I miss you! When I moved to Irving, Texas 6 weeks ago the boxes from all my moving finally caught up with me. One of the treasured possessions I discovered were notes and photos from the old days. Days of Dances, Math class, Camp trips, Football and everything else we did together. Those were good days. I am amazed at the number of smiles I see in the photographs, and the all the people who were a part of my life, even though some of you never met each other. Some of you may be wondering, "What happened and how did you end up in Texas, and why are you dating an Australian!?" I don't really care to explain all of it in one lengthy note, so I'll make something up that's almost the truth. And then we'll come back to truth at the end ;)
So I left Washington to go to college in the middle of a corn field. I ate biscuits and gravy at each meal and was a spectacular athlete. I tried to form a boy band, but they left me behind because I was too pretty and ruined their odds of getting a record deal. Once I graduated I turned left instead of right and ran my way down to Texas. I met ol' six claws along the way; I made him carry my belongings, which consisted of my back-packler, trackler and my lengthy discourse on the fack-attack. Once in Texas I set up shop in a gym and started pumping iron. I pumped iron until they hired me full-time, acquiescing to my awesomeness, intellect and extraordinary physique. And that's how I ended up in Irving. Part of that story is true. And I don't care to tell you which parts :)
But what I remember most are the people and the times we shared together. Of the times I tried playing tennis with Dennis Einarson only to realize tennis was much harder than it looked on TV and as I remembered it as a child. Of that time we rolled Forest Smith up in a wrestling mat and stuck him upside down in a corner, only because we wanted to see if he could get out. When Amy Brandenburg and I went to a dance as completely different pirates. When I went to my first high school dance with Sarah Wilson as Woody and Bo-Beep. The time I put a life jacket on Courtney Rice and threw her in the lake because she said I couldn't throw her in the lake without a life jacket on. Of midnight games and all nighters with Eric & Ryan Johnson. Of the post church hangouts with Jana, Jessica, Brittney, Brian, Brandon, Tim, Laura and the rest of the gang. Of the post church hangouts with Jesse, Nicki, Nikki, Jessica, Erin, Alex, Ami, Bethany and the rest of the gang. Of the Bitter End, and other such plays whose characters I still have pieces of lying around. Of the time we studied for I don't know what exam with Alyssa, Ami and someone else but I spent most of the time going to the bathroom because I was dehydrated. Of the time I illegally sold muffins for the benefits of others. Of hanging out with Adil, Afton and the rest of the CR and Ashley Heights crew. When Veronica Larson and I ended up at different Fred Meyers with Starbucks attached to them. The time I went to prom and pushed aside my date Kari to dance to something I don't remember anymore! (PS ours is my favorite prom photo). Man were those times crazy, fun, stressful, joyful, frustrating and everything in between! Those were great times, and I was blessed to have you as friends, for your support, encouragement, that time I wacked Bill Dose in the face and no one got mad (except Bill Dose) of faking a girlish German accent for a German assignment with Bill McDonnell and Nathan Snyder. Oh yeah and one more thing, PINEAPPLE!!!!
Of really long bus rides to California and Canada. Of really strange dance moves that I didn't use to get an A on a lip sink assignment in college. Of long classes with the Ferg, Mr. Lorenzen, Ms. Barlean, and our other Math Teachers. Of always wondering what I missed in Mrs. Quaid's class. Of Coach O'Rourke's many inspirational words. Of Coach Reed's many inspirational stories. Seriously, fight like unicorns! Of running ladders with the O-line and County Fair. Of running 400's because we had to and then discovering I was actually somewhat good at that distance. Of that time we played Frisbee during 6th period and I couldn't walk because of the brace on my leg. Going over to Marissa's and baking apple when I forgot the conversion between Fahrenheit and Celsius wasn't a straight forward formula. When we tested physics by getting on the child sized rides, only to discover that was a really painful experience! Of party boy (Seriously I still hate that song! :) ) Of watching volleyball games and appreciating the people who came to watch me. Of that one time in Germany, yeah you had to have been there ;). Of that other time in Germany, yeah you should have been there too! Of that one time in pottery class, totally went to Prom with a Senior! Of that one time we were standing outside hanging around during lunch. That one time I got hit on by a freshman when I was a senior and totally made the best of it. Of all the things I should have done, but didn't do and the things I did do that I shouldn't have done. And for those of you who know me well enough to know what those things are! Of all the faces and memories and times we spent together that I haven't mentioned because I don't think any blog is long enough or my memory sharp enough to write it all out.
I didn't appreciate what we had as much when we had it, but now as I look back I can say I was truly and deeply blessed and lucky to have you as friends, sometimes enemies and then again as friends. Those were great times, and I hope my children will one day be as lucky as I was to have all of you.
(PS I have no actual children)
So the truth of all the matter, and why I decided to take the time to write this short and hopefully hilarious rendition of the past, is that I wanted to thank you for being my friends. Through thick and thin, even when I was thick and wore your patience thin. I appreciate what we had, and look forward to building a new future where I am. Thank you for sharing your lives with me.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Condemnation or Co-Operation?
"I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked man from among you.' "
"And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
"Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you- although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, (co-heirs with Christ, those who love one another and sacrifice for each other) each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to."
"I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name."
