to a friend last night, and the topic came up regarding Pride/Humility. I think of Pride, especially being proud of "my accomplishments" as something that I need to be really careful of, as it seems to distort and destroy my relationship with God. If it gets bad, I feel that I don't need God, because I can do things by myself.

Sometimes I try to think of appropriate analogies for this in my own life. Perhaps there are small examples like not recognizing the importance of wearing shoes while you are walking over gravel (as the shoes assist in absolving the pain that there would be if you were not wearing shoes) or even not recognizing the value of a bridge when you are trying to get across a river. For the life of me, I can't seem to find enough, or good enough analogies to satisfy what God does in my life. In my failure to recognize that God gives me the knowledge, direction, friendships, and all the other things that I use to be successful, I am only showing my pride, but pride that is completely undue. I think that is what this verse (1 Corinthians 1:26-31) is getting at.

It is a funny thing, humility. As was explained to me, and I agree with wholeheartedly, it is something that you can't really say you are(being humble), because that would show pride. Humility is more of something that you "do," and can be seen in your walk with Christ. Humility, something that escapes so many people, including myself, is something that is so counter cultural and different that it allows the example and the influence in others lives for Christ.

I am thankful for the conversation that I had last night, as it showed me the importance of humility, and how difficult it is to attain. It showed me some things that I need to work on in my life, and as someone who has influence with others (as everyone on earth does), I need to make sure that I am walking down the path of giving honor to God, because God is the giver of everything, and I could do nothing without God and without the things that are given to me.

Thats all for now.

pax

Internet Version 2

2006-11-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

Internet went out again. It's fixed.

Also, having trouble writing.....can't write much, except for poetry. Not anything to be distributed on the internet.

pax

2006-11-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

Be without fear in the face of your enemies.
Be brave and upright that God may love you.
Speak the truth even if it leads to your death.
Safeguard the helpless.
That is your oath.

Internet

2006-11-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

My internet was out...for a couple of days before I left, then until now.

I realized how much I enjoy the internet.

And thank God for the cable repair guy who just cut the zip-tie that the last guy put on. That is what fixed the internet to my house.

perhaps I will be posting soon.

pax

no post

2006-11-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

Well, for the two of you that actually read this (not meant to be a call for pity or anything).....I will more than likely be not posting for a couple of more days. I'm headed south, to a region that is warmer than 40 degrees as a high.

perhaps, if you are lucky, I will have pictures and/or stories to post upon my return.

that's all for now...tomorrow, I get to enjoy a full day of flights ... first from MSP to ATL, then ATL to MIA. for those of you that don't know airport codes....I'm going to Miami (at this point you should have the song by Will Smith in your head, but you should get it out of your head, because it is terrible) with a layover in Atlanta. 2.5 hours in Atlanta should be fun.

Adios.

quotes

2006-11-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

"When everyone is against you, it means that you are absolutely wrong-- or absolutely right." - Albert Guinon

"Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?"/ Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."" Charles M Schultz

"We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered." - Tom Stoppard

"Sometimes it is harder to deprive oneself of a pain than of a pleasure." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

meeting

2006-11-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

I met with a church leader last night regarding missions within Evergreen. It was an encouraging time for me....as it was cool to see exactly how this person saw missions, and how willing he was to constructively challenge some of my ideas. I am hopeful that the conversation may be the beginnings of a continued effective missions ministry within Evergreen.

And by missions I mean both local and international.

pax

Picture

2006-11-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

I have to post this poem here too....I like it so much I have to post it in two locations.

Here you go - enjoy!

---

A picture's worth a thousand words
but the words seem to tell you more
because a wink in a picture
doesn't tell you who the wink is for

So tell me what would you rather have
the picture or the book
because your preference in this
isn't something I want to have mistook

Tell me if you'd rather
hear my words or see my face
but if you choose my picture
I promise not a word I will erase

Once you decide to change your mind
there will be one thousand words more
because even two thousand words is not enough
only something to deplore

I'll let you know when I figure out
exactly how many words that I will write
but I can tell you probably
there will be a thousand more tonight

So you ask me who the wink is for
because in the picture there is no clue
well, I have some words to tell you
that wink....well, it's for you.

Sky

2006-11-08T05:19:00.000-08:00

The sky was purple and orange this morning as the sun rose. So this morning, as I was driving to work, I was constantly reminded of good things.

that is all.

pax

prayer request

2006-11-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

hi.

I have a series of prayer requests.

1.) That God would provide a renter or two, being responsible Christian men OR provide someone who would like to purchase the house such that I am able to at least break even on my loan.

2.) That God would provide me rest - real rest, as I have been not getting great sleep lately

3.) That God will help me learn the things necessary to glorify Him with my career.

4.) That God would help me in my meeting with a church leader tomorrow to discuss local and international missions within Evergreen.

5.) That God would show me exactly how I can honor him in the situations that have been put in front of me.

6.) That God would give me direction in one particular area both in the ministry that I am involved in, and in my life.

Perhaps this was just venting.....but I truly want to honor God in all I do....

thanks for your prayers!

pax

Haggard

2006-11-06T19:38:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write on the Ted Haggard thing that has been going around the internet.

