Real Christians Don't Vote

I never want to vote for someone whose choices are in opposition to the very core of Scriptural morality. Which is why I will never vote for someone who supports killing an innocent, whether citizens, other nationalities or the unborn. Which is why I don't vote for any candidate.

Mere Mortals

"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.  Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations-- these are mortal and their life as to ours is that of a gnat.  It is immortals we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit." -C.S. Lewis

Humanity Has No Future

If humanity is to survive, we must develop communities of charity.  Without forgiveness, mercy, generosity, and giving without reciprocity there is no justice, no future.

"No Interpretation Necessary"

The one who quotes a text and says "there is no interpretation necessary" does not understand the text or what it means to interpret.

Mud Huts Are Cool

Better to live in a mud hut with a bowl of rice a day than to live and under the threat of having your bedding torn to shreds by the police and your kids taken away.

Blessing For My To Do List

“Into the keeping of God I put all doings of today. All disappointments, hindrances, forgotten things, negligences; All gladness and beauty, love, delight, achievement; All that people have done for me, all that I have done for them, my work and my prayers.” –Margaret Cropper

Save Yourself?

Everyone tries to be their own savior. And everyone does a really miserable job at it. 


You didn't give birth to yourself.  You didn't grow up by yourself.  Why do you think you can live a good life on your own power?

Touching Words

The words most dear to a father's heart from his grown oldest son:


 "I loosened it for you."

Contemplating the Future

"You can't plan ahead because you don't know how much life is left."-John Fagerson


(of course, he was talking about a battery-powered string trimmer)

Tough To Be Generous

“Be generous when you’re hungry. It’s difficult to be generous when you’re hungry. Yet being generous keeps you from going hungry. Hence the conflict.” -Seth Godin

Significant Silence

Action is essential.  But we cannot initiate nor understand action without contemplation.

Love and Respect

Respect is to be earned, not expected.  However, we will never have peace without respect.


Trust is to be earned. Yet society cannot exist without trust.


 Love is to be granted, not earned. Nothing exists without love.

Root of Evils

Christianity combined with a love of wealth is an abomination, the worst kind of idolatry.

Be Afraid

To question and reconsider all things is only threatening to two kinds of people:
Those whose lives are built on lies and those whose power is based on lies.  

Unification

Every relationship marks our identity.  Every separation brings its grief, for we lose that part of ourselves.

Rules

The good cannot be determined by rules.  Good is found in principle applied rightly for the sake of others.

Eternal Wisdom

Wisdom is not eternal.  It is contextual, limited, relating to culture and ideals.  Were it not, it would not be wisdom.


However, we ignore ancient wisdom to our own demise. 

Happiness

No one is satisfied with just pleasure.  
We must also have relationship and truth, and these always lead to unhappiness.  Strangely enough, a satisfied unhappiness.

Intuition

Intellect is a slave to instinct.  This doesn't mean that instinct isn't rational, however.

Story

Life is narrative.  
Who you are is dependent on the story that you see yourself in.

Success

Victory is a thing of the will.  


The will to sacrifice oneself for that which is greater than oneself. 

Paradox of Trials

"In a way, my life is full of burdens

But in a way, You carry them for me"

-Keith Green

Trust

“It often seems more difficult to trust God than to obey Him.” –Jerry Bridges

Prayer and Trust

“Prayer without faith is a beating of the air;

Trust without prayer is a presumptuous bravado.” –Thomas Lye

Dry Spirit

“My spirit becomes dry because it forgets to feed on You.” –John of the Cross

Pains of Love

“When you love so deeply there are no guarantees that you won’t find yourself feeling the pains of love.”-Isa Agape

Baptize Our Hearts

“O Lord, baptize our hearts into a sense of the needs and conditions of all.” –George Fox

Hymn of the Poor

“Come, Father of the poor

Come, giver of all gifts

Come, light of every heart

Give our labor rest

Coolness in our heat

Comfort in our grief.” 

-13^th century hymn

Love and Suffering

‎"If we do all we can to avoid suffering, we will never experience the joy of loving." Henri Nouwen

Hearing and Doing

‎

"Woe to me if I have heard Your Word but have not obeyed it; if I have known it, but not loved it; if I believe it, but do not live it" -Thomas a Kempis

Weakness

When we have run up against our weaknesses, and can't love anymore, we need to keep striving to live for Him and He'll give us what we need to keep going.

Gossip

‎"How good and peaceful it is to remain silent about others, neither believing everything that is said, nor repeating everything we see and hear" -Thomas a Kempis

One Ticket to Hell, Please

If you are a believer in God but don't provide for the hungry, sick or homeless then you go to hell. Jesus said. Matthew 25:41-46

The Lie of Perpetual Consumption

As long as we teach that economics are driven by self interest, economics will always be driven by self interest.

Loving the Poor

Jesus doesn't call us to just be philanthropic to the poor. He calls us to love poor people.

Speak The Truth

A Prayer Before Prayer

Lord, Father, in light of your promises we ask.
We do not ask because we are worthy
for you have created every bit of good within us.
We do not ask because you owe us something
because you have forgiven us our debts.
We do not ask just because of our need
for you have promised to supply our needs.
Rather we ask because it is pleasing to you for us to ask:
as our Lord said, “Keep asking, and you will receive.”
So out of love for your will
and out of love for your glory
we ask and expect to receive.

Teach Us

“Teach us your own constancy in love, your humility, selflessness and generosity. Look in pity on our small and tarnished loving, protect and foster and strengthen it that it may be less unworthy to be offered to you and to your children. O Light of the world, teach us how to love.”
-Elizabeth Goudge

Education

All education is attempted brainwashing. We all do it, because we want to influence the next generation. The only question is whether we agree with what is being taught...

However, if we teach how to think, how to critique, how to love, how to be self-disciplined, that is true education, truly preparing for living in this world and the next.

What Is Love?

“Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained” -CS Lewis.

Walk That Talk

"God loves us all"
-- we say that, but we have a hard time actually practicing that because we don't take the time to see people through God's eyes. When God looks at an individual, he sees that person as the same as every other person-- an object of loving value

Living Rights

Objectivity Is a Crock

Every experience we have is an interpreted experience. We cannot separate truth from our own perception. This should make us all humble.

Truth in God's Word

Scripture can only lead us to truth. It does not become real until we live it.

Salvation Is a Choice

Spending time with God isn't a requirement, it is an opportunity. We can receive as much salvation as we choose to seek.

To Judge or Not To Judge...

"I always prefer to believe the best of everybody; it saves so much trouble." - Rudyard Kipling

After we see enough of a person's actions, then we know who they are without guessing.

Luv Is A Verb

Love isn't something you find, it's something you do.

Questions and Action

"The important thing is not to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein

However, don't let your questions keep you from acting.

Sing... Sing a Song...

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."
- Maya Angelou

Imagine A World Without Gratitude

"Were there no God, we would be in this glorious world with grateful hearts & no one to thank."
-Christina Rossetti