"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
I am contemplating leaving 'the church'. Again. Last year I spent six continuous months outside of the Sunday morning walls. It radically changed my life and my faith. For the better. Ever since that experience I have often wondered, "What would it be like to leave behind the 'Christian service'?" Did I leave because I was discontent? No. I left because God led me out, showing me the religious services practiced from another part of the world. It was vaguely familiar and quite similar to my Sunday morning experiences growing up. Yet when I returned to Christian services afterward, I haven't felt comfortable. Something has been off. Even when sitting next to the people I love and call brothers and sisters in Christ. Something hasn't been right.
So what went wrong? It's not the music or the preaching. It's not the building. It's an attitude within those ideas. A subconscious acquiesce to the status quo. To misquote a movie I recently watched, "Would you want to know if everything we've experienced, everything that has unified us, is a lie? Would you really want to know?" I'm not talking about unity in Christ. I'm not talking about his death, burial and resurrection.That isn't a lie. But as I read the above Scriptures, something is not right with who they say we are supposed to be and who we actually are. When was the last time we confronted our brothers and sisters about the sin in our lives? When was the last time we spoke ill of someone outside of the church and outside of Christ? We have a problem. We confront those who aren't in a relationship with us and we let those close to us slide away because we don't want to risk the relationship. This is not who Jesus showed us how to live. And yes, I mean who. Somewhere between our day to day living, we forget who we are, and get life backwards.
Instead of living in loving confrontational unity with those around us, we live in non-confrontation. Unless we can speak ill of someone who is not present and able to defend themselves. In which case we say all the slanderous things we can about that person. Focusing on their flaws, not focusing on the broken parts of their lives. The love of Christ sees brokenness and does not condemn it. It seeks to heal it and make it whole. The judgment of Christ is reserved for those who claim to be whole, but spend their lives breaking others. We can be breakers or healers. Jesus is a healer. Healing is a discipline.
One thing I've learned about my body through fitness, it has a tendency towards brokenness. I'm still working on injuries accumulated from the past. Like my shoulder, hip and foot. Some days I feel whole, but as I exercise my body, I know at some point I'll need to spend time re-aligning and re-habilitating my those joints and muscles. Some past injuries have been completely healed. And I'm sure that when I've finally worked all the brokenness out of my current unhealed injuries I'll have others to work on. Healing is a continual process. Unless I stop living. Even if I were to stop exercising and feeling the tightness in those areas, my body still wouldn't be whole. It just wouldn't hurt. I'm not okay with covering up the pain. I embrace it and use it to remind me that even though my body may not be 100% right, I can still do amazing and incredible things with it. This is the life Jesus calls us to live.
But wouldn't this life mean staying in the 'Christian service'? Could I not interpret the above verses to say I must stay within the Sunday walls? I could, but I would be denying the mission of Christ: to make disciples of all peoples, languages, cultures and social groups. This mission is more important, and I believe I've been prepared, rather unwittingly, to live it. Man does not live on sermons alone, but on every word from the living God.
So if I'm not in church on Sunday morning, then where am I going to be? Good question. I haven't figured that one out yet. Obviously the command is 'go' and the where is 'where you are' and the how is 'how you are' and by what power is 'by the power of Christ's love', but that's all general and not quite specific.
Recently I've been reading about ultra-marathon runners and triathlon competitors. There's something about their disciple and the questions they ask in pursuit of their goals that cries out to me. I'm no where near being close to an ultra-marathoner or triathlete. I'm fit, but not that kind of fit. But if I were to pursue them, as they are more than likely training on Sunday morning, I have to be where they are. Which isn't too hard to find. Just look for people running and cycling along the road, or off the road. Keeping up with them is another question entirely.
But that may be too specialized. I still have my current work. Which I believe is in need of long winded endurance. I've observed too many people starting out strong only to falter and fail within a year's time. They don't have what they need to run the race. In short, I believe all they hear is the condemnation, not the co-operation that comes from being one with the body of Christ. The questions they ask themselves and the answers they find do not give them the strength they need to continue.
My conclusion in all of this is simple. The church building is not the body of Christ. The people are. The Christian service is not the hands and feet of Jesus, the Christ followers out in the streets are. And some of the people who need to hear the love of Christ just might be running and cycling and sweating on Sunday mornings. Which honestly sounds like whole-hearted worship to my body.
Might I have this picture wrong? I wouldn't rule it out. But I know that the current status quo in many churches is not spreading the news of Christ's love to the people who need to hear it and see it lived out. It's also not reaching the people who are training and asking themselves, "Why?" every time they run. It's also not reaching the businesses who claim to be in service to God, but can't keep themselves from bleeding out. Is it possible that leaving the church is the only way to reach these groups of people and fulfill the mission of Christ?
"And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
"Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you- although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, (co-heirs with Christ, those who love one another and sacrifice for each other) each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to."
"I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name."
"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
I am contemplating leaving 'the church'. Again. Last year I spent six continuous months outside of the Sunday morning walls. It radically changed my life and my faith. For the better. Ever since that experience I have often wondered, "What would it be like to leave behind the 'Christian service'?" Did I leave because I was discontent? No. I left because God led me out, showing me the religious services practiced from another part of the world. It was vaguely familiar and quite similar to my Sunday morning experiences growing up. Yet when I returned to Christian services afterward, I haven't felt comfortable. Something has been off. Even when sitting next to the people I love and call brothers and sisters in Christ. Something hasn't been right.