I read his letter to his church, and his wife's letter to the church, and I began to understand exactly how destructive sin is. For all I can tell, this man is now not hiding his sin, but instead identifying what he did as wrong.

Then I read Challies.com article on it and almost broke down in tears.

Because I am sure that everyone has read anything they need or want to about this incident, I wish to only say the following things that I was reminded of:

First - We are sinners. We do things that are against what God wants.
Second - Sin effects more than just me
Third - The hidden sins are the most dangerous
Fourth - Any man can fall victim to sin

And most importantly, Jesus came to reconcile our relationship with God, and wash us white as snow. Jesus is Grace, Love, Acceptance. Jesus is all the things that I am not.

I have yet to listen to the message of New Life Church after the events...but it sounds like it would be interesting....so here is the link.

pax

clowns will eat me

2006-11-05T22:16:00.000-08:00

Can't sleep. Lots of coffee will be needed tomorrow.

that is all.

pax

thinker

2006-11-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

Last night at ECC's bloomington leaders meeting, Brent shared on the book of Jonah. If I were to wrap it all in a nutshell, here is what I got out of it:

1.) God gives us commands, and we run from them (sometimes) Jonah 1:2-3
2.) God gives us a second chance Jonah 3:1
3.) It is the willingness on our part to go and the words given to us by God that make a difference...ultimately, we are vehicles for God, not people with the message, because God is the message, and it comes from Him. Jonah 3:4-5
4.) People are more important than our comfort. Jonah 4:10-11
5.) We, I, forget that #4 exists, because I like comfort.
6.) Remember #4

that is all.

pax

quote

2006-11-01T05:19:00.000-08:00

found this fantastic quote here:

"When the devil gets influence in a church, up go candles and down goes preaching."

Hugh Latimer
Martyred by Queen Mary on October 16, 1555

pax

Dave

2006-10-31T19:13:00.000-08:00

theophostics

2006-10-30T05:38:00.000-08:00

There are times when I study some ministries outside of my own church, because often times, these ministries are publishing information that may or may not effect the church that I am involved in. By reading the information, and how it lines up with scripture, it allows me to better see the Truth found in the Bible, and the lies created by man. Which brings me to Theophostics.

Theophostics is essentially the follwing idea (taken from here):

"If I try to resolve my present conflict without finding healing and resolution for my past wounds (memories with embedded lies), I may only find temporary relief. However, if I heal my past, I can redeem my present."

You know, I really don't know how to even start on this, but when I read on it, and pray about it, I just get one of those feelings like something is wrong....and it's a huge thing (perhaps this is called "discernment"). Perhaps it's simply because by the description above, a person is basically denying the fact that Jesus can change you....or also denying the possibility of Jesus and God having power over your past.

In conclusion - I believe that God is more powerful than my feelings and my past. I believe that my relief is found in Jesus, not through 'healing' my past.

That's my rant.

pax

Daylight savings

2006-10-29T08:07:00.000-08:00

well, I woke up this morning, and noticed that my phone had a different time than my alarm. It took me several minutes to figure out that the time changed.

so for the rest of the day, I think I am going to be an hour slow (even though I should be an hour faster).

That is all.

pax

Orlin

2006-10-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you who went to Camalote in 2007

On Missions

2006-10-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

I have to first admit that this post is a slight response to Ben's comments on my last post. Having said that, my intent is not to argue (although it may seem like that at points), but instead define what I see missions, and it's role in the corporate church.

First off, I will mention a portion of Ben's comment saying:

"Overall, short or long term, missions are over romanticized by the American church. Though obviously a lot of good gets done it's my belief that over half the people that do go on missions either a) shouldn't have gone / went for the wrong reasons and/or b) were not trained properly. I'd go further but I think you get my point on that and I don't feel like writing a novel on here"

I agree with Ben when he says that International missions have been "over Romanticized", to a point. For some reason or another, the term 'missionary' has become similar to the term 'explorer,' as we hear stories about missionaries martyred while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to some groups of people. The church can sometimes distance 'missions work' from the work of the church, and I believe that this is part of the problem.

Here are my thoughts (and feel free to add your thoughts or disagree with me here). The work of 'Missions' is the work of every Christian. Missions is simply sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people. As the book of Acts states, we are to be witnesses to Jerusalem (our local city), Judea and Samaria (regionally or nationally), and even to the ends of the earth (internationally). By this and other passages in the Bible, it is abundantly clear that Missions work is the responsibility of every believer (superseding the verses that speak of gifts or callings). If you are not a missionary and you call yourself a Christian, then you are not being obedient to God.

Now having said that, there are different kinds of missionaries...the methods are whatever God places in front of you, however, as believers, you are still called to be a missionary (Matthew 28:19-20, John 20:21, etc).

that's what I got for now.

pax

On Culture and the Gospel

2006-10-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

I am trying to write on Culture and the Gospel, speaking of how missionaries can preach the Good News of Jesus Christ, and leave out the culture that they come from. This has proven to be really difficult for me, seeing that I have little experience living outside my own culture, so I defer to the thoughts and experiences of the readers of my blog. I have gotten a few responses from questions directed at some friends, but I need more help. Here are my questions:

1.) How does the Gospel fit into culture (speaking mainly of contextualization here)?:

2.) How can missionaries ensure they are leaving the people that they share the Gospel to with strictly the Truth found in the Bible, and not the culture of the missionary?