So what went wrong? It's not the music or the preaching. It's not the building. It's an attitude within those ideas. A subconscious acquiesce to the status quo. To misquote a movie I recently watched, "Would you want to know if everything we've experienced, everything that has unified us, is a lie? Would you really want to know?" I'm not talking about unity in Christ. I'm not talking about his death, burial and resurrection.That isn't a lie. But as I read the above Scriptures, something is not right with who they say we are supposed to be and who we actually are. When was the last time we confronted our brothers and sisters about the sin in our lives? When was the last time we spoke ill of someone outside of the church and outside of Christ? We have a problem. We confront those who aren't in a relationship with us and we let those close to us slide away because we don't want to risk the relationship. This is not who Jesus showed us how to live. And yes, I mean who. Somewhere between our day to day living, we forget who we are, and get life backwards.
Instead of living in loving confrontational unity with those around us, we live in non-confrontation. Unless we can speak ill of someone who is not present and able to defend themselves. In which case we say all the slanderous things we can about that person. Focusing on their flaws, not focusing on the broken parts of their lives. The love of Christ sees brokenness and does not condemn it. It seeks to heal it and make it whole. The judgment of Christ is reserved for those who claim to be whole, but spend their lives breaking others. We can be breakers or healers. Jesus is a healer. Healing is a discipline.
One thing I've learned about my body through fitness, it has a tendency towards brokenness. I'm still working on injuries accumulated from the past. Like my shoulder, hip and foot. Some days I feel whole, but as I exercise my body, I know at some point I'll need to spend time re-aligning and re-habilitating my those joints and muscles. Some past injuries have been completely healed. And I'm sure that when I've finally worked all the brokenness out of my current unhealed injuries I'll have others to work on. Healing is a continual process. Unless I stop living. Even if I were to stop exercising and feeling the tightness in those areas, my body still wouldn't be whole. It just wouldn't hurt. I'm not okay with covering up the pain. I embrace it and use it to remind me that even though my body may not be 100% right, I can still do amazing and incredible things with it. This is the life Jesus calls us to live.
But wouldn't this life mean staying in the 'Christian service'? Could I not interpret the above verses to say I must stay within the Sunday walls? I could, but I would be denying the mission of Christ: to make disciples of all peoples, languages, cultures and social groups. This mission is more important, and I believe I've been prepared, rather unwittingly, to live it. Man does not live on sermons alone, but on every word from the living God.
So if I'm not in church on Sunday morning, then where am I going to be? Good question. I haven't figured that one out yet. Obviously the command is 'go' and the where is 'where you are' and the how is 'how you are' and by what power is 'by the power of Christ's love', but that's all general and not quite specific.
Recently I've been reading about ultra-marathon runners and triathlon competitors. There's something about their disciple and the questions they ask in pursuit of their goals that cries out to me. I'm no where near being close to an ultra-marathoner or triathlete. I'm fit, but not that kind of fit. But if I were to pursue them, as they are more than likely training on Sunday morning, I have to be where they are. Which isn't too hard to find. Just look for people running and cycling along the road, or off the road. Keeping up with them is another question entirely.
But that may be too specialized. I still have my current work. Which I believe is in need of long winded endurance. I've observed too many people starting out strong only to falter and fail within a year's time. They don't have what they need to run the race. In short, I believe all they hear is the condemnation, not the co-operation that comes from being one with the body of Christ. The questions they ask themselves and the answers they find do not give them the strength they need to continue.
My conclusion in all of this is simple. The church building is not the body of Christ. The people are. The Christian service is not the hands and feet of Jesus, the Christ followers out in the streets are. And some of the people who need to hear the love of Christ just might be running and cycling and sweating on Sunday mornings. Which honestly sounds like whole-hearted worship to my body.
Might I have this picture wrong? I wouldn't rule it out. But I know that the current status quo in many churches is not spreading the news of Christ's love to the people who need to hear it and see it lived out. It's also not reaching the people who are training and asking themselves, "Why?" every time they run. It's also not reaching the businesses who claim to be in service to God, but can't keep themselves from bleeding out. Is it possible that leaving the church is the only way to reach these groups of people and fulfill the mission of Christ?
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Without Mercy Part I
"Then the LORD said to [Abraham], 'Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried in a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure'... On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, 'To your descendants I give this land...' "
"However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them- the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites- as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshipping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God."
"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them- to the Israelites. I will give you every place you set your foot, as I promised Moses, Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates, - all the Hittite country- to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
"He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like on of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters."
"Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses."
"So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."
The covenant God made with Abram took a long time to fulfill, but as we read in the book of Joshua, when it was fulfilled, it was worth it. That's the focus of the book of Joshua, God's promise, and the obedience of his people who received it. Along the way numerous cities, kingdoms and people are exterminated. Too often we think the book of Joshua as a book about vengeance; we neglect to see the reigning peace that comes from following God. A peace that was not taken through war, but given by God. It was God who did the fighting, though every able-bodied Israelite man was called upon to fight for the promise. Claiming the promise of God was terrifying, there's a reason God tells Joshua three times to have courage and not be afraid. Their opponents were numerous, well established, had the hometown advantage, had better weapons and more numerous gods. In spite of all these things, God fulfills his covenant with Abram- a man who had no future- and shows us a glimpse of His glory.
Did so many have to die? Couldn't there have been another way? When we rewind to Genesis, we see the people who lived in the land had a choice: they could follow God or follow their own ways. They made their choice, and God was patient with them. It took God four-hundred years to bring judgment upon them, as he would not have overthrown the area if only a handful or righteous people remained. As Joshua noted, only one group asked for peace. Only one. And they did so deceptively, because they were afraid for their lives, not repentant of their sin. Everyone else. Everyone, died cursing God and the Israelites. Their time was up. Their hearts were set. They were not going to change. And thus God brought his wrath down upon them.
But was God really just punishing a large group of people? Or was there something more to his actions? In those days each city had its own gods, even though they shared a common pantheon. The gods were lords over certain areas. Each nation would avoid attacking the other on the opposing god's territory; they superstitiously believed a nation to be more powerful within their god's specific terrain. With this approach in mind, they would often avoid battle too near another god's advantage. Unless, they believed their gods' were more powerful. This is exactly what we see happening when God tells Israel to take the Promised Land. He has his people fight on the plains, in the hill country, on the mountains, in the valleys, on the buttes and has them confront every nation on their god's territory. Why? Because he has a point to prove. He's more powerful than them all. Combined. Joshua mentions thirty-one kings God defeated in the Promised Land. Each one of them represents a god, a system of worship and a detestable lifestyle. None of which God was okay with.
Wasn't there something worth saving? Wasn't there something redeemable in those cultures? No. They had become thoroughly corrupt. Like Sodom & Gomorrah, there was only one thing left to do. Totally destroy them. Every living thing. The taking of the Promised Land wasn't a conquest, it was a purging. A purging of sin, that even the Israelites themselves had to go through. Everything that could tell the story or remember the practices of the former inhabitants had to be destroyed. They were to be completely given over to God. Nothing could be held back. Not women, not children, not even animals. Everything had to be put to the sword. Why? Because the LORD cares for the land, just as he cares for his people. He doesn't want us to live in sin or be surrounded by it.
What we read in Joshua is a foreshadowing of the cleansing of Earth. The difference? The final cleansing won't come from the hands of men. It will solely come from the hands of God. God wants to restore and redeem his creation. His Promised Land. The Promised Land is a literal example of God's future plan. It will take hundreds of years to complete, but the fulfilling of the promise is worth the wait. No one who has waited for the promises of God has come up empty. They have always been fulfilled. There are many reasons to be afraid of accepting God's promises. Accepting the promises of God means facing our fears, doubts and all the other gods of this world. One by one we will have the choice to serve those gods, who claim dominion over specific areas of our lives, or we can choose to serve the God, who has dominion over all life. Each god seems very powerful and has it's own set of devoted followers, who may very well be great fighters. But our God is greater. Our God is stronger. Our God is higher than any other. Through Him we have the power to overcome, even though we may not have a place to call home or an established future. God is our future. His plan is not to destroy us, but to make a lasting covenant of reigning peace. At every turn, God will give us the chance to repent and lay down our detestable lifestyles. It's only to those who stubbornly refuse to submit to his promise that will be shown no mercy. God doesn't want this for us, and he didn't desire it for the former inhabitants of the Promised Land. Check out Part II of Without Mercy to see why God gives everyone the chance to repent.
"However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them- the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites- as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshipping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God."
"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them- to the Israelites. I will give you every place you set your foot, as I promised Moses, Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates, - all the Hittite country- to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
"He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like on of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters."
"Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses."
"So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."
The covenant God made with Abram took a long time to fulfill, but as we read in the book of Joshua, when it was fulfilled, it was worth it. That's the focus of the book of Joshua, God's promise, and the obedience of his people who received it. Along the way numerous cities, kingdoms and people are exterminated. Too often we think the book of Joshua as a book about vengeance; we neglect to see the reigning peace that comes from following God. A peace that was not taken through war, but given by God. It was God who did the fighting, though every able-bodied Israelite man was called upon to fight for the promise. Claiming the promise of God was terrifying, there's a reason God tells Joshua three times to have courage and not be afraid. Their opponents were numerous, well established, had the hometown advantage, had better weapons and more numerous gods. In spite of all these things, God fulfills his covenant with Abram- a man who had no future- and shows us a glimpse of His glory.
Did so many have to die? Couldn't there have been another way? When we rewind to Genesis, we see the people who lived in the land had a choice: they could follow God or follow their own ways. They made their choice, and God was patient with them. It took God four-hundred years to bring judgment upon them, as he would not have overthrown the area if only a handful or righteous people remained. As Joshua noted, only one group asked for peace. Only one. And they did so deceptively, because they were afraid for their lives, not repentant of their sin. Everyone else. Everyone, died cursing God and the Israelites. Their time was up. Their hearts were set. They were not going to change. And thus God brought his wrath down upon them.
But was God really just punishing a large group of people? Or was there something more to his actions? In those days each city had its own gods, even though they shared a common pantheon. The gods were lords over certain areas. Each nation would avoid attacking the other on the opposing god's territory; they superstitiously believed a nation to be more powerful within their god's specific terrain. With this approach in mind, they would often avoid battle too near another god's advantage. Unless, they believed their gods' were more powerful. This is exactly what we see happening when God tells Israel to take the Promised Land. He has his people fight on the plains, in the hill country, on the mountains, in the valleys, on the buttes and has them confront every nation on their god's territory. Why? Because he has a point to prove. He's more powerful than them all. Combined. Joshua mentions thirty-one kings God defeated in the Promised Land. Each one of them represents a god, a system of worship and a detestable lifestyle. None of which God was okay with.