3.) How can missionaries be sure to help others without creating dependence on the missionaries or missionary organization?

3b.) How can missionaries be sure to help others without creating a dependence on the local or international church instead of dependence on Jesus Christ?

4.) How can missionaries from the US preach the Gospel in such a way that it shows humility toward culture instead of a prideful attitude of ethnocentrism?

That's it for now. Feel free to post to my blog, or email me.

Thanks for your assistance.

pax

My issue

2006-10-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

I have decided that one of the things that I need to watch for in my life is pride in myself and my decisions.....this is the area that has the greatest potential to destroy my relationship with Jesus than any other.

One of the greatest things that I think is necessary in any relationship is accountability. I think that accountrability specifically in leadership is the most imperative point of any leadership structure. I mean, if you look at the US government, the founding fathers set up accountability between branches of office (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial) so that one could not be more powerful than others. This is how important accountability is. I believe that this accountability is why there is church governments with "Plurality of leaders", and others having boards of elders outside of the church's pastors.

Now having said that, I have to agree with Aaron when he says that any leadership structure is not inherently good or bad, but instead, it is the leaders and people involved that may cause something the be amiss. I don't want to go into this too much.....but instead focus on an area that I see failings in my own life and my own leadership. I will be speaking in Third person so that it makes sense, but please know that it is an attack on myself, and I guess I am just trying to be honest with all of you. except you.

I think the most dangerous thing for anyone (especially the men...) is that of Pride. Here is how it sometimes shows itself:

1.) A church leadership team is built with intent of building a fuctioning church.
2.) These leaders build into men as necessary to develop a functioning church.
3.) For some reason or another, the discipled men either never become "ready" or they leave.
4.) The church leadership feels the need to expand what the church does (more ministries) without adding staff or volunteers in organizational leadership position (not pastors...but planners).
[updated] 4b.) The church leadership, in attempting to expand ministries sacrifices proper planning, instead focusing only on the immediate things in front of them. This helps develop decision structure based on the single person, because at the last minute, there is no time to gather thoughts and opinions of others.
5.) Because of the expansion, there is more pressure for leadership to do more things, so they start to have specific areas of leadership, beginning the process to lack of accountability.
6.) The lack of accountability allows leaders to make the decisions on their own, without thoughts of others or the people effected by the decision.
7.) This decision making leads to pride, thinking that the leader's decisions are without fault.
8.) The leader no longer builds into younger men.
9.) The church attempts to grow/add ministries, and more stresses and problems develop amongst leadership.

This has proven to be a long post....however, after a conversation with a Pastor friend of mine, and his message at church yesterday (the verse that struck me), I am convinced that there are two things that I need for myself in this respect: First, I need to be aware that there is pride in me, and as I "lead" things, pride can sneak in there. Second, I need accountability, both in the ministry and personally.

In no way am I attempting to suggest that I am speaking of specific people or specific circumstances, but more floating it as a general thing....except for in me. I need to be careful in my own life. Perhaps I am being too open to the internet....but I'll take that chance.''

pax

Personality

2006-10-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

Your Personality Is

Artisan (SP)

You are both grounded and flexible. You adapt well to new situations.
You are playful and free spirited - but you are also dependable and never flaky.

You don't do well in conservative, stuffy situations.
It's probably very hard for you to keep a normal job or stay in school.

You are always up for fun and adventure. Most people are too boring for you.
You take risks and bend the rules. And if things don't work out, you chock it up to life experience.

In love, you tend to take things quickly - but you have a huge problem with commitment.

At work, you need to make your own rules. You're best suited to be an entrepreneur.

With others, you are animated and physical. You prefer doing something with friends to just hanging out.

As far as your looks go, you tend to be buff and in good shape. Your spend more time on your body than your clothes.

On weekends, you need to keep active. From cooking up a storm to running a 5K, you wear yourself out.

The Three Question Personality Test

Fridge

2006-10-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, I walk up to the fridge and notice that there are new items magnetized to the fridge. Most of the time, it has proved to be some comic strips, a funny ad, or something of that sort, with the occasional photo that would make us recall a time many years ago...

I have to admit that when Dugan moved out, many of the comics and photos have dissappeared from our Fridge, leaving it like an open canvas. Well, today, I noticed that the canvas has slightly less available space, and where some space had been, two photos now were there.

It was about 6:30 in the morning when I noticed them, and I just about fell down laughing. It wasn't a laugh of the pictures themselves, but more of the effort that must have been put forth to find the pictures.

so to that, I say......Good job Aaron.

[NOTE: the photos have been removed from the fridge for the work day today, so I could scan them and email them. They should return to their place on the Fridge tonight.]

that's all I got.

pax

RIP CBGB's

2006-10-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

RIP CBGB's