Wasn't there something worth saving? Wasn't there something redeemable in those cultures? No. They had become thoroughly corrupt. Like Sodom & Gomorrah, there was only one thing left to do. Totally destroy them. Every living thing. The taking of the Promised Land wasn't a conquest, it was a purging. A purging of sin, that even the Israelites themselves had to go through. Everything that could tell the story or remember the practices of the former inhabitants had to be destroyed. They were to be completely given over to God. Nothing could be held back. Not women, not children, not even animals. Everything had to be put to the sword. Why? Because the LORD cares for the land, just as he cares for his people. He doesn't want us to live in sin or be surrounded by it.
What we read in Joshua is a foreshadowing of the cleansing of Earth. The difference? The final cleansing won't come from the hands of men. It will solely come from the hands of God. God wants to restore and redeem his creation. His Promised Land. The Promised Land is a literal example of God's future plan. It will take hundreds of years to complete, but the fulfilling of the promise is worth the wait. No one who has waited for the promises of God has come up empty. They have always been fulfilled. There are many reasons to be afraid of accepting God's promises. Accepting the promises of God means facing our fears, doubts and all the other gods of this world. One by one we will have the choice to serve those gods, who claim dominion over specific areas of our lives, or we can choose to serve the God, who has dominion over all life. Each god seems very powerful and has it's own set of devoted followers, who may very well be great fighters. But our God is greater. Our God is stronger. Our God is higher than any other. Through Him we have the power to overcome, even though we may not have a place to call home or an established future. God is our future. His plan is not to destroy us, but to make a lasting covenant of reigning peace. At every turn, God will give us the chance to repent and lay down our detestable lifestyles. It's only to those who stubbornly refuse to submit to his promise that will be shown no mercy. God doesn't want this for us, and he didn't desire it for the former inhabitants of the Promised Land. Check out Part II of Without Mercy to see why God gives everyone the chance to repent.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Good Food
"They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
"When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 'Be careful,' Jesus said to them, 'Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' They discussed this among themselves and said, 'It is because we didn't bring any bread.' Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, 'You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
This week I read the label of everything I put in my shopping cart. I also counted all my calories and like any serious exerciser, I tallied my protein. My goal? To eat healthy, and gain mass. I believed I wasn't getting enough protein, that if simply increased my protein count, then I would increase my muscle mass. When I got home, I opened my personal training book and started reading. I read about caloric intake, energy expenditure, and grams/kilogram of protein. I came to a startling realization; I couldn't gain mass because I wasn't consuming enough calories, good old plain calories obtained from eating regular food. My protein intake? Slightly more than double my daily amount! I had been duped into believing that mass was a product of a specific nutrient, not the total amount of food I consumed. My conception about mass was based on popularly held notions. Ones that no matter how much protein I consumed or how much I worked out, would never add an ounce of mass to my body. I think we have this same struggle in our spiritual lives, we overcomplicate what we are supposed to do and end up getting no where, when all we have to do is eat good food.
What is good food? I can promise you that just about any food claiming to be fit, healthy or lean is actually bad for you. Their labels require a chemistry dictionary to understand. All that processing is to remove fat from the product. We believe fat is bad. It's that stuff around our midsections we can't get rid of, therefore if we stop eating fat, we'll start losing fat. This is true if you go home and eat lard everyday. Cutting the excess fat out of our diet will help us lose weight, but cutting all fat out of our diet is unhealthy; its a good way to make yourself irritable, cranky and generally not a nice person to be around. In fact, even if you cut your caloric intake drastically, your fat may not move. It might actually increase! The body will go into starvation mode and keep any fat it can get its hungry hands on. The body needs fat to protect itself, its an essential part of our organs and skin. When the body starves, it doesn't go for fat first. It goes for muscle. The very thing most of us are trying to increase. Even though the scale drops, we're not losing fat, we're losing the good stuff. Why? Because the body is trying to preserve itself. It needs more fat to survive than muscle. When people die of starvation, they still have fat on their bodies; they have simply run out of protein. Good food has fat, hasn't been through a laboratory and tastes like food.
What do you mean 'tastes like food?' Real food doesn't need flavor enhancers. Real food is flavorful. If you want to know where your flavor comes from, read the back of the label. If you can't pronounce what you're eating, there's a good chance the flavor you love is a synthetic. It's not real flavor! You've been tricked! You may believe you're eating the real thing, because everything else you've tasted with that flavor is synthetic! It's a marketing ploy. And it works. That and sugar makes everything taste better. Which is why its important to note what kind of sugars you are taking in, and whether or not its a natural sugar or a refined sugar cane product. Your typical 'fit & healthy' product has a high sugar content, masking the laboratory tastes, and added synthetic flavors. If it comes in a bar or bottle -claiming to be healthy- chances are it didn't fall of a tree, get dug out of the ground or come from another natural source. It's lying to you. Don't eat it!
Why do we eat such foods? Because they are convenient. It's way easier to grab a pre-made shake, than to make one yourself. It's easier to throw something in the microwave than cook it in the oven. But the self-made shake and the oven bake will always be healthier than those pre-made ready to go products. There is no substitute for the real thing. It may not be sweet, it may not have enhanced flavor, but it will fuel your body better than any imitation will ever be able to. It will take a little more time, but the end results will be worth the effort.
This foolish alteration of life giving sources is the yeast Jesus warns his disciples about. The pre-made, flavor enhanced, over sweetened version of the truth. These seemingly healthy products are all over the market place, but they do not satisfy. Unless they've been chemically altered to trick your brain into being satisfied, in which case you'll need to listen to your body, because the body is much harder to convince than the mind. The body is the barometer of health, not our mental conception of our health or the image we'd like to look like. Real health comes from real food and following the truth.
The truth about spirituality? It's very simple. The disciples of Jesus broke it down into four things: real teaching, real people, real food and real prayer. What do I mean by real? I mean authentic and unaltered, honest and open, taking into mind the struggles of life and persevering together through the unity of God's love. This can be made simpler: study, eat, live in community, pray. Not a hard task. But too often, like our food, we want to add enhanced flavors. We want to add sugar and get rid of all the fat. So we find ways of increasing our spirituality by doing out of the ordinary things. Like sitting on mountains for long periods of time. Starving ourselves for weeks at a time. Seeing how fast we can read our Bibles and how many times we can read through it. Seeing how much scripture we can memorize. Or how exciting/solemn our services can be. It's not that any of these practices are wrong in and of themselves: we should take time to get away from our lives and meditate on the simple things, we should fast when we are seeking God, we should read the Bible, we should learn it by heart, we should be moved in our services, but these are not the core of our spiritual nutrition. They are protein. Essential, but often taken in greater quantities than we need. Sometimes 3-5 times greater than we need. That's a nutritional fact. We need to go back to our basics and look at the calories we are consuming and consider their sources. Like me, you may find that you're simply not eating enough.
That's the challenge of eating and our spiritual lives. What are we eating? Are we eating it in the right amounts? Are we overemphasizing one part of our diet while neglecting the other essentials? It's so easy to get lost with the sheer number of options, but nothing compares to eating real healthy food. Healthy food is what it says it is. It doesn't claim to be the next big thing, and when we eat it, we grow the way we should. And we may even shed those unhealthy fat stores, as our body realizes it doesn't have to hold on to them anymore. And that should make us all rejoice!
"When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 'Be careful,' Jesus said to them, 'Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' They discussed this among themselves and said, 'It is because we didn't bring any bread.' Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, 'You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
This week I read the label of everything I put in my shopping cart. I also counted all my calories and like any serious exerciser, I tallied my protein. My goal? To eat healthy, and gain mass. I believed I wasn't getting enough protein, that if simply increased my protein count, then I would increase my muscle mass. When I got home, I opened my personal training book and started reading. I read about caloric intake, energy expenditure, and grams/kilogram of protein. I came to a startling realization; I couldn't gain mass because I wasn't consuming enough calories, good old plain calories obtained from eating regular food. My protein intake? Slightly more than double my daily amount! I had been duped into believing that mass was a product of a specific nutrient, not the total amount of food I consumed. My conception about mass was based on popularly held notions. Ones that no matter how much protein I consumed or how much I worked out, would never add an ounce of mass to my body. I think we have this same struggle in our spiritual lives, we overcomplicate what we are supposed to do and end up getting no where, when all we have to do is eat good food.
What is good food? I can promise you that just about any food claiming to be fit, healthy or lean is actually bad for you. Their labels require a chemistry dictionary to understand. All that processing is to remove fat from the product. We believe fat is bad. It's that stuff around our midsections we can't get rid of, therefore if we stop eating fat, we'll start losing fat. This is true if you go home and eat lard everyday. Cutting the excess fat out of our diet will help us lose weight, but cutting all fat out of our diet is unhealthy; its a good way to make yourself irritable, cranky and generally not a nice person to be around. In fact, even if you cut your caloric intake drastically, your fat may not move. It might actually increase! The body will go into starvation mode and keep any fat it can get its hungry hands on. The body needs fat to protect itself, its an essential part of our organs and skin. When the body starves, it doesn't go for fat first. It goes for muscle. The very thing most of us are trying to increase. Even though the scale drops, we're not losing fat, we're losing the good stuff. Why? Because the body is trying to preserve itself. It needs more fat to survive than muscle. When people die of starvation, they still have fat on their bodies; they have simply run out of protein. Good food has fat, hasn't been through a laboratory and tastes like food.
What do you mean 'tastes like food?' Real food doesn't need flavor enhancers. Real food is flavorful. If you want to know where your flavor comes from, read the back of the label. If you can't pronounce what you're eating, there's a good chance the flavor you love is a synthetic. It's not real flavor! You've been tricked! You may believe you're eating the real thing, because everything else you've tasted with that flavor is synthetic! It's a marketing ploy. And it works. That and sugar makes everything taste better. Which is why its important to note what kind of sugars you are taking in, and whether or not its a natural sugar or a refined sugar cane product. Your typical 'fit & healthy' product has a high sugar content, masking the laboratory tastes, and added synthetic flavors. If it comes in a bar or bottle -claiming to be healthy- chances are it didn't fall of a tree, get dug out of the ground or come from another natural source. It's lying to you. Don't eat it!
Why do we eat such foods? Because they are convenient. It's way easier to grab a pre-made shake, than to make one yourself. It's easier to throw something in the microwave than cook it in the oven. But the self-made shake and the oven bake will always be healthier than those pre-made ready to go products. There is no substitute for the real thing. It may not be sweet, it may not have enhanced flavor, but it will fuel your body better than any imitation will ever be able to. It will take a little more time, but the end results will be worth the effort.
This foolish alteration of life giving sources is the yeast Jesus warns his disciples about. The pre-made, flavor enhanced, over sweetened version of the truth. These seemingly healthy products are all over the market place, but they do not satisfy. Unless they've been chemically altered to trick your brain into being satisfied, in which case you'll need to listen to your body, because the body is much harder to convince than the mind. The body is the barometer of health, not our mental conception of our health or the image we'd like to look like. Real health comes from real food and following the truth.
The truth about spirituality? It's very simple. The disciples of Jesus broke it down into four things: real teaching, real people, real food and real prayer. What do I mean by real? I mean authentic and unaltered, honest and open, taking into mind the struggles of life and persevering together through the unity of God's love. This can be made simpler: study, eat, live in community, pray. Not a hard task. But too often, like our food, we want to add enhanced flavors. We want to add sugar and get rid of all the fat. So we find ways of increasing our spirituality by doing out of the ordinary things. Like sitting on mountains for long periods of time. Starving ourselves for weeks at a time. Seeing how fast we can read our Bibles and how many times we can read through it. Seeing how much scripture we can memorize. Or how exciting/solemn our services can be. It's not that any of these practices are wrong in and of themselves: we should take time to get away from our lives and meditate on the simple things, we should fast when we are seeking God, we should read the Bible, we should learn it by heart, we should be moved in our services, but these are not the core of our spiritual nutrition. They are protein. Essential, but often taken in greater quantities than we need. Sometimes 3-5 times greater than we need. That's a nutritional fact. We need to go back to our basics and look at the calories we are consuming and consider their sources. Like me, you may find that you're simply not eating enough.
That's the challenge of eating and our spiritual lives. What are we eating? Are we eating it in the right amounts? Are we overemphasizing one part of our diet while neglecting the other essentials? It's so easy to get lost with the sheer number of options, but nothing compares to eating real healthy food. Healthy food is what it says it is. It doesn't claim to be the next big thing, and when we eat it, we grow the way we should. And we may even shed those unhealthy fat stores, as our body realizes it doesn't have to hold on to them anymore. And that should make us all rejoice!
Friday, April 19, 2013
One in Unity
"I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name- the name you gave me- so that they may be one as we are one."
"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
Unity is a rare thing. In a day and age where we have more ways of communicating with each other, we remain dis-unified. Why? There is something about the human spirit that desires independent and freedom. We dream of freedom, even in places where we have more of it than others. We actively search for barriers and attempt to break them down, whether they are social situations and ethics or moral positions and beliefs. Yet this world without walls is not unified. This world with more ways of communicating struggles to understand itself. There are more messages about life today, then ever before. We have access to more cultures and ways of thinking than our ancestors and founders did. With all of this access, all of this knowledge, we still come up short. Unification takes more than breaking down barriers, more than tragedies, more than common enemies and more than like-minded allies. This world needs what Jesus prayed for in the book of John, unity.
What did Jesus base this unity on? Was it on a common mission, to serve the underprivileged? Perhaps a business model to keep churches functioning? A twelve-step program to heal addicts of their vices? No. Jesus didn't base his model on steps, he based it on an event. The event of his Father's love. This event, as we read in the rest of John chapter 17, started at creation and continued beyond the prayers of Jesus. It is such an event, one going beyond our beginning and past our end that can bring us together.
At what price? The ultimate price of love is sacrifice. As Jesus demonstrated, the Father set the price high- showing the value of his love for us- then paid the price, showing the power of his love and the desire for us to participate in his love. He made it all possible, so we could be unified in him, just as he and his son were unified with each other.
Even though we like the idea of unity, it is still a foreign concept. It's hard to live out. Even when we try to function as a team, it is easy for the team to break down and lose focus. It only takes one person giving up. The greatest examples of this happen in the sports world. Within minutes we can watch a team self-destruct and turn on each other. American Football is a great example of this. Watch any college game, or even professional, and when things go wrong, players turn on each other. They ask simple questions, and make simple statements, often followed by colorful language. It's a wonder those teams stay together. Many of them don't. At the end of a season, teams are deconstructed and rebuilt. They look for more team players, better talent and a new vision. But for many professional teams talent, vision and even a few team-minded players won't be enough to unify what happens during competition. They are too busy fighting with each other or against each other to have a common cause.
Again, I'd like to ask why. Why can't we keep it together and look at a bigger picture? Pride? Ambition? Self-glorification? The answer is yes. We are often too consumed with ourselves and our performance to think of others. We turn those who could be our friends and allies into enemies and unhealthy competition. Even in the 'Christian' world, where we talk about not competing for attendees, we still end up doing it. And the more we give in to our marketing strategies the easier it is to lose focus on Jesus prayer, "That all of them may be one." It was never Jesus desire for his followers to compete for his affection. His love is freely given. It's not based on merit, the work we do, or the number of people we tell about Jesus. The love of the Father is accessible to all.
It is this love that unifies us. Being loved covers a multitude of wounds. It shapes us in profound ways. It transforms who we are as we bask in its warmth. It is this love that should drive the Christian message. It is this love that drove the early church to tell others, even though they were threatened with death and imprisonment. It is this love that prompted Jesus to pray for the future of all believers. He could have spent that time praying for a host of other things, but he pointed back to what was important, that we remain in the difficult times, not fleeing from them, being loved by the Father in the midst of that's happening around us. It is this peace from chaos, this love for others, that drives all who follow Christ forward. It is this love that never grows dim and never will, even if it leaves our buildings of worship, because love isn't about a place, it's about a people. The people of God.
Who are his people? We are. All people. All are welcome to come and be unified in his love. This love overcomes all barriers, it does not break them. This love flows through open doors, it does not smash them open. This love seeps through cracks, finding a way where there appears to be none. This is the love of God. It hopes. It perseveres. It bides it's time. It does not hurry. It never considers an effort wasted. It always believes, trusts and obeys. This obedience to following God transformed the ancient Roman world, but it wasn't through strict adherence to the law. It was through love that transcends all laws, ethics, positions and circumstances.
This unity can conquer all.. This unity can exist. It can make us one, even as we come from many traditions, cultures and places around the world. Inspite of our failed attempts at communication, this love continues, silently bringing life to places that are empty and dead. This love has restored many to life. It has revived many cities and peoples. It can reach into our lives and heal us from all the cuts, scrapes, bruises and scars we've accumulated along the way. If only we choose to remain in it, and the power of His name.
"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
Unity is a rare thing. In a day and age where we have more ways of communicating with each other, we remain dis-unified. Why? There is something about the human spirit that desires independent and freedom. We dream of freedom, even in places where we have more of it than others. We actively search for barriers and attempt to break them down, whether they are social situations and ethics or moral positions and beliefs. Yet this world without walls is not unified. This world with more ways of communicating struggles to understand itself. There are more messages about life today, then ever before. We have access to more cultures and ways of thinking than our ancestors and founders did. With all of this access, all of this knowledge, we still come up short. Unification takes more than breaking down barriers, more than tragedies, more than common enemies and more than like-minded allies. This world needs what Jesus prayed for in the book of John, unity.
What did Jesus base this unity on? Was it on a common mission, to serve the underprivileged? Perhaps a business model to keep churches functioning? A twelve-step program to heal addicts of their vices? No. Jesus didn't base his model on steps, he based it on an event. The event of his Father's love. This event, as we read in the rest of John chapter 17, started at creation and continued beyond the prayers of Jesus. It is such an event, one going beyond our beginning and past our end that can bring us together.
At what price? The ultimate price of love is sacrifice. As Jesus demonstrated, the Father set the price high- showing the value of his love for us- then paid the price, showing the power of his love and the desire for us to participate in his love. He made it all possible, so we could be unified in him, just as he and his son were unified with each other.
Even though we like the idea of unity, it is still a foreign concept. It's hard to live out. Even when we try to function as a team, it is easy for the team to break down and lose focus. It only takes one person giving up. The greatest examples of this happen in the sports world. Within minutes we can watch a team self-destruct and turn on each other. American Football is a great example of this. Watch any college game, or even professional, and when things go wrong, players turn on each other. They ask simple questions, and make simple statements, often followed by colorful language. It's a wonder those teams stay together. Many of them don't. At the end of a season, teams are deconstructed and rebuilt. They look for more team players, better talent and a new vision. But for many professional teams talent, vision and even a few team-minded players won't be enough to unify what happens during competition. They are too busy fighting with each other or against each other to have a common cause.
Again, I'd like to ask why. Why can't we keep it together and look at a bigger picture? Pride? Ambition? Self-glorification? The answer is yes. We are often too consumed with ourselves and our performance to think of others. We turn those who could be our friends and allies into enemies and unhealthy competition. Even in the 'Christian' world, where we talk about not competing for attendees, we still end up doing it. And the more we give in to our marketing strategies the easier it is to lose focus on Jesus prayer, "That all of them may be one." It was never Jesus desire for his followers to compete for his affection. His love is freely given. It's not based on merit, the work we do, or the number of people we tell about Jesus. The love of the Father is accessible to all.
It is this love that unifies us. Being loved covers a multitude of wounds. It shapes us in profound ways. It transforms who we are as we bask in its warmth. It is this love that should drive the Christian message. It is this love that drove the early church to tell others, even though they were threatened with death and imprisonment. It is this love that prompted Jesus to pray for the future of all believers. He could have spent that time praying for a host of other things, but he pointed back to what was important, that we remain in the difficult times, not fleeing from them, being loved by the Father in the midst of that's happening around us. It is this peace from chaos, this love for others, that drives all who follow Christ forward. It is this love that never grows dim and never will, even if it leaves our buildings of worship, because love isn't about a place, it's about a people. The people of God.
Who are his people? We are. All people. All are welcome to come and be unified in his love. This love overcomes all barriers, it does not break them. This love flows through open doors, it does not smash them open. This love seeps through cracks, finding a way where there appears to be none. This is the love of God. It hopes. It perseveres. It bides it's time. It does not hurry. It never considers an effort wasted. It always believes, trusts and obeys. This obedience to following God transformed the ancient Roman world, but it wasn't through strict adherence to the law. It was through love that transcends all laws, ethics, positions and circumstances.
This unity can conquer all.. This unity can exist. It can make us one, even as we come from many traditions, cultures and places around the world. Inspite of our failed attempts at communication, this love continues, silently bringing life to places that are empty and dead. This love has restored many to life. It has revived many cities and peoples. It can reach into our lives and heal us from all the cuts, scrapes, bruises and scars we've accumulated along the way. If only we choose to remain in it, and the power of His name.
Monday, April 15, 2013
So building a profile is a lot of work. It's time consuming as you try to find the right colors, pictures and layout that best describe yourself AND what you plan on writing about. I'm having a hard time with this, and I've run out of time for the evening. I will be back at it tomorrow, but be warned! I do not have an extensive library of self photos that reflect my current residence, haircut or focus of my chosen subject! These things will undoubtedly come slower than the blogs, as the words are of greater importance to me than pictures themselves. One day my profile will be well designed and a good visual expression of what I write about. Until that day, please enjoy the construction process :)
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